11. Mystery Pub 3

Pub 3

A ring on it, then bells on it: starting up in Oxford.

Shortest one yet. Hathaway was around for a chat when I dug this one out. He couldn’t resist having a peek. I asked him if he’d got anything. He said that the first thing that sprung to mind was the White Horse from the nursery rhyme, but that it didn’t really fit. What James has also forgotten is that there’s two White Horses in Oxford – the famous one on Broad Street and one near my house in Headington. The clue would have to tell you which one to go to, wouldn’t it? Like the bit at the end of Pub 2. So I suppose we’re looking for something else.

That last interview: Morse really saved the day when old Blackbird was sticking his size 11s in it. Never one for subtlety was Steve – we did our Sergeants exams together. Anyway, Morse and Phil seemed to hit it off, don’t you think? What was all that about the pub quiz?

10. Dr Philip Harcourt

Transcript of Tape-Recorded Interview conducted at St Aldates Police Station on Tuesday 27^th October 1998. Present: Sgt S. Blackbird, Dr P. Harcourt.

SB: Dr Harcourt…

PH: I don’t mind if you call me Phil, please

SB: Phil, then. Phil, we’re looking into the disappearance of Gideon Buckland and you were one of the last people to see him. I’m sure you appreciate that any information you can give may be very useful. Also that we are not ruling out any possibilities at this stage, so we are going to have to account for your movements.

PH: I understand. Well, I clearly wasn’t the last person to see Gideon. That would have been James. I left at the same time as Jim, just before Last Orders. The others will all confirm that.

SB: And you went straight home. I understand you live quite close to the Butchers Arms.

PH: Yes, Britannia Lane in Headington. About eight minutes’ walk from the Butchers. I pushed my bike – I wasn’t really in a state to cycle at that stage.

SB: And what then?

PH: I..

(Loud knock on the door and door immediately opening)

EM: Ah, Dr Harcourt, so glad I’ve caught you. Chief Inspector Morse of the Detective. Carry on, Sergeant.

SB: For the benefit of the tape, DCI Morse has entered the room and is now seated. Please, Phil, what happened next?

PH: I crashed out on the sofa at home. Woke up at about 10.30 in the morning. I had a splitting headache. I’d missed the start of the bike ride, so I stayed at home, had some food and regretted my follies. I went to the supermarket just after lunch time and started looking at some students’ essays in the afternoon. Didn’t go anywhere else. Got a call from Kate first thing yesterday asking if I’d seen Gid and then you lot turned up at the College.

SB: Can anyone confirm your whereabouts?

PH: Well, no, I live alone. (Pause) I’ve probably got some receipts from Smiths and from Safeway. I don’t suppose they really prove anything though.

SB: Not really, Sir, I’m afraid. Now, Phil, I’m also going to have to ask some more delicate questions. We have reason to believe there might be something between you and Kate Buckland..?

PH: No! You must be joking! Look, I guess you’re referring to the most stupid thing I’ve ever done in my life. Well, I paid for that long ago.

SB: Yes, we were, Sir. Do you still have feelings for Mrs Buckand?

PH: (Pause) Yes, of course I do. I love her. I always have. Right from first meeting her. I… I often wonder what things would have been like, if we’d met before she and Gideon got together. But, you know. It wasn’t to be, was it?

SB: And she knows this?

PH: Yes, it’s a bit difficult to hide something like that.

SB: And she’s never shared those feelings?

PH: Never. She knows how I feel. It’s so very awkward. That’s why she always puts on the Holier Than Thou when we’re together. Christian chastity and fidelity. Yeh, right.

SB; And her husband has now disappeared and you aren’t able to prove your movements over the…

PH: (interrupting) Look, I know it looks bad. But if you lot honestly think I’ve got anything to do with this... Yes, I’m in love with his wife, but Gideon is, well, we all know that he and James are best mates, but I would always regard Gid as MY best friend. I told him about the job at St Peter’s, helped him speak to the right people before the interview. If you think I’d do away him to open my way up to Kate, who has never been interested in me, then you’re all fools. Incidentally, what does she say about… well, I’m just saying: I’m not the one to watch.

(Pause)

PH: Is that, er, is that today’s Times?

EM: Hmm? Yes, sorry, yes it is.

PH: Chariot.

EM: Pardon?

PH: Five Down. Chariot.

EM: I don’t… ah! Yes, I see. It rather had me stumped. Well, thank you. You do The Times, sir?

