The Chess Player

by Andrew Parker

  The desk calendar showed Sat. 6th Dec. there was a tearing noise as it was removed to show the correct date; Sun.7th Dec. He sat back in his chair churning over his own thoughts. ‘Get it wrapped up quick and release the body bloody cheek’ he thought as he remembered the conversation with Hothi the previous evening.

  ‘Thought you might be here’ Doc threw down the report onto the desk giving the result of the DNA test on the Judge. George Howcroft looked up to see this bright red nose and big smile of his friend.

  ‘Thankspositive?’ Howcroft asked before

  even looking at the report.

  ‘All that hard work and you’re not even going to read it! But in brief, no’.

  ‘Shit!’ Howcroftlooked away with annoyance.

  ‘Sorry old man, doesn’t help you then?’

  ‘No sorry Doc…. Just had a hunch, that’s

  allanyway thanks and well have to do lunch soon, a

  few pints of Director’s’.

  Doc smiled and nodded his head ‘Sounds good, anyway must be off.

  Once Doc had left, George Howcroft looked at the cock: 8.32am. He was going to use Karen’s computer in the main office and see if he could connect the Judge and Stephen Tarling on any case history.

  He wasn’t that great with computers but followed Karen’s instructions she had scribbled down for him on starting up the computer and gaining access with the password: pelican.

  ‘Here we go’ he said to himsel and was pleased that he could concentrate with the relative quiet and not be interrupted.

  It was now 11.13am, he had sifted through countless cases, but could not find a connection with Lloyd and Tarling, he fell tired and his eyes hurt. In desperation and feeling stupid that he hadn’t thought of it before, he typed in the word ‘Colombia’.

  He then typed ‘UK-Colombia court cases’, it listed twe!ve. His eyes lit up, he typed money/drug laundering, the computer now listed four. ‘Now we’re getting somewhere’ he thought, he typed ‘Judge Lloyd presiding’. One case was shown. He fell the hairs stand up on the back of his neck and a tingling sensation ran down his spine.

  He pressed enter and accessed the case History:

  LONDON Judge Francis Lloyd presiding-Two men pleaded guiity to money-laundering charges for funnelling more than £2 miilion in Colombian cocaine proceeds.

  The perpetrators were charged with being part of a group who laundered the money from Colombian drug dealers between 1—9-2000.

  It was alleged by Stephen Tarling Assistant Commissioner oo Special Operations:’that the defendants were wired $1.2 miilion through their Swiss bank

  account topayfor an airplane. The plane was eventually delivered to the Colombian drug cartel Another alleged member of the scheme was thought to have been murdered after giving information to the police.

  The men who wiil be sentenced in March, agreed to give up $1 miilion hidden in bank and stock accounts.

  ‘Bloody hell’ Howcroft fell back in his chair in a state of shock. The phone began ringing in his office. ‘Williamsoh sorry Lisa’.

  ‘Dad, sorry to disappoint you’.

  ‘No, I’m sorry Lisa, it’s just that I’m wrapped up in this case how are you anyway?’ Howcroft said trying to apologise, but she had caught him at a wrong time and he wanted to keep it short.

  ‘I’m good thanks, I know you are busy but I wanted to know if you were coming over for Christmas?’

  ‘Can I let you know nearer the time love, it’s just

  that’

  ‘I know, I know.just be nice that’s all, speak to

  you soon’. Lisa signed off.

  The telephone went dead. ‘Shit’ he said, he knew she was upset, ‘but work comes first. She knows that’ he justified to himself, ‘Ill call her back tonight’.

  Chapter 8.

  Jason laughed ‘so you didn’t know I was you’re able back up’ he turned away laughing louder after noting the amazed expression on Williams’s face and shouted ‘wicked!’

  Williams broke out into a smile seeing the delight on Jason’s face and the sense of amusement that Chief Inspector Howcroft must have had getting him ‘just the person’.

  They were parked cose to the home of Stephen Tarling, the road was a quiet cul-de-sac, lined with the bare imposing branches of Chestnut trees. They were conscious of their surroundings and hoped they were not too conspicuous.

