CHAPTER 20
The morning was bright and sunny and the City of Bath looked wonderful sprawled on the bottom and sides of the valleys as we drove down into it. It has many Roman remains including the Roman Baths that have been renovated and are a major tourist attraction. Like Rome it is built on several hills although I am not sure if it is seven! The Georgian buildings and avenues are attractive but the one-way systems and customary traffic problems soon brought me back to earth. We eventually managed to park round the corner from the police station in the Bath Rugby Club car park.
The events of the previous evening had unsettled me and in particular the mention of Adrian and the rev elation that Naismith might be Special B ranch, so I had called our company solicitor, Ron Cheadle, and asked him if he would accompany me. We met on the steps outside the police station and chatted for a few minutes.
“Just tell it as it happened,” said Cheadle. It was dead on 11am as we walked in and I asked for Inspector Naismith.
After a wait of a few minutes while I stood reading the wall posters addressing such issues as how to deal with domestic violence, car theft, and burglary and home security, a young uniformed police woman appeared to guide us upstairs. Jason stayed below to wait for us.
Upstairs we were shown in to a bare windowless room that had a wooden table and four chairs in the middle and virtually no other furniture. There was a large mirror along one wall and long neon strip lights in the ceiling. The woman PC offered us both a cup of tea or coffee and left the room to get them.
She returned a few minutes later with two paper cups of coffee and was followed in to the room by Naismith and his colleague from last night each carrying their own coffee.
“Good morning Mr Lever,” said Naismith in an overly cheerful voice, “this is sergeant Baker, you met him last night but I don't think you were introduced.”
He looked pointedly at Cheadle and I introduced Ron as the Company solicitor, “I believe I am entitled to have legal representation at this meeting, am I not?”
“You are indeed Mr Lever. Mr Cheadle, depending on the outcome of these discussions a decision will be made as to whether to charge your client. The charges being considered are theft of a motor vehicle and absconding from police arrest by escaping from the hospital. I should warn you that if we do decide to proceed with charges we might deny bail, your client having already demonstrated his willingness to run.”
I thought Cheadle was going to explode. “This is preposterous! The fact that my client is here this morning is clear evidence of his willingness to cooperate with the police.” I shivered; these guys were serious and really intent upon applying pressure right from the start.
Naismith smiled obsequiously, “Well why don't we ask Mr Lever to explain his actions and go from there,” he said calmly.
I then went through the story of the men waiting for me at the house and the subsequent escape ending up in the car smash and being in hospital.
“Sounds a bit far fetched if you ask me,” said Baker, “what did these men say they wanted?”
“They were threatening injury if the company I worked for went ahead with its planned stock market flotation.”
“Sounds even less credible,” said Baker aggressively, “why were they searching the house if their main purpose was as you say, to scare you, what could they have been looking for?” Baker was obviously designated the ‘black hat’ in this interrogation.
“Does any one else live at the house, your brother for example?” interrupted Naismith, “He could have had something valuable that these men were looking for Sam,” he said turning to Baker with a 'be reasonable' look.
Definitely a game going on here, I thought. “Why are you so interested in my brother,” I said looking directly at Naismith. “You brought his name up last night and here it is again, nothing to do with a car theft.”
“Does he live with you?” Baker said sharply, ignoring my question.
“No he does not,” I said heatedly.
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“He stayed with me a few nights ago and that was the first time I had seen him for some time.”
“Where is he now,” said Baker.
“I don't know, I assume he went home,” I responded.
“That’s a lie!” snapped Baker.
“Gentlemen,” said Cheadle, “I must ask you to explain your line of questioning which appears to have little relevance to the reason why we are here this morning.”
Naismith turned to me, “Your brother has a record Mr Lever, a record which indicates that he might be involved in things which are a threat to national security. Are you involved with him Mr Lever?”
“I don't know what you are talking about,” I responded with feigned surprise. “I am the victim here, it is me who has been attacked and threatened, and now you want to turn the whole thing around to blame me, what is your real agenda Inspector?”
Baker snorted and turned to Naismith. “Let's charge him with the car theft and move on.”
“I would advise you to think carefully about this,” said Cheadle. “My client is an important local businessman whose current public interests could be severely damaged if he were wrongfully arrested. Should he be wrongfully arrested we would hold you and this force liable for damages, damages that could be substantial.”
Naismith sat expressionless looking at us for what seemed and age and then with a grim smile “I don't think it helps getting in to threats,” he said looking at Cheadle. “Your client is free to leave now. That does not mean however, that he will not be charged at some future date.” With that he stood up and left the room.
I sat looking at Baker in silence for a few moments and then rose to my feet. The WPC opened the door and gesturing Ron to go first we left the room. As we did so I noticed a door to the left and on an impulse I opened it and walked in. It was an observation room with a one-way window, presumably through the mirror overlooking the interview room we had just left. Standing there talking to a balding middle-aged stranger, was Naismith.
“Sorry Inspector,” I said, “took the wrong turning,” at which I turned and left the room.
Downstairs we picked up Jason and left the station. There was a coffee shop across the road and I asked Ron if he had time for a cup and a chat before leaving.
Having ordered coffees the three of us sat down. “Well Ron, thanks for that. I think you stopped them in their tracks there. Not only was I about to be arrested but I think I was going to see the inside of a cell.”
“Maybe,” said Ron. “What was all that about your brother?”
“I don't know,” I lied. I had told no one of Adrian’s current predicament and I thought it best that it stayed that way for the time being.
“By the way” interrupted Jason, “my boss came back to me again and confirmed that Naismith is definitely Special Branch.”
There was a look of surprise on Ron’s face. “Well they certainly seemed to have something on their mind besides a car theft. Look Martin, reading between the lines I think if this were to go any further you need more specialised help than I can give you. I am basically a commercial lawyer and you need a criminal lawyer, possibly one with experience of anti-terrorism scenarios. I have a partner, Dave Withers, who has a lot of knowledge in this area, I recommend we bring him in if this goes further.”
“Anti Terrorism!” I exclaimed.
“Yes, I thought that at one stage they were going to invoke those regulations there and then to detain you.”
“A sobering thought,” I said, and sat there quietly drinking my coffee and wondering where Adrian was. Who had Naismith been talking to? Whoever it was he had obviously been observing the interview.
Back in the observation room Naismith was talking to Dawson. “Sorry we didn't get too far boss, he didn't scare easily and I judged it too risky to try and invoke special powers.”
“In the circumstances I agree,” said Dawson grudgingly. “However we need some more evidence.” I will stop