PH: Every day. Nine minutes, usually. Not on Sundays, though, can’t handle it with a bad head.

EM: I’m nine to ten as well. Usually have all bar one or two done in six and then spend the next few minutes agonising over the last tricky buggers. Speaking of which, Sir, would you mind giving me your envelope of clues for the next pub crawl?

PH: I… yes, I suppose. Just give me a second. (pause and rustling) I’ve got it here in my coat pocket. Here’s you go.

SB: For the benefit of the tape, Dr Harcourt has stood up, taken an envelope out of his coat pocket and handed it to DCI Morse. He has retaken his seat.

PH: Inspector, I’d say you’ve been drinking!

EM: Chief Inspector, sir, but yes. I find a couple of pints of Burton Ale always stimulates the little grey cells.

PH: Agreed, or a Speckled Hen or two.

EM: Indeed. You’ve opened this envelope?

PH: Yes, I thought, in the circumstances…

SB: I thought you had an agreement, Scout’s Honour.

PH: None of us is a Scout, as far as I’m aware. Anyway, I thought it might explain what the hell is going on.

SB: And does it?

PH: Not entirely.

EM: Thank you, sir. Let it be known for the recording that the contents of the envelope are the same as those possessed by Dr Andrew Shelley. There was nothing else in the envelope, sir?

PH: You’ve seen for yourself.

EM: And since you’ve seen the puzzle, is there any comment you’d like to make on potential solutions?

PH: (pause) No, I don’t think I can say anything about it.

SB: You do know, Sir, that withholding evidence or obstructing the Police in their enquiries is a serious…

PH: (interrupting) What am I being accused of, exactly? I’ve come here of my own accord to try to help find my friend. As far as I can see, no crime is known to have been committed and I am not obliged to answer anything. If you are stupid enough to charge me with something then my lawyer will have a field day.

SB: Sir, I…

EM: (Interrupting) That’s quite enough, Sergeant. We’re all very grateful to Dr Harcourt for aiding us in our enquiries. Tell me, did Gideon have a favourite pub at all?

PH: I… What a strange question, but yes, he did. He was partial to a pint of Palmers at the Lamb and Flag – it was just down the alley from the Museum of Natural History where he kept most of his rocks.

EM: Agnus Dei?

PH: Indeed! (pause) Anyway, Chief Inspector. I quite like the Lamb but my favourite pub has always been the Crown.

EM: The Bass is always in decent nick.

PH: And they have their quiz tomorrow night. Starts at 8.30.

EM: I’ve never been into that kind of thing myself.

PH: Oh, you should, Chief Inspector. I’d thoroughly recommend it.

EM: Thank you, Dr Harcourt. You don’t mind if I hang on to these clues? Anyway, this interview is concluded.

9. Mystery Pub 2

Pub 2

Sounds like it’s understood to sleep over – not in its den!

(Which one? Fairfax built a bridge here on 22^nd May 1645)

I still pick up the Times every now and then to have a peek at the crossword, for old times’ sake. I can sometimes get two or three answers  these days. But Pub 2’s clue has cryptic written all over it though, doesn’t it? Mean anything to you? That last bit – Fairfax rings a bell. Should be easy to check out.

So Morse did get directly involved in the case, as we see from the first interview. Not sure whether he was assigned or it just caught his interest. Murder was his main priority but despite what you’d think we didn’t get many of them over the years – you’ve heard about all of them in the press, no doubt. So he was obviously asked to do other stuff most of the time. The early stages of a Missing Persons is a bit beneath him though. Unless he thought it was murder… Or maybe he just wanted to solve a pub puzzle…

8. Dr Andrew Shelley

Transcript of Tape-Recorded Interview conducted at St Aldates Police Station on Tuesday 27^th October 1998. Present: Sgt S. Blackbird, Dr A. Shelley.

SB: Andy, many thanks for agreeing to this talk. I know you’ve already given us a full statement but we just wanted to go through a few more things.

AS: Not a problem. Anything to help to find what’s happened to Giddy.

SB: Well, I’m sure you realise that we have to consider every possibility, so I’m going to have ask you to account for your movements last Saturday night.

AS: I understand. Quite simple. I left the Butchers at about 10pm before the others, cycled back to the college…

SB: That’s Magdalen College?

AS: Yes, I live in college rooms. Got back, went to bed. I went cycling the following morning with Jim and James. Giddy and Phil didn’t show. That’s it.

