by steve higgs
I considered that for a moment. He was unhappy where he was and felt… what? Undervalued? No longer in charge? Undermined? It could be all of them or his decision to leave, if that is what it was, could be motivated by pay or the ill-health of a family member or anything really. Whatever it was, it wasn't incriminating. But, if he wanted investors, was he trying to buy Brompton Farm? Was he poisoning the cows to make the milk worthless in a bid to drive the current owners bankrupt? I would not put it beyond him.
‘Okay. What else?’
‘Well, there is more information about him in the pack I sent you. Background stuff mostly such as job history, marital status. Mr. McIntosh is an Army veteran, like Tempest. He served in the Falklands war as a helicopter pilot.'
I filed that away for later. It didn’t seem relevant.
‘One other thing I turned up pertains to the deceased.’
‘Go on.’
‘Tamara and Glen were not married. You referred to them several times as a married couple, but they weren’t. Semantics possibly, but Tempest tells me to give him all the information because one never knows what might be important later. Also, Tamara was still working in the pharmaceuticals industry.’
‘I’m sorry?’
‘I didn’t know if that was important or not, but again, you said that they were farmers and that it had been Tamara’s dream to pursue this lifestyle. Well, she was still working away a lot as she went around the country selling drugs.’
I thought about that for a moment, trying to make sense of the new information or to work out what it meant. ‘Can you stick with this? See what else you can turn up about the farmers and their staff?’
James said, ‘Sure.’ Without looking up from the screen.
‘I’ll let you know when I find something.’ His fingers started dancing on the keyboard. I took a pace to my left since I was standing right next to James and in his personal space.
I called Patience. ‘Are you alone now?’ I asked.
‘Yes, honey. Patience is alone. Are we off to bother young men?’
‘Sort of. I’ll explain on the way.’ I promised to collect her in half an hour and went to collect my coat.
Shoving my belongings back into my handbag, I tried to reassure myself that all I needed to do was keep chipping away at the pieces. There seemed to be so many of them though. So many facets to the case. Crop circles, lights in the sky, alien spacecraft and an alien with a freeze gun and the luminous milk that was the one I really needed to solve if I was to be of help to Kieron and the others. I was off to force information out of the two college kids, but I had no idea if they were even involved and whether the appearance of the crop circles had anything to do with anything else.
I hoped I would find out soon enough.
I called goodbye to James and got into my car. On the way to collect Patience, I ran through the case in my head some more.
The crop circles were the first odd thing to happen way back in September. The crop was all cut and stored now so no one could make the circles even if they wanted to. Then the milk, the lights, and the spacecraft had all happened at more or less the same time. How was each of these elements connected?
If I took the line that nothing alien or extra-terrestrial was occurring, then I needed only to figure out what was causing each of the events. That was the difficult bit for sure, and what about Tamara? Someone had killed her. The police were doing something, I was certain of that. I just didn't know what it was and to my knowledge, other than quiz some of the farm hands, they hadn't actively pursued the case.
I tried focusing on one bit at a time. Jack’s spaceship footage: It was compelling, but it had to be fake, right? I had seen Sci-fi movies, the effects utterly convincing. Was the spaceship just a well-made cardboard model? Was it clever CGI? If so, then who made it?
What was it Tempest always asks himself? Who stands to gain?
I wound that question around in my head. There was only one answer though – Jack. His Alien Quest show was a rubbish, third-rate internet show that was going nowhere. Would he fake an alien landing to boost his ratings? Probably, but did he have the resources? The thought that he might be behind it though was troubling. If he was guilty of faking the spaceship and the alien, was he also involved in the poisoned milk and the death of Tamara Mwangi?
I had arrived at Patience's apartment where she lived on the third floor and had seen me arrive. I caught her waving out the window that I should stay in the car. Presently, she waltzed out the front door of her block, her hips swaying as she sung along to a song she had caught in her head.
She said, ‘Hey, girl.’ As she swung into my car. ‘Where are we going again?’
‘Greenwich college main campus. We have two gentlemen to interview.’
‘Couldn’t do it over the phone?’
‘They hung up on me and then wouldn’t answer the phone.’
‘Oh, so they are rude gentlemen.’ She said, cracking her knuckles and punching her right fist into her left palm in a gesture suggesting future violence.
‘You seem tense.’ I observed. ‘I expected you to be more relaxed after… you know.’
‘After getting a large helping of cock?’ Patience was always direct and never minced her words. It made me laugh and squirm at the same time.
‘Anyone I know?’
‘Remember Nathan from the Chatham armed response team?’
‘Him?’
‘One of his brothers actually. He has a huge…’
‘So, the two chaps we are going to see are called Lee Davenport and Christian Rogers.' I interrupted quickly before I got a full rundown of last night's activities.'
‘I was going to say ego.’ She finished. ‘I had to shut him up by making him eat my…’
‘They were reading a degree in art, but I cannot see what that would have to do with crop circles. They might not be involved in this at all.’
‘Mum’s lasagne.’ Patience finished, with a tut and a sigh. ‘Honestly, Amanda. You think every time I speak, I am going to say something outrageous.’
