DISCLAIMER:
This is a story. None of the characters in the story exist and the events that take place are purely imaginary.
Thanks to all of you who have emailed me with comments and told me how much you enjoyed the first 'John' story. This is the second one and there are more in the pipeline, although there may be a delay as I'm on vacation for the next few weeks.
WARNING:
Do not read this story if you are in any way offended by acts of a homosexual nature.
Do not read this if you are under the legal age for accessing adult sites.
Always indulge in safe sex.
Chapter 9
Across London in the Hampstead Heath pub, Andy Laurie was working alone in the bar. It was the quiet period between the end of the afternoon rush and the after work early drinkers. Andy, Kenny and Phil each took a break during this period but were each available if, for any reason, the pub got suddenly busy. This particular day, it was very quiet, only a few of the older regulars had stayed on through the afternoon. In addition, the odd passer-by had come in, but it was not really busy and Phil and Kenny were resting. All this changed dramatically when a stranger walked into the bar. The newcomer was tall, young, good looking, blond and was wearing a casual shirt and very tight jeans that showed a very large bulge at the front and snugly fitted the young man's shapely buns. The stranger was carrying a small overnight bag with him with a strap over his right shoulder.
As soon as he saw him, Andy felt a thrill of excitement pass through his body and his groin began to tingle with excitement. Although the young barman was more than contented with the sexual activity he was enjoying with his two other colleagues, Andy was still a young man and he retained a thirst for the excitement and novelty of casual sex. The stranger walked up to the bar and Andy stared at the piercing blue eyes, the long straight nose and the sensuous lips and nearly missed hearing the man's drink order. The newcomer ordered a pint of bitter and Andy failed to respond immediately as he was so wrapped up in checking out the young man. To his absolute disappointment, the customer offered the barman the correct money for the drink and Andy could only watch as the handsome man walked back towards a vacant table and sat down, allowing his bag to slip down his arm and placing it carefully beside the table. Over the next few minutes, Andy continued to check out the stranger, but every time he looked across at him he got caught in the steely blue-eyed gaze of the object of his desire.
Andy was quite relieved when his stint alone behind the bar came to an end and Kenny took over. The horny younger barman whispered to his lover that there was a real hunk sitting at one of the tables. Kenny grinned and said to his young partner,
"And I expect you'd like to take him in the back and have fun with him, wouldn't you, you randy sod?"
Andy nodded and walked slowly into the back of the pub where he held a similar conversation with his boss, Phil. The landlord went to the door of the bar and took a look for himself and then came back to say that he could understand why Andy was so excited by the stranger but advised his young employee to get something to eat and concentrate on his job serving drinks once the early evening rush began. Andy did as he was ordered but was delighted and concerned when he returned to duty and found that the stranger was still sitting at the table. As soon as Andy entered the bar area, the stranger looked across and their eyes met and the barman felt a second wave of excitement pass through his body, especially when he noticed that the man was coming back towards the bar. The stranger spoke again,
"Another pint of bitter, please and can you tell me whether there is a public telephone in here? My mobile does not seem to be working and I'm supposed to be meeting someone here and he hasn't turned up. I thought I might try to get hold of him."
Andy poured the pint and thought to himself that if the mystery man's appointment didn't show up then he would be more than happy to `get hold of' the stranger, but he said out loud,
"Unfortunately, the phone in here is broken but you can borrow my mobile to make the call if you want. If you want privacy, I'm sure the landlord wouldn't mind if I took you into the back."
The customer smiled warmly at Andy and replied,
"It's not all that private but it is rather noisy in the bar area, so, if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to take you up on your offer, thanks."
The young barman smiled back and looked across at Phil who was serving at the other end of the bar and called out,
"Is it OK if I take this gentleman through to the back he needs to make a private phone call?"
Phil nodded and Andy led the stranger through to the living area and showed him in and then handed him his mobile phone. As Andy turned to go, the young customer stopped him and, with a broad smile on his face, stuck out his hand and said,
"This is silly. My name is Jason, Jason Smart. Please call me that, all my friends do."
