Epside 31 - Wrapping it up

Tuesday cont.

Cleo and Gary were eager to get the Frint-on-Sea cases closed. They were homesick for Charlie and PeggySue and for the life tgether that they had had hardly any time to enjoy.

“Our biggest conundrum is that we have two killers for the killing of Mrs Grant, Cleo.”

“Do you suppose that they both thought they had killed her?” said Cleo.

“Let’s do one of Dorothy’s brainstormings.”

“OK. There really are times when Dorothy is indispensable,” said Cleo. “What would she say about the confusion in the Grant case?”

“That Murphy’s motive is possibly stronger but she would not commit herself. If Smith killed on the spur of the moment, he doesn’t really have a motive that goes beyond his own personal perversion.”

“That makes all women targets, but he had one special kind in mind, Gary, and usually went to elaborate lengths to secure his victim, such as getting one from a hostess agency.”

“OK. Murphy confessed to killing his mother, but Smith confessed, too, and seems to have lost count of just how many women he has murdered, which supports the notion of serial killing.”

“They are both baddies, in fact,” said Cleo. “Is it possible that Murphy only thought he had killed his mother?”

“I’m sure that Smith knew she was dead after he’d stabbed her,” said Gary. “But craft knives can have a similar kind of blade and are often carried around by people without murder on their minds.”

“Sure, and you can’t arrest two completely separate people for one murder,” said Cleo.

“Are they separate? Do we know that for sure?”

“How could Murphy and Smith be connected?”

“I don’t know,” said Gary. “I don’t think they are except by the victim herself. It’s just as well that Grant is behind bars charged with Ivy’s murder. At least he could not have killed his wife.”

“Unless he sent someone along to do the job,” said Cleo.

“I hope he didn’t,” said Gary. “But there’s no point in speculating. We’ve been doing too much of that.”

***

The interview with Murphy was going to take on a totally different guise from the previous one, as the guy soon learnt.

“We have found your mothers other attacker, Murphy,” Gary started.

Murphy looked puzzled.

“I’ll explain, shall I, Murphy?”

Murphy merely nodded.

“You will be charged with attempted murder because you wanted to kill her. Do you understand?”

“I did not want to kill my mother.”

What kind of a game was Gary playing? Brass wondered. First he got Dr Smith to confess to attacking Mrs Grant, and now he was getting Murphy to confirm that he was in fact the killer.

“The problem is that you attacked her, Mr Murphy. She trusted you because you are her son, and she let you put your arms round her, which gave you exactly the right amount of control and proximity to throttle her. She collapsed and you thought she was dead.”

“I did not ...The throttling was…was an accident. It was her scarf. I pulled the wrong end.”

“Do you believe that yourself, Murphy? You had motive and opportunity. Your explanation would probably only be accepted if there were no strangulation marks on her neck,” said Gary. “But there are. I’ve seen them and they were confirmed by the interim report from pathology. What you did not know was that your mother was still alive when you left her.”

“Was she?” said Murphy. He was clearly horrified by what he was hearing.

“Someone else was lurking in the shadows. That person had followed her and had a strong motive for killing her. You came between her and the guy who really had wanted her dead.”

“So what? You can’t get me for strangling her. You have no proof because I did not do it,” said Murphy.

“We’ll get proof of anything you did that you should not have done,” said Cleo. “And you have just said that it was her scarf, Murphy. How would you know that?”

“What do you use your craft knife for, Murphy?” Gary asked.

“What’s a craft knife?”

“That’s a knife with a cutting edge like a razor,” said Cleo.

“I’ve never had one of those,” said Murphy.

“Didn’t your uncle lend you one?” Gary asked.

“Why would he do that?”

You tell us,” said Cleo.

Murphy only shrugged his shoulders. Cleo was inclined to believe that he did not himself possess a kraft knife.

To finish the story,” said Gary. “When you had left, the other person crept up to your unconscious mother and stabbed her with his surgical knife because your mother had witnessed him murdering a prositute at one of those infernal beachhuts.. The dog tried to defend her, but was not fast enough or possibly too timid, though I’ve never heard of a timid Rottweiler. Then your mother really was dead.”

Murphy covered his face with his hands and cried.

“Why don’t you tell everything, Mr Murphy?” said Cleo. “You are in serious trouble and telling us will help you”.

Murphy thought for a moment. When he started, Gary thought immediately that hearing yet another version of what happened was not going to help much.

***

“I followed my mother to the beach and had an argument with her that got nasty. When I got home, I thought I should go back and make it up with her then take her home, but the dog that had not wanted to move.”

