Chapter 3

In the morning Jill and Tina got up and took off the panties and t-shirts they slept in and donned their practice swim suits. They wore two suits for extra drag and sometimes they even wore a silly looking pair of boxer shorts between the two suits. They each grabbed their swim bags, the ones containing their swim caps, goggles, and extra towels.

In the lobby of the hotel they joined Coach Sims and the early risers. They waited for the stragglers and when Coach came down he looked at Coach Sims. Sims nodded at Coach signifying that all the swimmers were there and Coach headed straight out the door and for the pool. The team fell in behind him. At that time of the morning no one spoke. The usual idle chatter that occurred among awake swimmers was never there among the not yet awake ones.

Paul Boden walked up next to Jill Clapton and smiled. She offered him her hand and the new couple quietly walked to the pool.

“We’ve got a long warm-up this morning,” Coach explained, “And then I have a surprise for you. I was talking to the Training Center’s Head Coach yesterday and they have a new bit of equipment that we are going to try out. If I like them, I’ll get some for us to use at home.”

The quiet groan that moved amongst the swimmers was all he needed to hear to understand that the equipment would make practice really challenging and that it didn’t matter if they had a strong or weak practice the new equipment had probably already been ordered, if not already delivered to the pool office at State.

The team started off with a 2000 yard Freestyle swim going faster each 500. The first 500 was one minute slower than their best 500 Freestyle time. Each 500 got faster until the last 500 was as fast as they could go. By the time they were done all of the swimmers were warmed up and ready to work hard. That was when Coach got everyone’s attention.

“This morning we have been allowed to use some equipment that they have had over here for a few months and the head coach here at the Training Center seems to love them. So without any further delays let me introduce you to kick socks.”

He held up a nylon mesh tube with an elastic ring at the narrow end and a wide opening at the other end. Each of the navy blue colored pieces was about a foot and a half long.

“Now go and get a kickboard and get a pair of the socks. Check the sizes. Strong kickers should get the ones marked as size 42 and the weaker kickers should get the size marked as 30. You know which ones of you are strong kickers and not and so do I!”

He smiled conveying the idea that those who were strong kickers but who didn’t like kicking would go for the smaller sized socks. The swimmers looked at the socks and soon figured out that you were supposed to put your foot in the small end and pull the elastic tight with the slide.

“OK, now we are going to do ten 100 meter flutter kicks and you will have three minutes to do each 100.”

That got everyone’s attention since they normally did 100 meter kicks on an interval of a minute and forty-five seconds at the slowest. The reason hit home as soon as Coach yelled, “Ready? Go!”

Before the kids had gotten ten meters someone said, “Oh shit!”

Coach chuckled as the last of the swimmers pushed off to find that they socks took away almost any and all thrust from their legs. It took the fastest kickers about a minute and twenty seconds to get to the far end of the pool. The weakest kickers were touching the wall just as it was time to start the next 50. All in all it was a nasty little set.

When they’d finished the ten repeats, Coach stopped them from removing the socks and spoke with way too much enthusiasm.

“That was great! I like these things. I wonder how they work when you kick breaststroke?”

“Oh no.”

“I heard that. Let’s have a bit more of a positive attitude,” Coach admonished the kids.

“I’m positive I’m going to hate this,” Captain Will Chantry said.

“That’s much better, Will! Let’s go on the top and work these on the same interval. I’m told that breaststroke is not as bad.”

The kids pushed off when the pace clock cycles up to the zeros and were all amaze that the breaststroke kick really was easier. They got through the set and were happy that their legs could stop burning now.

“Not so fast! Leave those socks on. Let’s see. We’ve done flutter kick and breaststroke kick, so ... what does that leave?”

“Oh no. Please coach, my legs are on fire,” Tina pleaded.

“Miss Workowski, would you like some cheese with that whinge?”

Tiny T pouted and took her kickboard in both hands. She knew the only kick left was the dolphin that she used when she swam butterfly. Dolphin kick used all the muscles in the legs and the butt and the stomach. She knew this was gonna hurt.

