Canonsfield 1 Read online

CHAPTER TWO

  On the previous Monday, The Reserve had stopped the detective inspector as he was about to mount the stairs to the C.I.D. Offices on the second floor.

  "Superintendent wants to see you Mr Derris.

  Alan Derris thought quickly about the reasons for this summons. He was known as ‘Dusty’ to all ranks but this nickname was hardly ever used to his face.

  He knocked on the Senior Officer’s door and when he heard, "Come in," he opened it and went in.

  "Sit down Alan." Horace Carmichael the Superintendent pushed the papers aside on his desk and smoothed his hair back, a mannerism which amused some because he oiled it and it clung to his scalp.

  "Warner is on retirement leave isn’t he?" Warner was one of the two detective sergeants who worked out of the City Headquarters.

  "Yes sir, I have been meaning to talk to you about a replacement."

  "Ah yes..." The Superintendent let the silence hang for a minute. "The Chief Constable has been pushing for a reduction in our headquarters budget and I am wondering if we can do without that position?"

  Derris bridled. "That only leaves Compton sir and there is only one detective constable. He has been sick for quite a while now."

  "Yes I know that only leaves that righteous S.O.B. but it will do him good to get a bit of extra work."

  Derris was only too aware of the reasons for the Superintendent’s dislike of Compton but he said almost in desperation, "I have far too much to do in administration to start doing the street investigations, sir."

  "Well can we get one of the younger uniforms to work with him?"

  "Please let me give that some thought and I will get back to you sir."

  The Superintendent waved by way of dismissal and instead of going along to his own office Derris went downstairs to the front office where he had seen one of the older uniform sergeants named Somers.

  "Angus...." he noticed the guarded look which came into the uniformed sergeant’s eyes. "Have we got any promising young P.C’s that you can think of?"

  The answer was a clipped, "Why?"

  "We may be losing a sergeant’s position and I will have to see if I can find some help for Daniel."

  Like the detective inspector had Somers answered, "Let me think about it."

  When Compton the detective sergeant, came in and caught his eye Angus said quietly, "I shall be in the Swan tonight and I want to talk to you."

  Compton gave no sign that he had heard the quiet comment.

  The smoky atmosphere of the Pub made an ideal meeting place if you did not want to be noticed. Somers passed on the request he had received from the detective inspector.

  "I don’t trust them Daniel. I know they’ve got it in for you so I didn’t give them a name."

  Compton put his hands round the pint glass and hid his annoyance. "Well do we have anyone whose brains aren’t in his boots?"

  Somers laughed. "There is only one. DeVere is in hot water already. Winters is going to put him on the Report."

  "What did he do Angus, make a rude sign at the uniform inspector?"

  Somers laughed longer this time. "Almost Daniel...almost. He went to a disturbance at the Hippodrome. Some of those Teds came up from London and have found somewhere to stay. A lad called Ramsay made a mess of one of them. DeVere put Ramsay in a cab and sent him home. One of the Teds ended up in hospital and Winters thought that Ramsay should have been arrested and charged."

  "Ramsay...he plays for the City rugby team doesn’t he? That’s not all is it Angus?"

  "No... when Winters taxed DeVere about it he asked Winters if he hadn’t been young once?"

  Compton nodded. "Ah I suppose that he will call it insubordination. I think my wife knows DeVere’s mother. They do work for the Church and other good causes."

  "That’s the one Daniel. The father copped it at Arnhem. There were one or two V.C’s won there and by all accounts he should have had one."

  Later at home, Nancy Compton had been a policeman’s wife for a long time and knew how to read the signs. "What’s upsetting you now Daniel? You look as if you could scream the house down."

  Compton had recognised very early on in their marriage that it was no use concealing things from Nancy. She had an abundant supply of common sense and very often could come up with a solution that had never even occurred to him. So he told her.

  Nancy surprised him. "Go out and play in the garden for half an hour. "She took up a half knitted jumper and Daniel knew that this was an exercise that helped her think. Sometimes he almost thought that she went into a fortune-teller's trance as her fingers flew, moulding the wool with her needles.

  When he came in wiping his hands and went to wash them in the kitchen sink, she had laid down the knitting and came to sit at the kitchen table.

