Chapter 1 Crime scene
It was a Friday night. Rain drops came falling out of the grey sky. The blood got swept away, her clothes were soaked by the rain. “No doubt about it; she’s murdered.” Inspector Bourne concluded. Sergeant Willis agreed with him. “Yes sir. It’s kinda obvious, don’t you think? I mean, it’s not like she could’ve cut her own throat.” Bourne nodded. “Exactly.” Bourne walked around the body of an unknown woman. “I take it the cause of death is the cut on her throat, Simpson?” Bourne asked the police doctor. “No,” Simpson said. “She actually died by a gunshot in the back of her head. See?” He lifted the woman up a bit, so Bourne could see it. “Oh yes, I see.” Bourne slightly backed away. “There was a struggle at first, as you can see the bruises, then she got beaten up with probably a baseball bat or something like it, as you can see the big red and blue marks all over her chest, then she got shot in the back of the head.” Simpson pointed at the bruises. “Aha, do you know if the weapon has been found yet?” Bourne asked. Simpson nodded. “Yes, the sergeant over there has bagged it.” He pointed to a sergeant who was holding a large bag. Bourne nodded as a thank you and walked over to the sergeant. “Sergeant…,” Bourne looked at the name plate. “Rashman, you have the weapon I presume?” “Yes,” the sergeant said and handed over the bag. “Thank you. Simpson, Willis, do I see you at the bar in an hour?”
Bourne was sat at the bar when Simpson and Willis came walking in. He took a last sip from his Martini, then picked up the guitar that was stood on the floor. “You’re late.” He said, then walked off to the stage with Simpson and Willis right behind him. While taking their places, Simpson was explaining why he was late. “My girlfriend wouldn’t let me go. She was all going dramatic about how alone she would be if I’d go.” His face went pale after he said the last word. With his eyes fixated on the audience, he continued. “So I told her to go out with some friends. And she did, she’s sitting in the audience.” He pointed into the audience, after which a girl waved. Simpson waved back and blushed a bit. “Oh, so that’s Mary!” Willis said excitedly and also waved. Bourne smiled. “C’mon lads, we have to start now.”
They played a few cover songs, got an amazing applause from the audience and left the stage. Bourne was sat at the bar again. He felt like thinking so he wasn’t sitting at the table with Willis, Simpson and his girlfriend and her mates. He had the file of the murdered woman in front of him. “Well, well, well… who do we have here? If that isn’t James Bourne.” A mans voice said. Bourne turned round to see who it was. “I thought you were in prison for the next five years, Fletcher.” Bourne said. Bourne had arrested Fletcher for several serious crimes and was sentenced to 7 years prison without parole. “Yes, but I was behaving good, so they let me go two days ago.” Fletcher said with a mean grin across his face. Bourne was taking advantage of his early release. “Fletcher, do you know this woman by any chance?” Bourne opened the file and took out a picture. “No, who is it?” Fletcher asked. “This is Kathy Johnson, she was murdered this morning in an alley in the North of London.” Fletcher’s eyes widened. “I don’t know her personally, but a friend of mine was close to her. If I recall correctly, they were having rows about some kind of drug deal. But that’s two years ago.” Bourne nodded in understanding. “And who is this friend of yours?” Fletcher was clearly getting slightly nervous. “Can I tell you this confidential? Cos if he knows I gave his name to you, I’m practically… dead.” Bourne nodded again. He got his notebook out of his pocket. “Joe Cannon, he lives just outside of North London. In one of those old apartments. The ones that are going to be taken down next month. He lives at number 213.” Bourne wrote everything down. “Thanks Fletcher. I better be going now, my wife ain’t gonna like it when I’m home late!” Bourne poured the last sip of his Martini into his throat, picked up his guitar and left the bar.