“Ready? Leave on the top again,” Coach said.

The clock went to double zeros and the kids started off. It didn’t take long before the kids had red faces and were struggling to make the interval after already kicking 2000 meters with the socks. When they were done with the third set of ten 100’s Coach told then to take off the socks and everyone cheered.

“I’ve already ordered both size socks for us and they should be delivered just after we get home. Now let’s get the pull buoys and hand paddles out.”

The next set was pulling so the legs could rest. But beforehand they swam a set doing some drills to get the lactic acid out of their systems. If they didn’t do that right away after kicking they would start to cramp up so the coach always had the kids do some easy swimming.

When they completed the practice the kids were dragging. They hit the showers and then Jill and Paul met Coach and James Rogers in the lobby. Coach spoke to the team and explained that he would be gone for some time and that if anyone needed anything they could see Coach Sims. The four drove to the police station.

“Good morning,” the female officer at the desk said.

“Good morning,” James Rogers replied. “We are here for the coroner’s inquest at 9.”

“I will need to see identification for each of you and have you sign in on the register.”

James nodded to the others and Coach, Jill and Paul presented their identification card.”

“Oh, the Americans. The coroner’s inquest will be in room 361. Go to the right. Take the lift to the third floor. Turn left and the room will be at the end on the right.”

“Very good. Thank you.”

James smiled politely and stepped off to the right. Coach and his two swimmers followed. They found the elevator and rode it to the third floor. Turning to the left they walked down the long hallway and to the very end. They stopped and James took a few moments to talk to Coach and the swimmers.

“The process here is simple. They will have someone who is a relative identify the dead person.”

“Do you mean that the body is going to be there?” Jill asked starting to get upset.

“No, my dear. However, there may be pictures. The first part of the process is to determine who the dead person is. He will have to be identified by either friends who were with him or family. Then the coroner will ask for an adjournment to have time do an autopsy and to determine the cause of death.

“Since they have had the body overnight, it’s possible that they’ve already concluded the cause of death. If they have done that then they’ll swearing people and start asking what happened. I can’t imagine that they will see it as anything other than death by imperfect self-defense. However if they determine that you need to be held for further questioning, I will then ask that you be released on bail to return home with the swim team. You will be asked to sign an affidavit that you will make yourself available for that questioning.”

“How will I do that?” Jill asked on the verge of panic. “I can’t afford to fly to England every time someone wants to ask a question.”

“Calm down Jill. All of the questions can be posed and answered in a Zoom conference. In all likelihood it will be called a death by imperfect self-defense. If the court decides that you killed the man on purpose, then a warrant will be issued and the next time you set foot on British soil, you will be arrested.”

“Arrested?”

“Jill, relax. You did nothing wrong. You will be going home with the team. Everything is under control.”

“Jill,” Coach interjected, “James is a very good lawyer and he knows the system here inside and out. If he says that you have nothing to worry about, you don’t.”

James opened the door and we walked into what Jill had always imagined what a courtroom would look like. James led her to the table to the left of the bench and they sat down. Paul and Coach took seats behind them.

There were several people already inside the courtroom. In the front of the room there were a couple of easels in front of what Jill figured was the judges bench. When everyone was seated, the coroner walked in and took a seat behind the bench. There was no one sitting in the jury box, but there were several people sitting along the bench.

The man sitting behind the judges bench looked up when all were settled and spoke.

“I am Chief Coroner Judge Charles Breeds KC. This is a coroner’s hearing on the death of a John Doe on the evening of December 25^th.”

He continued to outline to procedure to be followed. Then a man at the table next to us stood and introduced himself as representative of the court. The judge asked for the names of those of us at our table.

“Your Honor, I am James Rogers. I represent Miss Jill Clapton. With us is Coach Mick O’Dell the coach of the State University in America. There may be another witness if needed. The coach is here as he is responsible for the State students during the training trip they are on.”

“Very well. Let us proceed. Mr. Baxter please take the witness stand,” the judge said.

A young man came to the witness box and stopped in front of it. The officer came to him and handed him a card.

