Part Twenty Three   "Inquiries"

Author's Note:
This chapter reflects on the suicide of George Small (Tamara's First Christmas) and the circumstances leading up to it (Tamara's Début), including references to violence.
 

 
Sunday 1st February
 

As is often the way, it was decided that Richard and Tammy would stay with Joan and Angela on Saturday night and Elsie's remaining staff were duly informed. Father and daughter were half way to the cottage when Tammy realised she'd forgotten her pills, causing her to brake suddenly. When told she had to do a three point turn she threatened to walk - before she realised her onesie would not be adequate to protect her from the Arctic wind that evening.

Her fifteen point turn was a little haphazard and managed to hold up a minibus and four cars as well as Elsie's transport. At least Tammy wouldn't have to drive back that evening.

It wasn't long after the meal was delivered that conversation switched to the new house. Angela complained she hadn't seen it recently.

"There's not much to see."

That didn't go down well with Angela, especially as her mother had been there on Friday afternoon, whilst Angela was at school.

Hence, straight after breakfast the four of them returned to the house known as Dunbankin.

"Oh, there's nothing here."

"Angela, we tried to tell you."

"But I expected more."

Joan queried having to change the phone number at the cottage.

"We'll have it transferred here." Richard was quite sure of himself.

"You can do that?"

"Yes, the biggest problem is finding the right person in BT to explain what you want done."

"Dad, what are we doing today?"

"We'll have lunch with your mother and then we all need a quiet evening."

Richard and Joan debated whether she and Angela should going the Smarts for lunch but that might be just a little too much for Tara to take.

"Dad, I ended up having to tell mum about the kidnap attempt in the hotel."

"It was bound to come out. How much did you say?"

"I didn't mention Louise, I just said a police officer was nearby."

"Fine, I'm still a little wary of what she might say to others, especially as her court case is coming up."

"I don't want to be at that trial."

"You might not have any choice."

***

Sunday seemed to drag. Tammy did some reading, conspired with Tanya about Sarah's new shop, contacted the press and registered to vote. That was before ten. A couple of emails arrived from Sandy Franklin with photos of West Side Story so she printed those off for her mother then slipped downstairs to find the newspaper.

Everybody seemed to have something to do; Elsie was outside directing the groundstaff to build some structure for the spring, Michael had just returned from Mark's place and muttered greetings as he climbed the stairs to his room. Her father was taking and making phone calls and was simply busy. Tammy wasn't.

She went back to her room and started looking at hair removal products on Amazon. This drove her to distraction, which type was better and less painful than the rest? She was still unsure after twenty minutes of reading reviews and decided she needed real advice, but who?

Finally she dressed for lunch. By common agreement they were eating in the hotel, despite the risk of being interrupted frequently.

Tara, when not on one of her fleeting visits to the Enfield house, lived in hotels across Europe. She didn't care for long distance flights, nor for architecture and scenery, just for the weather, service and their ability to tolerate her inane chatter.

Tammy couldn't understand how someone could exist in that closeted world, isolated from the real world, even if it wasn't that far away from a boarding school environment. Perhaps that was her mother's problem, she hadn't lived in the real world for so long that it hurt bad when she realised life was not room service and a late bar. In a hotel someone would take care of problems, here she had to do it herself and didn't know how to cope. Was Tammy a problem to her mother? Was she making real progress or was it just talk?

They arrived at the hotel at one, Tammy had driven down, and found Tara Simpson sat at the bar with a long glass, the barman was notable by his absence and seemed to be avoiding Tammy's mother. Richard asked to take their table in the restaurant immediately, rejecting suggestions of drinking in the bar beforehand.

Lunch, a traditional Sunday affair, went about as well as expected. Tara was polite but was soon reminiscing about Tom's achievements as if he was a long-lost son. Richard and Tammy sat there trying not to fan any flames but Tara seemed capable of doing that herself.

She was getting louder, sometimes crying, unfortunately attracting the attention of fellow diners and Frances. Tara complained about, and longing-for, people they had never heard of. Richard suggested a strategic withdrawal to his ex-wife's hotel room but cautioned Tammy to sit in the bar and wait.

Richard took nearly fifteen minutes and apologised to Frances before leaving with Tammy and driving back to the house. Tammy was concentrating on the road and didn't want the distraction of an emotion-fuelled conversation at the same time.

Indoors they went to the sitting room.

"Dad, what's up with her?"

"I don't know but she suggested she'd forgotten to take some pills, she's on anti-depressants. Drinking alcohol at the same time is not a good idea."

"Can we find out anything, to try to help her?"

"'No' is the short answer, but I can tell her solicitor about our concerns."

"Okay, which train is she on tomorrow?"

"Mid morning, but she doesn't get back into London until quite late."

"Does she know we aren't around?"

"Not as such but you would normally be at school on a Monday, wouldn't you?"

 
Monday 2nd February
 

A cacophony of alarm clocks rang across the McPherson household shortly after six thirty, echoed in the Small's cottage. With a single purpose everyone rose to shower and dress for the day.

