Hope Never Dies Page 9

  Ned placed a blanket on the ground, one he had found in the house and asked Kim if she was ready to eat, a silly question really as she was always ready to eat. He was always amazed at the amount of food that she could devour and this never had any effect on her weight or her size. In the years that he had known her she had never really varied from the eight stone or so and there was never any fat on her at all.

  He set out the picnic as she lay down to catch the sun. She looked absolutely gorgeous, he thought, in her blue and white striped top, that accentuated her breasts, now unencumbered by any bra, and tight turquoise shorts. He had to seriously control himself from ravishing her there and then. Might be an opportunity after lunch, he mused to himself filling his mouth with a piece of pork pie. Whilst eating they talked about the peace and tranquillity of the Lake District and the opportunity for some hiking. Ned said that he would like to try for the big one, Scafell Pike and he was pleased when Kim agreed that she would like to try that one as well.

  “We’ll tackle it from Wasdale. Have you been there?” He asked. She hadn’t.

  “It is supposed to be the most beautiful part of the Lakes or even in the whole of England and I agree with everybody who has said it.”

  Kim hoped that the weather would stay like this and that she was looking forward to it. She had never admitted it to anyone before but hiking was one of those pastimes that she has recently wanted to do. She had not thought that Ned was the hiking sort until he stopped at the shop earlier although he had always kept himself as active as possible. Last night and this morning were evidence of that, she thought.

  After their lunch, Kim lay back on the blanket to catch some more sunshine and Ned began to lust after her again. Last night and this morning had shown to him that he could still perform sexually and from the sweet noises that Kim made, she had enjoyed herself too. He leaned over her and stared at her face, something he had done for a long time now but not as close as this. She sensed his presence and looked up at him. He kissed her gently on the lips and she responded willingly. The intenseness of those kisses surprised them both. Ned looked up and all around him. There were no other boats anywhere near the island and certainly none that would be likely to interfere or spy on them.

  Satisfied in this thought, he resumed kissing her full on the mouth and mover his right hand onto her left breast. With no bra restriction, he was able to feel the perfect shape of both breast and nipple. There was no resistance from Kim as he continued to explore her body underneath her top and subsequently, the area covered by her shorts.

  Kim had not had alfresco sex for quite some time and now thought that this was purely the domain of teenagers, whores and doggers. However, this felt so right for her. The setting was absolutely perfect, nobody likely to interrupt or even come near them, nobody even likely to be able to see them unless they have powerful binoculars, and perfect weather. She responded by moving her right hand onto Ned’s leg and slowly and seductively, moving it upwards until she found the hardness she was seeking. She decided to expose him first and slipped her hand inside the waistband of his shorts. His underpants produced no barrier at all and she pushed him on his back, fully exposing him to the sunshine. She worked on him with both her fingers and her mouth.

  When she came up for air, he attempted to remove her top but she did not wish to be naked, after all they were outside and technically on public view but she removed her shorts before pulling Ned back onto her. He reciprocated with his mouth and soon those little girlish squeals were again being heard. He continued until her body shuddered with excitement and had ceased spasming. Staring straight into her eyes, he kneeled in front of her and gently pulled her onto him until he was fully embedded. Their lovemaking was every bit as passionate and fulfilling as the previous ones. More of John’s singing, Come together, right now, over you.

  They laid entwined in each other’s arms for what seemed to be a very long time, certainly long enough to watch the sun move noticeably westwards. In between pleasuring each other in the warm sunshine they again discussed their preferred outcome to this mess which was that they continue their normal lives with or without the money, but preferably with it. They now decided that they could not leave the money somewhere anonymously such the police station as it would soon be traced back to them. They could not admit they had the money as they could very well be accused of stealing it in the first place. They could return home and pretend that they had never had the money in the first place but they would still be hunted. Their situation proved to be insolvable.

  Later that evening over a home-cooked dinner of spicy chicken and lamb, Kim looked up at Ned and said, “I think I have the answer. We are never going to get out of this mess until we can prove that we did not steal the money, and we are not going to do that until we find the man who did steal it. I suspect that man who came to my apartment two nights ago. All we have to do is to find him. We might lose the money and our reputation may not be intact but that’s insignificant compared with what we might have to face.”

  Ned considered this for awhile and finally said

  “I think you could be right. It’ll need some working out though.” He turned to face her “Do you want to return home tomorrow?” More Beatles and this time Ned sang to Kim, We can work it out.

  “Only if you keep singing at me, otherwise let’s stay for another day or so.” she replied firmly. “I feel that a small burden has been lifted and I feel a little better. Let’s keep to our plans for a good hike, and now perhaps we can enjoy it a bit better”

  Life at the moment was so up-side down for Ned. The elation he was feeling because he had made love to Kim on no less than three occasions since last light had raised his adrenalin levels to the extent that he seemed permanently on a high, yet at the same time, he feared that this would all end quite disastrously for both Kim and himself. He was not a person who lived “for today alone” and he had never been that impulsive when making decisions. Today seemed totally different and he just wanted the day to carry on right through the evening and night. When he suggested it was bedtime, Kim raised herself off the settee and he took her hand and led her into the bedroom. He was pleased when she did not resist.