  "Laura DeVere is a lovely woman Daniel and we do a lot of things together. I will tell you things that I want you to keep to yourself. They are not sinister things but she would be hurt if she thought that I had told someone. Her husband Rupert DeVere was young for his rank. He took to the parachutists like a duck to water and that was why he got to be Major. Promotions came quickly in wartime.

  Widows do not get much by way of a pension but he had put aside money for the boy to go to Harrow and she had to manage on the rest. Martin their son was always a strong healthy lad and getting up to all kinds of mischief. He was a clever pupil but his run ins with authority led them to ask him to leave. He could have gone to University but he did his National Service and after he came home he decided to join the Police here in Canonsfield."

  Compton had listened carefully and then snorted. "You know why they will be overjoyed if he starts to work with me? They are going to wait for him to mess things up and then lower the boom on us."

  Nancy had resumed her knitting but now put it down and leaned across the table. "Well there you are then!"

  Compton was completely surprised, "What is that supposed to mean?"

  "My old Dad said that you never suffered fools gladly. DeVere is exactly the same. You will do well together."

  Compton was incredulous. "Do you know what you are suggesting? I have got enough to look out for without taking on extra baggage."

  Nancy showed no sympathy, "You need the help...he has brains...and you have been around long enough to keep you both out of trouble."Compton recognised the tone of finality when he heard it.

  Somers passed on DeVere’s name to Derris with a doleful expression and did not have to be prodded to explain why. Derris took the stairs two at a time and sat breathlessly in the chair in the Superintendent’s office.

  "DeVere is a loose cannon sir and might be a bit much for Compton to handle." The Superintendent could not conceal his pleasure.

  "Get it going Alan. Do what you have to and let’s hope DeVere helps me get rid of that insubordinate swine."

  Derris felt that his biggest problem would be to persuade Compton to take DeVere. He was not surprised when Compton said, "I have got to find out a bit about him before I go jumping in!"

  Compton’s real object was to see a uniform sergeant. Winters was the key to his strategy.

  "Well tell me sergeant is there a good P.C.that you would like to get rid of?"

  Winters exhibited the same caution shown by Somers. "What if I do have someone that I think is a disgrace to his uniform?"

  "Tell me about him sergeant. I may have an answer to you troubles."

  Winters embellished the account but made it clear that DeVere would face disciplinary proceedings.

  "Ah that’s a pity."

  "What’s a pity?"

  "I am being asked to take a P.C. to work with me but I am not going to have one who is going to be disciplined."

  He got up as if to leave.

  Winters waved, "No....wait...wait...I haven’t put the papers in yet."

  With a look of studied disinterest Compton said, "You mean that you are going to forget it all if I take him off your hands?"

  "Yes I suppose so but he ought to ge
t something for his conduct."Still," he said brightening, "I reckon it won’t take long for him to get into trouble. You can have him and don’t tell me I didn’t warn you."

  Compton satisfied himself with an inner smile. "Get him to come and see me when he comes off duty."

  DeVere eyed the waiting Winters with the kind of look a householder would give a wayward pet...complete distaste.

  "Go and find Detective Sergeant Compton DeVere. He will be up in the C.I.D. office."

  DeVere climbed the stairs taking his helmet off and smoothing his short hair. "You wanted to see me sergeant?"

  "Yes lad. I haven’t got time to mess about. You can go home and be back here at 9 am tomorrow morning in a decent set of clothes...or you can just report for early turn as usual and take whatever delights Sergeant Winter has got in store for you."

  It took a moment for this to sink in and then there was a determined set to DeVere’s face. "I don’t get much to say in the matter then?"

  "You know enough now how the Services work son. You get told to do something...you do it, in this case though I have given you a choice."

  DeVere turned on his heel abruptly and went back down the stairs.

  When he related this to Nancy later that evening she said, "You were rather hard on the boy weren’t you?"

  "It has to be that way Nancy. I don’t want him second guessing me if he does want out of uniform and away from Winter. With just me to take all the crime arrests and the investigations there is no room for backsliding."

  As there had been when she gave her advice, she felt that there might be no changing the course that her husband had chosen.

  In an effort to show that she would not create an argument she said, "I hope that you will let him help at the Church Gymkhana this coming weekend. I have said that I will find a strong pair of arms to put up the stall for the balls and skittles and run it in the afternoon."

  Compton had not furthered Nancy’s efforts too often but he surprised her by saying, "Maybe I will come and help him."