Bourne made himself a cup of hot chocolate, drank it, then went upstairs to creep next to his wife in bed. Just as Bourne had found a comfortable position to fall asleep in, his wife, Ruth, woke up. “It’s 2am James. Where have you been?” She didn’t move and it looked like she was talking in her sleep. But Bourne knew better. “I walked into Fletcher, you know, that guy I arrested last year. The one that..” Bourne wasn’t able to finish his sentence. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about him?” Ruth was lying with her back to Bourne. “Well, I’m on this murder case and wondered if Fletcher knew the woman that has been murdered. I ran into him at the bar.” Bourne held Ruth by her waist. Ruth grabbed his hand and turned around to face him. “I’m pregnant James, I took a pregnancy test and I’m pregnant.” She looked at him with no expression on her face. She was hiding her happiness, not sure how Bourne would react. “Well, that’s a surprise… I’m going to be a daddy?” Bourne asked in disbelieve. Ruth hummed a ‘yes’ and saw Bourne’s mouth slowly changing into a smile. Ruth laid her head on Bourne’s chest. “I’m going to be a daddy…” Bourne mumbled and fell asleep peacefully.
Chapter 2 Visiting Joe Cannon
The next morning, on Saturday, Bourne was rude awakened by a phone call from sergeant Willis. “I heard you talked to Fletcher last night, Bourne?” Willis asked, wondering if Fletcher was a useful source. “Yes, and I was planning on visiting his friend Joe today. And you are coming with me. See you in an hour in my office, Matt.” Bourne hung up the phone and got out of bed, trying not to wake Ruth. “Where are you going? It’s Saturday for Gods sake.” Too late, Ruth was a very observant person, even a mouse sneezing could wake her. “I know it’s Saturday, Ruth. But I have to go to work. This is not some random case, this is a murder case.” Bourne rudely said, while dressing himself and walking from the bedroom to the bathroom. Ruth followed him, “As long as you will be home at six, my parents are coming over for dinner, remember.” She said to him, straightening his tie. “Yeah, yeah. See you tonight babe.” Bourne kissed his wife on the lips, hurried downstairs, practically slammed the door and then remembered he forgot his keys to his car. “Ruth? I forgot my keys…” Not a second later the front door opened and Ruth was standing there with his keys in her hand. “I knew you would forget them.” She laughed and gave him another kiss. “At six, James Bourne. Or else I’ll come and get you!” Bourne waved at his wife and drove off the parking lawn.
“What are you so cheerful about, mate?” Willis asked, as seeing Bourne walking in the office whistling a cheerful tune. “Don’t tell me you already got the person who killed Kathy Johnson…” Bourne shook his head laughing. “No, I’m going to be a father!” Willis’ jaw dropped. “I thought Ruth was infertile? This is a miracle, James. A miracle! Congratulations mate. When did she tell you ?” Willis asked, shaking Bourne’s hand. “Last night, she was practically having a go at me for coming home so late and then she just blurted out she is carrying our child.” Bourne’s eyes sparkled and there was a huge smile across his face. Then his face became serious again. “Anyway, that Fletcher told me last night in the bar that a friend of his was very close to Kathy Johnson. He also said that they were fighting about a drug deal two years ago. But I guess that isn’t useful anymore. But, I do think it’s a good idea to see that friend of Fletcher’s. His name is Joe Cannon, lives just outside the North of London in those,” Bourne waved his hand up and down, as if to say ‘you know’. “grubby apartments. The ones that are going to be taken down next month.” Willis nodded. “Oh yes, my grandmother just moved out of there.” Bourne looked a bit weird at him. “Hi, people. Am I interrupting an important conversation here?” Simpson, the police doctor came walking in. “Not ever, Charlie. Please come in.” Bourne said. Simpson closed the door behind him and handed over another Kathy Johnson file. “In there are all the wounds, causes etcetera. The large bruises indeed were from a baseball bat, so you were right James. The small bruises are from beating up. Someone with a signet ring, probably with ‘J.C.’ engraved in it.” Bourne had been listening carefully to Simpson. A signet ring with ‘J.C.’ engraved in it. Could that be Joe Cannon? Bourne and Willis excused themselves that they had to go.
