All Fall Down - Part 3

"Up yours, Jack."

And with that, that was the last time DI Chris Deakin ever spoke to DCI Jack Meadows. Deakin stormed out of CID with DS Geoff Daly in tow. Deakin and Daly had lost their jobs at Sun Hill thanks to the Don Beech corruption scandal but Meadows secured his position thanks to a well-connected Commander Campbell at the Yard. But when the Beech scandal exploded, the Complaints Investigation Bureau team led by Commander Ford had stormed the station and CID was torn asunder. Assuming nothing, they were determined to find out if the corruption extended to other officers or solely to DS Beech; to the disdain of the entire relief this meant interviewing every officer who had ever worked with Beech, including PC Jim Carver. That interview had taken place earlier.

Carver was nervously waiting outside one of the interview rooms, wondering whether the absolute truth would exonerate him or only put him under more scrutiny than he was already under. It hadn't been too long since his drinking problem nearly cost him his job; only the intervention of Frank Burnside and Andrew Monroe granted him a reprieve, a second chance to prove his worth. And now, desperately not wanting to make any mistakes or talk his way into trouble, he was about to be grilled about his close working relationship with a corrupt officer suspected of murder. To him this interview was going to feel more like an interrogation.

A DCI Masters appeared from the interview room and invited PC Carver in.

"PC Carver? You can come in now."
"Okay, Carver. Let's do this", he said quietly to himself before entering.

Inside the interview room, Ford was already sat in his chair going over his notes. Masters went over to the tape recorder to begin interview preparation. Jim was still standing, pacing nervously but very slowly. He thought his heart was going to burst and it hadn't even begun yet.

"Take a seat, PC Carver", said Commander Ford.

Jim sat down in the seat normally reserved for suspects. His big frame slumped into the chair and with a pursed mouth and big brow over his eyes he glared at the two officers who were preparing to interview him. Ford, in his navy blue suit with light coloured shirt, had a slightly contoured face. Although his lips were thin his eyes were piercing with determination. His lilted voice belied the disciplined tone in which he spoke; a man determined to get to the facts if not the truth. Masters, on the other hand, wore a black suit with a rich-coloured blue shirt. He was slightly younger than Ford but with more angular, handsome features. He approached things more condescendingly, in an attempt to impress by the results he could prove. Masters was a DCI crawling his way greasily up the promotion ladder but Ford was a Commander. A Commander might have been the most junior of all the commissioned senior officer ranks, the last one to traditionally be sworn in as a constable and not as a magistrate, but as a Commander it meant that Ford was still the highest-ranking officer to visit Sun Hill in quite some time. Not even Chief Superintendent Brownlow or Borough Commander Mannion could match him. And not only was Ford the highest-ranking officer to visit Sun Hill, he was taking a leading role in an active investigation. The gravity of the situation was not lost on Jim Carver, who took deep breaths as he sat down.

Masters started the tape and sat down at the table with the other two before Ford took the lead.

"Interview with Police Constable Carver, time is 13:54. Conducting the interview on the behalf of CIB are Commander Ford..."
"And DCI Masters."

There was a pause before Ford began his questioning. Jim took in his surroundings and amongst the dark interview room with a tinge of grey-blue on the walls he could hear the electrical humming from the lights. Normally the human brain would filter this out but this was all Jim could hear and all he could focus on.

"Now, PC Carver, I'm Commander Ford and I'm sure by now you know why we are here and what we want to interview you about. We're investigating the conduct and behaviour of Detective Sergeant Don Beech. I understand that you had a working relationship with him, is that correct?"

Jim's eyes swelled before he began answering.

"Erm, yes. We worked together somewhat closely at times. I... I.. was a member of CID for a number of years and Don Beech was one of my immediate supervisors. There were certainly cases where he and I were the investigating officers"

"And did you have a personal relationship with Don Beech?"

"Personal? Well, yes, we worked together so we obviously knew each oth- I mean... no, not really", Jim said, shaking his head.

"Are you sure about your answer? It's a perfectly simple question."

"Well I'm not sure what you mean by a personal relationship. I mean, I wasn't his keeper if that's what you mean."

"I'm just looking to establish what type of relationship you have with DS Beech. Whether you got on well with him, considered him a friend, perhaps.", Ford suggested.

"We want to know who knew DS Beech and knew him on a level more than a colleague", Masters interjected. Jim's throat twitched as he began answering again.

"Ah, well if you mean did I like him, well... we were working colleagues. Don was a popular guy in the office, I think most of the relief would tell you that but... uh... as to whether we were friends explicitly then... erm, look, it's tough to explain, okay?"

