“Come And See”: Part Fourteen

~ beetleypete

This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 812 words.

Sergeant Bernie Cohen put his head around the door of Jo’s office. “I have been through that list with Derek. Four of the women are widows, and have no relatives. But the other one has a teenage son. Maybe he found out about her leaving everything to Georgy boy, and decided to make sure he wasn’t around to inherit. I have the address, do you want me and Derek to check it out?” Jo thought for a moment. “No, tell you what, Bernie. I will come with you”.

There was no reply, but Mrs Faraday had spotted the strangers outside Norah’s, and came along to find out what was going on. “Oh, Norah is in hospital. But her son Jim still lives here. He is at work though. There’s a woman living here too now, she moved in when Norah didn’t come out of hospital. I saw her bring suitcases, and a television too. She brought them in a taxi”. Jo thanked her and said, “We will come back this evening when her son is home”. As they got back in the car, Bernie smiled. “Thank heaven for nosey neighbours”.

Jimmy was doing so well at work that the head of department suggested they send him on Day Release to college once a week. He felt Jimmy should definitely work on his degree, as he seemed to have a natural talent for the job, and could go far with the right qualifications. Jimmy graciously accepted, though he was concerned that his work was going to get in the way of his need to make a difference. The next time God spoke to him through the television, he would be sure to say sorry for his slow start. Not out loud of course, but God would surely hear his thoughts.

As they walked from the bus to the house that evening, Lesley was holding Jimmy’s arm. She had been out at lunchtime and bought some nice fishcakes, and she was telling him about the cheese sauce she was going to make to serve with them. The man and woman got out of the car parked outside the house, and smiled as they both held up small wallets containing badges and identity cards. “James Walker? I am Detective Inspector Drummond. This is my colleague Sergeant Cohen. Can we come in and ask you some questions?” Jimmy smiled and nodded, taking his key from his jacket pocket.

Lesley offered them a cup of tea, but they declined. Jimmy waved a hand at the sofa, and they both sat down. The Sergeant took out a notebook, and clicked his pen, ready to write. Jo was formal, hoping to take the young man off guard. “Do you know a man named George Greaves? Your mother knows him. In fact she left him all of her money in the event of her death”. Jimmy was completely relaxed. He said he had met George once at the prayer group, and that his mother’s solicitor had told him that mum had left everything to George. But his mum was in a coma, so the same solicitor had arranged for him to have a power of attorney over her money. That was all he knew. Jimmy was still standing, and watched as the man wrote down everything he said. Then the woman continued.

“Could you tell me where you were last Sunday morning, James? Specifically around eleven-thirty to midday?” Jimmy answered without hesitation, telling her he was at home until at least eleven thirty, then he walked to the Cavell Unit of the hospital to see his mother. He told her there were no visitor records, but he was sure that the receptionist would remember him, as well as the nurse who spoke to him and suggested he have a conversation with his mum. Then he turned to Lesley sitting in the small armchair, and smiled. Jo took the hint, and said “Were you here at the time miss? Can you confirm what James has told me? What is your name by the way, and your relationship to James?”

“I’m Lesley Keane, and I can confirm everything Jimmy has told you. He was back from the hospital by two in the afternoon for dinner. It’s a long walk you know. And my relationship is, er, well, I’m his girlfriend and I am currently staying here while Norah is in hospital”. She looked up at Jimmy to see if it had been okay to say she was his girlfriend, but Jimmy was already telling the policewoman that she was his fiance, and he just hadn’t got around to buying a ring.

On the way back to the police station, Bernie turned to Jo. “What do you think?” She changed gears with a flourish as she replied.

“Creepy and weird. And what’s that with the older woman? I reckon it’s him, one hundred percent”.

44 thoughts on ““Come And See”: Part Fourteen”

  2. If you’re a natural at what you do, like Jo, then Jimmy’s creepy nature is obvious. I loved how you pulled in the detectives, and Jimmy’s way-too-rehearsed demeanor. I feel sorrier and sorrier for Lesley with each episode. Well done, Pete.

