DISCLAIMER:
This is my first story for quite a while. Here is the eighth chapter. I hope you feel it is worth the wait. Please not that none of the characters in the story exist and the events that take place are purely imaginary. This is a detective story with sexual overtones. I hope that you like this as a piece of writing.
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 8
Martin, dressed only in his boxer shorts and a short dressing gown, opened the door to be confronted by DI Scott and DCI Prior who were standing outside. The young Constable invited the two Officers in and then, somewhat embarrassed, went off to put on more clothes. Before he did so, however, he asked the two visitors if they would like coffee, an offer that they both accepted. While Martin busied himself in the kitchen, the two older men sat in the comfortable chairs in the lounge. When the drink had brewed, Martin brought the cups in and joined them.
The senior of the two Detectives, Bob Prior, gave Martin a summary of the overnight developments beginning with the confirmation of the fact that the body that had been found was indeed that of Nick Adams, who had been formally identified by one of his cousins. After this piece of news, there was a short pause as Martin took in this information. When he resumed speaking, the DCI announced that some of his officers had located and arrested PC Turner but had released him when the suspect had been able to provide a cast iron alibi. At this point, Bob said that he had contacted Martin's DCI had contacted Gary Scott and discussed the two cases with him. The outcome of this conversation was that the two detectives had agreed that they were indeed looking for the same man and had also agreed that they should work together to coordinate their hunt. They were optimistic that the culprit would be found quickly as all the national newspapers and the London evening papers were carrying pictures of the man the Police were looking for. Bob Prior looked across at Martin after he said this and then added that there was bad news for the young officer in that, because of his personal connection to Nick, he would not be allowed to take a direct part in the investigation. However in an effort to sweeten the pill, the DCI smiled slightly and said,
"On the other hand, I will need all the help I can get to develop a motive for the killing and I will need to get some more uniformed assistance. Do you have any ideas on these matters or how the two victims might be connected?"
Martin felt proud that his opinion was being sought on the next steps in the investigation and decided to make full use of his opportunity,
"I'm not sure about a motive, but I still think Nick's murder was a case of mistaken identity. I am convinced that the man was really after me because he thought that I knew something or had seen something, but, at the moment, I really haven't a clue what it is. However, I do have some further ideas on the identification of the victim. I think the murdered man was German, not Dutch. He would probably have found it amusing to be given the nickname 'Dutch', especially if he knew anything about history. In the US, for example, some of the German immigrants were known as 'Dutch', a corruption of 'Deutsch'. I read about it last night in the book Nick had obviously bought for me earlier yesterday."
Martin's voice cracked slightly as he mentioned his dead lover's name but he recovered and went on,
"I think the best Officer you could choose to help you if I'm not there is Holly Wilson, the young WPC that found the uniform and the witness. I've talked to her about the case, so she knows quite a lot about it. Of course, whether Sergeant Smithers would agree to let her do it, I don't know. If it helps and means that Holly can be freed up to work with you, I'm happy to come in to work today."
DCI Prior looked interested in Martin's response and thought for a moment before replying,
"I think the comment you made about the victim being German is a very perceptive one and you could well be right. You have obviously given the case some thought and, although you can't work directly on the case, I don't see any reason why you could not do some research in the background. On the other points you raised, I think your idea of WPC Wilson is a good one and I will certainly follow it up. As far as working at the Station today is concerned, I think I will defer to my colleague DI Scott."
Gary Scott leaned forward and spoke for the first time since he had arrived at the flat,
"I have no objection. I am satisfied that you were not involved in Nick Adams' death, but you could still be in danger. For that reason, it would be a good idea if you were safely in a Police Station. If, as we all now suspect, you were the intended target, then as soon as it is discovered that you are still alive, the killer may try to strike again. At the moment we have not released the name of the victim, nor have we suggested that the killing may have a link to the murder DCI Prior is investigating. This may buy us some time and keep you safe from further attack although I think you will be safer away from here. I can have someone in the flat to act as a decoy, but for the next day or two having you under wraps and sleeping in the Section House would be a load off my mind. Always assuming that you feel up to it."
Martin was tempted to say that he would prefer to stay in the flat, let the Police release the fact that the murderer had killed the wrong man, force him out into the open and be the decoy himself, but the tone and manner of the two Senior Officers indicated very clearly that this was not an option. In the end, therefore, the young PC simply nodded his head in agreement and DCI Prior brought the meeting to a close,
"OK. Good. That's settled then. Get yourself dressed and a car will be here to collect you in half-an-hour. In the meantime, I'll get back to work and DI Prior will go home for a well-earned rest."
After he had killed the man that he believed to be the young constable, James Bryant had made his way carefully back South of the river and had returned to his bed and breakfast hotel. By the time he arrived it was quite late at night and so there was no sign of life. This meant that the assassin had been able to go straight to his room where he sat for a moment to prepare himself for the next stage of his plan. It was obvious that he had burned his boats with Peter's organisation and, with the murder of a young Police Officer there would be a hue and cry all over London, if not the whole country. This thought led James to the conclusion that he had to get moving and make his escape from London as quickly as possible. One of the advantages the assassin believed he had was that nobody knew what he looked like, but, ever cautious, he decided that the first thing he would do was change his appearance. On every one of his missions, James had either been in disguise or had brought some means of disguising himself with him and this was no exception. In one corner of his bag, there was a supply of hair dye and a different set of clothes, which would come in useful for when he left the hotel. In addition, James had scouted the hotel thoroughly and knew that there was a fire escape handily situated at the rear of the building through which he could leave undetected.
