Inspector Kelly And The Robber's Widow
By well-wisher
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Inspector Kelly sat in an interview room at Scotland Yard and looked across the table at Henry Biggs widow who was staring worriedly at a watch upon her wrist
"I understand Mrs Biggs", he said, "That this must be distressing for you; having just lost your husband but you must surely understand that your husband was killed by police officers while in the process of committing armed robbery".
"Oh I know", said Mrs Biggs, looking up from her watch, "I know what my husband did was wrong but he only wanted to give a better life to our children".
"I'm not here to judge the dead, Mrs Biggs, believe me", said Inspector Kelly, "I'll leave that job up to the crown prosecution and Judge in the hereafter which, seeing as your husband didn't cause any physical harm during the robbery may probably take a very lenient view of him. No, all I'm concerned about and what the bank is concerned about is what happened to the diamonds your husband stole".
"Diamonds?", asked Mrs Biggs.
"When your husband was shot leaving the bank he was clutching two bags full of stolen money from the vault but we now think that that money was merely a diversion to draw our attention away from the other thing he stole from the vault; some very rare Diamonds worth thousands of pounds, the whereabouts of which we have still not been able to ascertain", said Kelly, "Perhaps you know where they are, Mrs Biggs?".
The widow shook her head, looking at him imploringly.
"No, honestly inspector", she said, "I don't. Really I don't. My husband always kept private about what he did. He didn't want to involve me incase he got caught and I got into trouble".
"Mrs Biggs", said Kelly, his tone becoming graver, "You do realize that if you are not telling me the truth and that is discovered then you would be charged as an accomplice to your husbands crimes and that would not, surely, be the best thing for you or your children".
"Yes I know that", said Mrs Biggs, "But I honestly don't know anything about where those diamonds are. On my husbands grave, I swear I don't".
"I see", said Kelly.
He sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"Mrs Biggs", he went on, "Do you know or have you ever met a man; a doctor, named Percival Marsh?"
Mrs Biggs looked for a moment as if she were searching her brain, then she shook her head.
"Percival who?", she said, sounding earnest, "No I think I'd know if I'd have met a gent by that name, Inspector".
"He's a pathologist or atleast he was until recently. He worked in the morgue where your husbands body was taken and performed the post mortem upon him", said Kelly.
"Oh?", said Mrs Biggs, "Well, I didn't know that. I've never even heard of him".
Kellys voice started to harden.
"Unfortunately, Mrs Biggs, I have eye witnesses who are willing to swear to the contrary", he said, "Witness's who say that you knew Dr Marsh very well; infact that you knew him intimately and were doing, lets just call them favours, for him in return for his services".
"Its a lie", said the widow becoming angry and more defensive, "I don't care who told you or what. I don't know any Dr Marsh. I've never met him in all my life".
The Inspector became more solemn.
"Sadly, Mrs Biggs, I think it is you who is lying", he said, "I think you do know him. You see, I think that what happened to the diamonds is this: during the robbery your husband put them inside a small pouch and swallowed them then deliberately provoked the police into shooting him knowing that his body would be taken to the morgue where Dr Marsh was the Chief Pathologist and that, knowing that the diamonds would be in your husbands stomach because he was also acting as your accomplice, Dr Marsh opened up your husband during his postmortem, removing the diamonds before passing them on to you".
Mrs Biggs turned her eyes quietly towards the floor, becoming pensive.
"Now, I gave you every chance to make a confession", said Kelly, "Because it strikes me that any husband or father who is willing to sacrifice his life in such a way must truly love his wife and children but I can give you no more chances Mrs Biggs other than to cooperate and tell me where the diamonds are".
Mrs Biggs was staring at her watch again, then she turned her head up towards the Inspector and he saw that she was smiling.
"The ship will have left by now", she said.
"With the diamonds?", asked Kelly.
"And our children", she said, "They're going to a new world; a land of opportunity with enough money to make a new life, the way my husband and I always dreamed and so you see, it doesn't matter what you do to me now".
"Well then I'm very happy for you", said Inspector Kelly, sympathetically, "But nonetheless, Mrs Biggs, I'm afraid you are under arrest".
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