Date: Sun, 9 Nov 2003 14:48:54 +0000 (GMT)
From: Steve Rose <cutrose40@yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Martin Roberts Investigates/Party Games - 2

DISCLAIMER:

This is a story. None of the characters in the story
exist and the events that take place are purely
imaginary.

Thanks to all of you who have emailed me with comments
and told me how much you enjoyed the first 'John'
story. This is the second one and there are more in
the pipeline, although there may be a delay as I'm on
vacation for the next few weeks.

WARNING:

Do not read this story if you are in any way offended
by acts of a homosexual nature.

Do not read this if you are under the legal age for
accessing adult sites.

Always indulge in safe sex.
MARTIN ROBERTS INVESTIGATES - PARTY GAMES
Chapter 2

Nick Trafford had been elected to Parliament in the
Labour landslide of 1997. The young MP had made his
name before he entered Parliament having been, first
of all, a member of a radical black student body that
had campaigned for better access for black students.
He had gone on after graduating from University to
play the leading role in another radical organisation,
this time concerned with radical gay rights' campaign.
It was as the Director of this campaign that Nick had
first met Martin Roberts' partner, Tom, who had acted
for the organisation on a number of occasion in major
court cases. It was hardly surprising that he
attracted considerable press interest and most
particularly among the tabloids, given that the young
man was both black and gay.

Despite a major campaign of vilification, Nick
Trafford had been chosen for the Parliamentary seat
that he now represented in the House of Commons. He
had gained the seat with a reasonable majority and had
proved to be an effective constituency MP and, as
Martin had learned a few weeks earlier, he was also
well thought of in government circles and was about to
enter the promotion ladder and join the government
quite soon. Nick was in the Chamber and the ambitious,
young MP was coming to the end of a short, but
effective, speech in favour of the Government's Police
and Justice Bill that was being considered on the
first day of a two-day second reading debate. Speaking
confidently and with only a few notes, Nick Trafford's
contribution was reaching a conclusion,

"Mr Speaker, I will draw to an end by summarising the
points that make me believe that this proposed
legislation will not have the dire effects that its
opponents both inside and outside this Chamber claim
it will do. I would also point out that the opponents
have misrepresented this legislation as 'the Police
Bill' when in fact it is also dealing with criminal
justice. Furthermore, there has been a concentration
on just a few clauses within the proposals rather than
looking at the whole picture. In regards to the
controversial clauses, however, I support them
wholeheartedly. In doing so, I would emphasise that we
have sadly witnessed over the years several
miscarriages of justice that can be, in part and
sometimes in whole, attributed to the failure of the
investigating officers to look into every aspect of
the case. It has been far too easy to arrest a suspect
and make the evidence fit around making a case against
them. These cases are rare but anything we can do to
prevent them should e attempted.

"I do not claim that this Bill will end all
miscarriages of justice but what it does do is provide
an avenue for elements of a case to be investigated
independently of the police force involved where it
can be shown to a Court that such an approach is
justifiable. Herein lies the biggest safeguard. This
is not a licence to go on wild fishing expeditions in
the hope of finding an alibi however implausible it
might be. Defence Counsel will have to persuade a
Court that there is a material, I repeat a material,
matter that has not been satisfactorily investigated
by the police involved in the case. Only then, Mr
Speaker, can the procedures outlined in this Bill be
brought into play. Finally, may I say that this is a
two edged sword that will only, in my view be used
sparingly, because all evidence produced by these
investigations will be available to both sides. It is
conceivable that in asking for an investigation under
the terms of these proposals a defendant or his legal
team might just as easily unwittingly provide the
Crown with evidence of their client's guilt. So, sir,
I support these measures which I believe will enhance
the already high reputation that this country enjoys
in the administration of criminal justice. I ask all
members of the House to support this legislation."

Nick sat down and could hear colleagues behind and
around him muttering their agreement with the
sentiments he had expressed. The young MP glanced at
the time on his watch, smiled at a couple of his
colleagues and then made his way out of the Chamber.
There would be no vote that evening as the Government
had scheduled a two-day debate on this piece of
legislation, so Nick was free to go home and then onto
his speaking engagement followed by his television
encounter with Commander Martin Roberts. As he walked
through the into House of Commons lobby and towards
the Central Lobby where members of the public could
come to see MPs, he was caught up by Home Secretary
James Broadbent who beamed at him and said,

"Well spoken, Nick. It's speeches like that that will
get you noticed and put you on the ladder of
promotion. By the by, what are you doing for dinner
this evening, would you care to join me once the
debate has finished?"