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  3. Pete, I read a series of crime fiction novels with a Detective protagonist who was brilliant – until the last book, when he suddenly didn’t see the obvious, simply for the sake of dragging the plot out…so frustrating to me. I love that you have two Detectives who sized up their interviewee and knew “what was what” without wasting any time! Now, proving it will be another matter….terrific chapter.

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    1. He had no option but to sound contrived. He has no experience of dealing with cops, and his responses were pre-planned of course. Jimmy doesn’t see being a suspect as a threat. There is no evidence against him, and he knows that. 🙂
      Cheers, Pete.

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  5. “What is your name, by the way, and what is your relationship to James?”

    “My name is Lesley Keane, and I’m a cradle robber.”

    “How long have you been in the business?”

    “Since I started watching soap operas on the telly. This isn’t my first rodeo, junior. Now, why don’t I rustle us up some dinner, and you two make yourself comfortable in front of the telly.”

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  6. (1) At least Jo Drummond is not seeking Georgy Girl.
    (2) Is Derek’s sister named Bo? I hear she’s a 10.
    (3) I assume she’s a Christian, but shouldn’t Norah be lighting a Menorah instead of an Advent candle?
    (4) Jimmy Stewart watched his neighbors in “Rear Window.” Mrs. Faraday has been watching Jimmy from her window. Does that mean she’s been watching the watcher?
    (5) “Jimmy graciously accepted” when Grace Kelly asked him if she could sign the plaster cast on his leg.
    (6) Strangely overheard, pre-VHS:
    Jo Drummond: “This is my colleague Sergeant Cohen. Can we come in and ask you some questions?”
    Jimmy Walker: “I’ve got no time for sergeants.”
    Jo Drummond: “Me, too! Andy Griffith is really funny in that movie!”
    (7) Bad citation: “Jimmy, could you tell me where you were last Sunday Bloody Sunday?”
    (8) Jimmy told the detective there were no records at the hospital, but he remembered the receptionist singing a U2 song. Jo Drummond didn’t buy it, however, because the band didn’t form until 1976.

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    1. He is the only immediate suspect. The only one with a connection to George who had a motive to want George dead. But deciding it was him and proving it was him are two very different things. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete. x

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  10. Okay, this was unexpected, as usual, I never quite get it right. So Lesley has to be getting a little suspicious? Especially with the line of questioning about the murder of the poor creepy George, unless she was totally sidetracked by the engagement announcement. Great chapter, C

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    1. She has no other suspects, so she is going with the one she has. Standard police procedure back then, I believe. (I had four relatives who were police officers during this period. Though some are dead now, they used to tell me quite a lot about their ‘frustrations’.)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. During the late 1970’s I worked with the Detroit police department and got to witness firsthand how readily people confessed. One interesting tactic was that since the law then required appearance before a magistrate within so many hours after an arrest, officers on patrol at night, gave most of the people they would have arrested a ticket that had them show up in the morning at the precinct to surrender, Most did. There was always a line of people waiting at the police department to be arrested and arraigned in the morning. It appears that having that much time to think about what they had done and gotten caught, they “fessed up ” to the booking detective. (I had a Deputy Cheif in a class and he invited me down for a number of consultations involving statistics and management science which I was then teaching). Warmest regards, Theo

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    1. No other suspect on the horizon, though there will be more explanation about that later.
      Don’t forget it’s set in 1970. No CCTV outside of some motorway traffic cameras, no mobile phones to trace, computers to examine, etc. Proving he did it is not going to be easy.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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        1. They did indeed, Theo. But evidence was much harder to come by. The police in England relied on fingerprints, eye witnesses, or ‘planting evidence’. In fact, most crimes were solved by the murderer confessing his guilt, or being implicated by an ‘informant’. In Jimmy’s case, none of that applies.
          Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. He was the only likely suspect. The others were all old ladies, and are not the type to stab the reverend. Or the prostitute who found him, and she was unlikely to call the police. Proving her theory is going to be hard for Jo though.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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