Chapter 1: Very Very Lucky

Andy was alone in his DCS’s office. He had been left alone to ring a number that the Chief Constable himself had given to his DCS. ‘I was told to ring this number.’ Andy said when a voice answered, ‘Yes?’ ‘Identify yourself please.’ the voice told him. Andy gave his name, rank and number.

‘Now your military identity.’ the voice demanded. Andy gave his name rank and number from his military service. It had been a long time since he had used it, but it was the sort of thing that stayed with you for ever.

‘You have only just come on duty,’ the voice said, ‘But you have been doing some off duty investigating earlier. Tell me why?’ ‘Theres a house on my patch,’ Andy told him. ‘It’s raised a few questions in my mind, so I was trying to find out who was paying the mortgage.’

‘How did you know which bank to go to?’ the voice asked. Andy explained about going to the building society. ‘Do you know anyone connected with this property?’ the voice asked. ‘I met the owner, Mr Clarkson when he was caught raping a minor recently.’ Andy told him.

‘Now it’s being used by someone called Danny.’ ‘How would you describe your relationship with Danny?’ ‘He’s become a very good friend.’ Andy told him. ‘I could ask the Chief Constable to order you to drop all your enquiries.’ the voice said.

‘But that would suggest to him that you had done something wrong. That would be very unfair because you haven’t, you were just being a very good copper. I will tell him that. But I suggest you forget everything you know about that property.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Andy said, ‘Can I ask who I’m talking to?’ ‘I’m usually known as Major Edward,’ the voice said. ‘But I wouldn’t even tell you that if you hadn’t had such a good record in the military.’ ‘Thank you, sir,’ Andy told him, ‘I understand, consider it forgotten.’ ‘Good man.’ the voice said, and the line went dead.

When he went up into the canteen, the DCS saw him coming and indicated he should get a coffee. When Andy sat down with him, the DCS said, ‘My experience of phone calls like that usually mean I can’t ask, so I won’t.’

‘But can you tell me, are you in any bother?’ ‘No, sir.’ Andy assured him. ‘Apparently, the Chief Constable is going to be told that I’m a good copper.’ ‘There’s been a lot of strange things happening around here recently,’ the DCS mused.

‘They seemed to have started when your friend Danny appeared on the scene.’ ‘Yes, I think he’s the sort of person things just happen to.’ Andy said smiling. ‘Have there been any developments about the body you found?’ the DCS asked.

‘No, sir.’ Andy told him, knowing full well that the DCS knew that already. ‘I’m surprised that his parents haven’t been on our backs demanding results.’ he said. ‘Perhaps they’re just content to have his body back.’ Andy suggested.

‘Would you be if it was your son?’ the DCS asked. ‘Not normally, no.’ Andy agreed, stressing the normally. ‘mm,’ the DCS said, ‘That sounds like it’s something else I shouldn’t ask. I just don’t like it when people kill on my patch and get away with it.’

‘I don’t think he has,’ Andy told him, ‘I heard a rumour that the killer had been dealt with, but I don’t know how reliable it is.’ ‘I don’t like vigilante groups either,’ the DCS said, ‘But I think I’d be inclined to overlook it in this case.’

‘What would you do with the file if you were me?’ The DCS asked, thinking to himself, ‘This is the second time I’ve asked someone else’s opinion on what I should do. Both of those have been since Danny appeared too.’ ‘I’d be happy to mark it closed.’ Andy told him.

ANDY & DANNY - SAFE HOUSE

Later that day, Andy had had a message from Danny to meet at the safe house, although of course Andy didn’t know it was called that. He assumed Dannys request was something to do with the Keto case, but it did cross his mind it might be connected with his phone call earlier in the day.

Danny welcomed him quite normally and made them a coffee. Danny got straight to the point. ‘Can you tell me why you decided to investigate this house and what you discovered?’ he asked. ‘How do you know about that?’ Andy asked, sounding interested.

‘I will tell you,’ Danny said, ‘But only after you have answered my questions.’ ‘I’m a nosey sod,’ Andy told him, ‘And when things catch my eye and make me wonder about them, I like to find out why. You already know that I had noticed an upgrade in the alarm system here after Clarkson had gone.’

‘What you didn’t know, is that I recognised the controls as being similar to some military installations I’ve seen in my past. So, as I couldn’t understand why you, as a struggling student, would have gone to the trouble or expense, I began to wonder.’

‘Then the other day you said you’d put the shed from the field and other bits in the garage for future use. That suggested you expected to have use of the house for a long time yet. That didn’t fit in with using it until it was reclaimed either.’

‘I was puzzling about that, when you said that the expenses for our recent operation had been covered. That told me something was going on, so I decided to look into it. I contacted the land registry, found the mortgage holder and went to see the building society.’

‘The manager spotted that the bank account details had been changed a short while after I knew Clarkson had gone, so he couldn’t have changed it himself. She gave me the name of the bank and the account number. I went to the bank and as soon as I asked about the account, the manager appeared and took me to his office.’

‘I showed him my warrant card and asked for details. He refused to tell me anything. He wouldn’t even admit the account existed. So, I gave up for the day. An hour or so later, I went on duty and was called in to see the DCS.’

Andy told him everything that had happened and what he had agreed. ‘What are your conclusions?’ Danny asked. ‘It’s clear to me that military intelligence is involved,’ Andy said, ‘But I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Or why they would be involved in disposing of someone like Clarkson.’

‘They are not,’ Danny told him, ‘I had contacts elsewhere for that.’ He explained about mentioning using the house to a friend who also did counselling. I said I didn’t know what I would do when it was repossessed.’

‘He evidently had contacts, because I was then approached by a military looking gentleman, who later told me his name was Major Edward. I believe you’ve spoken to him. I told him why it had come empty and that I was certain that Clarkson would never return.’

‘So, it has now become a safe house.’ ‘Of course,’ Andy said, ‘Why didn’t I think of that.’ ‘I have been given a special bank account, and I am now paying the mortgage and other expenses from that. The account is kept permanently in funds from somewhere.’

‘I’ve arranged for the horticultural department at the university to take care of the garden and I get paid for looking after it all. That was the money I used for our recent expenses. Part of the deal was that I had use of the house whenever it wasn’t required for anything else.’

‘Why did you decide to tell me all this now?’ Andy asked. ‘Because Major Edward said I could,’ Danny told him. ‘He clearly knows more about you than I do.’ ‘Did you sign anything as part of this agreement?’ Andy asked. ‘The official secrets act.’ Danny told him.

‘Well as I’ve signed it too, I guess I can tell you that I did a brief stint with military intelligence when I was in the forces,’ Andy told him. ‘That’s probably why he decided I could be told.’ ‘I presume you didn’t say anything about Clarkson being dead?’ Danny asked.

‘No,’ Andy told him, ‘I thought it best not to. I presume the military doesn’t know anything about whatever else you’re involved in?’ he added with a big grin. ‘What’s tickling you?’ Danny asked. ‘It struck me as funny that the people who do everything in secret are having secrets hidden from them.’ Andy told him, still smiling at the idea.

‘You must lead a fascinating life. I’ll bet they’ll never let you write your memoirs.’ ‘I don’t think I’d want to.’ Danny said. They finished their coffees and Andy got up to leave. He shook Dannys hand. ‘At least if I spot anything in future, I can ask you.’ he said.