Death Track

by Sally Rigby

  ‘So they can take credit for solving it?’

  ‘What’s more important, preventing another murder or having someone pat you on the back for doing a good job? You’ve really got to pull your head in, otherwise it’s going to end badly,’ George said.

  ‘Why are you always so rational?’

  ‘You know me. It’s the way I am. Come on, let’s go back and work with them. We can still show we’re better than they are.’

  ‘You’re right. From now on I’ll be nice to them. Well, maybe not nice, but I will include them, and we’ll get this job done.’

  They returned to the incident room and went over to the two desks on the far side, where Gardner and Rowe were sitting. Whitney glanced around to make sure there was no one close enough to hear what she had to say. She wasn’t ready for that yet.

  ‘We need a truce,’ she said. ‘We’re not going to solve this unless we work together.’

  ‘Agreed,’ Gardner said.

  ‘Which means not withholding any information, on both of our parts.’

  ‘Deal,’ Gardner added.

  ‘Good. We need to identify potential trains.’

  ‘Both of our murders were on trains going north to south,’ George said. ‘In the previous murders was there any pattern regarding which direction the trains came from?’

  ‘Vic?’ Gardner looked at his sergeant.

  ‘I’m not sure. I’ll check it out.’

  ‘Good, that’s a start,’ Whitney said.

  She and George left them to it and went to the board, where she put up a map of all the different train routes coming into Lenchester or passing through.

  ‘We’ve got eight days’ worth of trains to consider. How on earth are we going to work it out?’ she asked George.

  ‘We can eliminate some of the days. None of the murders have taken place on consecutive days. There were at least four days between them. Also, the last murder has always been two weeks after the first. Our first murder was on the ninth, which means the last will be on the twenty-third. Therefore, we can exclude the twenty-second, twenty-first, and twentieth. The second murder was on the thirteenth, so we can exclude the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth. Now we’re left with the seventeenth to the nineteenth, a possible three days when the third murder could occur. A bit more manageable,’ George said.

  ‘Attention everyone,’ Whitney said. ‘We can narrow our search down to trains on three days. I want you to look at timetables in and out of Lenchester from the seventeenth to the nineteenth. We know the kills are at a time when the trains are fairly quiet, and typically on those without CCTV. This means we can discount the fast commuter trains from London, Leeds, and other big cities. We’ll split it up by days. Matt and Vic, you can take the seventeenth, Frank and Sue, the eighteenth, Ellie the nineteenth, and Doug, you pick up the slack from our other lines of enquiry. Any questions?’

  ‘Can I work on it tomorrow?’ Frank asked. ‘It’s the wife’s birthday and we’re going out for a meal.’

  There was always something going on in the detective’s life. How did he manage it?

  ‘Okay, Frank. Just make sure you’re in first thing, with no hangover. Where are we with passengers coming forward after the first murder?’

  ‘Everyone who bought a ticket using a credit card has been accounted for,’ Doug said. ‘Five tickets were paid for using cash, but we’ve only tracked down one. A woman who’d seen it on the news and came forward.’

  ‘There’ll be a press conference shortly for the second murder, so that might prompt people to come forward for both murders. Ellie, contact the railway stations for credit card details of passengers on today’s train and pass the information to Doug. Somebody must have seen something. Terry, did you find any leads from passengers on the previous murders?’ she asked the DI.

  ‘No, that was one of the problems. We took statements from many passengers and didn’t find similarities between them. It was like the murderer was invisible.’

  ‘Did you compare witness testimonies between targeted areas and not just between murders in the same area?’ George asked.

  ‘Not as far as I’m aware,’ Gardner said.

  Their incompetence surrounding basic police work was astounding. Their remit was to take an overall view of the bigger picture. Comparing targeted areas should have been done, at the very least.

  ‘What are you getting at, George?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘Suppose the murderer disguised himself. He could have had four different disguises that he’d use on the trains, to stop himself from being recognised. He could well use the same disguises in different areas. It would certainly be a useful exercise to compare witness testimonies between areas, to see if we can find a pattern.’

  ‘Do we have all the witness testimonies in the files?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Gardner said.

  ‘You check, and if they’re not there, arrange to get them, and then you and Vic can work on comparing them.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘Let’s meet again in the morning. Someone needs to stay late to answer the phone, as there will be calls following the press conference. The rest of you, I want fresh tomorrow. We’re going to work out where the next murder will take place and nail this son of a bitch before he knows what’s hit him.’

  Chapter Eighteen

  Monday, 17 June

  George shivered. Despite it being June, it was still cold first thing in the morning. They’d spent the last few days looking through train timetables and trains, and had come up with a list of possibilities for where the next murder could take place. Officers had been deployed on all the trains, and George, Whitney, and Terry were positioned at Lenchester station in order to go through every train that came through before allowing the passengers to leave. Whitney, who’d managed to curtail her annoyance at the Regional Force officers, had also arranged for the British Transport Police to patrol the platforms on each of the routes. That meant the team could be utilised more effectively on the actual trains.

  George walked into the station building where Whitney and Terry were standing. The first train they were going to inspect was due in fifteen minutes.

