Jack Daniels - Casebook

by John Holt

  “It’s not a problem,” said Purcell. “How about horse racing though, does that interest you?”

  “Afraid not,” I replied. “Horse racing doesn’t interest me at all. I’m not really into sport of any kind.”

  “You’re not a gambling man then?” he asked.

  I smiled and shook my head. “No I’m not a gambler,” I replied. “I don’t take chances. Life’s difficult enough, without adding to your problems.”

  Purcell smiled. “Ah, you may well be right,” he replied.

  They may have been the actual words that he used, but I got the distinct impression that he was really saying that I was completely wrong.

  “So Mr. Daniels, I understand that you are here to do a bit of investigating,” Purcell continued. “If I can help you in any way, just give a call.”

  I thanked him, and confirmed that I wouldn’t hesitate. “That’s good of you,” I replied. “So what do you think about all of these so called accidents?” I asked.

  Purcell smiled and shook his head. “Well now, let me tell you. Mr. Drake now, well he thinks that they weren’t just accidents. He thinks that someone is deliberately doing these things to cause trouble.”

  I nodded. “That’s correct, that’s exactly what he told me,” I replied. “But I actually asked what you thought about them.”

  “Well, does it really matter what I think,” Purcell replied. “The point is these accidents themselves, that’s the important thing. Whether they were caused deliberately or not, they still present a problem, d’yer see.”

  I didn’t understand his point.

  Purcell walked to the front of the stables, and looked out at the paddocks. He swept his arm in a wide arc. “Do you see all of this,” he said. “This isn’t just fields, and a few stable blocks, and a race track. This is a business, a multi-million dollar business, a business with a reputation for service, and tradition.”

  I imagined that there was a point to all this. I mean the guy was getting quite emotional. I guessed that he’d get there in the end. I could wait. I wasn’t going anywhere was I?

  “The point is if an establishment, like this one, started to get a reputation for being accident prone, it could have a major impact on business,” Purcell explained. “Our clients might start to lose confidence in us. They might perhaps seek services elsewhere.

  “Drake Stables have been here for over one hundred and fifty years,” he continued. “We have built up an impressive client base in that time. Many of the world’s top trainers and owners come here. That reputation would disappear overnight if it were thought that this was not a safe and secure place.”

  I had to admit that there was a lot of sense in what he had said. I know nothing of the horse racing world but what he had said about safe and secure struck home. The only thing though it didn’t help me. I had to decide whether the accidents were deliberate or not. If they were deliberate then someone was playing a dangerous game and had to be stopped.

  “You still haven’t answered my question though,” I said.

  “What question was that?” he asked.

  I heaved a sigh. Was he playing games, or had he really forgotten the question. “I was interested to know whether you thought the accidents were deliberate or not.”

  He smiled. “Complete accident, no question,” he replied. “Just one of those things, accidents happen.”

  Sure accidents happen, I thought, but sometimes things just need a little extra shove, know what I mean.

  “Yes that’s right, they do, but what about the death of that horse?” I asked.

  “Blue Boy, you mean,” replied Purcell. “Heart gave out that’s all. Perhaps I should have seen it coming, eased up on the training maybe.” He heaved a sigh. “Not sure it would have made any real difference though.”

  “I guess that’s something you’ll never know,” I said hoping I sounded helpful and positive, but guessing that it came across differently.

  “Guess not,” said Purcell. “But maybe you might learn something if you speak to the veterinary, John Probert.”

  “I just might do that,” I replied. “Thanks for your help.”

  “Now I’m sorry but I better get on,” Purcell said. “I’ve a lot to do. Grey Lady needs a rub down, and well, you know where to find me if you need me. Oh and if you feel like joining us on the gallops, let me know, I’ll be more than happy to arrange it.”

