Chapter 11 chapter Ten

The route Ackland and Susan took took them to the other end of Murray Street.As they walked towards Gainsborough Road, they saw the Bell's bar crowded with customers with glasses in hand.It appears disasters are good for business. Susan slowed her pace. "We picked a bad night to come here," she said. "I don't think Jackson can care about us like this." Ackland was as reluctant to go any further than she was.He felt that one of the people on the side of the road he knew was one of the managers who had a conflict with him that day, "Maybe we should come back tomorrow."

Susan shook her head. "They knew we were coming. I spoke to Daisy before we left." She pulled out her phone and scrolled, looking for a number she knew wasn't there. The phone calls are all landlines. We have to squeeze forward and try to think of the best place." "We can go to another place first, wait for the police to clear the road," Akland suggested, "it can't be like this forever." He didn't want to go into the bar more and more. Perhaps Susan understood this, for she put a hand on his arm, very lightly on purpose, to prevent him from jerking away, which was his normal reaction to touch. "Don't worry, it's okay, nothing is ever as bad as you think it is."

But it turns out she was dead wrong.As soon as Acklan walked through the door of the bar, four plainclothes policemen came up to him, took the traveling bag from his hands, and grabbed his arms.Acklan was caught off guard and did not resist, but when a policeman handcuffed him and told him that he was under arrest, he saw Daisy standing in front of him, nodding slightly to Susan Campbell. The arrest was so swift and professional that few bar patrons realized what was happening.It took less than 30 seconds from the moment Acland followed Susan into the bar to sitting in the police car bound for the Southwark City East Police Station.The only explanation given by the two escorting agents was that he needed to be questioned about a violent attack.Once inside the police station, he was asked to remove his clothes and boots and put on an interrogation suit before being led into a closed interrogation room.He was alone there for an hour.

This doesn't work if the goal is to upset him.Akram was used to brooding alone.And in fact, he didn't think too much, he didn't even think about why he was brought here.Perhaps because of Susan's cheese sandwiches, or the poor circulation of warm air in the room, he kept falling into a state of light sleep.I don't know when, his energy has dropped to the bottom, just like a driver holding the steering wheel, because he is exhausted and has no time to consider the fatal consequences of fatigue driving. In the next room, Detective Superintendent Brian Jones took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chair, watching Acland through the closed-circuit monitor.He came straight from the violence case room.A stocky, determined, no-nonsense man in his early 50s, some on the team viewed him as a bully.He pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Has it been like this since he came in?" he asked. "Basically," said the officer who escorted Ackland, "he'd doze off for a few minutes and stare up at the ceiling with a jerk. Like that. It's not clear whether he was on drugs or not. Be with him Dr Campbell who came over said they had been together after 4 o'clock and she did not believe he was taking anything. We searched him and found no contraband." "What kind of doctor?" "Psychologist." "Did you ask her if he was fit to be interrogated?" "Ask. She said he had a migraine, but didn't think he was having one. They talked very freely along the way in the taxi."

"Did you tell her why he was brought here?" "Not going into details. I'm just saying he fits the description of a wanted violent assault." "anything else?" "She thought it had something to do with the brawl in the bar the night before." "Okay. The friend inside probably thinks so too." Brian Jones took some photos out of the folder and picked out a snapshot of an old man looking directly at the camera. "I'd rather not have a lawyer present for this operation, so , first of all, we treat him as a witness. You two," he pointed to the police officer in front of him and a detective inspector, "show him this and see how he reacts... If he insists on a lawyer, We have to be extra careful when interrogating...but keep emphasizing the fact that he's just a witness. The rest we watch on monitors."

Akram watched the two officers in silence as they entered the interrogation room.They introduced themselves respectively, Detective Inspector Bill and Detective Kahn.Aklan nodded lightly. Otherwise, he remained expressionless, with his hands loosely clasped together and placed on the table in front of him. "He's a man of great restraint," said the Detective Superintendent, looking at the screen. "Most people show some level of nervousness after an hour in an interrogation room." They heard Bill apologizing for keeping Acland waiting so long.After taking a seat on the other side of the table, Bill went on to explain that they were looking for witnesses to an attack this morning. Put it in front of Aklan, "Do you know this man, sir?"

Aklan's body remained motionless, he just looked down at the photo, "Yes." "Can you tell me how you met him?" "We had an altercation at the bank this morning. He stood in line behind me and kept poking me in the back. I told him I didn't like being touched and he just got mad at me." "Did you hit him?" "No. I grabbed his wrist to stop him, and I let him go when he broke free. He said I hit him?" Bill avoided the question, "What happened after you let him go?" "Nothing. I left." "Where did you go?"

"go home." "Where's home?" Kahn asked. Ackland told him the address of the apartment. "Did you take a detour . . . somewhere else, and return to Waterloo?" "No," Ackland said, glancing at the photo again, "I went straight home." "What time did you get home?" "11 o'clock...12 o'clock. I don't remember much." "Has anyone seen you?" Aklan nodded, "The woman upstairs and her neighbor next door." "Do you know their phone number?" "have no idea." "What about the name?"