SB: How long did it take you to get back to the college?

AS: About fifteen minutes. Taking it slow after a few beers.

SB: And is there anyone who can corroborate your movements?

AS: The wife, obviously. Oh, and I checked my mail at the lodge on getting to the college. I think old Ron was the Night Porter. He’d remember. Never forgets a thing, Ron.

SB: You didn’t leave the college all night until cycling the following day?

AS: No, I didn’t. Ask the wife. (Pause) There’s CCTV on all the exits, by the way. You can always check with the college. They keep the tapes for a fortnight before recording over them.

SB: Ok. Anyway, you mentioned something that Gideon said about a book while at the pub?

AS: Yes, something like “worthy to take the book”. I’ve no idea what that means. He just kind of mumbled it over his beer. Really odd. He was distracted all night – head down like he could see the answer to something in his beer. I don’t know.

SB: Had he said anything like this before? Or had anything led you to believe that he had problems? Anything out of the ordinary?

AS: He’s been quiet for a couple of weeks, to be honest. Usually he’s a bit flamboyant – big hand gestures, lots of gab. “We’re all doomed” and that. Sometimes he’ll do it like Fraser from Dad’s Army. I think he’s just taking the piss out of me. But problems? No, I don’t think. He and Kate are like the perfect couple – made for each other. Always keen on his ale. He’d have really made it as a cyclist if he didn’t waste so much training time to hang overs, the silly sod. Mind you, same with James. Especially recently – lots of bunking off training.

SB: James is his best friend, right?

AS: Yeh, well, like, they’ve known each other from Fresher’s week starting Uni – got pissed together the first night away from home. Best Man at the wedding, you know.

SB: What about Phil?

AS: We’re all buddies, thick and thin. Are you getting at the thing with Kate? Och, that was nothing. Must have been, what, twelve years ago. Phil got a bit pissed one night, said a few too many things about unrequited love and kissed Kate. She wasn’t having any of it, though. All a big joke, we laughed about it afterwards.

SB: Gideon wasn’t jealous?

AS: What of? Seeing his girlfriend slap someone in the face for getting a bit leery? I wouldn’t cross her!

SB: Do you think he has any enemies? Someone who might have a grudge?

AS: Anyone he’s beaten in a pub quiz maybe? No, it’s impossible to dislike the guy. He’s got a bit of charisma and, even when he’s pissed, tries never to upset anyone.

SB: What do you think has happened to him?

AS: I really wish I knew. I suppose he’s had some kind of acci…

(Knock on the door and door opens)

SB: For the benefit of the tape, DCI Morse has entered the room.

EM: I’m sorry to interrupt, Dr Shelley. Chief Inspector Morse. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind?

AS: No, of course not.

EM: Gideon gave everyone an envelope in which were the clues for the next pub crawl, I believe?

AS: Yes. Always very prepared. It usually takes me ‘til at least Thursday to write my puzzle.

EM: Do you mind letting me have a look?

AS: No, not a problem. I’ve got it here in my bag.

SB: For the benefit of the tape, Dr Shelley has handed a small, white envelope to DCI Morse.

EM: You haven’t opened it?

AS: No. We’re not supposed to until Saturday. It’s cheating otherwise.

EM: Hmm. Well, yes, definitely sealed.

(Noise of envelope being opened and paper rustling)

EM: Thank you very much indeed, sir. Yes, I see. Hmm. Sergeant, this envelope can be put in with the other evidence. Tell me, Dr Shelley, does Dr Buckland have a favourite pub?

AS: Well, lots. But… I suppose he’s always been most partial to the Lamb and Flag.

EM: A very fine pint of Theakston’s Old Peculier in there, I believe.

AS: Yes, well Gideon usually drank something a little hoppier.

EM: Is he a gambler at all?

AS: No… I can’t say he was. Sometimes we all put an each-way bet on the National as a bit of a laugh. Small stakes only. Oh, and he puts 50p on the Eurovision sweepstake in the Turf each year.

EM: Thank you very much, sir. We have no further questions.

SB: We don’t? Err, yes sir. Interview terminated at 15.47.

7. Mystery Pub 1

Pub 1

Do Jimi Hendrix or Rod Stewart need a throne because of their power and dominion?

