Rough Justice In Academia (The Ralph Chalmers Mysteries Book 2)

by P. J. Thurbin

  “Struck a nerve there old friend? I promise not to tell Jane,” he laughed again. Ralph didn’t respond to the jibe about Katie, but he did recall those summer days when they used to sit under the magnolia for a bit of a chat time between lectures. It was a convenient place to hide from any students who might be trying to ferret them out to wheedle extensions on their papers.

  “So what happened then?” Ralph asked. “Did you leave him there or did he go into Kenry House? And did you happen to notice a black car parked nearby?”

  “Well, I don’t remember any car. I think the car park was empty. The chap just thanked me. He seemed to be waiting for someone. I’m not sure, but I was in a hurry so I just took off. Marcia was coming to pick me up and you know how you hate waiting, my dear,” he laughed affectionately.

  “It was about eleven when I collected Peter to drive down to Wells. We stopped for lunch in a pub this side of Stonehenge, so we didn’t get there until about 3.It must have been about the time we were eating that the poor man was being attacked. How awful.”

  The friends dwelled for a while on the tragedy that had befallen Jack Royston, the Berick family and now this latest thing with Rainton.

  “But life must go on, old chap. Marcia has prepared a marvelous supper, so let’s go do justice to her efforts as well as to that bottle of champagne that’s now had time to chill. You know Pierre Roget was Winston Churchill’s favourite champagne. He always used to order a bottle when he was going through his ‘dark dog days’ during the war. Or for any other occasion, I have heard. He sounds rather like a man after my own heart,” Peter said as he stood up and led the way into the dining room.

  ***

  It was much later that night when Ralph arrived back home and locked his car in the garage. It was deathly quiet and he had a strange feeling of unease as he opened the door to his apartment. Turning on the hall light he noticed that his study door was open. He was a creature of habit and knew that he always shut it on going out. Grasping a 5 iron from his golf bag which he kept in the hallway, he crept towards the study door. To his relief there was no sign of an intruder, but his desk drawer was half open and that was not the way he had left it. Someone must have broken in while he was out. His notes that he had left by his armchair had also been moved. His housekeeper had a key because she came in twice a week to clean while Ralph was at work, but she would never have come in on her days off without telling him in advance.

  As nothing was missing and there was no sign of a forced entry, he decided not to call the police. With so much going on at the college and having been interviewed by Inspector Linham only a few days before, he thought it best to leave things until the morning. With that he retired for the night as the champagne and good food were now demanding that he get some sleep.

  ***

  An annoying and persistent jangle from the telephone woke Ralph. He had overslept. He saw by the dial on the bedside clock that it was almost 10. It was Simon Alford from the local newspaper, The Surrey Comet.

  “Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, Professor Chalmers. But I’m working on an article for the mid-week issue and wondered if you could give me any information about the attack on Sir George Rainton at the college? I had been invited to the luncheon in order to cover the event for the paper, but of course we were already inside when the attack must have taken place. I wasn’t seated right next to Sir James, of course, but I did hear him mention that his son had been a student at the business school some years ago and wondered if the attack was linked to his long ago student days?”

  Ralph had slept very deeply and it took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts.

  “Well I didn’t actually know him as a student, or if he was in any of my classes I don’t remember him. You know Sir George was at the University some 20 years ago, and tens of thousands of students have come through the doors since then.”

  “Fair point Professor, but I spoke to Professor Jean Maitland at the luncheon and she said that you had lunch with him only the other week at the Travellers Club in London. I assumed that you might have been catching up on old times with one of your more successful students?”

  Ralph had moved to his study and managed to clear his head. He realised that Simon’s questioning was getting closer to the truth about how Rainton had been involved in the cheating incident with Ted Berick. The link to Jack Royston’s death would be the next logical step for someone as bright as Simon Alford. He decided to bend the truth for the sake of propriety.

  “Oh yes. That was just to set up his slot at the conference. Nothing more than that, I’m afraid.”

  “Oh I see,” said Simon. “I guess I just read more into it. That makes sense since I understand you were responsible for arranging the speakers for the conference. But what puzzles me about the timing of the attack was why he left the Hotel at 10 when he was not expected at the luncheon till noon. It’s only a 10 or 20 minute walk, even if you go easy. I spoke to the receptionist at the hotel and she told me that Sir George checked out at 10 and told her to arrange for his driver to pick him up at Kenry House at 3. So perhaps he planned to meet someone beforehand. He hadn’t by any chance arranged to meet you before the luncheon for a chat?”

  “No,” Ralph said. “We had already gone over the details of his speech and the seating arrangements when we met in London. I was as surprised as everyone else when he didn’t arrive for the luncheon on time. In fact, I too telephoned Kingston Lodge to make certain nothing had delayed him and was told pretty much the same thing as you by the receptionist there. Little did any of us realize what terrible events were taking place at that very time.”