Looking suitably flattered, the rising young
politician shook his head and replied

"Thank you for your encouragement and for your
invitation, but I really am sorry, Home Secretary, I
can't tonight. I agreed to speak to a Labour Party
meeting in North London. I've postponed twice already
so I feel obliged to not let them down this time."

"Of course, absolutely right. There will be plenty of
other occasions for us to dine together but keeping
the party faithful happy is always important. Good
luck, not that I think you'll need it and good luck in
the debate with Martin Roberts. I know him and his
partner quite well, he's a very good copper and,
incidentally, a constituent and a voting supporter.
Must dash, see you soon."

With a cheery wave, James Broadbent disappeared back
into the Chamber and Nick walked down the short
corridor that brings members into the Central Lobby,
as he walked by the doorman smiled and said,

"Good night, Mr Trafford, sir. Have a good evening!"

Nick acknowledged the greeting with a wave of his arm
and, as he did so, wondered not for the first time how
these people could remember everyone so precisely by
name. The young MP realised that his case was easy but
he was still learning the names and constituencies of
most of his fellow members. On the other hand, despite
a large new intake at the General Election these men
and women knew every one in Parliament. Walking out
into the cool evening air, Nick crossed over the road
and walked up Whitehall to where his office was
located. Like many MPs he was looking forward to the
completion of the new building that would mean moving
out of the crowded room he shared with another Labour
member. When he got to the office it was dark and
deserted and so Nick picked up his briefcase and
carefully selected the papers that he needed for the
meeting he was going to in North London. He also took
some briefing notes to read in preparation for the
subsequent debate on television. He had gained some
personal momentum from the speech in the House and he
did not want to lose the edge he had gained by putting
in a poor performance on the small screen. The MP
checked that he had got everything he needed one last
time and, then made a brief telephone call, before he
left to catch the Underground to his destination.

Just up the road at Scotland Yard, Martin Roberts' had
completed his second full week as Head of the
Metropolitan Police's Press and Public Relations unit.
However, for much of the day, the Commander had sat in
the Press Gallery of the House of Commons listening to
the debate on the Police Bill. To Martin's mind, some
of the speeches were very good but others had been
very poor and even at times factually inaccurate.
Although he did not agree with the approach taken by
Nick Trafford, the MP's command of an argument, his
lack of wild assertion and the general manner of his
delivery had impressed the Commander. Mr Nick Trafford
was certainly an effective performer and Martin could
recognise that the young politician had a great future
ahead of him.

Shortly after Nick Trafford had concluded his speech
the Commander had been called away to return to
Scotland Yard so that a press statement could be
issued on the Met's reaction to the first day of the
debate on the Police Bill. The office had been divided
with one view being held that the any statement issued
should be factual rather than argumentative and should
attempt merely to correct any errors of fact that
might have arisen during the debate. However, others
officers in the unit had argued that the statement
should continue the campaign against the Bill in the
hope that it would bolster support for the Police
arguments when it went for consideration in the House
of Lords. A final decision on the precise wording of
the statement was now imminent and Martin had to make
arbitrate between the two camps. Both sides had
prepared drafts and, on his return to his office, the
Commander read them carefully before he managed to
produce a compromise text that satisfied both parties
without really pleasing either.

Later that night, Martin had been asked to appear in a
television news programme to debate the issues of the
Bill with one of its leading supporters, Nick
Trafford. After the rest of the day staff had gone and
only the skeleton night duty officers were present,
the Commander had gone to have a word with Mark
Jamieson to catch up on any developments in the
Special and Sensitive Cases squad's cases. Martin was
pleased to learn that the cases that were on the go
were progressing satisfactorily and that there was
nothing urgent for him to worry about. After this
piece of good news, the Commander called home to tell
Tom and the boys that he would be working late and
would probably not be back until after the television
debate. Both boys and Tom sounded disappointed but
acknowledged that Martin's job was important and this
part of it could not be shirked. After he had talked
to Harry and Simon for a short while, Martin went the
canteen and grabbed a sandwich and returned to his
office. Once there, the Commander prepared the
arguments he wanted to pout over in the television
debate carefully and tried to anticipate the questions
that the interviewer and his opponent might raise
during the discussion. The argument Martin had had
with James Broadbent at dinner some weeks earlier
provided a basis for what he would say and the
Commander was certain he would give a good account of
himself. Nevertheless, Martin was aware from what he
had observed earlier that day that the MP was no easy
opponent and was a skilful and clever politician.
During this time, Martin was informed that Nick
Trafford had a meeting in North London that night and
would not be present in the BBC studio but instead
would be televised from a private room near the
meeting hall.

