Unravel a Crime - Tangle With Women (25 page)

Somehow he had lost his
enthusiasm for the job, and wondered whether or not to resign. That would
really cause problems. He would be damned by the employment agency forever. No,
he had to see this one through, like it or not.

Margaret must have sensed that
he was feeling out of sorts. She almost tiptoed round him as she sorted the
files and the morning post, and he desultorily dictated what he could until eleven
o’clock when Newberry arrived.

Lisa brought in the letter
that she had finished. She smiled at him, but neither felt the need to say
anything much. Did that mean that their relationship was now at a new level. A
level where they understood each other and conversation was not a requirement?

There was still a pile of
files left at eleven o’clock. Brakespeare picked up the telephone, and,
dialling Lisa’s extension number asked her to come in.

“
I’ve got to start taking
Newberry’s statement now. Would you mind taking these files and doing what you
can with them. I don’t know how long taking Newberry’s statement is going to
take, but if you would look after this work, I’ll then take it back when you go
through the exhibits with him. If you get stuck, ask me. O.K.?”

Lisa showed no visible
reaction, but nodded pleasantly and took three loads of files to her room.

“
Ask Mr. Newberry up”, he
commanded Tracy over the telephone.

“
Sit down,” he also commanded
Newberry as he came into the office. “ I have some more good news,” and he
explained the events of the previous night to a visibly relaxing Newberry.

“
So we’ve won do you think. No
need to make these long statements that Breezie wants?”

“
Far from it. The prosecution
ship is leaking, but there’s no sign of it foundering yet, and so we still have
to prepare for battle. Now I’m going to dictate your statement in your
presence, and when we’ve finished that, Lisa will take over and take you though
the exhibits.”

“
Lisa?” Newberry looked almost
alarmed.

“
She’s a bright girl, and
after all it is her, and not me who has discovered these flaws in the
prosecution case. She will take you through the exhibits.” The last sentence
was said firmly and as an order.

“
If you say so.”

“
Now before we start I think
I’ve got an idea of most of your story. What I haven’t got is how it all came
to a head. If we can just run through that, and then I’ll dictate a statement
chronologically; you can stop and correct me, and we can add or alter things as
we go along. O.K?”

Newberry nodded and gave out a
big sigh.

“
So how did it all come to a
head. There you are in London with Clearfield a major client of the National;
then the recession came in.”

“
The property market just
froze. Building Society repossessions rose as borrowers could not meet the rising
interest rates; that forced down the price of houses – and flats of course, and
Clearfield just could not sell it’s properties.

As I think I’ve said, they let
them out to Local Authorities, on what they thought initially was for a short
term, but eventually they could not meet the mortgage interest. Masters was
planning to turn the Building Society, as it then was, into a Bank.”

“
And no doubt make a killing.”

“
Absolutely. Clearfield’s bad
debt was a blot on the balance sheet and so he had to do something. At first he
instructed the Society’s own security department to make a check. All that they
could come up with was that the Clearfield properties were in my patch. Then
they started getting the valuations from Black, as you know. Next thing I know I’m
suddenly suspended from work ‘pending further investigation.’

Nothing seemed to happen for
months and then, suddenly, one morning at about half past seven, there’s a
knock on the door, and a couple of plain clothes police from Birmingham are
standing there. I’m asked to dress – I had been in bed, and driven up to some
grotty Police Station in the Black Country.”

“
Not Birmingham,” asked
Brakespeare, surprised.

“
No, Old Hill I think it was.
The back of beyond. The station looked as if it hadn’t changed since the last
century. Even the mug they brought me some tea in was a ‘Staffordshire
Constabulary’ one.

Anyway they took me before a
sergeant who asked me for my details, took all my possessions including my
shoes and banged me up in a cell.”

“
How long were you there for?”

“
No idea, they took my watch.
Then they took me out and interviewed me. It was a waste of time. It mainly
consisted of them showing me the valuations for the Clearfield properties,
asking me whether I had done them, and if I had, whether I stood by my
valuation.”

“
What did they say about those
valuations that you hadn’t done.”

“
They just asked me if I had
tried to influence the valuation.”

“
Which you denied.?”

“
Which I denied.”

“
And what was their reaction
to that?”

“
Quite honestly, they didn’t
seem to care. It was as if they were just going through the motions.”

“
How long did the interview
last?”

“
Not sure, I got home almost
18 hours later.”

“
Did they take you back.”

“
Yes, one of the coppers did.”

“
Did he say anything?”

“
About the case – not a lot.
It was mainly small talk. He did say though that he didn’t think that I had a
lot to worry about.” Newberry laughed hollowly. “Never listen to a copper.”

“
O.K. Well I think that a
transcription of your interview is in the Exhibits, and Lisa’ll take you
through that.”

Brakespeare shuffled through
the papers on his desk, and picked up his dictation machine.

“
Right, let’s roll” said
Jonny, resisting the temptation to stand and walk around the room, and dictated
into the machine. “I David Newberry of 486 Worcester Road, Great Malvern,
Worcestershire will say:-“….

It took longer than
Brakespeare had thought to take Newberry through his story. He would often
challenge what Brakespeare wanted to dictate.

“
I never said that one of my
reasons for investing in Clearfield was to ‘provide for my old age’. It is just
not the sort of comment that I am ever likely to make. It is out of character
for me.”

“
What was it then?”

“
I viewed it as a long term
investment upon which I might rely when I had retired from the National.”