"The neighbor didn't know, but the woman upstairs called herself Mimi. Her email was addressed to Sharon Carter, so I guess that's her real name." He saw Kahn jot down the information. "What am I supposed to be a witness to?" Bill stared at him for a moment. "Mr. Tadin was taken to the hospital at 1:15 this afternoon." "Who is Mr. Tardin?" "This gentleman," Inspector Bill flicked the picture lightly, "is the one you had the altercation with at the bank." "What's up with him?" Bill avoided answering directly. "He passed out on the street."

"I'm sorry about that." Ackland glanced at the photo again. "He had more courage than most people his age...he told me to put a note on my back saying I was a Grumpy bastard." Brian Jones motioned to another member of the team, "Go in and call Bill and Kahn out...but make sure you leave the picture on the table. Let's 'simmer' him for ten minutes. I want to see what he'll do What. Let Kahn get in touch with this woman named Mimi. We need to confirm some time." Ackland, left alone, showed no interest in the photograph.After staring in front of him for a minute or two, he stands up, puts his hands on the floor, and performs a perfect wallstand gymnastics move.He held that position for a full minute, then began a series of vertical push-ups, pressing his forehead an inch above the ground, then straightening his arms in rapid up-and-down motions. "He's a tough guy," Jones said, "but I don't think it's helping his migraines much." Inspector Bill, a tall, blond man in his 30s who was the second in command of Jones' investigative team, looked over the superintendent's shoulder and stared at the monitor. "Does he know he's being filmed?" "What if he knew?" "That kind of push-up is very hard to do. He's as skinny as a bamboo pole, which probably helps — less weight transfer — but...even so. Maybe he's telling us something." "what?" "He's strong enough to beat us by waiting patiently. I've only tried one vertical push-up and I'm stuck in the downward position." "What do you think of him?" "Honestly?" Bill thought for a moment. "I'd be surprised if he was the man we were looking for. He was so blunt. He wasn't bothered by Walter Tardin's picture, and when he answered the question I don't see the slightest hesitation. If he'd knocked the poor old man's head off, I don't believe he would have said without thinking about Walter calling him a curmudgeon." "I wouldn't bet on that. Look at his control...it's like looking at a metronome." Jones turned his chair to Bill. What about the blindfolded guy? You mean there were two blindfolded men at the bank today, and Walter got into a fight with both of them?" "No, but Walter quickly lost consciousness again, and his daughter said he sometimes forgot where he lived...so it's possible he confused the two things. Perhaps he never saw the attacker at all and just thought it was the same Personal." He lifted his chin and looked at the monitor. "The only reason this guy was brought in was because of the fight last night. Otherwise we wouldn't know where to start." The superintendent tapped his index fingers thoughtfully, "He's the kind of guy we're looking for... ex-military... capricious temper... got into a fight last night... this morning with an 82-year-old man Rubbing... knows how to hurt people... doesn't like to be touched. Why is he followed by a therapist? Why is that?" "According to Dr. Campbell, she's just his friend." "Why did she accompany him to Bell's Bar?" "Moral support. He feels he made a fool of himself last night and doesn't want to be alone with the bar lady." "The bar lady, the boss is also a doctor." It's a statement, not a question. "Yes. She's obviously a weirdo, named Jackson, who works as a temporary doctor during off-hours. I've left her a message on the phone and told her to come as soon as possible." He paused, "I don't think that's the case. Another reason why Lieutenant Crane was Walter's assailant. According to Dr. Susan Campbell, Jackson offered him a guest room at the bar, which he decided to take because he didn't like where he was currently living. But why would he Coming back so soon after beating an old man half to death? If it was him, he knew the place was going to be full of cops." "He didn't expect Walter's condition to describe him." "But he can't expect the other witnesses to remain silent. This is what happened in broad daylight and his blindfolds set him apart. If it was just on Gainsborough Road someone would have seen him..." Jones shrugged. "History has always been full of perverts who would return to crime scenes and get a kick out of being surrounded by crowds." He glanced at the screen again. "I'm more interested in why female doctors seem to Willing to go to any lengths to support him? Why does he need support? What's wrong with him?" He stood up. "You said Dr. Campbell is still here?" "yes." "Then let's talk to her." But Susan was unable or unwilling to answer questions about Ackland's mental or medical condition. "He's not my patient. I'm just a friend of his." The Superintendent nodded. "We appreciate that, Dr. Campbell, but what we need to know is that you judge from a friend's point of view whether he is capable of answering questions. It is not good for him or us to be unable to determine the information he gave us. .” She shrugged. "Well... I'm going to say, he's totally up to the task." "You told the officer that he had migraines." "On and off. Last night was pretty bad, so I don't think he's going to have another seizure any time soon. If he does, you're going to back off because he's going to be