The Cop Killer (2 page)

With that, before he could look up, Ted saw the helicopter hovering in front of him, then more or less instantly two men dressed in black jumped from it, in spite of his panic he could clearly see both officers were not only armed with what appeared to be rifles but they were pointing them at him”.

At any moment he anticipated the white round light flashing on his chest reminiscent of all those Hollywood movies he had seen, never thinking one day he would be the target.

He stopped and the next thing he heard

“Driver, leave your vehicle hold you hands in the air”

He did exactly, as he was told.

“Now walk four steps from your vehicle and lie face down on the floor, arms and legs spread apart.

He responded exactly as he was instructed thinking how foolish he had been driving off and how wise old Eric had been scampering away at once.

He didn’t have much time to ponder for in a moment there were two armed officers standing over him one with a rifle pointing at him and about 3 inches from his head, a boot on his neck.

The other officer was now placing handcuffs on his wrists both arms then unceremoniously forced them behind his back.

He was lifted and semi carried, dragged call it what you may to the waiting helicopter and unceremoniously thrown inside. He was sure he heard the pilot calling in.

“We got this bastard on board sir, bringing him in, who is the custody sergeant today?

 “Tom Striker”, came the reply

“Ideal” was the reply to that.

“Who the hell, Tom Striker” was he had no idea, in moments they were airborne and his wonderings would soon be answered.

Arriving at the car park of Chester City Police Station the chopper came to a stop though its rota blades still continued to rotate at that the same steady pace and the whirling and wind almost blew Ted Salmon off his feet as he was unceremoniously assisted to the ground.

A uniformed sergeant arrived and took hold of Ted from the officer in the helicopter. The officers called out something, which Ted had not the slightest idea what it was, due to deafening noise and swirling wind.

It appeared to make little difference for in moment, the helicopter rose and was away and poor Ted still in a daze was ushered through various doors inside the building.

Interview room was the first thing he recalled seeing and once inside the Sergeant who so far had not spoken removed the handcuffs.

Ted could see the name badge “”Sergeant Striker, Custody Officer”.

“Sit there you bastard” were the first words Striker spoke. “You shit head” were the next.

“What have I done wrong?” Were Ted’s initial words, “Why have I been arrested?” his second.

Neither of which were answered.

The door opened a young constable arrived and stood by the door but did not speak.

“Now you sit your arse down there Mr Salmon until you are needed”, said Striker, “You Constable Ross, stand there watch him, but don’t speak to him, don’t give him anything and don’t let him do anything, clear enough?”

“Yes Sergeant”, came the reply.

Striker left the room, the officer simply stood there like a robot as he had been directed to do.

At Chester, emergency hospital Doctor Khan the casualty officer, fresh from India was reading when the door opened and staff Nurse Vera Johnson arrived.

“Doctor would you please come and just certify these two bodies?".

“Yes oh, Velly Well” and he rose and followed the nurse through the casualty department and outside the front door.

“Where we go naase,” he asked in his broken English.

“Into this ambulance, with arriving dead cases the doctors certify inside the ambulance”

“Oh I see, Velly well”

The two mounted the steps leading into the rear of the ambulance and Khan was immediately taken aback for there in front of him lay two uniformed police officers.

He hesitated for a moment

Sally spoke first, “Yes it is unusual doctor, the first time I ever recall two such young police officers ever being found dead”.

“It looks like natural causes, a heart attack,” replied Sid Rowlands the paramedic.

Khan did not speak, but he produced his stethoscope, and then proceeded to drop it on the floor forcing him to bend to retrieve it.

This invoked every confidence of those present as to his lack of professional ability. He opened the officer’s tunics and shirts and then felt the neck of each one.

He raised his head and said

“Well they are both dead that is for sure, I can’t see any marks of violence and their faces look at peace, yes it might well be just two coincidental deaths but I never heard of such a case, no indeed. I will fill in the death certificates as natural causes but it is strange, very strange”.

“Oh well doctor”, interrupted Sally, “you can’t complete any form just certify death, in the UK here it will have to be reported to the Coroner and there will have to be a post mortem”.

“I see” said Khan “in India if we had post mortem for every sudden death the pathologists would be working twenty fours hours seven days a week”; He laughed and left the vehicle.

“We will take the bodies to the mortuary Sister, will you notify the police of the up date”, said Jim Edwards appearing not to pleased at the flippant remarks of Doctor Khan when dealing with two fellow emergency service workers and two men so young at that, still he thought just the standard the NHS is getting these days.

