Chapter 16

For a moment Clive stood stupefied and then forgetting his intention to remain silent blurted out, "You?"

There was a further moment of hesitation as he questioned whether to attack with the chloroform pad in his hand or run before he incriminated himself further. He chose the latter and turned to find himself confronted by two burly men, one of whom grabbed his right wrist in a grip of steel.

"Aren't you going to accept Mr Clifford's invitation?" he asked and, turning Clive round again, propelled him into the house and through to the kitchen.

"Have you a plastic bag handy, Mrs Clifford?" he continued.

Briony opened a drawer and produced one which she handed to the other man who had pulled on some rubber gloves.

"Thank you," he said, opened the bag and held it under Clive's chloroform pad.

"Drop," he ordered. Clive did so and the man closed the bag, wrapping it and placing it away from everyone on the draining board. He then frisked Clive finding the handcuffs, gag, a packet of condoms, a tube of lubricating jelly and a bottle of Viagra. He placed all these beside the bag on the draining board. From his own pocket he produced a pair of more business-like handcuffs. He pulled a chair back from the kitchen table.

"Sit," he ordered and as soon as Clive was bundled into the chair handcuffed his wrists to it. He took another pair of handcuffs from his pocket and attached one of Clive's legs to the chair leg.

The first man held out his hand to Tom. "Brian," he said.

Tom shook it warmly.

"And this is Len," he said indicating the other man. Tom shook hands with him too.

"Well," continued Brian, "would you care to call the police, sir?"

"Why?" interjected Clive.

"So that you can explain to them, sir, why you turned up here wearing a mask and carrying chloroform when you believed Mr Clifford to be in Scotland and his wife at home on her own."

Clive was silent again.

Tom rang the police. "Good evening," he said. "I have a man at my house who was attempting to gain entry armed with a chloroform pad. He believed my wife to be here on her own. His pockets contained various things that indicate that he intended to rape my wife." He gave his address.

"On their way," he said turning to the others. "Would you two like a cup of tea or something stronger?"

"Tea would go down a treat," answered Brian.

Briony busied herself also putting a tin of biscuits on the kitchen table.

Conversation was desultory during the twenty minutes before the police arrived, two male constables. Brian disconnected the recording device from the telephone and found Clive's call of the previous Wednesday.

PC Strong introduced himself and PC Abbott and appeared to be the leader. "Mr Clifford," he said. "Is there somewhere that we can talk privately?"

Tom led him to the sitting room and they both sat down.

"We'll need to take proper statements from all of you later, sir," he said, "but would you please give me a brief résumé of the background to this evening's incident and the incident itself."

"Certainly," said Tom. "Mr Wheeler is my director. Ever since he met my wife at an office party some nine months ago he has shown a strong attraction to her. His wife recently divorced him and she warned us that he had set his sights on Briony and would pursue her single mindedly. I engaged the services of a private detective agency, the two men here this evening. I am supposed to be in Scotland at the moment but, because I thought Mr Wheeler might take advantage of my absence, with my chairman's agreement, I returned here the day after the team deployed, a week ago yesterday. On Wednesday my wife received a phone call from Mr Wheeler suggesting that they go away together for last weekend. She turned him down. We have a record of the conversation. Brian, that's the private detective, placed a tracker on his car. Mr Wheeler came down last Sunday when he thought my wife was at her parents' house and had a sniff round. He returned here this evening. My wife and I were warned off and Brian and his assistant hid outside. I answered his knock on the door. He was wearing the mask he still has on and was carrying a pad of chloroform. That's in a plastic bag in the kitchen. With it are various aids of a sexual nature and a pair of handcuffs. It is my belief that having failed to persuade my wife to have sex with him he had decided to rape her."

PC Strong looked up from his notebook and eyed him steadily for a few seconds. "Thank you, sir," he said. "Would you be kind enough to ask Brian to come in and have a word?"

Tom did so.

PC Strong smiled at Brian when he entered the room. "Hello, Brian," he said. "You haven't been involved in a criminal investigation for quite a while as far as I'm aware."

Brian smiled back. "No, Jim, just the usual run of unfaithful spouses."

"Mr Clifford reckons your prisoner intended to rape his wife."

"So do I. I was instrumental in obtaining the evidence for Mrs Wheeler to sue for divorce. Off the record, he's callous, ruthless and selfish. Did Mr Clifford mention that when he was away another time Wheeler invited Mrs Clifford over for the weekend when he knew but Mrs Clifford didn't that his wife would be away?"

"No he didn't."

"I don't doubt he'd have tried it on that weekend, possibly not rape or abduction. It would have been too risky."

"Right. I think we'll take this joker and his toys in. Let's go back to the others."

They returned to the kitchen.

"We'll be taking Mr Wheeler to the station with us," said PC Strong. "Bag up the evidence, Harry. We'll need to take formal statements from the rest of you over the next forty-eight hours. Please would you ring the station on Pitsbury 449642 tomorrow morning and make an appointment to come in and do so." He took some handcuffs from his belt. "Brian would you release Mr Wheeler, please?"

Len did so. PC Strong snapped his own handcuffs on Clive's wrists and the police led him away.

Briony ran to Tom and flung her arms round him. "Thank you, my darling Tom-Tom," she said softly and then turning to the others but still holding Tom's hand, "and thank you both too. I can't tell you how relieved I am that that man's in custody. God bless you all."

"Yes indeed," added Tom. "Now that the police have gone would you like the something stronger?"

"I could murder a beer," said Brian.

"Me too," added Len.