‘That’s because you do.’
‘Well, he went away this morning with…’ she left the sentence hanging so I could interrupt again.
Instead, I filled in the blank, ‘A smile?’
‘I was going to say empty balls, but okay, a smile.’
The drive to Greenwich college wasn't far. From Maidstone, we had to sweep up Bluebell Hill and down toward Chatham where the land was lower as it met the river. Then up again to reach Gillingham. Greenwich college originated in Greenwich (famous for the meridian) on the banks of the Thames, but land prices and lack of room for expansion drove them to build new facilities a few miles south in the Medway Towns.
The gleaming façade of the main building reached into the sky to dominate the site. Young adults in jeans and ratty trainers were everywhere. There were so many of them visible it seemed impossible that any were attending lectures.
Signs led us to a carpark where we had to weave up and down rows to find a space.
‘Are we getting lunch after this?’ Patience asked. ‘Patience is getting hungry.’
‘You’re always hungry.’
‘I worked up an appetite, girl.’ I believed her.
The reception area was dead centre of the large building that dominated the site. Inside, it was triple height and far more plush than I expected. The floors were marble and the staircases on either side of the lobby were glass and chrome. Ahead of us, was a desk with two stern-looking middle-aged ladies. Both wore glasses and red lipstick and had their hair drawn back into buns so tight the effect gave them a facelift.
I checked my watch. It was 1043hrs. ‘Good morning.’ I said breezily.
‘Do you have an appointment?’ The one on the right said without bothering to look up.
‘I do not.’
‘Students must make an appointment before they will be seen.’ She snapped before I could add anything else.
‘I am not a studen
t.' I replied, keeping my tone even and neutral. She was being rude, but I wasn't going to do the same.
Both ladies looked up finally at my reply. ‘What do you want then?’ The lady on the left asked,
I eyed them both, but I didn’t get a chance to start berating them for their rudeness because Patience shoved me out of the way. ‘Listen, bitches.’ She started. Both ladies gawped at her with open mouths as if no one had ever challenged them before. Patience had dropped her handbag on the counter and was rooting around in it. She pulled out her police ID to show them. ‘My colleague and I are looking for…’ she clicked her fingers at me while maintaining eye contact with the two receptionists.
‘Lee Davenport and Christian Rogers.’ I supplied.
‘Tell me where they are now, or I will have to get unpleasant.’ It was always fun watching Patience operate.
The lady on the right was trying to resist being intimidated though. ‘What business do you have with them?’ She demanded.
Patience’s eyes bugged out. She turned her ID around, so she could see it then turned it back to the lady. ‘What does this look like to you? Does it look like a library card?’
‘It could be fake. I bet you could buy that on the internet.’
‘Don’t like the ID, huh?’ Patience said while rooting in her bag again. ‘How about this then?’ She asked as she hauled out her cuffs and baton.
‘Oh, my goodness!’ The other lady exclaimed. ‘Terry this is probably a drug bust. I keep telling you all the kids here have weed. Tell them what they want to know.’
Rather than scared, the ladies suddenly looked impressed. Terry was tapping her keyboard. ‘They are both due to be in the Galileo lecture theatre in Hancock wing at eleven o’clock.’
‘Do you have pictures of them?’ I asked hopefully.
Some more keys were tapped and she invited us to come around to look at the screen. The two boys were exactly as Kieron had described them: Kind of pasty and skinny and covered in pimples. Their hair was unkempt and both wore glasses that had seen better days and were not sitting straight.
Behind us a printer whirred. Terry reached across to retrieve a map on which she drew a line to take us from where we were to where we needed to go.
The odd exchange was done so we thanked them for their time, took our map and set off.
Once out of earshot, I nudged Patience. ‘I thought you were going to hit her with the damned baton. You really shouldn’t be carrying that thing.’
‘Now what fun would that be? Besides, it allows for immediate problem resolution.’ She was right on that count but I worried she would get caught one day.
‘Did you plan to call them both bitches?’
‘No, but I prefer to not think before speaking. I like being as surprised as everyone else by what comes out of my mouth.’
College Geeks. Friday, November 11th 1058hrs
Finding the Galileo lecture hall was easy as there were signs for it everywhere. Students were just beginning to file in when we got there. We had been hurrying our pace as I didn't want to have to interrupt the lecture or drag them out for a little chat. Doubtless, Patience had no such concerns and would happily have made her gregarious personality the centre of attention.
Thankfully, no such tactics were required as the two boys were slouching along the corridor towards us as we arrived. They looked just like their pictures. They might even be wearing the same clothes. I just prayed they had been washed at some point.
‘Lee Davenport?’ I asked as I moved to bar his path.
They were in a group of six young men, all very similar in appearance until I looked a little closer and could see that one of them was actually a girl.
‘Looks like you’ve pulled, Lee.’ She said with a snigger that might have been aimed at him or at me.
‘Who’s asking?’ Lee asked. He looked me up and down as he tried to work out who I was and why I might want him.
‘I need to speak to you and to Christian.’ I replied without answering his question.
