NEW TRICKS:

THE CHOO-CHOO CHOKE:

Chapter 10

Zack King's name had thrown Sandra. She hadn't expected it at all and could tell that Harry was telling the truth. There was none of his swagger this time, none of his overly smiley face, it was just plain old Harry – the one she had first met not too long ago. Back then he seemed a sweet enough man but now she knew he had murdered one person and possibly a second.
"How was he involved?" Sandra then asked as Harry just looked on blankly. He seemed to blink with each word Sandra uttered.
"Quite a fair bit…some would call it 50/50 – I'd agree with that." he answered simply.
"Was it all planned in advance?"
"No…we wanted to just let him know of our problems."
"Did Zack have the same issues that you did with Jasper then?" quizzed Sandra. Harry shook his head.
"To be honest, I don't know his proper reasoning behind joining me on it but he seemed like he wanted to do something to help me."
"And with him now dead, we'll never know will we?" asked Strickland rhetorically.
"No…" said Harry. "I think it was what we did that led to him you know jumping...can't be sure though."
"What we're the pair of you up to on the night of Jasper's death?" asked Sandra. "It would be nice to get a definitive answer at last…"
"We drove back together, me and Zack, we were going to mine to plot it, to actually put something together, but I dropped Zack off at the club and let him bring Jasper to us," began Harry. "I just drove back and forth in the bits inbetween where Zack got him really drunk – we just had to get him like that to do something."
"And what was the something?" Strickland probed.
"Assurance…we wanted him to learn that it wasn't right to be who he was in anyway at all on the Oak line. We'd tolerated it enough by then but it had just gone too far."
"By we, I imagine you mean yourself. You said Zack didn't mind…" pointed out Sandra. "I can't quite believe Mr King would just do this with no qualms at all."
"I told you, he was willing…"
"And why was that?"
"He just was…"
"I don't believe you."
"Huh…" mumbled Harry. "His girlfriend had cheated on him and it was someone who my lad had known. I said we'd sort them out if he'd help me here."
"And did you?"
"No, he did it himself. The poor bloke involved lost five teeth in the process and his nose ain't been the same since…this was all after what happened with Jasper though."
"Carry on then Mr White…" said Sandra as Harry appeared to continue his long confession.

The techies had been back in contact with Brian and enhanced the footage even more – it proved there was someone else in the vehicle, Brian could tell it was a man. He didn't know of Harry's admission though and went into the interview viewing room looking closely at him. Gerry and Steve were still there looking on.
"There's someone else with him in the car on the night…" whispered Brian to Gerry.
"We already know…" explained Steve. "Harry's been surprisingly forthcoming….too forthcoming some would say."
"How can we be sure he's telling the truth then?" asked Brian.
"Look at the eyes," said Gerry. "It's like they always tell you, the eyes just don't lie. They always keep the truth in them and his eyes are directly poised on Sandra – he didn't do that before when he was lying for a little bit."
"Has he said who it was?"
"Zack, the bloke who topped himself…." answered Steve. "Don't ask why, we're none the wiser…" Brian was just as puzzled as the others but listened intently on…

"I'm surprised it just took this long if I'm honest," admitted Harry quite casually to Sandra and Strickland. "Twelve years, blimey…then again 9/11 was making a bit more of the headlines wasn't it? Unless Jasper had been dead famous, this wouldn't have got in the way of that story…the world was still reeling even on the 19th."
"Did you plan this intentionally?" asked Strickland. "Pass it off as if you didn't have a plan to Zack but you always had a plan in the end?" Harry nodded.
"We, I wanted him as drunk as possible so that he could just be taught a lesson. He needed it getting into his head what was so wrong about him. Like my son, it was wrong and I never got the chance to get it out of him, so this was the opportunity."
"All of this because you didn't do so with your son?" asked Sandra.
"Are you parent?" asked Harry. Sandra shook her head. "Then you'll never know will you…I wanted a son for as long as a I could, a proper son, one that would mean the world to me and he did until he told me that news. That broke my heart and then for him to die just like that in a weird way was a relief – I didn't have to live with the fact I had a gay son, I'd have been mocked from here to eternity."
"And you can be sure of that?" asked Strickland. Harry nodded.
"Of course I know that's the case," Harry then remarked. "It's why I had to stop Colin and Jasper being as open as they were. It could have driven people away from the line, we needed the tourists more than we needed those two…something had to be done. So, once Zack had got him drunk, I let them slowly begin to walk off and I followed them. I'd told Zack to stall Jasper as long as he could once they were out of range of the clubs and bars. I soon caught up and got out of the car – Jasper was that drunk I don't think he recognised me at first – and I just hit him. I told him everything I'd wanted to but never had the guts to say and I just kept hitting him."
"Where was this exactly?"
"Some side-street – you wouldn't have seen us unless you were looking on purpose." answered Harry. "From what I can remember Zack just watched on as Jasper couldn't do anything, his responses were that slurred and slow I got my message out to him quick. He was looking hazy so we put him in the car and drove back to the line – I was going to keep him where Colin was kept but he kept flailing about so we just put him on the line itself."
"This doesn't account for the marks around his neck, you've hit him so far, that's all…" pointed out Sandra. Harry paused.
"I did that when I sent Zack away but I did it so he'd pass out – he was alive when I left him, I swear." protested Harry. "I did put my hands around his neck but only to make him sleep for the time being. I was going to return to work early in the morning and ensure he got the message – stop being like he was and then I'd be happy – don't and then he'd be out of the door. He must've died overnight obviously…" Sandra and Strickland just stared at one another, it seemed like that was that. Jasper had died under Harry's doing, but not intentionally. "I never meant to kill him…" reiterated Harry. "I expected some kind of GBH charge or something, but the fact it never came meant I just kept silent. Jasper was the one who was more likely to listen so that's why I chose him over Colin at the time, but it just went wrong." he added. "Zack was only there as someone to get him in the right conditions – he'd have never been like that if I was at the club – I wouldn't have been seen dead there anyway, not my kind of thing."
"So you admit to everything, the assault, the planning but not murder?" Sandra then queried for her own confirmation. Harry nodded.
"I didn't mean for him to die, I swear…I'm sure you've known that for some time…" he added. Sandra just shook her head.
"We've been looking for a murderer, you pre-planned everything Harry and it led to death, but I can't have the say in this sadly, that's up to courts to decide. All we can do is arrest you under the suspicion of murder and or possible manslaughter of Jasper Monif." she then explained.
"Do it then," said Harry simply as he looked like a drained man. Everything about him looked weak but that was the strain of everything finally coming out thought Sandra. He'd at least said what he'd had to say…

