Corky’s Last case: Part Twenty-Nine

~ beetleypete

This is the twenty-ninth part of a fiction serial, in 795 words.

Mackay knew the name of a solicitor he wanted. Of course he did, thought Corky. Probably one of the same who specialised in representing gangsters. He was allowed to chat to the lawyer privately for thirty minutes before Corky and Edmunds came into the interview room. There was some colour back in his face, and he was looking more relaxed. The solicitor spoke for him.

“My client wishes to read out a short statement. I will do this on his behalf, and after that, he will answer no further questions.”

The sharp-suited man opened a folder.

“I have never heard of a woman named Pauline Ferris, and have no idea why I am being charged with her murder. If you have evidence to prove my involvement in any crime against that woman, or of the fact that she is actually dead, then I will answer questions based on that. Otherwise, I will not reply to any other questions, such is my right not to do so”. Corky had guessed they would concoct something like that, short and sweet. But he was ready for them.

“We have the deathbed confession of a dying man, named Tommy Summers. He was a south London gangster known to you, and former Chief Inspector Mayhew”. He slid a copy across the desk. “We will give you time to read it, and come back later.”

That wiped the smirk off Mackay’s face. Corky switched off the cassette tape machine recording the interview, and left the room with Edmunds. The corruption allegations were also outlined in that paperwork, and Mackay and his lawyer had no way of knowing they were not going to proceed with those.

Twenty minutes later they went back into the room. This time, Edmunds was carrying the reel-to-reel machine containing Tommy’s recorded confession. He plugged it in, then both detectives ignored it. Corky spoke first, addressing the lawyer.

“You can see that the interview with Summers was both informative, and conclusive. If we get this to a jury trial, we will also play them the recording of him speaking. A dying criminal, confessing on his deathbed. I can see the Press and the jury members lapping that up. It’s goodbye to your client’s pension, as he will be sacked before he goes to court, with loss of all privileges. Then if he’s very lucky, he might only get twenty years as an accessory to murder. I’m sure my boss will do a deal if the sergeant agrees to talk. If not, he is going to have to take his chances in Crown Court on a charge of Capital Murder. Then the corruption charges might get him another ten years on top of a life sentence. Not easy being a copper in prison is it, Ronnie? Lots of men with grudges in there, just waiting for you”.

Trying not to show he was bluffing, Corky sat back and folded his arms. “Would you like to have another private chat, perhaps?”

Mackay was swallowing hard, and even the flashy lawyer looked to be wrong-footed. But he earned his money. “Inspector Corcoran, I think you know that the Crown Prosecution Service is unlikely to authorise a charge based on one thing, the dubious ramblings of a dying criminal. I am sure my client will be happy to take early retirement, and leave to enjoy his pension benefits without subjecting the State to the cost of a trial that could last for months. And if you were lucky to get a conviction on such flimsy evidence, I would drag you through the full appeals process that would probably extend well past your own retirement.”

Corky was well aware that the best thing to do was to let Mackay stew for a while. He would be much more agitated inside than he was prepared to show, and a long delay in the interview would start to toy with his mind. So he made a decision.

“Let’s break for lunch. Your client will be returned to his cell, where he will be fed and given a good long break. You can do whatever you want in the meantime, so shall we say a resumption of interview at fourteen hundred hours?”. The lawyer nodded, and Corky turned off the cassette machine.

As everyone stood up, Mackay was visibly trembling. Outside the room in the corridor, Corky allowed himself a smile. Turning to Edmunds, he patted the man’s shoulder.

“We’ve cracked him, sarge. I reckon he’s gonna fold this afternoon”. Edmunds grinned. “In record time too, sir”. Corky had a word of warning though.

“That brief will be on the phone to Mayhew as we speak, I’m sure of that. He will be tipping that bastard off, so we have to shut this down very quickly.”

28 thoughts on “Corky’s Last case: Part Twenty-Nine”

  2. (1) “Even the flashy lawyer looked to be wrong-footed.” Sometimes, looks can be revealing, as, in fact, the lawyer did indeed have two left feet.
    (2) Corky: “Not easy being a copper in prison is it, Ronnie? You’ll be out of your element there. But don’t worry, I’ll come Cu now and then!”
    (3) “Corky sat back and folded his arms.” / “We’ve cracked him, sarge. I reckon he’s gonna fold this afternoon.” There’s more folding going on here than in a weekend origami class!
    (4) Overheard:
    Corky: “That brief will be on the phone to Mayhew as we speak.“
    Edmunds: “It will be a short conversation, though. No brief ever talks on the phone for very long.”
    (5) Corky will take this uppercase to court. #capital MURDER

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Sadly no, Jennie. But I had three male relatives who were serving police officers at one time, a cousin by marriage who worked in A10 (internal affairs), and then I worked for the Metropolitan Police for 12 years before retirement, so became acquainted with many procedures.
      For this story, I had to ‘back date’ my knowledge to the period from the 1950s-1970s.
      Best wishes,, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Over here, police officers sent to prison generally apply for Rule 45. This excludes them from the general prison population at all times, and they are housed in the company of others on Rule 45. Otherwise, they wouldn’t last long inside.
      Best wishes, Pete.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

All comments welcome

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.