Wasting no time, the assassin went into the bathroom, cut some of his hair off, applied the dye and put on an alternative set of clothes. Returning to his room James, his hair now a completely different colour and style, collected all his belongings, most of which he would dump once he was well clear of the area, and then rested for a couple of hours, prepared at a moment's notice to flee the room if he smelt danger. He need not have worried, nothing stirred in the hotel and so, just before dawn, the assassin left the building through the rear exit. Once outside on the deserted streets, James had to decide where to go. This, too, was not such a problem. The years that had been spent in the Boy Scouts, as well as a leader in survival expeditions, meant that the assassin was well equipped to live rough for a few days. In addition, the time he had spent looking for out-of-the-way places for camps and other activities, meant that James knew a lot of areas in every part of the country, where he could hide. In this respect the outskirts of London were no different and a number of excellent locations came immediately to his mind. After a brief consideration of the relative merits of the possible places that he could hide out, James chose the one that he regarded as the best.
The assassin walked to the nearby bus stop and waited for the first service of the day to arrive. After about two miles, James alighted the bus and went to get a train that would carry him further out of the central area and into the countryside. Lastly, James caught a second bus and got off it a fair distance from his final destination. The assassin walked the last few miles to the place he had chosen. From his perspective, it was an excellent choice. It was a part of the world he had not visited in over a decade but as soon as he entered the heavily wooded area he recognised a number of landmarks. First of all, he followed a well-worn path, which he followed for a short distance before a less well-used one branched off to the right. This was the route James took and it brought him out, as he expected into an area surrounded by thick undergrowth, above which there was a large outcrop of rock. Halfway up the steep rock face there was a small opening and this was the location the assassin made for. It was more difficult to get into than last time he had been there, because the brambles were much thicker. Finally, however, James made it through the entrance in the rock and, as expected, found himself in a much larger cave that had a number of other passages running off in other directions, most of which led to other openings in different parts of the outcrop. Here was where the assassin planned to stay for the next couple of days. It was dry and safe and he could use any of the entrances to make his escape should the need arise. In addition, he could watch the only easy path into the area from the cover of darkness by standing close to the entrance to the cave through which he had entered. In the next few hours James decided that he would collect some sticks and other materials to improve the shelter and also seek out some source of food and water. The latter was less of a problem than the former as a short distance away the sound of a small rivulet could be heard and this would be enough to supply the assassin's needs. James reckoned that he could easily stay in this hideout safely for a few days, after which he would be safe for him to move on. The other priority was to gain access to food and this was likely to prove more difficult to achieve, but James had already brought some supplies with him and he would be able to utilise the next few hours to search out a suitable source of further supplies.
Several miles away from where the assassin was hiding, a well-dressed and distinguished-looking elderly man was sitting alone at home eating his breakfast. Opening his morning paper he was shocked to see the front-page picture of James staring back at him. The man, who James would have recognised as his controller, Peter, gave out a groan of disbelief and annoyance as he read the story. The controller would have gladly throttled his prot‚g‚ for disobeying the very explicit orders he had been given and, thereby, not only putting his own life but also the work of Peter's organisation at risk. The news that there had been a killing north of the river near where Martin Roberts lived was not carried in the morning newspaper because that information had come too late and, in any case, even if it had been, initially the Police had not made a connection between the two murders. Nevertheless, based on what he had read, Peter knew immediately what had to be done and was already setting the wheels in motion when he received the first of several phone calls from anxious members of his organisation. Reassuring everyone that he had everything under control, Peter spent some time deciding whether he should call the Police anonymously or go in person. In the end he decided that a personal visit, carrying the file of evidence about James, would be the best and most effective course. Having reached his decision, Peter summoned his chauffeur and informed the man that he wished the car to be ready as soon as he had completed his breakfast.
Across the river, as Martin was being driven his flat to the Police Station, news had come in over the car radio that a local bed and breakfast hotel had made contract to say that a man answering the description in the newspaper was staying at there. Two Police cars had been sent immediately to the address and Officers, who had been warned that the suspect might be armed and dangerous, were about to arrest the occupant of the room. Moments later came the disappointing news that the arrest party was too late. The Police had found the room empty and the target for the arrest had disappeared, taking all his belongings with him. Martin listened to the latest information with mixed emotions. On the one hand he was still keen to be part of the investigation but on the other the young PC wanted the murderer of his lover caught and put behind bars as quickly as possible.
When he arrived at the Police Station, Sergeant Smithers was there to meet Martin and tell him that he was to be assigned to light duties and would be working at the front Reception desk, along with another Constable, Tom Cross. Tom was several years older than Martin and, rather like PC Dave Powell, was nearing retirement. As the senior man, Tom made it clear that he took the view that he should decide who did what and so Martin found that he was given quite a few mundane tasks to complete
Tom and Martin had not been on duty long when a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce stopped outside the front doors of the Police Station and an elderly man got out of the car and walked purposefully into the building. The new arrival walked straight to the Reception desk, rang the bell and stood for a moment, waiting for Tom Cross to look up from his paperwork. When the Constable did finally acknowledge his presence, the elderly man spoke in a tone that indicated that he was used to being kept waiting or that his commands were questioned, indeed, he appeared to be a man who expected to be obeyed unquestioningly, Speaking in clipped tones, he said,
"Good morning, Constable. I wish to see the Officer in charge of the recent murder in the local park. I have some information, which I believe will greatly assist the investigation. I should like to see him straight away."