This day, more than any other, would tax and test all of them. Emotions could outweigh logic and common-sense at any time if one was not careful; they all knew this to a greater or lesser degree.

Given the number of phone calls Richard had made, and received, it was something of a minor miracle that he arrived for breakfast at seven fifteen ready for the world. A few minutes later Joan and Angela were admitted and took places at the table, although Angela would still need some TLC before she could face the world.

The youngest were in Tammy's room having eaten, sat at the dressing table, when the front door next opened. Tammy left Angela and peered down into the hall from over the bannister.

"Mr Smith?"

"Delighted as ever, Miss Smart, Jeremiah Smith at your service."

She returned to her room and urged Angela to quickly finish, using the 'less is more' principle rather than heavy-duty warpaint; a degree of visible innocence wouldn't hurt today. They met everyone in the sitting room a minute later, Richard was hosting this meeting.

"I'd like to introduce Jeremiah Smith of Smith, Smith and Smith. Given that he is the school's solicitor and is familiar with Tammy's situation I thought it pertinent to join forces with the school so he is representing St Andrews and The Smarts."

"Ah, Mr Smart, my colleague George Smith is representing the school today and is in fact meeting with the Head and Chair of the Governing Body at the moment."

"I stand corrected. Joan, your solicitor Kelly Masters will meet us there."

Joan nodded, but plainly knew this already.

Another person now arrived as Tanya Smith was delivered to the house by her mother, she joined Tammy.

"What's the procedure, Jeremiah?" Richard decided to ask the obvious questions on behalf of those who wouldn't.

"Firstly, as this is subject to Scottish law, the correct term for the inquest is a Fatal Accident Inquiry. The Sheriff will try to establish the cause of death, including George's state of mind and the circumstances leading up to it. Many of you will have been served with notices that require you to be there as you were involved in the hours or days before he died, that does not however mean that you'll be asked questions."

He paused. "This is a mandatory inquiry because there was a death in custody and it will naturally attract plenty of press interest. We'll request an order to restrict what can appear in the press on the grounds that there is a grieving family but I wouldn't hold much hope. This is, I must stress, a judicial inquiry and not a minor civil matter."

"Do you have any advice?"

"Plainly some of you will be asked to give evidence; you should tell the truth but don't say more than the questioner asks, remember too that you will be under oath. If the question is too vague, too sweeping, then I or my colleagues will intervene. Some evidence has been submitted in writing and I'll distribute sets for you to read before we leave here."

Coffee was brought in by Thomas whilst those who who had been handed the packs started to read.

"Jeremiah, I thought this was an inquest, not a trial?" Tammy had not been given one of the ribbon-bound packs.

"Ah, Miss Smart, we may need to defend our position. My apologies for leaving you out but in your case we need plausible deniability, the same goes for Miss Small."

Once everyone was ready, they made their way outside to the cars. The group set off at nine, Elsie's Range Rover was driven by her gamekeeper, Jonathon, with the Smalls for company. Richard drove the remaining girls plus Jeremiah Smith in his Land Rover, keen to minimise the number of vehicles necessary.

Both cars stopped close to the court on Bridge Street in Wick so the passengers could disembark, much to the amusement of the local press as all of the ladies were suitably frocked and both vehicles were flying flags of the Clan McPherson.

Jeremiah first identified a court usher and made certain a bank of seats were reserved before going to talk to some of the other legal representatives.

Tammy looked around the room and easily found the Highlands Police Officers. Included in that group were Chief Inspector Iain Davison, who had arrested George, PC Stuart St James who had searched and transported the prisoner to the police station, the police medical examiner Dr Hughes, and an officer Tammy didn't recognise. As was to be expected, that group was saying very little about their evidence and were seemingly discussing in-house gossip.

There were two other uniformed police officers who, stood apart from the local officers, were feeling the unfamiliar chill every time the street doors opened. Their identity cards established that they were from the Thames Valley Constabulary, North of London. Somewhat surprisingly she also saw Detective Inspector Kevin Edmunds talking softly with two unfamiliar ladies, however neither he nor his companions were wearing any form of identifying marks and seemed not to want to look towards Tammy, despite a clear line of sight.

Joan and Angela, meanwhile, has gone into a side room with their solicitor, Kelly Masters, meaning that Tammy was now alone in the crowded waiting area. She stood in the same place, not seeing a sensible alternative whilst she waited for her father to return from parking the car. It was abundantly clear to Tammy that none of the police present could talk to her and one apparently wouldn't even acknowledge her. Her own solicitor was stood some distance away talking to several people who were all similarly formally dressed so she assumed them to be legal representatives. Even Elsie had now vanished.

Over the far side of the room she could now see her nemesis, Yvonne. There was a tap on her shoulder.

Tammy spun around. "Oh, hello Harry."

"Tamara, my dear, I did have your Headmaster with me a moment ago." Harry Davison seemed to be in good humour.

"I'm behind you, Harry."

"Right, Steven. Tammy, where's you father?"

"He was parking the car, it's murder out there."

"I know, fortunately we pressed one of the minibuses into action and we've sent the driver back."

"Who's here?" Asked Tammy.