Unable to see the difference,
Brakespeare nonetheless dictated what he was told. It was Newberry’s statement,
not his.

“
Can I have my statements to
check before they go any further?” asked Newberry as they finished.

Brakespeare groaned inwardly;
the man had already heard what he had dictated.

“
Of course”, he said, and
dictated. “Send a copy to Mr. Newberry”, into the machine. ”Well so far so
good. I’m going to hand you over to Lisa for the next stage”.

“
And what are you going to be
doing.”

“
I’m going to concentrate on
seeing if there is any more documentary evidence out there. I also have to
arrange another conference, - as well as trying to keep other clients serviced.
Now, if you wouldn’t mind going down into reception, I’ll get Lisa to come and
see you and make arrangements for you to come in.”

“
When?”

“
I’ll see if she can start
tomorrow, if you like. It shouldn’t take long as she will merely require you to
say if you have seen any documents before, and, if so, what they represent.”

“
O.K.” muttered an ungrateful
Newberry. He paused. “Thanks Jonny. I’m sorry but when everything seems to be
stacked against you….” he gestured to the boxes.

“
I know. Do you want to go
down onto reception, and I’ll send Lisa down to make an appointment to see
you.”

As soon as Newberry had left
the room, he called Lisa and told her what to do. After he had replaced the
receiver, he thought for a few minutes and dialled a number had had not called
in years.

“
C.P.S. Birmingham.”

“
Is Joe Gargan available,
please?”

“
Who’s calling”

“
Jonny Brakespeare.” There was
a pause and then “Oh, hello Jonny,” the girl said, sounding a little surprised,
“I’ll just put you through.”

There was a pause before
Gargan’s characteristic greeting.

“
Top of the day to you Jonny.
And for what is it that I have the pleasure of this call.”

“
Top of the day to you, Joe.
Joe, I’m not making this call.”

There was a silence. Gargan
knew instantly why Brakespeare had called.

“
Following our conversation
the other week, could you find out from Durkin if there is any material;
evidence, documents etc. that have not been used as exhibits?”

“
Do you think that there is.”

Brakespeare explained the
correspondence that Lisa had found.

Joe was silent again.

“
Well if there was anything
else, I never saw it. I only saw the statements that you have and the surveyors
report. I never saw this correspondence.”

“
And if you had seen it?”

“
Well I’d have had a stick to
beat Masters with, and the Boss would have been able to force him to take my
advice.”

“
Quite.”

“
To be sure there’s something
not quite right here. Let me make a phone call or two. I’ll call you right
back. What’s your number.”

Brakespeare gave it to him.

“
Speak to you soon.” Said
Gargan.

“
Look forward to it.” Replied
Brakespeare, meaning every word of it.

“
That man’s an arsehole; a
condescending arsehole.” Fumed Lisa as she stomped into Brakespeare’s office.
“Will I know how to take him through the exhibits? Will I know what to look
for?”

“
What did you tell him?”

“
That if he had any complaints
ask Gordon. He won’t of course. He knows what Gordon will say.”

Brakespeare smiled to himself.
“Well that’s alright. When’s he coming in?” “Tomorrow. I’ll see him in the
Board Room, if that’s OK.”

“
Well you can’t see him in
here. I’ll use your office. You don’t need to take all the boxes out at one go.
I don’t think it’ll take long. I’ suspect that a lot of the documents are
irrelevant.”

“
However short, it’s too long,
with that man.”

The telephone bell prevented
any other conversation. This anger was yet another side to Lisa that
Brakespeare had not seen, and he was intrigued. It was as if she was opening up
to him. Brakespeare reached the phone.

“
Mr. Gargan, already?”
Brakespeare asked rhetorically of Tracy the receptionist, as she announced the
call. Gargan had wasted no time in acting. This was most unlike the slow
shambling pseudo Irishman. He obviously had a point to prove.

“
Hello again, Joe.”

“
Hello again, my man. It’s
your lucky day. I managed to catch our mutual friend Durkin straightaway. He
says that there is a garage full of boxes at Old Hill Police Station and you’re
more than welcome to go and see them at any time. He says that some toffee
nosed woman from the C.P.S. in London had been up, and took what she wanted,
and that must be what you have, but there’s a whole lot more left behind.” Joe
paused for dramatic effect. “He says that he has all the files from both the
National and Redshaw Linden and Steele. They were collected by the National and
handed over to the Police.”

“
Joe that’s great. I will go
and have a look at those papers, but I’ll have to do it through proper channels
– the C.P.S. in London. If you speak to Durkin again, tell him that.”

“
That I will to be sure - and
Jonny.”

“
Yes”

“
You’ll keep your old comrade
in touch won’t you.”

“
Of course, you want us to win
don’t you Joe.”

“
Put it this way, when Joe’s
right, he likes to know he’s right.”

“
Thanks Joe.”

“’
Tis a pleasure Jonny.”

Lisa had been listening.

“
Who’s Joe?”

“
Well now we’re a team, I’d
better let you know. He’s the man I said I had to make a telephone call to”.
Brakespeare explained his connection with Joe but spared her too much detail.
“Looks as if there is a whole stack of papers the Prosecution have not
disclosed. When did that letter go?”

“
About 3 days ago.”

“
Can you give them a call to
chase them. I want everything sorted as much as we can by the time we have our
next conference.”

“
Sure will. After Mr.
Newberry, I could do with crossing swords with someone.”

After she had left the room,
Brakespeare shut the door and then dialled the mobile telephone number that
Newberry had given him. It was answered almost immediately.