“Please read what is written on this card out loud.”

The man did as ordered, “I do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

“Do you agree with this affirmation?”

“Yes.”

“Please state your name and address.”

“My name is Brian Baxter. 139 Church Street, London E15 3EH.”

The judge then asked him to look at the easel next to the witness box.

“Mr. Baxter, do you know this man?”

Baxter looked at the picture of a man’s body when it was uncovered on the easel. Jill gasped at the sight of the dead boy.

“Yes sir. That’s my mate Rod Bennington ... er ... Rodney, I guess.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes sir. We’ve been mates since school.”

“Thank you Mr. Baxter. Mr. Rogers do you have any questions?”

“No Your Honor, not at this time.”

The judge opened a file and then spoke.

“It was determined that Mr. Bennington passed away in the ambulance on route to hospital. The cause of death was a fracture of the skull along the lambdoidal suture between the parietal and occipital bones. This fracture was caused by blunt force trauma when Mr. Bennington’s head impacted the ground.

“At this point this inquest will need to determine if the cause of death was by malicious intent or misadventure. I have read the police report that Mr. Bennington and several of his friends confronted a group of swimmers from the State swim team as all were leaving a West Ham football match. Is that correct, Mr. Baxter?”

“Yes, sir. We was coming back and saw these girls and went to chat them up. Rod said something to a tall girl.”

“The tall girl would be Miss Jill Clapton?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” James Rogers replied.

“Miss Clapton, please take the witness stand.”

Jill stood and took the oath and sat in the witness box. For all her size and strength she looked scared. Paul Boden looked at her with a smile and gave her a nod of support.

“Please state your name and address.”

“Jill Elizabeth Clapton. 1424 Magnolia Street, Number 206, State University, College Town, USA.”

“Please describe what occurred on the evening of December 25^th.”

“Our swim team had just finished a hard practice and a few of the alumni of State who live here took us to a soccer game at West Ham. Oh! I’m sorry, I guess over here it’s a football match. We were all having a good time and enjoying the crowd and the setting. West Ham was playing Southampton and lost the game 3-2. We left and were walking back to the hotel, the Hyatt Stratford.

“A few of us girls were walking together and these guys came up to us. They were asking us if we wanted to party and stuff when one of them grabbed my butt. He asked if I was really a girl. I told him “I’m more woman than you can handle and more man than you’ll ever be.” And he punched me in the face.”

“Miss Clapton, do you have proof of the attack?”

“Mr. Rogers took pictures of me standing with a police officer.”

“Mr. Rogers, do you have those pictures in your possession?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

He walked to the judge and gave him a file.

“Is that officer available is needed?”

“I don’t know, Your Honor.”

“Mis Clapton, please continue.”

“When the guy hit me, kind of saw it coming and turned away from his fist. Then I grabbed his arm as it passed me, turned him and suplexed him. He landed on his head and was knocked out. Our team captain Will Chantry went to the guy and checked his pulse and breathing and yelled for someone to call 911. But no one there knew what he meant. I guess someone called 999 and an ambulance came. They called the police and here we are.”

“Mr. Baxter, please stand.”

Brian Baxter stood from his seat.

“You are still under oath. Is this what happened?”

“Yes, Your Honor. We was all a bit drunk. Rod was acting the drunken sot of a lout.”

The judge looked at him and then wrote some notes.

“I declare that Mr. Bennington was kill by misadventure. Miss Clapton you will not be held. In the future if Mr. Bennington’s family wishes to bring a civil action you may have to appear either in person or by electronic means. Mr. Rogers, I assume that can be done on your end.”

“Yes, Your Honor. I have Skye capabilities in my office. We will comply with whatever the court orders.”

“Very well. I deem this inquest closed.”

Everyone stood as the judge did and then Jill walked over to Brian Baxter.

“I’m so sorry for your friends death. I really didn’t mean to hurt him.”

“Rod was a bit of a hothead. He was up for a bad end someday. I’ll make sure his family knows that you was defending yourself. I don’t think they will do anything.”