  “Obviously if he was meeting with someone before the luncheon he had no reason to believe the person was a threat,” Simon said. “But didn’t he generally take some sort of minder around with him? At least that was the word on the street. And he would hardly have been confident about being picked up at 3 unless he was sure that nothing untoward was likely to happen. It’s all quite puzzling to say the least.”

  Ralph felt as though he were being interrogated and tried to think of a polite way of cutting off the call without appearing to be evasive. He didn’t want to arouse any more curiosity about Rainton and the cheating incident, but Alford had not finished.

  “One of my junior reporters was in a local pub last night, just down from the college. She spoke to the caretaker who found Rainton, and he told her that one of the cleaners had seen Sir George talking or arguing with someone and they were standing by a big black car. It seemed that it might have been a Mercedes Benz or some other large foreign make.”

  “Well Simon, no doubt you have already pumped the police for any leads they may have turned up. But knowing Inspector Linham, he isn’t about to tip his hand to the press until he has a pretty solid case. Whatever happened, it is all very upsetting for the family as well as for the University. But I’m sure the police will track down the miscreant soon enough. I’m sorry to cut you off short like this, but I’m expecting someone shortly, and as you may have realised, I was barely up when you phoned. But do feel free to call me again, and sorry that I couldn’t be more help.”

  “No. Thank you, Professor. I will be in touch. Enjoy your weekend.” Ralph sank back in his armchair. He wondered if he had let slip any information that he would come to regret.

  ***

  Monday morning was a beautiful sunny day. The azaleas in the college grounds were in full bloom; pinks, yellows and whites in profusion. Batches of wild flowers spilled over the roadway and the bluebells were struggling to get to the sunlight from under shady trees. All was well with the world. Ralph had arrived at Kenry House early and was going over some lecture notes for the coming week. There was knock on his office door and his secretary walked in.

  “Sorry to interrupt you, but reception called to say that there are two gentlemen here to see you. I have checked and they don’t have an appointment. Shall I find out what they want or would you prefer to speak with them?”

&nbs
p; “No, that’s alright, Janice. Can you ask them to come up? I can give them 15 minutes, then I have to see one of my students about his assignment.”

  The first thing that struck him was that the visitors were wearing raincoats even though it was a sunny and mild morning. His first thoughts were that they looked a bit ‘seedy’. People with sallow complexions always made him suspect that they were unfit self – indulgent types. Janice had asked them if they would like a coffee and if she could take their coats but they seemed uncommunicative; pleasant enough but non-committal. She left and he knew that she would bring in coffee even if unasked. It was for Janice the proper thing to do.

  “Well Sir, sorry to arrive without calling first. We’re from the Special Branch. We’d like to ask you a few questions about the incident involving Sir George Rainton. My name is Rogers and this is my colleague Mr. Walton.” At this point the two men showed him their photo ID badges.

  “You don’t have to answer our questions, Professor Chalmers, but your co-operation would be appreciated. What we would like to discuss with you is a matter of national security. You do understand that what we might say and anything you may want to tell us is in strictest confidence. To that end, and for your protection, we would suggest that you read and sign this document. It means that you would be committed to the Official Secrets Act. That lasts for 20 years normally and it’s quite regular that we invite people to sign this agreement. Nearly every civil servant in the country and people working in government establishments, scientists and weapons research etc. all are required to sign. If you decline to do this then we will be obliged to leave things as they are although you may at some future stage in our enquiry be asked to answer to other authorities.”

  Ralph was a bit taken aback but could see no reason why he should not agree to keep national secrets, and the last thing he wanted was for the whole affair to escalate. He was also curious to know what secrets he was being introduced to. So he signed.

  “Thank you, Sir. Now we can proceed.”

  They explained how Sir George Rainton had been gathering information for the government on work being carried out in Russia and Eastern Europe. It concerned germ warfare and nerve gas. He had made use of his contacts in research establishments, where his company had sold high technology equipment, to find out the latest developments. The KGB had been following him, and the fear was that he would become a target to be arrested and held in a Russian prison for interrogation, or even killed. His official minder had been duped by a fake phone call made to the Kingston Lodge Hotel. He had been told that a driver had come to take Sir George to a top level meeting in Whitehall and that he could stand down for the day.

  “You see Sir, we believe that Sir George may have arranged to meet one of his contacts here at the college. We saw from the list of delegates that there were two from the Republic of Georgia State University and four delegates from the Moscow Academy of Science. This was a convenient place to meet. It is also possible that the KGB got wind of it and decided to rough him up in order to find out who his contacts were in Russia and other former Soviet countries.”

  Ralph was trying to make sense of what was being suggested: mafia, KGB, nerve gas, spies, all being talked about in connection with a student who 20 years ago had cheated in an examination. But his visitors had only just begun.

  “You see Sir, your involvement in all of this appears a bit irregular. First you had lunch with Sir George at the Travellers only a few weeks ago, then he is invited to your conference. One of your colleagues, Professor Jean Maitland, has connections with Porton Down, the chemical weapons research establishment. You have been to Moscow each year for the past 5 years and have worked recently in the Republic of Georgia, which was, until a few years ago, part of the Soviet Union. While at Cambridge you were known to have been a member of the Young Communists Party, and your doctoral thesis was on The Impact of Marxism on World Economies. So you can see, Sir, why we thought we should speak with you. Is there anything that you would like to tell us?”

