Simon and Alison made their way from the wine bar towards her car and both got in. Simon’s hand removed a little silver box from his pocket similar to John’s but smaller, and turned it on. Only the amber light came on.
“That’s good, it’s only a tracker.”
“I hope your right.”
“This is the top of the range latest unit, never been wrong.”
She had given him the keys because she was still slurring her speech and she knew she would make a breathalyser cough. He drove towards the North of Chichester and was given unnecessary directions by her before she closed her eyes and dozed. As they approached the turn into her road, Simon gently nudged her to open her eyes and she saw the van in the bay with a bronze BMW parked behind it. Pointing it out to Alison he told her they should proceed as planned. He drove face in to the front of her garage and parked.
While still sitting in the car, Simon said, “Remember. Whatever happens, I’m your cousin Simon, my dad’s Graham, same name as yours and I’m here for a week’s holiday. OK?”
“You really know how to inspire confidence.” and they both got out of the car laughing.
Alison led the way up the stairs to her front door, and they both entered the hall. As soon as the front door was shut, Simon took his small silver scanner out of his pocket and turned it on: the light went straight to red. He moved it about the hall but found nothing as he spoke about how nice it was for her to invite him for a holiday and her uncle sent his regards. She in turn responded and led him into the spare bedroom where he dropped his bag as they engaged in general chat. Again, he found nothing but was not surprised as it was a room she obviously didn’t use much. When he indicated to her to move on, she led him to the kitchen. The lights on the little box all flickered on as he held it close by one of the wall cupboards which held tins of food. Then it settled to a solid red. Bending slightly to look under the pelmet of the unit and gently running his fingers along the inside of it where he could not quite see, he pointed and held up his index finger to imply one.
They went from the kitchen into the lounge as Simon moved the scanner in his hand over the sideboard and other odd bits of furniture including the TV and hi-fi units around the walls. The lights all flickered on as he held it over the landline telephone unit before settling to solid red, and he held up two fingers. He was moving about the lounge checking low and high, and all the furniture but found nothing else. Normally he would have expected to find another in the lounge, but concluding that it was not a very big room, he accepted that one would probably be sufficient and they moved back into the hall and to the bathroom. That was all clear, and Alison showed him into her bedroom glad she had tidied up in the morning and made the bed on rising. He moved about with his little scanner, and all the lights flickered as it hovered over the landline phone extension next to her bed. As the lights settled again for a solid red she felt goose bumps rise on her arms and legs and then she shivered involuntarily. He held three fingers up, although that was totally unnecessary as far as Alison was concerned.
Eventually, he turned the scanner off contented with the fact that there were only three listening devices. He took it into the spare bedroom where he placed it into what looked like a phone charger and plugged the lead into a wall socket. All the lights came on and started to blink at fifteen second intervals. Still chatting about inconsequential things, they made a cup of tea and both went into the lounge and settled down to watch the TV for the rest of the evening.
Although Alison was fighting to keep her eyes open, she had noticed as he was moving about the flat earlier, that Simon wore no jewellery, watch or wedding ring. Something she had never looked for, or noticed, on a man before. She felt obliged to tell him about her cat living in the kitchen at night and that she left for work at about 6.45am. He in turn told her he liked to go jogging every morning and would she like to come with him. The thought of even being awake before she needed to get up and get ready for work filled her with dread, but she cheerfully agreed. When he said 5am, the shock of the hour was evident on her face, and he laughed freely and gave her the option of declining.
61
Friday 10th June 2011
John awoke at 11.15pm when his alarm clock sounded. The assault had taken more out of him than he thought because it was the first time he had actually heard the alarm go off. His face was starting to ache, and he was desperate to itch where the stitches were, but knew it would not be wise. Rubbing his sore ribs, he tried twisting his body slowly from one side to the other while sitting in the seat to see just how they were holding up. Both his ribs and shoulder were sore in the fact they throbbed constantly, but he could manage them. Swallowing a couple of tablets courtesy of the NHS via Carol, he gulped a mouthful of water from a bottle. The pills were washed down as he grimaced at the tastelessness of the water. Taking a clean, still folded handkerchief from his trouser pocket, he pushed it onto his face where the stitches were but didn’t move it. The relief that a small piece of cotton gave him was amazing: the itch was eradicated within seconds. A bit of blood shone on the cotton when he removed it, so folding the handkerchief carefully with the blood contained in the middle, he returned it to his pocket.
The very soft bleep from the ‘trembler’ pulsing at regular intervals from the Sat Nav remained constant as John fixed his gaze towards the road and the front of the bungalow. Not many vehicles were moving along the road, but still too many for anyone to engage in clandestine activities. John eased himself from the passenger’s seat and had a mooch about the barn in an effort to stretch and force his body to work normally before going to his wooden box in the boot and taking nearly all the foam out to reach the bottom. A battery was connected to a plate on which sat four magnetic discs about an inch in diameter and a quarter of an inch deep. As he pulled one of the discs from the plate, another bleep emitted from the Sat Nav proving to him it had activated. Slipping it into an empty pocket of his waxed jacket, he returned all the foam and equipment into the box before flopping back down into the driver’s seat. Putting the toffee hammer into his other pocket, he settled back down again to just watch.