  ‘Right, let’s get ourselves in position,’ Whitney said once George had reached them. ‘Just to recap, we’ve identified five possible trains. Two are arriving shortly, one later in the morning, and another two this afternoon.’

  ‘Do they know not to let the passengers off?’ George asked.

  ‘Yes. The drivers have been instructed to keep the doors locked until we give permission for them to be opened.’

  ‘That makes our lives easier,’ George said.

  ‘As long as they do as they’ve been told,’ Terry said.

  ‘They should do,’ Whitney said. ‘The first train is coming from Birmingham and stops at platform three, so we’ll need to go over the bridge. Doug and a uniformed officer have been on there for the entire journey.’

  They walked over and waited for the train. Once it arrived, they boarded through the cab, where the driver was seated, and walked into the train from there. Doug was at the entrance of the first carriage, waiting for them.

  ‘Everything’s all clear, guv,’ he said. ‘We continually patrolled the carriages, making a note of all the passengers. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.’

  ‘Good. We’ll walk through and make sure everyone’s still alive, and then we’ll let them off.’

  They went from carriage to carriage and, as Doug had said, all the passengers seemed alert. Several of them were waiting for the doors to open.

  ‘Why can’t we get out?’ one of the female passengers asked.

  Whitney held out her warrant card. ‘Once we’ve checked the train, you’ll be free to go.’

  ‘Has there been another murder?’

  ‘We’re just undertaking a routine inspection,’ Whitney said.

  ‘I’m going to be late for work,’ the woman said.

  ‘Well, the sooner you let me continue, the sooner you’ll
be able to get off the train.’

  Once they’d reached and checked the last carriage, Whitney used her radio to contact the officer she’d left with the driver. ‘Okay, open the doors,’ she said.

  The doors opened and the passengers, of which there were only around twenty, got off.

  ‘We’ll stay here, as the next train on our list is due in ten minutes, coming from Leeds and terminating at this station. It then becomes the fast train to London,’ Whitney said as they all stepped onto the platform.

  ‘I’m wondering whether we should have had plainclothes officers, and not uniform, on the trains,’ Terry said.

  ‘Is that what you did, on potential targets?’ she asked.

  ‘We did put plainclothes officers on some trains, but it was harder for us because initially we didn’t have sufficient information to work out exactly which ones to focus on. Once we were on the third set of murders, we looked at identifying particular trains, but didn’t manage to isolate particular days like you did.’

  George glanced at Whitney, noticing the hint of a smile as her lips turned up slightly at the edges.

  ‘The public will feel less nervous about using the trains if they see a police presence on there,’ Whitney said.

  ‘But if the killer sees them it might put him off from acting,’ Terry said.

  ‘Are you saying we want him to kill someone so we can catch him in the act?’ Whitney asked.

  ‘Of course not. I don’t want another person dead, but how else are we going to identify him?’

  ‘The killer’s cocky. Confident. Thinks he’s untouchable,’ George said. ‘He’s got away with murdering so far, and he won’t stop until he’s forced to do so. I have no doubt that he’ll attempt a murder, even with the police presence.’

  ‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Whitney said. ‘The killer has already got away with fourteen murders and avoided being caught. We have nothing to lose by policing the trains we’ve identified. Here comes the next one.’ She pointed at the train coming into the station.

  The carriages came to a standstill. Once again, the doors remained shut and they were let on board by the driver. They were met by Whitney’s officers, who had nothing to report. Everyone was alive and well, and after surveying the whole train, the doors were opened and the passengers allowed off.

  ‘The next one isn’t for a couple of hours, on platform one,’ George said. ‘Coming from the south. It’s the Milton Keynes train. What do you want to do in the interim?’

  ‘I need to go back to the station. My boss wants an update on what we’re doing, and I’ve got some other paperwork to get on with. I’ll meet you back here later,’ Terry said as he turned and walked away.

  ‘What shall we do?’ George asked.

  ‘First, let’s grab some coffee,’ Whitney said, rubbing her hands.

  They walked back over the bridge, into the café, and ordered their drinks.

  George took a sip and screwed up her nose. ‘This is awful.’

  ‘We can’t always have your good quality shit. At least it’s a caffeine hit,’ Whitney said.

  They sat at one of the tables. ‘How are you feeling now the truce with Terry and Vic has been in force for three days?’ George asked.

  ‘I’m dealing with it. At least they’re being helpful, although I’m not impressed with their investigative skills. I think we’ve got way better-quality officers here. Don’t you agree?’

  ‘I think their problem is they’ve gone stale. They’ve had twelve murders and been unable to solve them. My guess is they’ve mentally put it in the too hard basket and are paying lip-service to the investigation. We’ve come in with fresh eyes and have the benefit of the previous murders to assist us in looking for patterns. Even though at first glance it appears there aren’t any, that’s a pattern in itself. If you understand what I mean.’

  ‘Not really. I think you’re doing your usual George stuff. But haven’t we already worked out a pattern in the timeframes and come to the conclusion the murderer must disguise himself? Plus, the murderer always uses a knife and chloroform.’

  ‘I was meaning in terms of trains, and the victims. But yes, you’re right, there are patterns, and we can use them to solve the case. And we’re fairly confident we can pick the trains on which these murders are going to take place,’ she said.