  The sun shone brightly through the window, as Jason poured the hot tea from the flask in their waiting game for Stephen Tarling. Williams never found surveillance work enjoyable, but thought it would be more than interesting having Jason come along.

  ‘So Jason, why were you so keen to come along?’ Williams asked. Wondering if Jason realised how risky an assignment this could be.

  ‘Are you joking Chance to see how you do your stuff John’ he quipped.

  ‘Very funny, but if this goes tits up well both be kissing our jobs goodbye’ Williams said trying to bring a bit of sanity to the conversation.

  Jason looked surprised then frowned when he asked ‘Why’

  Williams smirked and knew that Jason hadn’t been told the full extent of what they had to do ‘oh, we’ve just got to break into the Assistant Commissioner’s house have

  a rummage, and then do what the Shepherd’s doget

  the flock out’.

  Jason put his head back on the seat, and Williams couldn’t tell if he had a grimace or smile on his face. ‘I thought we were just watching some dude’ he said in a state of bewilderment.

  Williams shook his head and chuckled to himself. ‘Anyway Jason’ Williams continued bringing the conversation away from what lay ahead and onto a more personal level, ‘tell me about yoursell‘

  ‘What do you want to know?’

  ‘You know normal stuff, family, girlfriend, ,ob?’

  ‘Just everything then’ he said sarcastically, ‘Only joking, well my parents come from Tobago and moved to Brixton before I was born. Then they moved to Bournemouth to escape the hustle and bustle, I went to college there, before continuing my studies at the Forensic science unit at the South Bank University in London’

  ‘Oh, wowI’m impressed, so how did you team up

  with Doc?’

  ‘After I finished University, it was very difficult to find places, so I went home but after six months of twiddling my thumbs, I was lucky enough through a friend to be introduced to Doc’.

  ‘So what about you John?’

  ‘Me, nothing to tell really, Joined as a trainee and worked my way up to Detective Sergeantgot a lovely girl friend called Nikki, Mum and Dad live in Cornwall. Great for surfing in the summer’.

  ‘So how’s the love!y Nikki eh? Wedding beHs?I

  bet she doesn’t like these hours?’

  ‘She knows the score’ Williams said snappily as he finished of his tea. ‘You got a young lady friend?’

  ‘No mate, the only relationship I got is with the person upstairs, less complicated’

  ‘What?’ Williams looked confused.

  ‘Godyou know the Bible and all that’ Jason said

  disappointed ,reasoning Williams would have understood.

  Suddenly they heard a front door being cosed and the bark of a dog. Stephen Tarling stepped out of his house wrapped up warm, scarf hal way up his face and the hood of his coat pulled over his head. ‘Come on boy’ he slapped the side of his leg and the Alsatian gleefully bounded over to his master’s command.

  Williams leant forward in the car to get a better look, as though the image he saw in front him was recognisable in some way.

  ‘Bloody hell, I don’t believe it’ Williams said finally remembering.

  ‘What,what is?’ Jason eagerly enquired.

  ‘That is the person that found the bod
y of Susan Kenyon-Lloyd, exact detail dog and all’.

  ‘Do you want me to follow him?’ Jason was very keen and eager to get some action.

  ‘No well wait, he’s just taking the dog for a walk, hell be back’.

  They both settled back in the car seats awaiting the return of their suspect, Williams knew that his boss Chief Inspector Howcroft was on to something and there was more to the relationship of Mr.Tarling and Judge Lloyd.

  Williams wondered why Tarling would be at the scene of the crime? Especially if it was him, who had committed murder? Why risk getting recognised or even arrested.

  The Chief Inspector was right, there was only one way to find out and that would be to get inside the house some how.

  Stephen Tarling walked slowly back to his house; he could see his dog’s breath as he panted in the cold of day. ‘Oh well boy, you’ll have to stay at Bob’s for a few days’ he said looking down, Flash slanted his head with ears pricked as though he understood what his master had just said.