  He said to her, “You know, when I feel randy and think of sex, my t-shirt always turns blue”

  “But you’ve had that blue one on all day”

  “Exactly my point! Now let’s go to bed”

  Kim’s relationship with Ned had been totally blown off course over the last twenty four hours or so. She had always regarded him as a very special friend and that friendship had been cemented over the years but that had not included any form of intimacy. She had had some very satisfactory sex and Ned’s performance had belied his age. Her feelings were now telling her that their new-found sexual relationship should continue and flourish but her head was telling her not to go down that line and to continue with their platonic one. She knew exactly what Ned wanted but she also knew that he would understand and accept any decision that she made. Once in the bedroom, she told Ned that she did not want sex that evening but to his surprise, she still crept into bed with him and slid into his arms. He was happy just to cuddle her until they both fell asleep.

  What they didn’t know was that events were gathering in such a way so that they could never have predicted the dramatic way in which the day would unfold.

  CHAPTER 22

  Detective Constables Hannah Beaumont and Alan Payne were soon seated in the spacious office of their superior officer, Superintendent Steve Carlton. He was a tall man, middle-aged with greying hair and very prominent facial features. He had always been loyal to the force and loyal to his men which he expected to be fully reciprocated. He knew that the two detectives wished to talk to him about a colleague and this made him very uneasy. It was Hannah who briefly informed him of her concerns and she left it to Payne to elaborate on all the details that he had noticed about Kingsly over
the last couple of days. Carlton sat and considered the points that were put to him. Before saying anything he picked up his telephone and asked someone to check the duty log and return back to him as quickly as possible. He then looked up at the two young detectives and said,

  “You know that what you are saying can amount to a serious allegation against a serving police officer.” They both nodded acknowledging that they fully understood just how serious it was. Before anything further could be said, Carlton’s phone rang. He answered it very non-committal, thanked the caller and replaced the receiver.

  “Very well then” continued Carlton, “I’ll formally report this to Internal, but not until tomorrow. You’ve got twenty-four hours to wrap it up.” He looked directly at Hannah, “Report to me directly and only on my mobile.” He gave them the number. He added “Don’t tell anyone else what you are doing or where you are going, which, I presume will be to the Lake District. Alan, you are a good co-ordinator, I want you to stay here and keep Hannah fully briefed with all developments. Hannah, I’m going to allocate Inspector Howard Parker. He’s fully trustworthy and he can pull rank if it is necessary to go down that line. Do you have any problems with this?”

  “No, Sir” replied Hannah. She had not considered Howard Parker and although she had little to do with him, she knew that he was a good copper. If Carlton trusted him, then she had absolutely no cause not to.

  “I suggest that you leave straight away and brief Inspector Parker on your journey northwards. I’ll call him now” He made a gesture to them that indicated that the interview was terminated.

  Howard Parker was already in the Operations Room and he took Hannah and Payne into a private room. She told him that she would brief him on the way, and it would be best to start with that young copper in Kendal and would he, Alan, make the arrangements so that she could talk to him as soon as she arrived? Howard Parker was very quick to grasp the situation or at least the facts that were given to him. He was tall, well over six feet, medium build but with a hint of middle-age spread. His hair, quite thick, was fair and longish which accentuated his blue eyes. She wasted no time and practically pushed Parker through the door,

  “No real time to spare”. She thought that she was following only Terry Kingsly. What she was unaware of was that she and Parker was now the fourth car to be chasing up to the Lake District that day.

  *

  Terry Kingsly was the first of the quartet to make it to Kendal. His first call was to the car hire company and he managed to arrive before they shut for the day. He showed his warrant card and asked about Kim and Ned and the hire car that they were given. The girl behind the counter told him that she had given all this information to his colleague this morning.

  “Was he in uniform?” he asked. She told him that he was. Also she told him that he was quite young and very dishy. Would he be coming back to see her by any chance, she enquired. Kingsly ignored this inane question. He mused that it must have been that Ryan Baker, or whatever his name was. He thanked her for the information and left. As no one seemed to know where Kim and Ned had gone, he was at another dead end. He decided to call Hannah to see what developments had occurred. Whilst he regarded himself as pretty observant, he was unaware that he was being watched from by three fearsome looking men sat in a BMW just a few yards down the road.

  *

  Hannah and Howard Parker were just a few miles from the A65 turn-off when the telephone call was received. She immediately recognised Kingsly’s voice.

  “Hannah, are there any developments in the case?”

  She hesitated before answering and looked at Parker. He shook his head.

  “None at all, gaffer. If there is anything I’ll brief you first thing in the morning”

  “No!” he replied somewhat forthright. “Ring me as soon as you have any information regardless of the time. I am anxious to conclude this case now as soon as possible” He rang off.

