Chapter 12: Richard discovers he can do it
Summary:
Camille's enthusiastic support has encouraged Richard enough for him to finally close a certain episode of his past life that should be buried and forgotten. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Poole get into a bit of a mess.
Chapter Text
"Look, Richard, here's the result of the coroner's report. She was strangled..."
Richard interrupts her:
"Which we already knew... ..."
But Camille persists:
"From behind."
Richard and Camille had enjoyed an unforgettable night/dream, but now they are back at the station, with renewed strength to tackle Mrs Anderson's murder case.
DI Poole would be happier yet if the ceiling fan worked, but he's content to simply be thankful why he's at Saint Marie. Not only for his work, but also for his happiness.
He is not the unhappy loner Doug wants him to believe.
And he still thinks Anderson had a lot to do with his wife's murder.
"From the back?" replies Richard to Camille's comment. "That confirms the theory of premeditated murder and not just a burglar who came across an unwitting witness."
And so they continue with the case, checking every fact, every piece of information. Richard doesn't want to leave any loose ends.
And they discover that the scarf with which the victim was murdered disappeared a few days before the murder and reappeared the day Mrs. Anderson died.
But, as the forensic report indicates, and with the observations and questions they put to Richard, Camille, Fidel and Dwayne force Richard to see that Doug could not have murdered his wife. Richard has no choice but to start rethinking the case again.
His team has learned quickly, as they ask the same questions Richard asks himself in each case. Inside he is proud of them.
He also knows that Doug is not as innocent as he seems. But this time he's going to look at everything, absolutely everything, with a magnifying glass. Even his former colleague's movements in the UK before coming to Saint Marie.
Doug Anderson is worried. He has seen his former colleague and Sergeant Bordey as they leave the house after questioning his sister-in-law again.
He is frightened and urgently needs to see Dick... Richard. No, Dicky boy! If there's one thing about that ridiculous little man, it's that there's no way of knowing what he's thinking when he's on a case and Doug has never liked that.
So he grabs his keys and heads for the station, but first he'll stop by La Kaz, he needs something to cheer him up. And a drink is always a good idea.
When Doug arrives at La Kaz, this time Catherine is not so nice. She doesn't trust him. Alice and Arthur have told her many things about Richards former life in Croydon that makes her see Richard and Doug differently.
Now she understands her daughter's contempt for this Anderson!
So she decides, while still attending to him, of course, to continue her conversation with Richard's mother. Catherine is able to
reassure Alice, who had become a little tense at the sight of her son's enemy.
Doug, who has already had some of the drink he ordered from Catherine, picks up the glass and walks calmly over to where the two women are talking.
"Now I realize that life here is more relaxed. I always thought Dick was a lonely, boring guy, a stupid zero incapable of getting a woman to look at him even once. But that Sergeant ..."
Doug ignores the anger beginning to show on Catherine's face.
"...that Sergeant clearly wants to move up the ranks fast. You gotta hand it to her, she's no fool. Just by looking at that stupid cop, she knew she could get what she wanted out of him. He's been on his own for his whole life but he must have learned to "relax" in Saint Marie. I can't blame him, not with her!"
Alice stops Catherine from throwing one of the ornaments from the table next to her at Anderson's head and rebukes him.
"Mr. Anderson, I think you've had a bit too much to drink. And you're talking a lot of nonsense. My son is a policeman of integrity who would never resort to certain practices that you seem to consider quite normal, and Sergeant Bordey has the intelligence and ability to climb the ladder, as you say, without sleeping around! What kind of policeman are you? Do you think everyone is like you? I think my husband will have to call the Met to report you. I think they should take serious action there to root out the bad apples of your kind."
Doug is getting angrier by the minute. The day is not going well for him at all.
Now Catherine has calmed down enough to speak, "My daughter is one of the best police officers in the Caribbean, sir. How dare you say otherwise? And Inspector Poole would never take advantage of her in that regard. And, by the way, as of today, you are no longer welcome in this bar."
Doug is furious now.
"Are you going to try to ban me from this bar, ma'am?" He approaches the two women in an intimidating manner. "I'd think about it a little more if I were you!"
And, out of nowhere, he gets a right to the jaw as Arthur, alerted by one of the other customers, has rushed over to protect his wife and Catherine.
Arthur has spun Doug around with a sudden movement and then hit him hard with all his might. He heard the last of what Doug had said about Richard and Camille and saw the threatening move upon his own wife.
