A Seven year Switch

A SEVEN YEAR SWITCH

DAY ONE

“You are right. The trivia night at the local school was where we met.”

“Mr Delaney, what matters is what happened after that.”

“None of it is relative. I didn’t make her go away.”

“Continual denial is wasting our time. Rebecca did not ‘just go away’. Her clothes, beauty creams and make-up are still in your home. Added to those items we have noted her car is in the garage. Another item we see as significant Mr Delaney is her bank accounts have not been used since you say ‘She just went away’.  You do see the problem don’t you?”

“The only problem I see is you accusing me of having had something to do with her disappearance. Why would I report her missing if I had something to hide? Rebecca has not been in touch with her family since they kicked her out, she has very few close friends. I could have chosen to say nothing.”

“You mean ‘not say anything.’”

“That is what I said.”

“You said ‘say nothing’, you cannot ‘say nothing’. It is the same when people say’ I did nothing, you cannot do nothing. Let us go back to my original inquiry.”

“I wish you would, I am getting a headache trying to understand you. It was a simple process, Rebecca and I met at the Trivia night, we liked each other and started dating. A few months later we were married.”

“A few more details Mr. Delaney”

“Like what?”

“What do you know about her background? Does she have money, insurance policies, that sort of detail?”

“Even Blind Freddie would see where this is leading so let me save you the trouble of going any further down that road. No, no great fortune. I have my own money. Rebecca is an heiress in waiting. Insurance policies, on both our lives, $500,000 on each, double indemnity for Murder’

“This is probably a mute-point Mr Delaney but Blind Freddie would not be able to see anything at all.”

“Were you frightened by an English Teacher Detective?

“Explain what you meant by ‘heiress in waiting.”

“Her family control her money. They release a pittance to her each quarter. There are several millions she should have been given which the family stopped because of a technicality in the bequest.”

“We have yet to establish exactly when the last time you saw Rebecca was, a date will give us a starting point.”

“July twenty second.”

“That was yesterday.”

“July twenty second two thousand and fifteen.”

“Seven years ago?  You waited seven years to report her missing?”

“I reported her missing seven years ago. You are doing exactly the same as your predecessor did Inspector.”

“In what way?”

“I am the prime suspect. Despite all the investigation there is not a shred of evidence to connect me to Rebecca’s disappearance. There wasn’t any seven years ago, nothing has changed.”

“No one just wakes up one morning and says, ‘I wonder how the investigation into my wife’s disappearance seven years ago is progressing?’ Give me something I might believe.”

“It is time for me to move on. However Rebecca is legally still alive, I cannot remarry. I want your Department to issue a statement to the Coroner asking that Rebecca Delaney be declared dead. The seven year period has elapsed. There is no legitimate reason to conclude she may still be alive.”

“I sympathise with your position, however if I am to issue such a statement there will have to be a full investigation.”

“You already have the details from seven years ago, added to which your people searched my home yesterday.”

“While true, I must point out I cannot sign off on my predecessor’s findings without checking the facts. The search of your home was perfunctory at best to ascertain if Rebecca had taken anything with her. We were not aware we were investigating a seven year old disappearance.”

“Will you stop using big words? What is perfunctory? Is it a made up word?”

“It indicates a minimum of effort.”

“Just like your investigation. It has certainly been perfunctory.”

“Not quite the usage I had in mind. Go home Mr Delaney. Our forensic team will be at your house to check the car and give the rest of the home the once over.”

“Just get on with it so I can move on.”

DAY TWO

“Inspector we have a report of shots being fired at the Delaney house.”

“That bloody idiot. Attention seeking is all this is. No-one is to do anything until I get there. I may even shoot the stupid bastard myself.”

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 “Well Mr Delaney, are you coming out.”

“Is that you Inspector? Here to make a perfunctory inspection?”

“What are you doing in that house? You live across the street.”

“I am not going back into that house until Rebecca either comes back or she is declared dead. That house is as she left it.”

“What is this about? You are making a fool of yourself. Reporters, TV cameras are all watching.”

“At last people are taking notice. In the letter box there is a newspaper, read the front page Inspector.  Show it to the reporters and the TV cameras. Then I might explain.”

The headline is dated July 22^nd 2015   HEIRESS MISSING

Heiress to the Burdekin fortune Rebecca Delaney,

has been reported missing. Mrs Delaney

has not been seen since leaving by taxi at 8am yesterday morning.

Investigations are ongoing.

“Investigations are ongoing. Bullshit!. There was no investigation. I had masterminded her disappearance, so let’s all get the proof and get him locked away was the only investigation.”

“Come down to Headquarters Mr Delaney? You cannot fire guns out in the street and expect us to ignore it.”

“Got everybody’s attention this time didn’t it? At least some questions will be asked that were not considered relevant seven years ago. Think like a detective Inspector.”

“Is there anyone else in the house?”

“No. You can send your men in. Make sure this is not a perfunctory search this time.”

 “I regret ever using the word.”

DAY THREE

“These are the photos taken by the original investigation team Inspector.”

“Thank you Sergeant. I’ll just take a wander through the house, see if anything jumps out.”

“There is one thing Sir, in the kitchen, it’s probably nothing, however the photo of the breakfast table shows one cereal dish was used, there are two now.”

“Curiouser and curiouser. Well spotted Sergeant. Go across to the other house and ask Mr Delaney and his fiancé to join me. I’ll be in the kitchen.”

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“What is it Inspector, I told you I wouldn’t go inside this house?”

“All in good time Mr Delaney. This young lady is your fiancé I believe.”

“Yes, I’m sorry, I should have introduced you, this is Celeste Murray.”

“How long have you been together?”

“Several years now, we have known each other for some time, even before Rebecca and I were married.”

“Interesting. Now to be perfectly clear, you said you had not been inside this house since Rebecca disappeared, I am wondering whether that applies to Celeste? Does it Miss Murray?”

“Yes it does. I am in this house for the first time. I had no reason before.”

“Not even curiosity? Don’t bother to answer.  I already know you are being a little careless with the truth so I will run a possible scenario by you Mr Delaney. This is a photo of Rebecca taken about eight years ago. Miss Murray is the same height and has the same colour eyes. Either your hair is dyed or you are wearing a wig and I suggest a breast enhancement is the difference in that department. How am I going so far?”

“You are being ridiculous Inspector, stop wasting our time. What is the point of this charade?”

“The point is the seven years has elapsed, so if we declare Rebecca dead her fortune goes to you, unfettered by the present legal constraints. We can insist on a DNA sample if necessary but I would much rather discuss a compromise.”

”I will play your silly game Inspector, compromise in what way?”

“Shall we say a one off payment of half a million dollars to compensate me for the issuing of a statement of ‘presumed dead’ for Rebecca. I will conveniently forget the addition of a cereal bowl to the kitchen table. That sort on anomaly would cause a continuing investigation. It could last for years.”

“How soon would you issue the statement?”

“You have waited seven years Mr Delaney another week or two should not be a problem. Do we have a deal?”

“Obviously we have no alternative. Yes , as they say, ‘the cheque is in the mail.”

DAY FOUR

“I suppose half a million is a small price to pay in the scheme of things Rebecca. What I don’t understand is why you put the second bowl back.”

“I did not do any such thing. I thought you must have decided it looked better, two of us having breakfast, which is what you said at the original inquiry.”

“If neither of us put it there then who could have…….oh sweet Jesus. I did not see that coming! The answer to that question is the name on the cheque for half a million dollars isn’t it?”