  “I bet you are” murmured Parker. Hannah nodded in agreement.

  The call got Kingsly nowhere. He had to think of his next move. It had to be decisive and imminent now he was expected at the station in the morning. But what was bothering him more was the call to Hannah. She sounded very distant and hesitant. Had she cottoned on to what he was up to? After some thought on this, he dismissed the idea. Hannah was quite forthright in her actions and opinions and if she had any thoughts that direction, she would certainly raise it with him and bollock him if necessary. He stored the information at the back of his mind. After a short while, he worked out his next move.

  CHAPTER 23

  The second call to Hannah came almost immediately. It was from Alan Payne.

  “Hannah, I have contacted Constable Baker. He’s day off today but has agreed to see you at his home. It’s apparently on the main road as you enter the town” He gave her the address. He continued “The other information for you is that Chen and White’s hire car has been spotted by a local patrol parked in Windermere earlier this afternoon. I take it you are not in Kendal yet.”

  “No. Not far off though. Seeing Baker might save us a visit to the car hire company. We’ll move straight on to Windermere after. Kingsly’s just been on the phone asking for the latest developments. I told him that there weren’t any but he wants to be kept fully informed immediately.”

  “Sounds as though he’s come across a dead end. He won’t know about the Windermere connection of course. I’ll keep in touch.”

  As they were leaving the motorway, Parker said thoughtfully

  “If we are to catch Kingsly then there must be something incriminating on him and whilst he’s pissing in the wind, he is unlikely to have any such thing. Perhaps we should guide him a little more. Let me think about this some more”

  They soon reached Ryan Baker’s house and he opened the door almost immediately as the doorbell was rung. Hannah thought he was very young to be a policeman. Perhaps it was an indicative sign that she was growing older. He was tall and brown-haired with deep brown eyes, rugged features and a ruddy complexion. Hannah considered him to be very handsome. He invited them into his lounge, an old-fashioned front room that was very much in vogue when these types of houses were built before the war. She guessed that it was his parent’s house and that he still lived with them. He recounted the morning’s movements again, how he had spotted Miss Chen and Mr White leaving the hotel, and visiting a car hire company. He was off-duty at the time but told his sergeant what he had seen. He returned to the hire company in an official capacity and obtained details of the car that had been hired. His memory was such that he could relate the details and registration of the car. Hannah checked with her notebook and found that it coincided with the one Alan had given her. Had Sergeant Kingsly been in contact with him since this morning? No, he had not. Hannah thanked him for the information and told him that the car had been sighted since in Windermere. Could the local patrols concentrate their efforts there? He said he would relay the information to his sergeant and do what he could. Once they were in the car, Parker said to her

  “Even though it’s getting late, let’s move on to Windermere. You never know, we might strike lucky”.

  *

  Kingsly pulled up just down the road from Baker’s house and found it hard to believe when he saw Hannah and Howard Parker leave the house. Were they on to him? He found it difficult to believe that this was this just another enquiry lead that they were following up? Not up here in Cumbria. And why Parker? He had nothing to do with the enquiry. This puzzled him. He could not go to see Baker now. He decided that he would follow them to their new destination. And, so unbeknown to each other, a trail of three cars left Kendal on the A591 towards Windermere. The first car with Hannah and Parker on board knew where they were going but were unaware that they were being followed, the second car, containing Kingsly, did not know where he was going but he knew who he was following. He was unaware he was
being followed in the third car, that contained Davies and his cohorts. Likewise, they did not know where they were going and they were unaware of the first car.

  It was now early evening when they all arrived in the lakeside town and most of the shops had now closed.

  Parker told Hannah to make her way to the local hotel, perched above the town and to book a couple of rooms for the night. How the three cars still avoided not only spotting each other but actually hitting one another was quite a feat particularly when Hannah did a u-turn in the main street. There were vacancies at the hotel and they were duly booked in for the evening.

  Kingsly watched them drive into the hotel grounds and he drove a little way past to where bed and breakfast accommodation was advertised. He booked a room there.

  Davies watched Kingsly and promptly dispatched Slater into the B and B. Slater watched Kingsly book the room, saw which room was allocated to him and booked himself in there. Contacting Davies by mobile phone, he explained the situation. Davies, a stranger to these low quality establishments told Reed to go to the hotel and book a couple of rooms for them there.

  The evening passed quite surreally for the six of them. Parker and Hannah dined at the hotel with Parker watching two men in the corner of the restaurant, wondering where he had seen them before. His memory was not as good as it used to be. Still, given time he would remember. The men that he was watching were also eyeing Parker and Hannah with Davies saying more than once to his fellow thug that whilst he could not be sure, he thought they were police from Manchester. He told Reed to check the register before the evening was out.

  Kingsly chose to eat in the town avoiding being in direct sight of the hotel, yet checking to see that Hannah’s car was still in the car park. Slater followed him at a very discreet distance and watched him enter an Indian restaurant in the main street. He chose to go into the pub across from the restaurant, ordered a drink and sat by the window so he could see when he left.