"At least its solved…" said Sandra to the others some time later in the office. "Harry killed Jasper, he didn't mean to though…"
"I still can't be sure of that…" murmured Gerry.
"Nor me," said Steve.
"And me," added Brian.
"It is up to the court though, we can't delve any further. We have a confession, that's our work done…" sighed Sandra as Strickland then appeared into the office.
"Good work everyone," he said. "Sandra especially, he looked unlikely to give at one stage in the interview, but well done all the same."
"Thank you, sir…" smiled Sandra. "Has Corinne been informed yet?"
"Ah," stumbled Strickland. "That's why I came down here. When I got back to my office I was informed that Corinne died last night. She'd been hanging on for some time…I'm so sorry to tell you…"
"Oh god…" mumbled Sandra. "If only Harry hadn't you know collapsed then we could have got the answer so much sooner…"
"We'll never know that for certain though, will we?" asked Strickland. "Besides, she knew it was being looked at so I'm sure she was content in some respect about it. Jasper wasn't being forgotten about…"
"No, I suppose that's true…" agreed Sandra as she then fell silent.
"Pub then?" Gerry then asked out of nowhere. "You can come along too if you want sir…" he added to Strickland.
"Maybe this one time…" he smiled. "Sandra, what about you?"
"No," she said simply. "I'm fine, have a lads night out…do it for me." she added as the others left together. Sandra felt really down – Corinne didn't get to know what happened to Jasper and that made her feel so sad. If only it had been solved so much sooner thought Sandra, then she could have told Corinne herself, instead she was just standing lonely in the office. "I can't do this…" she muttered to herself as she then gathered her things and left the office.

"Detective Superintendent," said Sidney as he answered his front door. "What is it?"
"Can I just come in?" she asked. Sidney obliged and let her in. Instantly as Sandra walked through the hall she saw photos of Jasper happy and well and full of life. It was just such a nice thing after everything the case had brought up. "You're keeping him alive aren't you?" she asked to Sidney.
"I have to, with no family to do that, someone has to…I heard about his aunt this morning by the way." he answered.
"It's a real shame," said Sandra. "Because we've got who did it now, we just didn't do it in time for her sadly. I was going to pop over to her home and see myself what photos of Jasper were around, but I thought it was better to come here. This is the stage of his life I've known about the most and it's only right I feel."
"He's never truly gone Detective Superintendent," said Sidney.
"Sandra, call me Sandra please…" pointed out Sandra with a faint smile.
"He meant a lot to many people Sandra, Colin especially, and it is only right we remember him as he was. Whoever did what they did and why ever they did it doesn't matter now as he's at rest, finally. Jasper can be himself again, not a murder victim, he can be Jasper Monif, a great friend and boyfriend to Colin Maklov." said Sidney.
"Beautiful words Sidney…" smiled Sandra.
"He was and still is my friend, I won't forget him…" he added.
"Do you what; I don't think I will either…" smiled Sandra. "If you don't mind, go on, tell me a story or two about him…I'm sure he'd have liked that." she then requested. Sidney agreed and as the pair settled down in the living room, calm had been restored and peace was now there for Jasper….for Sandra it was one of those days where she felt immense pride in bringing closure to people who have been suffering for so long. "Good old Jasper," she thought. "Gold old Jasper…be happy once again…"