CHAPTER EIGHT
Nancy Compton and Laura DeVere rode in the old Sunbeam with Daniel Compton and because his mother had refused to ride in the Alvis, Martin arrived on his own.
Louise Denson opened the door to them and then called, "Guy," and left them standing there in the hallway. Unruffled by the reception that his wife had given them Denson said, "Louise is entertaining some of her friends with Celia. Come outside where cook has put us out some nice things to eat."
Caroline Denson was waiting as they went through the French Doors on to a patio lined with flowerbeds. She greeted the ladies and had a heightened colour when she shook Compton and then Martin’s hand.
Denson showed them to some chairs, "My wife and I have different interests and go our own way so she will be happy with canapés and wine whereas I hope that you enjoy these sandwiches and small pies."
He was very attentive to the ladies and had many questions about the work they did for local charities and Church activities. He showed that he had been listening carefully when he eventually broke in to say, "It sounds to me as if the Church Hall is really what needs attention. If it was repaired it could act as a place where local youth could have some dances and decent entertainment away from the kind of places they frequent in the City. They can still have the kind of music they seem to like nowadays and it might keep some of them out of trouble."
Both women agreed and showed they appreciated his interest.
"I am wondering if I can leave the two of you together and take Daniel and Martin out to look at his car with Caroline to show me what she thinks of it too."
Nancy looked at Laura after they left. "He’s up to something. If he is going to try to get some of the details of the case that they are working on he is in for a big surprise."
Laura shook her head prettily. "I think he is more interested in finding out more about my boy. Oh well I don’t mind. This is a nice place to rest a while and the food is delicious."
Denson dutifully listened to the proud owner’s description and climbed behind the wheel himself to have Martin start the car and listen to the engine.
He turned to Caroline as he got out, "I expect you want a nicer ride in it. Let this young fellow take you for a spin but be back well before dark when I expect we will all be ready for a small liqueur."
They watched the car disappear down the driveway and Denson remarked absently, "She isn’t burning oil." He held out his arm to stop Compton going back into the house.
"Let’s walk a little. I want you to tell me what you think about young DeVere."
Compton looked piercingly at Denson. "I am not in the habit of talking about people when they are not present."
Denson threw up his hands, "Give me credit for not looking for criticism. I am not an idiot. I can see the way she looks at him and perhaps he hasn’t noticed but one of these days he is going to. I just want to know if he is like his father. If he is I have nothing to worry about."
Mulling this over for a minute Compton said, "If I had a daughter I would be pleased if he took an interest in her."
Denson roared with laughter then. "I suppose that is all I am going to get. It’s enough. What do you know about his father?"
Compton said, "Killed at Arnhem. I did my fighting in Africa and came to the French lot later."Denson told him about the way that DeVere had died.
Compton said, "The wireless operator. What was his name?"
As realisation hit him. "No let me guess... it was Ramsay wasn’t it?"
Denson expressed surprise so Compton told him about the Hippodrome incident.
"Bloody idiots your supervisors aren’t they sergeant. Oh yes I know why they have got it in for you." He looked as if he was going to say more and then contented himself with saying, "Do your best with the latest thing they have given you and you will have the last laugh."
As Compton was going to protest he held up a hand. "Trust me, now let’s go back and see the ladies."
Just before dark the young couple returned and to the discomfiture of his daughter Denson said, "No fish and chips this time?" He halted the explanation that Martin was going to give.
"Come and sit down and have some nice cakes and a Little Grand Marnier. You will be hard at it again in the morning."
A phone on a side table gave a subdued ring and Denson picked it up. "It’s for you sergeant."
Compton listened, gave a clipped agreement, then put the phone down. He shook his head.
"Always when you don’t want it! I am afraid that the lad and I have to go and I will call a taxi for the ladies."
"No you won’t," was the immediate reaction from Denson. "Caroline and I will see they get home safely. Martin, your old car will be safe here for a while."
Compton was apologetic and after their car had pulled away he swore softly.
"Can’t get a quiet evening can we. There is a woman in hospital and it has something to do with those damn bikers. They have got Thompson on the way out there but I hope she waits for us."
The W.P.C. was waiting in the reception area and looked worried. "It’s the woman that just got elected to Council and they won’t tell me why she is here."
Compton said, "Let’s find the ambulance driver."The ambulance crew was in the hospital cafeteria with the wireless car crew and Compton knew the ambulance driver.