  * * *

  Chapter Five

  Derek Chambers

  Okay so that was Michael Purcell’s opinion. Certainly, he had no doubts. Accidents, they were all accidents, nothing but. All easily explained and nothing sinister. So that was one down. “But don’t take my word for it,” he had said. Don’t you worry about that, I don’t take anyone’s word about anything. Even my silver haired mother has to supply proof.

  Next on my list was the Head Stable Boy at the Drake Stables, a certain Derek Chambers. I found him out at one of the paddocks. He was sixty-five years old, if he was a day. Why he wasn’t known as Stable Old Man is beyond me.

  “That’s just the way of it,” he explained. “Age don’t matter you see. I’ve been a stable boy all my working life.” He paused and started to rub his chin. His eyes glazed over. “I were just fourteen when I started, that was with old man Robinson a ways from here, up north. Then I came here when he died and the stables were sold off. I was just twenty-five then, by a few days. Mrs. Robinson gave me a nice reference. Been here ever since, started with Mr. Drake senior. He were real good to me. Don’t reckon I’ll be leaving the old place anytime soon, not now. I’ll be sixty-seven in a few months time. Reckon this place’ll see me down and no mistake.”

  I didn’t doubt it for a moment. Forty plus years in one place is something I find very hard to understand, but I have to admit that he looked well on it. I guess he had his room and board all found, and no worries, no stress, and all of that lovely open countryside to enjoy. And clearly he was doing a job he loved. So perhaps there was something going for it after all.

  “You must have seen a lot of changes I guess,” I replied, although what precise changes there would have been I had no idea. Horses would always be horses, and stables would always be …. Well you get what I mean.

  He merely shrugged and smiled. “Things come and things go,” he said. “And some things just stay as they are.”

  I guess that about summed things up pretty much, so I could only agree with him.

  “What do you think of these accidents?” I asked.

  “Accidents?” he replied. “You mean things like Candy Cane getting out of the paddock?” Chambers answered.

  I nodded. “Yes, I heard about that,” I said. “Who was telling me, hang on for a minute. Just let me think.” I thought for a few moments, and then I remembered. “It was Terry, Terry Wood. He told me that she almost got out of her paddock. Just an accident wasn’t it?”

  Chambers shook his head. “It were no accident, I can tell you. And it was Terry’s responsible to make sure that the gate was secure, and he didn’t do it” he replied. “He got a good talking to from Mike. He’s young, but he deserved it. Youngsters today, they don’t seem to care about responsibility and things like that. He’ll learn though, and know different the next time.”

  Don’t ask me why but I suddenly felt very sorry for Terry. He never meant no harm. He just made a mistake, that’s all. Hands up if you never made a mistake, because I’ve certainly made a few in my time.

  “So what happened?” I asked.

  “It was one of them days when we allow visitors in,” Chambers started to explain. “We do it twice a week. There were a lot of visitors that day. More than normal, including a lot of school kids, you know, they come in from the local towns. Anything could have happened, you know. She wouldn’t mean you no harm, but old Candy could have done a lot of damage. She’s a big girl, muscular and strong. Got to be for the track you see. Anyways fortunately Jenny, one of the stable girls saw her and got her back into the field, without an
y trouble being caused.”

  “Someone had left the gate open, is that what happened,” I suggested. “Just careless I guess.”

  Chambers shook his head, and started to laugh. “Accident, no way,” he replied. “Those gates are provided with a special security catch. You just can’t open the gate accidentally. You have to lift the catch and then pull the bar back, and then you can open the gate.”

  “So it couldn’t be an accident then,” I said.

  “Not a chance,” said Chambers. “That gate was opened, and it were left open, deliberately.”

  “For what reason?” I asked.

  “Now what reason would you think,” Chambers replied. “To cause trouble. What else?”

  Drake hadn’t mentioned anything about Candy Cane, and the open gate. I wondered why. Perhaps he didn’t know. But that didn’t make any sense at all. Of course he knew. He would make it his business to know. So why hadn’t he said anything? I made a mental note to speak to him about it later. I was beginning to wonder if there was something sinister going on after all.