“I thought your mother did not like the dog,” said Gary.

“She didn’t, but she liked the effect a woman walking a Rottweiler had on anyone who wanted to get too near.”

“But didn’t Mr Grant take the dog out?”

“He was under arrest, wasn’t he? During the day, my mother went out with the dog. My step-father went out at around eight p.m.and in the early morning. I helped my mother with the dog during the day. My step-father did not know I was living round the corner.”

“So what happened next,  Mr Murphy?” Cleo asked.

“I got back to the beach and found her dead.“

“What about the dog? Rottweilers don’t run away.”

“It was groggy and I had to carry it for some of the way home.”

“Had you given it something to eat, Murphy?”

“Only a hamburger.”

“Laced with KO drops?”

“If it was, I did not do it. My uncle gave me the hamburger. He said I was to give it my mother….”

“But you gave it to the dog instead, I suppose?”

“I did not give it to the dog. I dropped it and the dog snatched it.”

“Why hadn’t you given it to your mother?” Cleo asked.

“She didn’t want it. That’s why we started to quarrel.”

“That’s such a weak excuse that it has to be the truth, Murphy,” said Gary.

“It is the truth,” said Murphy.

“Eating the a hamburger laced with knock-out drops would explain why the dog could not defend its owner,” said Gary.

“When I got back to collect the dog, my mother was….”

“….dead and the dog was lying next to her?” said Cleo.

“Yes.”

“How do we know that you didn’t want her dead?” said Gary. “After all, you had left her for dead, so someone did you a big favour by stabbing her.”

“I left her feeling tired after just two bites of that hampurger. I did not know she had been poisoned."

"Why didn't you call the paramedics, Mr Murphy?"

“I didn’t know she was really ill. Who killed her?.

“A medical doctor.”

***

Cleo and Gary moved to one side and discussed Murphy’s questioning briefly.

“ His argument is plausible,  Cleo. He did not contradict himself and he implicated his uncle in a subtle way.

“What a nasty guy Macpherson is. After all, Mrs Grant was his sister,” said Gary.

“There is no accounting for what people do, Gary. This guy is not guilty of murder.”

“He won’t get away with supporting his uncle’s evil plan, Cleo.”

”Let’s get that guy in now.”

Cleo spoke louder for the last few words, intending Murphy to hear. He did.

“What guy?” said Murphy.

“You’ll see,” said Gary.

***

Macpherson stopped in his tracks when confronted with Murphy.

““Didn’t I tell you…?”

Tell him what, Macpherson?”

“To hold his tongue,” said Macpherson.

“Well I didn’t,” shouted Murphy getting up.

Brass came nearer. Gary moved to the office door.

Cleo signalled to him to let the two men get on with it.

“You tried to kill my mother, you bastard!”

“Did you eat the hamburger instead?”

“The dog got iafter my mother took two bitres and thought it tasted funny.”

“How to put a rotten Rottweiler out of action,” sneered Macpherson.

“Were you hoping Mrs Grant would be caught by the tide, Mr Macpherson?” said Gary. "An extra insurance police. I can see the headlines.Woman found dead. No sign of violence except for a few thumb unidentifiable prints on the neck. Could be from a lovers' tiff."

“The perfect murder!” said Cleo.

The two men were too intent on their own spat to bother with anyone else in the room.

“You had already tried to bomb me to kingdom com, you little ratbag,” said Macpherson. “Did you expect me to thank you?”

“You survived, didn’t you? My mother didn't.”

“You always were a failure. Never got anything right. Even the bomb was a damp squid.”

“It wasn’t.”

“OK. Your timing was wrong. What’s the difference?”

“I’ll get you for that,” said Murphy.

At that, Murphy lunged at his uncle. Brass forced Murphy’s arms behind his back, handcuffed him and pushed him down onto his chair.

“Now now, Mr Macpherson,” said Cleo. “A town clerk does not take recourse to fisticuffs.”

“He does if he was nearly blown to smithereens by someone and then had to defend himself.”

“Prove it!” shouted Murphy.

“Don’t shout, Murphy. We already have your statement. You confessed to making bombs,” said Gary.

“I did not, and even if I did…”

“…you did not want to assassinate Mr Macpherson?” said Cleo.

***

“Just wait a moment,” said Gary. “There is a missing link here.”

“Go ahead!” said Cleo.

“Macpherson, I think you hired Murphy to do away with his mother.”

“Why would I do that?”

“You know why,” said Murphy, then realized that he had said too much.

