16
"A .455 bullet… to be more exact, this is from a Webley revolver" the Medical examiner explained "the ballistics are not lying here, someone owns a premium gun from the second world war"
"Seriously?" the detective snorted as he looked at the items removed from the man's pockets. The wad of cash making him pause. Then the small camera. Like a packet of cigarettes. "Was he a Private Investigator? We need to search his home."
"Well, you will not believe this" his partner said with glee "I just checked the Harkness House address and guess what!"
"No!"
"Yep, one registered to Franklin Harkness. Since he died… who do you think has it?"
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"The what? The Webley?" Jack blinked as he tried to remain calm "Dad's old gun? In his safe I guess, in mom's closet."
"Do you have access to that safe?"
"No" Jack laughed "My mother is a narcissist. She controls that house and everything in it. I swear to god, Dad had to ask her for it even though he knew the combination."
"And do you?"
"What. Know the combination? No. I respected my parental privacy" Jack folded his arms now, looking annoyed.
"Mister Harkness, we will have to ask you to come downtown to answer a few questions" the detective asked.
"Am I under arrest for having a dead father that owned an antique gun?" Jack asked with wide eyes.
"Just helping with our enquiries" the detective answered smugly.
Ianto watched them take a confused Jack and turned to John Hart who had watched from the sidelines.
Time to get to work.
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"YOU WILL RELEASE MY SON" Anna was screaming like a banshee at the glass slide, unable to control herself "It's that welsh bastard you need to look at. His house, his yard and his body!"
"Missus Harkness, your son was there at the time of death, the gun we are looking for is like one his father owned and logically he must have it" the detective tried to calm her down as she filled the entire police station with noise "We just need to know where the gun is."
"Did you check that Welsh Whore's car?"
"No. The only car there is in the name of Mister Harkness, your son. You want us to search your son's car?"
"NO!" she squealed with horror, and then watched with a total loss of control as they ordered a search warrant of the car.
She did not know what to do now.
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"Are you sure?" John asked yet again as he stood in the end of the pier with Ianto.
"It's the only way to finish this. End it where it started." Ianto said from where he knelt to reach under the pier where the pilings were. He felt around and found what he knew was waiting there.
"And if Jack is not happy with this? If by doing this you get him out only to lose him?" John asked.
Ianto turned to stare at him, and then gave a soft snort.
John had no idea did he!
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"Well as you can see from the footage, we can see that you never left until after the gunshot. You can't hear it but you can see the flash" the detective pointed to the screen as the Ianto leaned in, letting the man breathe in the sweet and musky smell of this welsh man who was soft spoken and so damned polite.
"It seems to fit." The other detective agreed.
"I don't understand any of this but I can assure you, this is nothing to do with us!" Ianto sternly argued as he rose from his chair "And I think we are done here, unless you are going to charge someone."
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"Mister Harkness, you are sure the Webley is still in your mother's possession?"
"Of course it is" Jack agreed "Go ask her for Godsake!"
"I think I will. If we find it still there and can rule it out of the investigation though ballistics then you will be released with our apologies"
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They executed the search warrant and while others combed the house and the lead detective stood in the bedroom facing off against Mother Harkness. "Madam, either you open the safe or I will get in someone capable of doing so and send you the bill."
Anna bristled with anger and then said as she knelt to open it "I know how much is in there. You better not pocket any of my money."
She then rose with a flourish and pointed at the now open door "Go on. Check the damned thing!"
One of the men knelt and looked inside, whistling softly as he removed the money and they took a moment to stare at it and recognize the exact same coloured paper band used for each bundle. Same as the one in the dead man's pocket.
"Madam, are these home bundled? They do not look like a bank band to me"
"Of course they are not. They are from my husband's office. He had them all made as a joke one Christmas to give the children a bundle each for their presents. Years ago. I still use them as there were some left over and it was a damned waste of the Harkness crest."
"Ah. This is the Harkness Crest" one of them tapped the stamp on the band.
She was about to explain the reason for the H to have a tail when something else came out of the safe and she gaped as the Webley was carefully unwrapped to be shown.
"No. How did that get in there? No, I left that in the fucking car. No… I … I mean… ah…"
They stared at her for a few minutes then at one another.
"Right Madam, lets continue this downtown, eh?"
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Jack exited the doors of the jail to find Ianto waiting nervously and it was only natural to rush to him for a hug, both men clinging to one another with relief "Oh god Ianto. I was crapping myself in there."
"Come on, we can talk in the car" Ianto said as he stepped back, then he turned to walk to the Red Wagon as their son had named it. Jack followed with a wide grin as this showed a little head in the back window peering back at them.
Mac?
They drove to a playground where they sat with some McDonalds, their son playing with glee as they talked.
"So, I knew the combination to the safe. Franklin showed me something in it once when we were kids, you know me. Once shown, I remember. I sent Johnny with the gun, he replaced it in her safe while she was at the police station screaming for your release and trying to frame me still." Ianto explained softly.
"And the ballistics will match, the only fingerprints are inside on the bullet casings and they will be Dad's." Jack agreed.
"And maybe your mother's. She fired it too, he took her to the range to teach her In case of home invasion or something. Chances are she loaded it last. And then they found the clothes in the rubbish bag from the night in the dunes. She had not washed hem, burned them or even got around to dumping them. So sure I would be blamed. Gun Powder residue was found as well as some of his blood. She must have put the gun so close to his head that the blowback hit her." Ianto explained.
Jack felt sick.
Then his son called out "DADDY LOOK!"
And he felt relief.