Deadlines : The 2nd Murray Barber P.I. Case Story

By Julie Burns-Sweeney

Deadlines
Case story two
Murray Barber is a private investigator with a difference. He can hear the dead speak. Along with his 'late' friends, Alistair and Rita, and Jeff, his friend from C.I.D., Murray solves a variety of cases.
Murray is asked to meet Gerald Tutting aboard a 'Murder Mystery Train' but when a man turns up dead he has to solve a thirty year old murder...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Dec 29, 2011
• ISBN: 9781471043529

Book preview

Deadlines : The 2nd Murray Barber P.I. Case Story

Deadlines:

The Second Murray Barber P.I.

Case Story

By

Julie Burns-Sweeney

Published by

Lulu.com

CHAPTER ONE

Murray stared up the platform where their train, steam engine attached, sat waiting for them to board. Dusk was approaching but the February air was surprisingly warm, well perhaps not warm but certainly not as bitterly cold as you'd expect. He hadn't been sure he was even going to bother with this case, a phone call from a man called Mr Tutting who wanted to meet and discuss a thirty year old murder and meet on, of all places, an amateur dramatics murder train! Jenny however, had got wind, phoned the ticket office and booked herself a seat aswell. 'It'll make a great night out!' she'd said, 'pasties included, a night off from the new year health kick'. That alone had got him to agree to go along.

As they climbed aboard the rather disappointing modern carriages, Murray took in the other passengers. A couple of families, children over about ten, some couples, young and old and a mixture of small groups. The cast stood out among their fellow travellers as they were all dressed up. Was it something to do with the plot? Jenny examined the programme given to them with their tickets.

It's a wedding party. She explained as she read through the leaflet. We're guests at a wedding reception. Oh, if I'd known that I'd have made more of an effort! she laughed as she gazed down at her and Murray's jeans and chunky jumpers.

I don't think anyone cares honey. As long as they didn't expect us to bring gifts! A group of three girls sat at the table across the aisle from them. The blonde leaned over and asked Jenny if she'd been before?

No, never. I'm quite excited. How does it work, do you know?

We've not been before either. Hope they explain, or maybe we just watch?

It wasn't long before they found out for a voice boomed out over the bustling carriage asking everyone to take their seats. A mature woman in a pretty pastel blue outfit stood between the two halves of the long carriage and explained that the cast would follow a plot which was set at a wedding reception. They, the passengers, were guests and could interact with the cast asking questions and making conversation that would help them solve the murder which would happen at some point along the way! There was a bar at the rear, which especially pleased Murray as Jenny was driving. She finished by saying that the correct answers would be placed in a hat at the end and a winner drawn and she hoped everyone had an enjoyable trip.

Glancing around the now seated guests, Murray tried to spot who the mysterious Mr Tutting might be? He hadn't been approached by anyone and as the train puffed and started to move, Murray wondered if he'd missed it? The cast started to mingle making it difficult to watch the other passengers. They called out lines to each other and Jenny excitedly fumbled in her bag for a pen.

Give me your notebook. I need to make my own case notes! Murray passed his tatty pocket notebook over to Jenny and then offered to get them a drink. You'll miss half the plot if you head to the bar now. She frowned.

I'll just get them in while there's no queue. Besides, you can fill me in on any vital clues I miss!

Even stood at the bar Murray couldn't spot any single man who might be the client who had requested his presence on this eventful train ride. Surely the plot itself wasn't anything to do with this thirty year old murder? He didn't even know what the murder was about, what had happened thirty years ago? Maybe the whole thing was a waste of his time?  He glanced back at Jenny, she was smiling as she chatted away with the girls opposite and what looked like a couple of bridesmaids. Perhaps not a complete waste of time then, at least she was enjoying herself.

Once back in his seat, the cool taste of his bitter sliding down his throat, Murray decided to get into the swing of the night.

So, who's gonna die then?

Probably the bride! She's a bit too perfect for me. Jenny didn't like 'perfect' people, she always thought they were a bit fake. Pretty, rich, loaded rich apparently!

Always go for the obvious you, don't you?

You always say it's usually the most obvious person! Real life doesn't complicate things.

Yes, but this is a play so that rule doesn't count! He didn't mean to mock her but he just couldn't help himself. The bride’s mother was approaching them with her loud voice and over acting, he wasn't going to be able to take the evening seriously.

Do you think my new son-in-law is good enough for my wonderful daughter? She asked in no more than a whisper.

Do you think he's only married her for the money then? Jenny asked back seriously.