as white as paper and start throwing up." "Were the fight last night spurred by a migraine?" "I don't know. I wasn't there, I haven't asked him yet." "Did Dr. Jackson know? That's why she gave him a bed...to stop him from attacking people when he had a migraine?" Susan laughed in surprise, "My God! That's an outrageous conclusion, Sheriff. For the record, I've never heard of Charles being aggressive during a migraine attack. If you ask him— — or Dr. Jackson, who had witnessed what happened last night — and I'm sure both of them would say that when he had an attack, the pain was so intense that he threw up and couldn't move at all." "And what about the thing that caused his migraine? How many times has this attack happened?" "In my personal experience, never. Charles has always been very decent when he's around me." "But you know what happened last night." "It only happened that one time. I don't know what caused it. Did you ask anyone else? A slap can't make it." Jones looked at her for a long time. "Why are you so protective of Lieutenant Acland? Do you see yourself as a mother or something in his life?" "What makes you think I'm protecting him?" "Because you're still here, Dr. Campbell. Don't you have any confidence in his ability to take care of himself?" "Totally confident . . . but I've never had a friend get arrested in front of me before. I guess it happens to you a lot," she said with a sneer in her eyes, "but I don't mind being arrested on this occasion." I don't know anything about etiquette. I'm afraid it's not good to leave without saying goodbye." "Are you going to have Inspector Bill ask Charles if he wants you to stay?" She shook her head. "It's a waste of time. He's sure to say no need." "So are you going to leave or not?" "No." "Then I'm curious, Dr. Campbell. He's not your patient...you have nothing to do with him...there's a considerable age gap between the two of you...you don't see yourself as a mother...he doesn't need Your protection... yet you are unwilling to leave. What is the basis of this friendship?" Susan thought this was ridiculous. "Are you wondering if Charles and I have any intimate relationship, Sheriff?" "The possibility suddenly occurred to me." "If you think he might be interested in me, I'm flattered," she said, with a hint of sarcasm. "It's hard for me to be sexually enthusiastic with a man my age. I can't handle that." Got a 26-year-old high-spirited lad. If you have to stretch your imagination, try admiration and admiration. Do you have a son?" "yes." "How big is it?" "22 years old." "So, just 4 years younger than Charles, and this man, is struggling to endure the sacrifice of his comrades, the loss of his career, partial blindness, low level tinnitus, migraines, and disfigurement . . . all in service of this country. If you were 26, how would you handle it well? If a similar tragedy happened to your son, how would he deal with it?" "He's going to expect me to allow him to stay home and do nothing, with his mother serving him on her hands and feet, as he is now," Jones remarked tartly after returning to the observation room with Inspector Bill. "He has a degree in business studies. - the payer is his dad - now he sits in front of the computer and plays games all day. I threaten him that if he doesn't get a job, I will throw him out, and my wife starts crying and complaining, talking to me pitifully What unconditional love. What's all this about, huh?" "It's the American way to put up with your own kid's poop," Nick Beal said with a smile, "We hug them no matter what they do because it's our fault for their misbehavior and we don't love them enough. " "Probably not enough, but too much." Frowning, he asked Ahmed Kahn, "What's the catch?" The agent nodded, "According to Sharon Carter, Charles Ackland returned to the apartment at 11:30, when she was watching "This Morning" on TV. Because he lit a bonfire in the garden, they happened She said the window was open and the show was on 'Fashion' when she noticed the smoke...that always came after 11:30. I'll check with the station again, but about the time , Sharon is very sure." "What did he burn?" "Old documents. Sharon said the ashes were still there, along with charred paper and cardboard. When she threatened to call the police, Lieutenant Ackland stomped out the fire." "Does she know when he left again?" Kahn nodded again, "She saw him get into a taxi at 3:30. She said that he put the travel bag in first and held out two fingers to her behind his back before getting into the car. She knew that at that time It's 3:30 because ITV2's The Ricky Lake Show is just starting." "Is it possible that he went out between the hours without her seeing him?" Kahn beamed, "I doubt it. I have a detailed report of what he's been doing for the last month. This is a boring woman, sir. She looks like she's watching TV with one eye and one with the other." Look at Aclan." "Has she taken a fancy to him?" "Not now. She said he was rude when she tried to be neighborly to him, and she took it to heart. I suspect she pursued him, but was completely rebuffed. Several times she asked He’s a covert gay.” He pauses, “I’m not sure we should rely too much on this guy’s words, but she also told me she thinks he’s the gay killer. She says he’s a total Weird, he's out for a run most of the time and yells in the middle of the night when he goes to sleep." Jones glanced at the monitor, and Aklan sat back in his chair, staring at the wall in front of him. "Maybe we've got the wrong guy," he said slowly. "Maybe the attack on Walter wasn't part of this series of murders."