“Elm Street. You’re going to have to speak to them.” Ruth said, “And don’t look at me, I’m backed up with reports.”
“Everyone is.” Hazel said, about six months of reports that had been re-directed. Now they had to be checked over. The whole things was insane. Not as insane as having to go see anyone at Elm Street, however. “Yes, I’ll see to that, sometime.” Hazel said, ensuring that particular little job went on the back burner.
So she turned her attention to the reports. As inadequate as they were they did offer some kind help. She could construct a rough timeline.
Gloria Kelsey, a divorced woman of forty four years of age, lived at number 8 Keys Court. Hazel knew The Keys as it was known locally. It was an affluent area. Rather nice, expensive houses. It was a cul-de-sac with an enclosed play area at the far end and a funnel shaped entrance that was wide enough to turn round a forty tonne Euronaut lorry. It lay just over the bridge, West of the river.
Gloria had been a photographer. She had a studio on Lenzi Street. GK Studios. Hazel tried to think if she’d ever noticed it. She couldn’t say for certain. As far as she could tell the local police had searched neither the house nor the studio.
Sloppy work, no wonder they couldn’t get a conviction.
Sandra West provided the more reliable information in a very detailed medical report. Hazel had to wade through endless photographs and medical terminology to discover Gloria Kelsey had been fit and healthy right up to the time someone stuck a knife into her neck. Doctor West then went on, in great detail, to explain why the blow was almost immediately fatal. Surgical precision was the phrase she used.
Hazel tapped on her keyboard and pulled up the file on suspect number one, Hannah McShane. Seventeen year old school drop out with a string of cautions for soliciting.
Surgical precision?
Not very likely.
Of course the police didn’t see the blow as surgically precise. To Detective Sergeant White it was a “lucky blow.”
Not lucky for Gloria Kelsey.
Hazel considered. It was possible, she supposed. Gloria had been sitting down at the time. The attack came from behind. It was possible Hannah just happened to hit the right place.
Time of death occurred around one am to two am.
Again….What was happening at that time of night….day…whichever you chose it was an odd time for people to be up and around.
What was Gloria doing?
The medical report mentioned she was sitting down, but that didn’t help. Sitting down, doing what?
Neither the responding officer, nor the arresting one had anything at all to say about that.
Hannah McShane had arrived at the house prior to ten pm. Otherwise the security guard would have seen her.
Would he? Hazel wondered. In his statement the guard, Andrew Simpson, stated he didn’t see her arrive and that he had a clear view of the street. So far as Hazel could see no one had bothered to check on that.
Simpson had not seen Hannah McShane arrive, but he had seen her leave. Just after two in the morning. He saw her running away from the house and called the police.
Hazel couldn’t find a time for the police logging the call. Evidently Simpson had called the local station at Elm Street. Was that standard practice? Hazel didn’t know. Neither did anyone else either as there was no reference to it.
That Simpson hadn’t chased after her was unsurprising. These private security guards looked fine and good on paper, but in the real world they were just private citizens in uniform. They had no powers beyond those anyone had. Also, they were only insured for the area they covered.
If the guard had chased Hannah, and caught her outside Keys Court he could have been injured in the struggle, in which case he wouldn’t receive compensation. Also, if she’d been injured and sued, the company wouldn’t consider itself liable and Simpson would be in serious financial trouble.
Hazel looked to the other eye witness reports. Those that the prosecution had so relied on.
Thomas Mitchell, retired school teacher.
Helen Trent, assistant bank manager.
They both stated they saw Hannah McShane, pursued by the security guard, running down the street. Hazel checked the times, just after two am.
Why were they up?
What made them look out of the window?
Did they know Hannah McShane?
None of those questions and more hadn’t been asked.
“This is all useless.” Hazel said, and looked up at the other detectives, all looking back at her. She sighed and stood up, “If anyone wants me I’ll be doing Elm Street CIDs job.”
“Detective Sergeant Hazel Louise Vernon.” The red haired woman in the business suit looked up at the senior detective from Elm Street. “Who is she and why did you make such a mess of the investigation.” The first part was the question. The second was a statement and not one that went down well.
“What mess? We followed the evidence. We got the girl who did it. We had witnesses. It was an open and shut case. No problems.” Detective Chief Inspector George Raeburn sat back in the client’s chair and folded his arms.
Solicitor Camilla Ruthven let out a long sigh, “As far as I can there were nothing but problems. Hannah McShane was acquitted.”
“Yes, but I assumed you’d have ways to solve that problem.”
Camilla looked at Raeburn for a long time. Then she said, “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, George. Mostly because I’m going to pretend you never said it. You say this McShane girl is guilty.”
“We have eye witnesses. Two of them. Three if you count the security guard.”
“Why wouldn’t we count the security guard, George?”
“I meant we have enough eye witnesses to get a conviction.”
“You didn’t get a conviction though did you. What you got was an acquittal.”
“I know but….”
“I asked around, George. It did take me a while but I discovered it was not just an acquittal. It was a unanimous one. No one on the jury believed she was guilty.” Camilla shook her head. “This isn’t good, George.”
“I don’t see the problem.” Raeburn said. “So she got off, who cares?”
“You have no idea, George. But let’s say more people care than you imagine and those people are very highly placed. We were told, by you, that you had evidence linking the McShane girl to the murder of Gloria Kelsey. We were told, by you, that it was solid evidence. No one could dispute it. Well it seems at least twelve people did dispute it and now the investigation has been kicked upstairs to the Crime Squad. People
