The next few days at the UCOS hub were spent doing the admin types jobs, like rummaging through the box of belonging that Dervla's mother and father had brought down. There wasn't much in the battered cardboard container to help with the case; it was mainly full of old photographs, teddy bears and small cups from golfing games Dervla had won when she was still at school.
Of course the main source of interest was her mobile phone. Unfortunately for the boys who didn't enjoy following procedure, Strickland was in the office at the time the Spencers came into the office to chat with Sandra and hand over the phone. Because of this, the mobile was bagged up and swiftly sent to forensics for analysis, which meant the boys had no time to go through the phone themselves.
"When are the results for the phone due back, Guv?" Gerry said handing his boss her purple shark mug filled to almost the top with tea.
"All being well sometime later today Gerry, how did you get on at your latest visit to the golf club?"
"Okay, no one had seen Dervla as she tended to practice for big events at home but there was a lot of talk about Miranda Jordan's attitude towards her in those few days."
"Go on" Sandra said drawing up Jack's empty chair.
"Well, she had spent the last few days moaning about Dervla and several members seemed to remember Miranda looking flustered every time her name was mentioned. She also stormed out of the club on the day Spencer died because she had been told that Dervla was in the area dropping off her daughter with Jeremy Crawford. When Miranda returned to the green her hair was 'wild, she was red in the face, she had scratches up her arms and her blood red nail polish was chipped'" Gerry quoted from notes written in his own scrawl.
"Were there any witnesses to this scrap?"
"Nah Gov'nor, no person seems to be brave enough to stand up to the likes of Miranda Jordan; you should see the way she lords over them at that course. She has them all well and truly wrapped around her little finger."
"I'm not surprised, I didn't warm to her."
"Do you ever warm to a person" Gerry joked, instead of bothering to reply to that mock insult, Sandra gave the cockney a sarcastic smile.
"I don't see why I couldn't have gone back and conducted the interviews at the club" Brian gloomily interjected.
"Because Brian I need you here, the phone and the forensic results will be back any minute and that is your area of expertise" she reasoned.
Twenty minutes or so later Jack returned from the shop with lunch for each member of the unit, as well as the bagged up phone and the envelope housing the forensic results.
Sandra tore through the envelope as she chewed her way through her chicken pasta salad.
"Well?" Jack pondered as he wiped the corners of his mouth with his handkerchief.
"There are two unsaved numbers that Dervla has exchanged frequent correspondence with especially in the months leading up to her death. The messages received sound threatening "Same again or the whole world will know what you have been trying to hide." The messages from the other number read: "You can't come to me for them, I will meet you usual place." Sandra read aloud.
"Sounds like she was being blackmailed" Brain said stuffing his face full of Malteasters.
"Or she had a dealer" Jack pointed out.
"Maybe both, as there are two different numbers" Gerry suggested.
"Anything else pulled up in the report?" Jack queried.
"Yes, this is where it gets interesting, traces of red nail polish, along with spots of blood were found on the battery case of the phone. Forensics ran a comparison of the samples and the area round the phone with Dervla's. That's why the results took so much more time." Sandra explained.
"And did they match?" Brian asked.
Sandra shook her head. Nope they do not belong to Dervla Spencer. "I think Miranda Jordan is our next point of call, seen as it appears she got into a scrap with the golfer and she allegedly chipped her nail polish during this 'scrape'. Gerry you're with me. Jack and Brian see if you can trace the numbers from the phone and if you can do a background check on the owners. Call me as soon as you are both done." She ordered, fastening up her favourite red trademark coat.
Miranda Jordan reluctantly let the officer of the law, and Gerry Standing inside her mock Georgina style mansion.
"What am I supposed to have done this time, hmm? Drowned a scout? Or are you here to accuse me of bludgeoning Dervla Spencer to death with a wedge?"
"Dervla Spencer died of an overdose and not because she was hit over the head with a golf club" Sandra said coldly.
"And I suppose you are here to accuse me of ramming drugs down her throat?" She scoffed folding her arms in disgust.
"Not quite, we have reason to believe you went looking for Dervla on the day she died. When you returned to the green witnesses say you looked like you had gotten into a bit of a scrap. Is this true?"
The middle aged woman looked blank. "Possibly, it's all such a long time ago."
"You need to try, Miranda, it will not only help the progress of this investigation but it will help you" Gerry tried, turning on that infamous charm that he possessed.
"Okay, one of the lads, Dean Thomas told me that he had just seen her dropping off that kid of hers at its dads, I was stressed and desperate so I went up to her and approached her."
"What did you say to her?"
There was an awkward silence which made Miranda more ashamed as she plucked up the courage to confess. "I offered her money to throw the last game should she and I be competing against each other in the woman's final."
"How much money did you offer her?"
