Chapter Eleven – The Attempt
"So," the DI mused thoughtfully. "Our victim was involved in the casino business down in Liverpool?"
"I wouldn't say involved in the way you are referring to, sir," Dennis pointed out. "My guess is that he was merely an unfortunate victim. A man who failed to pay his debts to whoever is running the loan shark business at the moment."
Shiner nodded seriously. "How much do you know about it?" He asked in a straight forward way.
"I'm afraid I have no knowledge of anything like that anymore," Merton returned with a faint upward curl to his lips. "As you well know I was sent here as a punishment. Since then I've been busy serving his lordship, listening to gossip, escorted a few cows off the road…"
The DI couldn't help but to chuckle at the former detective constable, who'd been on the verge of getting the title detective sergeant had he not taken a swing at his superior officer.
"Very well, Merton," he replied. "I'll be heading over there. A car should be waiting for me as we speak. We keep in touch in case of further development before I have a chance to head back here. I'll be leaving DC Lucas at your disposal for the time being. I suggest you use him wisely."
"I sense the hidden message, sir. That you don't hold my men's sharpness high," he answered quickly.
"Good bye, Dennis," DI Shiner returned. "By the way – John Lowey would be the man nowadays back in Liverpool."
OOOOOO
PC Steve Crane left his place outside Charlie Carter's room to get a sandwich. He was starving having had nothing to eat during the course of the day. At first he'd checked in at the Ashfordly Estate, then he'd been around the Aidensfield village trying to calm everyone down after the word was out concerning the most recent events.
Blaketon hadn't been happy and wondered what really went on behind closed doors since he'd told the other members of the council that the police had everything under control.
After his rounds across his patch and a check in at the Ashfordly station he'd once again set course for the Ashfordly General Hospital to take over the watch of the injured man from DC Lucas.
Crane strolled down the corridors and into the cafeteria muttering under his breath at the queue despite the late hour. He excused himself, feeling sheepish for it, and walked straight up to the counter and quickly ordered a ham sandwich. He apologized to the people waiting for their turn and headed back to his post.
At first Steve didn't find something amiss but then as he cast a glance through the door he noticed an orderly in the room with Mr. Carter. A gut feeling - afterwards he couldn't explain it - made him walk inside the room. The orderly, unbeknown of the officer approaching, carefully pressed a cushion over the patient's face intending to suffocate him. He increased the pressure further and further.
All this registered in Steve's brain, still it took him a moment to comprehend what he was really seeing.
"Hey!" Steve shouted, momentarily distracting the white clad man. His sandwich forgotten he lunged for the orderly.
They both took a tumble to the floor, the pillow still over Mr. Carter's face but without pressure. The monitors had been disconnected so as not to arise any suspicion from the real medical experts.
Steve had the element of surprise on his side and therefore gained the upper hand at first but then the fight got even and the orderly landed a few punches at the officer. As the young police constable was down the orderly made a run for it and managed to get to the far end of the bed before he was roughly taken down and crashed to the floor as Steve reached out to grab his ankle. Crane's father was in the military and his mother was somewhat of a master of self-defense so he'd learned from the best.
Although the fake orderly wasn't a pussycat either. Just as Steve reached for his handcuffs the man managed to strike him hard across the head and he slumped to the floor, the world having gone black.
Unfortunately, for the fake orderly, the commotion inside the room had called the attention of several visitors to people in rooms aside. Nurses had been called to investigate the strange noises and a doctor was just outside as he made run for it.
Doctor Jacobs, Mr. Carter's assigned physician, spared the man little or no attention at all as he dashed through the corridor. Instead he rushed into the room to find Mr. Carter barely alive and PC Crane oblivious to the world.
A nurse appeared in the doorway just as the doctor made a quick assessment of the bedridden patient. "Notify the police immediately and page Doctor Barnes," he ordered.
OOOOOO
Sergeant Dennis Merton had had one tiring day, it grated on his nerves. He was all consumed in his work and irritated by the fact that things didn't seem to go his way no matter how hard he tried at the moment.
The only good thing was that Constable Crane hadn't been injured, except for a few scrapes and a lump on his head, during the failed attempt on Charlie Carter's life back at the hospital. The young constable had lost consciousness for a short amount of time but the doctors found nothing wrong after a thorough examination and released him.
Had the man, dressed like an orderly, actually succeeded in pulling off the hit, he would have had a trying time to keep his job.
Dennis found himself longing for a quiet day with Jenny without any disturbances such as irritating villagers, insufferable lordships, former police officers that wanted to crack the case to show off or CID officers ordering him around.
He felt the dryness in his mouth and knew he had to eat and drink something. Despite taking the pills to keep his diabetes in check he felt run-down. He'd just ignored his body like he used to do back in his CID days, before he came to Ashfordly, and he couldn't do that anymore.
He'd neglected breakfast since he hadn't had time and he'd missed lunch because of Lord Ashfordly summoning him to the Hall. He'd tried to eat something later on but gave up as soon as the call came through from the hospital about the attempt on Charlie Carter's life.