Quite possibly. stated the mother-in-law as she glared down the aisle at the young man holding on tightly to the bride.

Oh please. muttered Murray. I'm going to take a gander up the other end of the carriage, see if I can spot my so-called client.

You won't just relax will you? I'm sure he'll find you when he's ready.

He didn't expect you to be here did he? I'll just have a quick wander, see if I can make eye contact with anyone. It is what I'm supposed to be here for.

Oh ok, but don't go giving any guy the wrong sort of eye contact!

Murray made his way up the aisle slowly. He had to negotiate the cast and other passengers along the way. It crossed his mind that perhaps it was infact a cast member who had requested his presence? No-one however seemed to be giving anything away and as most people were swapping seats so to talk to different cast members, it wasn't even possible to tell who was with who or if anyone was on their own. Murray reached the end of the carriage and decided he might aswell take Jenny's advice and let Mr Tutting come to him.

The plot continued until, as darkness fell outside, the train slowed and pulled into the tiny station that stood beside the main line. Murray had even forgotten the train was steam powered until, along with Jenny and his fellow passengers, he stretched his legs and filed out of the door at one end of the train and strolled along the short platform, smelt the aroma of a coal fire and breathed in the floating smoke that swirled around them like something out of a forties movie. At the mid-point, by a small shelter, they could see laid upon the ground the body of a woman. She was on a blanket, too cold not to be, and was instantly recognizable in her pale blue outfit. The victim was the bride’s mother! Over acted gasps now came from the paying passengers!

Well that threw your theory! Murray joked as he squeezed Jenny's arm. A squeal came from behind them, Now they're really overacting! he muttered as Jenny glanced over his shoulder to see who it was.

Oh, did we miss that one? she asked with a puzzled look upon her face. Murray turned to see what she meant. There on the floor by the door that they had just climbed out of, lay another body, one without a blanket this time. It didn't look like a member of the cast though. A man dressed in casual jumper and slacks lay clutching his chest and as Murray and the others moved closer they could see a much more grisly sight than the bride's mother. This victim had his eyes open and what looked like fresh blood running down his torso onto the platform beside him.

He's much more realistic isn't he? Jenny whispered hesitantly.

Bit too realistic! was Murray's only reply.

Oh for goodness sake, who's stealing my scene? the 'dead' mother-in-law was now sat up along the platform and was calling out in disgust that her big moment was being ruined. It caused Murray and a few others to frown, what was the mix up? Was this an unexpected corpse? Cast members and the train guard approached the 'dead' man.

Come on you, mister, up you get. You can't go spoiling the night. Come on, joke's over. But the man didn't move. His frozen pose was held perfectly, not even a flinch. The guard bent down and tapped the man on the shoulder, then shook him but still with no response. As he pulled the man's arm gently away from where the 'blood' was seeping out of his chest a loud gasp was let out. There in the man's chest was a knife, it's ornate handle standing proud of his ribcage. Sticking out of the man's top pocket, clearly in view, was a piece of folded paper. The guard carefully removed it and read it aloud.

Mr Gerald Tutting. 1981. That's all it says?

CHAPTER TWO

It was Saturday lunchtime in the Crown, it had been a long night and Murray hadn't got much sleep. He was sat staring at his bitter as Jeff, his old friend from his rugby youth and now of C.I.D., shared his thoughts on the previous night's events.

..we still don't know who our dead man is. He could be a Mr Tutting but his finger prints aren't on record. Why don't people carry ID on them?

That was probably on purpose. He's sent me cash through the post this morning. I feel I've got to take on his case now, can't exactly return it. The two of them stared down at the short letter which Murray had received through the morning post.

'Dear Mr Barber,

When you receive this I shall be dead. That's not important. Where I die is. Please continue to solve the murder of Mr Gerald Tutting. Payment enclosed.

Yours, Mr Tutting.'

What do you make of it Murray? You're keeping very quiet. You heard something from Sonny and Cher you wanna tell me about?

It's Alistair and Rita, and no, I haven't heard anything. They're tracking down young Milly Carpenter for me, or at least I hope they are?

Alistair and Rita were Murray's secret weapon in a lot of his cases. He had a gift, he could hear the dead. He couldn't see them or feel them but he could hear them and Rita and Ali were two twenty-something’s who had met their untimely death in 1976 when their campervan had veered off the road and rolled into a tree. For the last three or four years they had become a regular, if not secret, part of his life, ever since they had 'met' in a cinema while Murray was working one of his cases. Jeff had known about the 'voices' ever since he and Murray had been kids but their often