Noting that the man had not given his name, Tom Cross, who knew exactly who the man was, dialled the number for CID and said,
"There is a gentleman in Reception who wishes to speak to Bob Prior. Can you send someone down to escort him up to the DCI's office, thanks?"
Martin, who had been intrigued by the stranger, was on the point of offering to take him up to CID, but he was forestalled by the arrival of WPC Holly Wilson. When the man had left with his friend, the young Constable looked quizzically at Tom and asked,
"Who was that man?"
"That", replied Tom Cross, "was Sir Monty Isaacs, the local big wig. He's a financier, industrialist and a philanthropist and very well connected. He owns that big house on the corner of the park, surrounded by a very high wall and large gates, you must know it."
When Martin heard the name it rang a distant bell, just as the sound of the voice had done a few moments earlier, but he could not place it. He knew the location of the house well, but it was not really part of his Beat and so he did not really know much more about it or its occupant. Clearly, that was not the reason why he found the name and the voice vaguely familiar. What Martin remembered was something from many years earlier, but he could not quite think what it was. Before he could consider the matter further, however, there was a rush of people into Reception area, so the young PC was unable to follow the matter up for some while. Indeed, he did not manage to take the question further until he was on his lunch break. As he was eating his meal, Holly appeared and seeing him sitting at a table came over to join him, beaming broadly,
"You know that old guy that came in earlier, you'll never guess what he said."
Martin shook his head and Holly continued,
"It turns out that the man we are looking for is someone called James Bryant and he did odd jobs for this man, Sir Monty Isaacs. He's the guy who came in to see the DCI today. It appears that Sir Monty discovered that this Bryant character was a paedophile and got rid of him a couple of years ago. He gave the Guv a number of files about the chap and Prior's delighted and had had us following them up as quickly as he can."
Martin could see that Holly was excited and sounded genuinely pleased for her when he replied,
"That sounds fantastic, especially getting a name, but there's something not quite right about the story. Will you do something for me? As soon as you can will you go round to the shops and have a word with Mr Wilkinson in the Hardware store there. Ask him how long his son has been doing odd jobs up at Sir Monty's house and whether he ever met this James Bryant."
Holly did not question what Martin had said and he chose at that point not to say any more. He did not know exactly why he had said the story did not ring true, it was a hunch, but something told him he would be correct. Holly said that she would talk to Mr Wilkinson or his son as soon as she could and then left Martin to finish his meal saying that she was only supposed to be away from the CID room for five minutes and her time was more than up. It was not until later in the afternoon that the WPC returned to the Police Station and found Martin still on the Reception desk. To Martin's querying look, Holly said,
"You were right, neither Mr Wilkinson, not his son, had ever heard of this chap James Bryant doing odd jobs at the house. They do all the repairs and maintenance because the housekeeper is Mr Wilkinson's sister. Why did Sir Monty say that he did, I wonder? Do you think I should tell the Guv?"
Martin said that he thought Holly should report what she had discovered and see what the DCI made of it. As they were about to go their separate ways, the young PC added that he would like his friend to meet him after work as he might have some more information. The nagging question in his mind was why he should know the name and recognise the voice of Sir Monty Isaacs, so Martin turned to the one person he suspected might be able to help, an old friend and former lover from his College days, Freddy Eversley. Dialling the number, the young Constable heard the normal booming voice answer at the third ring and said,
"Hello, Freddy, it's Martin. I've got a problem and I wondered if you could help."
Freddy gave a little giggle before answering but recognised that his friend was serious,
"If I can, old boy, I will, of course. Fire away."
Martin did not waste time,
"Tell me what you know about Sir Monty Isaacs and why should I know his face and recognise his voice."
Freddy paused a moment and then replied,
"I expect you know already, he's a very wealthy man. Currently he is involved with property development and is well in with the Government. Got his knighthood for his charitable and philanthropic work. He's a leading member of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and has an impeccable and unblemished record for honest dealing in business, a characteristic he learnt from his old friend, David Roberts."
Martin gasped at the mention of his father and then the memory came flooding back. It had been his tenth birthday and he had desperately wanted a new bicycle, but, come the day, no bike appeared. Instead he received all the accessories for cycling but no new machine. Then, late in the afternoon, a chauffeur driven car had arrived and a tall, dark, distinguished man had appeared at the door carrying a bicycle shaped parcel. The man had exchanged a few words with Martin and his father and, as suddenly as he had appeared, left.
"Now I remember where I've seen him before," Martin said, "Thanks, Freddy, that was a great help."
Freddy laughed and said,
"Always ready to oblige, tell me about it next time we meet. I haven't seen you for ages and would love you to come to one of my special weekends. You know you would be most welcome. By the way, Sir Monty's not in any trouble, is he?"