*
Gary was sitting in his van at the furthest point of the car park of the Oyster Catcher under a tree out of range of the car park lights and CCTV security cameras, with his wife. Her car was in the middle of the car park with other patrons’ vehicles who were still to leave. They were engaged in a heated discussion.
“We have got to get that bird box back. If anyone finds it, we could be right in the shit.”
“It’s me who’s got to get it. I’m the one who’s taking the risk.”
“It’s been nearly two months, give or take a week. The Police are well finished at the bungalow by now. It should be easy.”
“If it’s that easy, you do it.”
“Don’t be silly. You know it won’t take you more than five minutes.”
“I don’t like it. We can leave it longer.”
“Why? What’s the point? You know the ‘old bill’ have only been there during the day lately. If you’re that worried, do the van.”
“It’s still a risk.”
“I’ve told you. They are convinced it was the nurse. They aren’t looking for anyone else.”
“Who the fuck was it then?”
“I don’t know. Just get that box back.”
Gary had recovered the images for the day of the murder without originally first realising it. He had whizzed through the tape at four times speed just like he usually did. He’d seen the green car, the Micra, which he thought he recognised as the nurse’s car. A person all in dark clothing with a hood up arrived in it and entered the bungalow via the back door. Just like the nurse normally did. He didn’t bother to slow the images to normal speed, just kept on. Within thirty minutes the person left and went to the vehicle and drove off. Just like the nurse normally did.What confused Gary then was some ten minutes later, the green Micra was back up the drive. The nurse got out and went to the bac
k door. She was clearly identifiable this time and he recognised her as the usual nurse and noticed she was now wearing her uniform. She didn’t go into the bungalow, just to the back door and then left. Strange thought Gary, must have forgotten something, but he noted the time.
It was four days later that Gary downloaded the next ‘flash’ film onto his laptop. The box recorded a maximum five days before it recorded over itself. He saved the film to a DVD from his laptop three days later but still did not view it until nine days had elapsed. Gary had not seen or heard any report of George Armstrong’s death because he did not read the local papers and could not be bothered to watch the news. As soon as he viewed it however, all he saw were uniform Police Officers, Police vehicles and CID officers swarming all over the place. He was on the phone straightaway, panicking. Once he had calmed down, his wife told him to check the internet and buy a local paper. There was a piece about the murder on an inside page giving the date it had occurred. Again, he was back on the phone.
Gary prided himself on being a strong local body builder although compared to his diminutive wife, he was a comparative weakling.
62
Friday 10th June 2011
Gary and his wife had sat in their study with his laptop open on the desk. She’d shut the door and turned the key in the lock. No one else lived with them and there was no one else in the house. The paperboy, postman and milkman had made their deliveries so they had been and gone. They had secured the house but Sally knew that there was always the unexpected. No one was going to be allowed to interrupt them. Gary put the DVD in and then opened the folder revealed on the laptop as ‘G.A. Barnham’ and then the film covering the date 3rd May 2011. He started to play it from 7am in double time. This was going to be the longest either of them had watched any film together. It was one neither wanted to see and would not have paid to see. It was a film though that was imperative that they watched.
A nurse in uniform cycled into view at 7.30am and leant her bike against the side of the lounge. Then she walked past the conservatory to the back door and after several seconds went inside.
“That’s her normal time. Same woman nearly every morning. Only inside for thirty minutes maximum. I think she unlocks the backdoor and shed with keys. Before she leaves, I often see her shape pushing him into the lounge and putting him onto his chair.”
Leaving after thirty minutes the nurse walked back the same way to her bike and cycled off down the drive. Next to travel up the drive at 8.11am was a red post van. The postman left his van level with the front of the conservatory with the van’s door wide open as he walked towards the back door holding a few items. They watched him go to the back door and enter the bungalow. He was back out in twenty-five seconds on a reciprocal route to his van. There was visible movement from inside the lounge.
“The old guy waves every morning as the postie walks back to his van.”
Once inside the van, the postman turned around in the entrance to the garage and drove away from the bungalow back towards the road.
“Run it on to the next person.”
Gary lent towards the keyboard and sped the film up but only to treble speed. Neither took their eyes from the screen and he tried hard not to blink in case he missed something. Then the green Micra came into view and he stopped the film. Both examined the vehicle’s image. It was the back of the car as it had driven up the drive towards the bungalow. The car’s rear number plate was covered in mud and not readable on the video.
“Can you be sure that’s the nurse’s car?”
“It looks like it, but I can’t be sure.”
