CXVI The Beginning of the End (Book 1): A Gripping Murder Mystery and Suspense Thriller (CXVI BOOK 1) by Angie Smith
Authors: Angie Smith
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“but
today’s different.”
“Oh,
here’s Einstein,” she said. “He must have finally figured it out.”
Woods
looked up to see Greenwood approaching. “You’re right Superintendent. The cone
is 25.727 metres away from the face of the bridge. The distance the object had
to fall was 6.5 metres, which would take it 1.151 seconds, and a vehicle
travelling at 50mph would take 1.151 seconds to travel 25.727 metres.”
“Bingo,”
Barnes said.
“Do
you want to go over the figures with them, Maria?” Woods prompted.
“I’ve
just done it, they’re correct: 50mph is 22.352 metres per second, multiply by
1.151, equals 25.727 metres. Do you want me to use a calculator?”
“No,
I’ll take your word for it,” Woods said, amazed by her mental arithmetic.
“Right Mick, where’s that maintenance crew? We need to rip this bridge apart.”
“On
their way,” Greenwood replied. He turned to Barnes, but she was walking away.
“Maria,” he called; either she didn’t hear or pretended not to.
Fifteen
minutes later the crew arrived, bringing a compressor, generator and a
selection of air tools. Woods explained he wanted the steel
cage structure dismantled on the bays over the northbound middle and outside
approaching lanes.
After three minutes the
eight bolts holding the cover plate over the middle lane bay had been removed.
“These have come out really easy,” the engineer said. “We’ve got a special tool
with serrated teeth, which we hammer on to the bolt heads, but these are new
bolts, and look this paint is fresh, it’s hardly set.” He handed them to Woods,
who placed them in an evidence bag.
“Where would you buy
the tool with serrated teeth?” Woods enquired.
“From the company who
manufacture the security bolts.”
“Have you got their
name?”
The engineer went to
his van and brought an invoice with the company logo on. Woods gave it to
Barnes, asking her to make enquiries regarding recent sales of the tool. Finally
the cover plate was removed exposing the joint between the lower 25mm mesh and
the higher level 75mm mesh. Greenwood then tried to bend the 75mm meshing up,
but two metal tie straps on the columns were holding it at each end. One of the
maintenance crew quickly snipped the tie straps. “These are new too,” he said,
handing them to Woods.
Greenwood then managed
to bend up the whole section of square meshing. “I see what you mean,” he said
to Woods. “You could easily drop a drain cover straight off here.”
As the engineers worked
on the bay over the outside lane, Woods went to the cover plate which had been
propped on the opposite side of the bridge. “What’s this?” he asked.
“No idea,” the engineer
said, just as the adjacent cover plate was removed and brought over.
“Look it’s on that one
too,” Woods said.
The engineer got closer
and examined both plates. “This is new paint. It looks exactly the same as that
on the fixing bolts.”
“Take the cover plates
off the two adjacent bays,” Woods said, frowning, “and let’s have a look at
them.”
Ten minutes later the
plates on the bays over the inside lane and the central reservation were
removed. “Nothing,” said the engineer.
Greenwood was busy
photographing the evidence. “So why paint CMXVI on the back of the plates?” he
asked Woods.
“Good question. Is John
Wright at work today?”
“No, didn’t you know? He
was suspended a couple of weeks ago. Mateland was having him investigated for
misconduct. Something about botching up an investigation. John told me it was
all bollocks, and that there was no evidence whatsoever, he said Mateland had
invented it to get him off the team.”
Woods spun his head and
looked at Barnes.
“Something about
protocols,” she said, scrunching up her nose.
Chapter 4
Wednesday 16 th May –
Thursday 17 th May.
Detective Superintendent Greg
Woods and Detective Sergeant Maria Barnes arrived at PC John Wright’s house
shortly after two o’clock
today’s different.”
“Oh,
here’s Einstein,” she said. “He must have finally figured it out.”
Woods
looked up to see Greenwood approaching. “You’re right Superintendent. The cone
is 25.727 metres away from the face of the bridge. The distance the object had
to fall was 6.5 metres, which would take it 1.151 seconds, and a vehicle
travelling at 50mph would take 1.151 seconds to travel 25.727 metres.”
“Bingo,”
Barnes said.
“Do
you want to go over the figures with them, Maria?” Woods prompted.
“I’ve
just done it, they’re correct: 50mph is 22.352 metres per second, multiply by
1.151, equals 25.727 metres. Do you want me to use a calculator?”
“No,
I’ll take your word for it,” Woods said, amazed by her mental arithmetic.
“Right Mick, where’s that maintenance crew? We need to rip this bridge apart.”
“On
their way,” Greenwood replied. He turned to Barnes, but she was walking away.
“Maria,” he called; either she didn’t hear or pretended not to.
Fifteen
minutes later the crew arrived, bringing a compressor, generator and a
selection of air tools. Woods explained he wanted the steel
cage structure dismantled on the bays over the northbound middle and outside
approaching lanes.
After three minutes the
eight bolts holding the cover plate over the middle lane bay had been removed.
“These have come out really easy,” the engineer said. “We’ve got a special tool
with serrated teeth, which we hammer on to the bolt heads, but these are new
bolts, and look this paint is fresh, it’s hardly set.” He handed them to Woods,
who placed them in an evidence bag.
“Where would you buy
the tool with serrated teeth?” Woods enquired.
“From the company who
manufacture the security bolts.”
“Have you got their
name?”
The engineer went to
his van and brought an invoice with the company logo on. Woods gave it to
Barnes, asking her to make enquiries regarding recent sales of the tool. Finally
the cover plate was removed exposing the joint between the lower 25mm mesh and
the higher level 75mm mesh. Greenwood then tried to bend the 75mm meshing up,
but two metal tie straps on the columns were holding it at each end. One of the
maintenance crew quickly snipped the tie straps. “These are new too,” he said,
handing them to Woods.
Greenwood then managed
to bend up the whole section of square meshing. “I see what you mean,” he said
to Woods. “You could easily drop a drain cover straight off here.”
As the engineers worked
on the bay over the outside lane, Woods went to the cover plate which had been
propped on the opposite side of the bridge. “What’s this?” he asked.
“No idea,” the engineer
said, just as the adjacent cover plate was removed and brought over.
“Look it’s on that one
too,” Woods said.
The engineer got closer
and examined both plates. “This is new paint. It looks exactly the same as that
on the fixing bolts.”
“Take the cover plates
off the two adjacent bays,” Woods said, frowning, “and let’s have a look at
them.”
Ten minutes later the
plates on the bays over the inside lane and the central reservation were
removed. “Nothing,” said the engineer.
Greenwood was busy
photographing the evidence. “So why paint CMXVI on the back of the plates?” he
asked Woods.
“Good question. Is John
Wright at work today?”
“No, didn’t you know? He
was suspended a couple of weeks ago. Mateland was having him investigated for
misconduct. Something about botching up an investigation. John told me it was
all bollocks, and that there was no evidence whatsoever, he said Mateland had
invented it to get him off the team.”
Woods spun his head and
looked at Barnes.
“Something about
protocols,” she said, scrunching up her nose.
Chapter 4
Wednesday 16 th May –
Thursday 17 th May.
Detective Superintendent Greg
Woods and Detective Sergeant Maria Barnes arrived at PC John Wright’s house
shortly after two o’clock
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