Andy shook hands with Jason and said,
"And my name's Andy Laurie. The other barman is Kenny Watson and the landlord is Phil Lloyd-Williams. I hope that you will become a regular here, now you know all our names and also realise how nice we are!"
Jason smiled back and said,
"I think I probably will, at least as long as you three are serving here. You all seem so nice and made me feel most welcome. I'm new around here, just down from the North having got a job in Central London. I'm supposed to be meeting my boss tonight but maybe I'm in the wrong place. I'll call him and find out."
Andy started to leave but felt unable to resist saying,
"I think you're in just the right place and I hope your boss thinks so too. Even if he doesn't turn up or he's somewhere else it's getting a bit late to go far tonight. I hope you'll stay here and have a few drinks and then head home."
Jason stopped dialling,
"That's the problem. I was supposed to meet my boss and go with him to my new accommodation. If I don't catch up with him, I'll have nowhere to stay tonight. And at the moment he's not answering his phone, I'm in a bit of a hole."
Andy saw the problem but said,
"Well, maybe so, hang on here a moment, I'll be right back!"
Andy wasted no time in getting back into the bar and telling Phil and Kenny what Jason had just told him. It did not take the randy young barman long to convince the other two that they should offer the homeless young man a bed for the night. It was quickly agreed that Phil and Kenny would sleep in one bedroom and Andy and Jason could share the room with the two single beds in it. Andy disappeared to the living quarters to tell his new-found friend what he and his friends had agreed. Jason was looking depressed and worried when Andy returned and said triumphantly,
"It's sorted! You can stay here, provided you don't mind sharing. Kenny and Phil will take one room and you and I can have the other. It's single beds, so that's OK, isn't it?"
Jason grinned backed at Andy and looked suitably relieved and then said,
"It's fine! I wouldn't have minded if it had been a double bed. Sharing a bed isn't something I normally do, but if I had to with you, that would have been alright!"
Andy bit his lip as a third thrill of excitement coursed through his body and he imagined what might have been and what might still happen if he played his cards right. Trying to sound calmer than he was the young barman said,
"I better get back to work. Why don't you just leave a message for your boss and tell him you're fixed up for tonight and will meet him tomorrow instead. Come through to the bar when you're ready, your pint will be waiting for you."
As soon as Andy had disappeared, Jason did as the young man had suggested and left a message on his new employer's answering machine. The handsome young man then walked back through the bar and went back to his seat having picked up the pint Andy had left on the bar for him.
The evening seemed to drag on but eventually closing time came and with the usual amount of cajoling, the regulars and casual drinkers were persuaded to leave the pub and go home. This left the staff and Jason in the now empty bar. Phil suggested that Jason might like to go through to the living area but the grateful young man happily offered to help with the clearing up as a `thank you' for the kindness he had been shown. With four pairs of hands doing the work the job was quickly over and when it was finished, Jason picked up his small bag and walked through to the back of the pub. Soon, the four men were settled back in the living quarters and Phil offered everyone a nightcap.
The three friends and sexual partners talked in the casual way that people who live together often do but made sure that Jason was not excluded from their banter. Jason, who was not unaware of the chemistry between the other three men and had not missed the casual checking out he had received from the other three men all evening, happily joined in the conversation until Phil wearily looked at his watch and said,
"Well it's getting late and we've all got work tomorrow, including you, Jason so I think we all ought to go to bed! I'll check that everywhere is locked and secure, give our guest and Andy time to get settled in before we finally turn everything off."
Andy nodded and thanked Phil, as did Jason who again carefully picked up his bag and followed the young barman out of the room and towards the bedroom they were to share. On the way, Andy pointed out the bathroom and toilet and then showed his handsome roommate where the towels and other necessities were kept. Once inside the bedroom the young barman pointed out that bed that Jason should sleep in and sat down on the other one. The blond man sat down as well and started to remove his shoes and socks. Andy did the same, as this would enable him to have a very good view of the well-filled crotch of Jason's jeans. The horny barman could feel his cock begin to stir in his own tight trousers and wondered how he would be able to get undressed with a raging hard-on. Even though he had done so, Jason gave no sign of having noticed that Andy was still checking him out and proceeded to continue to get ready for bed. The newcomer peeled off his shirt and Andy saw that Jason has a ring through one of his nipples and this made the barman's cock twitch even harder. Jason grinned at his new friend and said,
"When I told you earlier that I would not have minded sharing a bed with you, I wasn't joking. I'd like to thank you in some way for your kindness and I don't have much to offer, but I noticed you looking at my crotch and checking me out earlier. I also got the impression that you, Kenny and Phil are more than just employer and employees. This pub is very close to Hampstead Heath. Looking at you, I'd say you've spent a few evenings up there cruising the place and getting a fair amount of customers! And now, I notice you are still checking me out and that you can hardly take your eyes off the nipple ring. Would you like to take a closer look?"