When Anderson manages to get up from the ground where he had fallen and looks at his assailant, recognizing Richard's father. They really do look a lot alike physically. At least he'll know who to report when he heads to the station to find out how the DI is handling the investigation.
"I see." Doug looks around and sees numerous witnesses to the assault. "Could any of you give me your names so I can use you as witnesses?"
Absolutely everyone turns around and conspicuously ignores him. They all appreciate Catherine, her daughter Camille and have learned to respect and appreciate Richard and his team.
With a snort Doug turns away refusing to pay for the drink and leaves La Kaz to head, as was his first intention, to his main objective, the station.
Richard's parents must now be added to Doug's list of future problems to his police career.
When Doug sees Poole sunbathing while he has just received one of the worst humiliations of his life, he feels a growing anger. It seems the world has been turned upside down.
"I see how you're investigating my wife's death, Dick! From what I see, it's not the only thing you've learned to relax about."
Richard looks at him menacingly, but calmly. Now that he has decided to put past emotions aside, he is beginning to see the fear in Doug's eyes.
"My methods may be unorthodox, Doug, but I can assure you that my team and I are making progress. We always strive to bring justice to the victims here. Whoever they are."
"You could at least fill me in on what you know. You know that cops help each other. At least that's how it was when we worked together." But now Doug sees that Richard looks at him as if they had worked three and a half centuries ago. How could he not have noticed it before?
"I follow procedure, Doug. And you're not my superior. But you can trust us."
Camille steps out of the station door, "That's right, Mr. Anderson. Our officers are out right now gathering more information that will help us find out what happened to your poor wife. But if you need anything else, don't hesitate to call the station."
Again Camille stands by Richard's side as Doug catches another glimpse of trouble. Doug is sure that Richard is no longer as lonely at night as he thought he was. He almost feels jealous, especially when he takes a closer look at Camille. All the more reason to hate Poole.
And at that moment, the two of them are looking closely at Anderson.
"Have you had any trouble, Doug? Has someone mugged you?" Richard asks him with genuine curiosity.
Remembering his other reason for going to the station, Anderson replies:
"Your father assaulted me, with the support and consent of the owner of the Kaz and your mother."
Camille and Richard look at each other in astonishment. What has happened? Richard knows his father would never hit someone if he didn't have a very strong motive.
"Have you done or said anything to my mother and Catherine that you shouldn't have, Doug?"
"You've changed a lot, Dick. Just because they are who they are, are you going to spare them their punishment?"
Richard and Camille decide to calm down and the DI replies:
"I promise I'll look into what happened, but now let's focus on solving your case, as you so demand."
And so they do. Thanks to a tip-off from Mrs. Anderson's sister, Richard and Camille question Will Teague and his partner, Ronnie. Richard, seeing a leaflet, decides to question Lily, Ronnie's ex-girlfriend.
Lily saw the scarf used to murder Mrs. Anderson in the cupboard in Ronnie's house and thought her then boyfriend was having an affair with another woman. That made her leave him.
And that's how they find out that it was Ronnie who killed the poor woman, but why? An object among the detainee's belongings gives Richard the clue.
And Saint Marie's team sets the trap.
Fidel is absent from the station. Doug asks Richard to leave him alone with the detainee, which Richard refuses, he always follows procedure. He and Camille are called away and they leave the station. But Dwayne, claiming to understand the detective's feelings, allows him to visit the cells.
And Fidel's tape recorder, needed for his Sergeant's exams, reveals the truth. Doug killed Will's wife so that he would inherit the money for Ronnie to start his business in Saint Marie and Ronnie killed Doug's wife to return the favour so that Doug would inherit his wife's money.
Ronnie and Richard's former colleague belonged to the same association of former alcoholics. Arnold Rehab Center. That's where they met.
And Richard was right, his ex-colleague had a lot to do with the murder of his wife and the murder of Will Teague's wife as well.
"Chief, a great victory!" says Dwayne, once the most urgent paperwork is finished.
"Congratulations, sir," says Fidel admiringly.
"Shall we go for a drink at my mother's then?" asks Camille, already grabbing her small purse.
Richard is about to answer when they hear the Commissioner's voice behind them.
"I'm sorry, Sergeant Bordey, but your celebration will have to wait."
"Sir?" asks Richard.
"I'm sorry, Inspector, but although I was in the back room of La Kaz, I also witnessed the disagreement that arose between one of the detainee and his parents, not forgetting Catherine, of course."
