The Blackmailer Part 4
Below is the final part of my story, The Blackmailer. For Part 3 please visit http://newauthoronline.com/2013/06/15/the-blackmailer-part-3/
The doorbell rang. Charles put down the Daily Telegraph and went to answer it.
“Mr Meyers?”
“Yes. How can I help you officer?”
“I’m sergeant Colins and this is constable Payne. May we come in?”
“Of course” Charles said opening the front door wide to admit the two policemen. Charles lead the way into his study.
“Please take a seat. Can I offer either of you tea or coffee?”
“Do you know a Mr Thompson?” sergeant Colins asked disregarding Charles’s question.
“Yes he came to see me in my office yesterday” Charles replied.
“Why did he come to see you sir?”
“He claimed to have compromising pictures of me with a young lady and threatened to send them to my wife unless I paid him 500,000”.
“He was blackmailing you sir?”
“He tried but when I asked to see the photographs he refused to show them. I got suspicious. I don’t believe that there are any such photographs so I told him, pardon my language, to go and fuck himself”.
“What happened then?”
“He left saying that he would send the pictures to my wife”.
“How did you feel about that sir?”
“As I said I don’t believe there are any such pictures so I wasn’t overly concerned”.
“Blackmail is a crime. Why didn’t you report it to the police sir?”
Charles raised his eyes heavenwards
“Because I had no evidence. If I’d reported him he would have denyed it and given the lack of proof you gentlemen would, quite naturally have taken no further action. Why the interest in this Mr Thompson?”
“Where where you last night between 6 pm and around 12 am sir?”
“I was in the local village pub, the Fox and Hounds. I got there around 6:30 and I don’t know what time I got home but it must have been after midnight. Ah, I remember hearing the church clock chime midnight as I was walking home so it must have been just before 12 when I left”.
“Can anyone confirm that you where there sir?”
“What is this? I don’t like your tone sergeant, am I being accused of something?”
“Just answer the question sir”
“I got into a heated discussion with Bob Jones one of the biggest landowners around here. He was bemoaning the ban on hunting with hounds. I told him that I hate blood sports and he accused me of being a townie who didn’t understand the countryside. The landlord had to intervene as Bob had his fists clenched and was ready to clobber me! I’m not saying anything else until you tell me what is going on or if you won’t do that then I’ll be calling my lawyer”.
“There won’t be any necessity for that sir. Mr Thompson was found with his throat slit yesterday evening.” Charles’s expression didn’t change.
“You don’t look surprised sir?”
“Of course I’m shocked but a man like that must make a lot of enemies. I guess he must have tried blackmailing the wrong man or woman”.
“Indeed sir” the sergeant said dryly.
“I’m sure you will catch whoever is responsible” Charles said.
“Oh we will sir” the sergeant replied. He wasn’t at all convinced that they would be able to identify the perpetrator but he could not say so.
It had been a professional hit. There where no fingerprints in or around Mr Thompson’s home other than his own, those of his cleaning lady who was on holiday abroad so could be ruled out of the investigation and those of Amanda Jenkins who’s state of shock on finding the body appeared to be genuine. All documents had been shredded in Mr Thompson’s electric shredder and the remains burned on a bonfire in the garden outside. Even the best forensics would be unable to piece together anything from the smouldering embers. They had found Mr Thompson’s laptop or what was left of it strewn across the living room floor. Someone had taken a drill and a sledge hammer to the machine comprehensively destroying the hard drive and rendering the recovery of data literally impossible. The only leads the police had where the list of calls made by Mr Thompson. His mobile had gone the same way as the laptop but constable Payne had been able to obtain a list of numbers called from Thompson’s telephone provider. There where many numbers and plenty of leads to be followed up, however Colins had a gut feeling that they weren’t going to solve this one. Everyone they had interviewed had a motive for wanting Mr Thompson six feet under but all of them had cast iron alibis. Sergeant Colins sighed
“Thank you for your time sir, I don’t think that we need detain you any more”.
“Charles lead the way to the front door.
“Any plans for the rest of the day sir?” the sergeant asked.
“Oh I’m off into London in an hour to meet a friend for a drink”
“Well enjoy your drink sir. I hope you are taking the train and not your car?”
“Of course sergeant I’ll be taking the train” Charles said smiling, “Goodbye gentlemen” he said closing the door behind them.
Charles glanced at his watch. He would have to leave soon in order to be on time for his appointment with big Jed one of Croydon’s most notorious gangsters. He hated dealing with such people, they where thugs but Charles knew that the world was imperfect and that Big Jed was expecting payment for the little business Charles had asked him to conduct on his behalf.
The end
