“But Mrs Gittins, the records show you did continue to give morphine to this patient, additional supplies are recorded. You were in attendance on the day in question. There were no witnesses as to the dose you gave I believe.”
“Ron witnessed it check the records.” She said.
“Yes that is correct, so he did it is here. Clearly then you were both in on this.”
“That is untrue we are innocent, one hundred per cent innocent,” said Ron, but the expression on his face was that he knew they appeared to be in a hopeless position. His many years of police experience caused him to reflect that in this situation he would have thought exactly the same as Kinsella. Murder most foul and yes murder of the innocents by the trusted.
Kinsella now closed her papers and then looked in turn at each of the accused and said, “I put it to you both that it was the money you believed you were to receive from these elderly people that would make your own financial positions sound in retirement overseas out of English jurisdiction that was the motive for your despicable plan. Ron using his police experience, you Kyle your nursing skill that with elderly folk you thought you would never be found out. The deaths would all be put down to natural causes as indeed they there were initially.”
“But we had no knowledge of being left any money did we Kyle, not until we received the letter from the solicitor,” said Ron
“That is true Superintendent a complete surprise,” replied Kyle.
“That is not true, for police enquiries reveal the victims had in fact told you of their intentions probably to encourage you both to provide just that bit better of a service.”
Both the accused shook their heads.
The room was momentary silent as Doris Scott-Ling now opened another file and handed to Kinsella another set of papers.
She read for a moment and then looked up, “Ron and Kyle Gittins, I now charge you as follows, that you Kyle and you Ron did on diverse dates, wilfully conspire to and did execute the murders of the victims, Madeline Rosman, Noah Pemberton and Captain Lambert. You are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so, but what ever you do say will be taken down in writing and given in evidence.”
“We are not guilty," said Ron.
“One hundred percent innocent we are,” replied Kyle.
The interview was concluded and so Kinsella and Scott-Ling stood and commenced to leave. Kinsella a smile on her face turned and to Hayes she commented, “Mr Hayes I suppose with all that has been revealed here today, your clients may finally consider doing the Christian thing by confessing their greed and sins and pleading guilty to these charges thus saving the bereaved even more grief.”
Hayes looked and he produced a smile of his own. “Superintendent, I don’t know what your history is like but may I refer you to the instance those many years ago when a small American ship was in battle with a much bigger and more heavily armed British vessel. The English captain called to American ship to surrender. Captain John Paul Jones replied, “I have not yet started fighting.”
Kinsella looked and said, “But what happened?”
Hayes with his usual grin replied, “I do not know, I did not yet read the end of the story.”
The investigators turned and were gone, leaving Hayes to lean over to his clients and tell them from what he had seen he was on a lost cause. The evidence clearly pointed to guilty verdicts. He concluded by suggesting both consider entering guilty pleas at an early stage with a view to him offering strong mitigation of stress or perhaps if there was any mental or other problems in their background now was the time to get the doctors in, the usual defences in these cases.
Having left the prison both the detectives headed back to their office and so it was lunch time. This completed it was back to the grindstone to quote Doris. She took the tapes of the interview to the typing pool and then generally prepared matters for final submission to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Meanwhile Kinsella had updated Chief Constable Watkiss that all was well, it was now confirmed, this was a serial killing case. Overwhelming evidence in fact, an open and shut case.
The Chief relieved indicated she in turn would update the Police Commissioner, get him off her back at least.
The force press officer was also updated and so issued a press release of the additional charges. The result being, a massive reaction from the media.
The headlines in the newspapers and on the television that these so called Judas murderers had been charged with the additional deaths. Photographs were displayed of the accused and their house, even of their property overseas.
Kinsella meanwhile had left to attend her course, she would have to attend the forthcoming trial but there again this would be additional information to put to her course. She was very confident indeed arriving at the police college that when the initial meeting of students was held and those present were invited to relate the cases they had dealt with, her case would be top of the list as the most interesting of any student. All this would obviously go well for her report at the end of the course. She could already see herself as an assistant chief constable hopefully in some large force such as Greater Manchester or even the Metropolitan Police where her attributes would really be appreciated, officers were more modern now than they were in the time of Jack the Hat.
Doris submitted the completed file to the Crown Prosecution Service, who having read the details, completely concurred with the police charges. With a view to saving public money in these time of cuts pressure would be placed upon the defence to submit guilty pleas, if done early judges were often more lenient. In these cases however there seemed little hope of any judge handing out less than thirty years in prison to each of the accused. It was always open to defending lawyers to have clients who once found out, suddenly became very ill, stressed, possible terminal illness. Any excuse often those which only a medical expert could imagine to bring forth.