Everyone falls silent.
"You will understand that, surrounded by so many witnesses, I have to make sure that your father, Inspector, since he was the one who hit Mr. Anderson, gets some sort of punishment. Although I can understand Mr. Poole's motivations, of course. I probably would have done the same. "
Richard doesn't doubt it for a moment, only that the Commissioner would have been much more careful and wouldn't have reacted that way in the face of so many witnesses.
"I was going to take care of that, sir."
"I suggest you don't be too harsh, Inspector Poole. Although a night in the cell is the minimum for those who commit minor offences obviously brought about by major causes."
Richard swallows output, but keeps his temper. He is really embarrassed and he is not sure whether the Commissioner is serious in this case or not. Well, he never knows what to think with the Commissioner.
"Sir..."
"Richard, I don't mind. I understand that you have to uphold the Law. I'd like to think I haven't taught you wrong, son."
It is Arthur Poole, who at the behest of Commissioner Patterson and accompanied by his wife and Catherine, has come to the station to keep his son out of trouble.
Richard had tried to forget the whole affair, but his conscience was troubling him. Fortunately, Doug Anderson and Ronny have been transferred to Guadeloupe. Of course, hes sure Patterson already knew that.
"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm afraid you're not going to be comfortable in the cells."
"Don't worry, son, this is quite comfortable compared to what I've seen in other police stations. Your mother knows not to worry, I'll be back with her tomorrow."
Alice speaks up, "Don't be ridiculous, dear, if I have to commit some petty crime in order to share a cell with you tonight, I'll do it. Since we've been married, I could count on the fingers of one hand the nights we've been apart and this is not going to be one of those nights."
Camille and Catherine exchange a knowing smile and the DS wonders if Alice doesn't have Caribbean blood in her veins - she really seems determined to get in that cell with her husband!
Richard splutters as the colour washes over his cheeks – these are his parents, for God's sake! But he agrees and, before everyone can smile at the thought of what the Inspector's parents are planning to do, something Richard dares not even think about, he
locks them in the cell he considers most comfortable. Well, not locked, his father has given his word not to escape and he trusts that they will keep their promise.
Catherine, who happens to have brought some fresh beers from the bar and something to nibble on, decides that there is no need to go to La Kaz to celebrate the case, as she does not want to leave her good friend Alice out of the party. And so she joins the "detainees" in the cell.
Richard will try to restore some semblance of order, but he doesn't stand a chance, and deep down he breathes a sigh of relief. It is always better to have a lot of people to prevent what he fears so much from happening. Dwayne and Fidel decide to join the celebration, although in the end Fidel who has to go home to Juliet and Rosie. He also has to continue studying for his exam.
Richard goes out to sit on the veranda and look at the night sky to ponder the mystery of his parents. He feels more and more secure in his relationship with Camille and, taking a small packet from his inside pocket, decides to wait for her, who is probably about to join him to enjoy some privacy away from the hustle and bustle of the station. If only to look at the stars together. And so it happens.
Richard smiles when she looks at him with a smile before sitting down next to him on the seat outside the veranda.
"Did you miss me?" she asks.
"Always. But I think I've devised a system so that we'll always be together. I can only thank God that this little party has formed in the cell, I was scared to death my parents would decide to live out certain fantasies..."
Camille bursts out laughing.
"... Although I have to say that I envy them. I envy the years they've been together, years that I also want with you."
Suddenly she's speechless. Isn't he...?
"I love you. And I can't and won't live without you." Richard says quietly and earnestly. He shows her a simple, antique ring and asks her as solemnly as he can.
"Will you marry me? You know I am yours..."
"...And I am yours, Richard. I love you too, you know that. And I want to live the rest of my life with you too. And, like your mother, there has to be a very, very powerful reason why we don't share every night of every day. Be warned!"
He doesn't blush because he wants exactly what she wants. He delicately places the ring on her finger and kisses her gently and discretely. Rather more discreetly than either of them would like but they ARE sitting outside the station!
And they both hear Erzulie's voice wishing them all kinds of blessings...
Then they hear a throat clearing from behind them.
"I am glad to see that you listen to me when I ask you to be discreet. Congratulations, let me be the first to congratulate you."
As always, Commissioner Patterson is at the right time in the right place. And he is sincere.
Then everyone moves inside the building and the party gets extraordinarily lively, albeit always discreetly!