“Can you zoom in?”
“Yes. But watch. As it moves in the image seems to blur.”
They watched as Gary started to enlarge the image of the vehicle. It blurred and was useless. Returning it to normal size, he clicked the image and ran it on one frame at a time. Eventually the car pulled onto the drive to the garage and was side on to the camera. The driver got out but was close to the limit of the view from the camera. They wore a large wax jacket that was a common unisex brand, similar to one that Gary wore when he was working outside in the cold, wet weather of the winter months. The hood was being worn up and drawn right down over the head so the person was nearly invisible beneath it.
“It’s summer for God’s sake. Who wears one of those coats in the summer?”
His wife replied, “Someone who does not want to be recognised.”
The person walked out of sight round the back of the garage and the bungalow and then reappeared approaching the back door and straight towards the camera. The coat was large and low-slung and the hood was pulled way down hiding the facial features entirely. Once at the door they watched as the person hesitated a few seconds, looked about and then walked straight into the kitchen and again out of sight.
“It must be the nurse; she knew the door was unlocked and went straight in. He knows them so they were expected. Look at the sun on the lawn and the flowers. Why have they got such a heavy coat on?”
“Shut up! Just watch.”
The camera showed movement in the lounge on and off for some time but not clear enough to see who, or what was happening. Then the wheelchair appeared at one side of the conservatory.
After thirty minutes, the person exited the kitchen door still wearing the coat with the hood up.
Gary said, “It’s the nurse. She’s done her thirty minutes That coat though is weird.”
“Stop going on about the bloody coat.”
“They have been in there thirty minutes. That’s how long the nurse is in there every day. Just earlier than usual. It’s probably a new nurse trying to make a good impression.”
Both watched as the person stooped and placed an object on the floor as they walked away from the camera back towards the rear of the bungalow and out of sight.
Gary paused the video. “What’s that on the floor?”
“Can you zoom in?”
“No, it just blurs.”
“Why put something there? Surely they could have left it inside the house if they didn’t want it.”
Sally thought for a few seconds.
“Perhaps they wanted someone to pick it up or move it.”
“Why would they want to do that?”
“Jesus Gary. Think. If someone picks it up they would likely as not leave fingerprints on it.”
“I still don’t get it?”
“It’s as though it was left there to be picked up by a certain person. It could be a set up to frame someone.”
“What. The nurse?”
“It’s feasible.”
Both considered the possibility.
“Let’s see what else happens.”
Gary set the video running. The person reappeared from behind the garage and went to the Micra and got in. It completed a turn and started back down the drive towards the road. Gary froze the image but it was impossible for either to see the driver as the sun was reflecting off the windscreen. Both could clearly see that the front number plate was also covered in mud and reflected nothing.
Gary looked at his wife.
“What do you think?”
She still stared at the frozen image on the screen.
“I don’t know. Could be the nurse, but why the coat? Fluke that both number plates are caked in mud.”
“What if they knew about the camera?”
“How could they? You put it there. I haven’t told anyone. Have you?”
“No. Of course not.”
“In that case, no one else knows about it. If that person killed him, maybe they were just taking precautions. I would.”
“Yeah. I suppose that’s logical.”
“Let’s see the next bit.”
Gary set the film running again at normal speed. They did not, nor could they afford to miss anything. It was ten minutes later when the green Micra drove up the drive and the film froze. Both examined the image of the car but the sun was reflecting off the glass of the rear windscreen causi
ng a ‘flaring’ of the image. Even playing it one frame at a time made no difference. It was impossible to make out the number plate at all. The vehicle stopped practically in the same place as previously, and the driver got out with their back to the camera and walked round the back of the bungalow and out of sight. As the driver came into view walking towards the kitchen both could see it was a female wearing a blue nurses uniform.
“That looks like his usual afternoon nurse.”
She stepped past the item on the floor before reaching the back door but didn’t go in. Standing outside for only thirty seconds or so before turning around to retrace her steps. She bent and picked the object off the floor and went to the shed. Opening the door, she deposited it just inside without actually entering herself. Gary froze the image.
“I see what you mean. She’s picked it up and that means her fingerprints are on it. The person who left it there knew she would see it and move it. Framed!”
Sally sarcastically said, “Well worked out Gary. Just one small point you may have overlooked. What if she was the person who put it there?”
“Do you think she was?”
Exasperatingly she said, “I don’t fucking know. Just play the video.”
They watched the nurse close the door of the shed and walk off round the rear of the bungalow and back to the car. It began to move. It turned around and started back down the drive towards the road. Again, the flaring, this time from the front windscreen which distorted the entire image of the front of the vehicle and the driver.
Gary was worried and wanted confirmation.
“What do you reckon?”
“I think the nurse could have killed him. She came back because of that thing that was on the floor. It had to be moved out of sight. She realised she’d left it, so came back to hide it.”
An Urgent Murder Page 19