The Godson's Legacy

by Gait, Paul;

  ‘Well it all happened so quickly and I don’t really remember too much.’

  ‘Why didn’t you stop and help your husband?’

  ‘As I say, I don’t remember. I was concussed. I suffered terribly from whiplash…well I still am really.’

  ‘Well officer, I think my client has answered all your questions satisfactorily. So I expect you’ll de-arrest and release her?’ the Solicitor demanded.

  ‘No, I’m afraid not. Although her story sounds very convincing, there are other aspects, which we have not discussed that do not support her version of events.’

  ‘This is an outrage,’ Sue said, losing her temper. ‘You locked me up recently for a ‘so called’ attempted murder, which I repudiated. The video evidence showed that I was set up. I shall be contacting my MP about this…this is harassment.’

  ‘That’s your right and privilege madam. But I shall be detaining you in custody for a bit longer.’

  ‘Damn!’ he thought ‘she certainly got all the answers. Video…I wonder if the hotel has any video of the car park that night… That will prove if she’s lying or not…and another Taxi ride too! I wonder if she can remember to taxi firm.’

  CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

  4th February

  Andy arrived home from work and saw the letter on the carpet. It had a Monaco stamp on it.

  Getting no response to his shouted announcement that he was home, he assumed that Helen was out somewhere with the children.

  He made himself a cup of tea, sat down in the lounge and opened the letter.

  ‘What’s all this about now,’ he wondered. ‘Another one of Geoffery’s missives sent by his Lawyers I see.’

  Dorothy & Tom Hospice

  Hampton Leck

  December

  Dear Andy,

  You’ve probably been back from Monaco for a week or so now after the reading of the will. I guess you’re feeling a bit confused and still rattled that I should put this additional burden on your shoulders.

  As I write this letter, it’s difficult for me to predict how things are likely to turn out.

  Are they all being compliant with the idea of earning the money or are they causing you hassle?

  Give them up to £10,000 start-up funds, but make sure it’s being used sensibly. I know that self-centred Tim is likely to be gambling it away or wasting it on some selfish project…

  ‘How wrong can you be Geoffery,’ Andy said, to himself. ‘Suddenly he’s starting to care about other people.’

  …and if that Sue wasn’t in prison, I know she would be using every ounce of energy to get her hands on Rupert’s money.

  ‘Sorry Geoffery, you failed on that one too. You obviously didn’t know about the CCTV camera in your room. But you’re right about her money grabbing, thinking about the blackmail picture he’d received from her earlier and wondering if this might be a way of releasing money to her.

  …difficult to imagine what James will be up to. Hopefully the clinic will have dried him out and put him on the straight and narrow.

  ‘Well, so far he’s being very strong. Fingers Crossed.’

  In the meantime the following might help you decide when to release the money:-

  • Have they created and documented their own goals?

  • Are their goals sufficiently challenging?

  • Have they written a viable Business plan?

  • Do their goals include helping each other and where necessary, other people?

  • And later - Have they achieved their goals?

  When you are happy that they have achieved a good percentage of their aims, you can advise my Lawyers and the appropriate funds will be released.

  ‘Good god, I guess if they’ve got a business degree they might be able to do that. I mean, what do I know about assessing people’s documentation. What a nightmare.’

  Note; there might be some circumstances where the above isn’t relevant. I will allow you to use your own discretion in these cases. However, you need to know that my Law Team can be quite tough to persuade.

  ‘Ah, now this might be a way of getting Sue or Rupert the money. Or should I be going to the Police and tell them about being blackmailed. Oh hell. I don’t know,’ he said, in frustration.

  Apologies once again for adding this chore to your, already busy, life. But I know you’re the right man for the job.

  Good Luck and Best wishes

  Geoffery.

  As Andy put the letter down, the phone rang.

  ‘Hi, Andy Spider.’

  ‘Andy, it’s me, Tim.’

  ‘Hi Tim.’