"Lionel, tell us about the last trip where you brought a woman in about an hour ago."
"Going to give you problems that one Daniel. It’s the Councillor McGregor. I recognised her from the election pictures that were on all the signs. It was this police car that called us in. They found her out in the sticks...hysterical and looking as if she had really been roughed up...very little on. We don’t argue...we just bring them in and let the Docs take over, but she has been refusing treatment."
Compton thanked him and asked Martin to stay in the cafeteria and take a statement from the driver and his assistant. When they were making their way back up to the Emergency Area he told Thompson, "I hope you have done some of these before because they are the worst kind of things to handle."
McGregor was propped up in bed and crying softly. The nurse saw Compton’s smile and nod so she quietly left. Compton waved Thompson to the chair by the bedside and said quietly, "Miss McGregor." She took the flannel from her nose and said firmly "Ms McGregor."
Compton leaned closer and said, "Elizabeth!" Her head came up then. "You are that sergeant and you are not going to help me...neither will that thug that works with you."
Compton’s lips thinned into an almost white line. "Please listen to me for a moment Elizabeth. I don’t care if you are married to Royalty or if you wash building steps for a living you will get the same treatment from me ...and the whole of the Canonsfield police force. Now I think I can make some guesses about how you came here in a very distressed condition.
You were brought in from a place close to where those kids hang out and they probably did things to you that you didn’t expect. You are a strong young woman and I want you to tell me what happened...you went out there to see them didn’t you?"
She nodded and between sobs she said, "I wanted to find out what happened when one of them was injured. A girl answered the door and took me into a room where another girl was on a mattress and she was nearly naked. I realised that I had made a big mistake but a big brute stopped me from leaving. The girl egged him on and then..." She started to cry hard and Compton let her use the flannel that she had been holding.
"They assaulted you didn’t they?"
"He said I wouldn’t be able to say anything because of my position and the publicity that it would cause. There were too many of them. He waved a knife in front of me and made me..." Once again there was a flood of tears. "He made me take my clothes off."
Compton let her crying die down.
"Nobody heard my screams and cries for help."
Compton sympathised, "I think that you were lucky to be able to leave."
"Oh they weren’t going to let me go. They pushed
me into a room with bits of my clothes and I lay down and curled up so they probably thought that I was not capable of doing anything. It was dark but I was able to push up a window and climb out and then I ran and ran until I got to the road. There was a light and it was a phone box, and by the grace of God it was working. I heard one of their bikes roaring up the road and hid behind the box until I saw the flashing lights of the police car."
Compton again said sympathetically, "I know what that cost you Elizabeth. Now I want you to do something important for me. Can you remember what they looked like? Is there something which would help you to identify them?"
She seemed to concentrate then, "The girl on the mattress...she had some kind of tattoo here" and she touched the top of her upper arm.
"I think it was blue but I could not make out what it was...a kind of a circle. The big brute that did most of the things to me had very short hair...like military men and there was a scar on his head here..." and she touched the top of her forehead.
Compton nodded his head to show his approval.
"I am going to take W.P.C. Thompson away for a moment or two to let you recover a little and then I want you to tell her as much as you can remember. I know it will be difficult but other women have managed it. I remember a woman who had a stupid individual make advances to her and he exposed himself. She did the thing that would hurt him most."
McGregor’s head came up at that.
"Did she kick him?"
"No she laughed at him!"
McGregor put her hand to her mouth and stifled a laugh. "I expect that they have found my little car. Can you try to rescue it for me?"
Outside the room Compton talked quietly to Thompson. "Get the nurse to clean her up a little and then take a full statement. Don’t let her get coy about what they did to her. It all has to be spelled out but I think she might be ready to do that. Her rage about what they did is beginning to build. Reinforce the fact that we will do our best to apprehend these tow rags and bring them to justice.
Only when you have it all down and you have read it over and she has signed it will you break the news that she has to have a full medical examination. Then you remind her that this will all be kept in confidence until the trial and there are sometimes parts of a trial that are dealt with ‘in camera.’"
Martin had stayed with the wireless car crew and Compton sat down at the table with them.
"Tomorrow night I want you to take a drive by Halidons. Don’t get them excited but leave me a note in the morning. There is an old car out there somewhere and I would like to know if it’s still there."
When they were driving away, Compton said, "I think we will call it a day. The ladies will have enjoyed themselves and we can get back to work in the morning. I will drive you out to the Denson’s to pick up that old heap of yours."