"Well, I am, I think." A few nearby politely giggled or laughed at the Governing Body Chairman's lame joke. "Then there's Steven, I mean the Head, and Reverend Franklin. I believe Elsie McPherson arrived with you and your father?"

As Tammy went to answer him there was an announcement from a court usher and finally, just before ten o'clock, they shuffled into the large wood panelled court room. Richard had caught up with his daughter in time and Jeremiah Smith appeared from somewhere.

When they had clear sight of the room they could see Elsie being seated by an usher in the second row. The Clan Smart took position next to the Clan McPherson, Tanya and the group from St Andrews School. Joan and Angela were sat in the row in front. Behind them were the various identifiable police officers and everyone else, including the counter terrorism officer and his companions, were in other seats some distance away from Tammy. It seemed that a large number of press were on the court's balcony, given the number of notepads and tablets Tammy could see resting on the rail.

She span around to face the front as there was a poke from her father. All now rose for the Sheriff as the court was called to order. He proceeded to outline the purpose of the inquiry and that the search for the truth was paramount. He then referred to the widow, Joan, and her daughter Angela, who sought answers. A snort was heard to the rear of the court.

The next two hours for Tammy, Tanya and Angela were dreary; one by one the Police Officers on duty at Thurso police station on the morning of fifteenth of December, seven weeks earlier, gave their evidence. Slowly it was explained why George Small was detained, who had authorised his detention, how often he was checked and finally how George Small was found and what procedures followed. Key evidence was the custody log which was examined meticulously. During this process Joan's solicitor was challenging the Procurator Fiscal who was advocate for the Police.

What transpired was that the death was avoidable; a shift change during a mealtime had managed to create enough confusion for a weapon to be fashioned and hidden. For that alone, the Police Service of Scotland was criticised. The legal arrangements of his detention were then closely examined; he had been arrested on the Friday night and was remanded in custody the following day pending information from Thames Valley Police in England. That information hadn't arrived until midday Monday, despite being sought on Friday night. Had the information have been seen earlier he might have been transferred to a remand unit at a prison rather than languishing in a police station cell, or even shipped south on the basis of the English warrant.

The officer who interviewed Joan on the tenth of December at Bletchley General Hospital then took the stand and explained the injuries Joan had suffered and that only Joan's estranged husband had been sought for the act. Officers had gone to George's sister's home, where he'd been staying, but he had already left there. The police officer continued, reporting that they had obtained a magistrates bench warrant for George's arrest in order to question him about the injuries Joan had sustained. Photos were shown to the court, Angela initially held her face in her hands then hugged her mother.

Chief Inspector Iain Brown took the stand next and detailed the attempts to locate George, when it was clear he was in Scotland. He reported there had been several sightings plus "two phone calls to Miss Smart." He continued, "after the second call we were able to identify the phone he was using and locate, broadly where he was, although his phone was dropping in and out of coverage."

"Although we had traced him to Inverness, close to the railway station, he did not arrive in Thurso by train as officers were there for each train arrival that day and he wasn't seen."

Iain fast-forwarded to the Friday night, twelfth of December. It was the opening night of West Side Story at the Mill Theatre in Thurso, although he had to first explain his alternate role at the theatre. He recounted how a gap in security opened as a result of unrelated incidents "there was an incident in the theatre lobby as well as a gentleman losing control of his vehicle on the ice. Two officers were required to transport a prisoner to the station before returning to their positions at the theatre." Harry coughed as soon he was aware he was one of those who was being referred to.

The court, at this point, rose for lunch. Tammy had no idea what had been planned but needn't have worried. Jonathon stopped in the road, directly outside the court, ready to collect Elsie, Tammy, Tanya, Joan and Angela. The ride wasn't far at all, just along Bridge Street, over the Wick River, then a left turn to the front entrance of the Mackays Hotel.

It was clear Elsie was known here as soon as they walked in and a private area had been established. Jonathon had already returned to the court to collect a few others.

Lunch was quiet, restrained, and no alcohol was on the tables. It seemed that a few others had the same idea about using the Mackays Hotel and the manager was quickly filling his restaurant. One of the groups Tammy recognised was DI Kevin Edmunds and his lady friends. Tammy did try to acknowledge DI Edmunds but he was plainly still not willing to be identified.

Shortly before they returned to the court, Tammy decided a visit to the ladies was appropriate. When she came out of the cubicle, one of of DI Edmund's friends was stood at the vanity.

"Hello Miss Smart, Kevin apologises but he's working and doesn't want to be identified."

"Right, more cloak and dagger stuff is it?" Tammy wasn't entirely certain she was safe.

"I couldn't possible say!" She laughed, "I happen to know you're planning to do a Business Studies degree but if you fancy some forensic accountancy experience during the summer, give me a call or drop me an email, here's my card." She walked out of the loo, leaving Tammy holding Heather Young's business card.

Tammy returned to the table slightly confused but put the card away after looking around at the lady's table - it was now deserted. Meanwhile Angela was being consoled.

"What did Kelly say, mum?"

"That she's probably going to have to mention Tim, and how Tim became Angela."

"Why?"

"Because the will is made out to Tim and not Angela."