Chapter 15

Monday 9 March

Joseph had just finished his breakfast. Life was good, better than it had been for years. A woman loved him and he loved her, he knew that now. The sun was just up and the day, though cold, was bright. It would get warmer now the sun had more strength. He decided to make some coffee and do a little writing. He also decided that he should make the cottage more comfortable for Angela.

He heard the vehicle arrive and went to the door to greet the occupants. He opened the door to see a police car, from which alighted two men, one in plain clothes and the other in uniform.

"Joseph Ramsden?" asked the plain clothes man.

"Yes."

"Detective Sergeant Wilshaw, and this is Constable Smith."

Joseph said nothing but waited on the threshold.

"We're here about a car. It was taken from your lane some time ago. A Porsche. We have reason to believe that you took it and are concealing it."

"Yes to the taking, no to the concealing. You can look at it whenever you want to. It is in my barn out of the worst of the weather, awaiting collection by the owner."

"Did you have the owner's consent to take the car from the lane?"

"No. I had no way of contacting him and it was causing an obstruction."

"Where was the car?"

"When you came along the lane you had to make a sharp left and then a sharp right turn?"

"Yes."

"Between those two turns."

The two policemen looked at one another.

"Will you show us the car?" the sergeant asked.

Joseph led them to the barn and unlocked it. They went inside.

"Yes, that's it," said the constable.

"Any damage?" asked the sergeant.

"Not that I can see," replied the other.

"Keys?"

"Still in the ignition."

"Take them."

This done, the three men left the barn, Joseph locking it behind them.

"You will have to come to the station in Buxton to make a statement, after which you may be charged with taking the vehicle without consent. So to make it official, I'm arresting you on suspicion that under Section 12 of the Road Traffic Act, you took a car, namely a Porsche the property of Trevor Gerard Johnson without his consent.

"You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

He paused.

"You will have to come to the station, Mr Ramsden."

"Can I drive myself? It is a long way to Buxton, and I don't think anyone in the force will want to drive me back here. I have livestock to see to, so I can't be gone long. Will you be detaining me?"

"I can't see that," said the sergeant. "If you are charged you will be on police bail to appear at the magistrates' court, probably tomorrow."

"Do you want to wait while I make arrangements in case I'm delayed?"

"That won't be necessary," said the sergeant, "as long as you get there by one o'clock today."

The police departed and Joseph had time to think. So 'Gerard' was trying to make trouble for him. The thought arose no real emotion in him, it was par for the course for Trevor. He locked up the cottage and left in the Range Rover, stopping beyond the wood to make some phone calls. He still was not used to having a landline phone in the house.

The first was to Ian Higgins, a longtime friend and his solicitor. He outlined what had happened from Trevor's visit in the snowstorm through to the police visit.

"I can't believe the police or the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] are taking this seriously," Ian said at length, "Can you give me the names, addresses and phone numbers of all the witnesses when you get to Buxton? I'll be there before you and I'll try to get hold of Trevor's statement. I'm glad you said as little as you did. You are under caution now, say nothing unless I am present."

Joseph agreed and went on to the next call.

He phoned Barry on his mobile because he was out dry stone walling at the time. Joseph told him what had happened, and Barry immediately volunteered his daughter Elaine to come over and look after the animals.

"Yon Trevor's a right fool, as well as a bastard," Barry opined. "Not a cat in 'ell's chance of you getting done for a TWOC."

"A twoc?"

"Taking Without Owner's Consent," Barry laughed. "No chance, once I've told 'em what 'appened."

Now assured all was taken care of, since Barry had a key to the cottage, Joseph drove to Buxton, meeting Ian Higgins on the car park near the police station. Ian said he was not able to get the statement, but reckoned the police would reveal most of it as they questioned Joseph. He added that it seemed some pressure had been applied from 'above' to push the case through.

"Trevor seems to have some friends in high places," said Ian, "and I think he believes you are not very bright. Big mistake. Hell, you were running a company in your twenties! He could come out of this very badly. You know the drill? Answer their questions but nothing more. I have a feeling about this. I don't think they'll want your side of the story. Someone's leaning on them to get you into court. Humiliate you. I think they assume you'll plead guilty."

They entered the station and were processed at the desk. They were shown to an interview room where Sergeant Willshaw, who had come to the cottage, faced them over the table and Constable Smith who had accompanied him stood near the door. The detective inserted two tapes into the recorder on the table and announced who was present in the room.

"You admit to taking the Porsche registration no QM06ZVV without first asking the owner for his consent?" he asked in a bored voice.

"I admit to moving the Porsche."

"Legally that is taking it. Did he give his consent?"

"No."

When did you take it?"

Joseph thought about it, "3rd February, the day after he left it."

"Why did you take it?"

"It was causing an obstruction so that traffic to and from my cottage could not pass."

"You did not get his permission."

"I had no way to contact him."

"Are you saying that he was known to you but you did not have his address or phone number?"

"Yes."

"You had his number?"

"No. I said yes to your question. Yes that is what I am saying."

"You expect us to believe that?"

"It is immaterial to me what you believe. The day he came to my place was the first day we'd met in ten years."

"Did you move the car only far enough to remove the obstruction?"

At this point Ian intervened. "My client took the car out of harm's way, for its own sake, and since that safe position was near the barn, he opted to put it in the barn for safety, in view of the poor weather conditions at the time."

"Mr Johnson had been visiting you? After ten years?"

"Yes."

"He says you had an argument and he feared violence so he drove away, but had to abandon the car in a snow drift and go on on foot."

"Does he?"

"Did you hide the car as an act of revenge after the argument?"

"I did not hide the car. I put it in the barn out of the snowstorm."

"On your own admission, you moved the car without his permission, and you moved it further than it absolutely needed to be moved, and put it out of sight. Yes or No?"

Ian intervened. "You heard my client say as much, and he told you why."

"Well, in doing that Mr Ramsden, you committed an offence, and you will be charged with taking the car without the owner's consent."

Then they returned to the desk and Joseph was formally charged that he took a car belonging to Trevor Gerard Johnson without the owner's consent, and concealed the car in a barn. He was asked if he had anything to say. Ian spoke for him, saying that the car was obstructing the track and needed to be moved. This was noted.

Joseph was then bailed on his own recognisance to appear at the magistrates' court at ten the next morning, and with that the two left the station.

"You got the names and addresses?" asked Ian. Joseph began to write the list.

"Here," he said. "Barry is the farmer who shifted the car, Jeff is the co-ordinator of mountain rescue on duty the day before, Angela is Trevor's ex-girlfriend whom he came to take away with him. She would not go."