Martin gave a non-committal reply both to the invitation and the question and said his farewells, promising to meet his old friend in the very near future. Once he had finished his conversation with Freddy, the young PC sat for a few minutes trying to piece together the strands of the information that he had gathered concerning the case. He knew that before he acted on his hunch he had to be very clear in his own mind that everything stacked up. Before he told the DCI, Martin decided that he would run his ideas past Holly when they both came off duty.
Although the CID was bustling with activity, Bob Prior decided that Holly could leave on time, especially when she told him that Martin planned to meet her after work. The DCI did not say so but he was keen to know what other ideas and hunches the young Constable might come up with. Furthermore, he was also anxious that Holly should help make sure that Martin got back to the Section House safely even though the news that the killer had murdered the wrong man was not yet public. Bob Prior's decision was fortunate, as it meant that Martin did not have long to wait for Holly. He was already standing in the hallway when the WPC came down the stairs and immediately he invited Holly to join him for a drink.
Deliberately walking past the nearest pub, Martin indicated that he wanted this meeting to be one that was unlikely to be either interrupted or overseen by his other colleagues. After Martin had bought them each a drink, the two Officers sat down together in a quiet corner. Holly said that she was under instructions to ensure that Martin got home safely that night, a comment that her friend acknowledged with a grunt. It was obvious that Martin wanted to talk something through so Holly sat and waited for him to raise the matter. For his part, the young PC was not sure how he should proceed, but in the end asked his friend to listen to all he had to say before she made any comment. Once this had been agreed Martin proceeded to advance a theory about the murders that seemed to fit the facts but equally seemed very far-fetched. The words poured out of the young man's mouth and Holly sat impassively as he developed the theme until at last he finally indicated that he had finished and then satback, waiting for his companion to react.
Initially Holly had found the suggestion that James Bryant was a contract killer, who had been hired or blackmailed by Sir Monty Isaacs to kill former Nazis, very unconvincing. However, as Martin developed the theme and added that the latest victim was almost certainly a German, the idea did not seem as outlandish as it had when he first suggested it. Nevertheless, the theory was lacking in any clear or supporting evidence, a point that Martin was more than ready to concede. Smiling at Holly he concluded the discussion by saying,
"Well, at least you didn't laugh me off the court. I agree that I don't have any evidence or proof but I intend to find some!"
Holly left the question of precisely how her friend intended to achieve his goal hanging in the air and gently suggested that it was time that they both went home. The couple walked quickly back to the Section House where they parted, Martin going inside to find his room and Holly catching a train to her home some miles further away.
On the outskirts of London, it had begun to get dark and as the sun set the air became increasingly chilly and in his cave hideout, James had not had a very good day, although he had managed to find some food and was reasonably comfortable. There had been no activity in the area where he was hiding but he felt uneasy all the same. He had no access to news so did not know what was happening. He was equally ignorant of the fact that it was not just the Metropolitan Police that were looking for him, so too were agents from Peter's organisation. The latter group had one advantage over the former because they had a list of all the places where James had previous taken people when he had sexual relations with them. It was, therefore, only a matter of time before they tracked him down. James knew that Peter's friends would be looking for him as well, but he did not plan to stay in the same place for more than a few days and believed that, if he kept moving, he could stay one step ahead of both sets of pursuers.
Suddenly, the quiet of the hideout was disturbed and the assassin became aware of noises in one of the many tunnels that led their way from the outside world into the maze of caverns. Dousing the flames of his fire, James moved swiftly and quietly and, hiding his belongings in a place where he could easily recover them if he had to make a quick getaway, decided to investigate. The sounds did not strike James as being the sort that pursuers or searchers would make and seemed to be coming from close to the entrance to one of the tunnels and the assassin knew that he could follow a path that would lead him parallel to the other tunnel's entry point. James could then use one of the caves to traverse across to a place above where the intruders were most likely to be located. Even in the gloom, the assassin found the going relatively easy and was soon in position to discover the source of the sounds. From his vantage point, James could just make out a tall, slim figure, who seemed to be whispering to another unseen person. The voice of the person sounded like that of a teenager,
"It'll be OK in here, Bobby. I've been here on my own before and nobody can see you from the outside and it's unlikely there will be anyone else coming up here at this time of day."
The unseen person responded,
"If you think so, OK, let's do it."
James recognised the second voice as also being male and just as young as the other boy and it dawned upon the fugitive that he was not the only person in the world that had discovered the value of the caves as a rendezvous for sex. This conclusion was confirmed when he heard the unmistakable sound of a jean zip being undone and the first voice saying quietly,
"Wow, that feels really nice and hard!!"
The second teenager giggled and responded,
"Your dick feels pretty good and hard too! Will you suck mine now, please?"
There was no immediate reply but James heard a sigh of satisfaction coming from below him and knew that the older teenager was giving his younger partner possibly his first full oral sexual experience. Hidden from view but more that able to picture in his mind what was going on a few feet away from his vantage point, James could feel his own cock grow hard and he wanted so much to go down and join the other two but the assassin was concerned that they might recognise him and that would mean that his cover would be blown. In the circumstances, the best James could do was to take a few steps closer so that he could see clearly the action that was taking place. Once he had established himself, James released his hard dick from his trousers and slowly began to wank it as he watched and listened to the activity only a few feet away. The younger man was out of direct line of sight, but the voyeur could see the regular movement of the older teen's head as he worked his partner's cock in and out of his mouth. The younger teen was moaning with pleasure but suddenly shouted quite loudly,
"Stop it, Alan or I'll shoot my load right in your mouth!!"