  ‘But, as Terry said, if the murderer sees police walking up and down the train it might stop him from acting,’ Whitney said.

  ‘I think he’ll still try, but even if he doesn’t, we’ve got to be prepared for it to happen.’

  ‘True,’ Whitney agreed.

  After a few minutes, George looked at her watch. ‘Do you mind if I pop into the centre for an hour? My favourite shop’s having a sale, and I want to buy something to wear for my brother’s wedding.’

  ‘Would you like me to come and help you choose?’

  Did she? She’d never been shopping with another woman before. ‘Your decision. But won’t you get in trouble for going shopping during an operation?’

  ‘We’ll call it our lunch break. Plus, it’s not like we’re going to bump into Jamieson in a women’s dress shop.’

  ‘Okay, let’s go.’

  They drove into the city centre and stopped outside the small shop.

  ‘I’ve never been here before,’ Whitney said. ‘It looks expensive.’

  ‘That’s why I like to buy in the sale.’ It wasn’t strictly true. She had enough money to shop there whenever she wanted, but she didn’t want to show off in front of Whitney.

  ‘Where’s the wedding being held?’

  ‘Westminster Abbey, and the reception is at the Imperial War Museum.’

  ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I thought only the royals got married there.’

  ‘The bride’s father is a senior civil servant and has been awarded the Order of the Bath, which means the family is entitled to use the Abbey.’

  ‘Wow. No wonder you wanted something really fancy and came here.’

  They looked through the rails, and George pulled out a calf length navy dress, which was fitted at the waist and had a skirt that was draped to create an asymmetric line. ‘What do you think?’

  ‘It’s beautiful, but don’t you want something with a bit more colour, as it’s a wedding?’ Whitney pulled out a floral print with flared sleeves and skirt. ‘This would look amazing.’

  ‘I don’t wear fussy, pretty things.’

  ‘There’s always a first time for everything. Try it on.’

  George took both dresses into the changing room. She tried the navy one first. It was elegant and felt right.

  ‘How are you getting on?’ Whitney called from outside.

  ‘Fine. I’m wearing the navy dress.’

  ‘Come out and show me.’

  George opened the door and walked out. ‘Do you like it?’

  ‘Give us a twirl.’

  George slowly turned around. ‘I think this is the one.’

  ‘It’s lovely, but I still want you to try the other one.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘You can’t choose something to wear for such a fancy occasion after only trying on one dress. That’s crazy. You have to try on lots.’

  ‘No, I don’t. I dislike shopping, and if I find something straight away then I buy it. I fail to see the point in going from shop to shop once something suitable has been found. It’s a complete waste of time.’

  ‘I’m only asking you to try one more. Anyway, how much is it? Let me have a look at the label.’ George reached in and pulled out the label from inside the dress. Whitney took it from her. ‘Bloody hell. Have you seen the price?’

  ‘Yes, but it will never date, and I want something nice for the wedding.’

  ‘How much is the other one?’ Whitney walked into the dressing room and took a look. ‘I think I’m going to faint. I can’t believe people pay this much for clothes.’

  George felt a little embarrassed. It was what her family expected her to wear. ‘I know they�
�re expensive, but I have no choice.’

  ‘Are you going to put on the other one?’

  ‘Okay, if it gets you off my back.’ She let out a frustrated sigh before heading back to the fitting room.

  After trying the dress on, she stared at herself in the mirror. Soft floaty fabric with bold flowers. She’d never worn anything like it before and didn’t know what to think. She opened the door and walked out.

  Whitney’s eyes widened. ‘I don’t care what you say, you have to buy it. You look absolutely stunning.’

  The assistant came over. ‘Beautiful,’ she said.

  ‘She doesn’t think so,’ Whitney said, shaking her head.

  ‘I’m hardly beautiful.’ She knew exactly what she was like. Her height, and the way she carried herself, made people wary. She had an interesting face but would never call herself beautiful, no matter what she wore, especially when compared with the bride, who was petite and exceptionally pretty.

  ‘Are you going to buy it? I’m sure Ross will agree how fabulous it is,’ Whitney said.

  ‘He’s not going to see it.’

  ‘Aren’t you taking him to the wedding?’ Whitney frowned.

  ‘I haven’t asked him.’

  ‘Do you want to take him?’

  Did she? She wasn’t sure. It would certainly cause a stir amongst the family, but was she prepared for that? Not to mention it wouldn’t be fair to him, as her family could be intimidating at the best of times. Then again, he hadn’t let her father get the better of him when they were at the restaurant.

  ‘I’ll think about it. He might not want to come.’

  ‘Who wouldn’t want to go to a wedding at Westminster Abbey?’

  ‘It’s not going to be as incredible as you think,’ she said.

  ‘Back to the dress. Yes?’

  ‘I know you love this one, but I don’t have any shoes to go with it.’ She stared at herself in the mirror and had to admit that now she’d got used to seeing herself in it, she liked it.

  ‘We have a fabulous pair of leather sandals which would be absolutely perfect,’ the shop assistant said. ‘What size are you?’