“That’s all I needed to know,” said Gary.

“Ian Macpherson, I charge you with inciting your nephew to kill your sister Elizabeth Grant. Paul Murphy, I charge you with attempted murder of your mother and uncle and of planting and exploding a bomb. You will also be charged with causing damage to the Town Hall and several cars parked near your uncle’s.”

“We know why, of course,” said Cleo. “The small matter of an inheritance cost Mrs Grant her life, and might have cost you yours, Macpherson, if you had been in your car, but  neither of you will see anything of that inheritance.”

The guards Gary had buzzed for appeared.

“We’ve heard enough,” said Gary. “I’ll report to Inspector O’Reilly and he can take over.”

“I’m innocent,” shouted Macpherson.

“Pure as a lily, I’m sure, Mr Macpherson,” said Cleo.

“Better tell the judge that,” said Gary, and the two men were were led away.

***

“Have we missed anyone out, Cleo?

“I don’t think so.”

“I’m quite looking forward to the peace and quiet at Middlethumpton HQ,” said Gary.

“You did a great job, Gary,” said Brass. “Congratulations. And you too, of course, Miss Hartley.”

“I’m Cleo, Brass. We’ll no doubt be seeing more of one another before too long.”

Brass was canny enough to realize that Cleo was not thinking in terms of a romantic interlude, though he would have enjoyed one with her.

“Can I join you in Middlethumpton now these cases are cleared up, Gary?” said Brass.

“Sure,” said Gary. “But hands off my wife!”

“I can look after myself, Gary,” said Cleo.

“I expect you can,” said Gary ambiguously.

***

“Quite a sordid crew, that uncle and nephew,” said Gary.

“Let’s recap before we leave this den of thieves,” said Cleo. “I’d hate to have forgotten something important and have to come back here in the foreseeable future.”

“Be my guest, but don’t bank on staying away for long.”

“Mr Grant killed Ivy because she was, in his view, two-timing him. Is that all he’s done, Cleo?”

“That’s enough to get him sent down for life.”

“Aren’t you going to persue the idea that he killed his wife’s first husband?”

“I don’t really know how,” said Gary. “Mrs Grant would eventually have told us about what happened, seeing as she was being two-timed herself, but she is dead and therefore out of it. Grant is unlikely to confess to a further murder.”

“But he might, if the evidence is indisputable.”

“We would need to get that evidence.”

“Or he confesses to other crimes so that his conscience is clear,” said Cleo.

“Since when does such an evil guy have a guilty conscience?” Gary commented.

“OK, but what if Grant is also a serial killer?” said Cleo.

“It won’t help the dead to come back, Cleo, and Grant will get life for killing Susie Sweet. I’d just like to know if Sergeant Llewellyn knows more than he told us.”

“You can keep tabs on that from Middlethumpton,” said Cleo.

“I can and I will, Cleo. It beggars belief that Llewellyn cannot be charged with anything though he is quite clearly responsible for some of the criminal stuff that is going on here.”

“He has friends in the right places,” said Cleo.

“Not for long,” said Gary. “With Macpherson behind bars, there’s nothing to stop auditors from taking a good look at what’s going on. I will personally delegate that work. It will no doubt reveal planty of corrupt practices and Llewellyn will be deeply involved.”

“Let’s hope so,” said Cleo.

***

“Our next candidate is Dr Smith, Cleo. He killed Susie Sweet and his crime was witnessed by Mrs Grant. Our unholy pair Murphy and Macphrson did Smith a huge favour by killing Mrs Grant before she could tell the police anything.”

“But he has committed enough murders to go on with,” said Cleo.

“And there are a few more to come, no doubt.”

***

Then there’s the B & B murder. Don’t you want to look into that?”

“No, Cleo. It’s O’Reilly’s case. It’s time the police here got their act together. I’m available to help, but that’s all.”

So it’s all wrapped up here as far as we are concerned, ist it?”

“Until we are called to give evidence in court, but it will take weeks if not months to put the cases together. Until then we are not needed here. They will have our reports to help them along.”

“Then let’s drive home and write them,” said Cleo.

“Tomorrow?”

“Tonight. We’ll take a siesta, eat something, head for Upper Grumpsfield and surprise everyone. Agreed?”

“Agreed. Je t’aime, my love.”

“Moi aussi, Sweetheart.”

“I hope the kids haven’t forgotten us.”

“You are unforgettable, Gary.”

“I could say the same…”

"I got in first," said Cleo.

"Don't you always, Dr Hartley?"