Andy did not know how to respond but allowed his heart and cock to lead him and he stood up and moved towards the other man and he mumbled,
"Yeah, I've been quite few times out there but since we moved in with Phil, Kenny and I haven't had to go out so much. However, I'll tell you what, I never met anyone as good looking as you up there. I'm going to really enjoy myself and bring you pleasure if you let me!"
The blond did not reply in words but smiled even more encouragingly at the horny barman. As Andy leant forward, Jason went backwards onto the bed and the young man fell on top of him and began to hungrily lick the flat chest and to suck the nipples and nipple ring. This activity made Jason's nipples go rigid and as Andy continued his oral assault he brought a moan of pleasure from the recipient of his advances. Andy breathed in the intoxicating smell of Jason's body and allowed his tongue to range around the chest and slowly follow a line of fuzzy blond hair towards the top of the young man's trousers. The horny youngster stopped momentarily to lick and suck the area around Jason's belly button and then Andy attempted to use his tongue to explore further but could not penetrate far beyond the waist of Jason's jeans.
Not wanting his friend to stop Jason manoeuvred himself into a position so that he could release the catch on his jeans and given Andy better access to what lay beneath. The now very randy guest also used the opportunity to remove Andy's shirt, which Jason pulled quickly over the young barman's head and threw onto the floor. The momentary break gave the horny youngster a similar chance to get into a better position and, still leading with his tongue, Andy pushed the jeans further and further down until he had completely uncovered Jason's bulging crotch which was now covered by some silky underwear. The length and hardness of Jason's dick was clearly outlined in the tight underwear and a small wet patch indicated that the horny blond was more than a little excited by Andy's oral assault. Andy was turned on by the fact that the object of his desire was still shrouded from his view. The horny barman licked the full length of the rock hard cock from balls to tip through the increasingly translucent material that covered it bring further moans of pleasure from Jason. The young blond was now lying back on the bed and trying desperately to find a way of releasing Andy's cock from the confines of his tight trousers that were bulging and straining with the hardness of Andy's erection.
Noting that his partner wanted to get access to his cock, Andy paused for a moment to unzip and release his trousers and turned slightly so that Jason could easily pull them down and reveal the throbbing cock. The young barman quickly resumed the oral exploration of Jason's crotch. The horny youngster saw several wispy strands of blond hair sneaking out from the waistband of Jason's silky underwear and slurped his tongue over them before moving his lips down to engulf the well-defined head that was still covered by the underwear. Andy was convinced from what he could already taste and feel with his lips and tongue that his partner was cut. but would not be absolutely certain until he finally removed the silky covering. As the young man's lips engulfed his cock head, Jason moaned and said,
"Fuck!! Yes!!! Suck my cock head through my underwear!! Lick my piss slit!! Make the silky material slimy with your saliva and my pre cum!!"
Andy needed no further invitation and did as he was asked. At the same time, Jason began to move the young barman's body around so that he could have access to Andy's tight hole. Using his tongue and then his wet fingers, Jason showed his partner that he was equally keen to give pleasure as he prepared Andy's hole for a good fucking. Feeling the silken tongue and wet fingers invade his tight love shute, Andy knew that the moment had come to fully expose the object of his desire and gently pushed the wet silky underwear down off Jason's throbbing prick. As soon as the tight material had released it from its confinement, the rock hard, arrow headed cut cock sprang up and Andy felt it slap against the side of his face. Very gently, the horny barman pushed the cock flat against his partner's stomach and then licked the complete length with his tongue and teased the sensitive underside with his lips and teeth. Working with his fingers and his tongue to widen and prepare Andy's hole, Jason moaned quietly as he worked and was rewarded by the sound of his new lover responding with sounds of pleasure.