  “Derek, what do you think about the fire?” I asked.

  “In the Tack room, you mean?” Chambers replied.

  Yes the Tack Room, I thought, wondering if there had been any other fires I hadn’t been told about. I nodded.

  “Well let’s take a look shall we? This way,” Chambers said, as he walked away. I followed.

  “Now it really wasn’t much of a fire,” he said, as we made our way to Tack Room number two. He opened the door, and waited for me to enter. “Here we are,” he said.

  “Where did the fire start?” I asked

  “Those sockets over there that’s where the fire began,” explained Chambers. He pointed to a couple of the power sockets. “Faulty wiring or something, but there’s nothing left to see, not now.”

  Chambers was right. You would never know that there had ever been a fire. New wiring and new sockets had been provided, and repairs to the walls had all been carried out. It was as though nothing had happened.

  “When did it happen?” I asked.

  Chambers thought for a few moments. “About three weeks ago, I think,” he replied. “I lose track of time sometimes.”

  “So what about the fire?” I asked. “Was anyone injured?”

  Chambers shook his head. “It wasn’t much of a fire,” he replied. “It wasn’t anything really, just a small fire. The socket had been overloaded, and there was a short and the fire started. Fortunately it was seen soon after it started. It was dealt with, and no one got hurt.”

  “Did you see it?” I asked.

  “Yes I saw it,” he replied. “It was just after six in the morning,” he explained. “We had just returned from early morning gallops, and just going along to the stables, when I saw a glow coming from here, through that window.” He pointed. “I ran over, and grabbed the extinguisher, and put the fire out.”

  “And that was that, an accident,” I said helpfully. “Nothing more than that.”

  “No one was hurt, and not much damage was done,” said Chambers. “But certainly it was not just an accident. That fire was started deliberately.”

  “What makes you say that?” I asked.

  Chambers gave a glance around the room, and nodded. “Three things really,” he replied. “Firstly the door over there, I saw Ben lock it just before we went out for the gallop, and when we got back it was unlocked.”

  “Ben?”

  “Ben White,” Chambers replied. “He’s another stable boy.”

  “Right,” I replied. “What time was that, when you went out?”

  “About four-thirty, something like that,” Chambers replied. “That’s when we usually start.”

  “And when did you get back?”

  “Just before six,” Chambers replied. “We normally get back then, earlier if the weathers bad.”

  “And Ben was with you the whole time?” I asked.

  “I think he was, I’m not absolutely sure,” Chambers replied. “Why do you ask?”

  “Who else would have a key to the room?” I continued, deliberately ignoring the question.

  “Well, Terry, he has a key,” Chambers explained. “Terry Wood, I think you met him?

  I agreed that I had met him shortly after arriving the previous day.

  “Well he has one, and so does Ben. They both use Tack Room two.” He paused for a moment. “Michael, the trainer, he has a key, and so do I.”

  “What about Mr. Drake?” I asked.

  Chambers shook his head. “No, he doesn’t have one. He says he doesn’t need one, and leaves the day to day running of things to us.”

  “So just the four of you,” I replied.

  “That’s about right,” agreed Chambers. “Although most of us know where the keys are kept, it could have been almost anyone.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked. “Don’t you keep the keys with you?”

  Chambers shook his head. “Terry and Ben do, they need them on a daily basis,” he started to explain. “But me and Mike we don’t need them that often, so we leave our keys in the key cupboard in Mike’s office.”

  Didn’t sound like the greatest of security to me, but I decided to skip it. “And the second thing,” I prompted.

  “Judging by the spread of the fire I’m guessing that it had started just a few minutes before we returned,” Chambers replied. “I think it was deliberately set for effect only, and not actual damage.”

  I was puzzled. “I’m sorry I don’t follow you.”

  “I’m saying that I believe that it was timed to co-incide with us getting back,” Chambers explained. “Just a bit of a frightener you might say.”

  “And the third reason?”

