INVESTIGATIONS OF DCI BAXTER AND DR HIDE: THE BURNT CLUE

Everything Explained

Kirk woke up the next morning with back ache from uncomfortable sleep and neglect of his rage. David was right, he wasn’t ready yet. He didn’t know what he was doing; he needed Dr David Hide to solve this investigation. He looked at the time on his watch and saw that it was midday and quickly gathered up all his things and swung his coat over his shoulders awkwardly while walking towards his front door.

     He jumped in his car and turned the key violently to make it work. The engine sprung into life with a noise that sounding like it was in pain. He headed towards David’s house fast; to apologise. Then he slowed down and thought about his smug face when he tells him and considered weather this was still a good plan but then remembered how far he was from the answer and needed David to find it for him so carried on.

     When he parked outside the house gate he saw it was left open slightly again as though he knew he was coming. As he approached the house he saw David sat on his front door step sipping a cup of tea. “I knew you would come at some point.” He shouted to Kirk. He saw that he had the smug look on his face that he hated. “Took your time though but gave me enough time to go through the case in my head.” Kirk sat down on the step next to him.

     “I fell asleep at my desk thinking about the case but I couldn’t get an answer.” He admitted.

     “So I was right then you need me because you’re not ready yet? I have been meaning to tell you that when I say that I mean that all DCI’s need time to get ready and one day you won’t need me but at the moment you do” David said with a hand on Kirks shoulder for comfort. “Is there any other information you were told that you might need to tell me?” he asked.

     Kirk thought about what had happened at the station and remembered having something shouted at him by Amber. “Yes I forgot about that.” He announced. “Forensics told us he was poisoned.”

     “Thought so…” David wounded allowed getting up and walking away. “Do you still have everyone’s files in your car?” He yelled behind him but went so quickly he didn’t let him answer.

     As Kirk walked back to his car he thought about the information that he had just remembered. He then remembered about the Simon Andrews. He kept snakes and one had poisoned a little boy. He had no alibi and had a massive motive. Also on the burnt piece of paper was the word ‘sim’ which could have been the word Simon.

     When Kirk got to the car he expected David to be waiting outside but he was sat in the passenger seat reading through some files. Kirk got into the car and turned to David. “How did you get in?”

     “I stole your spare key when I came to wake you up yesterday but that’s not important. I have worked it out, I know who done it.” He said with a smile.

     “So have I.” Kirk stated proudly.

     “In that cases then you know that we need to drive to ‘Simeon medical laboratory’” Kirk turned quick with shock and surprise and David continued. “You thought it was Mr Andrews didn’t you?” He laughed quietly to himself.

     Kirk wasn’t sure that any of the evidence pointed towards anyone but Mr Andrews but he trusted David’s judgement and he was intrigued to find out what he had to say so he drove to the laboratory like he was told. On the way David phoned Amber and told her to meet him with the police at the lab.

     When Kirk got to the lab he parked the beetle in the middle of the car park and they both got out and ran towards the building. Kirk was in front and pushed the door inwards with a force and bolted through it, followed by David. As he approached the laboratory he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. The chemist was sat at the white table in googles with a pipette in one hand.

     “Stop what you are doing and remain calm.” Kirk boomed as he entered the room. The woman dropped the puppet and jumped up. Kirk ran to her and grabbed both wrists putting on the handcuffs with a click. “I am arresting you for the murder of John Patterson.” David entered the room panting. “You do not have to say anything. But if you do it may harm your defence,” Kirk froze and thought about what else to say, “if you do not mention when questioning something which you later rely on in court.” He panted like a dog.

     “Anything you do say may be given in evidence.” David finished for him while sitting down on a stall, catching his own breath.

     Amber burst through the door followed by a few police men and to their surprise Wallace. “Arrest the old man.” Wallace ordered. David did not resist because he was too tired.

     “What are you doing?” Kirk asked in shock.

     “I told you not to ask him for help and so I am charging him for wasting police time. Now either you give me the reason for this arrest or I will let this woman go free.”

     “But if David tells you then he can’t be charged for wasting police time sir.” Amber questioned.

     “Don’t get involved or you won’t be made DI.” Wallace pointed a sausage like finger at her.

     “Amber is right sir you need to let David prove his use in my investigation.” Kirk stated. Wallace stood still thinking for a while and then waved his hand to the officer holding David. The officer let go of him and now that David had retrieved his breath he coughed to clear his throat.

     “At the crime scene I found: two holes in the victims neck, possibly a bite; an empty metal bin; the table had been cleaned with an antiseptic wipe; there was a burnt note in the fire.

     “Now on this note read ‘sim’ because the rest of the word was covered by an ink spill. We assumed ‘sim’ meant a name like Simon but it did not.”  David began to pace as he spoke.

     “When we came here yesterday we thought it was a mistake which it was but Amber got the name when she read Miles Lumley’s file and put it on our list by accident. The chemist here today is Jacky Blake, the mum of the boy that Miles murdered. When Jacky had found out that Miles was going to be let out of prison she went mad and phoned Mr Paterson asking him to help but he would not do this for free and she got extremely angry.” He stopped walking and looked carefully at Jacky and then continued.

     “If you’re wondering how I know this it’s because I went to the crime scene and checked the answer phone. Kirk thought it was Mr Andrews’s snake that did this but it was not but actually don’t forget that snake, it is linked.

     “With a very angry Jacky now planning a murder she decided to practice her murder on a small boy in a pet shop where it could be framed on a poisonous snake. The poison she had is pretty obvious, she made it here in her lab and it worked perfectly on the boy so she decided to use it on the lawyer but the lawyer was an adult and this means he could resist the poison you injected into his neck.

     “Our witness told us that she saw him come home drunk but he wasn’t drunk he was poisoned. But he was still alive and Jacky panicked so she followed him home. In the state he was in he tried to write a note to tell us who the murderer was but all he could remember was the company name on your lab coat, ‘Simeon’. So that is what he wrote. He must have been in pain so he brock the pen and the ink spilt all over the desk and he through the pen in the bin. Now this is when Jacky walked in with a second douse of poison which she injected next to the first in his neck, hence the two marks. She saw the note on the table and decided to burn it. She put the broken pen from the bin in her lab coat pocket; which is the one you offered me yesterday. Also yesterday you cleared up the stuff I spilt on the table with an antiseptic wipe just like the one you used to clean the ink from Mr Patterson’s desk.

     “Finally you emptied the rest of the bin in the fireplace to start a fire and when you heard Mrs Juppe coming you quickly stamped out the fire and hid. So from all that, we now know you killed the lawyer!” He shouted pointing to Jacky Blake who was being restrained by Kirk.

     Wallace started clapping. “Very good, take the murdering scum away.” A police officer took Jacky from Kirk and left the room with a struggle and Wallace walked out with them.

     “Do you think he will let us have the jobs now David?” Amber asked.

     “I’m more worried about what he is going to do to my pension for interfering.” David replied sounding worried.