One sport, one race, ONE CHAMPION!

The car zoomed, it was a dangerous turn but he had to overtake in order to win the race, this being the very last lap…the two had been within a time gap of 0.8 to 0.6 seconds throughout the race. The constructors had a lot in stake on the two drivers. They were literally battling for their championship points and then it happened. Ray’s car rammed into the side wall, toppled, somersaulted and burst into flames. The crowd was shocked into a minute’s silence. F1 had lost its pride. Racing world had lost its idol…Ray Chiefield was dead!

After the initial shock, the question how it happened seemed to air on every news channel. Theories propounded were innumerous and some highly ridiculous. On one channel the newsreader was saying it was due to a leak in the fuel tank and another was saying that there was some problem with the steering assembly which the constructors were denying vehemently as they obviously wanted to safeguard their position. Another reporter stated that it might have been due to Ray’s reckless overtaking maneuver which had brought about his own doom.

Somehow no answer seemed conclusive enough to wrap up the case as an accident. Marc Wimbledon a well known detective in Canada was an onlooker in the racing stadium at Monaco and his thoughts were attuned towards the reason behind this terrible tragedy. Why the final lap? Was the question currently preying his mind as he felt if there was a problem with the car it should have become evident at the start of the race and not at the end. As far as he knew his friend, Ray Chiefield loved life too much to make a daredevil or reckless driving maneuver.

He wondered if anyone could have rigged the car during the last phase of this race. The car had raced on a 3 stop strategy for those 78 laps where the last stop had lasted for 8 seconds since they had to add enough fuel to last for the last 15 laps and were trying their best to keep the vehicle light. Marc made several rounds of interviews with the pit crew to check if they had noted anything out of ordinary but somehow no one seemed to have observed anything.

Ray’s will had left everything in his possession to his newly wedded wife Cherry Chiefield which amounted to nearly 50 million dollars in cash and various other properties in US. So technically she had the motive but where was the opportunity? A question Marc couldn’t answer. Ray’s death prompted the test driver of his team to take up the part of a main driver in the coming races…but could this be motive enough to plan a cold blooded murder? The rival team also benefited a great deal by way of sponsorship and surety of winning the championship…yet he had to assemble his thoughts and search for clues.

A week later a pit crew member, belonging to the Team Ray had raced for, disappeared without a trace. His friends thought he had some shady deal going on as had just bought a brand new car and deposited 10,000 dollars to his account in the bank. Marc thought to himself “Yes, blackmailing is a dangerous game!” But they could not furnish him with anymore information… His body was later found chloroformed and strangled on a deserted pathway near the Local church with no eyewitnesses, fingerprints or evidence whatsoever.

On questioning the late race car driver’s model-turned-actress wife Cherry Chiefield he could feel the personal magnetism that was portrayed exceptionally well on the screen; the charm in her manner was unmistakable. Somehow he couldn’t suspect those innocent eyes. She did mention he had been nervous and high strung lately but she had just attributed it to the fact that there was a championship to win and this could have been his last as he was planning to retire from racing the next year. “But he was only 28 years old”, said Marc “Yes, I assume he was not getting along with the new crew lead for his team and was interested in another line of business” replied Cherry, as a mater of fact.

Marc now had three motives his wife Cherry, his crew lead, his rival team and a second murder but didn’t possess a shred of evidence. The next race was to be held in Montreal, Canada which Marc didn’t want to miss it as it was being held in his home country and he was a huge F1 fan. The commentator was yelling at the top his voice during the second pit stop of one of the drivers saying “changing one’s gloves has become quite a fashion statement nowadays though I have no idea why they do that…May be some sentimental value as I have seen the late Ray Cheifield do that often”…As if a brainwave had hit him Marc went to the police and inquired about Ray’s belongings…Whatever he had worn on that terrible D-day. He examined one of the gloves and found a minute thorn which on further examination proved to be an extremely poisonous species. The inspector, astounded as he was, asked Marc “how on earth could you find that”. Marc answered quite unwaveringly “because I was looking for it!”

By mere chance he found Cherry walking along the pathway beside the Church where the body from the second murder had been found. Marc went up to her and asked, “did any of the pit crew personnel try to get further information from you regarding Ray?”, Cherry was quite fascinated by his question and replied “Why yes a man suddenly stole up behind me and asked me regarding Ray’s driving costume, it gave me such a shock!!! But I told him it must be with the police”. Marc had found out what he had started out for….he left towards the famous automobile company that literally dominated the racing track and requested an appointment with their crew lead.

“You had to win because your company is quite on the rocks and knew you couldn’t as long as Ray existed. You tried creating minor friction between Ray and his team hoping that he would join yours but when that did not work you planned a murder like no other. You kept the thorn in his gloves and made sure the car burst into flames by tampering with the fuel cap…and for all this you bribed one of the team members and murdered him later on when your purpose was achieved!!!” said Marc. “Yes I did!!! But I dare you to find any evidence incriminating me”.

“You know it’s a great invention these tape recorders!” said Marc and gave a huge smile as the inspector came in and handcuffed Mr.Gary Stevens. There was just one question Marc wanted to ask him “Why the final pit stop?” Gary said “Well I wouldn’t have killed him if he had not been so close to victory!!!”

Disclaimer: The story and the characters used in this blog are completely fictitious

P.S: This blog is dedicated to my all time favorite F1 champion Michael Schumacher!!