In a pleasant flat just opposite Hampstead Heath, Mrs
Muriel Powell's dog, Monty, brought his lead to the
elderly lady. It was a few minutes before nine and
this was the time that the dog and its mistress went
for their late night constitutional, a quick
ten-minute stroll round the block. Monty had been a
gift from Muriel's late husband. Despite warnings from
her children about the dangers of walking on the Heath
in the late evening, the elderly lady had made the
nightly walk into a routine. Wrapping up against the
chill of the evening and, now that the clocks had gone
back, thinking that only a few weeks previously it had
been warm and bright when she had undertaken the walk,
Muriel and the dog walked across the road. Once on the
Heath the elderly lady released Monty who immediately
ran off but then checked and ran in a slightly
different direction before he stopped a few yards off
the path and began to bark furiously. Aware of the
kind of things that went on behind the bushes Muriel
hesitated for a moment but she had never before known
the dog to behave in this manner and so she shone he
powerful torch in the direction of the barking dog.
Mrs Powell could see immediately that someone was
lying motionless on the ground and she walked as
quickly as possible to the spot. She secured the dog
on the leash and then moved closer to the figure lying
on the ground. One look at the prone figure
illuminated in her powerful spotlight told Muriel that
the man was dead. The elderly lady reached into her
coat pocket and immediately dialled '999' and asked
for Police and, as an afterthought, an ambulance. Mrs
Powell was pleasantly surprised when she heard the
siren from the patrol car and walked back to the path
to await its arrival.

Back at Scotland Yard, Martin Roberts looked at the
clock and noted that it was just before twenty past
nine. The Commander decided that he had just enough
time to go over his material once more before leaving
for the TV studio. Martin had just finished this last
run through and had put on his coat and was walking
out of the door of his office when the phone rang. The
Commander had been half-tempted to let it ring but,
fortunately, changed his mind and answered it. With a
slight sound of irritation in his voice he said

"Martin Roberts."

"Sir, this is Mike Rickwood. I'm on my way to
Hampstead Heath, I think that you ought to know that a
local policeman has just found a body. The local
police are convinced that it is the MP Nick Trafford.
I thought I ought to tell you because you were
supposed to be in a TV debate with him tonight.
Secondly, it is obvious that the press will get the
news pretty quickly so your press unit had better be
warned what to expect. Finally and perhaps most
importantly, this is the sort of case that I know Mark
and I would want you to lead on. Obviously, I expect
you'll want to clear it with the powers that be I've
left a message for Mark to call me back as soon as
possible but at the moment he's not at home. Either
way, I hope to see you and him very soon and I'll try
to keep the lid on things until the two of you arrive.
I'll radio in the precise location of the body and
where I will be as soon as I get there"

"Thanks, Mike. Yes, I'll get onto it straight away. As
you say, I'll have to talk to the Commissioner but I
don't think he will resist and I'll also brief the
press unit and call in Ron Alder. After that I'll hope
to be with you as soon as I can. Radio me the location
in the car if, as I hope, I've left before you arrive
at the scene. If I'm still here, leave a message in
the Squad office and I'll pick it up from there."

Martin put the phone down and then immediately called
the Commissioner who in turn had only just spoken to
James Broadbent, the Home Secretary, and permission
for Martin to take command of the investigation was
immediately forthcoming. As soon as he finished
speaking to the Commissioner, Mark Jamieson was on the
line and the two senior officers agreed that they
would rendezvous as soon as possible at the crime
scene. Martin also called in deputy, Superintendent
Ron Alder, and a number of other key senior officers
from the unit and briefed them on the situation. It
was clear that when the news broke the media would
become very excited but the Commander expressed the
hope that officers at the scene could prevent the
early release of the name of the victim. Martin also
spoke to the BBC and explained that he would have to
drop out of the broadcast that evening as a crisis had
arisen at work that he needed his urgent. This, the
Commander hoped would place the blame for cancellation
on him and possibly prevent the outside broadcast team
from going on a wasted journey. If the camera crew was
already there, news that the MP had failed to turn up
for the meeting he was due to speak at would quickly
get out. After that, Martin knew that it would not be
long before some journalists made a possible
connection between Nick Trafford's absence and finding
of a body on Hampstead Heath.

