Wendy excused herself and went outside. It was cold, but not so cold that the heater needed to be on high.
‘We’re taking your brother to the police station; to help us with our enquiries,’ Wendy said on her phone.
‘How? Why?’ Deb Hampton’s reply. ‘He couldn’t have shot Angus.’
‘He could have been responsible for the death of Tricia Warburton.’
‘He never knew the woman.’
‘We believe the intended target was Otto McAlister, and the woman was an unfortunate consequence. We are obtaining your brother’s medical records. You spent a lot of time with him. You must have seen him move.’
‘And if he can, he’s a murderer, is that what you’re saying?’
‘We still have to place him at the second murder site.’
‘How, I used to help him into the shower?’
‘Surely the house has been set up for a disabled person,’ Wendy said.
‘Mike wouldn’t hear of it. He relented with a ramp into the garden, but when he first came back, he wasn’t as bad as you see him now.’
‘Yet, he’s on his own. Neither you nor Kate.’
‘You know what he’s like. He’s my brother, not a millstone around my neck, and as for Kate, more interested in herself than her husband.’
‘Still, a millstone around hers.’
‘She married the man for better or worse, and now that’s what he is, the worse. You’ll not convince me that he’s faking his injury. Where is his loving wife?’
‘She’s not answering her phone.’
‘Justin Skinner?’
‘She’s not with him. He’s abseiling in Wales. It was Rachel, his on-again, off-again girlfriend who had answered the phone.’
‘Then she’s with someone else,’ Deb said.
‘How’s your man?’ Wendy asked, an attempt to draw the woman away from damning her sister-in-law, to get her to refocus.
‘Three weeks’ time, a quiet wedding in the local church. You’ll come?’
‘I’d be pleased to,’ Wendy said.
‘Jock’s moved in with me, so we can skip the honeymoon, too much work to do around the place.’
‘Kate spent time with Mike. Did she ever believe he wasn’t as bad as he said he was?’
‘She didn’t say anything to me, but then we never spoke much, argued mainly, apart from that time she turned up at the farm.’
Four hours later, Isaac had the court order.
***
Kate Hampton’s visit was unexpected, but there she was at the police station, asking after her husband.
It was Larry that spoke to her. ‘How did you find out?’
‘I received a phone call from your sergeant, assumed it was serious,’ the woman’s reply, which didn’t ring true, not to Wendy when told.
‘It’s either Deb Hampton or Justin Skinner that phoned her,’ Wendy said. ‘And I never told Skinner’s girlfriend what it was about, only Deb.’
‘It must have been her,’ Larry said. ‘Suspicious?’
‘With those two, I can’t see it.’
Mike Hampton was in the interview room. An ambulance had brought him to the police station. The man’s condition, whether good or bad, was uncertain; however, exacerbation by the police bundling him into the back of a police car couldn’t be allowed.
Kate Hampton sat in another room, no more than thirty feet from her husband.
With the court order, Dr Henstridge’s reluctance had changed to obliging.
‘Mentally, the man’s regressed into a dark place,’ Henstridge had said. ‘The brain is a powerful organ, able to wreak havoc, conversely able to heal the sick.’
‘Dark place, what does that mean?’ Isaac asked.
‘Mike Hampton’s injuries were not as severe as first thought, and with time he could have regained limited mobility.’
‘Fully?’
‘The man was ideally placed for a return to basic normality. Physically fit at the time of the accident, a positive attitude, determined to succeed at any cost. There was damage to some of his vertebrae, and for Mike Hampton to achieve remarkable results, there would be severe pain.’
‘Treatment, the fusing of two vertebrae, bone grafts, plates, rods, any or all of the aforementioned?’ Isaac asked, having checked on the internet the issues confronting Hampton.
‘We have inserted rods and fused two of his vertebrae. The next stage is up to him.’
‘Which is?’
‘Application, a rigorous regime of exercise and rebuilding of wasted muscles.’