James watched as the boy he now knew was called Alan continued to work on his partner's cock and was delighted to see that the older teen swallowed his younger friend's spunk before finally standing up. When he had got to his feet Alan leaned forward and whispered to his companion,
"OK, Bobby, now it's your turn."
Tentatively Bobby knelt down and moved his face towards the older teen's cock and slowly opened his mouth, licked the end and then swallowed the sensitive head between his lips as Alan's foreskin rolled back. Alan sighed and whispered,
"That's it, take it in nice and slowly, but mind your teeth. Now close your lips round it and slide up and down the shaft. Mmmmmm!!!"
After a pause Bobby whispered,
"Is that right?"
Alan replied dreamily,
"Fabulous, don't stop, it's very good for a first timer, just make me cum!!"
"You will pull out before you shoot won't you?" Bobby asked anxiously and obviously received an affirmative response as James could hear the slurping noise as the young teenager sucked his friend's cock. The voyeur knew that if he had been down there he would have willingly swallowed both the teenage loads and found the fact that he could not do so most frustrating. Still wanking his cock slowly and steadily James pressed forward to get a better view of what was going on. Once in position he was just in time to see the older teenager pull his throbbing cock out of Bobby's mouth, give it a couple of tugs and then spray hot spunk all over his young partner's face. As Alan was finishing himself off, Bobby began stroking his cock furiously but after he had shot his load, the older teenager reached down and took over. Slowly Alan bent lower so that his face was directly in line with Bobby's angry piss slit that was widening in anticipation of the younger teen's climax. A second later, Bobby gave out a shout of relief as three ropes of pearly spunk erupted from the spasming shaft and splattered all over Alan's face, coating his nose and lips with the slimy ball cream.
The sight and sound of this latest orgasm was too much for James and sent him into a spiral of uncontrollable fervour as his balls churned and he, too, unleashed, a volley of cum that splashed down onto the cold stone floor beneath his feet. After a few more minutes, the two teenagers started to clean themselves up and made their preparations to leave, unaware of the entertainment and frustration that they had given to the fugitive that had secretly observed them. Relieved, in more senses than one, James made his way back to his original hiding place and settled down for a long, cold and, above all, lonely night.
For some time, the assassin reminisced about the happy times he had had with the youngsters that he had specially chosen for his 'survival' courses, but, before long, the reality of his situation forced him back to thinking through his next moves. Originally James had hoped that he could hole-up for a while and then, after a while, slip out of the country using one of his several disguises. However, it was clear that this would be more difficult than he first expected. The assassin knew for certain that his old controller, Peter, would be using members of his organisation to search for him and that, in all probability, the Police would now be on his trail. The events of earlier in the evening had convinced James that other people knew about the hiding places that he had found and that the place where he was currently staying was no longer safe. As far as the basic plan of escape was concerned, it should still be possible to get across the English Channel and disappear somewhere in Europe, out of the reach of Peter's cronies and, hopefully, the British cops. One thing was certain, James knew that he could not stay where he was and so he decided that in the morning, as soon as it was light, he would use another of his disguises and then move on to the next hiding place.
Back in London, Martin had not got much sleep during his night at the Section House. The young PC was kept awake still thinking about the murders and how to get more evidence to support his hunch about the contract killings. In addition and of greater importance, of course, was how to locate the place where James Bryant was hiding. The young Constable turned his thought to that matter and a plan formed in his mind as to what he would do if he had found himself in similar circumstances. The first thing that struck him was that they had discovered that the murderer was someone who had led survival training courses and had also been involved with the scouting movement. Given this fact, he should be able to find places to hide out and be able to live rough for a while. As far as anybody knew, James Bryant did not have any transport, so it would be most likely that he would have headed for a location that was relatively easy to get to on foot and using public transport.
As he was staying in the Section House James had only limited access to facilities that would have been of value to his research and, in any case, it was too late for Martin to follow this thought up but he decided that, first thing in the morning, he would make some enquiries. Even if the CID did not buy his theory about the park murder being a contract killing, the young Constable thought that he could possibly give them a lead over where to look for the man they were seeking. It was while he was thinking about this that Martin remembered that the following afternoon was the scheduled date for Nick's funeral. Although he had been granted leave to attend the ceremony, Sergeant Smithers had told Martin that he would be expected to report for duty in the morning. Although he was tired, the young man found it difficult to sleep in the strange bed and his mind kept returning to the brief moments of pleasure he and Nick had enjoyed and the tragic end to their relationship. Eventually, after several hours of restlessness, Martin finally succumbed to sleep.
The next morning, Martin was again on the light duties on the front Reception desk and, when there was a lull in the string of visitors, took the first opportunity he had to contact the local authorities in the area where James Bryant had worked. It did not take long for them to agree to send the young PC a list of the courses that the wanted man had been involved in and the locations he had used in the past few years. Within five minutes, Martin was reading through a long list of dates and places and eliminating those that, given their location or difficulty of getting to quickly and easily using public transport, seemed the least likely. After less than thirty minutes, the young Constable had compiled a short list of places that were near to London and within easy reach of each other. After checking with his colleague, Tom Cross, that he would not be missed for a few minutes, Martin took the list upstairs to CID.