Such was the success of the investigation and results obtained that life was now going to be much less comfortable for two leading figures Kyle and Ron, than they could possibly have anticipated.
There were now massive calls even in Parliament and from various civil rights groups that two public enquiries should be held. One into the workings and checking of police officers to root out these vile criminals from within. The nursing profession did not escape, like calls; no demands were being made for a similar enquiry there.
The Chief Constable and the Chief of Chester Medical Services, but also the National Health and The Association of Chief Police officers were now under great pressure to cause these enquiries to be undertaken and all the disruption and bad publicity it would bring. Finally Parliament was asked for a judge to be appointed to head the enquiries.
It was therefore not surprising when Chief Constable Joanne Watkiss and Sir Frank Foster, head of Chester Medical Service received notification they were to report at once to the Home Office.
Chapter 7
Jack Richards was sitting at his desk in the study cum sewing room. Writing and study for him, dressmaking and sewing for his wife Anne, a trained seamstress. It was nicely decorated in light colours but of the pastel shades. Jack was a bit of a stuck in the mud when it came to trends, hence the dark plain clothing, trilby hat, waistcoat and suit he always wore. Many who met him often smiled and behind his back commented he looked so much like the television detective Foyle. In reality Jack and his detective colleagues had been the Foyles of this world for many years.
In those far off days when he and Anne had resided in police houses, moving stations every two years or so, no wallpaper had been permitted and the walls decorated with emulsion paint, always in pastel colour that would suit the average person the bosses always said. In retirement he had given way a little, permitting some wall paper but again plain in design, no large flowers or similar.
Jack, was a police officer for nearly forty years serving in the Metropolitan Police in London. Most of his service had been spent as a detective, not only directly i
n the Met., but seconded to various other branches such as the Regional Crime Squad, Serious Crime team to name but two. During his service he had dealt with most if not all types of serious crime. He had gained a nationwide reputation amongst chief police officers and the judiciary as an honest, truthful and a very thorough detective. In addition he had served for some time at the Police College at Bramshill lecturing not directly on the law but its application from a practical point of view. All this had given him not only a vast back up to his practical experience gained over many years but contacts amongst senior police officers the world over due to them being students attending his lectures.
On the down side, or so many said, he had to a great degree remained in the past. He continued to wear the old plain garb of the detectives from the late fifties and sixties. In particular he wore a trilby hat, always, and of course, it was the original one since we had first been appointed a CID officer. He often forgot to remove it when any gentleman should, for example when attending courts, church and yes, even meetings with Chief Constables and at the Home Office.
As a result, over many years he had become known by the nickname, Jack the Hat. His old values of slow, yes, even tedious police work, attention to detail, overlooking nothing, rechecking everything was far outdated these days. He was therefore often frowned upon and some would say made the subject of fun by the current breed of what he referred to as, “so called detectives.”
His biggest attribute was that his detective skills and therefore results remained second to none. This had caused chief constables to recall him on several occasions when their force had a seemingly unsolvable case. There had been occasions when even the Home Secretary himself had agreed Richards should be brought in.
On retirement, he had agreed to move north to be near the family of Anne. A small very nice place called Tarporley in Cheshire had been selected as their new place to live. It was near the city of Chester, the large northern area of Manchester and also close to Wales. On arrival they soon realised the place was rather up market for this part of England, those that resided there were known as the, “Cheshire Set,” Jack and Anne had found it difficult to be accepted, he being only an ordinary copper, they being business people or landed farmers and similar.
From time to time Jack had been recalled to assist the police as an advisor and so, although he did not yet know it, such would be the case soon. He had been contacted by the county Police Chief Joanne Watkiss, he had agreed to help if he could but this had been scuppered and so he had once again settled to researching and writing the family history of both he and Anne. A record he said for their son Craig, a school teacher working privately for the Sulliman, Sultan of Daram, who being a Muslim had a large brood of children requiring a western education.
The solace of the day was interrupted when the telephone rang, so early, just after eight, both Anne and Jack looked and so as usual it was Anne who answered.
Only a word or two spoken she turned and handed him the telephone and whispered, “It is Chief Watkiss.”
Jack took the phone and was taken aback by the contents of the brief call.
“Anne, it seems I am in demand again, Chief Watkiss has been called to the Home Office and has asked me to attend. It seems the Home Secretary, Lord Claude St., Minton and the Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Marcus Jepson, you will recall him, wants to see her, but also myself. She will pick me up at nine am then it is a helicopter flight to London for a meeting at eleven I will be updated on the way down there.”
“I see, it sounds very serious Jack, I do hope it is not a terrorist thing.”
“A terrorist thing, I am heading towards seventy, a terrorist thing, no worry about that.” He came back.
