The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3346 by Angharad Copyright© 2022 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.

"If Alison was murdered then why, they already had her notes, so why was it necessary?" I asked Toby.

He didn't answer for a minute or so, "That's just what I was thinking and how did they get her to swallow a bottle of pills?"

"Quite, it's difficult to do even if they force them down, do we know what the cause of death is yet?"

"No, the post-mortem won't be until later today."

"Perhaps you need to tell them she was murdered?"

"No they can claim bias then, if they discover it for themselves it's different, besides I wouldn't like to impede the security services in their search for enlightenment."

"That sounds very cynical verging on contemptuous," I told him, his facial expression was a vision to behold and he stuttered for an answer.

"I'm not convinced it wasn't suicide," he said when he stopped blushing, "That's likely to be the result of the security services examination."

"Who is doing the post-mortem?"

"They'll bring in someone from outside, they always do."

"Someone who is told what to say?"

"I didn't say that."

"No, but you implied it." I watched as he blushed again. "Who usually does it?"

"Varies, sometimes it's old Butcher, sometimes it's some woman, Cynthia someone and sometimes they call in someone from the Home Office, like they will now."

"Can't you ask for your own pathologist to assist or sit in on the process?"

"They won't countenance it." What an old-fashioned expression, shows he went to public school.

"Can't you insist?"

"Who do you think I am, Sherlock bloody Holmes?"

"I think you know more about policing than he ever did or his creator."

"Coming from you that is quite a compliment," his chest swelled up, just in time for me to puncture it, if I chose. I didn't.

Instead I asked him how we could get a copy of the real results. "You can't," he said.

"So they will cover up a crime of murder and blame her for the loss of her notes? That's two crimes and you're just going to sit there?"

"Nothing I can do."

"Bollocks," was my response.

"Yeah, and how can we stop it?"

"I shall go to the press and tell them the truth."

"Just like that?"

"Pretty well."

"You will fail and be subject to the scorn of MI5."

"That's not a new experience, I've encountered them before and they lost then."

"That'll mean they are doubly bound to win this time and you don't want to make enemies of them."

"Who is the local boss?"

"Sir Roderick Allen."

"Wasn't that a fictional detective?"

"No that's Alleyn, Ngaio Marsh's creation."

"Sounds the same, anyway I shall tell him to pull his finger out or I'll get pa-in-law to ask questions in the house."

"Cathy that frightens him as much as you do. It's no good you can't do anything."

"Don't bet on it."

"Anyway, I have to go."

As soon as he was gone I got Diane to find out the name of her daughter, they were estranged but I was sure I could manipulate her or morally blackmail her.

The problem was that we could be intercepted by the security services. Playing a game of hide and seek, we managed to meet without being overheard, I think. I had removed two trackers from my car and she had found one on hers. I had a look and found another which we added to a truck which would hopefully give them the run around before they realised their mistake. Deidre had never forgiven her mother for such a dreary name, but she had done nothing to change it when I explained she had possibly been murdered by the security services or somebody similar she was up for trying to do something to pay them back. Our plan was simple and she would insist on the post-mortem being carried out by a named pathologist as well as the official one. I offered to fund it and we hoped that it would make the official doctor think twice about faking the results as we could argue about them in a coroner's court, against my counsel, who was considered one of the leading barristers in the country who few would want to stand against, so it looked like we had them. All Deidre had to do was insist on a second post-mortem and she looked up for it.

I warned her that they would try everything from bribery to intimidation and she told me she was prepared to stand her ground. She was much more likeable than her mum had been and I quite liked this twenty-something girl who had lots of spirit. I told her to tell the coroner she wanted an independent post-mortem and I'd do the rest.

It wasn't long before MI5 tried to intimidate and I told them to leave my office and stop being crooked. As soon as he was gone I phoned his boss to complain and told him if they wanted to play silly buggers, to look for a new job as I would be seeking out everyone involved and would personally seek compensation. He told me that being wealthy didn't mean I was as important as I thought and as I had loads of children, I could be vulnerable. I told him he was a despicable bastard and if anything happened to any of my children I would kill him myself and look to repay the debt to any family he had.