"That is a beautiful elegant old vehicle Sergeant and you shouldn’t call it names."
Compton sniffed, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose."
Laura DeVere was waiting up for him in the small drawing room.
"Caroline is a very nice girl Martin but why should she be interested in your father’s will and the statements that the accountant sends me?"
"There’s only one way to find out mother and I will ask her when I see her."
There was the usual morning meeting in the C.I.D. office but it was a little smaller as more officers had been sent out to talk to youths at their night gatherings. Compton had decided to let them come in a little bit later and have an early afternoon briefing.
They listened carefully as he said, "A woman was assaulted out at the place that some of the more violent of these so called ‘Teds’ are living. It might tie in to the murder but we have got to be a little more certain before we pay them a visit."
Bisset waited until they had dispersed and then handed Compton a typed note. He looked over the top of it and remarked, "The driver didn’t type this!"
"He dictated it and I typed it."
"You are spoiling them you know."
He called to Martin and let him read it. "If they have gone as the car seems to think it might be an opportunity to take a look at the place. Let’s see if I can find Halidon and get him to give us permission and then Bill can go out there."
Told of this request, Bridgeman was loud in his protests. "You must think I have nothing else to do." Then a little slyly. "I can’t do it on my own."
Compton had anticipated that, "There will be a nice policewoman who will go with you and make sure that you look after her."In the silence which that surprise had generated, Compton put down the phone.
When Thomson came in, Compton told her what he wanted. "Bill might need a hand to label any fingerprint sites and hold a strong light while he takes his photos. Take a special look at the window she would have got out of and remind him to dust the car if it is still there. Look and see if there are any bits of clothing."
He looked at Bisset with some appreciation, "You have been doing a very good job lass. Bill brought in that criminal record for the murder victim, and I see that you have logged it in. See if you can find any family details because we are going to have that unpleasant notification to do.
If there is any mention of a Probation Officer, try and get hold of him or her. Tell them that I will call later in the afternoon if they will give you a number which will reach them."
He marched out calling, "I am going to the Denson’s with the lad here. Someone’s got the number."
Denson was standing by the Alvis when they drove up. He looked like a child that had been caught with a forbidden cake. "I was trying to make up my mind if I could start her up and go for a drive but that would have been very silly."
Caroline Denson had heard the car and came down the front steps to join them. Martin made up his mind quickly, "Why don’t you take Caroline to my home. You can both enjoy the drive and when I finish duty if Sergeant Compton will drop me there I can bring you home."
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Denson squeezed himself in and impatiently called for Caroline to get in the passenger side. "Crank her up Martin and I am really going to enjoy this."
As they watched the car disappearing down the drive, Compton said quietly, "Very trusting son...very trusting. What if he bends it?"
"I think he is a good judge of most things sergeant and will look after it."
"Won’t your mother be put out when they arrive unannounced?"
"No sergeant. She has become what you might call a person of first resort. If someone has cut their hand or got some bad news it is our door they arrive at and she always seems to know what to do."
The Probation Officer was expecting the call and had looked out his file. "Sad situation sergeant...but aren’t they all. Father is on Assistance and drinks it all away. Mother works and didn’t have much time for the girl so she started hanging around with some of the youths who won’t work and make a living from crime. They wear the jackets and string ties and roar around on their big motorcycles. They form gangs and this girl got drawn in. She had one of them with her when she came to see me once."
There was a minute while he riffled through his notes.
"Ronnie Squiller. He probably wasn’t as bad as some of them but he had a conviction for break and enter. You know the way it goes sergeant...not the first time he had done it...but the first time he was caught."
Compton thanked him. "I suppose you don’t remember what kind of break in. I can try to get his record from the Yard."
"Yes I do as a matter of fact. It was a Post Office."
Martin listened to the results of the contact. "Too much of a coincidence sergeant. She is the inside element and he does the break in."
Shaking his head Compton said, "Can’t do that kind of job on his own lad. There will be others and don’t forget they probably had numbers to cash the Postal Orders quickly. That reminds me I must phone that Postal Investigator."
Weston was deflated when he heard of the girl’s death. "I
f we had found her first we might have got something on the others."
Compton asked if they had managed to catch anyone cashing the stolen P.O’s. Weston confessed that none of the Post Offices had provided any useful descriptions.
