Spanish Inquisition (24 page)

Giving Piercey a significant glance, she continued. ‘Unprepared for your apparent belief that she would make a night of it with you, she used melodramatic means to drive you away. While she was putting on that performance for the benefit of a group still lingering in the auditorium she missed the call from Maple. With you gone, and Bill Jensen agitating about locking the premises, she called Maple's mobile to explain what had happened and telling him you had just left so she was on her way. The reason he gave her for using the Audi was that there were still people moving around the base, it being Saturday-night-Sunday-morning, so anyone spotting them would believe she was with you.'

‘And they'd believe
I
made her pregnant,' put in Piercey with disgust. ‘Bastard!'

‘He drove to the copse and parked up a short way from the main track,' Connie said. ‘Maria told me she was so concentrated on how she was going to paint a wonderful picture of them making a new start together with their baby, she was shocked and disbelieving when he immediately demanded that she had an abortion.'

Including the rest of the team now in her gaze, she continued. ‘No need for me to elaborate on how the scene played out. It ran along predictable lines. She had broken the news to him before Friday's performance and been taken aback by his lack of delight, but she put that down to misjudged timing. This hostile demand to rid herself of the result of their passion led her to plead, persuade, and generally use the sexual lures of Carmen which had worked so well over the past two months.'

Connie gave a rueful smile. ‘I bet it was some performance, but reality had returned. Dennis Maple had been shocked out of the persona of Don Jose to face an appalling truth which would complete the break-up of his rocky marriage and land him in a situation he had never envisaged. He wanted out. No arguments!

‘Maria told me he first maintained there was no proof the child was his, then poured out a tirade of jealousy of other men in the cast she had played up to, particularly a certain SIB sergeant. This initially delighted her because it gave her that sense of sexual power she revelled in, but he then grew insistent that she must terminate the pregnancy, taking her by the shoulders and shaking her to make his point. When she still refused he grew really vicious, grabbing her around the throat and swearing to choke agreement out of her.'

Connie put aside her notebook and appeared rather upset over what she then had to reveal. ‘He dragged her from the car and frog-marched her into the copse, then began a frenzied bout of punching and slapping, telling her he wasn't going to have some man's bastard foisted on him. Walking away, leaving her in a heap on the ground, he warned her either to get rid of it or make Phil Piercey face up to the result of his fornicating.'

Leaving a moment for them all, particularly the Cornish sergeant, to absorb that, she said, ‘After being beaten and insulted, Norton accused Phil in order to protect Maple and then went AWOL with the expectancy of meeting him in town to take her to where the abortion could be performed. He didn't turn up – he'd gone to Holland so she booked a room in a seedy hostel used by students. On the wall of the women's toilet was a notice giving the phone number of someone who could “solve the problem many single women face” swiftly and privately.'

She pursed her mouth with disgust. ‘I've already contacted the
Polizei
on that, but you can bet the phone number is changed almost daily.' After a heavy sigh she concluded her report. ‘Even after suffering that dangerous procedure Norton still wanted to continue a relationship with Maple; still believed all would be sweetness and light once she had done what he drove her to.
Unbelievable!
'

Tom got to his feet and nodded at her. ‘You've done well to turn her around and get a signed statement from her. I'm afraid we're having no success with Maple who's denying any involvement in the assault. On the subject of her pregnancy he's sticking to the line that she slept around so anyone could be the father, particularly the SIB sergeant who made his obsession with her so very obvious.' This last was addressed directly at Piercey with no attempt to mask his satisfaction at rubbing-in the fact.

‘Jimmy James's sight of that car near the Sergeants' Mess when Maple swears it was outside his house is all we have. In other words, nothing with which to make a case against him. Norton's change of tack wouldn't stand up against Maple's defence. All it does is to allow us legally to remove the charge of ABH against an innocent man. We've had to release Maple for now, but we'll keep at him. He might eventually slip up, or a late witness who's been away on leave or on a course since the end of the opera might come forward with incriminating evidence.' He turned to Max. ‘Anything to add, sir?'