"I offered her the full £166,000 prize money from the British Open if she lost to me at the final. I am not proud of it at all but I needed to win. My sponsors were threatening to drop me if I lost, without them I would have no career. I needed to do something, I was desperate. I didn't want to be a nobody. The press always were banging on about how much golf meant to Dervla but it meant a lot to me too, you know" The cold glare of hatred melted into a look of desperation and shame as her cheeks flushed a rosy red colour due to the embarrassment of it all.
"How did Ms Spencer respond to your proposition?
"She thought I was joking, and then when she realised that I was in fact being serious, she told me no and that it went against what she believed."
"And that's when you lashed out?" Gerry guessed.
The Lancashire sportswoman nodded solemnly. "She gently pushed me away, which got me feeling even madder so I went to lash out at her. That's when she threatened to call the police. I grabbed the phone off her and she knocked it to the ground. People were starting to gather so I walked away, I could see Dervla wasn't interested in any kind of fight."
"Was Dervla injured in the altercation?" Sandra asked.
"No; not so much as a scratch, as far as I am aware anyway. She got back into her Range Rover and drove off."
"Was that last time you went to speak to Dervla?" Gerry inquired.
"No, I went round to her house to say sorry for my behaviour as I knew I shouldn't have started on her and I couldn't afford for the press to get wind of it. But when I got to the house there was no answer. I pressed the buzzer on the gate several times but there was no response so I went home and began packing for the Open. I figured I could have a quiet word with her then. How was I supposed to know she wouldn't be alive for it?" The auburn haired beauty admitted.
"Approximately what time did you visit Ms Spencer's property?"
"I dunno, about four o'clock or there about" she looked at the floor in shame as she answered Sandra's question.
"Miss Jordan, we would like to take a sample of your DNA and your blood to help assist wth our inquiries, would you be happy oblige?"
"You think I did it don't you" she whispered as tears escaped down her tinted cheeks.
"It is just for routine purposes, your samples will be destroyed once the case is solved. Is that okay? If you comply it will stand you in good stead. "
"I suppose so" she replied putting giving them the impression that she possessed that stiff upper lip British persons were famous for.
Back at the office Jack was having less success than Brian was with tracing the number he had been assigned.
"The number belongs to an unregistered pay as you go phone, it was last topped up the week before Dervla Spencer died but that's all I can find at this present moment in time." Jack signed wearily as he took off his spectacles and rubbed his eyes which had become tired from staring at his computer screen for too long.
"The number ending in 0897 belonged to a Doctor Alfred Morecambe who has had a practise in the Greenwich area since 2003; he got divorced in early 2005 and hasn't been married since." Brian said proudly.
"Do you think the texts about coming to him for them were about collecting benzodiazepine tablets?"
"I do, Jack, I do."
"We best ring Sandra and let her know about this."
"No need Jack she's here" Sandra said as she and Gerry breezed back into the office.
"How did you two get on?"
"Well it turns out Miranda wanted to bribe Dervla into loosing on purpose should they both get to the final of the British Open. They got into some sort of fight about it on the day she died and on the same day Jordan claims she went round to Dervla Spencer's house at around four o'clock to apologise for her behaviour." Sandra explained.
"So her motive and means are getting stronger by the second. Don't you think we ought to bring her in for questioning?"
"I want to Brian but I think we should wait until forensics have compared her DNA and blood to the samples they already have, as we still need to prove she went into the house to make anything stick."
"How have you two got on" Gerry asked.
Once Brian and Jack had filled them in Gerry turned to the rest of the team and shared his possible epiphany. "You don't think the untraceable number knew about Dervla getting the unprescribed benzodiazepine from this Doctor bloke and was blackmailing her?"
"It is possible Gerry but until we have evidence to suggest that was why she was in contact with this Doctor Morecambe we can't go jumping to conclusions, no matter how right we think we are. Who fancies joining me in the pub? It's been a long day and I think we all deserve a drink"
"Count me in" Gerry said rubbing his hands together with glee.
"And me" Jack replied.
"Erm Jack, before we go I was wondering if I could ask you something."
"Go on then Brian, I can see you are chomping at the bit."
"I was wondering if you would be able to teach me how to play golf, please?"
"You golf?" Sandra cackled as Jack and Gerry joined her in hysterics.
"Yes, what's so funny about that, I really want to learn, please Jack what do you say?"
Jack's initial reaction was to say no. He knew exactly what Brian was like when it came to his latest obsessions, he wouldn't be able to let it go and he would have to eat, sleep and breathe golf for at least the duration of this case. He turned to Sandra and Gerry for some advice.
"Go on Jack if you don't Brian will be unbearable for weeks" Sandra reasoned.
"Oh I suppose you are right" Jack sighed "Go on then Brian I'll give you a few lessons" he sighed, admitting defeat.
Brian beamed with happiness "cheers Jack, you are a mate! Can we start tomorrow?"
"What have I let myself in for?" Jack muttered as the team dwindled out of the office and to the pub for some well needed refreshment.