Both men were getting very excited and turned on and Jason reached into his bag and handed Andy a condom which the barman took and carefully unrolled over the head and shaft of the beautiful dick that he had been sucking so lovingly. In one deft movement Andy swung himself around and hovered for a moment before sliding his body downward onto the rampant cock that was being held in position beneath his winking hole. Jason gave out a slight sigh of pleasure and Andy an equally delighted moan as the head of the blond man's cock engaged and entered the love channel. Andy's well greased and thoroughly prepared hole opened easily and soon the young barman had slid down so that he was sitting in Jason's crotch and completely impaled on the blond man's throbbing dick. Jason reach across and took Andy's cock in one hand and gently rolled the foreskin on and off the glans as the young man wriggled slightly as he got into position to ride up and down on the rock hard cock inside him. Jason flexed his cock head and shaft deep inside Andy's love shute and looked up at the horny young man and said quietly,
"Fuck that feels so good, Andy!! My prick feels so at home inside you!! Fuck me long and slow!! Make me cream the inside of your guts, Andy!!"
Andy smiled down at his new lover and said in reply,
"Yeah, Jason, it feels so good to me too!! I'm going to give you the ride of your life!! I want to feel you throb and cum inside me as I shoot my load for you!!"
Wasting no more time, Andy began to slowly raise his body so that the whole of Jason's shaft emerged from its dark recess and only the head remained locked inside the youngster's body. At the top of the up stroke, Andy paused for a second before lowering himself again until Jason was fully and deeply inside him. Slowly and steadily, Andy build up the speed with which he moved up and down on Jason's rock hard cock and it was clear that the young blond was beginning to lose control. Attempting to wank the barman in time with the up and down thrusts became increasingly difficult as Jason allowed his body to take over and Andy could feel the prick deep inside him begin to harden even more as it prepared to unleash the pent up ball juice.
Jason began to thrust up to meet Andy's downward thrusts and the horny barman called out encouragement,
"Oh yes Jason!! Fuck my hole!! I want to feel you cum inside me!! Go on, baby, Fuck me deep!!"
The blond man found it hard to respond but managed to grunt,
"Yes, Andy!! I'm going to cum right inside you very soon!! Hold it tight!!! feel it throb!!! I'm cum .. mmm .. ing!!!"
Andy thrust down one last time and gripped Jason's cock shaft as it throbbed uncontrollably before going completely still. After a very short pause Jason's cum shot from his piss slit and Andy could feel the spasms as each jet thudded out accompanied by a more than satisfied grunt from Jason. Just as the torrent inside him was beginning to subside, Andy cock began to shoot his load and several jets of spunk flew in a great arc that landed with a loud plop on Jason's naked chest. Despite his exhaustion, the horny barman could not help leaning forward as Jason's cock slowly softened inside him and Andy licked his warm cum from his partner's chest and nipples. The youngster offered some of the spunk to his partner who greedily licked the offered fingers clean and smiled in appreciation of Andy's great efforts and said,
"Thanks, Andy, that was fantastic!! The best fuck and the most satisfying cum I've had in years!! You are a great kid and your jizz tastes really good too!!"
Andy was ready to lay down and sleep but before he did so he said,
"You have a beautiful prick, Jason!! The best I've had in a long time!! Having it up inside me felt so right!! I love Kenny but I still found you the greatest fuck I've ever experienced!! However long I live, I'll always remember tonight!! But now I'm knackered and I need to sleep!!"
"I'm glad you had a good time. Go to sleep now and soon you'll be refreshed and raring to start the day!!"
The horny barman grinned weakly and said sleepily,
"Maybe so, but before that I'll be raring to suck you off again as a breakfast treat!"
"Maybe you will have that chance but go to sleep now or you won't be up in time in the morning!"