  Hal an hour had passed before Tarling reappeared and loaded the car boot with his suitcase, he opened the back door to his car and Flash jumped in as if routine. He checked his blazer pocket just to confirm he had his passport and wallet. He called Zara on the mobile to say he ‘wouldn’t be long’ and confirmed with her that his flight ticket would be available at the airline counter. He drove speedily out of the road oblivious to the Passat.

  They both sat back up in the car seats after watching the silver Mercedes pull away.

  ‘WowI’m glad that bloody dog’s gone with

  him!’ Jason said eyes wide open.

  ‘Yeah, he’s off somewhere in a hurry though, anyway Jas, get your kit, we are going to see if Mr.Tarling has a nice home’ Williams said sarcastically.

  Jason grabbed his suitcase with his forensic ‘tool

  kit’:

  Magnifying glass Tweezers Scissors Marking pen Disposable gloves Lifting tape Dusting brush Fingerprint powders Containers Magnetic brush Camera

  ‘How we gonna get in this place, he’s bound to have Woody alarmed it’ Jason said with a worried expression appearing on his deep brown complexion.

  Williams lifted up his hand and rattled a set of key’s ‘Get into Fort Knox with these’ he smiled.

  It was still early Sunday morning, Williams looked at the cock before he got out of the car. 8.48am. All of the curtains down the road were still drawn. It was all very quiet, apart from the crows squawking from time to time. They walked very slowly to Stephen Tarling’s house, big oak paneHed door confronted Williams as he hastily tried a few keys before success. They both scrambled through the doorway and then stopped, expecting a beeping sound, for an alarm to be over ridden or stopped. There was no sound.

  ‘Lets get to work, I need you to get me a hair from a brush or comb for DNA testing’ Williams directed with a sense of urgency. ‘And let’s see what we can find‘

  They both pulled on their rubber gloves; Jason made great strides up the stairs to find a bedroom or bathroom, where he could extract a hair from a comb or brush. Williams turned left and walked into the lounge; the floor was wood panelling although mainly covered by a sumptuous Persian rug.

  In the corner of the room was a home entertainment centre, and adorning the walls were original watercolours. He followed up on ‘Howcroft’s curiosity’ and checked the bookshel; Tom Clancy, Wilbur Smith, Encydopaedia and Natural History books, ‘nothing unusual’ he thought. A photo on the sideboard caught his eye, a picture of Tarling with Her Majesty the Queen, being presented with some award.

  Williams pulled open some of the drawers and was careful not to be to heavy handed in disturbing the contents. He checked behind pictures on the walls and paperwork that had been left on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

  The lounge led directly into the Dining room area; beautiful hand crafted table and chairs that looked directly out of the large patio windows onto the garden. He couldn’t physically see or find anything incriminating.

  Jason was quick to move into the bedroom; he quickly glanced around looking for a hairbrush or comb. He saw a silver comb on a cabinet next to the bed, he settled his suitcase on the king size bed, and it clicked open. Everything was in order and neatly packed away, he removed the tweezers and a small plastic container. He went over to the comb and he was in luck, two or three strands were caught into the teeth. Jason carefully removed one of the strands with the tweezers and dropped it into the container; he threw it in the suitcase and clicked it shut.

  He wiped some nervous perspiration from his face and went over to the built in wardrobes on the wall. He slid open one of the doors, there was a light switch just inside. He switched it on, the light showed the enormity of the space.

  ‘Bloody hell’ Jason said in surprise.

  There hanging up along the majority of the wall were countless designer suits and blazers, also neatly put away in open shelves were polo shirts and round neck sweaters. Then he noticed above his head a cardboard box; he reached up and struggled to bring it down without dropping it. ‘Very heavy’ he thought as he put it on the ground and opened the lid.

  ‘John’ was the shout from Jason upstairs.

  Williams also took the stairs by two’s and found Jason in one of the bedrooms.

  ‘Look John’

  Inside it on the top layer was old dusty books, ‘but you take that out’ Jason said with a slight cough from the dust and waving his hand to ckar the air…then Williams could see wads of one hundred pound unused notes.