1 = Red, 2 = Blue, 3 = White, 4 = Back, 5 = Orange

And that’s it – the clue for the first mystery pub. Christ, I hope they’re not all like that. Haven’t a clue over the first bit. Think I’ve heard the second somewhere before though – a pub quiz, trivia or something. We’ve three identical copies of this from three envelopes. Morse has written initials on the notes and the envelopes: JA, JF, PH – three of the four players. AS is not here but I know the official case file has one copy in it. Morse unhelpfully hasn’t written any solutions or notes for the puzzles – must have been dead easy for him. Any ideas?

Oh, and don’t forget we have the plan for the crawl including the finishing pub. You’ve seen Morse’s drawing of it earlier in log 3

6. The Wife of Bath's Tale

Well, that’s what Morse called it anyway.

“Transcript from officer’s notebook of interview with Mrs Katherine Buckland of 42 Jack Russell Lane, Marston, Oxford, on the 26th October 1998 at said address, as taken by PC7520 Thomas Marlborough:
Response to missing person, one Gideon Buckland, husband of interviewee.
Not seen by wife since 5pm Sat 24th. Expected early morning Sun 25th or later in day. Out drinking with friends – James Ampleforth, Jim Fox, Philip Harcourt, Andrew Shelley (contacts recorded). None report seeing after approx. 11.30pm 24th according to wife at Butchers, Wilberforce Street. 5’ 11’, dark hair + complexion, medium build, no distinguishing features. Photo given. Wearing dark blue winter jacket, blue jeans. Carrying light brown rucksack possibly containing cycling clothing and large pad of paper. Also missing bicycle – dark blue, Trek road racing bike – taken by missing person on last seeing wife. Likely intoxicated at time of disappearance.
Out of character to go missing so long. Often stays with friends if out late. No other particular friends. No family in Oxford. Rooms in St Peters college – wife rang – porter hasn’t seen him since Fri 23rd. Not expecting to leave Oxford and wife says no emergencies with family (rang parents). Wife worried has had accident on bike while drunk. No other means of transport – doesn’t drive, no license. Wife has car – out front of house. He has set of keys for car – not at home.
Slightly unusual behaviour recently – distracted. Not finishing tasks. Late with academic paper submission. Downcast. Not usual bright self. Reading late at night. Not missing during daytime. Wife denies money problems. No known debts. Allegedly “liked by all”. Wife also totally denies chance he was having an affair – “not the type”, “faithful”, “believe it of anyone else before him”. Angry with suggestion.

Plan: alert control, general radio of description – also bike description, check with A&E at John Radcliffe Hospital, contact friends, college

Additional: Bicycle found by PC7231 – locked and chained outside Butchers arms – apparently not moved

Additional: Wife phoned: unusual fact about car keys – husband apparently picked hers up by mistake – both sets kept together normally in bowl in kitchen. Wife found his set with Tour de France 1996 keyring at home. Hers with miniature bible not present, presumed with husband.”

Well, what do you make of that? Old Tom stuck his foot in right there with the affair card, didn’t he! So the bike didn’t move. How did Gideon leave the pub – staggering, taxi, picked up by someone else? Worth checking the taxi firms? I don’t suppose they keep records of every drunk they pick up from a pub on a Saturday night, and certainly not from so many years ago. And what’s that with the car keys? Just a simple error? Not like he could use them anyway. Anyway, sounds like things were not quite right with Gideon Buckland.

5. What's In The Box?

Most of what we’ve learned so far about the Oxford Pub Mystery comes from copies of the case summary from the Police records that Morse seems to have swiped. He’s jotted all over them in various places. He also drew up the set of rules of the Pub Crawl game and even seems to have made up a few example games. Not that he’d be able to get anyone to play, not since Max died. I don’t think he knew anybody else other than Strange, me and the missus.
Also in the file we’ve got the initial statement with Kate Buckland and then an interview down the station at a later date. Then there’s transcripts of interviews from the four lads, several bits and pieces that I’m not sure is relevant to this case, and three of the four envelopes handed out by Gideon at the Butchers Arms containing the clues for the four Mystery Pubs for the next week’s crawl that never happened.
I’m going to type all this up on here for you to see. I’m guessing that working out the puzzle for the four pubs might be important – I think Morse hung on to as many copies as he could just to make sure they were identical. I’m a slow typer still so it may take a few days to get it all on here, so bear with me.
First will be Kate’s initial statement.

