Chapter 26
"Something isn't sitting right we me" Steve muttered at his desk an hour later as he stared at his monitor. Kate looked over to him.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Steve turned to her.
"It's Charles. Do you remember when he was interviewed previously?" Kate nodded. "He said that after the punching incident he got moved to another department and then months later Christopher disappeared, right?" Again, Kate nodded. "But today he said in Christopher's final months he was off, thin and pale which means that he had to have seen Christopher. Why didn't he tell us that before? Also he said that he didn't socialise with Christopher unless he had to, so how does he know about the diaries? Why would contact Gwen about them?"
"You think he killed Christopher?"
"No, I honestly don't … but I think he knows something. I think we need to see him in his natural habitat. Did you see the way he looked at Holly when she turned to Nicholas for comfort?"
"He did look upset. Nicholas wasn't happy to be rumbled. Why do you think he lied?"
"Pride most likely. I don't believe for a second that his mind got muddled. He is well on the ball with everything that goes on. Gave me a nice word of warning as he left."
"He threatened you?" Kate asked leaning forward.
"I've had worse. I can't help but think he's hiding something, and if I am honest I think Holly is too."
"Yeah, I don't trust her. The way she acted when she learnt Christopher was dead felt wrong to me. Ok, she has every right to get upset, but given the way she spoke about him in her interview you'd expect a bit more of a reserved reaction."
"Sorry sir," the two turned around to see Maneet. "Someone has turned up downstairs who isn't on the visitors log and is asking for the two of you."
"Who is it?" Steve asked.
"A gentleman called Arthur Matthews. I don't know if you recall but you contacted his mother to talk about her statement about the bank robbery in 1974. She was in the bank with her four-year-old son Arthur at the time. He says he needs to talk to you."
"We'll be right down."
"Arthur?" Steve asked and a tall man turned around to face him and Kate. He was thin with short blonde hair and was in casual clothing.
"Steve? Kate?" she asked and Steve held out a hand to him.
"That's right, nice to meet you Arthur" Steve replied and shook his hand quickly followed by Kate.
"I'm sorry to turn up out the blue like this. I've just returned from New Zealand an hour ago and had to come see you as soon as I got back. I hope this is ok."
"It's fine really. What can we do for you?" Kate asked.
"Ok, the reason why I had to come was because of my mother. Whilst I was away she called me to say you were looking into the bank robbery and her statement and you were doing that for everyone else caught up in the robbery too. The thing is, because I was only four they never took my statement. I'm not criticising, I have a four-year-old myself and I can totally understand why one wasn't taken. I've never forgotten it though and I think I might have some information, if you are willing to hear it."
"Would you like a cup of tea, Arthur?" Steve asked.
"I'd love one. Not had a chance to grab a drink since I left the airport."
Steve and Kate lead Arthur up to the AC-12 office and after sorting out a hot drink; the two began to interview Arthur.
Steve handed Arthur a cup of tea which was gladly accepted. "I tell you what, New Zealand is a wonderful country but there is nothing like drinking a proper cup of tea at home," he smiled. The three were sat in the glass interrogation room at the centre of the AC-12 office.
"So what is it that you wanted to talk to us about?" Kate asked.
"Sound waves" Arthur said bluntly causing Steve and Kate to glance at each other confused.
"Sound waves?" Steve asked.
"Yes. I may have been four years-old but I know what I heard. It was the bank robbery that lead me to be interested in science and then become a science teacher. You see I kept telling that blonde haired police man who saved us that there were more than three shots but no one would listen."
"More than three?" Kate asked. "You're certain of that?"
"For sure I am. It wasn't just him I told, I told everyone who was there but no one listened because I was a stupid little kid to them. You see, it is all about the waves. Sound waves are patterns of disturbances. The movement of energy through a medium. Each sound reflects a disturbance."
"Ok, I get that, but –" Steve began but Arthur cut him off.
"When you have multiple disturbances though you might think that they would bounce off each other or reflect in other words, but they don't. They blend. Can I show you?" Kate and Steve nodded. Arthur reached across the table to three glasses stacked on the table top by a glass bottle of water. Arthur took two and held one in each hand.
"So first a single disturbance," Arthur said and gently dropped the glass in his left hand against the table top, not enough to shatter but to make a noise. "Now two disturbances." This time he dropped each glass in each hand but they hit the table at separate times causing two noises. "But then, if we have two disturbances which occur at the same time in a confided space like this room …" he then dropped both glasses at the same time and only one larger noise was made. "They blend" he concluded.
"Wait, are you saying that although three shots were recorded on record, there were multiple shots that blended together to sound like one?" Steve asked and Arthur smiled broadly.
"Finally! Someone listened to me. I don't know if you remember but one of the robbers had hold of me at one point and I bit his hand to get free. Got away from him through to safety of the back room. Mum grabbed me and tried to flee to the door at the back of the building with me but I wriggled free and ran back to bank front. That's when I heard the blonde haired policeman say "Do it" and that's when the gun shots fired. I was on the other side of the door, I heard everything. And you know what was funny? I could have sworn, and I still swear to this day, that the shots were in three directions not two. One from the blonde-haired sole policeman, one from the robbers towards him, and one from the side."
