Steps to Heaven: A Sgt Major Crane Novel by Wendy Cartmell Page B

bedroom but, on the surface at least, everything seemed normal. It’s just that now finding another similar type of church…….. Oh I don’t know,” he finished in exasperation. “Still, I’d like copies of these. I’ll take them back with me to Aldershot tomorrow.”
    “No worries, I’ll do them now,” replied Brown, rising from his seat.
    “Oh, Brown,” Crane called him back, waving his beer glass in the air.
    “Yes, Crane?” Brown’s indignation was still evident in the clipped tone and rigid posture. He remained standing.
    “Could you get forensics to do some tests on Sergeant’s clothes? Particularly his trousers.”
    “What?” As recognition dawned, Brown held the back of the chair he had just vacated with two hands. Leaning heavily on them, he looked at Crane. “What have I missed now?”
    “I think you might find traces of steel and stone. He would have sharpened his knife before he killed them, don’t you think?”
     

 
    Chapter Thirteen
     
    The next few days brought no good news in the murder/suicide cases. In fact, no news at all. Crane became dispirited and frustrated and his days merged into one another, as he went about his work like an automaton, before he turned his attention back to the fire case.
    Sitting down and brainstorming one afternoon in Crane’s office over a cup of tea, Billy said, “You don’t suppose he did it to himself, sir?”
    “What?” Crane splutters, choking on the tea that he’d just started to drink.
    “Sergeant Barnes. Maybe it was suicide. Turned himself into a human torch.”
    “A bit bloody extreme,” was Crane’s reaction as he mopped up the spilt tea from his face and his tie. “And anyway, why would he do it?” he asked, dropping the tissues into the bin under his desk.
    “Who knows?” Billy shrugged his shoulders. “Medical reasons perhaps? Maybe he was ill?”
    After a pause, Crane said, “Alright, follow it up. Get his medical records from the health centre. We’ve nothing else, so we might as well look into it.”
    “Sir,” agreed Billy as he left the office, taking one of Crane’s biscuits with him.
    It was some time later when Crane realised Billy hadn’t come back with the medical records, so he went into the open plan office in search of him. He found him at his desk going through some papers.
    “Billy, what the hell are you doing? Where are Sergeant Barnes’ medical records?”
    “Well, sir, I…um…was just about to come and see you about those.”
    “Well come and see me then,” called Crane striding back to his office.
    Billy sat opposite Crane, looking like a mouse facing a snake. After swallowing he said, “Well, sir, it’s just that I’ve cocked up.”
    “Jesus Christ, what have you done this time?”
    “Well, you know you asked me to get Sergeant Barnes’ medical records?” Billy played with the brown paper envelope in his hand.
    “Of course, where are they?”
    “Still in the medical centre.”
    A confused Crane asked, “So what’s in your hand?”
    “Mrs Barnes’ medical records, sir.”
    “What the hell! How did that happen? No, don’t tell me,” Crane holds out his palm to stop Billy replying. “A pretty young receptionist?”
    Nodding in agreement, Billy looked abashed. “She was really sweet, boss, with big you know what’s. Anyway we got chatting. So she was a bit distracted when she gave me the records for A. Barnes. I just took them and when I got back I realised she had given me Mrs Barnes’ medical records. Alice, that was, not Adrian.”
    “You bloody idiot. How could you be so stupid?”
    “I know, boss, but, it could be a good thing.”
    “Enlighten me.”
    “It seemed Mrs Barnes had had several ‘accidents’ over the past few years.” Billy began taking out papers from the brown lined packet from the medical centre.
    “Oh yes,” Crane leant over his desk to take the papers from Billy.
    “Yes. See here, firstly broken ribs, then injured knees, and finally a broken wrist.