On top of that the village council demanded he'd do something about the recent events. The Chief Constable wanted him to report to him directly. CID wanted to take over the case. Jenny was once again disappointed in him concerning the amount of time spent at work instead of home. Phil Bellamy was a wild card at the moment due to his lost child. Oscar Blaketon and Alf Ventress sat at nights back at the Aidensfield Arms trying to deduce some plan to entrap the assassin.
Sitting dozing in his chair he startled as there was a soft knock on the door. His eyes flew open as Liz Merrick entered his office.
"Liz," Dennis acknowledged and cast a quick glance at his wristwatch. "What brings you over at this hour?" He asked casually.
"I have some news," she said softly and he could easily detect the same tiredness in her stance and eyes as in his own.
Her voice was subdued enough to let him know that she was the bearer of bad news.
He sighed dejectedly. "Is he dead?" The Scottish sergeant asked.
Liz shook her head, surprising him. "No, but his life is hanging by a thread. The attempt made on his life was far from failed. If the stats don't improve within the next twenty-four hours the hope of him getting better will be lost.
"Great," he muttered sarcastically. "If he dies I have nothing that can tie our friends from Liverpool to the death of Jeremy Watson and this attempt on Charlie Carter."
"What about other leads?" Liz asked softly, curiously.
"I don't have anything reliable to go on," he let on wearily as he rose from his chair. "I better get home then."
Liz looked at him in concern. "Dennis, are you all right?" She asked.
"Why wouldn't I be?" He replied, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice as he reached up to rub his temples, trying to ease the headache that refused to leave him alone.
"Have you eaten anything today?" She said, ignoring his smart reply.
"Please, Liz, don't go there," he returned, this time his voice was weary and soft.
"You are sick, Dennis. You need to take care of yourselves. Diabetes is nothing to play with even though it's fairly easy to treat nowadays," she said, watching him carefully as he walked over to the row of hooks and tucked his coat under his arm.
"At least I trust you've taken your pills and had some fruit. The last thing I want to explain to Jenny is why I'm taking you off duty and admitting you to hospital.
"I'll be fine, Liz. You needn't to worry about me. Jenny is worrying enough as it is, that is when she's not chiding me for being away from home and not seeing her," he said with a vain smile as he reached for his hat.
"So, nothing at all?" Liz asked, returning to their previous discussion.
"So far, indecisive, circumstantial… "He trailed off as he adjusted his sergeant hat. "I'm not looking forward to having DI Shiner back here looking over my shoulder at this mess."
Liz walked out of the sergeant's office and blinked the tiredness out of her eyes and frowned as she turned back to look at him.
"Anyway, thanks for letting me know, Liz," he returned, appreciating her visit although he refused to give answer to her unspoken question about his health.
"Anytime, Dennis," she returned with a smile as he too got out of his office. "Oh, by the way. What do you know about goat farming?"
OOOOOO
Gina glanced up from the newspaper she was reading every now and then, under the counter, as Oscar Blaketon made his way over having come back from the meeting. She frowned as he shrugged out of his coat and walked over to the stash of whiskey to pour himself a glass.
"Interesting agenda today?" She asked curiously. "It's quite late. I thought you'd be back sooner."
Oscar let the whiskey soothe his raw throat before turning around to face her. "I suppose you could say that," he replied thoughtfully, answering her question. "It's mostly about the imminent threat of the railway station being closed down."
"That's understandable," Gina reasoned.
"Yes, I agree. It's just that I've been sitting the whole afternoon – you could add evening - listening to one ridiculous suggestion after another about how to prevent the Inspector from deeming it unnecessary."
"Oscar," Gina teased softly. "Is that your polite way of saying that the other council members are daft?"
"Most of them are a pain in the butt," he returned in annoyance. "Actually, Emile Nolan, believe it or not, made the best suggestion. The suggestion was to approach Lord Ashfordly and organize a fundraiser and suggest that the money would be donated to the railway in order to keep it should it come to that."
Gina snorted. "And he wouldn't dare to approach his lordship I take it?" She asked.
"I volunteered since I knew the rest of them would suggest it anyway; when they'd argued long and hard enough about it," the former police sergeant admitted. "Although, I doubt driving over there to talk about it at the moment will be meaningful."
"So, what kind of event can we look forward to up at Ashfordly Hall?" Gina said with a smile. "I hope it's not a murder chase."
"I'll let you know as soon as I have figured that one out," Oscar replied. "Also, I hope Merton knows what he's doing. The villagers are worried and concerned for their safety. His lordship seems to hide out somewhere and no children are allowed outside the school during the days from now on until the murder case has cleared up."
Gina's eyes was involuntarily drawn to the headline of the days newspaper where it could be read about a crestfallen police force, an enraged farmer threatening a young woman, a very badly injured man found in a mine and a likely conspiracy at the Hall. Somehow it all felt like yesterday's news to her.
OOOOOO
To be continued
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