"Coming up," replied Tom. "Darling?"

"White wine, please. I'll do it."

Tom put two cans of beer and two glasses on the table. "Help yourselves," he grinned. "Quicker that way."

He poured himself a whisky and soda and they all sat down round the table. Conversation soon began to flow. Tom and Briony discovered that Brian was an ex-detective sergeant but had wanted to get away from all the paperwork that was the lot of the modern policeman. Len had been in the Royal Military Police also rising to the rank of sergeant and had left at the end of his twenty-two year engagement. He helped Brian out as and when having taken over a village shop which he ran with his wife, their son and his girlfriend.

Brian enquired after Angela.

"Happy," said Briony simply. "I must ring her tomorrow and tell her what's happened."

"They may want her as a character witness," said Brian.

"Heaven help Clive," chuckled Briony.

Brian and Len left.

"I'm going to have to take a day off work to make this statement," said Briony happily. "I really ought to warn them so I'll make it Friday. What about you, my Tom-Tom?"

"Tomorrow. If we both go in on Friday it'll take twice as long. If I do it tomorrow it gives us more time together on Friday and then the whole of the weekend."

"You are a clever man."

"And you're a cheeky wench."

"Yup. I couldn't really eat my supper after Brian warned us that The Slime was on the way. I'm feeling a bit peckish."

"Me too. What are you suggesting?"

"Welsh Rabbit? It won't take long."

"Cheese at night? It'll keep me awake."

"Not after I've had a go at you."

"Cheeky, wanton wench."

"Yes, my man."

"That's why I love you."

"Not as much as I love you."

"Care to bet?"

"No, my Tom-Tom. Your love often overwhelms me."

She moved into his arms. They did not kiss or clutch but just held each other deeply, deeply in love.

Briony's threat to have a go at him came to nothing. The tension had been released but with that they both went flat. They cuddled closely but sleep overcame them before they were able to take things further.

Briony left for work the following morning full of bounce. Tom rang Sir Norman and told him what had happened.

"I'm sorry it ever happened," said Sir Norman, "but your suspicions were vindicated. How's Briony?"

"Bubbling. The cloud that's been hanging over her has been lifted."

"I'm delighted to hear it. Give her my regards. Now, Tom, Clive Wheeler is suspended with immediate effect on full salary but I'd like you to take over the directorship temporarily until he comes back innocent, which I doubt, or until we have found a suitable replacement. Full director's salary. Would you be happy with that?"

"Yes, sir. Very happy. Thank you."

"Good. Let me know on Monday who you would like to keep your seat warm."

"That's easy. Margaret Tennant, sir."

"So be it. Pop in and see me on Monday."

"Yes, sir, and thank you again."

He rang the police station and arranged an appointment for eleven that morning. He collected his car from the pub car park and drove in to Pitsbury. PC Strong himself took Tom's statement. It took just over an hour. He learned that Briony had been given an appointment for ten the following morning.

He wondered what to do next. Having been at home for the last ten days there were no pressing chores so he decided to go and have a pint and a baguette at the Trout. He chatted to the barmaid over his pint but there was no one he knew there so he read the local newspaper as he ate. Once home he decided to tackle the Times crossword and fell asleep in his chair in the sitting room.

Two hours later, having been sent home early, that was how Briony found him. She looked down at him. Even asleep with the newspaper on his lap, his mouth slightly open and snoring gently Briony's heart turned over.

"OK, my darling Tom-Tom, I've been in a stew for the last couple of weeks but there was nothing I could do about it yet you were worrying for me and concerned there might be a fight and, I'll bet, worried that your plans for my safety might not be foolproof."

She bent over him and softly kissed his forehead. He never stirred. She left him and went upstairs to shower and change. The noise of the shower pump must have woken him because he joined her in the bathroom.

"You're home early, my Bri," he said.

"The COO sent me home early when I told him I had to take tomorrow off and why." She grinned mischievously. "He said I oughtn't to do any cooking this evening and tell my husband to take me out to dinner."

"Oh he did, did he? And did he say anything about your husband drying his beloved wife after her shower?"

Briony looked at him through her eyelashes and slowly shook her head. Tom took the bath sheet from the towel rail and held it open for her. She stepped out of the shower and he enveloped her in the towel. She melted against him and he gently rubbed her back and slowly on down her legs before turning her and starting the journey back up.

He took the towel away.

"Now I must check you're dry," he whispered.

She nodded her eyes shining with anticipation. He kissed and stroked her entire body. It was not sexual as such just deeply loving and intimate. Briony revelled in it. His last act was to hold her head gently and touch his lips to hers.

"You are so very, very precious to me," he whispered.

Briony nodded, unable to speak.

"Now I'd better go and see whether the Crown has a table for your ladyship this evening."

She nodded silently again.

The Crown did and they had a delicious meal. There were a number of friends and acquaintances there and they had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. Briony was thrilled by the news of Tom's temporary directorship. Their love making that night was back to normal.

The next morning Tom took Briony in to the police station and waited for her in the car. It took rather less than an hour for her. She returned with the news that Clive was to appear in court on Monday but they would not be required.

They drove down to the coast after that, walked on the Dorset cliffs and had a late pub lunch before driving slowly home to a quiet evening of music.

Briony rang Angela before they settled down to the music. Angela did not show any emotion.

"I was right, wasn't I, Briony. You poor dear. I just hope he gets what he deserves."

On Saturday they played hockey as usual and on Sunday went to church and rode. Once again Briony stayed in her place at the end of the service to give thanks for their safety and the removal of the threat that had been hanging over them.