by Jade Winters
She opened the next file.
Warren Stiles. 30 year old white male. Six foot three. Shaven head. Unknown to the victim. A member of the public had called in to report him because he looked creepy. She entered his name into the database. He’d been picked up for voyeurism but was never charged. He was reportedly caught looking through a woman’s window. Sounds promising. He was currently employed at The Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Ashley was about to carry on reading when the door burst open and Dale barrelled in, his face flushed. “Ash, I just heard on the radio that there was a break-in a few miles away,” he said with an increasing air of urgency in his voice. “The suspect was described as being a white male, over six foot wearing a hoodie, brandishing a knife. Left the premises by car.” He was gasping for breath, and made sweeping movements towards the door with his hands, as if he could sweep Ashley out the door and into his car. “Hurry. Let’s go!”
Ashley dropped the file she was holding and pushed herself to her feet. “You’re kidding! Did anyone get the car reg?”
“Nope. They just said that it’s a red Alfa Romeo. Uniforms are on the lookout for it.” He was virtually hopping from one foot to the other in impatience. “Ashley!” he said exasperatedly, “what are you waiting for? Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“Oh so you believe me now do you?” Ashley asked Dale as they raced down the stairs and out of the station to where his still running car stood.
“I never said I didn’t believe you. I said we needed evidence. The sightings of this guy are too much of a coincidence now. Even for me.”
They jumped into the car and Dale pulled out into the traffic with only a perfunctory glance in the mirror. Ashley braced herself in her seat as Dale slammed his foot on the accelerator and weaved in and out of slower moving vehicles as they headed towards the address of the crime. Ashley kept a look out for red Alfa-Romeos, on the off chance that the intruder was still driving around. Unlikely as it was, you never knew what went through these suspects’ minds.
Ashley didn’t know what new information this case would bring to her but she realised that the killer was getting careless. As was so often the case. A murderer who wasn’t caught straight away often got cocky, thinking he was smarter than the police. It almost always led to them doing something stupid, which was too bad for them and very good for her. She was getting closer to finding her mystery killer, and she felt for sure it was going to be sooner rather than later. Ashley’s heart beat faster at the thought. Soon he would be in custody. Soon. She just knew it.
Chapter Forty- Seven
When they arrived at the scene of the crime, a patrol car was already there, its blue lights painting the row of houses in colour. Ashley got out of the car before Dale had even brought it to a complete stop and ran towards an officer she recognised from her station.
“Luke, was anyone hurt? What happened?” she asked as she fell into step beside him as he made his way towards the house.
Luke slowed down and shook his head. “No. A woman and her boyfriend came home to surprise an intruder who was hiding in her wardrobe. He kicked the boyfriend and ran. The couple are just shaken up. No actual injuries, but we’ve called forensics in anyway. He may have left some evidence.” He glanced at Ashley and Dale, who had joined the two of them. “What brings you two here anyway? It’s only a break-in.”
Ashley ignored his statement. She knew it was only a break-in because something had prevented it from being a murder. If he didn’t know that, she wasn’t going to tell him. “Where are the victims?” she asked.
The officer nodded towards the house. He consulted his little notebook. “Nick Matterson and Victoria Knight. If you want to speak to them, I’d do it pretty sharpish. They’re both hitting the bottle to calm their nerves. Both are quite shaken up.”
Ashley walked up the concrete steps that led into a wide passageway, one wall filled with padlocked bikes. The door to the flat was open and she could hear the chatter from an officer’s radio coming from inside the flat. She knocked several times to let her presence be known then entered the small apartment. She followed the sound of a woman in the room near the entrance. Showing her ID, she walked into the room and towards the couple sitting on the edge of the sofa together. Both had shaking hands that were cradling tumblers of dark liquid. It carried a strong scent of brandy into which they both were staring silently. Neither of them bothered looking at her. Ashley cleared her throat to get their attention. The slight woman looked up at her and then cradled her face in the palm of her free hand.
“Why me, why did he want to hurt me? What have I ever done?” Her tear stained face and brimming eyes pleaded with Ashley to give her the answers she couldn’t find.
Ashley felt for her, and when she spoke, it was in a gentle voice. “That’s what we’re going to find out, Ms Knight. I know how difficult this must be for you but if we’re going to catch this man I need as many details as you can give me.”
Victoria Knight placed her glass on the table in front of her, then covered her face with her hands; the tears dripping through her fingers. After a minute, she took a tissue and blew her nose, but as she tried to speak, another sob escaped her lips. Eventually she managed to say, “Okay, okay. I’ll try.”
“Thank you.” Ashley knelt down beside her. “What can you tell me about the suspect?”
Nick stood up, putting his hands on his hips, and answered for her. “I can tell you this much. He looked like he goes to the gym, a lot! Jesus, I thought I worked out and had my share of muscles. That guy was built!”
Ashley looked at him. “You must be Nick, right?”
“Yes, I’m Nick. Vicky, tell them what else you remember?” He rested a gently hand on the shaking woman’s shoulder.
Victoria’s voice quivered. “I couldn’t see his face properly because he was wearing a hoodie, pulled far down, you know? It was mostly in shadow.”