‘Could Mike Hampton, unbeknown to you, have committed himself to what you’ve just said?’
‘What I’m saying, and I saw him two months ago, is that if he wanted to, he could probably walk, if not for long periods, and more than likely with the aid of one or two walking sticks.’
‘Could he in that time have recovered sufficiently, applied himself, and now be walking?’
‘Inactivity for so long causes wasting of muscle, and he had put on weight. Unless he has overcome the mental barrier, then I would say no.’
‘If he had, would others have noticed?’
‘Those near him for extended periods might have.’
‘His wife, his sister?’
‘Have you spoken to them?’
‘They deny any improvement.’
‘They could be defending him,’ Henstridge said.
What was clear, and Isaac had told Larry and Wendy back at the police station, was that Hampton could have been responsible for Tricia Warburton’s death. However, he could not have taken the shot at Simmons.
At the station, Kate Hampton, agitated and emotional, continued to say that her husband needed medical care, a stress-free environment and to be at home where he belonged.
In the interview room, Mike Hampton sat and waited. To his side, a man he had climbed with, a well-credentialled and immaculately dressed lawyer.
Isaac arrived at the station, spoke to Kate Hampton as he passed, offered the usual: following through on our enquiries, and we have sufficient to have brought your husband into the station.
Not far behind him on his entry into the station, Deb Hampton, sister of one Hampton, the antagonist of another.
‘DCI, what’s this nonsense?’ Deb Hampton bellowed.
‘Your brother is helping us with our enquiries,’ Isaac said.
‘How? The man can’t move, and even if he could, he’s not a killer. Sure, he’s difficult, but you can’t blame him.’
Isaac could, but the woman would not be waylaid by a comment from him, smart or otherwise.
Kate Hampton sat nearby, watching the interaction, not saying anything.
‘We believe he has regained mobility,’ Isaac said, waving the folder Henstridge had given him.
‘Henstridge?’ Deb said. ‘Doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He baffles everyone with medical mumbo-jumbo, gives this speech about the power of the mind.’
‘He’s an expert in his field.’
‘Do you think a person like Mike wouldn’t have tried? I was with him for a long time, so was Kate. Neither of us saw as much as a twitch.’
‘It still doesn’t obviate the fact that medically, and we have to place our trust in Dr Henstridge, your brother could possibly move to a varying degree, subject to muscle improvement, rigorous exercise and a positive frame of mind.’
‘The third one he hasn’t got.’
‘Revenge is a great motivator, as strong as love.’
Wendy came out from Homicide, made an excuse and extricated her DCI from the ire of one woman, the sneering glances of another.
‘I wasn’t prepared for that,’ Isaac said.
‘Nor are you for Hampton’s lawyer. The man’s aggressive, sharp, and he’s definitely on his client’s side.’
In the interview room, five minutes after his extrication and long enough for him to phone Chief Superintendent Goddard and update him on the current status, and the fact that they might have to releas
e Hampton, Isaac went through the formalities.
Larry was on the left side of his DCI; on the other side of the table, Mike Hampton and Duncan Harders, the man’s lawyer.
‘Let me make it very clear at the outset,’ Harders said, leaning over the table for emphasis, ‘that bringing my client in here in his condition is a violation, and I will be filing an official complaint on his behalf.’
‘Mr Hampton is assisting us with our enquiries,’ Isaac said. ‘We did not transport him in the back of a car but an ambulance. I don’t believe that we were in error.’
‘When my client leaves here today, after this interview, I will arrange for him to have a medical to check his physical condition, to clarify the harm done to him by the incompetency of the police.’
‘That is your prerogative, Mr Harders. However, his leaving here is subject to the clarification of certain facts.’
‘If you mean proof, where is it?’
Good question, Isaac thought. He knew the evidence against Hampton was not as robust as it should have been.
‘Otto McAlister was the target of the latest murder. Fortunately for him, the cord held, but not for the next person.’
Mike Hampton sat still, his hands folded, his head down, not looking across the table.