4. The Game's Afoot

Gideon Buckland vanished sometime after one of the Mystery Pub Crawls on the 24th October 1998. He had been the Setter for the month. The Gathering Pub on the night that he vanished was the Butcher’s Arms in New Headington. Nobody can remember why that particular pub was picked. It was just one of the pubs they particularly liked. I’ve been there – it’s not too far from where I live. Backstreet pub with a comfortable atmosphere and several real ales – I can imagine both the Ale-ementals and Morse would have fitted in well. I popped in last Sunday when I started reading through these case files. There’s been several changes of management since so no-one remembers Gideon or his cycling crawlers. There’s nothing there, I think, that can help with the enquiry, so you don’t have to go there to help me solve the case, unless you happen to be in the area and fancy a pint.

Anyway, all four of the others gave statements about the evening there. As setter, it wasn’t surprising that Gideon was already there and somewhat half-cut by the time the others arrived. Unless all are lying, he was definitely there. Incidentally, his bike was found outside the pub, chained up, on the Monday morning when the investigation began. It seems he’d clearly been at several other pubs, apparently planning the crawl for next week. In fact, he’d been so organised that when the others arrived he handed them sealed envelopes – the clues for next week, not to be opened until 6.30pm next Saturday 31^st, on word of honour.

All four report that Gid was somewhat withdrawn and morose when they arrived. Two of the four had failed to get the mystery pub connection and James had failed to work out what all the others thought was an obvious clue for the Somerset in New Marston (now since closed). He was forced to neck a particularly horrible concoction of Pernod and cider as a forfeit. When Gideon didn’t seem to be entering into the spirits of things, over the course of the evening they individually asked him if anything was up. He didn’t really make any comment except Andy thinks that he said something about being “worthy to take the book “, or something like that. He drank at a pace with the others, buying his round but with the minimum of talking.

Andy, as was usual, left the earliest and the most sober (probably still not very sober though…). Phil and Jim left at the same time a pint later, leaving Gid and James on their own. James was probably then the last person to see Gideon before his disappearance, so I’m making him prime suspect. While I’m sifting through the rest of the evidence though, Morse doesn’t seem to have made much of this fact. Anyway, they were the best of friends – each other’s Best Man respectively, so if Gideon was behaving a bit odd then perhaps it’s natural that James should stick around to see if he could help. Maybe I’m reading too much into things. Maybe not.

Anyway, we’ll get onto the rest of the file as soon as I’ve deciphered some of Morse’s writing.

3. Only Connect. With Real Ale.

The five friends, James, Jim, Phil, Andy and Gid, all met through a shared interest in pubs, beer, cycling and trivia. As post-grads they formed a pub quiz team, The Ale-ementals, which won the local league. It seems pub quiz team names have always been terrible. Anyway, linked in with their Sunday cycling they fixed Saturday night as their drinking night and always went on a pub crawl of five pubs. Five friends, five pubs. All in Oxford or very nearby villages, anything within drunken cycling distance.

Originally they just picked pubs that were close together but with time they started picking pubs that had a link between them. It started off very simply, like pubs with the colour “white” in the name. Morse has written a huge list here, including three white harts, two white horses and a white house. Or five pubs with occupations in the title (Mason’s, Plasterer’s, Bricklayer’s, Carpenter’s, etc). Easier to do in 1998 with more pubs in Oxford, apparently. Get the idea? But, when you get five stupidly clever people doing something like this it becomes increasingly more complicated. It became a game, or a quiz, or a challenge.

The rules were like this:

Every month, one of the five would be the Crawl Setter and the other four would play the game. At the end of the month the setter would swap.

Each week, the crawl now consisted of four somehow connected Mystery Pubs and a final, totally unconnected Gathering Pub where they’d all meet up at the end. The Gathering Pub would usually just be somewhere they all liked or close to one of their houses.

Each week the Setter would give out four cryptic clues to the identities of the four Mystery Pubs to be visited and also the actual name of the Gathering Pub where they’d all meet at the end. The players would have to work out which four pubs the mystery ones were, visit each of them, drink a pint in each and get a member of staff to sign a log sheet to prove they’d been there.

The players were given the clues in different orders and a strict timetable of what time to leave each mystery pub so that no two players would be in the same pub at the same time. They were allowed to walk, cycle or catch the bus between pubs. If they bumped into another player while on the crawl, they were not allowed to communicate to avoid cheating.