“Were there any recognisable markings on the hoodie – writing, pictures, a print, and colours?”
Victoria shook her head. “No, it was just a dark hoodie... but I think... he was... he was black.”
Nick gave her a stare of annoyance. “No, he wasn’t, Vicky. He wasn’t black. He was white.”
She twisted around and shot him a murderous look. “Yes he was. I saw the hand that held the knife. And it was black!” She burst into tears again and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
“Don’t listen to her. He wasn’t black, he had black gloves on. Vicky thinks every criminal is black.” There was a mocking note in his voice. “Sorry officer, no offence intended,” he said as he glanced at Luke who had followed Ashley into the room.
“None taken,” Luke said dismissively.
“No, I don’t,” Victoria whined, sniffing. She looked as if she was going to start crying again. “I don’t!” she said, glancing at Luke.
Nick rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”
Ashley ignored the domestic squabble. “Is there anything else you can remember? Please think – it is very important. Did he speak at all?”
Victoria pushed back her golden tresses with both hands. Her oval face was pale and lifeless. “No. It was over in a matter of minutes. It all happened so fast.”
Nick nodded in agreement. Victoria picked her glass up from the table with trembling hands. “I shouldn’t even be drinking – I’m three months pregnant.”
Ashley gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sure the one you’ve had won’t harm you. Is there anywhere you can both stay for the night? I don’t think it is a good idea for either of you to stay here tonight.”
Victoria’s eyes suddenly became tearful. “Yes, my dad’s coming to fetch us. He warned us about moving into this neighbourhood. We should have listened to him.”
There was hostility in Nick’s eyes when he spoke. “Yeah and he’ll most probably have a go at me about not protecting you.”
Ashley glanced at them both. “If it’s any consolation, you being here most probably averted a mor
e serious situation developing.”
Nick downed his drink in one go and narrowed his eyes. “Yeah well, tell her that. She thinks I’m a wimp for not being able to stop him and keep him here until you guys showed up.”
Dale spoke up. “Miss, your boyfriend did the right thing, really. It’s always better to let a violent person get away. Look, officers will be here most of the evening. If you do decide to stay here, make sure your windows and doors are securely locked.”
“Anything else you want to add before we go?” he asked the couple. “Anything stand out about the car, perhaps?”
Victoria started to shake her head, then suddenly stopped. She looked up, her eyes wide. “Yes, actually there was. When he started his car it sounded like one of those boy racer thingys. You know, that really loud noise that sounds as if the car’s going to explode.”
“She’s talking about a modified exhaust,” Nick interjected, impatiently.
Victoria cut him a dirty look. “Well it’s bloody deafening. Sad gits only have them ‘modified’ so they can draw attention to themselves. Really loud it was.”
They started bickering between themselves about the intruder’s ethnicity and Ashley thought it was the best time for her to leave. She had no patience for that type of thing.
Dale chuckled as they walked back to his car. “I hope they have a clear understanding of how they both want to bring their kid up, otherwise it’s going to be mayhem.”
“Yeah,” Ashley said half-heartedly. Her mind was less on their parenting skills and more on the suspect’s car. Why would he risk drawing attention to himself by driving a car like that? Red in colour in the first place, and with a modified exhaust to add to it.
She glanced back at the flat. They don’t know how lucky they are. Instead of bickering, those two should be damn grateful that they are still alive. She shook her head as she climbed back into Dale’s car and waited for him to get into the driver’s seat.
Chapter Forty-Eight
“Are we going back to the station, then?” Dale asked interrupting her thoughts.
She closed the car door and stared at Dale for a moment. His question slowly sinking in amidst her other thoughts. “Work? Oh, yeah.” She still had to go over the second victims files and check out the crime scene photos. She also wanted to take a closer look into Warren Stiles.
As she settled into her seat her phone rang. The caller came up as unknown. She pressed accept anyway.
“Ashley, it’s Alexis. Can you come over to my place urgently, please?” She sounded unnerved.
“Is everything okay? Has something happened?” She didn’t like the tone of the reporter’s voice, it sounded panicky.
“I’d rather talk to you in person. Can you come? Now? Please?”
“Okay. What’s your address?” Ashley committed the address to memory before disconnecting the call.
“Who was that?” Dale asked.
She glanced over at him. “Are you sure you want to know?” She didn’t want to get Dale involved more than she had to. If it was ever found out that she had been speaking with a reporter about police matters, her name would be mud. She was willing to sacrifice herself for the cause but that didn’t mean she had to drag Dale down with her.
Dale nodded and started the car. “Unless you want to keep more secrets from me,” he said, pulling a stern face at her.
“Don’t be silly. It was Alexis Cross. She wants me to go over to her place.”
Dale gave her a brief glance, his eyes looking hard as he stared straight ahead. “Tasha hasn’t even been gone that long, and you’re already going to see another woman.” He shook his head and said no more.
Dale jerked the car out into the traffic and headed down the road, sounding his horn as a pedestrian took a step out onto the road.