  At that moment Janice appeared with the coffee and biscuits. The two visitors looked a bit annoyed at the interruption but Ralph was happy to have a minute to gather his thoughts. No doubt they had bombarded him with a stream of questions and half accusations to presumably catch him off guard in order to uncover anything he might wish to hide.

  “Do you take sugar, gentlemen?” Janice asked. “The cream is in the jug. The biscuits were freshly baked last night, and they have very little fat or sugar. And, Professor Chalmers, your student has arrived for his appointment. Shall I ask him to wait or set a new time for him to see you?”

  Ralph tried to compose himself.

  “Yes, Janice. Please ask him to drop by after his lecture tomorrow morning. And give him my apologies.”

  Ralph realised that Janice must have somehow known that he needed some time to think. Perhaps she might even have been listening at the door. When she had left the room he turned to his visitors.

  “Look gentlemen. I know you have a number of unanswered questions. But I’ve been interviewed by Inspector Linham of the local police in connection with the unfortunate incident involving George Rainton. As for the rest, well it may look suspicious if taken out of context, but I go to Moscow every year as part of an ongoing link between Kingston University and the Academy for the National Economy. I teach on the MBA that the Business School runs there. As for my visit to the Republic of Georgia, I was there while on sabbatical from Kingston to teach at the University in Tbilisi as part of a Soros initiative. And yes, while at Cambridge most of my friends joined various clubs, and quite a few of us joined the communist party. We were young and curious with lots of ideals. I expect that’s the way it is for many 19 year olds. It’s encouraged at Cambridge to be curious. And as for my doctoral thesis, Marxism does, or at least has had in the past, an impact on global economies. It’s one of the things that I lecture on here. And it doesn’t make me a national threat or a communist agent or whatever you are hinting at. And as for Professor Maitland, although she is new to the University, she is an excellent addition to the academic staff and is a good friend.”

  Ralph realised that he was now quite angry. He regretted having allowed himself to feel intimidated enough to have signed their document and decided it was time to take the initiative. To hell with these two creeps that had obviously come specifically to give him a hard time.

  “You’re wasting your time questioning me about the KGB and all that Russian Mafioso malarkey. If you really want to know what I believe happened to Sir George Rainton, I will tell you. I think that he was being blackmailed over an incident that took place here some 20 years ago. He was involved in some cheating in his exams. Someone found out and was blackmailing him and it all got out of hand. Your theories about the KGB just don’t make sense. They could have made an attack on him anywhere. Why not in Russia or some other country where the law is perhaps not as sharp as in the UK? Conferences are always busy times and it is almost impossible to have private conversations with another delegate. Believe me, I know. And if he had wanted to collect information from contacts then there are thousands of easier ways of doing it.”

  He explained a bit more about the incident involving Rainton and Ted Berick. The two men seemed to be surprised at his outburst and at the information about the cheating incident. They thanked him for his co-operation and appeared quite chastened by his forthright approach. On the way out they even thanked Janice for the biscuits even though they had studiously avoided touching either them or the coffee.

  When Ralph had time to collect his thoughts, he wondered if the break-in at his apartment had been part of a Special Branch plan to unnerve him before this morning’s visit? His usual way of dealing with the after effects of a bad experience was to go for a long run. A 10 mile circuit of Richmond Park in the sunshine would clear his mind. This lunchtime he would try to improve on his best time. He was starting to feel better already. He could imagine the crunching sound of the gravel underfoo
t as he raced down the hilly paths.

  Chapter 11

  Inspector Linham was having a bad morning. The Police Commissioner had been getting a lot of pressure from Sir James Rainton, the victim’s father. The Home Office had also informed him that the Special Branch was involved in the case and he had to give them his full co-operation. The one thing that really grated with him was being told to co-operate with those superior acting so and sos. He shared his thoughts with Sergeant Wilson.

  “We’ve had the doctor’s report from Kingston Hospital and it shows that Rainton was struck a heavy blow to the chest. The blow managed to break three ribs. And bruising around his kidneys suggests that he took what we used to know as a ‘kidney punch’. The Doc reckons whoever struck him was probably someone trained as a boxer or someone who knew something about martial arts or self- defense.”

  “Could have been someone with military training, Sir,” Interjected Wilson.

  “Yes, perhaps,” Linham said distractedly and added, “With all that we can probably eliminate the idea that our attacker was a woman, although I understand that women are now training as professional boxers and certainly they are given high profile in the military these days. But all of this speculation isn’t getting us very far in actually solving the case, is it, Wilson?”

  “Well Sir, I agree that with all the women now in the military and in the police service we can’t rule out women altogether.” Wilson realised from the expression on his bosses face that he would have been better off keeping quiet.