Chapter 2: Unable To Get Hard

‘Does anyone, apart from the three of us, ever need to know?’ Cliff said. ‘How do you mean?’ Mr Weatherstone asked. ‘Well, we are only guessing that it happened at all.’ Cliff said. ‘It is possible it’s a coincidence, although he always seemed so sure a week or so ahead that the mother would be absent.’

‘But he’s going to be locked up for a long, long time, so even if he was doing something, it has now stopped for good. If I told you the patients name, I would want your word, both of you, that neither the patient, nor anyone else, would ever be told what had happened to her son.’

‘In return, you will have my word that I will never repeat anything we have discussed to anyone else. Then the two of you, without raising any suspicion, can do a thorough check up on the lady in question and her treatment.’

‘As he finished speaking, Cliff’s phone pinged. He glanced up at the wall clock. ‘Excuse me a moment,’ he said, ‘This could well be relevant to our discussion.’ He opened his phone and read the message. He smiled at them.

‘That was a text from the arresting officer who has been in court all day.’ he told them. ‘Having statements from three witnesses, and some other evidence, on the advice of his solicitor Derek pleaded guilty to two charges of rape and one of impersonating a public figure for sexual gain. (He pretended he was from Social Services.’) Cliff told them.

‘The magistrate said his behaviour was cruel and absolutely disgusting. You deserve a much longer sentence than I can give you,’ he told him. ‘He’s been remanded in custody to appear later at Crown Court for sentencing. So, Cliff asked, ‘Does all this stay in this room?’

Sister looked at the consultant who barely hesitated. ‘I promise.’ he said. ‘I do to,’ Sister said, as Cliff looked at her. ‘Then you have my promise too,’ Cliff told them. Nothing we’ve discussed will ever be repeated. The name you want is Mrs Cynthia Roxton.’

‘They stood up, and Mr Weatherstone shook Cliff’s hand. ‘You’re a remarkable young man,’ he said, ‘You’ll go far. Does Detective Chief Superintendent Lee Hopkins know you?’ ‘We haven’t met yet,’ Cliff told him, ‘But he’ll know my predecessor, Lewis.’

‘He’s my neighbour and a very good friend,’ Mr Weatherstone said, ‘Does he know his officers are passing information to someone so young?’ ‘You’d have to ask him that yourself,’ Cliff told him with a grin, ‘I can’t possibly answer for someone I’ve never met.’

‘Ok, Sister.’ Mr Weatherstone said, ‘As soon as you can arrange for Mrs Roxton to come in for a couple of days. I want to look her over personally.’ ‘Yes sir,’ Sister said, ‘She’s actually been here today, having been kept over from yesterday.’

‘If we’re reading things right, then I suggest we leave her until she coms in on her usual day next Wednesday. At least we can be sure that Derek hasn’t done anything wrong today. That was agreed, and sister returned to her office with Cliff.

On her desk was a black plastic bag tied up at the top. ‘Before we went to see Mr Weatherstone,’ Sister told him, ‘I asked my deputy to get a key to Dereks locker and bring the contents to me. You might like to have a look through them.’

Cliff took the bag over to a clear section of floor and carefully tipped it out. He picked up several items of clothing, checked each one and put them in a heap. After checking everything else and finding nothing of interest, he picked up the last item, a small tin.

Opening it he found a dozen tablets. He took it over to show Sister. She fished in her desk and brought out her Mimms. Checking the tablets with it she told him, ‘These are the same tablets that Mrs Roxton is prescribed, but of a very much lower dose.’

‘If Derek had given her a couple of these with her weekly tablets, it would have shown up enough in her blood tests on her next visit to have us keep her in overnight.’ ‘Well, at least now we know how he did it,’ Cliff said. ‘Will it have any long-term effect on your patient?’

‘It shouldn’t do now it’s stopped,’ Sister assured him. As she saw him out, she shook his hand. ‘Thank you,’ she told him, ‘From me and on behalf of Mrs Roxton.’ Sitting back at her desk, she pulled out Mrs Roxton’s file.’ She spent the next hour going through it with a fine-tooth comb.