Andy nodded and slid onto the bed beside Jason who made room for the tired but happy young man who fell asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Although not as vigorous in their activity, across the hallway Phil and Kenny had also enjoyed a contented and satisfying session of oral sex and had each shot their jizz into the other's mouth. Like Andy and Jason, after they had recovered from their orgasms the older barman and the pub manager had laid back and gone immediately to sleep.
Of the four people in the pub, three were sound asleep but Jason had only dozed for a few minutes before he gently slid off the bed and began to get dressed. In an effort not to disturb the sleeping Andy, the blond young man sat on the edge of the other bed as he put his clothes back on. If for any reason the sleeping barman did awake, Jason had his excuse all ready but he did not expect to have to make any explanations and this is how it turned out.
Picking up his bag and his shoes, Jason carefully opened the bedroom door and eased himself out into the hall. Next he checked that there was only the sounds of sleep coming from the other bedroom before making his way carefully back through the bar and down into the cellars. Clicking on a small flashlight, Jason next checked the diagram he had been given and located the things that he needed to complete his task. With the skills he had obtained in his training, the blond man was quickly able to make the necessary preparations. Jason lingered in the cellar only long enough to ensure that his plan had worked and then made his way back into the bar, disabled the alarm and let himself carefully and quietly out of the side door and into the empty street. Walking at a steady pace, the young man turned the corner and saw the promised car parked at the side of the road, got in and drove quickly away.
Forty-five minutes later, a rather drunk passer-by noticed a strange light coming from the pub that he was passing and he was then instantaneously sobered by the sound of splintering glass. The large window in the front of the pub had been shattered by the heat of the flames and showered the innocent passer-by with glass. The sound of the explosion had also brought other people to life and soon a small crowd had gathered outside and a few brave souls tried to find a way into the pub to try to rescue those inside but were beaten back by the intensity of the heat and flames. A passing Police Officer took charge and ordered everyone to stay back and await the imminent arrival of the local Fire Service. Although the Fire Crew arrived within minutes of the request for their assistance being made, the fire was out of control and all attempts to enter the pub, filled as it was with toxic fumes and intense fire, proved impossible. Nevertheless, the flames were brought under control relatively quickly and Firemen wearing breathing apparatus were able to enter the building and found, to none's great surprise, the charred remains of what looked like three people, who would only be identifiable from their dental records. Speaking to a local news reporter, the Chief Fire officer said,
"The fire appears to have started in the cellars and was probably caused by an electrical fault but we can't rule out other causes at this point. The people inside were asleep and quickly overwhelmed by the toxic fumes from the furniture in the bar. The fire took hold very quickly and they stood absolutely no chance of escaping. We are not able to name the victims as yet because we need to inform members of their families first. However, I would repeat that, at first sight this looks like a tragic accident and we would like to offer our sympathies to anyone that knew the victims."
Back in Scotland Yard, Martin and his team were unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded that evening in Hampstead and were working hard to try to figure out what it was about the case that Nick Trafford had been investigating was so important.
As he had indicated, after he had spoken to Tom and the boys, Martin had spoken to Freddy Eversley, who was in his usual good humour and sounded pleased to hear from an old friend. As soon as the Commander's voice had been recognised, Freddy had boomed back,
"Martin! How good to hear from you!! Excellent news about you nailing the man who killed Nick Trafford!! I suppose the case is all wrapped up now, is it?"
"Not quite, Freddy, there are a few loose ends and I hoped you might help me with one of them," Martin responded.
Freddy remained cheerful in face of this news but his voice took on a serious edge,
"I didn't realise you still had work to do! Of course I'll help, if I can! What is it I can do? Something cloak and dagger, I hope!"
The Commander could not avoid a slight laugh, but then became serious,
"Sorry to disappoint you, Freddy, but it's information I'm after. When he died Nick Trafford was investigating a case in which Digby Jackson, the Shadow Home Secretary, led for the prosecution. What do you know about Mr Jackson?"
There was a short pause before Freddy replied,
"As you know, he and I share the same political views, or at least we're members of the same political party. However, I would not say that Digby is the sharpest knife in the box. What sort of case was it that was being investigated?"