Once he was satisfied that the Press unit was fully
operational, Martin also made sure that some senior
officers from the Special and sensitive Cases squad
were called back to work and fully briefed. Making the
essential organisational arrangements all took longer
than the Commander had hoped and, by the time, Martin
did eventually leave Scotland Yard, Mike Rickwod was
already there and Mark Jamieson would be not far
behind him. Knowing this reduced the pressure to get
to the crime scene quickly, as Martin was certain that
his two most trusted senior officers would ensure that
everything was done properly and the press and public
kept at bay.

This was indeed the case because when Martin did
eventually arrive at the scene he had to drive through
a knot of people. At the cordon, the Commander showed
his warrant card and was allowed to pass through the
barrier of police holding back onlookers and the
press. Martin could immediately tell that Mike and
Mark had both secured the scene and were busily
deploying police in the tasks necessary to preserve
the crime scene. When he drove past them, a few
members of the press corps recognised Martin and this
caused several of them to speculate about the
particular crime that was so important that he should
be there. Martin had ignored the shouted questions as
he arrived but it was clear that a statement of some
sort would be necessary later. However this would, of
necessity, have to wait until after the two senior
officers had briefed him.

Getting out of the car, the Commander walked over to
where he could see a tented of area and looked inside.
Mark Jamieson and Mike Rickwood were talking to the
forensic team but broke off when they saw Martin
coming towards them.

"Welcome back, sir!" Mark said with a smile and then
added, "I think you are our number one suspect on this
one given who it is and your desire to get back to
investigative work!"

Martin laughed slightly and then walked over towards
where a body was clearly visible. The Commander took a
quick look at the crushed skull but was unable to make
out the facial features clearly and also noted that
the body was fully clothed before he turned and walked
away. After a moment Martin asked Mark,

"You are sure that it is definitely is Nick Trafford?"


Mike responded quietly,

"Not much doubt about it, sir, although officially we
will wait until he's been formally identified. We
found his House of Commons pass on him and his wallet
was also in his pocket. So I must conclude that the
motive doesn't appear to be robbery."

Martin nodded his agreement and then said,

"Yes, that begs the question of what other motive
there might be. Do you think he was waiting to meet
someone? It's not exactly on the way to where he had
his speaking engagement tonight, if the BBC
information as to where he was going to take part in
the debate from was correct. I know that he was gay
but a man in his position hardly seemed the type to go
cruising on Hampstead Heath. He almost certainly had
more discrete methods of getting partners, assuming he
did not already have one. I guess we will have will
have to look into that. Of course, he could have been
meeting someone here for some other purpose entirely,
although at the moment I can't think why he should. In
the meanwhile, what else can you tell me?"

Mark replied this time,

"As you, say sir, it's not exactly on the way to his
meeting so I agree with you I think Nick Trafford
probably came here to meet someone or maybe he was
just unlucky and met someone by accident. It does
happen but not that often. As to the murder, it looks
as though the victim was struck by something very
heavy, an iron bar or a large wooden branch and then
dragged a short distance off the path and into these
bushes. An elderly lady, Mrs Powell, who was out
walking her dog, found the body. The dog dragged her
to the spot and she immediately used her mobile phone
to call assistance. As luck would have it there was a
patrol car in the vicinity. They called an ambulance
but it was pretty obvious that the man was dead but
the body was still warm and he had been killed only a
short time before the discovery of the body. The local
patrol officers took time to look after the rather
shocked lady and her dog, secured the scene and then
called for more support. Once the local police
realised who the victim appeared to be they had enough
sense to know that they needed to call our unit at
Scotland Yard and the rest you know, sir."

