The Copse Corpse
Part three
During the whole ordeal, neither Maddy nor Jonathan knew who or what they had found. At the police station, Maddy and Jonathan were questioned together as Maddy was suffering from mild shock. Although she was an investigative crime writer, she had never seen a dead body before.
"Do you know who the body was?" As Maddy said this, the police officer turned to her. "I can't tell you that I'm afraid. I will get the chief to come in and you can ask any questions you have to him." The sergeant left, leaving Jonathan and Maddy alone in the interview room.
"How did you find that thing in a pile of leaves?" Jonathan had not had the opportunity to ask this since Maddy was not in the right mind to answer any questions at the scene. "I didn't purposefully go out to find it." Maddy was a but aggressive. "I was trying to get away from you. There was no need to snap at me like that before. I had already told you that Michael wouldn't do anything like that." Maddy turned the chair towards the wall. "I didn't snap, plus I only wanted to clear the matter up, not cause world war three in our friendship." Maddy grunted and continued to look at the wall. Jonathan gave a sigh. They sat in silence until Maddy could not hold herself any longer. "Do you are don't you want to know how I saw the body?" "That's a stupid question. Of course I do. It would be stupid if I didn't." Maddy readjusted her chair so that she was facing the table.
" I was trying to get away from you, so I went for a walk on a secluded path. I sat on a tree stump for a while to try and ease the tension. When I heard a dog in the bushes, it was normal for me to go and investigate. When I got there, the dog was digging in the leaves. As I got closer, the dog ran away and took most of the leaves with it. That was when I saw the hand and the gun. The hand made me scream which was when you arrived." Jonathan looked to the ceiling as if remembering all she had said. "I can't remember much from that point." She stopped talking and took a sip of the milky, cold tea that the police officer had given to her at the start of the interview an hour ago. She wrinkled her face as she tasted and threw the cup, and its contents into the bin.
Then the door opened and a rather broad, but not tall, officer entered the room and Maddy sat up straight.
"My name is Chief Sergeant Miller. I believe you have a few questions to ask me miss, miss,..." He looked at the paper he had in his hand, "...Miss Magellan." Maddy turned to Jonathan. he gave a slight, reassuring glance at her and she turned back to the police officer.
"I want to know who the body is." The officer looked down on the form. "I'm afraid I have some bad news Miss. Magellan." Maddy grabbed hold of Jonathan's hand. He winced in pain. "The body you found was that of a Michael Johnson, owner of Johnson's Web design." Maddy's face drained of all remaining colour. "We believe that Miss Helen Callum reported Mr. Johnson missing about a week and a half ago. I believe she is an acquaintance of yours?" Maddy didn't know what to say. For the first, and probably only, time in her life she was speechless. She lowered her head onto Jonathan's shoulder and began to cry. Jonathan knew it would ruin his suede jacket.
"I'll give you some time alone." With that, C.S. Miller left the room and Maddy and Jonathan were left alone once again. Apart from the crying, the only other thing that Maddy could think of was how to tell Helen. She was never any good at giving people bad news unless it does not affect her. This situation would be painful to both of them.
After half an hour of crying, Maddy recovered slightly. "I want a post mortem. I want to know who fired the gun. Michael was not the sort of person to commit suicide." Maddy wiped her nose and eyes with a napkin that was on the table. "You can't just demand a post mortem. Any way, you saw yourself that the gun was in his hand. he was the only person who could have fired that gun." Jonathan knew that what he said was false. Any one could have shot Michael and put the gun in his hand. He also knew that Maddy was more intelligent than that. The room went quite, and remained so.
Half an hour later, the C.S. reentered the room. "According to my superior, Miss, you can go home." Maddy got up from the chair and swung round to face the police officer. "Do you have any idea of how this has occurred...." before the officer could continue, Maddy continued "...and don't tell me that it was a suicide because it wasn't. I know what Michael is like and he is not the sort of person to shoot himself in that head." Maddy grabbed hold of Jonathan's arm. "Your not going home. You can sleep on the sofa." Jonathan was wrenched from the chair and dragged out. The police officer stood by the door, mouth a gape. After he had recovered he closed the door and slid the sign by to 'Vacant'.
Part Four
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