The Hawk Is Dead

32

Wednesday 22 November 2023

Grace responded. ‘I’m afraid we do have to be rather pedantic with our questions, Ma’am.’

The Queen nodded and smiled warmly. ‘I understand, Detective Superintendent. I read a lot of crime fiction so I do have some idea how your lines of enquiry all work. I just wish I could give you some brilliantly sharp observation, perhaps a Miss Marple moment, that could give you a lead but, to be honest, throughout that train journey south from London towards Brighton, everything and everyone could not have seemed more normal.’

Grace smiled back, starting to feel a tiny bit more relaxed in her presence now. He glanced at Branson before turning back to her. ‘Your Majesty, today I just wanted to have a very informal chat with you about the events, but it may be helpful to our enquiries at some point soon to do what we call a formal cognitive witness interview, in a controlled environment. I appreciate that you are extremely busy, though.’

She frowned. ‘Cognitive witness interview?’

Branson explained. ‘It’s a very structured technique for helping a witness to remember key details — some of which are often buried in their subconscious. If I can give you an example, there are questions we put to witnesses of a car crash. In the first we ask, “Did you see much glass on the road after the collision?” In the second we ask, “Did you see much glass on the road after the smash?”’

She gave him a wry smile. ‘And the answer to the second will always be much more glass. So you are going to hypnotize me, are you?’

‘Not remotely, Ma’am,’ Branson replied. ‘But it would take about two hours of your time.’

‘I’ll do whatever you need me to do,’ she said. ‘Of course.’ She frowned again. ‘One thing I want to ask you, which no one has told me yet, is how the train was derailed. Assuming you — we all — are very clear it wasn’t an accident.’

‘It was derailed by a piece of rail, Your Majesty,’ Grace said. ‘A length of spare rail laid across the track. I understand that Network Rail, who are responsible for the track, keep varying lengths of these at intervals along all the main routes, so they can do a quick repair if ever needed. One of our primary lines of enquiry is around any persons seen entering either the north or south portals of Clayton railway tunnel in the preceding days, or on Monday.’

‘Maybe Queen Victoria was quite sensible getting out of the train and going by horse-drawn carriage across the Downs to Brighton,’ she said drily and shot a glance at her watch. Then she looked at each detective in turn. ‘Do you think you are going to find these people quickly?’

‘I wish I could say yes, Ma’am,’ Grace replied. ‘It is helpful in many ways that we are looking for more than one offender — from what we understand it is probably two people at least, rather than just a lone wolf.’

‘One of them who is either a very good shot or a very bad one.’ She raised her eyebrows at him.

‘I believe the person was a very good shot, Ma’am.’

‘Otherwise I might not be here — is that what you are implying?’

Grace locked eyes with her. ‘Ma’am, if he was a good shot, then he hit his intended target. There is always the possibility that the shooter was much further away than we believe, in which case his margin of error could be as much as four feet — the approximate distance between you and Sir Peregrine at the moment he was shot.’

‘What about we just hypothesize for a moment, as I believe you detectives like to say. Let’s hypothesize that this gunman — shooter — was indeed a very bad shot. And that he missed his real target. And did the same again with his second shot. That would mean he might try again.’

‘We are acutely aware of this being a possibility,’ Grace said. ‘Until we find and arrest the offenders, your personal security — and that of His Majesty The King’s — needs to be at the highest level of alert. We are working closely with both your Royal Protection team and with the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, and updating them twice daily.’

‘That’s very reassuring,’ The Queen replied, not looking at all reassured.

‘One final question I have for you today, is whether, to your knowledge, Sir Peregrine Greaves had any enemies?’

She frowned. ‘Enemies?’

‘Someone who, for whatever reason, might have wanted him dead?’

She was silent for some while before responding. ‘Well, there is quite a hornets’ nest of jealousies, rivalries, jostling for position and favours within the Royal Household. I’m sure Tommy can elaborate on this. It’s probably no different in many ways to what goes on in any large corporate structure. Some people get a bit frustrated, some people get angry. But angry enough to commit murder? Managing to engage co-conspirators?’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t think so — we are getting into very far-fetched territory here, don’t you think?’

Grace waited for a few moments after she had finished speaking, then replied, ‘I’m afraid the facts do take us into the realm of the far-fetched. I don’t want to sound insensitive or in any way disrespectful, but could there have been any other reason someone might have wanted Sir Peregrine dead? If we are right — and we may not be — but if we are, the people behind this went to a great deal of trouble to kill him. And we need to understand why.’

The Queen shook her head, very slowly, from side to side. ‘Perry was universally popular. The only thing I can think of is that he did like the trappings that went with his job, and had been upset over one issue recently — he was so upset he spoke to The King about it.’

‘Which was, Your Majesty?’ Grace asked.

‘Well, Tommy was trying to move his team, along with all the others in the Royal Household, into open-plan offices. Perry always had a beautiful office in St James’s Palace, with some very fine paintings on the wall. He was extremely upset because there was nowhere for these to be hung in the proposed new offices.’

‘That doesn’t seem like much of a motive for killing him, Your Majesty,’ Branson said.

‘I think I would agree with you.’ The Queen looked at her watch, then back at each detective in turn, before levelling on Grace. ‘Perry did say to me he had an issue he wanted to speak to me about when we were on the train.’ She paused for a moment. ‘But he was always wanting to tell me something or other. They all do, Detective Superintendent, I don’t get a moment’s peace. I doubt it was anything significant. Now, I’m afraid I have to attend another meeting in a quarter of an hour. The King wants to speak to you, and on this occasion, I’ll take you to his office.’ She turned to Branson. ‘If you come with us, Jayne will show you the Billiards Room, where your colleagues are conducting their interviews with my staff. Then I understand Tommy is taking you and another member of your team to see Peregrine’s widow, Margot, Lady Greaves?’

‘That is correct, Ma’am,’ Grace replied.

She stood and both of them immediately followed, a respectful step or two behind.

‘Please don’t think, Detective Superintendent Grace and Detective Inspector Branson, that I want to be anything other than helpful to your enquiries. Don’t look at me as anyone special. Just treat me as you would any other witness to a murder. Neither I nor The King are above the due process of the law.’