Martin acknowledged his friend's clear report and
said,

"Thanks, Mark, succinct as always. As soon as the
forensic team have finished with it, we'll get the
body transferred to the mortuary for the post mortem.
However before that there are a number of things I
want to do, First, I think I'd like to go over and
talk to the lady who found the body. I do hope that
she's OK and been taken back to be in the warm at
home. After that, I'll talk to the press but, at this
stage, I'm not going to name Trafford unless I have
to. For the moment we should be as discreet as
possible and for as long as possible. This is a
well-known Member of Parliament, who is not only black
but also left wing and gay! The press will have a
field day when they find out. While I'm doing on that
and preparing the press statement I'd like you two to
get on with a few things. Decide between you which of
you does what, but one of you needs to stay here to
have a good look round and organise a search of the
area to see if you can find the murder weapon or any
other clues. Get some lighting rigged so that you can
have a first sweep tonight. It's also possible that
there are some other witnesses about, after all this
is not far from one of the most famous cruising areas
in London and other people use the Heath for walking
and exercise. I'd like the other of you to see if Nick
Trafford's office had any idea what he night be doing
up here. I know he had a meeting elsewhere in this
area tonight because he and I were due to debate the
Police Bill on television and he was coming live from
outside his meeting. Find out whether his office had
arranged for him to meet someone briefly round here
before he went on to where the meeting was being
held."

The two senior officers nodded and the Commander
walked off leaving them to decide between them how
they would divide the work. Going back to the cordon,
Martin asked a young policewoman, Mary Green, to come
with him to visit Mrs Powell, the elderly lady who had
found the victim's body and her dog, Monty. It was not
far to walk and after knocking on the door, the
Commander and the WPC were ushered into a cosy,
well-maintained flat. The living room was furnished
with deep armchairs and there were family photographs
displayed prominently around the room. The elderly
lady was settled in her favourite chair, drinking a
cup of tea and talking quietly to a local WPC with
Monty lying quietly beside her chair. Martin accepted
the offer of a cup of tea and chatted briefly to the
witness but did not learn much more from the visit
than he already knew. Nevertheless, as he got up to
leave, the Commander noted how much Mrs Powell seemed
to appreciate a visit from such a senior officer. To
his obvious expression of concern, although clearly
upset and shocked by what she had discovered, the old
lady reassured all present that she was going to be
alright and that there was absolutely no need to fuss.

Leaving the warmth of the flat and coming out into the
night, Martin noted that the autumn chill had begun to
pervade the air. Pulling his coat more tightly around
him, the Commander walked the short distance from the
flat back to the murder scene. In his absence, the
body had been removed and arc lights had been
installed to help those officers engaged in a
fingertip search of the area. Mike Rickwood had
remained behind to supervise this, while Mark Jamieson
had gone to locate Nick Trafford's political assistant
and also to discover whether there was a partner or
family members that needed to be contacted. After a
brief discussion, Martin decided that he would now
have to face the press. The Commander thought for a
few moments, composing in his head the words he wanted
to say and then slowly walked over to the cordon where
the journalists were waiting. Martin waited for a few
moments as television lights and cameras were brought
into position and journalists crowded around before he
began to make a brief statement,

"I have a very brief statement for you. At about
9.30pm this evening, the body of a man was discovered
by a passer-by. At the time that he was found he had
been dead for probably less than half an hour. All the
evidence points us to the belief that the man who was
smartly dressed and fully clothed was murdered at or
near the place where he was found. There is no
evidence of robbery or any other apparent motive for
the killing. I am not able to name the victim at this
time as the body has not yet been formally identified
and his family have not yet been informed. As soon as
we are in a position to confirm the identity, we will
issue a further statement. At this time, I would ask
two things. First, I want to express the hope that the
media should respect the privacy of the victim's
family and friends at this terrible time. Second, I
want to appeal to anyone that was out and about on
Hampstead Heath this evening to please make contact,
in confidence, either with their local Police Station
or, if they prefer, directly to the investigation team
at Scotland Yard. That is all I have to say at this
time, thank you very much."

