The Chief opened a draw and handed Jack a Leaflet, “here Jack take this. Where you are going is a beauty spot, a nature reserve but it wasn’t always like that.”
“You will be impressed with the scenery and wildlife. I recently took my son, his wife and our grandchildren there so picked up this leaflet. A fine example what Manchester can do?”
“Thank you so much for this. I will read this and await my visit there with interest; if it is that good I will come again and bring Anne”.
“You consider doing that Jack, you will see it is a very attractive place, loads of people taking photos and there are even some films on You tube, only of the birds and other wild life of course”.
“Chief, thank you for all your help. A good job done there, you have been very helpful. We must get on I would like to visit the widow next”.
“Yes of course Jack, keep me posted of any developments though it still appears a no goer crime wise”.
“Yes” replied Jack “it does appear that way at the moment”.
They stood shook hands and both investigators were soon in the foyer when a large police van pulled up.
“There is your escort, a sergeant and ten officers should suffice,” said Miss Harper-Johnson”
Jack looked at her causing her to reply, “Don’t worry they should be enough, unless you would be any happier with a dog handler coming as well”.
“Ah no, no” replied Jack wondering where the hell they may be heading, he was soon to find out if only a taste of life in the north.
They drove off following the police van and had not travelled far when they past large group of youths some armed with dogs on thick leads and harnesses. The youths were getting the dogs to bay at each other in a fighting stance.
Looking up at the rows of terraced houses he saw here and there were roof lights and incredibly, he thought he could see young men sitting on the roof outside the windows only one slip away from certain death.
The police van suddenly veered to the right and so did Doris in her car, a group of youths on the road side had thrown a pedal cycle into the road obviously at the police van, they jeered “Cita,. Cita”. As the convoy passed them. Jack assumed if translated into English they were chanting “City” the slang an indication they were supporters of Manchester City football club, which only goes to prove that Jack had made the best choice when he had taken up golf.
As they travelled along, Doris’s phone rang and being unable to answer it, she handed it to Jack who placed it into the car phone holder and pressed louder speaker, “Hello Jack Richards”
A voice answered, “The Sergeant here in front. Stick close, we are coming to the nasty area now”.
Jack thought and then said, “Christ after what we have seen so far what is the next bit like”.
He thought at any moment a helicopter would fly over head with a loud speaker blazing, “This area is now under the command of the 5th Armoured brigade”, and immediately he anticipated a convoy of armoured vehicles joining the convoy, the members of which would be armed with fixed bayonets.
As it turned out a message arrived, saying “Welcome to the arse hole of the empire”, there was a laugh, then.
“I was only joking we have gone through the Labour area. Here we are coming into Tory town”.
The area had changed and it appeared they had arrived in a reasonably attractive area. The convoy stopped and the sergeant arrived by the car.
“Here it is Inspector, the house is just here. Rachel Masterton is expecting you”.
“Thank you Sergeant”, replied Jack.
They alighted from the car and as they did so, the officers left the van some began to smoke and others simply leaned on the side of the van.”
Gone it seems was the nicely pressed police surge with a crease in the trousers and polished boots. Instead, the officers were dressed in some type of black overalls and boots, which if anything had ever been placed on the footwear it, was either black car oil, axle grease of at best waterproof dubbing.
The officers were armed to the teeth with batons, gas and stun guns. Looking inside the van Jack saw two firearms securely fastened to the side.
As they walked down the drive, the door of the house, which was named, The Haven, opened and a lady was standing pending their arrival.
She appeared like the other wives, to be in her early thirties, though with long auburn hair. She was wearing a hat and coat giving the impression she was about to leave home,
“Good day to you, Mrs Masterton?” Asked Jack
“Oh yes, I was expecting you but I do have to go out soon, an appointment for a job”.
“We won’t keep you long,” replied Jack.
They went inside, the house was clean, tidy and well furnished there were several photographs of Rick and his horse together with several of their wedding, sad thought Jack.
“Please do sit” said Rachel, “would you like a cup of tea or coffee?”
“Thank you Mrs Masterton but we have yet to travel the many miles down to Shropshire and you have a commitment of your own. May I first add that you have my deepest sympathy at the loss of Rick”.
“Thank you” she replied adding, “How can I help? I had assumed it was a natural cause case”?
“And you would be correct. It is just that there were several officers, though not connected with each other as far as we know, their deaths though natural are rather unusual due to the age of the officers. Nothing for you to worry about it is simply an enquiry to confirm what has already been established”.
”Very tactful” thought Doris.
“I might just ask one or two questions of you Mrs Masterton”, said Jack.
“By all means if I can help”.
“How long had you known Rick?”
“Nearly two years we met when I was out walking my mother’s dog around Chorlton Water Park, ironically where he died. We met that day agreed a date the same evening and fell in love immediately. We were married some weeks later”.
“I see are you aware if Rick or his family had a history of heart disease or similar”.
“None at all Mr Richards, strangely he never did speak of his family save that he originated from a place called Wrexham in North Wales”.
“Did you ever visit there with him?” Asked Jack.
“No never”.
“What did he do prior to joining the police?”
“His records are vague, it seems he may have been a farm worker and then had a job at a stables other than there is not much about his previous life?”
“All I know of that is that he said he was working at this stables for some well to do person who kept horses, rich people. Rick liked horses from his farming days”.
“He said that one day some high ranking police visited the stables and as a result it seems the Manchester Police were short of a police horse.”
“When the owner offered to donate a horse, provided Rick could be the rider, he dropped on his feet and became a policeman but he only ever rode the horse from what he said, you may know more, that is all I ever knew him to do”.
“I see”, said Jack.
“Did you ever hear him speak of anyone else from the Wrexham area?” Asked Doris.
“Only some fellow he called Smiling Sid who he said he knew from his farm and stables times but I think this Sid got into quite a bit of trouble so when he came round here one day Rick sent him packing”.
“Oh he came here did he”? This Sid fellow” exclaimed Jack.
“Not exactly here, it seems Rick met him whilst on patrol one day. Seemingly Sid was fishing in Chorlton Lake and spoke with Rick, that was all that was in it as far as I know”.
“I see. Very interesting”, said Jack, “Did he ever speak of any officers from other forces?”
“No-one at all, not to me any way”. Said Rachel
“Did he happen to have a female visitor just before his death”? Asked Doris.