"From the side?" Kate asked.
"Yes. I think one of the robbers turned on the other ones. I have no idea why, but I couldn't carry on with my life after hearing you had re-opened the case until I came to tell you that."
All of a sudden a puzzle piece slipped into place in Steve's head. The octopus and its discoloured circle. His mind filled with memories of things he learnt at school in science class. With a science teacher in front of him, he had to take the opportunity to ask.
"Arthur, what would cause stone to change colour?" Arthur looked confused.
"Well it really depends on the type of stone. However, it is a change in the natural material of the stone itself. Usually a catalyst of an external factor like acid rain and such."
"Or a bullet?" Steve asked. Arthur nodded. It was then that Kate realised what he meant and she caught Steve's eye. He wrote something down on his notepad and passed it to her. The note read.
Metal detectors go off in bank doorway. Sensing hidden bullet?
Kate nodded and then looked to Arthur with a smile. "Thank you Arthur. You have been more help than you can imagine. Would you be ok to make a written statement too?"
"Anything you need, you got it. Nice to be heard for a change. If there is anything else I can do, whatever form that takes, call me."
"Mother of God. So there is possible evidence of a hidden bullet lodged in the bank fronts stone work?" Ted asked Steve and Kate who were showing him Arthur's statement in his office.
"Yes and the discolouration as well as the detectors going off are enough to trigger an investigation. If that is a bullet, it is proof that more than three shots were made as the report of the robbery included pictures of the three bullets recovered from the bodies of the killed robbers. It must be lodged from inside pointing outward which means it was one of the robbers who shot it towards Christopher and missed. We find that bullet; we can categorically say there was a cover up" Steve explained.
"Plus Charles was throwing up stuff which make us ask more questions. We need to go speak to him and if the investigation is going to take us north anyway with the bank, we can drop on him at his home as a surprise and it not seem like he is being targeted. Put pressure via the investigation shifting north" Kate added.
Ted nodded. "I'll sort out the warrant and update upstairs about this. It will mean that the three of us will have to go up north for a while so are you able to come? I know you both have commitments here."
"No problem for me. I can call in mum for help with Josh and I am sure Mark will be ok too," Kate explained.
"I'll speak to Lottie and worse comes to the worse, she could go home to be with mum and dad for a bit" Steve said knowing instinctively that Lottie wouldn't go for that, but that was an argument for later.
"Alright then. I'll get that kicked off and keep you posted. Get all this written up and added to the case records. While we are up north we can make a delivery to Gwen" Ted added.
"Gwen?" Steve asked a wobble of concern in his tone.
"Yes, she has requested the return of the diaries. As forensics are done with them and we have copies, she wants her property back. They give her comfort and I can't ignore a plea like that. Getting an update from all three of us I think will please her too and I am sure she would want the diaries delivered by hand from one of us."
"Steve?" Lottie asked seeing her brother's car out front of her college. "What are you doing here?" she asked him as he lowered his window.
"I was driving by and I knew you would be finishing for the day so thought I'd give you a lift home."
"Nice try, what's really going on?" she asked folding her arms.
"Get in and I'll explain."
As Steve drove he explained the situation of being up north for a while and as he suspected Lottie wouldn't accept being sent away.
"I can't go! I have college and I've agreed to help my friend who is directing the drama departments new play with the sound direction. Plus there is my job and my life. I can't go to London!"
"Lottie it won't be the end of the world and I won't be gone forever. I just can't go and leave you behind. There is still possibly someone watching us. I am more than happy for you to come up north with me as well but it would still mean leaving here."
"Absolutely not! I'm going nowhere at all. I'm sorry but no, not happening." She crossed her arms in defiance.
"Ok, what if mum and dad came here?"
"How is that possible? They need to work. They can't be expected to uproot their life at any moment. What if I went to stay with a friend?"
"And possibly give this person who is watching us a possible easier way to get to you. No way" Steve said bluntly putting his foot down on that matter. Lottie that out a frustrated sigh.
"Well I guess we aren't going to come to a decision then are we? I don't -"
It was at that moment that they pulled up at the front of their building and Lottie was cut off by the sight of a man waiting out the front of the building. It was someone who she had only seen in picture form but never actually met.
"Oh shit" she whispered. Steve saw the man before turning to Lottie.
"You know him?" he asked.
"It's Alex's dad. Why is he here?" she asked. The two siblings got out and headed for the man whose face lit up and seeing her.
"Lottie?" he asked.
"Yes, you're David aren't you? Alex's dad?" he smiled.
"Oh good, you know who I am. I was worried for a minute there you would call the police on me."
"No need, here already" Steve said and showed his ID making Lottie roll her eyes. It was neither the time nor place in her eyes for him to have done that. She'd give him grief on that later.
"What can we do for you?" Steve asked.
"It's about Alex." Instantly concern hit Lottie and she couldn't disguise it.
"Is he ok?" she asked quickly.
"No, he's not. I need your help."