The young PC could tell from the reaction his arrival generated that Holly had not passed on anything of his theory about the Park murder to the DCI. He also noticed that she had flashed him a warning and questioning look when he came through the door and she seemed relieved when Martin announced that he had some ideas about where to search for their prime suspect. Martin gave the list to DS Morton and then said,
"As you know, James Bryant led a number of camping and survival courses, so I contacted his employers and they sent me a list of all the places he used over the last ten years. I've been through the list and eliminated all those that are too far away. As far as we know, he hasn't a car of his own here, so I figured that he would have to use local public transport and walking as his main means of getting from place to place. I've listed the places that are in this area and I suggest that they should be thoroughly searched to look for traces of him."
The DS studied the list carefully and then asked for a map to trace the locations of the places that had been suggested, before making his response,
"You make it sound as though this killer was very organised and had planned to murder the victim before he even met him. You aren't suggesting that this was an organised attack, are you?"
Martin thought carefully before answering and again caught Holly's negative look before he replied,
"Not exactly, Sarge, I think that this guy is a very organised person and, given his background as a man who has led survival courses and scouting adventure weekends, I think he would have had a plan of escape, just in case something went wrong. That's why I looked into his movements over the last few years."
Sergeant Morton nodded and then said,
"OK but it's a large area and we haven't got enough resources to do it all by ourselves. However I do think you may be on to something, but if we are to search as thoroughly as you suggest, we will need to cooperate with other Forces and that'll require an approach from the DCI or even the Station Commander."
Martin acknowledged that what he had suggested was a tall order but again insisted that this was a particularly brutal and callous killer and he needed to be caught as quickly as possible.
DS Morton agreed but then looked at his watch and said,
"I know that you want the killer of your friend caught as much as anything and thanks for all your efforts but you have to leave it up to us now and, in any case, you'll need to get off soon to attend the funeral. Rest assured that once the Guv gives the go-ahead, we'll follow up your suggestion and catch this bastard as quickly as we can. He isn't going to get away!"
Martin thanked the more senior detective for the reassurance and then walked slowly towards the door, again catching the eye of Holly as he did so and this time receiving an encouraging smile and a sympathetic nod. What Martin had not revealed was that he had also spent a little time following up on his theories about Monty Isaacs and the more he learned about the business man and philanthropist, the more certain he became that his hunch was right and that Sir Monty could be involved in the planning of the attacks. The young Constable had also refrained from telling the Sergeant that he had made some discreet enquiries about some of the other areas where James Bryant had been known to visit. Thus far, he had managed to discover that a number of mainly elderly people had died in those places around the time of the assassin's visits. Many of the deaths had been explained as 'accidents'. However, as far as Martin was concerned he had discovered some sort of pattern and he was determined to pursue his own private line of enquiry once he had returned from the funeral. One important factor he wanted to discover would be whether any of the deceased had been foreigners.
Some hours before Martin briefed the CID with the information about possible hiding places, an old man had shambled down the main street of a village in Kent and caught the first bus out that would take him further towards the coast. James Bryant liked this disguise and, ironically, it made him look a little like the man he had so recently killed in the South London park. On the other had, unlike that victim, the assassin was alert to all possible dangers. Once clear of the village, James relaxed a little but kept his wits about him and alighted several stops before his intended destination. Taking a number of public footpaths he made good progress to his next hideout, only resorting to his shambling gait if he sensed there were other people nearby. The latest hideout was the most secure that the assassin knew and he was confident that nobody except himself and maybe one other person knew of its existence. Turning off one narrow footpath, James forged through the undergrowth until he was faced by what looked like a sheer cliff. Pushing aside some brambles, he found the well-concealed entrance to a dark cave and went inside. The cave gave out onto a tunnel that wound slowly upwards before branching into several paths that went in various directions. James took the left hand fork and followed the path up until it opened into a large cave with views across the only accessible route to where he would hide. From his position about half way up the cliff, the assassin could also see the small stream that would supply him with water, as well as the few isolated cottages from which he would be able to steal food. Tired from his morning efforts, James settled down to set up his camp and wait until later in the day before venturing out again.
As he was driving along in his patrol car, P C Tommy (Snowy) White had spotted what looked like an old tramp turning onto the footpath. A veteran of nearly twenty years local experience Snowy thought that he knew every tramp that visited his patch, but he had never seen the one he had just spotted. He made a mental note to check up on the area later in the day. Fortunately, perhaps, he did not have to do so but, as things turned out, his information proved to be invaluable in the search for James Bryant.
Martin had decided that he would go to Nick's funeral in civilian clothes and so he changed at the Station House and left for the service just after midday. Nick's family home was a good journey from London and so he wanted to get there in good time. Arriving at the local Crematorium where the service was to take place, Martin was surprised to see so many people crowded outside the small building, but was pleased to spot Detective Inspector Gary Scott standing slightly to one side of the crowd and he made his way over towards the senior officer. The two men greeted each other and then they both watched as the hearse and a line of black cars wove their way in through the gates of the Crematorium and came to a stop outside the front doors. After a moment's pause, the surprisingly large crowd of mourners began to file into the building and Martin and Gary were lucky to find a space near the back. Martin stared at the coffin as it was carried to the front of the chapel and laid in place, but found it impossible to think that the wooden box contained the body of the young man he had loved. The ceremony itself was short and very simple and avoided any overt religious overtones as Nick, like Martin had not been a believer. When the ceremony drew to a close, many people, including Martin, had tears in their eyes as the curtains closed and the coffin disappeared from view. Standing next to Martin, Gary Scott also felt moved by the occasion and reflected how curious it was that he should feel this way at the funeral of someone that was really little more than a stranger and yet at the funeral of each of his parents, he had been remained remarkably composed.
