Chapter 8: Every Boy Does That

‘So do I,’ Danny assured him, ‘But as far as the constable and Martyn are concerned, he has severe concussion. No one else matters. Now, you took a big risk not calling this in immediately. So can I assume you’re prepared to let me sort this out, off the record without anyone else finding out about it?’

Andy made a quick decision. It sounded like getting rid of a body to him, but when he thought about who’s body it was and the alternative for his pal Scott, he didn’t hesitate. ‘Yes, I’m in your hands.’ he said.

‘First I need a hand to wrap Clarkson up and put him in your boot,’ Danny said. ‘Then I need you to drive down to Cheshire. There he will be quietly removed from your boot. When you come back, you will convince yourself that Clarkson was knocked out, came round and when told he would be arrested for rape he ran away. As far as Scott and Martyn are concerned, that will be what happened.’

He stood up, ‘Have a look in the kitchen or the garage and see if you can find some duct tape or rope. String if all else fails.’ Danny went upstairs to the bedroom and found a couple of sheets in a drawer.

Going back down to the body, he spread a sheet out on the floor. Searching the body, he removed keys and wallet. By the time Andy returned he had the body rolled up in one sheet. He put some string around the top and bottom after folding the ends of the sheet over.

Then between them they rolled it into the second sheet. This time Danny used the rope Andy had found to tie it all up and give them something to get hold of. Andy backed his car up the drive and between them they carried the body out and stuffed it in the boot.

Danny gave Andy the post code for the video hire shop. ‘All the shops in the row will be closed by the time you get there,’ Danny told him. ‘Park outside the video shop and text me ‘Parked.’ When I reply ‘Walk’ unlock the boot and walk away from your car, past the chippy and turn right at the end of the road. Once you’ve turned right, walk slow until I text you again. If you keep turning right, you’ll end up back at your car.’

After seeing him off Danny went back in, switched all the lights off and picking up the house keys went home. Andy made good time, an hour and a half later he texted ‘Parked.’ Paul had already texted to say he was ready and parked nearby, so Danny sent the text ‘Walk’ to Andy, waited three minutes then texted Paul ‘Go.’

Paul drove round the corner, saw the car and checked the registration number. He backed up close to the boot and opened both back doors of his van. He had a winch in the back which he hooked to the ropes around the body. He put a board in place which spanned the gap between the car boot and the floor of his van.

Also, a short board that went from the bottom of the boot opening, down to the floor of the boot at a forty-five-degree angle. After checking the road was clear each way, he used the winch to pull the body into his van in seconds. He just had to give it a helping lift over the back edge of the boot.

Closing the van and the boot, he drove away. He pulled up a hundred yards away and texted Danny ‘Item On Board.’ Then he headed for home. Danny texted Andy, ‘All Clear Return Home.’ He got a, ‘Thank you.’ in return. Andy continued around the block back to his car. He couldn’t resist a peep in his boot which was now empty. He drove home feeling very relieved, but very curious.

The next day. following Danny’s suggestion, Andy went to the local school and spoke to the headmaster. He explained that last night Clarkson had been reported for the rape of a minor from his school and had done a bunk before they could arrest him. He asked for what information they had on him.

He was given his address, which he already knew of course. He also discovered he had been divorced several years ago and had no children. Both his parents had died many years ago. Andy thanked him and left, happy that the likelihood of anyone reporting him missing was almost zero.

Danny meanwhile had texted Constable Green and Martyn this morning to say, ‘Problem sorted, he has recovered and run away. Forget all about it and I’ll be in touch soon.’

The next day, Danny returned to the house. There was no sign that anyone had been in since, and the only mail was bills. He texted Martyn and asked him if he could meet him there on Saturday morning. ‘I’m sorry it has to be here,’ he told him, ‘But it’s the only place available to me that will be completely private.’ Martyn agreed, and they settled on ten am.

LEWIS - FRIDAY- CATHY

In response to Aidens text, Lewis rang him when he came out of school. ‘I’ve just had the information back that you asked for,’ he said. ‘When Frank was fourteen, a complaint was made about him interfering with a boy of twelve.’

‘The boy gave confusing stories and was considered unreliable as a witness, so Frank was just given a warning. Two years later aged sixteen, he was arrested for interfering with a young girl of nine. Before the case came to court, the girl’s family decided it would be too traumatic for her and withdrew the charge.’

‘Frank turned up at the police station with his parents to get a verbal warning. He had a black eye and a number of bruises which he refused to explain. Nothing was heard then until four years later when he was twenty. He raped a lady of twenty-one in a local park.’

‘A passerby heard her screams and caught him at it. He detained him until we arrived and arrested him. He got four years in prison. After spending two years in a young offender’s prison, he was released on licence for two years.’

‘That expired when he was twenty-five. Two years later age twenty-seven he raped two women in the local park, two months apart. He was only caught because by then we had his DNA on record. He had done a bunk by the time we knew it was him, so he wasn’t caught for almost a year. He appeared in court two years ago aged twenty-eight and got ten years. He’s still inside now.’

Lewis thanked him and told him he had also raped a ten-year-old when he was seventeen, but she was now ok and would just be happy he had now got a prison sentence.

Then he texted Cathy.

‘Hi Cathy,

Just thought you’d like to know that Frank was sentenced to ten years in prison for rape two years ago. He is currently in prison. Forget him now. Enjoy your weekend,

Lewis xx’

SATURDAY - DANNY - MARTYN

Danny arrived early and checked through the house to make sure it was empty. He opened the mail, having no concerns doing so knowing Clarkson would never see it. They were all adverts.

Danny had brought coffee, sugar and coffee mate with him, so he found some mugs and put the kettle on. When he answered the timid knock on the front door, he found a very nervous Martyn standing on the step.

He looked relieved to see Danny. As he closed the front door Danny showed him the snip on the yale lock. ‘I’ve put that on,’ Danny told him, ‘So that no one can get in and hear anything you say. But if you decide you want to leave at any time, just push it up and let yourself out, ok?’

‘Ok.’ Martyn answered. ‘I’ve only been here ten minutes,’ Danny told him. ‘I’ve searched the house and there’s definitely no one else here. But if it would help you feel any better, please go ahead and search it yourself.’

‘No, I believe you.’ he said. Then giving a bit of a grin, he said, ‘I’d be too scared to go round on my own anyway.’ ‘If you wanted to, I’ll come round with you.’ Danny offered. ‘No, it’s fine, but thanks anyway.’ Martyn told him.

They sat in the kitchen and had a coffee at the table. ‘Let me tell you what happened at the hospital first,’ Danny said, ‘Then we’ll go through to the lounge. There I want to find out all about you and get you relaxed enough with me to tell me everything that happened, not just the other night, but since it all started.’

‘I want you to go away from here with all your cares and worries gone. Including your nightmares. But to do that I need your full cooperation. Now in the process I’ll get to know everything about you, including things that you have never admitted to anyone else.’