“I will phone the police headquarters and update them”, replied Sally as she also left.

She went inside reached for her phone and looking on her desk pad soon found the number of the police headquarters, why she had the need to look always mystified her for over the years the number of times she had telephoned. It was mostly on Saturday nights during the drunks and yobs celebrating hours. She should know the number off pat, and she did, but still looked.

“Police headquarters can I help you?”

“Yes this is Sister Sally Johnson, Chester Hospital. Just to let you know we have received the two dead police officers”.

“The doctor has certified death, there doesn’t appear to be any injuries and it does look like natural causes”.

“Both bodies have been placed in the mortuary by the paramedics I presume you will be sending someone to continue the matter?”

“Yes, thank you sister someone will be along shortly, thank once again Sister”.

PART TWO

THE NEW ARRIVALS

She had parked her car walked across the square and was amused by the numbers of buskers there were in such a small area, fiddlers, saxophone players and singers of worsening degrees. She entered the city police station and approached the desk staffed by a rather chubby woman displaying a badge, “Ethel Counter Clerk”.

“Hello” she said with a smile “are you the new lady Inspector we have all heard so much about?”

“Famous already “thought the new arrival, “Now I wonder why that would be?"

“Come through” said Ethel now sporting a mug of tea or coffee in one hand and holding up the counter hatch with the other.

“I am very pleased you have arrived at long last, I hope you can brew tea?”

The new arrival appeared not to hear the comment for her eyes were transfixed on the tall, slim sergeant she could see standing in an office marked Inspector. 

She arrived, knocked on the door causing the Sergeant and the Chief Superintendent from the crown and chevron on his shoulder seated at the desk to look up.

“Ah yes, Miss Ling it appears, the new shift Inspector, I am Chief Superintendent Craig Denton-Smyth, this is Sergeant Tom Striker”.

Striker nodded his head, did not speak but winked at the Chief Super and left the room giving the new arrival a snigger as he looked up closing the door.

“Ah, now then Inspector Doris Scott-Ling”.

He hesitated, looked at her, then down at the file on the desk, it was open, clearly, he had been referring to it when speaking to Striker.

“You have finally arrived and on Friday the 13th very apt I think”

“Ah”, he continued, “mixed race are we?”

“Yes sir, my father is Chinese my mother is white stock Welsh from North Wales, is that a problem for you?”

“No, no, Ling, just watch your tone I am just about to ask you something operationally useful, do you speak the lingo, which would be very useful here?”

“I speaky English, Cantonese fluently and Welsh a little.”

“Um we are a clever one, but you may not know, yet, but Chester is frequented by thousands of tourists each year many are Chinese, you know, armed with their cameras, you likey picture takey”, which caused him to burst out laughing.

He composed himself and saw her staring face, though she said nothing after her first rebuke, her time would come she thought.

“I have checked your file and was just saying to Striker”

“So he had either discussed or worse shown her personal file to or with Striker, way out of line from her understanding of Police Regulations

“By the way your father, he doesn’t own businesses here in Chester does he, you know the usual takeaway places that give us so much bloody hassle”.

“No sir, he doesn’t” she replied.

“What then?” he asked, looking up.

“He owns British China Aero Industries,” she said

“You mean the new international company which manufactures rocket engines”.

Before she answered, he said, “Come to think of it there was a big thing in the press recently, of the new Pandas donated to the Zoo here, he gave those I take it?” He exclaimed

She answered, “Yes that one. Don’t worry he doesn’t live in Chester city centre, he lives in Goldstone Mansion, aptly near Chester zoo” she replied with an inward smile and thought. “He gets on well with the Pandas and of course the monkeys”

 He looked into the file again and then with a smile said

“I see you were privately educated”, mumbling “you would be”

“You obtained straight “A”s in what I still call your “O” levels and “A” levels, then went to Manchester University and obtained a degree in law, Oh very impressive an honours, oh I see”.

She made no comment.

He turned over a page, looked up once again and said, “You joined the police a year ago on the new Government direct management entrant scheme”.

“You attended a six-month basic training programme with the Metropolitan Police then a further six months at the Police College at Bramshill, successfully completing the junior command course, all very impressive”.

“Thank you sir”, she replied

“No practical police experience though have, we?” He said and smiled with a hint of sarcasm.

She had no opportunity to reply for he spoke yet again.

“I will make it plain Miss Ling, when the Chief-Constable spoke with me and told me you had applied to transfer here on leaving Bramshill I was to be frank not very happy about it.”