  ‘Andy I’m after some money. Any chance of getting an advance from the old man’s will?’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘It’s to pay for the protection team that Carrie arranged to safeguard Joanne down in Bristol. They’ve been working on promises up until now and some cash will keep them there.’

  ‘Yes, I think I can arrange that.’

  ‘Great.’

  ‘That’s spooky that you rang then, because I’ve just received a letter from Geoffery giving me some guidelines. OK, I’ll see what I can do. But why are you paying for it and not Rupert?’

  ‘I think he’s got his mind on other things at the moment, don’t you?’

  ‘Yes, perhaps, you’re right.’

  ‘Anyway I’m… we’re… quite happy to fund it from my own account.’

  Blimey, Andy thought, well you have changed. That Carrie has really turned you around.

  ‘Anyway, I reckon Rupert will need all his own money to pay for the American spinal injuries specialist that he plans to engage.’

  ‘OK, Tim, I’ll contact the Lawyers and they’ll transfer to money to the account you gave them.

  ‘Just changing the subject, have you had any thoughts of a project to get the whole lot released?’

  ‘Yeah, we were talking about it the other night. We might set up a Walking Company, aimed at people with disabilities. Obviously we’re both physically in the right place to plan for something like that.’

  ‘Good for you.’

  ‘Well, as you know, Carrie really sorted me out… and we reckon it’s something we could offer to other people. Carrie’s idea is that we offer it to Meningitis sufferers, like myself; other amputees, especially service veterans and perhaps people suffering from PTSD. What do you reckon?’

  ‘Sounds good to me. Well it certainly meets Geoffery’s guidelines.’

  ‘We were thinking of calling it ‘Just do it Walking.’

  ‘What do you reckon you need to start it up?’

  ‘We haven’t worked out the finances yet, but we believe the major outlays are- Internet Site, Publicity, Transport (Minibus); Staff and Specialist Equipment.’

  ‘You’ve obviously done some thinking about it then, well done.’

  ‘There is just one snag. Neither of us have any business experience. So we might need to buy in somebody.’

  ‘It might be a long shot. But why don’t you ask James? He used to be a bit of a business man I gather before he took to the bottle.’

  ‘Yeah, good idea. I’ll have words.’

  ‘So, you’re going to be busy?’

  ‘If I’m honest we both need something to focus on. I don’t know whether Mum has said anything, because she’s been coming over to your place. But Carrie had a bad PTSD episode recently and we need some help.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Where are you going to get help?

  ‘Well initially we thought of you, but decided one of the veterans groups, probably Combat Stress, would be more suitable.’

  Andy heaved a sigh of relief.

  ‘We had a look at their website and it looks like they might be able to help.’ Tim continued.

  ‘Any progress?’

  ‘Yeah, she’s got an appointment next week.’

  Andy had to admit he had been wrong in harshly judging Tim. Instead of sitting back waiting for the money, he was obviously motivated. He suspected Carrie’s influ
ence was the driving force.

  ‘So we’re going to give the walking company a go, after we’ve got Carrie on the road to recovery. At the moment she’s my first priority.’ Tim continued.

  ‘Yes of course.’

  ‘Her treatment will be a long job,’ Andy counselled. ‘Don’t expect too much too soon.’

  ‘No I won’t. So long as she’s getting the right treatment, I’m happy to wait and if necessary I’ll pay for it too.’

  In the background Andy could hear Kay talking.

  ‘Just a second Andy, I’m at Mums at the moment. What did you say Mum?’

  While they were in conversation, Kay had spotted an article in the local paper.

  ‘I said…Joanne might not need the protection team anymore,’ Kay said, looking up from the paper.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Listen to this.’

  Kay read the article from the newspaper; ‘Woman (39) arrested in Body in Graveyard Case.’

  Police today confirmed that a woman is in custody in relation to the death of the Gravedigger Jan Criscroski. Mr Criscroski’s body was found in the burial ground of the Church on the Hill on Christmas Eve.

  Police have not yet confirmed if they are linking it to the crash on the M5 in which Mr Criscroski’s car was also involved.