‘A half-baked theory as to intent, coupled with no substantive evidence, gives you no option other than to release my client this instant.’
‘Mr Hampton,’ Larry said, ‘the report we have from the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital states that with sufficient application, you could gain some ability to walk. Do you agree with that?’
Hampton’s head lifted, and he placed his hands on the table. ‘Hobbling around is not walking.’
‘Most people would agree that hobbling is better than the alternatives.’
‘I’m not most people. I’m a mountaineer, plain and simple. What do you expect me to do? To pull myself up?’
‘Do you have the willpower to improve?’ Isaac asked.
‘Chief Inspector, you have brought my client into this police station for a crime he couldn’t have committed, based on no evidence and no proof,’ Harders said. ‘This is a farce, and you are the perpetrator of this, dare I say it, a witch hunt.
‘Yes, that’s what it is, a witch hunt. It may serve your purpose to arrest a man of great achievement, but at the end of the day, you will rue that you ever considered my client guilty of a heinous crime.’
Isaac didn’t need the end of the day; he regretted it now. But he was not going to give in so easily, determined to find a chink in Hampton’s armour.
‘Mr Hampton,’ Larry said, ‘let us discuss Otto McAlister.’
‘There’s nothing to discuss. He was a good climber, dependable, team player.’
‘Yet, he was willing to sell photos of you and Simmons. And he was ready to sell a tape recording of you and Simmons arguing about his affair with your wife, which we now know not to be true.’
‘Do we?’ Hampton said.
‘You’ve had adequate proof of that now. Do you believe that Simmons was having an affair with your wife?’
‘Not now, I don’t.’
‘And finally, not yet released, is the proof from McAlister that you can not only move your feet but you can walk.’
‘What proof does he have, this McAlister?’ Harders asked. ‘I’m aware of your reputation, DCI Cook. A man who goes out on a limb; latches onto the truth at the last minute more often than not. But believe me, it’s not going to work here. Unless McAlister can prove that my client can move, your case is worthless.’
‘McAlister visited your client, made soup for him. Do you remember that, Mr Hampton?’
‘I do. Too hot, if I remember rightly.’
‘Some of it spilt onto you, causing you to react, to place your feet on the ground.’
‘I moved my legs, so what?’
‘You didn’t use your arms to do that, not according to McAlister, and that, coupled with the doctor’s report, shows us that you’ve been lying all along. This has been a remarkable performance, but the curtain’s about to come down, and you’re on the wrong side of it.’
‘My client refutes your accusations. It’s good that I’m here to act for Mr Hampton, a man whose mental health is not strong.’
‘Regardless of what you’re saying, Mr Harders, I will require an independent examination of your client’s medical condition, as well as a complete psychological examination. Two murder investigations hinge on Mr Hampton. The second murder required limited mobility, although Angus Simmons’s death would have required a person in good physical condition. At this time, we’re willing to concede that Mr Hampton did not commit the first crime, although he had the strongest motive, but believe that the second crime continues to point in his direction.’
‘You’re right,’ Hampton said. ‘I wanted Simmons to pay for what he did to me. I was pleased when he fell, but I didn’t kill him.’
‘McAlister was about to expose you as a charlatan; you couldn’t allow that,’ Isaac said.
‘He saw me place my feet on the ground, I’ll not deny that, and there is some movement, but it’s limited and erratic.’
‘Yet up until now, you’ve denied any movement. Why?’
‘I’ll tell you why. A few steps, what use is that?’
‘Do your wife and your sister know this?’ Isaac asked.
‘Deb does, but Kate’s not the caring type. She wouldn’t have noticed.’
‘Your leg muscles?’
‘Weak.’
‘But with time, you could walk again?’
‘What good would I be? What could I do? Get a job in an office?’
‘You’ve lied about your medical condition. Are you as depressive and miserable as you make out?’
‘I am, no lying there,’ Hampton said.