Several reporters shouted questions but Martin turned
and walked back towards the crime scene and talked to
Mike Rickwood and other members of the search team,
giving them encouragement in their efforts. A few
moments later, he was being driven back to Scotland
Yard. As soon as he arrived, the Commander spoke to
the Commissioner on the phone. Martin reported what he
knew and that is his opinion the motive for murder was
not overtly sexual although robbery also seemed not to
have been a cause either. Sir Thomas Brown expressed
relief on the point that sex was not an issue and then
moved on to another matter. The Commander was informed
that, because of the fact that the victim was an MP,
James Broadbent would be taking a direct personal
interest in the investigation. Martin expressed the
view that this might make the enquiry easier if he had
to deal with other MPs and Parliamentary authorities
but harder if the Home Secretary decided to try to
interfere in the way he ran the investigation. The
Commissioner assured Martin that he would have a free
hand in conducting his enquiries and that he would
personally prevent political interference from
obstructing the Commander in the conduct of his
duties. Somewhat reassured by this conversation, as
soon as he had completed his conversation with his
superior, Martin next went to check that the Press and
Public Relations unit was fully briefed and was
relieved to see that his deputy, Superintendent Ron
Alder, had returned to take control. Martin smiled at
Ron and asked,

"Have are things going here, Ron? Has anyone from the
press identified who the victim is yet?"

The Superintendent looked pleased as he was able to
report,

"Not yet, sir, but I understand that a few of them are
getting quite close. I suspect that by the time the
last editions are printed they will have the name,
either from us or from other sources. I assume that
you will release the name once formal identification
has taken place. I can only imagine that the headlines
will be quite sensational once it all becomes public
but at the moment we are holding the line that we are
unable to release any name until after the body has
been formally identified and the family informed."

"Well done. Let's try to keep this line in place for
as long as possible. We'll be under great pressure
both here and in the investigation team once the full
story breaks. I agree that the headlines will be
sensational but we have to stay focussed on the job in
hand. This is especially true as the Home Secretary is
taking a great interest in the investigation. I am
assured from on high, however, that there will be no
political interference and I hope that is true. What
we need to ensure down here is that we are not only
sensitive to the needs of the press but also the
privacy of the family as well as my needs as chief
investigating officer. There will be a lot of interest
in this killing but we need to ensure that we manage
information effectively. I have a lot of faith in you,
Ron and I hope that this faith will be reflected in
your handling of the rest of the unit."

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir. I'll try to ensure the
smooth running of this end of the operation and leave
you free to spend your time on the investigation. If I
have any concerns or need guidance on what to do or
say, I'll check everything through with either you,
Mark or Mike if at all possible."

"Thanks, Ron. That's good to know. I'm just off to see
if Mark is back yet. I want to hold a full briefing as
soon a she is there and I think it would be a good
idea for you to be there as well. I'll give you a call
when we're ready."

Martin walked over to the stairs and climbed to the
level where the Special and Sensitive Case squad had
its main offices. The Commander was pleasantly
surprised to see all the lights on and a large number
of officers assembled and at their desks. As he
entered the room, several of those in the room caught
sight of him and gave a spontaneous cheer, which
Martin acknowledged with a shake of the head and a
slight wave. Looking around, it was clear that Mark
was not back yet so the Commander clapped for silence
and said,

"OK, lads, we've got a big case on. As you probably
know already, the controversial black MP, Nick
Trafford, was found battered to death on Hampstead
Heath earlier tonight. We've kept the press at bay for
now but it won't be long before the news breaks. We
are going to be under a great deal of pressure both
from the Commissioner and also from the politicians,
including the Home Secretary, to get the case solved.
Mike Rickwood has stayed up on the Heath coordinating
the search for clues and witnesses there. Mark
Jamieson is checking into the political and personal
life of the victim but should be back very soon.
That's the bare outline. As soon as Mark returns I
would like to have a full briefing. Could someone also
see if Mike could come back for that as well? If he
can't, we'll have another fuller briefing first thing
in the morning."

Martin disappeared into the old office that he used
when he had been sole commander of the squad and,
glancing at the clock, the Commander took the
opportunity to call home to his partner,

"Hi, Tom, it's me. I thought I ought to tell you that
I probably won't be back until very late tonight or
maybe not even at all. Something's come up and I am
back in charge of an investigation."

Tom acknowledged his lover's message and responded by
asking,

"Is this why your television debate with Nick Trafford
on the Government's Police Bill was cancelled tonight,
because you couldn't get away? I was going to stay up
for it but they announced it was not going to take
place and did not give a reason. I was looking forward
to having you back home. It's not often a guy can
boast of being fucked by a TV star, not that having
you make love to me isn't always great, of course!!
Anyway, I wondered what had happened that had led to
the cancellation of the debate. Can you tell me what
is so urgent that you had to cancel then?"

Martin smiled as he replied,

"No, Tom, it wasn't cancelled because I had to work
late, the fact is I'm working late because I'm
investigating Nick Trafford's murder on Hampstead
Heath. He was killed there earlier this evening,
that's why the debate was cancelled!"