Christian’s eyes widened at the sound of his name. ‘It’s a drug bust!’ He cried as he tried to bolt, spinning in place and diving through the gap between the two chaps stood behind him.
If I had reached for him, I would have opened the way for Lee to escape. Lee twitched, but when I didn’t move, he stayed in place rather than try to shove by me. Christian didn’t get far though. Patience, an old hand at this, had positioned herself quietly behind the group. As he popped out the back of the group, she stepped into his path to body-check him.
His head was down to push between his friends, so he ran head first into her ample chest and bounced off.
‘Hey,’ said Patience. ‘Watch where you are going.’
I addressed Lee, ‘We just want a quick chat about crop circles.’ He had been looking at Christian where he lay on the carpet tile, but his face coloured now. His friends were starting to distance themselves.
‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ Said Lee with indignation. ‘I don’t have to.’ He sounded unsure about the last bit though.
I could just set Patience on them and that would get them talking soon enough but I tried the peaceful option first. ‘You don't have to talk to us, Lee. Neither of you do but not doing so makes you look guilty. Are you guilty?' I asked.
No answer.
His friends had mumbled various excuses and left them behind. The lecture had started, leaving just the four of us in the corridor. Christian was getting to his feet.
I pressed on. ‘I just want to ask you a few questions.’
‘About crop circles?’ He confirmed. He looked resigned to the task.
Christian had found some gumption though. ‘Don’t tell her anything.’ He instructed Lee, letting me know there was something to tell. He swung his head in Patience’s direction. ‘What are you? Reporters?’ He asked us both.
‘The fuzz, honey.’ Replied Patience.
He looked her up and down. ‘You don’t look like the police. You’re too fat.’ Patience’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. I cringed. No one called her fat and got away with it.
‘What did you call me?’ She screeched as she lunged for him
He danced out of her reach. ‘You look more like a hooker.’ He said as he nimbly sidestepped another swipe. ‘A big, fat hooker.’ Then he ran out of luck and tripped over his own feet. He went down to the carpet.
‘Oh, God,’ Murmured Lee as Patience dived after him. In what seemed like slow-motion, she hung horizontally in the air for a moment before time caught up and she belly slammed him into the floor.
The air left his lungs with an ooohff noise but the impact shook the building and drew the attention of the students in the lecture theatre. Faces started to peer through the window in the closed door.
‘Hit me.’ Whispered Lee.
‘Excuse me?’
‘Hit me.’ He said again, this time with just a little more volume. ‘Annabel Saunders is watching. If you strong arm me out of here under arrest I will look like a proper bad boy.’
‘I’m not in the police. Only Patience is.’
‘I don’t care.’ He replied. ‘I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.’ Then, when I didn’t react, he twitched like something had struck him and shouted. ‘Arrgh.’
How do I get into these ridiculous situations?
‘Arrgh.’ He yelled again, putting some gusto into his act. ‘You’ll never make me talk.’ Then he whispered, ‘Just drag me outside and I’ll talk.’
Alright. I give in. I grabbed his arm and folded his wrist into his armpit to lift him onto his toes. It was a painful hold that overstressed every joint in his arm so he wasn’t faking his expression anymore. ‘Which one is she?’ I whispered the question in his ear.
‘Brunette, blue eyes.’ He replied. Behind me, Patience was pulling the deflated-looking Christian to his feet. He was moaning softly and holding his ribs as she nudged him back along the corridor in the direction we had come from.
; I spotted Annabel. ‘Toughest case I ever had, catching you, Davenport. Let's go.' I pushed him after Patience but whispered that he should struggle and let him resist for a moment before increasing the pressure on his wrist and shoving him out of his dream girl's sight.
At the end of the corridor, we pushed through double doors and into an atrium. Patience was ahead of me, Christian wobbling along uncertainly ahead of her. I let Lee go.
He flexed his arm to get the feeling back into it. ‘Are you okay, Chris?' He asked.
Christian gave a thumbs up as Lee crossed the floor to check on him.
‘You have some information for me?’ I prompted. Now, after all the daft charades, I would finally get some answers.
Lee looked at me, looked at Patience, saw his opportunity and shouted, ‘Leg it!' As he grabbed Christian's arm and started running.
In two seconds, they were across the atrium and going down the stairs three at a time. I ran after them, but I knew I had lost them before I got to the top of the first landing. They were younger, faster and desperate to get away.
I stopped and leaned over the edge of the landing just in time to see them run out the door at the bottom, two flights down.
Nuts.
Patience arrived huffing and puffing next to me. ‘Next time I see that little dickhead, I’m gonna kick him in the ding ding.’
I felt the same.
Lunch. Friday, November 11th 1201hrs
I let Patience pick our lunch destination, so, fifteen minutes later we were sitting in her favourite Southern Fried Chicken place in Chatham. It was on the route from the college back to the office, our houses, and the farms so we had to pass it no matter where we were going.
I ordered a buttermilk chicken platter and a strawberry milkshake. Patience got herself a bucket of chicken designed to feed four people. As I picked up a piece of lean, breaded breast meat to bite, Patience pulled a chicken leg out of her bucket with each hand and started tearing chunks off with her teeth.