I immediately contacted James and asked him to get the name of Sir Roderick Allen's family and by tea time his son was out of work and his mortgage was called in. I was futile I know, and very nasty of me, but I had to show his father that his family was as much at risk as mine. Later I discovered my car had the tyres slashed and interrupted a stranger talking to Danni. When he attempted to grab her I broke his arm and told him, next his neck was the target. He ran off to a nearby car and I began to wish I'd broken his leg instead.

I was nicked for speeding and parking and as soon as I called the police the charges were dropped, my name still intimidated them and when I told Toby someone had tried to abduct Danni, he hit the roof. Simon who had called in the mortgage of Sir Roderick's son told me he was massively in debt from a bad investment and he had sent him another demand for more money than his father could comfortably raise, I knew we had the upper hand. The next day Sir Roderick came to see me.

"Lady Cameron if you don't stop this campaign, I shall remind people of your past history."

"Go ahead, I am not ashamed of it, but you might read the bit about my killing Russian terrorists and not underestimate me, so if one of your men or women comes near any of my girls, they will go home in a body bag next time."

"You're very violent for a woman aren't you but then you aren't one really, are you?"

"You sent someone to abduct my daughter, I broke his arm, next time it's his neck and then I shall visit the same violence on you. Your bank accounts are frozen while the bank investigates them. Your internet accounts are viewable by millions and by this evening you will be out of a job and by the time of the inquest, you will be a convicted murderer. I hope your replacement is better at this stuff."

"Hang about, you've done all that?"

"Oh, I have several plagues to visit upon you yet."

"How can you do all this?"

"Easy, and if I really give it my full focus, your life expectancy is much diminshed, still your wife can openly see the man she has been having an affair with, and they can have fun spending your pension pot."

"What, you are breaking the law and impeding an investigation."

"I would call murdering one of my staff somewhat illegal and you will pay for it."

"That wasn't me."

"I don't really care, you were involved."

"I wasn't, that came straight from the centre."

"I hope the Home Secretary is insured because she is on my list to be investigated."

"They will close you down."

"I have already got a promise to publish from the Guardian. I suppose she can always move to Rwanda, she has contacts there with the tyrant who runs the country."

"You can't win you know."

"If anything happens to me, articles will be published that destroy you if they haven't already sacked you for incompetence. You're on borrowed time."

"You think you have covered everything don't you?"

"No, I don't but I'll take you down with me and part of the Home Office, who let these things happen."

"What if we let you have your second post-mortem?"

"You can't stop me, it is a right of her family."

"Oh, the body could disappear."

"So could yours."

"What?"

"I am just predicting that if it does, bad things will happen."

"What if I said that it doesn't have to be like this?"

"I would say you were lying or you are a bigger coward than I thought."

"If we let the coroner find unlawful killing by person or persons unknown."

"But we know who did it don't we?"

"What if I told you we didn't do it."

"I wouldn't believe you."

"We didn't actually."

"Who did then?"

"Ah, that would be telling." I watched his facial expression beam, he thought he had me.

"What if I have evidence that you are lying."

"I'm not, we didn't do it." There was his sickly smile again.

"That won't stop me from publishing."

"This will," and he produced a handgun.

Just then my secretary walked in, "Thought you might like a cup of...oops how clumsy of me," she tipped to cupfuls of the boiling fluid on him. He dropped the gun and jumped up shouting I leapt over my desk and after a torrid tussle, I had him secured with cable-ties.

The gun was bagged up and I instructed Diane to call Toby. She did so immediately. Sir Roderick complained about that she had ruined his trousers. I reminded him that they'd give him a new outfit in prison.

"You think you've won don't you?"

"Know but you have lost."

"Toby arrived saw the gun and immediately arrested him."

"It's licensed to me," Sir Roderick protested.

"We'll see said Toby, nobody carries a gun on my patch."

"You fool, your career is over," threatened Sir Roderick.

"I think it will last long enough to prosecute you," replied Toby, and I handed over the card from the camera which had recorded our meeting. "Does this compromise you?"

"It might I admitted." I was thinking of the threats I made.

"In which case I won't take it, I know nothing of it," he smiled and took Sir Roderick away. I took Diane for lunch along with Daddy as I prepared them for more dirty tricks by the security services.