“What number was it again?” Willis asked Bourne. They were on the right floor, but couldn’t find the right door. “213. Oh, here it is. Come on Matt.” Willis walked over to Bourne and knocked on the door. After a minute the door was opened by a tall, big man with a stubble beard. He had a golden necklace, a golden watch, but still lived in a grubby place like this. There just wasn’t something right. He was wearing a white vest, with stains all over it. His black trousers were hanging on his fat hips, keeping them up with a leather belt. “Inspector Bourne,” Bourne took out his badge and showed it to Joe Cannon. “And this is sergeant Willis.” Bourne pointed to Willis, who did the same as Bourne and took out his badge. “Are you Joe Cannon?” The man looked from Bourne to Willis and back. “Depends on why you want to know, my friend.” “It’s about Kathy Johnson, my friend. Can we please come in?” Without waiting for an answer Bourne pushed the man aside and walked in the apartment. Cans of beer, pizza boxes and dirty clothes were spread over the floor. The furniture had tears all over it. “What about Kathy Johnson?” Joe asked curious. “Kathy is dead, Joe. She’s been murdered yesterday morning. Now where were you at the time of the crime, that would be between 6 and 9am?” Joe was thinking for a minute or two. “I don’t want to get myself as a suspect, but the last time I saw Kathy was yesterday morning at six. She came in yelling at me and rushed to the phone to make a call. I don’t know to who, though.” Joe shoved his feet on the ground. “I really didn’t kill her, believe me. I loved her.” A tear rolled down Joe’s cheek. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand. “Ok, is there anyone that can confirm that Kathy came out of this apartment alive?” Joe looked up, at Bourne. “Maybe my next door neighbour has heard something. I don’t know. We were the only ones in my apartment at that time.” Bourne grabbed his notebook out of his jacket again and began writing. “Oh, and do you have a signet ring with ‘J.C.’ engraved in it, by any chance?” Joe shook his head. “Well, I had one, but someone stole it. I think it was Holly Crompton. I accidentally slept with her when I was drunk. I always take off that ring before I go to sleep. And so I did then. The next morning Holly was gone and so was that ring. I never saw Holly again, of course.” Bourne scribbled something down on his notebook. “Thank you, Joe. That was it. Have a nice day.” Bourne put on a fake smile and Willis and him left the apartment. “Let’s go to that neighbour.” Bourne said. Willis knocked on the door and the door was opened immediately after his knock. A skinny young lady had opened the door. “Yes?” Bourne and Willis took out their badges again. “Have you heard something going on here yesterday morning around 6am?” The girl opened the door a bit more, Bourne’s eye fell on the signet ring she was wearing. It had ‘J.C.’ engraved in it. “Yes, I heard a woman screaming to Joe to ‘fuck off’ and ‘get out of my way’. Nothing more.” Bourne again wrote everything down. “And where did you get that signet ring from?” Bourne asked. Willis was looking confused, then he saw the signet ring the girl was wearing. “My boyfriend gave it to me last night.” She quickly hid the ring behind her back. “And who may your boyfriend be?” Willis asked. “Fletcher,” Bourne began writing again, but when he heard ‘Fletcher’ he stopped writing. “Can I have that ring please? And do you know where Fletcher is at the moment?” The girl pulled the ring off her finger and gave it to Willis, who put the ring n a plastic, see-through bag. “He’s probably working right now. At the factory.” With that, the girl closed the door and Bourne could hear here lock it. “What a nice girl.” Willis said sarcastically. “Yes. Now, Matt… can you bring that ring to the forensics? I want fingerprints and let them check it on blood.” Willis nodded his head and walked out of the building together with Bourne. Bourne dropped Willis off at the office, then he went straight to the factory to see Fletcher.
