INVESTIGATIONS OF DCI BAXTER AND DR HIDE: THE BURNT CLUE

Many Motives

Kirk felt a firm hand shake his shoulder and he slowly opened his eye lids. The light from the window burnt his eyes and made the room blurry. He could feel that his glasses were not on his head. He made out the outline of a short man watching him, David. “Had a late night? The door was left open.” David asked.

     “Something like that yeah.” Kirk said sitting up, stretching his arms and yawning. He lent over the side of his bed and started tapping the floor looking for his glasses.

     “Looking for these?” David asked. “Your eye sight is truly terrible.” He said handing them to Kirk. He put them on his head and looked around. David was wearing a new shirt, this time white with light blue buttons and the same trousers and burgundy blazer.

     “Why are you here?” Kirk asked getting out of his bed and standing up.

     “I’ve got the list you asked Amber to make and thought we could get started on visiting the suspects.” David replied getting a piece of paper from his pocket.

“Can you wait in your car, I need to shower and get changed.”

     “My car? I use public transport. Do you want me to wait on a bus?” David asked sarcastically. Kirk got his keys out of his pocket and through them to David.

     “Wait in my car then.” Kirk said starting to get a little frustrated.

     David closed the door carefully behind and shouted, “At least I didn’t slam it!”

     Once he was changed and showers he locked his front door and ran down the stairs to the exit. Kirk through his long grey coat over his shoulders and got into his car. “Right then who’s first on our list?” He asked.

     “Have you been watching the news?” David inquired.

     “Yes.” Kirk answered puzzled by the sudden change in subject.

     “Well then we are about to go to see Miles Lumley.” Kirk swallowed hard at the sound of the criminal’s name.

     Kirk had heard on the news recently that Miles Lumley had been released from prison after a murder charge. The newspapers had been debating for weeks whether they should have let him go and why they did. Many news reporters had stated that his sentence had not passed yet but he was still allowed to walk free.

     He stopped the car outside a semidetached Edwardian looking house. They got out of the car at the same time and slammed the doors shut. They both advanced on the criminal’s house. David banged on the front door. The sound of somebody bolting down some stairs was heard and then the door opened slightly. A little boy pocked his head around the corner.

     “Do you happen to know where Miles is?” David asked the boy while bending down to have his head at the boy’s height. The boy disappeared.

     “Miles there are some men at the door to see you.” The boy shouted. Kirk pushed the door and stepped inside while searching his pocket for his police ID.

     “Who the hell are you? Get out of my mother’s house!” a man said aggressively coming out of a door at the end of the corridor. The man was tall and muscular. He had an apparent square chin. This must be Miles Lumley. Kirk got out his police ID.

     “DCI Baxter, police.” Kirk said calmly pushing past Miles. “We just need a word.”

     Kirk sat down on a wooden chair in the kitchen and pulled a chair next to him and kicked a chair towards Miles who was now standing opposite. “Sit.” Kirk ordered. David sat down on the chair next to Kirk.