There was a long pause and then Tom spoke,

"Christ, Marty, this is really going to be a big
case!! I understand now why they've asked you to take
charge. Nick Trafford never struck me as the type to
go looking for sex on Hampstead Heath. He wasn't
cruising on the Heath was he? Tell me he wasn't."

"I don't think so, Tom, but you know him better than I
do so I'd like to talk to you about him later. We
haven't found evidence of a current partner unless you
know of someone, so we can't rule anything out at this
stage. If you think he might have been cruising,
imagine the headlines in those elements of the press
that hated him tomorrow!! Incidentally, the news that
the body is that of Nick Trafford is still
confidential. Anyway, I thought you ought to know, but
I'm going to have to go now as I see Mark has just
come into the office and we're going to hold a quick
update briefing. I'll catch you when I can. Love you.
Bye."

"Love you, too, Marty and good luck. I'll ask about to
see if any of my contacts can help on the personal
life front. I know I speak for many people when I tell
you that I hope you get the bastard that did this as
soon as possible. Bye."

Martin replaced the received and went out to meet his
friend, Mark, and, having ascertained that he had no
great sensations or positive leads to reveal,
explained that his colleague might just as well brief
him and the other members of the investigation team
together. Just as the briefing was about to start,
Mike Rickwood arrived and to Martin's raised eyebrow
enquiry, the Chief Inspector shook his head and came
into the room and positioned himself close to where
the Commander and Superintendent were standing.

The squad members crowded round the three senior
officers and Martin began the briefing,

"Mark and Mike are back now and I'm going to ask them
to fill us in on the latest developments. Mike will
you start?"

The Chief Inspector cleared his throat and said,

"Yes, sir. You all now know that the body of Nick
Trafford M P was found on Hampstead Heath. He had been
hit from behind by someone wielding a heavy object
probably made of metal but it could have been wood,
the post mortem will establish which it was, and died
instantaneously. He was found just about nine o'clock,
fully clothed and with both his wallet and House of
Commons pass still on his person. We've had a team
searching the area but so far no weapon has been found
and, perhaps given the location, no witnesses have
come forward. We have a large area of the Heath
cordoned off and guarded and I propose to resume the
search tomorrow and also do some house-to-house
enquiries and then I think we should make a public
appeal for witnesses. We know what goes on up there
and I want any potential witnesses to feel that they
will be able to speak to us in confidence. I think we
managed to keep the press at bay tonight but by
morning it will be obvious who the victim was and his
name will be public knowledge. Hopefully this might
trigger a response from some people who might
otherwise be reluctant to speak to us."

Martin nodded his agreement,

"Absolutely, so we need to be seen to be very active
but I think you've done all you can tonight, thanks,
Mike. Mark?"

The Superintendent began his report,

"I have been looking into two different but related
aspects of Mr Trafford's life, the political and the
personal. On the political side, I can confirm that
the MP had a meeting in North London but some distance
from where he was found and that he was due to speak
there at just after nine. Mr Trafford left the House
of Commons at least an hour earlier, just before
eight, because a House of Commons messenger saw him
go. What we need to know is where he went between
leaving the Palace of Westminster and the place he was
found on Hampstead Heath, which as I said was some
distance away from the location of his meeting. I
spoke to his political assistant who arrived at home
just after seven and he said that Mr Trafford had no
prior engagement and could think of no reason why he
would have gone to the Heath. I also tracked down the
family of the deceased and I have arranged for local
police officers to visit them to break the news. In
due course we will have to interview them ourselves
but I do not think it is necessary to do so tonight,
especially as they live in Leicester and Hull! I
telephoned the MP's London flat and there is an answer
machine but no evidence that he had a partner living
with him at this time. I went round to the apartment
block and none of the tenants there seemed to think
there had been another person living in the flat. This
will need to be confirmed and if true then we will
need to track down any former partners the MP may have
had. It means quite a heavy agenda for the next day or
so but if we all pull together I'm sure we can cope.
Oh, sorry, sir, I think that's supposed to be your bit
isn't it?"