Martin provided the required details,
"A rape case, with a black defendant, who claimed he was elsewhere at the time. He was found guilty and Mr Jackson claims that there was no doubt about it and everything was fair and above board in the prosecution case and the judge was more than fair. I rather took the view that he was telling the truth, but we haven't found anything else and can't see what is missing. I've got my senior team members working on it as we speak but so far we've drawn a blank. I've rung you in the hope that you might have heard or remembered something about the case. I've only got until 5 o'clock tomorrow and then the Commissioner will pull the plug. If we don't find out what the mystery is by then, the case will be concluded, but not to my satisfaction!"
Freddy absorbed the information and then, after a short pause, said,
"Well, if Digby says it was a fair trial, like you, I'd be inclined to believe him. As for what else might be amiss, I can't think of anything off the top of my head. On the other hand, although I didn't like the late Mr Trafford, he never struck me as a man who did things without a reason. Give me the name of the case and where it was held and I'll see what I can find out from my contacts. As soon as I have something, I'll get back to you right away."
"Thanks, Freddy", Martin said, gratefully.
The Commander put the phone down and went off to see whether any of his colleagues had yet spotted something that one of the others had missed. Mark, Mike and Aly were sitting around a desk and reading copies of the transcript of the trial and making the occasional note. When they saw Martin approaching, the three senior officers stopped what they were doing and waited. It was clear from the expression of all four faces that very little progress had been made. Mark reported that they had still found nothing of significance in the trial papers and Martin informed his colleagues that Freddy had been sympathetic but had known nothing that would help.
Several miles to the north, Jason Smart was driving the car he had been provided with up the M1. The assassin had hated this assignment far more than any other he had previously undertaken. The main reason for this was that Jason had liked all three of his victims and the prime target, Andy, most of all. The sexual chemistry had been genuine and, if he could have avoided killing the three men, no doubt the blond man would have tried to do so, but in the end he was a professional and he did the job he was paid for. As it was the early hours of the morning, the roads were relatively clear but Jason drove within the speed limit as he headed towards the North. The car had just past the exit for the M6 when a huge explosion ripped through the car destroying it completely and killing the driver instantly.
Martin was in his office thinking about the possible reasons for Nick Trafford's interest in the case when his deputy from the Press and Public Relations Office, Superintendent Ron Alder, knocked on the door and said,
"Sorry to disturb you, sir, but there's a piece of news just come in I think you ought to know about. There's been what appears to be a car bomb explosion on the M1 somewhere near the M6 interchange. The Anti-Terrorist Squad has been alerted and is on its way and we in the Press Office is on stand-by to handle the media."
The Commander nodded and asked,
"Much damage? Anyone injured or killed?"
"At the moment it just looks like the driver of the car, sir. It's not clear whether he was the intended target or was driving a car full of explosives", Ron Alder replied.
Martin again acknowledged the information and said,
"OK, Ron, thanks. Keep me informed and I'll come along as and when needed."
Ron Alder disappeared back to his own office but had hardly been gone more than a few minutes when he was back. Martin looked up and said,
"More bad news or more of the same?"
The Superintendent looked down and said quietly,
"More, different bad news, sir. There's been a fire in a pub near Hampstead Heath. It's the pub where that young man who came forward and gave you the witness statement about Nick Trafford's murder worked. I'm sorry, sir, but the reports coming in say that three people, all believed to be staff from the pub, have been killed."
Martin suppressed a desire to shout out a few unrestrained expletives and said quietly,
"Thank you for telling me, Ron. That young man, Andy Laurie, could hardly have been more than in his early twenties. What a tragedy! I'll go and tell the others. Mr Laurie was an important witness and if he is dead, then a lot of the loose ends die with him! Could you keep an eye on the car bomb for me for the moment, although please ask for me if you think I'm needed, in the meanwhile, I'm going to have to break the bad news to my colleagues."
Ron acknowledged the request and said,
"Yes, sir, of course. You can rely on me."