  “Oh yes, the third reason,” said Chambers. “And this is the clincher as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Go on,” I said.

  “Two days before the fire the wiring was checked by Dorkin Brothers, they are electricians from Danbury,” Chambers continued. “There was no problem with the wiring.”

  That seemed pretty conclusive I had to admit. It certainly looked like a deliberate action, but why. Chambers had said that it was ‘for effect only, and not to cause actual damage.’ What kind of effect, I wondered. And for whose benefit? More to the point, who did it? There were four possible suspects, the four with keys, but as Chambers had said, anyone could have got hold of a key.

  “I’m sure there’s a perfectly good answer, but why is it called Tack room number two?” I asked.

  “That’s simple, Mr. Daniels,” replied Chambers. “We have three Tack Rooms, and twenty-four stables. So that’s one Tack room for eight horses.”

  “So what exactly is a tack room?” I asked.

  Chambers started to smile. “I guess you would call it a store room,” he started to explain. “There would be everything inside, from saddles, to horseshoes, bridles, to bits. There would be riding boots, coats, blankets, you name it. Each tack room would contain everything you could think of, but only for the eight horses allocated to that particular room.”

  It sounded impressive. “Looks like you’ve got it well organized,” I said, as I glanced around the room once more.

  “Oh we have,” said Chambers sounding pleased. “In addition we have six stable boys and girls. Each one has four horses to look after, so that’s two stable lads to each Tack room. In this case as I said it was Terry and Ben.”

  One last thing,” I said. “What did you think about Blue Boy’s death?”

  Chambers shook his head, but said nothing for a few moments. “I’m not really sure,” he said finally. “He had been sick, and was being treated by John Probert.” He paused for a moment. “John’s a good vet, but sadly he wasn’t able to save the horse.” He paused once again. “These things happen,” he continued. “You can’t always explain them. And yet something keeps going over and over in my mind.”

  “Go on, Mr. Chambers,” I coaxed.

  “Candy Cane getting out of her paddock was no a
ccident. The fire was no accident.” He paused and shook his head. “I just wonder if Blue Boy’s death was planned as well.”

  “He was killed deliberately, is that what you are suggesting,” I said.

  “I don’t know if he was meant to die, or whether he was just to be put out of action for a while,” Chambers continued.

  “Put out of action,” I repeated. “What do you mean by that?”

  “To be stopped from racing for a while,” Chambers explained. “We stood to win a substantial sum of money on Blue Boy’s next race. But clearly somebody didn’t want Blue Boy to run, so they put a stop to it.”

  “So you think it was deliberate then and not just one of those unfortunate things.”

  Chambers shook his head. “Originally yes, I had thought it was just unfortunate, but quite natural. Horses get sick, and horses die.”

  “So what changed your mind?” I asked.

  “Candy Cane was one thing, and then that small fire,” Chambers continued. “They weren’t accidents they were deliberate, and so was the death of Blue Boy.”

  “What tack room did Blue Boy use?” I asked.

  “Number two.” Chambers replied simply.

  * * *

  Remember what I said about the twenty different people, and the twenty different opinions. But in this case there were only two possible answers. Either the accidents were just that and nothing more, or they were deliberate acts. So far the odds were two to one that they were deliberate.

  Next I needed to speak to the stable boys, and girls, especially Jenny, Terry and young Ben.

  * * *

  Chapter Six

  Graham Berry

  So, just as I expected, I was already getting conflicting stories. What did I tell you? One guy had no hesitation and said that it was nothing but accidents. Everything was either a pure accident, or it was natural, and all easily explained. Then there was the other guy. He was equally convinced that it was all deliberate. The fire was deliberate, Candy Cane getting out of her paddock, deliberate, and the death of Blue Boy, was a deliberate act. That left the ladder incident. Nobody was hurt, fortunately, but a rung had snapped, and somebody had nearly fallen. It could have been real nasty. They could have broken their neck.