A laugh went round the room and Martin joined in,

"Technically, I suppose it is but I like to think of
us all as a team pulling together. I think Mark and
Mike have both indicated that there is considerable
amount of work to be done, so we should all go home,
get some sleep and then be back here refreshed and
ready for an early start at about eight. Tell your
loved ones that you will probably not be home much in
the next few days. We will be the centre of a lot of
media and political attention and we need to be on top
of things and get this right. So, let's make the best
of what's left of the night and get some sleep. See
you here tomorrow, OK?"

The squad members murmured their agreement and slowly
filed out of the room to go to their respective homes.
Martin indicated to his two most senior colleagues
that he wanted them to stay for a short while, so that
together they could plan how they would organise the
subsequent days of the enquiry. The three officers
quickly agreed a way of proceeding and it was not long
before Mark was driving his friend the Commander home.
As they sped through the more or less deserted
streets, Martin smiled and said,

"Just like old times, isn't it?"

Mark smiled back and said,

"Yes, it is even down to the fact that Ruth is
pregnant again!"

In the less formal setting the two men dropped the
formality of the office and as they made steady
progress towards home the conversation turned to other
matters. Martin was pleased to hear that David, Mark's
son, was doing well at school since it had been a
little while since they had all met socially. This was
partially due to the fact that Ruth's pregnancy had
been problematic and not unreasonably the couple had
decided to limit their social life until after the
baby was born. Martin and Tom had been concerned for
their friends and had tried to curb the excitement
that Harry and Simon had for the new baby. However,
the Commander knew that he would be expected to give a
full report to all three of them the following day, so
he asked,

"How are things with Ruth, it can't be long now?"

"No, it's not. I think they will induce her fairly
soon. Bloody awful timing I know but they are still
concerned about her and want to get it over as soon as
possible."

"That's fine. If you need time off I will understand
and in any case Mike is very much and will easily
cope."

"Thanks, Martin. I agree Mike can cope but this is one
case I really would like to help solved."

Mark's car had turned into the road where Martin lived
and, as he opened the door to get out the older
officer smiled warmly at his friend and said,

"Let's hope we can do it quickly then! Thanks for the
lift. See you later. Can you pick me up again in the
morning?"

The Inspector nodded and wished his friend 'goodnight'
and the Superintendent wished the same in return.
Martin was surprised to see that Tom was still up when
he got in but also he was delighted that his lover had
chosen to wait for him to come home. The two men
embraced and the younger man said,

"It must have been a terrible day for you, today, I
wanted to be here for you when you got home and to
give you my support."

"Thanks, Tom, I appreciate the thought. If you don't
mind, I'd really like to get to bed as soon as
possible, we are going to have an early start in the
morning."

Tom nodded and together the two lovers went to bed.
Lying in the dark and despite his tiredness Martin
felt a stirring in his groin and was delighted when he
felt Tom's hand reach over a slowly caress the
swelling shaft. In a moment both men were erect and
exploring each other with their hands. There seemed to
be an unspoken understanding that what each wanted was
a quick release and they began to wank each other
slowly but insistently. Martin as always marvelled at
the soft silky texture of his lover's shaft and
foreskin and he worked the dick with his hands,
covering and uncovering the head with his strokes.
Meanwhile, Tom was giving similar treatment to his
partner's cut cock and both men were finding the
experience most enjoyable. At other times, the two
men's love-making was more leisurely and ranged across
a number of positions and activities, but tonight the
main aim was to make each other cum. Tom was groaning
and stopped his wanking of Martin's cock and instead
knelt up so that his lover could see the pre-cum
dribbling out of his piss slit and said,

"Wank me hard!! Don't stop!! Make me cum for you!!"

Martin knew just what to do to bring his partner's
wish to fruition and within moments Tom gave out a
light cry and his cock was spewing forth his creamy
ball juice and the spunk was dropping onto his lover's
body. Once the older man had milked the his cock dry,
Tom resumed his enthusiastic wanking of Martin's cock
and his lover lay back and enjoyed the feel of the
younger man working his shaft. Tom's efforts were
rewarded very quickly when his lover's piss slit
opened wide and cum shot out and splattered over the
pair of them. The younger man carefully mixed the
double portion of jizz and slowly fed some to himself
and Martin before the two lovers fell back and drifted
off into a satisfied sleep. Although rest came
quickly, it would not be long before the new day
began; a day that would be very busy for Martin as the
full investigation into the murder of Nick Trafford
got properly under way.

If you enjoyed this part of the story or have any
comments please let me know cutrose40@yahoo.co.uk