As was traditional, the bereaved family stood outside the building and greeted the mourners as they exited the Crematorium. Each member of the line paused for a few moments to offer words of sympathy to the bereaved family and receiving a wan smile and a quiet word in reply as they passed by. Martin, uncertain of whether he could keep his emotions in check, would have preferred just to leave without going through this ritual but the pressure of the other mourners pushing forward meant that he and Gary had to follow the rest as they made their way slowly outside. When he reached the head of the line, the senior officer spoke briefly to Nick's mother and quickly moved on. Then it was Martin's turn to say something. As he searched deep within himself to think of something sensible to say, everyone was taken aback when the grieving mother turned on Martin ferociously and shouted angrily at him,
"You're the one that corrupted my son!! If Nick hadn't met you he would have been still alive. You are responsible for the death of my son!!!"
As she finished her angry outburst, Mrs Adams landed a full blown slap to Martin's face with her open hand. The blow sent the young man reeling backwards and he would have fallen had not Gary stepped back towards him and prevented it. Then, with equal dexterity, the DI manoeuvred the young Constable away from the gawping crowd and back towards the car park. Once clear of the others, Gary looked anxiously at Martin and asked,
"Are you OK? I'm sorry about what has just happened, you really could have done without it and you don't deserve it either! Let's get out of here and I'll drive you back home to London."
Martin managed to retain some dignity as he replied that he was fine and that there was no serious damage and he was quite well enough to take the train back as he had planned. Gary, however, continued to insist on driving him back to London and refused to listen to any suggestions that Martin was fit enough to take the train. In the end, the young PC gave in and accepted the sensible advice of the DI.
The drive back to Martin's flat was conducted mainly in silence, each man lost in his own thoughts. On arrival in London, the DI accompanied the young man to the entrance of his apartment and followed him through the door. Once inside, Gary asked if Martin would like him to make a drink and the youngster indicated where the drinks were kept. Gary saw that above the drinks cupboard there was an array of glasses. The older man poured a stiff whisky for them both and brought it over to where the younger man was sitting. As he drank the strong tasting liquor the emotions of the day finally got to Martin and he burst into floods of uncontrollable tears. Gary suggested that the young man should go and have a lie down. While Martin was on the bed, the DI suggested that he would go out and get something to eat for them both. Even after he had laid down on the bed for some considerable time, Martin could not get out of his mind the suddenness and violence with which Nick's mother had turned on him. Finally, the tears came to a stop and Martin stripped off and jumped into the shower, but even there he could not get the words of Nick's mother out of his mind. The warm water washed away some of the humiliation he had felt at the funeral but not the guilt and the feeling that perhaps his lover's mother had been right. Indirectly at least, Martin had to accept that he had to bear some of the responsibility for Nick's death. Eventually, the young man got dressed and sat languidly watching the television and, having forgotten that Gary said he would be back soon with food, was surprised when the buzzer to his flat went off. The sudden sound made him jump.
When Martin opened the door, Gary smiled at his young host and said, encouragingly,
"You're looking a bit better! There's not much of a bruise now. I've got some Chinese, is that OK?"
Martin nodded and led the DI into the kitchen and got some plates and cutlery and laid the table for them both to eat. Gary produced a bottle of red wine, which he had also bought and poured two large glasses and the two men ate and drank for a while in silence before Martin finally said,
"You know, what Mrs Adams said is true. If Nick hadn't met me, if he hadn't come to stay with me, he would still be alive!! I really feel that I have to bear a great deal of responsibility for his death."
Gary shook his head violently and replied,
"Don't be silly! The murderer was after you and it was an unfortunate accident that Nick was killed. It was a clear case of mistaken identity. You can't, you mustn't blame yourself! I repeat it was an unfortunate chain of circumstances. You mustn't beat yourself up about it. From all I've heard you're a good Police Officer and many of us admire you for the stance you have taken over being gay; indeed some of us wish we had had the courage to do what you have done."
Martin took a few moments to absorb the implication of Gary's last remark but slowly it dawned on him and he said quietly,
"Are you saying what I think you are saying, that you are gay too?"
Gary nodded and then replied slowly,
"Yes, but I have never openly admitted it. I put down my unmarried status to the pressures of the job, not finding the right girl, all the old excuses."
The younger man nodded and then said,
"So why tell me and why now?"
Gary considered the question before answering,
"I didn't intend to say anything, but I think you need a boost to your confidence and to know that there are plenty of us in the Met that are rooting for you and want you to succeed. Also, I know that you are someone who will respect a confidence. I'm not as brave as you and I'm not ready yet to put my head above the parapet and be open about my sexuality."
