INVESTIGATIONS OF DCI BAXTER AND DR HIDE: THE BURNT CLUE

The Dreaded Office

Amber decided to leave Kirk and David and carry on with her own initiative and go and visit Brain the forensics scientist that she had got along with the best in the station since she was transferred to Bath two years ago. He had told her all about the people who work there and all the people she should avoid in a normal confiscation such as Wallace who she thought she could have worked out by herself.

     The forensics lab was small and clean, the lights were dim which made it dark and three tables where neatly placed down the centre of the room. Two of them had body’s covered in white cloths across them which was always the reason Amber sometimes came reluctant to visit Brain.

     “Amber!” a man chuckled, making her jump. He had walked around the wall at the opposite end of the room. He was wearing a long white lab coat over his big balloon belly. He had a pronounced nose and which sat above a giant brown bushy moustache. “How lovely to see you again would you like the results to the Patterson inquiry?” he asked joyfully. Amber loved his happiness; it was always the thing that made her want to come despite the dead bodies.

     “Yes please, if it’s no worry?” she replied politely.

     “Well there’s not much to say,” he said while walking over to a filing cabinet. He yanked there draw open and it slid out with a screech of the wheels, “he was poisoned I think.” He pulled out a brown file and opened it up. “Yes some kind of chemical venom.” He handed the file to Amber and closed the draw with his hip. It slid shut with a bang.

     “Thank you I will just go give this to Kirk.” She closed the file in her hand and started to walk away.

     “Amber,” she stopped walking, “make sure that you don’t over work with this new job, I know how you get stressed by these things” he smiled reassuringly and Amber smiled, nodded and walked out the door.

     “Baxter my office now!” Chief Inspector Wallace boomed at Kirk while turning and plodding down the corridor. Kirk followed worried about what he had done on his second day. Wallace sat down at his desk with a thud. “Why have I heard that David Hide is here?” He asked calmly which scared Kirk even more than him shouting. “I’m sure you know that he is retired.” He continued without letting Kirk speak. “He is an old man and has no clue what he is doing; if you use his help any longer you will not get this job.”

     “But sir…”

     “Do not argue with me!” he had started to shout now and so Kirk stepped back slowly out of the office.

     “What did he want?” David asked as Kirk closed the door carefully.

     “Go away.” Kirk said walking away from him.

     “What?” David was puzzled. Kirk stopped and turned to David and looked him in the eye.

     “He told me that I couldn’t use your help any longer or I won’t get the job of DCI. Now like I said before go away.” He started to walk away again

     “But you need me, you’re not ready.” David shouted. Kirk grew angry at these words; he felt the rage build up inside him and he couldn’t control it.

     “I don’t need YOU!” he shouted. “I asked for your help so I decide when I don’t need it any longer, not YOU!” Kirk stormed down the corridor not looking back at David.

     He was stopped by Amber but he pushed passed her and carried on along the corridor “You don’t want to know about the forensics report I just got from Brian then, he was poisoned!” Amber shouted after Kirk but he was gone.

     As he sat in the beetle and calmed himself down he thought about what he had said and came to the conclusion that he had suffered enough of David’s showing off and moaning about his car for the last couple of days and could go home and solve the crime himself.

     So he sat at his desk with the files from his car and crossed off people he had met that day that had unquestionable alibis. He also made a list of the things that David pointed out at the crime scene even the empty bin. He even had the piece of burnt paper with the writing of ‘sim’ on, in a plastic bag but he was still getting no closer. He decided to wright out what he could remember from the witness statement. Kirk stared at his many notes into the night but still had no clue and was getting no closer to the answer. Eventually his eye lids drew heavy and he fell asleep onto the many sheets of paper scattered across his desk.