  ‘Well, how about that then? I wonder if it’s that Sue. The paper hasn’t given a name. Age is right though.’ Kay said, conspiratorially.

  ‘Why do you reckon it’s her?’

  ‘Remember Rupert told us that he’d heard her say she had been dancing on Geoffery’s grave. She even told Ben she was up at the burial ground after we’d all left for the wake.

  ‘Oh yeah. But that doesn’t prove she killed the Gravedigger though.’

  ‘Well they obviously had something else to tie her into his death. Perhaps Rupert got to the Police and turned her in.’

  Tim relayed the information to Andy who was relieved to hear it.

  ‘Fingers crossed,’ he said. Well thanks for that great news, let’s hope it’s her.’

  ‘Yeah too true. Let’s hope they lock her up and throw away the key.’

  Then doubts started entering Andy’s thinking. At least, if she was in prison it would mean he shouldn’t receive any more pictures.

  But would she now create a smokescreen to deflect the truth of her own guilt and start making false accusations ‘blackening his name’. What about her threat to Ben? He must contact him to make sure he was alright.

  CHAPTER SIXTY TWO

  11th February

  Unfortunately, the hotel where the wake had taken place, was unable to find any car park CCTV surveillance footage to prove or disprove Sue’s story that, on the night of the motorway crash, she had got into Rupert’s car.

  Rupert was now the only one who could disprove her alibi that she couldn’t be the driver of the black Polo.

  Meanwhile, although it had taken a few weeks, due to an unrelated child abuse investigation, the Police computer forensic team had spent some time analysing Sue’s laptop.

  The Computer forensic officer explained to Graham about the Video and Powerpoint slide he had found on the laptop.

  ‘Well I don’t know whether she’s into extortion or not but there’s this slide, that has the words ‘Legacy or Exposure?’ over the top of a screen shot from the video that I found in the memory card.’

  ‘Let me have a look. Oh yes, a bit of corridor romance Eh! She into dogging do you reckon or is she just a nosey bitch?’

  ‘Who knows!.’

  ‘Somebody’s been a naughty boy though. Look at the time. Do we know where this was taken?’

  ‘No, but just in the shot there’s a notice written in French. But it could be anywhere though.’

  ‘Hang on, I recognise that guy. Isn’t it that Nurse bloke, the Scout Leader that hangs around with that kid. Ben.’

  ‘Ben?’

  ‘The kid is the one that she’s ‘fingered’ for belting the Gravedigger. I think we’d better have both of them in again, don’t you?’’

  The Police contacted Andy about speaking to Ben and they arranged an appointment after he got home from school.

  Ben had been in an anxious state for over two weeks, following their return from Monaco, waiting, any minute, to be arrested.

  He was beside himself about Sue’s threat, but finally the day had come. At least he hadn’t been seized up off the street, as he’d feared.

  Initially he refused to go, but Andy’s gentle persuasion had, eventually, got him to agree.

  ‘Look I know you’ve been dreading this moment, but it will be over soon. Sometimes the apprehension…’ Andy said, trying to calm him.

  ‘Is worse than the reality. I know, you’ve told me before,’ Ben replied, disparagingly.

  At the Police station they were shown into an interview room and anxiously awaited the session.

  As the Senior Investigating Officer entered the room, Ben was concerned that it wouldn’t go well, as he was the same Policeman he’d been ‘lippy’ to previously.

  ‘Can I get you both a drink?’ he said, smiling, putting his own cup of tea down.

  ‘No…no thanks,’ they both replied.

  ‘Ok, let’s get straight to it. We have received some contradictory evidence about your involvement in the events in the burial ground of the Church on the Hill on December 23rd. I would like to discuss these with you. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes, but honestly, she’s lying,’ Ben said, quickly.

  ‘She?’ the Policeman queried.

  ‘Yes, it’s that horrible woman, isn’t? She said she would.’

  ‘Did she now? What’s the name of this horrible woman you’re referring to?’

