Complicity Part 3 (2/4) By Nick Quantrill

(1/4), (2/4), (3/4), (4/4). Part 1, Part 2.

The message from Maynard that he was needed on the Baxter inquiry after all lifted his mood as he hurried his pace. One of the team had been unfortunate enough to suffer a broken cheekbone while making an arrest. Still, one man's misfortune was another man's gain he thought as he hurried past the drunken groups. Coleman reported in on time for the 8.30am briefing from McCormack. A brief chat with Maynard had revealed that the cause of death was still to be formally confirmed by the DI, but that suspicion was falling on his fellow partners in the practice. He couldn't but hope that he would get the opportunity to interview Julian Smyth in a formal capacity. That really would brighten up his day.

'Good morning, ladies and gentlemen' said McCormack as he entered the room. Coleman picked up his mug of coffee and hunched forward in his seat. 'We'll start with the good news. The pathologist has finally confirmed the cause of death. Ray Baxter died from an overdose of nitrobenzene.'

McCormack gave a theatrical pause. Coleman shuffled in his chair. Are we supposed to be impressed with your ability to read from a piece of paper, he thought? 'That means Ray Baxter was poisoned.' Another theatrical pause. He had almost forgotten what a painful chore McCormack's briefings could be. 'Nitrobenzene isn't the most sophisticated of poisons' he continued. 'It's essentially a poison that paralyses the central nervous system. It's assumed that our poisoner chose this because it's fairly easy to obtain as it's used commonly in the perfume trade, and secondly it doesn't leave any of the usual visible signs of poisoning like excessive vomiting.'

The briefing didn't last much longer. Despite the confirmation of cause of death, there was very little else to say at this moment in time. The confirmation only served to allow McCormack to officially open a murder enquiry and request the necessary resources to allow him to head up a Major Investigation Team. He also brought the team up to date on the initial findings and sought suggestions.

Inquiries were to focus initially on Baxter's fellow partners in the firm, Julian Smyth and Brendan Lock. Coleman and Maynard were to discretely look into Lock's background, while another team consisting of DS Keane and DC West were to initially interview both Lock and Smyth. McCormack passed on to the investigation team the information that Coleman had unearthed the previous day about the practice's future plans. Coleman and Maynard were dispatched by McCormack to the Royal Hotel to verify Brendan Lock's alibi. The rain once again refusing to ease as the men made their way to the hotel.

Although appearing mundane from the outside, the hotel has a grand interior, yet the way you can step directly into Paragon Railway station from the bar was always reminded Coleman of the city's end of line status. 'Thanks for agreeing to see us so quickly' said Coleman as they sat themselves down facing the hotel manager. 'No problem at all, I'm Stephen Moore, manager of the hotel. Pleased to meet you' he replied making himself comfortable. 'We shouldn't take up too much of your time, Sir' added Maynard.

'No, don't worry. It's fine. We're happy to help if we can.' 'As I explained on the telephone, we need to see the footage from last night, starting from around 6.00pm.' 'That's fine. The tape is ready for you' said Moore turning in his seat to insert the tape into the video-player. He passed Maynard the remote controller. They waited for him to make his excuses. 'Ok, I see. Help yourself then. I'll just pop out and have a break. Give me a shout when you're finished.' Coleman reached over and snatched the remote control. 'Right then. Let's see what we've got'. He fast-forwarded the tape until Brendan Lock entered the picture. They watched as he approached the bar to order a drink. 'The quality is pretty impressive.'

Continued... Next Page (3/4)

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