“Well you had better get ready,” she replied, the ever helpful.
“I am ready; I just need to check my briefcase, pens, recorder and such,” he retorted.
“But Jack, you cannot go down to London wearing those old grey trousers and sports jacket, put a suit on and oh, leave that damn trilby hat here.”
He looked and with straight face replied, “Yes of course dear, anything you say.”
Anne knew full well this signalled he would just dress as he always did, that is to say, go out in the same old garb, and hat of course, as he had done when a copper.
The official car of Chief Constable Watkiss arrived, as always driven by ex copper and father of the Chief, Sid, Bad eye Watkiss.
A glance in the mirror from the rear seat by Jack saw Watkiss as vigilant as ever, taking it all in as he was being updated.
It was no big deal he thought, He already knew most things about the murder from reading the press and viewing the television news. As for the evidence it did all seem clear cut. The only mystery thus far was with such strong evidence, the general facts why was such a high profile meeting being called and what input, he, an ex copper might have?
As always he sat, absorbed and took it all in without asking any questions, history and experience over forty years had proved all would be revealed.
The car stopped at Manchester airport some thirty minutes later. There was no going through general passenger departures or security just directly to the helipad and then the trip down in the force helicopter clearly marked, “Police.”
Getting into the chopper however, Jack was surprised when he saw another two men already seated inside. Police Commissioner Sir Leighton Knox whom he knew only too well, the other he did not know.
Once seated and fastened in Chief Watkiss did the introductions.
“Good morning everyone, please meet and welcome Mr Jack Richards.”
They responded with nods.
“Mr Richards you know Commissioner Sir Leighton and seated beside him is Doctor Ewan Jones, Director of National Health Medical Services for Chester.”
All present nodded at each other but made no comment.
Jack sat impassively during the half hour flight to London and then the journey by car into the city which of course he knew very well though not from the air as he gazed down at the great metropolis. He could identify Buckingham Palace and other main sites, the big wheel for instance.
The flight done, the slow tedious journey through the infamous London traffic, the cars stopped outside a familiar building. Over the years Jack had many times visited The Home Office, the hub of policing law and order for the United Kingdom, police and prisons among other things.
Leaving the cars, the group were met at the door by two security guards with others visible inside. A production of the warrant card of Watkiss caused the security officer nearest the door to turn, pick up the telephone and make the usual call. It was moments before he turned and with a smile said, “Please enter; I am sorry for the delay.”
He was not sorry at all of course, why should he be, thought Jack, he was only doing his job. Typical, he thought of the UK these days, those in security and in the investigation of crime and similar were always having to apologise, unlike his day when one did as those in authority directed them to do. Things had improved since then of course due to the efforts of the various civil rights movements. On the down side he thought, as he entered and looked around at the familiar sights and paintings on the walls, in those days it was safe to walk the streets day and night without the fear of being robbed, assaulted or even blown up.
The group arrived at the office signed, “Home Secretary,”
A knock by the security guard brought an “Enter,” from within.
Arriving and sitting on the seats already provided it was another round of introductions.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary Marcus Jepson, present did the honours.
“Home Secretary you already know Miss Joanne Watkiss Chief Constable of Chester and of course Jack Richards, you sir I do not know,” he stopped
“I am Leighton Knox, Police Commissioner for Chester.”
The next voice said, “I am pleased to meet you Home Secretary, I am Doctor Ewan Jones director of Health Services for Chester.”
Jack sat in awe, what the hell was this lot to do with a string of murders far away in Cheshire? He smelled political intrigue, some would say interference. He waited the next revelations with great interest.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” commenced Sir Leighton, “thank you for coming, as we are all busy I will not delay in getting to the hub of why I and Miss Adams called this conference. We are all fully aware with the circumstances of these atrocities in Chester. It is not within our purview of course to concern ourselves with the details of the cases; rather it is the political fall out. You may or may not be aware of the surge in concern that such atrocities could have been instigated by a man with such a long police back-ground and some might say worse, a trained nurse. The government is under great pressure to hold public enquiries not into these cases of course, we are all aware they still sub-judice, no it is much wider than that. The pressure is to enquire if there are other villainous persons serving. Quite simply, the government does not wish the disruption of such enquiries let alone the cost if they are not required. We all know how the media can cause such unrest, often unnecessarily. We here in London therefore feel that we would wish to be assured that the evidence has been fully gathered to be presented to the court. No stone has been left unturned to ensure at the end of the case when these two villains are convicted that there is no suspicion others similar are hiding within the system or God help us they get off on a technicality and are pronounced innocent leaving the cases still wide open.”
The Judas Murders Page 16