Satisfied with the DI's explanation, Martin decided not to pursue the matter any further and the conversation drifted off onto lighter matters. Gary ate the majority of the food because Martin, who was still feeling very upset, merely played with the amounts of food on his plate, rearranging the piles with his fork, but eating very little. After a short while, Gary stood up and started to clear away the plates and found no resistance from Martin when he removed the still-full plate from in front of him and took it to the sink. The older man filled the kettle and brewed some coffee and then he and Martin went back into the younger man's living room. Gary carried the coffees through because Martin was still shaking and clearly upset. Before they had sat down, the older man went back to the drinks cupboard and poured them both a stiff brandy. Once they were settled, Gary cleared his throat and said rather diffidently,
"Look, I don't think that you should be left alone tonight. It has been a really upsetting day and I think it would be a good idea if I stayed here to make sure you are all right. I know that if I was in your position I would like to know there was someone I could turn to, if I needed to. And I don't mean in a sexual way, either. I'm happy to sleep on the couch."
Martin did not reply for a long moment and then slowly nodded and said,
"Yes, I think I'd like that and there's no need to sleep on the couch, there's a spare bed. As it happens, I wouldn't mind if you slept with me in my bed, nothing sexual as you say, but it would be great to just have someone to hold tightly as a comfort."
Now it was Gary's turn to smile shyly as he said,
"I'm glad you've agreed to my staying over. I'm far too drunk to drive home in any case and it would never do for a senior Police officer to be done for driving under the influence now, would it?"
So the decision was made and not long after the two men went through to Martin's bedroom and prepared for bed. After each man stripped down to just their underwear and climbed into bed, Martin lay awake for a long time unable to settle as his mind went over and over the events of the day and especially Nick's mother's reaction after the funeral. Although he was, from time to time comforted by the knowledge that there was someone close to him in bed, Martin was at the same time acutely aware that it was not his former lover. Nevertheless, as the night wore on the two men moved closer together so that by the early hours of the morning they were spooned together in intimate contact. As he came back to wakefulness from his broken sleep, the younger man instinctively pushed forward to nestle his rock hard cock against the material of his partner's underwear. Gary, who had been awake for some time and was also nursing an equally rampant cock, pushed back against his partner so that his covered arse made contact with Martin's rampant tool.
For a short while Martin tried to resist the temptation to pull down his underwear and that of Gary and slide inside the older man. However, although neither man had intended it to happen, within a few minutes they were engaged in lovemaking. Martin slipped his had around Gary and gripped his rock hard shaft and began to wank him gently. The older man pushed back against the exposed head of Martin's rock hard prick and guided it towards his welcoming hole. Martin moved closer to the love channel and Gary gave a groan of pleasure as he felt the spongy head and rock hard shaft of the younger man plunge deep inside him and he squirmed to make himself more comfortable. Once they were both comfortable, Martin reached round and again took hold of Gary's cock and began to wank it in unison with his own inward and outward thrusts. The two men were enjoying themselves and Martin had all but forgotten the sadness that he felt following the funeral and its aftermath as he rhythmically pulled the older man's foreskin backwards and forwards over the sensitive head and slid his own rampant cock in and out of Gary's hole. In retrospect it was possibly the feeling of guilt and anger that pushed Martin on and he began to thrust even harder into his willing partner until, at last, he felt his balls begin to churn and his prick began to throb and pulsate as his spunk made its journey towards his piss slit. With a loud sigh, Martin deposited his ball juice deep inside Gary, who reached his own orgasm at about the same time and sprayed his jizz all over the bed sheets. Despite having some feelings of guilt about what he had just done, Martin also felt that the sex with Gary had been in some ways cathartic. A few moments later, the two men separated and after they had both recovered their breath, each man dropped off to sleep.
However, the two men did not have much more rest as the alarm woke them from their slumbers and Martin and Gary both knew that they needed to get ready for work. At Martin's insistence Gary used the shower first while the younger man went off to prepare something for them to eat and drink for breakfast. Once the shower was free, Martin followed the older man's example. As he was drying himself, he looked in the mirror and was pleased to note that there was no lingering evidence of the blow that Nick's mother had landed on him at the funeral. But Martin was still deeply upset by what had happened. After a short while, the younger man emerged from the bathroom and now that he and his guest were fully dressed, they made themselves ready for their day. Over breakfast, the two men discussed what had happened the previous night and agreed that, although there was an attraction between them, the physical side of their relationship had come about through force of circumstances. On the other hand, it was clear that neither man wanted to end the relationship as such, although they each recognised that there was little chance that it would last for long. Nevertheless, in the short term Gary and Martin agreed that they might each benefit from the comfort they brought to each other. Gary admitted during the discussion that, that apart from a few weeks holiday each year and the odd weekend when he managed to get away, he was unable to indulge his sexual appetite for weeks on end. However, given the circumstances of the present case, the older man believed that he could justify visiting Martin and take the opportunity to satisfy their mutual sexual needs without arousing any suspicion of his motives, on the grounds that the younger man was involved in a case that the Inspector was investigating. In addition, he could easily argue that he was ideally placed to offer Martin the emotional support that he would need at this difficult time. From the younger man's perspective, the prospect of seeing Gary again was a welcome one as he was a person who understood the pressures and problems of being a gay policeman. Having agreed a set of ground rules, the two men ate the rest of their breakfast in silence and then each prepared to go his separate way to work.
If you have any comments on this story please send your comments to me at cutrose40@yahoo.co.uk