‘Mr Harders, I have no option but to retain Mr Hampton in custody while we conduct further investigations, to lay a charge against him of obstructing justice.’
‘I would request that he is returned to his house on his surety for now,’ Harders said.
‘I will agree to that under the circumstances,’ Isaac said. ‘However, he will need to be available for a complete medical by an independent doctor.’
‘I agree,’ Hampton said. ‘Now, can I get out of this hellhole?’
‘Your wife and sister are outside. We will need to talk to them before they leave. In the meantime, do you want to wait here, or do you want us to return you to your house?’
‘Get me home. As for Kate and Deb, they can come and keep guard if they want to; no more than a prison back there, anyway.’
Chapter 24
Jerome Jaden sat in his office; he was holding court. McAlister sat beside Ashley Otway, but at a distance, no longer as close as they had been the last time.
Tom Taylor, an eye for Ashley, Alison clinging to him tenaciously, stood close to the window. Karen Majors sat on an uncomfortable chair brought in from outside. Bob Babbage, confident he would be accepting a rival company position, sat alongside Karen.
The only one not in the room was Jim Breslaw. No longer on contract, he had been terminated after Tricia’s death, sulking at his home.
‘The deal stands,’ McAlister said.
‘Otto, I don’t see how,’ Jaden said. ‘Hampton’s under investigation by the police, and they don’t believe he killed Simmons. What use is your proof now?’
‘He could have taken that shot.’
‘Could, would, maybe, perhaps – all mean nothing. And besides, you were the target, not Tricia, or doesn’t that concern you?’
‘Not as much as your money does.’
‘So far, I’m down fifty thousand pounds,’ Jaden said. ‘How much more do you think I should give you and why?’
‘I can prove that Hampton took the shot.’
‘The police have his medical report. If he did, and I doubt it, what’s the point of paying you more money.’
‘We need to be careful,’ Babbage said. ‘Discus
sing on air what happened with Tricia and Angus, given that they are both murder investigations, could leave us open to criticism and prosecution.’
‘We’re aware of that, Bob,’ Jaden said. ‘However, this television station is going broke, and not only don’t we have our new programme or our star host, but we’ve also got to contend with McAlister here, who thinks I’m a fool. As for you, Bob, you’re ready to leave a sinking ship.’
‘I’m still here,’ Babbage said.
‘Let me remind you that if you hand in your resignation, your chance of a performance bonus, stock options and whatever else you squeezed out of me when you signed your employment contract is gone.’
‘Jerome, I’m a lawyer. I know what I signed, not what you want to interpret.’
‘And if I declare bankruptcy?’
‘You won’t.’
‘Wouldn’t I?’
‘Whatever happens, you’ll figure a way out.’
‘You’re right. We’re not finished yet. Ashley, what’s your take on this?’
‘Mine? I’m not sure I have one, other than Otto’s here, and if he was the intended target, we must be able to do something with it.’
‘How do you feel, knowing that you jumped with that cord?’ Karen Majors asked, looking over at McAlister.
‘At the time, I didn’t give it much thought. If it was Mike Hampton who cut the cord, then why try to kill me at the bungee jump?’
‘Tom, that fifteen-minute spot for tomorrow’s sunrise show, the life and times of Simmons and Tricia?’ Jaden asked.
‘We’ll be ready.’
‘Good. Add in that Otto was a probable target and that Tricia’s death was unintentional. Tom will run it past Bob, make sure the wording is crafted. No direct mention of who killed who, only suppositions. Karen, focus the advertising for that time slot.’
‘Tricia had a daughter,’ Alison said.
‘If you can get her to say a few words, tearful would be better.’
Babbage didn’t like it, but Jaden was right. The contract he had signed, eager as he had been at the time for the position, did have loopholes, loopholes that Jaden would use.
‘Even if we can generate more viewers, increase our advertising revenue, where does it leave us?’ Karen Majors asked.
The Hero's Fall (DCI Cook Thriller Series Book 14) Page 22