Having attempted to work out and visit all four mystery pubs, all five would meet at the fifth and final gathering pub. The players would each write what they thought the connection between the four mystery pubs was at the bottom of the log sheet and hand the log to the Setter. The Setter would check the logs, forfeits would be given for failing to log a pub and drinks or small prizes awarded to the players who worked out the connection correctly. Since the forfeits would often be in the form of drinks, the Gathering Pub would usually see several drinks consumed and five rather drunken dons staggering out at the end.

While the four players were off in the crawl, the Setter would usually be visiting other pubs and the city in order to create the following week’s puzzle. This might involve visiting more than four pubs to gather information, so the Setter often arrived at the Gathering Pub in worse shape than the players.

I’ll given an example of the very first game of this kind that they played. Jim was the setter. The four Mystery Pubs, hidden in clues, turned out to be the Castle, the Mitre, the Cavalier and the King’s Arms. The connection was therefore Chess (Castle, Bishop’s mitre, Cavalier=Knight, King). All four players got the connection. The Gathering Pub was the Kite as Jim lived on the same street at the time. Gid apparently joked that they should have gone to Jim’s college bar at Queen’s.

All very simple, huh? I thought the idea of a pub crawl was to go out with your mates. These guys invented a game where they mostly avoided each other. I think Morse, always more comfortable as a solitary drinker, would have approved. His comments in the notes sound like he was intrigued. He also drew up the plan of the planned proceedings for the week after the disappearance which I’ve included below.

Apparently, the connections between the Mystery Pubs only got more complicated from there…

2. An Unfinished Pub Crawl

If you’re back then you’re interested! Thank you! Here’s the basics of the case from quickly skimming the front sheets.

Dr Gideon Buckland, aged 32, disappeared on a Saturday evening way back in the autumn of 1998. A geology lecturer at St Peter’s College, he was expected back home by his wife late at night. Saturday was his regular night at the pub, sort of out of the lads (more on this later). He frequently ended up sleeping over at one of his mate’s houses, whichever end of Oxford he finished up at around kicking-out time. So the wife wasn’t too surprised when he didn’t show and disturb her in the middle of the night with clattering as he drunkenly stacked his muddy bike in the front porch and staggered up stairs. Come hell or high water, all the lads, complete with hangovers, would head out on their bicycles on Sunday morning to Brill or the Cotswolds and return in the afternoon sweaty and still reeking of beer and cigarette smoke from the night before. In this day and age it’s strange to remember that that was a time when most people didn’t carry a mobile phone with them. Especially true of a group of Oxford lecturers who, despite their age and the cycling, seemed happy to settle quickly into the large meals, port, brandies, cigars and leather armchairs kind of life. So Mrs Buckland, although probably a bit miffed, wasn’t concerned when the good doctor still hadn’t arrived by Sunday evening. A Missing Person call was finally logged at St Aldates Police Station at 8.37am on the Monday morning, after she had already called the College, Geology department and the four  “usual suspects” of his close friends.

So who was Gideon Buckland? Gid or Giddy to his friends, standard Oxford material, sickeningly bright with a glowing CV. Born and raised in East Devon, only child of well-to-do parents, dad a lawyer and mum a head mistress. Went to the local Church of England school (the one the mum was head of), straight “A” student, decided he wanted to study geology after a school camping trip near Cheddar Gorge. Could have done medicine, veterinary science, whatever, but was more interested in what was under his feet. Promptly went up to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied (READ, Lewis! The ghost of Morse ever in my head) Earth Sciences and met future wife Kate (Philosophy and Theology, originally from Bath). Straight on to a PhD (DPhil, Lewis!) where he spent four years mostly cycling with the Oxford University Cycling Club and going to beer festivals but easily managed to turn in a thesis on “Chromium isotopic anomalies in K-T boundary sediments”.  Secured a junior research fellowship at St Peter’s, bought a house with Kate in New Marston, married in Magdalen chapel the same year. Active member of the local Campaign for Real Ale committee (margin notes by Morse become increasingly positive from this point on), rising steadily through the pecking order in the college hierarchy. Research work continued in the geology of mass-extinction events. All to do with asteroids wiping everything out, apparently. Friendly and said to be well-liked with the same circle of drinking and cycling buddies, all in various post-doc positions, that he’d shared his student days with. Lapsed Anglican, wife not so lapsed but didn’t drag him to church more than a few times a year – usually Easter, Christmas and Remembrance Sunday.

