“You haven’t been arrested, you have voluntarily come here as a star witness to help, what have you done?”
“I have come as a volunteer Sergeant to help you”.
Striker smiled lifted up Ted banged him down on the same chair at the table and said.
“Now get your things, the officer at the desk will take your full details, you will then fuck off, if we need you we will contact you.”
“How will I get back to my van?"
Striker laughed, “Your van, fucking walk it’s only twelve miles or get a taxi”
Ted stood up walked with a few pushes and arrived at the front counter, gave his details and left.
He had gone only a few paces when he heard a voice, “Wait here I called a taxi”.
He looked up and saw it was the young officer who had been standing guard over him.
In a moment or so, the taxi arrived, and he climbed inside.
The door suddenly opened it was Striker who leaned inside and whispered.
“Don’t fucking work in our area again, or else, get the message, now fuck off”.
He banged the door and the taxi was away.
“You have reached your destination” came the satellite navigation message”. Doris stopped the car and instantly realised why both officers lived as next-door neighbours. The houses were old and it was obvious they had been if still not, police issued houses.
The dour coloured brick, with a small office and garage on each side were consistent with the old police houses she had seen in the various villages as a girl when local Bobbies lived in villages. This one must have had a sergeant in one and a constable in the other.
“Jesus, Oh I shouldn’t say that she said to herself, there were two women in the gardens speaking over the hedge.
She looked at her watch it was 4pm it suddenly came home to her that both officers should have finished at 2pm and been home by now.
She need not worried the women were unsuspecting for their husbands were often late, part of the job; they had soon come to understand.
In fact, they had been neighbours before and both their husbands were often away or late on some other inconvenient course or trip, which made for a relatively uncertain family life.
Doris turned after walking a few paces, clicked the handset to lock the police car door.
She recalled how Striker had warned her that Blacon, Chester was well reputed as a criminal area.
As she thought she heard the whirling above her, glancing up she recognised the helicopter as of the type used by the police. Seems Striker was correct this was a rough area, heavens she thought how dreadful now for these women losing their husbands and living here, she was to discover she was again naïve.
“Afternoon ladies” she deliberately left out the good.
“Good afternoon” they replied, just as two small school girls might do when the Head Master arrived and spoke to them.
“I am looking for Mrs Bob Friday and Mrs Sid Upton; I am Inspector Scott-Ling”.
The ladies turned and looked, one replied. “I am Mrs Wendy Upton”.
The other woman rather older smiled and then said, “I am Mrs Rachel Friday but Bob isn’t my husband he is my son”.
“Bastard Striker” she thought, “he definitely said they were both wives, he threw a banana skin down for me there and I slipped badly on it, heavens what a fuck up when bringing such news”.
“Well ladies I wondered if I might just speak to you both inside, they are rather confidential matters.”
“Why of course I will make us a drink,” said Mrs Friday.
Inspector Scott-Ling realised in only moments from now there would be no drink made for this new Inspector.
Arriving in the house, it was obviously a police owned house, there was still an old solid fuel fireplace, and the walls painted with the pastel colours similar to the police stations.
They all sat down, “Well ladies there are no easy ways of saying this but I regret I am the bearer of bad news”.
“Bad news” replied Wendy “don’t say anything has happened to the boys”
Hesitating at first Doris realised she had to get on with it and taking the bull by the nose or rather jumping in with both feet she quietly said.
“I regret to tell you that Bob and Sid were both found dead in their police car earlier this morning.”
There was stunned silence then suddenly Wendy began to scream incessantly, on the contrary, Rachel Friday remained passive but didn’t speak.
Doris took hold of Wendy attempting to console her but it was proving very difficult. Rachel appeared to recover, turned, took hold of Wendy and said, “Its Ok, I will take care of her”.
“Have you both any friends or family?” asked Doris.
“She has a mother and sister they live in Wrexham”, replied Rachel.
“I will look out their details later and call them. I will also call my other son he only lives a mile or so away, I have just been widowed and was staying here with Bob until I could find somewhere to live”.
“I see well if there is anything more we can do, here is my card, just ring that number. In any event the force welfare officer will be in touch with you both shortly”.
“What happened, please what happened”? Said Wendy.
“Well all we know at the moment is that they were found in their police car by a member of the public, they appeared dead. The paramedics were called and took them to hospital, the doctor on duty confirmed they were dead”.
“Who killed them, who bloody well killed them, I hope you will get the bastards, after all they were cops”.
Doris hesitated didn’t really know how to reply but took the plunge and said, “Well there were apparently no signs of any injuries, the doctor thinks it was natural causes, there will be a post mortem on each and that will tell us more, when we know we will of course update you”.
“Seems very strange to me”, mumbled Rachel, “two young men apparently fit and well. They both die in the same place at the same time of the same thing and both natural".
“I agree,” replied Doris “but we will know more later”.
“Ok officer thanks I will look after Wendy, you can go now”.
Doris rose and quietly left, she arrived back in her car started the engine and as she drove away spoke to herself staying “ I was correct, I never did have that drink”.
As she moved off looking at the rows of identical properties, the unkempt gardens some with scrap iron, old derelict vehicles even some littered with a host of broken children’s toys, she thought, “What a dump”
Her mind was then cast back to Sergeant Striker telling her to inform both wives, he knew the officers he must have known one was a single man, he threw that slippery skin down deliberately she would tell the bastard she thought. Then hesitating thought “No, I won’t I will just act normal as if nothing was untoward”.
Arriving back at the police station she was about to park her vehicle when Striker arrived with Constable Williams, they were obviously in a rush.
“Give me the key Ling, we have real police work to do, did you manage to do that piffling job Ok?”
“Yes sergeant”,
“Any hitches?”
“No Sergeant”
As he got into the police car, he looked, smiled and said, “Sure about that?”
“Definitely, I told both women, they were upset of course but no nothing more than that”, she said smiling.
He hesitated from getting into the vehicle looked at here, shook his head, and said “Really?"
He then closed the car door, switched on the blue lights and siren and sped off clearly saying something to his subordinate, what she would never know.
In the village of Tarporley, Mr and Mrs Jackson Richards had just finished the last of the unpacking.
He stepped outside and admired the new glasshouse and could already see it, full of his begonias, those massive blooms what a glorious sight it would be.