“I did sir,” he replied and produced the brown folder handing it to Jack”.
“Is there any possibility I might loan an office for a few minutes to peruse the contents”.
“Why certainly” replied the Chief Super.
“May I thank you so very much for your cooperation Mr Myers, by the way you don`t sound Welsh”.
“I am not Welsh, I am a Geordie. I applied for this job and the police committee at that time stated they wanted a Chief who was Welsh speaking, I assured them if they would offer me the post I would learn Welsh and so I did. I can speak the lingo the same as the rest but these buggers won`t accept me as anything else but that “ Bloody Englishman coming yer, isnt that a fact Jones?”
“Well sir, I wouldn`t say that”.
“You wouldn’t but I would. T-
-hanks Mr Richards, need any more help in the future, either contact Jones here or myself, I hope you find nothing and don’t think I am being bitchy”.
“I won’t sir and thank you once again; I will more than likely be in touch.”
They left the office and arrived in a room in the ground floor marked interview room.
The final words of the Chief Super were also helpful, “I will put the sign on the door saying do not disturb and I will get Idris the local beat officer to inform Ceinwen you will be visiting. Idris will take you up there, when you are ready”.
“Thank you Chief Superintendent” said Jack and they were alone.
He opened the file and she sat beside him as he turned the pages, on reaching the end he turned to the start reading aloud this time, Ifor Evans, previous occupation building worker, he joined the police three years ago in the month of January. I see three years ago that is interesting, the number of days sick was nil. His conduct was good; he married two years ago there no children.
He closed the file; “some interesting points nothing startling but a start”.
He gave the file to Doris, she put it in her brief case, and they left the office she realised now what the phrase a bag carrier meant. On arrival downstairs, they were met by a uniformed constable who immediately introduced himself as Idris Roberts.
“If you are ready like, I will take you up to see Ceinwen. She has settled a bit now mind”
“Thank you officer” replied Doris and once outside the three climbed into Doris’s car and were off as Idris sitting in the rear seat poked his arm between the heads of the two investigators giving directions left and right not mentioning the Welsh street names assuming they would not understand.
They arrived at the house; it was a typical police house, Jack thought, a square building, square windows, no character, a typical house from the same plan they used in police forces years ago.
Knocking on the door Ceinwen answered, they could hear a shuffling inside and a door bang.
The lady who answered the door appeared to be in her late thirties with blonde hair but from a bottle, she was wearing make up which was smudged on the lips.
“Mornin” was her first word, typical slang thought Jack, mornin not good morning.
She then said “you the investigators into Ifor’s death, bloody strange affair?”
“Yes Mrs Evans”, replied Doris, “I am Inspector Doris Scott-Ling of the Cheshire Police and this is Mr Jack Richards. We are tasked with just looking into the death of Ifor for there were several others similar, nothing for you to worry about”.
“Suspect murder do you?” “Well they said it was natural causes see, I doubted it but what can you do bugger all?”
Jack smiled at the word natrul not natural another Welsh slang word, much to be expected here in North Wales.
“Come in will you?” Asked Ceinwen “the bloody neighbours will be gabbing enough as it is seeing another copper and a man wearing a hat like the old detectives did, always around these parts they were in the old days”
They stepped inside but Doris turned and said, “Thank you Constable Roberts we can manage now, you have been very helpful”.
“I will continue patrol then if I am not wanted like”.
“Thank you once again officer,” said Jack.
Once inside the house he looked around it was typical working class, side board, three piece suite, gas fire, it was basic but clean”.
“Sit down” she said and so they sat on the settee.
“Is there anything you can tell us about Ifor which might not be in his police personal file?” Was Jack’s initial question.
“Like what?” she asked
“Anything unusual, did he say anything to you to indicate that he may have been involved in any crime where someone would wish to take revenge on him. If he had been involved with or in contact with anything or anyone were toxic items may have been involved for instance, say at work?”
“Not a bloody thing butt”, she replied.
“To tell you the truth I didn’t know all that much about him. We hadn’t known each other very long”.
“We met at the end of a Wrexham football match, I was clouted by some Cardiff supporters and he came and arrested the bastard that hit me and after that we got together and bobs is your uncle so to speak”.
“I see” replied Jack, “so as far as you were concerned, during your brief relationship, Ifor was a beat bobby going to work every day on mundane duties, nothing happened of any suspicious nature until his untimely death when he was found sitting in the church”
“That’s it Butt you have it, oh there was a kafuffle over him dying there look you. He sat on a pew at the back it had just been varnished the day before and they were worried as the new lady vicar was coming he may have damaged the finish. Bloody loonies. I haven’t been back there since the funeral”.
“What of the house, is it a police house?” Asked Doris
“Oh hi, but the cops say as there is no recruiting they don’t need the house so they have let me stay. It has been rent free but now I am having to pay but it’s not too bad I do have Ifor’s pension and the housing benefit see, I am thinking of getting a bloody job so I should be Ok”.
“Well thank you” said Doris
They arose from their seats and Jack shook her hand, and said, “I am sorry for your loss, if you recall anything please let me know, here is my card”.
“Thank you” she replied
“Oh” he said, “Is the photograph here that of Ifor?”
He looks rather older than I would have thought”.
Jack had seen Ifor’s photo in his personal file and knew it was not the same man.
“Ah well no, replied Ceinwen “I have another partner see, Sid from next door as was, his wife kicked him out so he has moved in yer.”
“Before you say anything I know its close to Ifor’s` death but he was also spreading it around I suspect".
“Oh he was” asked Doris, “What makes you think that?”
“Well some bloody woman came yer just before he died, knocking on the bloody door for all to see stating she had something confidential to discuss with Ifor.”
“They went outside and spoke for a while, he came back in white faced he was”.
“I bloody got onto to him but the bugger wouldn’t say a word. I wondered if she was up the stick but she never come back yer so heard nothing of it.”
“Two can play at that game so when Sid was stuck I let him move in, saves being lonely you know.”
“Oh, she went on, “please don’t tell the cops they may kick me out”.
“Is there anything else you can tell us about this woman, her name what she looked like?” asked Jack with a now interested tone.
“I don’t know her name but she looked in her mid thirties she didn’t look English but was not a black or an Indian, or a half cast you know the type. If I had, to guess she looked well sort of Mediterranean well tanned but she was a very good looking girl.