  ‘Sue… what’s her name Andy?’ Ben looked at Andy for help.

  ‘Williams-Screen,’ Andy volunteered distastefully, almost spitting the name out.

  ‘She said she’d tell you I was there. But I wasn’t, I didn’t do it.’ Ben blurted.

  ‘OK, but we’ll be the judge of that. When did she say this to you?’

  ‘In Monaco, when I told her I had picked up the phone in the burial ground. I recognised her from the picture. She was the one holding the cross.’

  ‘Whoa, let’s just slow done a bit. So you told her that you had picked up the mobile phone?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And when did you pick it up?’

  ‘On Christmas Eve, when I discovered somebody had messed up Geoffery’s grave.’

  ‘When did you use it first?’

  ‘When I called Andy to tell him about the damage.’

  The Policeman shuffled through some papers and checked, satisfied the mobile records confirmed Ben’s story. ‘Go on. Tell me about your meeting with her.’

  ‘Well, after I told her that I recognised her in the photo.’

  ‘Photo?’

  ‘There was a photo on the phone that I spotted.

  ‘Yes that’s right,’ the other said, checking the file again. ‘And you told her you recognised her from it?’

  ‘Yes it was her…her evil stare that convinced me.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘Well she grabbed me and got me in a room and threatened to cut my throat with some scissors’.

  ‘Did you report it to the Monaco Police?’

  ‘No, cause she was threatening she’d get me and anyway other stuff was going on.’

  The Policeman made a note and invited Ben to continue. ‘OK, go on.’

  ‘Well, she forced me to go and get her husband, Rupert. She said if I told anybody she would say that I was at the burial ground after the funeral. That I’d messed the grave up, but she’d tried to stop me. She said she’d tell you that I hit the old man and stole his phone. It’s not true, honest I didn’t do it,’ Ben pleaded, frantically.

  ‘I can confirm his whereabouts.’ Andy interjected. ‘After the funeral he was at the wake all evening. He was having difficulties coping with the atmosphere at the wake.

&nbs
p; ‘So you can vouch for him, all evening?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘When you discovered the damage to the grave on Christmas Eve, what were you wearing?’

  ‘I was in my cycling kit. I was riding a bike that Geoffery bought me. I was going to show him how grateful I was. But the grave…’ Ben filled up at the thought of what he’d found.

  ‘OK son, take your time. Do you need a break?’

  ‘No, it’s OK, thanks,’ Ben said, wiping the tears from his eyes.

  ‘So you were wearing your cycling kit?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘What footwear did you have on?’

  ‘My sidi shoes. You know; clip on ones.’

  ‘Yes I know. Although the ground was frozen there were some faint footprints around the grave. You didn’t stand on the grave?’

  Ben was horrified at the suggestion. ‘No of course not. That would have been an awful thing to do.’

  ‘Yes of course. I think I’m satisfied with what you have told me. I don’t expect that I will need to see you again. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?’

  ‘Yes. Is she out?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I understand she was arrested. Is she still locked up?’

  ‘Why do you ask?’

  ‘Because she said she’d come and get me and her husband, if we spoke to you about it?’

  ‘Did she now? Threatening witnesses! The case gets better all the time. No don’t worry, we won’t be letting her out.’

  ‘Well, thank you Ben, if you’d like to wait outside. ‘I wonder if I could trouble you for a few moments Mr Spider. There are just a few loose ends we need to tie up. Ben, he won’t be long.‘

  Ben looked at the Policeman suspiciously and then fearfully at Andy.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ the Policeman reassured Ben. ‘It’s nothing concerning you.’

  ‘Mr Spider, thanks for helping us with Ben.’

  ‘What else can I help you with?’ Andy asked, apprehensively.

  ‘Have you been on holiday recently?’

  ‘Holiday! No.’

  ‘Not been to France?’

  ‘France no, but I went to Monaco recently.’

  ‘Do you mind if I ask why?’

  ‘No, not at all. I am involved with the reading and execution of a will. A former patient of mine.’