"It's okay, PC Carver. We're not going to crucify or expel anyone simply for knowing DS Beech."

"It's just that, uh.. well I suppose he and I would socialise occasionally after work but only on the back of being on duty together."

"You mean you did socialise and work with him in and out of the station?", Masters questioned.

"Look!", Jim began whilst gesturing with his hands by his face, "I worked with Don Beech and so did other people in this nick. If we got a good result, we might go to the pub to celebrate a job well done and if we did that, we usually did it on an entire CID basis. We'd all be there." His growing frustration was obvious.

"PC Carver, we need to know how close DS Beech was to other officers in the station. There's no need to take it so personally", said Ford, trying to reassure Jim.

Jim replied but was continuously failing to keep his cool.

"Well I wasn't close to him, was I?! Don was a lone ranger. He preferred operating on his own! I was on cases with him but I felt like I was a sandbag rather than a partner! Am I the only one being harassed about this? Why am I being singled out? Are you asking anyone else who's ever worked in CID here? Have you tracked down... oh I don't know, Suzi Croft and Alan Woods and given them the third degree yet?!"

Masters rolled his eyes and gave a derisive look at Jim but Ford stared at him with astonishing patience.

"PC Carver, you are not being singled out as part of our investigation but the reason we were particularly interested in interviewing you is because of all the members of CID who were working when Don Beech transferred to this station in 1995, you along with DI Deakin and DCI Meadows are the ones still working here. That is why we are interviewing you, PC Carver. We need the fullest picture we can get."

"If anyone is for the chop", Masters began, "It's going to be them and not you."

Ford did not like Masters' comment but no sold it as though he hadn't heard it. Jim sighed and regained his composure.

"...I'm sorry. It's just been difficult. I hadn't considered that... that you were comparing who's still here from when he started. I haven't worked in CID for two years. I'm sorry but I don't know if there's much else I can tell you."

"Well, you can tell us for example if Don ever... went into business for himself?", Masters proposed.

Jim was dumbfounded as to how to reply. He knew that Beech was an independent mind and not adverse to looking after himself but he only knew it in the same way that you can know that the music you're hearing is a violin and not a fiddle. Everyone's opinion of Beech "sailing close to the wind" was founded in warranted suspicion but not in any provable truth.

"W... went into business for himself? Well, uh... if you mean he bent some rules to close a case I don't think that would be untrue."

Jim swallowed before continuing.

"I'm sure even officers as senior as yourselves are aware that... on occasion... officers have worked around inflexible bureaucracy to achieve the right result."

Masters pressed further.

"So you mean he might have convinced custody sergeants to help with detentions or interviews whilst he was out chasing leads, for example?"

"I can't be sure for certain, Mr Masters", Jim replied. He raised his forearm to his head for a moment. "Like I told you, Don preferred to operate alone. Quite a lot of the time if we were on casework together I'd be gathering coffees or reading newspapers. I wouldn't know quite what he was doing."

Masters nodded.

"I understand, PC Carver. We're not immune to the reality of policing. But if you have suspicions that DS Beech did something illegal or perhaps profited for his own gain, we'd like to know. I believe the phrase is 'wet his beak'?", Masters playfully proposed.

"I'm sorry, sir, but although I worked with DS Beech, even drank with him in the pub on occasion, I can't say that I know anything that much about him. He kept himself to himself. I don't even know what station he was at before here."

Masters stroked his chin. It wasn't quite the answer he was hoping for. Ford was more receptive to Jim's testimony.

"We know you were transferred back into uniform and have not been attached to CID in some time but your insight into Beech's entire tenure at this station could prove invaluable. I don't think there's anything else to discuss right now but should anything leap to mind, constable, you know where you can find me", said Ford, ending the interview.

"Yes, sir. I understand and I'll keep it in mind, sir."

"Interview terminated at... 14:12", confirmed Masters, glancing at his watch.

With a click of the tape recorder Jim's interrogation was over and he sighed again only this time much more deeply.

Jim rose from his chair and readjusted his tie. With Ford busying himself with his papers and tapes Jim began leaving the room but Ford, without looking, gave one last comment to Jim before Jim was back in the corridor and out of suspicion.

"PC Carver... I know what you think of CIB investigations but it's all part of the procedure. And off the record, I can assure you that your colleagues DC Woods and DC Croft have also been interviewed too. All avenues of this investigation are being considered."

Jim glanced back.

"Good to know, sir."