“Where can I find Fletcher?” Bourne asked to the first person he saw, coming in the factory. “The sixth machine on the right. That’s his place.” “Thank you,” Bourne said and walked to the sixth machine, to find Fletcher working hard. “Oh God, what do you want now? I haven’t done anything!” Fletcher said as soon as he saw Bourne. “What a warming welcome again Fletcher. I’m here to ask you about that signet ring you gave to your girlfriend. How did you get it?” Bourne asked. “Oh, so you’ve been to my girlfriend. Long live the privacy!” Fletcher said sarcastically. “I was at the bar last night, when a girl gave it to me. I think her name was Holly. She said she had to get rid of it.” Bourne wrote every word down in his notebook. “Ok, thank you. Oh, and where can I find this Holly?” Bourne already was on his way to walk away. “She works at the bar. Blonde hair, not very tall, bitchy appearance.” Bourne nodded and walked away. He had to get home quick. It was almost 5pm, and he still had to get ready for that dinner with his in-laws.
Chapter 3 The hunt for the truth behind the ring
“Finally! I thought you’d never come home.” Ruth sighed as Bourne came in. Ruth took Bourne’s jacket, Bourne himself ran upstairs to shave, shower and dress himself properly. After half an hour he yelled for Ruth’s help. “Ruth! Can you please help me with my tie?” Ruth laughed walking up the stairs. “We’ve been married for 5 years now, and you still can’t do your tie yourself. You’re pathetic James.” She teased. Not a minute later the doorbell rang. “That’ll be them.” Ruth said, rushing down the stairs again. Bourne slowly walked down the stairs, greeting Ruth’s mother with a kiss on the cheek and shaking Ruth’s fathers hand. Bourne hated his in-laws; they were always too nice in Bourne’s opinion and he was sure they talked about him behind his back. Bourne lead Ruth’s mother to the dining room. “Thank you, James.” She said, Bourne got shivers down his spine from her talking. After a couple of minutes, when everyone was eating, Ruth dropped her fork and knife on her plate. “Mum, dad. I have an announcement to make.” Bourne’s in-laws both put their fork and knife on their plates and listened to what Ruth had to say. “I’m pregnant.” Bourne knew there was a burst out on its way. “What?! But I thought you couldn’t have any babies! And I don’t want to be a grandmother at my age! I’m only 62!” Ruth’s mother screamed. “Well, I have nothing to do with you! I’m keeping it and you can’t stop me.” Ruth kicked the chair on the floor and ran upstairs. “I think it’s better if you two leave now.” Bourne said, in his most nice way. He turned his back to his in-laws, then walked up to the stairs. He found Ruth crying in the bedroom. Her tears were soaking the pillow. “How could she say that? I thought she was happy for me…” Ruth blubbered. “Hey, it’s ok. It’s our baby, not theirs. If they don’t want to see this baby, then they can just fuck off.” Bourne tried to reassure. “I love you James.” Ruth said, getting up from the pillow. “I love you too, hun.” Bourne hugged his wife. He could hear his in-laws leaving the house. The father was yelling to the mother that she had to shut up, the door slammed and they were gone.
“I’m really sorry, sweetheart. You probably won’t believe it, but I need to go the bar for the case.” He let go of Ruth. “What? Why?” Ruth asked, wiping away her tears. “As I said, it’s for the case. A girl works there that I need to talk to.” Bourne explained. “Oh, can I go with you? I promise I won’t get in the way. I don’t want to stay home alone now.” Bourne nodded. “Ok, but please don’t mingle in our conversation.” “I promise.” Ruth smiled weakly. She checked her make-up and left the house with Bourne.
