She her herself was a little unkempt for her tunic had ripped open; she removed it causing her to exhibit her uniform shirt, with its rolled up sleeves.
The whole incident took only seconds, when done, all at the charity table looked on in amazement.
Their amazement continued as they looked up and across the wide street to hear a loud cheer from the crowd whilst simultaneously they saw about 150 Chinese tourists no longer filming but all bowing in unison.
Dopey Doris looked, seeing the reaction of the Chinese guests she acknowledged them by returning their bow.
Those non-Chinese people looked on in amazement; the remaining race goers drunk and sober looked, but then quickly went on their way, the first race was due.
Ridwell had heard rumours that this new lady Inspector had tattoos; he had also heard they were very rude items on both her breasts and buttocks.
He now had his doubts at the accuracy of the rumours, for the ones he could see on the inside of her arms were that of a dragon and must mean something, though he knew not what.
He could hear murmurs from the now dispersing crowd some asking the Chinese visitors why they were bowing and receiving the response, “Shaolin, she Shaolin, very honourable person”.
“What’s going on here?” Was the sudden interruption as Sergeant Striker arrived together with four constables.
He was about to bellow but saw the Chief-Constable and changed his tone.
Inspector Doris updated him as to what had transpired and stated that the arrests were down to the new probationer Chris Thomas.
She approached the chief, “Excuse me sir”, she whispered “best not to mention anything to anyone about my involvement here, better to leave it and give the credit to the probationer, Chris Thomas”.
“Why yes, yes Inspector naturally, I am off duty after all, better to keep me out of it also”.
“Did you hear all that Constable Thomas, mums the word as to my involvement?” she said
“Yes Maam”, he replied, his posterior returning to normality from the half a crown sixpence mode.
The first time she recalled being addressed as “Maam” since she had arrived.
A siren heralded the arrival of a large police van and the three miscreants were soon loaded up and gone, so where all the ladies and their gentlemen from the Tarporley Ladies circle, not to the races either but the safety of homes.
Inspector Doris Scott-Ling left the police van went into her office and put on a clean shirt she always kept for such an occasion.
The following Monday morning Woodcock was up and ready for his journey by car to the Home Office in London, his normal meeting with the Chief Inspector of Her Majesty’s Constabulary, other Inspectors and with the Home Secretary. There came a knock on the door when opened it was Sid Watkiss his driver,
“Morning Mrs Woodcock, if you might tell the boss I am here”.
“I will Sid, come in for a drink”.
“No better not just in case we get a call”, replied Sid
”OK Sid I will tell him, he will be out soon, he is making a call I think”.
“Good morning, Police Headquarters Manchester, how can I help you, please?”
“Could I please speak with the Chief Constable?”
“May I ask who is calling please?”
“Yes of course, it is Christian Woodcock, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary”
“Please hold the line Sir”.
“Hello Christian, how can I help, Quinten here, not a problem with our recent Inspection I take it”.
“No indeed Quinten, if they were all like yours my life would be much easier”. I wonder if you might just help me with something”.
“Of course, if I can” replied Quinten.
“It may seem a strange request Quinten but I wonder if you have had any suspicious deaths among your officers recently?”
“I can answer that immediately, no, none at all,” replied Chief Constable Johns.
“Well that is something I was starting to wonder”.
“”Anything suspicious going on Christian or is it Home Office bullshit statistics again?”
“No, it doesn’t matter, if you haven’t had a death amongst your officers especially in the young, fit and healthy that is it”.
“No nothing suspicious here, in fact the only death we have had was a natural cause.
A young officer from the mounted branch collapsed and died at Chorlton Lake some short while ago.”
“Nothing to suggest it was a crime, no injuries, we did think at first it was a suicide by drowning but it turned out to be natural causes some type of rare heart attack.”
“Oh I see, interesting”.
“Is there a problem Christian?”
“Anything I ought to know about”.
“No nothing at the moment, thank you for your help”.
The call ended.
Sid Watkiss a retired police traffic officer who showed no visible eye problems had been driving the various Inspectors of Constabulary for that region for five years so was not only a very experienced driver but knew the routes to most places, more importantly he knew the ropes of the job so to speak.
He guessed but did not comment that although his current boss Mr Woodcock had not said much about the deaths of these young officers seemingly fit and well albeit recorded as natural causes he was likely to raise a question or two.
Chief Constable Quinten Johns did not like problems or any suggestions of large enquiries or work.
He had no leave planned so anything likely to blow up would fall to him directly not his deputy or assistant.
He turned over his telephone contacts book, picked up the phone and dialled the number.
“Hello Chief Superintendent Mary Harris”
“Hello Mary the Chief here, may I ask if there were any further brick bats from the death of the mounted officer, sorry I don’t recall his name, it was a male officer I think?”
“Yes Sir, Rick Masterton, no nothing. The Coroner was happy with natural causes; he signed the death certificate as natural causes.”
“The welfare officer visited the next of kin, the funeral went ahead Ok as you recall, and we picked up the bill, as it was death on duty. No sir all straight forward is there a problem?”
“No Mary, no it’s just something the HMI mentioned but in view of what you say it is nothing, I am sorry to bother you.”
“No problem sir”, she replied
The call was ended, Quinten Johns could relax once again after all he had only had a passing brief on the case involving this Rick fellow.
The normal meeting at the Home Office went well and on completion, the normal final question put by the Home Secretary, “Gentlemen and ladies anything under any other business?”
There was silence for a moment then Woodcock spoke “There is one matter it may be of no relevance whatsoever but due to its unusual nature I thought to raise it”.
“By all means Mr Woodcock please do,” replied The Right Honourable Royston Bentley, current Crown Minister for Home Affairs, or Home Secretary for the more uneducated.
“Well Sir, ladies and gentlemen, during my recent inspections of the forces in my area it was casually brought to my attention that several uniformed police officers have been found dead whilst on duty. There are I admit no suspicious circumstances in any case”.
“No injuries or circumstances to indicate foul play or that any crime has been committed. The cause of all the deaths after post mortem was natural causes.”
“The officers, from different forces, as far as I am aware were not connected with each other.”
“They were apparently all young and were fit and well but died of some rare heart complaint covered by the medical term sudden “Adult death syndrome”.
“The heart has a disturbed rhythm and no blood circulates so death ensues. There is no cause for this”.
“I just have a feeling there might be more to this than meets the eye. It’s just my intuition but I feel it is worth looking into even though I have no evidence”.