"Girls mostly. Cashed the twenties and bought a packet of fags to break down a note."
The next thing that Compton turned his attention to was a visit to the pub that he knew old Halidon frequented at lunchtime. "There you are you old rascal. How are you getting on with those new tenants of yours?"
"Haven’t paid me have they, rotten little twisters."
Compton sympathised, "Any objection to us going to have a look round. We might be able to find out where they have gone?"
"Won’t do me much good but let me know if they left anything that I can sell."
Compton used the pub phone to tell Bisset that Bridgeman and Thompson could go ahead. The hospital was next, to pick up the autopsy report.
When he had that, Compton also found the nurse who had been in attendance when McGregor was admitted.
"I don’t know if you can have the results of the medical examination sergeant. Those things are usually private."
He eventually found the doctor who listened to his request. "I will have to think about that sergeant. If there are criminal charges I suppose you will call me as a witness and then I will have to give the details. She has told you the things which they did to her and I can confirm that the medical examination will confirm her story. She lost some blood you know."
Compton said musingly, "I expect there would be some anxiety about pregnancy?"
The doctor snapped back quickly, "There will not be a pregnancy and I have told her that."
"Thank you doctor." Driving to Martin’s home Compton said more to himself than anything else. "So those swine raped her. That is something that must not come out unless it has to and only if Counsel cannot get them to plead guilty."
Compton stopped the car outside. "Go on in and I will see you in the morning."
Laura DeVere was thoroughly enjoying her visitors and was sitting at the table with photograph albums piled on each other. Denson was reading a book on the different Alvis models and looked up as Martin came in.
"Well you were certainly a chubby little fellow."
"That’s not fair sir...." then by way of riposte, "I expect you looked good in knickerbockers."
Caroline defused any further jousting. "Thank you Mrs DeVere for letting me see all these wonderful photos. The ones of the wedding are beautiful."
Seeing the look on Denson’s face when they went out to the car Martin laughed and said, "Alright you can drive her back sir."
They had almost reached the Denson home and the lights had picked out a curve when they heard a loud roar and Denson had to turn the wheel sharply as the motorbike flew past them.
"Bloody fool," was the shaken comment from Denson. "I think I have put the wheel in the ditch."
"Let me have her sir."
Martin got in the vacated driver’s seat and very gradually eased the clutch with the car in reverse until the front wheel climbed back on to the road. He moved the wheel from side to side. "There might be some mud and grass underneath but I will clear that up at the weekend."
"If there is any damage I will pay for it," was the concerned remark from Denson.
Seeing Caroline standing by the car and shivering, Martin put his arm around her, "I am very sorry you had a scare. The old girl does not seem to want to show you her good side."
The rest of the trip passed without incident. On the following morning Martin remarked that they would not be able to get much further if their emerging murder suspects in the form of the biker youths had decamped.
"I don’t think we were in a position to land on them son. We have got to have some fairly strong evidence first. Not depend on finding something."
Compton rubbed his head in thought, "The Lord sometimes moves in mysterious ways, this may help us in the long run."
Martin said, "I just have a feeling that they are still around. A big bike nearly ran us off the road last night."
Compton was concerned, "Do you think it was you they were after?"
Martin gave that a little thought. "Because they came out of nowhere at a big rate of speed I think it was just driving stupidity. Still I wonder that more of them don’t kill themselves."
At Ivy’s there were some pensive faces as the dinner things were gathered up and they found the easy chairs.
Willoughby remarked, "Frenchy was followed up the lane by one of those big bikes yesterday. I think we should not be surprised if they pay us a visit."
He was serious as they could see. "Geoffrey you can come with me on a building inspection and the rest of you can think about some defence arrangements. It’s getting dark but we need to do it as soon as possible."
Bridges inspected the entrance door. "Good six inches that boss and with some bolts on the inside they would never break it down."
Willoughby was not so sure. "Some determined blows on the outside would pop the screws."
Bridges was indignant. "If I use coach bolts countersunk on the outside you would never shift an inside bolt. Still it might be an idea to put an iron bar across."
They walked around the exterior of the large granite stone house and Bridges pointed out some of its welcome features.
"Bars on the downstairs windows...no getting in there."
They looked up at the edge of the roof as the lights came on. Bridges pointed, "When they put the bars on the windows they put mesh over the lights so someone with a strong catapult or a small bore cannot shoot the bulb out."