Ruth was sat at the bar, sipping her drink while Bourne was looking for Holly Crompton. He heard from the manager that she was on her break at that moment, so he walked over to the break room. Holly was sitting there, sipping her coffee, all alone. “Hi, James Bourne,” getting out his badge. “You’re Holly Crompton?” The girl put down her coffee cup and shook hands with Bourne. “I have a few questions about the murder of Kathy Johnson.” The eyes of Holly became large. “I heard you had given a ring, a signet ring to be exact, to Fletcher?” Holly shook her head. “Why?” Holly looked down in her coffee cup and took another sip. “Cos my ex-boyfriend gave it to me. And Fletcher looked like a nice guy, so I gave it to him.” Bourne nodded. “Yes, but Fletcher said that you wanted to get rid of it.” Bourne tried to get a confession, as he thought that Holly had murdered Kathy Johnson. “Yeah, so I wanted to get rid of it cos I broke up with my ex! And if you think I murdered Kathy something, I didn’t.” Holly was becoming angry. “Ok, but when did you get that ring?” Bourne kept on questioning. “Well…,” Holly blushed. “He gave it to me yesterday. I think it was around 11am. I walked into our apartment when I caught him polishing that ring. The sink was all covered in blood. He said he had just cut himself. He gave me the ring because he wanted to marry me.” Bourne nodded again. “Go on, when did you brake up and why?” Holly sighed. “Immediately after he asked me to marry him, he confessed having another girl. So I ran out of the building, still wearing that ring. I found out I was still wearing it when I arrived at work, so I gave it to Fletcher.” This could get interesting, Bourne thought and went on questioning. “Did your boyfriend say how the other girlfriend was called, or how she looked like. Did he have a photo?” Holly took the last sip of her coffee. “Would you like to have some coffee too? Cos I’m getting some more.” “No, I’m ok.” “Ok, well. Joe didn’t…” Bourne cut her off at that point. “Did you say Joe? Joe was your boyfriend? Joe Cannon?” Holly nodded. “Can I go on? Thank you. Joe didn’t say her name, he didn’t say how she looked like, but I did see a photo of her in his wallet.” Bourne got the picture of Kathy Johnson out of his pocket and gave it to Holly. “Is that how she looked like?” Holly looked at the picture. “Oh my God, yes!” “Well, that’s Kathy Johnson, the girl who’s killed yesterday morning.” Bourne explained. Then the manager came walking in the break room to tell Bourne that there was someone on the phone for him. Bourne excused himself for a second, then picked up the phone behind the bar. “Bourne here.” He said. “Hi, it’s Willis. A guy just came himself turning in. He says he killed Kathy Johnson. And it’s not Joe Cannon or Fletcher. He looks like a wanderer.” Willis explained. After a short ‘ok, thank you’, Bourne hung up the phone. He walked back to Holly. “Sorry, I have to go now. Thank you for your time.” Bourne shook Holly’s hand once more, then left the room to go and pick up his wife. “Did you find something out?” Ruth asked while being dragged away from the bar. “We have to go to the office. Someone turned himself in, saying that he killed Kathy Johnson.”
Chapter 4 The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
“You can wait in my office, Ruth.” Ruth nodded and walked over to Bourne’s office. Bourne himself went to Willis, who was waiting in the interrogation room. “James, this is Roy Cave. He says he murdered Kathy Johnson.” Willis explained to Bourne. “James Bourne, inspector.” Bourne introduced himself to Roy Cave. “Why did you murder Kathy Johnson, Roy?” Bourne asked, while sitting down next to Willis. “I needed money, and she looked loaded, so I first beat her unconscious with a baseball bat, then robbed her. But when I saw she was still alive, I cut her throat with a knife I found in her bag. I mean, come on. I’m just a homeless person that needs money. But I don’t want to get in prison for it.” Bourne was confused. “Then why did you turn yourself in?” He asked. “Cos I thought it would be perfect; free food, a roof above my head.” “Ok, we need your fingerprints and the stuff you stole from her.” Bourne said, taking the man out of his seat. “James, we already have his fingerprints. And he already gave us the stuff he stole. He’s the one.” “Ok, but what about the bruises on her body with that ring marked in it?” Bourne asked Willis. “We phoned Joe Cannon and he confessed he had beaten Kathy that day, just before she left his apartment.” Then Bourne heard Ruth screaming his name.
“James! Hello?! JB? Wake up!! We have to get on stage in half an hour, man!” Matt shook James from side to side to get him awake. James opened his eyes slowly. “What? We have the guy mateage, just let me sleep. I’ve had two very long days. Tell Ruth I’ll sleep at the office.” Matt looked at James, thinking James was going nuts. “James man, it was only a dream. Now, come on!” Matt left the room, leaving James in confusion. “Oh God, it really was a dream…” James stood up from the couch he was lying on, when a police badge fell off his lap…