  ‘Bloody hell, there has got to be hundreds of thousands there’ Williams had a total expression of amazement. ‘Count it’.

  Williams also found what looked like a miniature musical box, he opened the lid and instead of playing a tune inside wasjust a key. He slipped it into his pocket.

  ‘Three hundred thousand’

  ‘Where shall we go?’ Williams joked. ‘You got the hair sample?’

  ‘Delicately removed with my tweezers’ Jason grinned.

  Suddenly the sound of police sirens was heard coming down the road.

  ‘Shit, he must have a silent alarm linked directly to the station’ Williams said ‘put the box back and leave me to do the taking’

  Jason struggled lifting the box back onto the shell Williams rushed down the stairs and opened the front door. There were two police cars, lights flashing as the four police men in total lumped out of the cars.

  ‘Don’t move’ was the shout from across the road as they rushed over to arrest the intruders.

  ‘It’s okay, I’m DS Williams and this is DS Taylor’ Williams said as he flashed his police badge. ‘We were in the area and investigated’

  The police officer noted his badge with Dorset Police. ‘A bit out of you’re area?’

  ‘Coming back from a night surveillance job in this

  areaanyway we’ve just got here ourselves, door was

  open, but no sign of anyone, but well leave you boys to make a thorough search’ Williams lied.

  They made a hasty retreat back to the car, feeling the eyes of the police officer burning into their backs following them. As they jumped into the car both breathing a sigh of relief they could here the sound of radio crackle and a voice reporting in to Surrey Police Headquarters.

  ‘Sarge, its Daveno visible sign of a break in or

  any intruders at the house, we are making a thorough search for signs of anything stolen, but the curious thing here Sarge is two Detectives were already on the scene?‘

  The Desk Sergeant at Surrey Police Headquarters dialed the number given for emergencies and relayed the report:

  ‘At 8.41am the Intruder alarm was received and two vehices were despatched to arrive at Assistant Commissioner Tarling’s residence approx. 17 minutes later. They were met on arrival by a DS
Williams and DS Taytor from Dorset police who were first to arrive at the possible crime scene. Our officers were informed the door was open but no sign of any intruders. We went on to make a detailed search and there was no visible sign of a break in or possessions stolen, obviously we would need Assistant Commissioner Tarling to confirm.’

  ‘Thank you for the report which I will relay onto Stephen Tarling, although he is leaving the country today so no doubt the matter may have to be dealt with on his return.’ Zara informed the Sergeant.

  Stephen Tarling parked his Mercedes in his reserved car parking space. He took the lift to the third floor and walked down the corridor towards his office. He was greeted by a gleaming smile.

  ‘Hi Steve’ Zara smiled

  ‘Hello gorgeous, thanks for coming in’ Stephen said looking at her admiringly.

  Zara had one of those head-turning figures and looks, she followed her boss to the office note pad in hand and cosed the door behind them. Tarling walked over to his desk and saw the envelope marked ‘Private & Confidential’, he tore the top of the envelope and tipped out the file inside.

  ‘What’s this?’ he said as he opened the file on the murdered Colombian.

  ‘Oh I understand it is the file you requested’ she said flicking the pages of her note pad. ‘Yes a Chief Inspector Howcroft sent it to you, he came across it while going through some unsolved files.’ She perched hersetf on the edge of his desk.

  Tarling stopped and looked up, he frowned ‘HowcroftHowcroft why does that name ring a bell?’

  Zara looked blank and shook her head as if to say she had no idea. Tarling sat down into his leather chair and examined the file more c^sely, he came across the scribbled handwriting and he was beginning to remember.

  ‘Anyway sorry Steve but Surrey Police called, to report a possible break in at your house’

  ‘What!’ Tarling snapped

  Zara went on to relay the report she had just been

  given.

  ‘Fuck it!’ Tarling shouted, making his Personal Assistantjump up in a bemused state.

  ‘Howcroft and Williams’ he thought to himself, then in a softer tone ‘Sorry Zara, just didn’t need that break in before I go away for a few days’.