"I know I can, Ron", Martin said quietly and followed the Superintendent to the door of the Office from where the Commander made eye contact with Mark Jamieson and signalled to him that he wanted him and the other two officers to join him for a conference. The three senior officers filed into the Martin's office hoping that the flurry of activity had heralded some kind of a breakthrough, but one look at the Commander's grim expression indicated that what they were about to be told was not good news. After indicating that the three colleagues should sit down, Martin then told them about the fire in Hampstead and the death of Andy Laurie and his two workmates. As the next most senior officer in the room it fell to Mark to make the first comment in reaction to what the Commander had just told them. Undoubtedly reflecting the feelings of his other two colleagues, the Superintendent said in a solemn voice
"What a waste of a life! That young barman struck me as a really honest and caring person. I suppose it was an accident?"
Martin looked back at the other three sitting around the table and said gravely,
"It would appear to be an electrical fault in the cellar, according to the initial reports of the fire officer. The fire took hold and the pub employees who were asleep at the time were overwhelmed by the toxic fumes from the bar furniture and then the intensity of the fire prevented an early rescue. We have to accept that, Mark, but I can't help feeling that like several other things in this case, this event has been a remarkable coincidence and robbed us of a star witness if we ever managed to get to the people who wanted to have Nick Trafford killed. You'll think me paranoid but I can't help wondering whether there's any connection between the fire and the car bomb. The news of the two events coming so close together made me think that they might be somehow connected."
The Commander was surprised that his colleagues did not start immediately to protest against his last statement and was even more shocked when Aly Young a spoke up,
"Stranger things have happened, sir, but isn't the timing against us on this one? The fire was reported after the car bomb. Could the driver have got to the place where his car exploded in the time?"
Mike Rickwood was next to say something,
"The fire could have smouldered for a while before taking hold. If the guy was a professional he could have set everything up so that he had time to get away from the scene long before the pub was properly ablaze. I reckon that in the middle of the night and not going too fast he could easily have got that far on the motorway."
Mark joined in the discussion at this point,
"Yes but how did he get into the pub in the first place? Furthermore, even if he did what you said he would run a great risk that his victims might wake up and discover the fire."
Martin had listened to the discussion between his most trusted officers and then intervened,
"Getting into the pub would not be too difficult. He could have hidden somewhere and waited until it was safe to come out or he might somehow have managed to wangle himself into their confidence and been invited to stay. On the other hand, I agree with Mark that there was a risk that his plan would not work but the people in the pub would have been tired after a long day in the pub. Alternatively he might have managed to overpower them in some way so that they could not respond even if they smelt the smoke. But all this is speculation and we have no real evidence other than our gut feelings. One thing we can do is find out a little bit more about this car bomb. I'll go to the Press and Public relations office and see if Ron has any more news. In the meantime I suggest you grab a break and take a nap, it's too late to go home now but you might get some rest. I'll wake you if there's any news."
Martin followed his colleagues out of the office and walked over to find Ron Alder. The Commander's hard-working deputy was in his office when Martin walked in and asked,
"Any further developments on the car bomb?"
"Not really, sir. The Anti-Terrorism squad is there at the moment and they say there is hardly anything to identify either the car or the driver. They have a partial index plate number and that seems to match the number of a car stolen in East London early yesterday afternoon. As for the driver, I understand that they are running tests now in the hope of being able to make an identification."
"Thanks, Ron", Martin said, trying hard to conceal his disappointment, "Keep me informed of developments."
The news that the car had been stolen both helped and hindered Martin's half-formed theory of a link between the pub fire and the car explosion. It helped in that the assassin if that was what he was would hardly have used a car from which he or she might be traced. It hindered in that stolen cars were the preferred method of people who planted car bombs. Nevertheless, the Commander decided that the line of enquiry was worth pursuing if only in a low-key way. Returning to his office, Martin gently aroused Mark and indicated that he wanted his most trusted friend to follow him. So as not to disturb the other two officers who were still asleep, the Commander waited until he was out of earshot and then asked the Superintendent to use his contacts to see if he could find out more about the car explosion and to report back anything significant. Martin said that he would try to make contact with special branch but rather doubted that they would be very willing to pass on anything to him. Mark happily agreed to do so but expressed his doubts that he would get any further than his friend would do.
