The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike) Part 1135 by Angharad Copyright © 2010 Angharad All Rights Reserved.

“Ah, Lady Cameron–that explains things.” The voice I half recognised, the police Superintendent in front of me didn’t.

“Explains what?” demanded the police super.

“Why you have one of your men now recovering from an operation and not waiting for a post mortem.”

“Explain,” demanded the copper.

“I’m the consultant surgeon who has just cleaned up the wound to your man. He should have died–a stab wound like the one he received caught his liver and just missed his spleen. Quick thinking by, Lady Cameron, here, in staunching the wound helped to stop the bleed and save his life.” He winked at me, indicating that he knew there was more to tell but his lips were sealed.

“Well done, Lady Cameron, but what were you two doing in Mr Edwards garden at ten o’clock at night?” asked the senior copper. I explained what I knew and he nodded and hummed and hahd as I told my story. “He is a bit of a workaholic, but why he took you and not another colleague, I shall have to wait for him to tell me.”

“I suppose because I was able to tell him he was looking for a six foot or taller, left handed, red-green colour blind murderer.”

“Much of which fitted him?”

“Yes, so perhaps there are lots of them about.” I shrugged.

“How did he know you were going to be there?” asked the copper relating to the attacker.

“How would I know?” I shrugged again. I mean, if I knew, I’d have told him.

Someone came and spoke quietly to the senior copper and he looked disappointed. “The dog followed his trail across three gardens and it seemed to disappear.”

“Perhaps that was where he parked his car?” I offered.

“Possibly. We’ll have house to house enquiries in that road to check it out first thing tomorrow.”

“Did you find the knife, because I was sure he dropped it when I kicked him.”

“Not yet, of course he might have come back for it as soon as you left.”

“Why would someone want to kill Mr Edwards in the first place?” I asked.

“We’re not sure, and as the investigation is ongoing, I can’t tell you what we suspect.”

“Well I suppose drugs has to be the primary cause of violence these days.”

“That or drink.”

“Is there any record of Mr Edwards being involved with anything illicit like drugs, because he doesn’t seem the type.” I asked the superintendent, hoping he’d tell me a few things before he realised I wasn’t one of his team.

“None, absolutely nothing.”

“So was he trying to stop one?”

“That is the line we’re taking at the moment.”

Tom arrived with my clothes. “Ah, here ye are, fresh clothing fa ye.”

“Thanks, Daddy.” I said and pecked him on the cheek.

“Ye wee yin is greetin’ fa ye.”

“If this gentleman says I can go, I‘ll come home to feed her.”

“Who’ve you got to feed?” asked the super.

“She’s breast-feeding a bairn, so she is.”

“You have a baby to feed?”

“That’s whit I jest said,” Tom emphasised angrily.

“Then you must go, we know where to find you.”

I went off to the loos, washed down quickly and changed into the dry clothing. Tom took me straight home, where I showered and then fed mighty mouth.

“Whit we’re ye thinkin, tae gae oot at sic a time?”

“I know, Daddy, but Toby is a bit impulsive and we had to go now. He couldn’t wait until the morning.”

“At least in daylight, ye’d hae seen thae ither fellow comin’.”

“Well in October he’d have looked a bit odd walking round in a ski mask wouldn’t he? Therefore, people might have noticed what sort of car he had.”

“Dinna believe it, most folk canna remember whit they saw on thae breakfast packet they stared at fa ten minutes this morn.”

I switched the baby to my other breast, “I’m inclined to agree with you, sadly, people aren’t very observant, and only see what they’re told to see or expect to see.”

“Aye, there’s several things on youtube tae show that.”

“Yes, I’ve seen some of them, but it also applies to drivers not seeing motorbikes or bicycles because they aren’t looking for them.”

Tom watched me feeding the baby with a strange smile on his face. “Ye look sae natural daein’ that.”

I blushed.

I took the girls to school the next day and Tom ran Danny to school, where he was asked to keep his eyes and ears open. As he didn’t like the games teacher, he was inclined to want him to be guilty of some heinous crime, and I had to remind him it required evidence and proof.

At lunch time I had a phone call from the headmaster to come and collect him, he’d been discovered looking through Mr Bailey’s things, and was being suspended.

In front of the headmaster, I had to be seen to be angry or disappointed with Danny, but in the car on the way home, I told him what a twit he was to be caught.

“Well you told me you wanted evidence, I was trying to find some,” he protested.

“Danny, you have to think more widely. Bailey might be involved but he’s hardly going to have left evidence lying about in school where others might see it.”

“Let’s go do over his house then, I know where he lives.”

“Danny, don’t you ever learn? If we did such a thing, he’d know where to come looking for suspects.”

“I could wear a disguise.”

“Like what–a false nose and moustache?”

“I dunno, maybe a wig and different clothes.”

“The only wig we have is a girl’s one and the only different clothes are girl’s ones. Don’t tell me you’d be prepared to wear those?”

He blushed like a traffic light. “Okay–I wouldn’t, like, normally, but I might be prepared to get evidence on old Bailey.”

“There is no way you are dressing up in girl’s clothes–end of story.” Having seen almost everyone except Tom and Simon end up preferring skirts to trousers, there was no way I was going to add to the numbers of defectors, especially as Danny had protested his masculinity.

I mused over the facts as I knew them. There was a good chance the school was somehow involved in the circumstances or events leading to Mr Edwards death. However, it wasn’t a certainty. I needed more information, but where to get it? An hour later, I was holding a bag of grapes and sitting by Toby’s bedside opposite Martina, who glared at me.

“Martina, this is Cathy: Cathy this is Martina.” Despite Toby’s introductions we sat and glared at each other. She presumably wanted to talk domestic stuff while I wanted to talk about the case.

“Cathy saved my life, she plugged the stab wound after fishing me out of the pond.” Toby tried to enthuse some affection for me from Martina, who nodded and turned her glower into a grade two scowl. If I disappeared in a puff of smoke she’d possibly smile. What did he see in her? If her eyebrows and forearms were anything to go by, she probably had hairier legs than Kiki.

“Have you managed to put your boy on a gluten free diet?” I asked trying to break the ice.

“Not yet, I’m waiting for the doctor to say something.”

“He could be heading for coeliac disease.”

“I’ll wait to see what the doctor says.” Martina could be stubborn.

“Cathy gets these insights, darling, I think you should see the doctor about it.” Toby tried to bridge the distance which was increasing between us.

“I don’t believe in witches and old wive’s tales,” she snapped back.

“Fine by me, I’m neither–but while you’re at the doctor get him to check out your latest pregnancy, the embryo is looking a little odd.” Two can play dirty.

“What? You’re pregnant?” gasped Toby.

“No, of course not. She’s trying to split us apart.”

“Does Ricky know you’re carrying his baby?” I offered in an innocent tone which was laced with poison.

“Who’s Ricky, darling?”

“I have to go–witch,” she spat at me.

“Is she pregnant?” Toby asked me after an uncomfortable silence.

“Probably, but she’s going to lose it if she doesn’t take care–she’s drinking too much.”

“Shit,” he said loudly and began to sob.