ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AN EX DETECTIVE?
Sorry it's late in coming. However I must say it's great the NT area of the forum is so active at the moment. Anything in Bold means the start of a new scene.
CHAPTER SIX
"Everything OK Ms Fletcher?" Sandra asked,
"Yes," Fletcher said as she almost began to recover her composure. "Did you say you were investigating Simon's death?"
"That's right" Sandra nodded.
"But, Why?" she turned to Blackman. "I thought they said that he had died of a heart attack."
"Ms. Fletcher" Jack said, "we understand that there is real reason to believe that Mr Jackson was murdered and that he didn't really die of what was believed to be natural causes."
Fletcher took her place in a seat, close by, head buried in her hands, "It can't be, surely no-one would want to hurt him. Would they?"
"That's what we want to find out." Jack said, retaking the seat that he had vacated when Blackman had spent considerable efforts trying to send UCOS out before Emily walked in.
"I told them about Clare" Blackman said confidently, hoping that Fletcher would cotton on. Sandra threw a glare towards him, one that the rest of the team would notice but not the intended recipient. Sandra now wouldn't take any single word which Blackman gave at face value, considering he'd not noticed Emily Fletcher living around his house long enough for her to be calling him darling.
"Oh, Clare" Fletcher nodded, sounding a little too eager. "You don't think Clare Bernard could have done it do you?"
"That's one of the avenues we are investigating." Brian looked at the pair.
"Actually, I don't think I'd blame her" Fletcher said, trying to sound helpful.
"Why do you say that?" Sandra asked
"Well lets put it this way, Clare and Simon got rather close to each other during their time on the show. Lets just say foeticiously close."
"You mean?" Gerry said,
"That they were having an affair" Sandra concluded,
"More than that though"
"Well" Brian deducted, "if she was pregnant"
"Pregnant?" Gerry said, sounding shocked,
"Ms Fletcher, why would you not blame Clare for wanting to kill Simon?"
Fletcher stood up, sounding nervous.
"What's the matter?"
"Clare asked me not to say this to anybody. Anyone at all."
"What?"
"When Clare got pregnant, her boyfriend James was over the moon, he'd had a testicle removed so thought he'd never have kids."
"Cor blimey" Gerry said, "poor fella"
"But of course, the baby wasn't his" Jack construed, Fletcher nodded.
"Simon and Emily had both said that they would leave their partners to be together."
"And raise the baby?"
"Nope"
"What do you mean?"
"Simon told Clare to have the baby aborted, and then tell James that she had miscarried."
The team were shocked at this. Blackman shook his head at what he was hearing too.
"Did she do it?" Sandra asked, Fletcher said nothing, just nodded. Gerry noticed a tear in her eye.
"Sit down Emily, don't upset yourself."
"I'm sorry, it's just, I cannot help but feel so sorry for James, being told that she'd lost the baby. He never got over it."
"Why do you say that?
"He hung himself three days later."
"Oh God" Blackman said, "poor Clare"
"Anyway" Sandra sighed, "Back to Clare and Simon"
"I think Clare was relieved at James' suicide, because it meant she didn't have to dump him."
"But what happened to Simon and his wife?"
"He called it off. Told her that he had changed his mind, didn't want to go through with leaving Maura"
"Maura being his wife I assume."
"That's right"
"Out of interest, Emily" Sandra said, "when did all of this happen?"
"Just a few days before Simon died. They had a massive row about him staying on the show."
Around an hour later and Sandra and the rest of the team found themselves back at the TV Studio two uniformed officers with them.
"Did we have to come here?" Brian asked, "I mean we're here tomorrow for the Semi and then potentially Friday for the final"
"Guvnor" Gerry pointed, "she's there."
They walked straight over towards Clare who smiled as she saw them.
"Superintendent Pullman, Old Dogs, can I help?"
"I think so" Sandra said, before saying
"Clare Bernard, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention now, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."
"Superintendent," Clare pleaded as the uniformed officers grabber her arms, "you cannot do this, I'm innocent."
"If that's right Clare" Jack said, "then you have nothing to be afraid of."
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AN EX DETECTIVE?