‘No. I think we all deserve an early night. There's just one thing. I've been given a date next week for my Medical Board, so be prepared for a return to normal the following week,' he announced with a smile.

Olly Simpson murmured, ‘We'll advise all wild geese to stay well clear.'

They all laughed and gathered their belongings ready to depart. Tom did the same, but was asked by Max to have a few words in his office. Walking there beside Max, he said, ‘You'll have no trouble with the board medics. You'll pass with ease.' He made a wry face. ‘I'm sorry I can't hand over a successful outcome to the Norton case. It's been something of a stinker, as you know.'

‘Connie's at least got Phil off the hook.'

‘Mmm, I wish I could believe it might lead him to take things more seriously and conform.'

‘Oh, come on, Tom, he gets results. It's useful to have someone who's a bit of a maverick in a team like ours.' He closed the office door behind them. ‘After this we might have a period of more conventional behaviour, but he'll bounce back. The experience might limit his sexual exploits, however.'

‘Don't bank on it.' He glanced at the clock. ‘What did you want to talk about?'

‘Dennis Maple.'

Tom was irritated. Hadn't he just demonstrated that they had no evidence on which to charge him? ‘What about him?'

‘This is strictly between us, Tom. It's not to become common knowledge. Understood?'

Tom nodded, puzzled. ‘Of course.'

He was then told a complex tale concerning a crime that had taken place just over two years ago, but which had had violent repercussions on this base three days ago. While he was still assimilating all the details, Max added a clincher.

‘If we can't nail Maple for his attack on Norton he'll go down for the one on Rory Smythe.'

‘My God, it all adds up,' he breathed. ‘The classified signal we thought was linked to what happened to Norton; the sequestration of the ADC.' He frowned at his friend. ‘How on earth did you uncover that?'

Max perched on the edge of his desk wearing the usual happy expression when he actually caught one of the wild geese he chased. ‘By noting the state of Maple's hands. His knuckles were bruised and there was evidence of split skin here and there. It was too recent to be the result of the assault on Norton – he had also been on leave for a week since that happened – so I considered the outside possibility that he'd also laid into Smythe. During Connie's questioning of Norton we learned that Maple was non-combatant due to wounds sustained in Afghanistan, so I checked his record and found the incident had occurred when Rory Smythe was his company commander. This tied in neatly with a conversation I had with Guy Strand, who hinted that Smythe was suspected of having unhealthy tendencies whilst out there. After a great deal of cross-checking I reached a conclusion which I ran past someone knowledgeable to gauge his reaction.'

‘And?'

Max gave a faint smile. ‘He found it very interesting but suggested I let the matter drop, adding that such complicated theories were usually resolved
in time-honoured manner
.'

‘And we all know what that means,' grunted Tom.

‘Yes. It's a pity we'll get no credit for solving two cases of ABH, but justice will be done which is the important thing.' He gripped Tom's shoulder. ‘Let's go home congratulating ourselves on being bloody good detectives, even if no one else on the base will be aware of the fact.'

‘Or the rest of our team,' he pointed out sourly.

‘Ah, Tom, in our privileged job facts tend to leak out from higher echelons which, with our skills in putting two and two together, will surely enlighten our colleagues and give them an element of satisfaction a few months from now.'

Despite Max's upbeat attitude Tom drove home heavy with a sense of failure. The Norton affair had been his major case during the four months he had been in command of 26 Section and he had been unable to produce a result. Connie had basically been responsible for the main breakthrough, and Max had picked up on Maple's bruised knuckles, which he had not. He could not follow the suggestion that he should congratulate himself on being a bloody good detective, dismissing the skill with which he had directed the team throughout.

Nearing his house he told himself even top CID teams were often denied results due to lack of solid evidence in major cases. It was simply the way things panned out. Nothing to do with the aptitude of the investigators.