“I hope you’re joking, Dale. I’m not visiting another woman in the way that you’re implying. It’s work related. Something’s wrong. She sounds spooked.”
“Yeah right. Look, it has nothing to do with me, just don’t try and make it what it isn’t, okay.”
Dale navigated the car towards the A414.
“Where you going, Dale?” she asked with slight doubt in her voice.
She heard his grip tighten on the leather steering wheel. “You said you’re going to the reporter’s place, didn’t you.”
Ashley looked at his strong side profile and noticed the tension in his jaw from the light of an oncoming car. “Yes but I didn’t tell you where she lived.”
He remained silent for a few moments. “I overheard her on the phone. I’m not hard of hearing, and she spoke loudly,” he said in a peculiar tone that somehow didn’t ring quite true to Ashley’s ears, but she let it go.
“Dale, what’s wrong with you. You’re being really hostile.”
“Am I? Sorry, it wasn’t intentional.” He seemed a little taken aback and made an effort to rearrange his features into a neutral look. If she hadn’t been so perplexed by his behaviour, Ashley would have found it comical.
“Look, I know you don’t like the idea of me talking to a reporter, but if people aren’t held accountable for their wrong doings what does that say about the world? That there’s one rule for the people at the top and the ones at the bottom can just get spat on from a great height?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But that’s what you seem to be implying.”
“Think what you want to, Ash. But I think you’re getting in too deep. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.” Dale’s jaw had tightened up again.
“And you do?” she asked, getting impatient with this stupid pettiness of his. She was a big girl who made her own decisions, and he could lump it if he didn’t like it. Really, this mothering her was not going to happen.
“You’d be very surprised by what I know,” he said cryptically as he took a sharp left. “Very surprised,” he said briefly glancing at her before turning back to stare out of the windscreen.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Ashley took a deep, calming breath. She was in no mood for guessing games. She felt her temper rising, white hot inside her. She hated it when people spoke cryptically and she was meant to guess what they were saying. Dale, more than anyone, should have known that. “What’s that supposed to mean, Dale?”
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” His face was a blank mask.
Ashley squinted and looked intently at the man sitting across from her. “No. I want to know what you meant.” She pressed on, determined to get an answer. She hated things to lie between her and Dale, heavy and unspoken. She needed to sort this out, here and now.
He took a packet of gum from his pocket, opened it and popped a piece into his mouth. He offered her the packet to which she refused with a small shake of the head.
Dale chewed thoughtfully for a few seconds. As if sensing she wasn’t going to let his comment pass, he sighed and said, “Sometimes, Ash, it’s best not knowing certain things.”
She raised her chin in a gesture of defiance. “I think I’m old enough to make up my own mind about that.”
Dale remained silent, staring straight ahead. Ashley had never seen him in such a mood. It was like she was sitting next to a complete stranger. His body was rigid and his head slightly pressed forward. The Dale she knew always sat in his driver’s seat in a relaxed posture, as if he was sitting on the sofa at home. The silence grew heavy.
Dale turned the car in to a cul-de-sac. On one side of the street stood a row of newly built apartments. Opposite this was a large, green playing field. She said nothing as Dale slowed the car. Finally he stopped outside a building called The Summit. It was a four storey block of apartments with glass balconies. The area was an upcoming part of Harlow and was being taken over by people wanting to work in London, but not wanting to live in a congested and overcrowded city. Just a mile away was the train station which had direct links to Liverpool Street Station in the heart of London. It was a perfect place for city workers to feel as if they had a
more suburban life away from work.
Dale switched the engine off and rested his head back against his seat, but he made no move to open his door or get out of the car. He spoke without looking at Ashley, staring straight through the windscreen at the cars parked neatly in the quiet street. “I’ll wait here.”
Ashley frowned and said, “This conversation isn’t over, Dale. I want to know what’s got in to you.”
She climbed out of the car, closing the door harder than was necessary to remind Dale that she was not happy about his sudden odd behaviour. Ashley marched up to the entrance of the small block of flats and peered at a silver plate on the wall. With numbers ranging from one to sixteen, she jabbed number four. No bell sounded, but she assumed it would be ringing in an apartment above. She took a step back and waited.
Ashley glanced behind her and saw Dale run his hands over his head. Maybe telling him about Alexis wasn’t such a good idea after all. He was obviously stressed about it. But she hated keeping secrets from him. She preferred everything out in the open. The truth always came out anyway, so you may as well deal with it up front. Well, that was her philosophy and it had worked for her so far.
There was a click, followed by a buzz. Ashley pushed back the front door and it bounced gently against the wall. She took the stairs to the first floor and quickened her pace towards the open door at the end of the landing.
Ashley tapped lightly on the door. When she got no answer she stepped inside. “Alexis?” She moved along the narrow hallway. “Alexis?” she called again, louder this time.
She heard a sound from one of the rooms and instinctively followed the noise. Sticking her head in, her eyes scanned the room. It was Alexis’ office. A square room, furnished in classic pieces, filled with shelves of hardback books that lined two of the walls. A large wooden desk and a leather high back chair were positioned in front of a large window overlooking the green. Not seeing Alexis she stepped back into the hallway.