Stranger Dead

Chapter 20

It was the following afternoon before they saw Robert again. Sarah had gone over to the farm to escape her mother who had so many questions that Sarah had grown tired of answering them. Both of them had been to the police station in the morning to make a statement and Sarah had handed in the documents that they had got from Spikes’ study. They’d been a bit the worse for wear having spent some time in her shoe, but were still easily legible. They had also handed in the two boxes of diamonds.

Robert was finally able to clear up the mystery that had set everything in motion - the body found in their garden.

“Spikes has asked to make a deal. He has agreed to tell us everything he knows in exchange for a lighter sentence. Obviously we can’t guarantee this, but told him that we would make sure that the judge was made aware of his cooperation. He is only a middle man, a cog in the wheel, but if he can lead us to the next link up in the chain, eventually we will be able to shut down what appears to be a well organised diamond smuggling ring.

His problems began when a member of his organisation, a guy named John Turner, was supposed to deliver those two boxes of diamonds to a customer. Unfortunately for Spikes, Turner decided to double-cross him and steal the diamonds. We still don’t know why he chose our garden to bury them in and, as he’s dead, I guess we never will. In time Turner’s luck ran out and Spikes caught up with him. At first he refused to tell Spikes where the diamonds were, so Spikes poisoned him and told him that he wouldn’t get the antidote until Spikes had his diamonds back. Needless to say, Turner couldn’t show him fast enough!

Both Spikes and Turner came over to our garden during the middle of the night to retrieve the diamonds, but Turner died from the poison before he could dig them up again. As it was close to getting light, Spikes grabbed the spade Turner had been using and left, intending to return the next night with another one of his skivvies to dig up the diamonds. That plan backfired because we found the body, causing his return to be too high a risk for him. Then, of course, you dug up the diamonds and before he could take any further action the box company was on the ‘phone telling him that the boxes had been found. The rest you know about from your involvement.

When we went over to his house and Spikes opened up his safe, there were ten boxes of diamonds in it with a value of close to a million pounds. From your tip off we also found the documentation in the filing cabinet and we have confiscated his laptop as evidence. He’ll be on his way to gaol before too long.”

“I’m relieved it all turned out OK,” said Darren. “When I consider our actions now, in the cold light of day, I wonder that we actually got away with it.”

“That was only possible because Spikes is not the most intelligent of men. He is not stupid; he just didn’t think things through very well before he acted. This could so very easily have turned out differently. He had already murdered Turner, even if it was unintentional, and you two could have been the next to go. Once criminals have murdered once they find it very easy to do it again. The official police view of your actions is a double-edged sword. I’ve been asked to thank you for informing us when you did and enabling us to tackle a diamond smuggling ring that we previously knew nothing about. However, I have also been told to warn you, most severely, never to take the law into your own hands again, but always to involve the police as soon as you have any suspicions.

There’s also one more thing. There is a reward for the return of all those diamonds to their rightful owners. It won’t be paid until the case is fully wrapped up, but an amount of a hundred thousand pounds has been mentioned which, I believe, you two will share between you. But please, Sarah, promise me that you will never do anything like this again.”

Sarah grinned at Robert. “As long as we don’t find any more dead bodies in our garden, the opportunity shouldn’t be repeated.” However, Sarah had to admit that she had enjoyed the thrill of the chase and if the chance came again, well, who knows, she might just be tempted.

“Just one more thing though,” said Sarah. “Darren, get the jewellery that came off the body please. Robert, there are some items of jewellery that Mum took off Turner’s body while you were ‘phoning the police that morning. I think they should be returned to his next of kin, although how you are going to explain them without dropping Mum in it I don’t know, but I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

THE END