“I will put on the sat nav,” said Doris, “I will never find Manchester HQ without some help”.
Doris was well used to the satellite navigation and so they arrived at Manchester Police Headquarters with all haste, that is to say travelling ten miles per hour outside and into the city then at walking pace in three lanes of traffic from one set of traffic lights to the next.
This caused Jack to realise why the successful business community in Tarporley had moved south to Cheshire though having to negotiate the horrendous journey each morning and evening, at least their off time from work or business was more pleasant.
The car parked, the duo of investigators walked on, Jack in the front Doris in close pursuit her main duty in hand, carrying the briefcase. One blind and the other leading the blind thought Jack walking at a brisk pace to the front entrance then stopped and pressed the who is it at our door button upon which a voice asked “Who seeks admission?”
This phrase reminded Jack that it was used in Freemasons Lodges and caused him to wonder if this Chief was also a Free Mason. If so, could there be a change of suspect from Wrexham Sid to a secret conspiracy of Freemasons.
They appeared to get blamed for everything else why not this?” thought Jack but then,
Doris called “are you ready?” Mr Richards.
He realised he had been fantasising yet again having not heard Doris make any reply to the who seeks admission.
He would never know if she had replied, Jack a poor brother in a state of darkness”
“If she had, those inside may well anticipate him coming inside led by Doris, he being blind folded, his shirt open at the chest with a cable tow or to the uninitiated, a rope around his neck and a trouser leg rolled to the knee”.
“Good morning” it was a lady of colour very handsome and well suited to her very smart and neatly fitting grey suit. She was aged in her early forties and had an exceedingly pleasant welcoming voice and approach.
“We have come by appointment to see the Chief-Constable Mr Quinten Johns,” replied Doris, thinking her uniform looked a little on the shabby side compared with that of the immaculate Miss Harper-Johnson, Reception liaison Officer, according to her name badge.
It also crossed her mind if the Chief was just as finely attired Jack who was still wearing his grey trilby hat and old grey raincoat would look like a phrase used by her mother, “a dog’s breakfast”
“Ah yes, I am Clarice. If you would care to follow me I will take you directly to the Chief’s Office.”
“I might just add that due to the area in which you will be making your enquiries once you have finished your interview with Mr Johns, arrangements have been made for a suitable escort for you to visit Mrs Masterton and Chorlton Lake”.
“Thank you so much” replied Doris as they arrived at the lift, entered and were on their way up, in what appeared to Jack had been one continuous motion.
The lift stopped and they alighted and walked the short distance along the corridor to the office marked, The Office of the Chief-Constable, Manchester Police, Quinten Johns QPM
Clarice pressed the buzzer and an illuminated sign came on, “enter” they stepped inside what was a mediocre office only containing a desk, and three chairs.
A computer fitted onto the modern but small desk and a telephone. Around the walls were several photographs of Her Majesty the Queen.
The lady seated at the desk was not a posh Clarice but a relatively common Vera who spoke with a relatively common accent when she said, “Welcome very nice day “tint it” then added for good measure, “Cum tu see Chief?”
“Yes I am Inspector Scott-Ling, this is Mr Jack Richards”
Vera smiled and pointed to the vacant seats indicating the visitors would be more comfortable seated during their wait, they did so and so did Clarice.
Vera was about to pick up the telephone when she looked and realised the Chief was already speaking to someone and so turned to the visitors and smiled then asked, “ Hast thee been tu cita much”
“Ah no” replied Doris.
Jack was not a regular visitor but during the occasions he had he had heard this northern twang before, they appeared to miss out the word “the” in a sentence so instead of asking, “Are you going down the road?”
“They said, are you going down road?”
He was expecting any moment dear Vera would ask, “Hast thee been in tu Ali or worse”.
“Thee knows, the Chief, he is a Rate Moonkay”
With that all thoughts suddenly changed has her telephone rang, she immediately picked up the handset and said, “Yes Sir, both are here sir, I will yes”.
She walked from her desk, opened the door and said, “Mr Johns will see thee both now”
Doris and Jack entered wondering what they would be greeted with, it was the norm.
“Good morning Jack and you also Inspector, please do take a seat”.
It was apparent the Chief at least appeared to speak the Queens English, which for a southern boy like Jack was an advantage.
His office was large and nicely furnished with a large heavy oak desk, which was carved, an equally decorative chair, which appeared to rock, often referred to as a captain’s chair.
The view from the vast window was of the city but unlike Myers office in Wrexham, there were no hills in the background all solid city and motorway.
“How can I help you?” Asked Johns, adding, “Oh here is a copy of the officer’s personal record file”.
“Well” replied Jack “unless you have any logical explanation or some good ideas whether anything other than natural causes was behind the officer’s death I doubt you can help much.”
“I have nothing. I was hoping that you might be able to shine some light on the situation, I presume you will have already made some enquiries”.
“Yes we have” replied Jack “preliminary mind you”.
“And they have revealed”? Asked Johns
“Until today sir, not much, we endeavour to persevere”, added Jack.
“I see, right well this officer didn’t have much service, looking at his record just before you arrived I see he joined only three years ago”
“I recall it for it was January, we weren’t actually recruiting anyone due to the cuts but then it appears there was an exception made in the case of Rick and so he joined”.
“What would the exception be?” Asked Jack, the date of his joining the force had rung alarm bells.
“I have no idea, I myself, didn’t arrive here until some weeks after that so the subject never came up”.
“I see” said Jack, “I wondered if him being a mounted officer had anything to do with it, it being a little on the specialised side”.
“You may be right, just a moment I will ask Vera she is a wealth of information, Vera would you please step inside?”
Before he could replace the phone Vera was in the room and without prompting asked, “Can I help thee?”
“Ah, yes Vera we were just wondering if you had any idea as we were not recruiting at the time how Rick Masterton came to be admitted to the force?”
“Oh Rick, Oh yes it was because of the last Chief, he was a big riding man. We were short of jockeys for ponies and Rick was a rider at a stables in North Wales, near Wrexham and the Chief had a cottage near there.”
“I recall he had a weekend away and took some police bosses with him; the HMI at the time was one. The next minute we had a new horse and rider, that’s all I know”.
“I see thank you Vera”.
She left the room then the Chief smiled and said.
“There you have it, Jack, problem solved seems it was wheels within wheels, a boys week-end out and Manchester gets a new horse and rider.
“Are you going to the scene?”
“Yes sir, I had intended to”, replied Jack.