Swan nodded in confirmation.
Kate sighed. ‘Any rate, James was worried that his dream plans for us would be ruined; he was afraid that he, too, might be replaced at any day. But thankfully, he wasn’t, and in July last year, the design had been given the go ahead by the Ministry, and the BR-101 prototype went into production. James still continued to work hard on the project, as it needed to be ready for the maiden test flight, set for the beginning of October. I was heavily involved in helping my parents plan our wedding, so James and I hardly saw each other during August.’
Kate then paused as tears began to well in her eyes. ‘Then James came around to the house after almost two solid days at the works and told me that he would have to call off the wedding. The maiden flight was to be brought forward to September the fifteenth. That was our planned wedding day. The Ministry wanted a spectacle to mark the twenty-fourth anniversary of the Battle of Britain, so we talked that night and told my parents that we would postpone the wedding until spring this year. I was upset, but for James, this meant big things for him. He could concentrate on helping in getting the BR-101 airborne. As the day drew closer, James began to tell me less of the whole thing. He also mentioned that some American officials had come to visit the project office and spent some time with HB, but whenever they were in the office, no one else was allowed to enter. My father, who was most interested in how the project was going, often chatted with James over an evening brandy; sometimes to the early hours, and James would gladly give him updates. But suddenly, he began to say less and less to him. I confronted James about this silence all of a sudden, and he just snapped at me, shouting that he can’t tell me anything anymore and I should forget what he has already said about it. I respected his wish and no more was asked of him. My father could then only follow the press releases in the paper and what was said on the television.’
Kate fidgeted in her chair and sighed. ‘Anyway, due to loads of problems in the structure, and a delay in fitting the engines, this put the project back three months. It wasn’t until November last year that the Silver Angel was finally ready for her first flight, a week before the aircraft was due to be transported to RAF Pembridge for final assembly. That Monday afternoon, the twenty second, James telephoned me from work. He sounded out of breath, like he’d been running, and said he loved me and I was not to worry. I became confused and wanted to know why he had said this, but he just kept repeating it, and then said something that I didn’t understand.’
Swan cut in. ‘What was that?’
Kate gulped. ‘He said: I’ve seen their spectres, so now they’re after me. Then he hung up. I tried to phone him back, but the receptionist informed me that he was not in his office. I told my mother, and she asked my father to meet me from work and drive me to Brinton’s. When we arrived at the main gate at around six thirty pm to pick up James as we normally do around this time, we were stopped by a guard who told us that we would not be allowed through. The security guard on the main gate knew who we were, and is usually quite friendly, but that evening, he was quite stern and abrupt with us. I could clearly see the main assembly hangar and three large trucks parked up outside. I noticed they were all covering something. There were some soldiers nearby, and I also heard some American voices from somewhere, but couldn’t see who they belonged to. Then a soldier who was also American came over to us with his machine gun in his hands. He noticed me staring at this scene and told my father to turn the car around. We decided to drive well away from the site and give James a call at home later. As we drove out of the plant, an ambulance was coming in with its sirens going, followed by a police car. I was very upset, so my father suggested we stop off at The Ploughman for a drink to calm my nerves. After the drink at the pub I felt a little better; and it was a bit later when we finally got home. Then when we arrived, my mum was in my brother’s arms and was crying.’
The two SID men then noticed the tears that started to pour down the face of their guest, and Swan got up from his side of the desk and put his hand on her shoulder.
Slightly sobbing, Kate Townsley continued. ‘It was then, even before they told me of the accident. I somehow knew that something terrible had happened,’ she paused. ‘James was dead!’
She reached into her handbag and taking out a tissue, wiped her eyes. Still holding the tissue near to her face, she bravely continued. ‘The report said that he had been found by the night security guard in the assembly hall under the prototype, lying face down with a severe head wound. The inquest said that he had fallen from a service platform next to the plane. A clipboard with some figures in his handwriting was found next to him. The verdict was that it was an unfortunate industrial accident.’
It was at this point that Kate became hysterical. Gable put down his notepad and rushed over to her. She got up out of her chair, and buried her head into his burly chest. Swan paused, allowing his guest some time to be consoled by his associate. A few moments later, she sat down, wiping her eyes again with the tissue.
Swan got up from the desk and leant on the edge of it next to her. ‘Will you be okay Miss Townsley, Kate, to answer some questions for me?’ She looked down at her knees and nodded her head to him.
Swan continued. ‘In the inquiry, what time did they say the accident happened?’
‘About two-thirty in the afternoon.’
‘And what time was it, when you spoke to James on the telephone?’
Kate waved her tissue. ‘Well, this is where I get confused again Mr Swan. I thought that it was past three o’clock, as I saw the children leaving the school next to where I work, but it must have been earlier than that. Perhaps the school finished early that day. I’m not sure.’
Swan was suddenly intrigued by this. ‘May I take the name of this school?’
‘Yes. It’s St Teresa’s Primary School, in Eaglesfield Street, Maryport.’
Swan wrote it down as she spoke. ‘Thank you. I will make enquiries with the Headmaster at the school. He should have hopefully kept a diary, and maybe in a position to tell me if the school did, indeed, finish early that day.’
Swan stood up, walked back around his desk and sat down again. ‘I think that we will leave it there for now. Thank you for coming to see us today, Miss Townsley. I take it you are staying in London?’
‘Yes, I am staying at my sister’s house in Hampstead.’
Swan raised an eyebrow. ‘Indeed. Please may I trouble you for the address?’
Kate responded as Swan wrote it down on his desk pad. ‘That’s excellent. I may need you to return to this office, but in the meantime, Arthur will drive you to your sister’s house and I will make some enquiries starting with the school.’
Kate got up from the desk and looked into Swan’s eyes. ‘Do you think the inquest could be wrong in some way, Mr Swan?’ she asked directly.
Swan replied to her firmly: ‘If I didn’t, I wouldn’t ask you to return to this office. Being an ex-intelligence officer, I have a few contacts at the Air Ministry and I will call in some favours to see if I can get a few details of the inquest.’
Kate managed a pleasing smile. ‘I’m glad that Mr Buckworth advised me to contact you. Mr Swan.’
Swan grinned. ‘Vernon has been an old friend of mine for many years. We go way back, him and I.’ He took her hand and shook it. ‘Thank you for now, Miss Townsley. I can assure you that Arthur and I will try our best to get to the bottom of this.’ He watched her as she walked towards the door, escorted by his associate, then looking at the notes he had made, picked up the telephone and using his pen, dialled the number of the school. While waiting for the MOD operator to connect him, he doodled on the notepad. His sketch started with a triangle, then he joined it to a long cylinder with a point at each end. Finally, he finished it. Then, underneath his simple drawing of a delta winged jet aircraft, he wrote the words: Silver Angel.