Chapter 28

Choices

During an afternoon searching the internet, he checked the procedures and legality issues for both unenrolled and enrolled deed polls and learned the enrolled version was accepted everywhere but was more expensive, complicated and public whilst unenrolled was accepted everywhere, cheaper, much simpler and only the name changer had the document. That explained his suspect’s choice.

From there, new identification became available; passport, driving licence and fresh bank accounts could be opened. Of course, the official authorities would have a record of the previous name used; the National Insurance number and tax reference remained the same as before.

But to trace someone using this information you had to know the numbers and if you didn’t, because the source material had been destroyed, then you needed to know at least a date of birth to make narrowing down the results realistic. He’d had 25 possible Reg Barkers with birth dates two or three years either side of an estimated age. Until he’d spoken to the woman in Essex, he’d never been sure whether Reginald was the bona fide first name or just the preferred personal name of possibly several, nor did he know his exact date of birth.

In any event, to get anyone to at least consider looking, he’d have needed to invoke policing exemptions to the Data Protection Act and have a genuine open ongoing case with which to do it. He didn’t even have that. In reality, what he had was a personal project.

Whilst he considered his options, he did a free search on the Government General Records Office site to see if his new name target had ever been born. On a strict match of the details in the name change document, he hadn’t.

In the UK there were a few things you could never legally change: date of birth (unless you could prove it was wrongly recorded in the first place), your National Insurance number and your unique tax reference. Now, if he could find a way of obtaining the last two, without attracting attention, he’d be able to evidentially confirm the two identities as one. However, with no contacts in the personal records or pay unit to either surreptitiously access what he needed or allow him to wander in and look at someone else’s file, the thought was going nowhere. He was reluctant to involve his friends and colleagues and he didn’t know how to progress things.

The more he thought about it, the more he realised he’d either have to break cover to some degree or simply confront his suspect.

In dealing with outside official agencies, he knew they’d want at the very least a signed fax, something traceable which would confirm the authority of his request. Such a thing, originating from the Property Office and sent by a supposed detective chief inspector investigating a cold case would immediately raise questions in respect of authenticity. He considered returning to Sutton Box, it would appear more usual a place for a murder enquiry to be conducted from, but it would also require collusion from some of the people working there because there’d inevitably be a confirmatory phone call and he couldn’t absent himself long enough to be there when it came. It quickly occurred to him, the option was far too complicated and hazardous for others to be involved.

Had Gandalph still been around, the problem would have been solved with a bold and targeted hack of the Taxman’s computer system.

He looked at the clock. In an hour, Lizzie would be home. He put on his jacket and walked to the pub. It would be easier to explain the alcohol on his breath by saying he’d had a few there than tell her the truth – he’d taken the afternoon off and sat drinking at home. Being astute as she was, she’d ask too many questions he didn’t want to answer.