After Mark had left, Martin slumped back into his chair and although he could not entirely stop his mind from whirring around did eventually fall fitfully asleep. The Commander's rest period did not last long and he was jolted awake by the ringing of the telephone. Sleepily, Martin answered the call in a rather fuzzy mumble,
"Roberts"
"Good morning, Commander", the voice of the Commissioner came strongly through the receiver, "I hope you haven't been up all night on a wild goose chase. I heard about the pub burning down and the death of your witness. It seems as though it was accident. I'm more concerned with this potential terrorist bomber who blew up on the motorway. I know you are aware of it. I think we ought to have an early press conference along the usual lines of warning the public to be vigilant but not to panic. I'd like to catch the early morning radio and television breakfast programmes. Will you set it up for me, please?"
Martin had snapped to wide awake when he recognised the voice on the other end of the line and answered more crisply,
"Of course I will, sir. I'll contact the networks and get back to you with a time. Do you want to do the interviews from here or from your home, sir?"
The Commissioner responded at once,
"I'm on my way in as we speak, Martin, so I'll do them at the Yard. Call me back once you have it all arranged."
Martin called Ron in the Press office and between them they set up the arrangements for the Commissioner's broadcasts. This meant that Martin was able to report back what had been agreed before Sir Thomas had arrived at his office. Shortly after the Commissioner had arrived, he was ready for the first of several live interviews and presented his message skilfully and well. As he completed his final question and answer session, Sir Thomas walked out with Martin and said quietly as they left the room,
"Despite this distraction, I still ant your final report on the Nick Trafford case by five o'clock this afternoon."
Martin smiled to himself and then said,
"You will, sir, I promise you that."
Martin wasted no time in getting back to his own department and found that his three most senior officers were back at work even though there was little progress to report. The Commander knew that there really was very little time left and the chances of a breakthrough were not very high. Martin had hardly sat down when the telephone rang and, again, it was the Commissioner, who asked to see the senior officer straight away. The Commander got up and trudged back towards Sir Thomas' office, through the reception area and knocked on the door. The Commissioner immediately invited Martin in and said with unaccustomed warmth,
"Come in, Martin, sorry to drag you up here again so soon but I wanted to tell you in person. You know how sensitive the government is about terrorism and terrorist related incidents, well the Press Office at Number 10 has just been on and they intend to take over handling this car explosion business. They will work with the Anti-Terrorism Squad and myself to some extent but they see no reason for Scotland Yard to duplicate their work."
Martin looked slightly puzzled and said,
"I think I understand the logic, but are Number 10 upset by what I and Superintendent Alder did in arranging your interviews this morning?"
Sir Thomas looked genuinely concerned at Martin's interpretation of events and said reassuringly,
"No, no, not at all. They were full of praise for the efficiency of the operation and the message we put out, but it is a politically sensitive issue and the Government wants to handle it in its own way. I would have thought you would have welcomed that as it will give you more time to conclude your investigation and report on the murder of Nick Trafford!"
"Yes, I suppose it will, sir", Martin said cautiously. The Commander was uncertain whether to explain to the Commissioner his gut reaction to the news of the pub fire and the car explosion but decided that at this point he would remain silent. Sir Thomas continued smiling as he rose to signify that the purpose of the meeting had been achieved. Martin got up rather wearily and once again returned to his office. As he arrived, the Commander glanced across at the three senior investigators and realised that they were still working hard on the case trying to follow up leads. Martin's next task was to break the news to Ron Alder what had been decided. The Commander knew that his deputy would be bitterly disappointed as Ron had been desperate to contribute in some way to the wider investigation of Nick Trafford's murder and now even that would most likely be taken away from him. The Superintendent was, however, philosophical and took the news well telling Martin,
"I fully understand, sir, but I'll still keep my ear to the ground. I know some of the press men over at Number 10 and they will keep me informed if the driver is identified and I'll pass it on to you."
Martin smiled and said,
"Thanks, Ron. I think we'll need more than just a name if we are to resolve this case by the deadline, but you never know, stranger things have happened!"
As Martin left the Press Office, he was unaware that the next few hours were going to produce even more dramatic information than he could have possibly imagined.
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