The standard interviews of wife, family and friends in the days after his disappearance and the profiling didn’t show any particular “stressors”, but he’d been a bit under the weather mood-wise . No particular money worries (Kate worked at the University Press), no kids, no other troubles. Father and mother both well at the time and heard from him once a week. No indication of anything unusual from them. Friends and students noticed him happily settling into the eccentric don stereotype with increasingly elaborate metaphors, dusty rock samples scattered throughout his college rooms and, because he was an expert in mass extinction, a catchphrase of “we’re all doomed anyway”, which he’d announce in the face of either any minor problem or apparent triumph, often to a huge roar of laughter from his friends.

These friends – as I said, 4 main ones. All cyclists and ale lovers and friends since undergrad days. 2 Jameses – 1 always James, the other always Jim. James was also at Magdalen and a physicist, Best Man at Gid and Kate’s wedding. Now a tutor at Univ. Jim had been the secretary of the cycling club and studied medicine at Queen’s College. At the time of the disappearance was a surgical registrar at the Radcliffe. Third was Phil, chemist from St Peter’s. May have put words in the right ears when Gid was interviewed for the research post. May also have made a pass at Kate when they were undergrads but apparently water totally under the bridge. Finally Andy, dour Scotsman and the most serious cyclist. Regarded as the “lightweight” of the drinking group but probably because he was more interested in cycling without a bad head. Engineering science at Magdalen, still there as Junior Dean.

Nothing obvious to me from the start. I can’t see any glaring suspects or motives to bump off poor Giddy. Although it seems he’d been a bit down recently he normally seems happy enough too so no clear reason to disappear or do away with himself.

Anyway, I’m off to read about this really weird drinking game or pub crawl that the guys used to get up to. Morse has made quite a lot of notes on this, for him. But it was after one of these crawls that Gideon Buckland disappeared…

1. An Old Box of Secrets

It feels strange after all these years to be back on the blog, writing about crime. In many ways, I am a different person now to the man I was when some of you may have read and helped solve a couple of local puzzles . We still had Morse then. Not a day goes past without me thinking about the old bugger. There’s a phrase both Morse and Hathaway used, something about standing on giants’ shoulders, that reminds me of how it used to be like. Hathaway said it was something  to do with Oasis (but with “that” look on his face). I thought Morse got it off the side of a two pound coin, back in the day when you could get a pint for one in an Oxford pub. Not that Morse would have known that you could, but I had plenty of opportunities to look while get one for him.

Anyway, I’m retired now. Quite happily. Still looking after the little garden in Headington. Get calls now and then from the Force, mostly the Old Boys – sorry, Superannuated Officers Society (gender-neutral). But occasionally from the serving chaps. Mostly the local knowledge that never made it onto computers. If it’s not in a database then there are precious few of us old hands left who might remember. James pops round for a beer and chat now and then. I’m sure he already knows the answer to the questions he asks but he seems to still want to go through the “old channels”.

But being retired gives me time to go through stuff. And quite a lot of that stuff isn’t mine, it was Morse’s. We all know how good he was with paperwork and over his career he had quite a lot of it. Most of it ended up in unsorted box files that I took from his flat before it got sold. They’ve been gathering dust in my loft since. And I’ve slowly been going through them. Most of it is copies of reports, things he’s scribbled on beer mats or fag packets about cases while thinking (drinking). Occasionally there’s personal stuff, mostly letters from the girls from cases that he thought didn’t give a damn about him. They all ended up falling for those sad, blue eyes though.

And occasionally there’s full cases in there that he clearly started looking at then got bored. Nothing too serious, as far as I can see . I hope there aren’t any murderers wandering around Oxford that Morse and me should have banged up years ago. And I’m sure Thames Valley Police would take a very dim view to all that evidence sitting there slowly browning. But it’s mostly stuff that was sent to him unofficially. Missing money, rings, cars, cats. Like he was Oxford’s answer to Sherlock Holmes: Mr E. Morse, 221b Banbury Road.

Anyway, one of the boxes is about a missing husband. Statements from both the missus and his mates. A Missing Person’s log. A newspaper cutting. A few handwritten notes (not Morse’s) with scribbles in the margins (Morse’s). Other quite detailed notes in the hands of the great man himself. The thing is, the case is so far up Morse’s street that there’s no way he won’t have solved it. He just didn’t leave anything to suggest he did. So I’m going to need your help. We may just find out what happened to a missing Oxford don and an answer to the Oxford Pub Mystery.