The area around the foot of the house was grass and then there were bushes and small trees surrounding the grass. They came to the only other opening to the outside, which was the garage and it had strong steel doors, which rolled up and down.
Bridges approved of that, "Like the window bars they were not going to let squatters get in through the garage. These are heavy metal doors and can be opened by a transmitter. It’s useful if you want to just drive in but a liability if someone else has the same transmitter. There is a locking mechanism inside though and we will have to be sure that everyone knows how to open, close and lock them."
Willoughby had been reassured by the thick stonewalls and the description supplied by the engineer. "Now we have to see if we can give them a warm reception if they try to attack us."
Bridges had obviously given the matter some thought. "You will have to see what the others can come up with. The only chink in our armour might be the fire escape. Each building has to have one and ours is at the back of the building and stops about five feet from the roof."
When they returned to the Drawing Room, Willoughby sank down into a chair with some relief.
"Listen to Geoff will you? He will tell you about the outside and what he can do to stop them getting in. There is a fire escape that we will have to deal with. Let’s hear anything that you have been able to come up with when he’s finished?"
They listened to Bridges and then Ralston stood up and began to walk about on the rug that the chairs were grouped round.
"If they are down on the ground and trying to find an entrance then it should be easy to drop something on them. There’s a big pile of old house bricks at the back in the shrubbery where the gardener was going to build some flowerbeds. One or two round their ears will give them something to think about."
LeClerc had followed this and commented himself. "I think they won’t be able to see us up on the roof if the lights are on because we must assume that some of these low lifes may have a weapon. If we do drop things they will run for shelter and I wish I had the skill of an old friend who used to set booby traps for us."
Ralston coughed loudly. "I have had some experience with that kind of thing!"
LeClerc beckoned Bridges, "I have some suggestions for our transport just in case we get caught out before we can get to the garage."
Willoughby r
eacted to that. "If you are going to go into the city tomorrow to get supplies, please go late and use the old Austin. See what Rose needs to stock up on and get that at the same time. It won’t hurt to put us in a siege state of mind."
When the old Austin returned on the following day Rose looked over the provisions which they had bought and then showed some curiosity in the other boxes which they brought into the drawing room. A small roll of barbed wire needed careful handling and Bridges disappeared up the stairs to the roof with Ralston helping him avoid the walls.
Willoughby decreed that before they examined the things in the boxes they should all go to the garage to make them familiar with the opening, closing and locking. Rose had to be persuaded to accompany them but her attitude changed when LeClerc remarked rather dryly, "If those Teds are on our tail you had better have the door up, down and locked in double quick time if you don’t want them chasing you up the stairs."
It was agreed that she would keep her eyes open when the ‘Boys’ had gone to the city. If she heard three blasts on the old Austin’s horn she would have the garage doors open and not wait for them to get out of their vehicles before she shut the doors and locked them."
The boxes were emptied and Bridges took the lead in explaining what they had found. He held up some catapults with very strong rubber. "You would be surprised how hard these can send a projectile."
Willoughby shook his head uncertainly, "What are you going to shoot?"
Ralston chipped in, "There’s hundreds of old golf balls in the basement that someone obviously used to practice with long ago."
Bridges unwrapped a parcel, which was found to contain an air rifle. "When we thought about why the lights needed protection I thought one of these might come in handy. If I don’t take a shot at them I might be able to damage their transport."
There was another small box, which Ralston handled carefully. "Some chemicals and fuses which might brighten things up if they go in the bushes. I know there is some rope in those odds and ends in the basement and I shall want someone to help me this afternoon. No wandering about outside after that."
The final box was something which piqued Willoughby’s curiosity. "What on earth is that?"
Bridges put his hands on his hips. "What’s the first thing they are going to do when they get here?"
Willoughby shook his head. In a satisfied tone Bridges said, "They are going to cut off our phone. This little device will let us call for help."He cranked a handle at the side and a siren began to wail. "That’s set on low. It can go a lot louder."
Rose rushed in hearing the strange noise and Bridges explained it. "Phone your friends at the farm down the road and ask them to tell the police that we need help if they hear this going off."
Rose shook her head in exasperation. She had demonstrated her ability to raise the garage doors and lower and lock them several times until Bridges was satisfied. As she turned to go she asked, "What’s that big box of pepper doing in my supplies?"
Willoughby said anxiously, "Oh I want that Rose. Leave it here with our other things."