Lynda Plante: Tennison

The fact that John was dead, as a result of a plan probably hatched by Clifford, was too much for Renee to comprehend. She could not, as she had done so often in the past, protect her husband again. With her hands clenched in an attempt to control herself Renee told Metcalf that Clifford had not been at home on the Sunday afternoon or evening, and had definitely not been there when she got back from the wake sometime after midnight. She added that David was at home when she left for the funeral. When questioned about the whereabouts of her youngest son Renee claimed that she had no idea where he was, but he had left home on the afternoon of the funeral to get away from his brother and his father who had always manipulated, bullied and controlled him. She gave Metcalf details of a taxi firm David had used to book a taxi to take him to Heathrow Airport, but she was adamant that she had no idea where he was going from there as he hadn’t wanted her to be put in a position where Clifford or John could force it out of her.

Clifford was enraged when he was arrested, and demanded to know why Renee didn’t tell him about David. Renee had just smiled cynically, asking why he was suddenly worried about a son he’d never cared for or shown any real love to. She told him she hoped that David would at last find a decent and happy life.

It was early evening when a live press and TV news conference was held at Hackney Police Station in the main CID office. The packed room fell silent as DCS Metcalf entered and Sergeant Harris closed the doors behind him to stop anyone else entering the already crammed room.

Metcalf stood firm and upright next to a large projector screen. Harris turned on the projector and a picture of the Metropolitan Police Force Crest and the two fallen officers came up on the screen.

Metcalf cleared his throat. ‘It is with deep sadness that I have to inform you of the tragic loss of Detective Chief Inspector Leonard Bradfield and Detective Constable Kathleen Morgan during the explosion at the Trustee Savings Bank in Shoreditch. Our thoughts and sympathies are with their families at this time of loss. I have only the highest praise for DCI Bradfield: his professionalism and leadership were beyond reproach, as was the devotion to duty of all the officers who took part in Operation Hawk, some of whom were badly injured. They are all examples of police officers who, on a daily basis, display outstanding courage in the face of danger.’

The flash of cameras was relentless. As Metcalf paused to take a breath he was met with a flurry of questions from the journalists, who wanted to know more about the case and the suspects.

He held his hand up. ‘The incident is under investigation, so as I’m sure you all appreciate I am restricted in what I can say. However, I can tell you that two suspects were killed in the explosion, but their identities have yet to be confirmed.’

Yet again there were further interruptions from the journalists, who wanted to know if there were only two bank raiders, and if more why and how had they escaped.

Again Metcalf held his hand up. ‘We believe that at least two suspects escaped during the aftermath of the unexpected explosion. One man, who was a lookout, has since been arrested and is being interviewed as we speak.’

Metcalf nodded to Sergeant Harris who put up a slide of the last arrest photograph of Daniel Mitcham. Metcalf said that Mitcham was still at large, gave a full description and warned the public not to approach him if they saw him, but to dial 999 immediately. Lastly he told them that another suspect by the name of David Bentley was also on the run, and though not believed to have been present at the scene of the crime during the explosion he was wanted for conspiracy to commit robbery. He apologized that there was no current photograph of David Bentley, but gave a full description of him and emphasized that he was disabled, walked with a limp and used a walking stick or wheelchair.

Jane was working at the front desk during the press conference and knew it had finished when she saw Sergeant Harris escorting journalists and camera crews out of the station.

He joined her at the desk and said she could take a break.

‘I don’t mind staying on here, Sarge.’

‘No, love, you take your break. I’ll look after things here.’

She went to the canteen. Usually it would have been alive with chatter and officers clattering around with their trays. Tonight, though, there was an almost eerie silence, and when the officers did talk to each other it was in whispers.

Through the evening more details of what the teams had uncovered circulated round the station. Jane was told what was left of John Bentley’s burnt and dismembered body had been recovered from inside the vault and identified by matching the teeth of the deceased against dental records. Silas Manatos had to be dug out from the tunnel underneath the vault. Although intact his body was burnt beyond facial recognition by the fireball that engulfed the tunnel between the café and bank. No dental records could be traced locally for Silas, but his owl pendant had in effect welded to his body. His medical records showed that he had broken his right leg three years ago and the post-mortem examination found evidence of an old break and subsequent healing. Combined with the police evidence that Silas was part of the gang, and in the café at the time of the explosion, this was enough for the coroner to confirm and publicly release the identifications to the press.

With the assistance of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch it was quickly discovered that a David Bentley had flown on a Boeing 747 flight from Heathrow to Miami Airport on the Sunday evening. The British Overseas Airways Corporation ticket was one way and had cost him £150. The FBI were informed and said the chances of finding him now were slim as he had not stayed at the hotel he had shown on his landing card and could now be anywhere in Florida or the East Coast of America. DCS Metcalf considered sending a team to the States to look for him, but decided against it. He knew that where families like the Bentleys were concerned blood was thicker than water and David had spent many years being cared for by his mother Renee. One day he would return to Hackney, and when he did they’d arrest and charge him with conspiracy to rob the TSB.

In the days that followed, Jane felt Kath’s presence daily, often hearing her voice and laugh, and was grateful Kath had taught her how to handle discrimination and have the strength to stand up for herself. Jane had even put a couple of dents in the roller towel herself at times of frustration, but she had come to learn that the nature of a police officer’s work was often to remember but move on, so no one really talked much about Kath or Bradfield’s deaths, or how much they were missed. Any reference to Bradfield was quietly dealt with, but she knew she was not the only one to feel a dark sadness that he was gone and no longer storming out of his office, barking orders. A new DCI was sent to Hackney to take over the day-to-day running of the CID and Kath Morgan was replaced by another officer waiting to be made detective.

There was some light relief after all the tragedy. It was discovered that the officers who had already paid for and received their suits from Mannie Charles were all wearing hot property. They weren’t in fact ‘off the rail’, but classy suits that had been stolen from Aquascutum in Regent Street by the Horne Brothers warehouse manager and Mannie’s wife had removed the labels and substituted them with their own. DS Gibbs had been tipped off by a mate who worked in the CID office at West End Central and arrested the Horne manager and Mannie whilst investigating the break-in. It had everyone laughing and wondering if they should return the suits or keep quiet, until Gibbs brought in the suit ordered by Bradfield that was still hanging in his office in a plastic wrapper. As Bradfield had been six foot four there were few men it would fit, or who would want it. With gallows humour one detective lightened the gloom by suggesting he might like to be buried in it, but many couldn’t hide just how much Bradfield was missed.