He turned the vehicle into the short close and saw a car was parked in the driveway of his house. Someone there for the fitting of a wedding gown. Nora had several on the go, along with bridesmaids' dresses ready for Easter weddings. She was always busy at this time of the year.

He parked in the road, headed for the front door, inserted the key and pushed it open. The house was unusually quiet and his three daughters were huddled together on the third step of the stairs. They gazed at him with wide-eyed, scared expressions.

‘What's up?' he asked sharply as some unidentifiable fear quickened his pulse.

The answer came from upstairs. The first cry of a new-born baby! ‘Dear God,' he breathed and pushed past them to race up to the next floor and the master bedroom. Thrusting open the door, he was greeted by the sight of Nora lying amid the bloody aftermath of having just given birth.

Even as he registered that she was smiling at him, Clare Goodey said, ‘Perfect timing, Tom. Go and show your girls their new brother while I make Nora presentable enough to receive all your congratulations. Placing the blanket-wrapped boy in his arms she physically propelled him back through the doorway. ‘I'll shout when you can all come up.'

Hardly aware of what he was doing Tom gazed at the red, wrinkled face of his son, murmuring, ‘I've waited so long for you, little fella, then you arrive in a great rush before I am ready.'

The girls suddenly clustered round him to gaze at the baby with the wonder of every person who sees a tiny human being just minutes old. Maggie said in a wobbly voice, ‘We were frightened, Dad. We came in from school and Mum was lying on the floor grunting and panting.'

‘We didn't know what to do,' added Gina, very pale-faced.

‘
I
knew what was happening,' Beth announced. ‘It was just that it was too soon. Mum had already called Captain Goodey. She arrived about ten minutes after us. I wanted to see Christopher being born, but she wouldn't let me.'

‘Mum made an awful lot of noise,' murmured Gina. ‘I thought she was dying.'

Nature-loving Beth glared at her. ‘Don't be stupid. Everything does that when having babies. You should hear those pigs down at the farm. I think making a big noise helps,' she added calmly. ‘Dad, can I hold our brother?'

‘Later,' he said softly. ‘There'll be plenty of opportunities. I'll keep him until we go in to Mum. Then I'll give him to her. She'll want to have a proper look at him, don't you think?'

Clare eventually opened the bedroom door and invited them in. Nora held out her arms for her new son and Tom handed her the child whose conception had been totally unplanned, knowing that Christopher was the perfect gift to complete their family. Momentarily overcome by emotion, he turned away to hide the tears that threatened. What did professional laurels matter when a man had all he had been blessed with? Turning back to study the bundle in Nora's arms his mind began to fill with notions of all he and his son would do together in the coming years.

Max was surprised to find Clare's parking bay empty when he arrived home. Her car had not been outside the Medical Centre, so he had assumed she would be there preparing their meal. He entered his own apartment, changed into casual clothes, then wandered across the shared room to enter her kitchen. Studying the contents of the fridge to find those items which could be prepared in the shortest time, he was still making a choice when she came through her front door.

‘Hallo! where've you been?' he asked, going to kiss her, then being surprised when she turned a loving greeting into something much more passionate. Holding her away he studied her glowing expression, the blue sparkle in her eyes, the essence of excitement she exuded. ‘Where
have
you been?' he repeated, puzzled.

‘I've just delivered Christopher Edward Black, slightly premature but lusty enough and perfect in every detail, to a lovely and loving family which is surely now complete in every way.'

Moving to close the fridge door he had left open, she said, ‘Forget home cooking. Let's go to our special inn to celebrate his safe arrival.' Turning back to kiss him very thoroughly again, she said softly, ‘Then let's come home and set about making one of our own, darling.'

While Max and Clare were ‘wetting the baby's head' at the inn beside the river, and the Black family ecstatically welcomed their newest member, Sergeant Dennis Maple was in a military aircraft heading for the UK, flanked by two soldiers wearing the famous red-topped cap.