Murders Without Motive by Harry Nankin Page B

with me?”
    “ Sergeant Striker as the custody officer and now in charge replied, “It means Mr Crampton, that you sign a legally binding document that when you are now released from police custody you will go free but your are on bail until the date given. Bail is an obligation to do or refrain from something. At that time of your return you will appear here unless cancelled in writing. On your return you may be re-bailed to a further date or you may be released from bail or you may be charged with a crime or an offence”. If you fail to comply that is another offence to be dealt with by the court, you don’t have to pay the police anything”.
    “Oh I see” he said looking grim and worried.
    “Not to worry sir”, said Striker “all will be resolved; if you might just sign here Sir I will give you a copy.
    “Crampton signed and was given his copy
    Templeton replied as all good solicitors do, “Don’t worry Charles, what he is telling you is, they don’t have any evidence, they have just been on as fishing trip”.
    “Let them test your clothes they won’t find anything I am sure. Come Charles let us be off.”
    They both turned and left. Striker looked at Pearson and said, “Slimy Bastard that Templeton, ah. slimy and it is amazing how many of his clients most of whom are illiterate come up with the most fantastic stories when they send in their statement made to him. That is after they have had time to digest the questions and therefore the evidence the police have.
    “Yep, they are all the same Briefs, I mean, money grabbing bastards, making a mint on the taxpayer supposedly in the name of justice.” Said Pearson, adding a rider, “an informant told me that his mate on a charge of damage was on a bender, you know a community service order if he stays good ok but if he gets done again he goes down the line to the nick. The guy was told by Templeton to get some other kids with a clean sheet to admit it". The kid arrived at court give evidence to the court it was him not the boy in the dock. The villain was discharged and the fall guy arrested. Templeton then represented him and then told his client to no comment. There being no other evidence and they couldn’t use what he had said in court, no action was taken. Templeton got both off, the bastard, bent as a pin.
    “Ah” replied Striker, “you are right, history will show he did more harm to the community getting these kids off, than any of them individually.”
    “They get off, it’s a kick to them so they keep offending, they keep going back to him, and he keeps getting more fees”.
    “It is a bloody scandal really. Still we are only the cops”.
    “Such is life”, he added, closed the custody book, picked up his cup of tea, just brought in for him, and then walked into the main office.
    Pearson followed then ran upstairs to his office, what now he thought.
    Gibson and he spent the remainder of the next day bagging up the items seized from Charles Crampton; labels were placed, the accompanying paper work done.
    The process completed Pearson picked up the telephone and called Ray, the handyman driver to come up and take the items to Forensic Laboratory at Birmingham.
    The job finally done for the day, he sat in his chair and stuck his feet up on the desk. After several moment he said, “Gibson”.
    “Yes Skipper” replied Gibson, what is it?”
    “I really don’t have a bloody clue who committed these murders”.
    Gibson smiled but said nothing.
    After a moment’s silence Pearson stood walked over to the door put on his coat and said, “I sent Richards the list of old staff I had seen they didn’t help. I wonder if his magical skills found something I did not?”
    In a moment he was gone.
    Jack Richards finishing his review now of all papers to hand had several notes recorded, if the arrest of Crampton came to nothing as he suspected these tit bits might just help.
     
    Tuesday the 7 th of May 2013
     
    Charles Crampton failed to appear