Crying Shame (Justice Again Book 5)

by M A Comley

  Patti spun around and slapped a hand to her chest. “Scare the crap out of me, why don’t you? I’ll get you back for that, Foster.”

  Katy grinned. “Sorry, it wasn’t intentional.”

  “Bollocks. I know you get the devil in you at times. Here, why you can’t supply your own, I’ll never know. Most officers I work with arrive at a scene already suited and booted without holding out the begging bowl for a suit or two.”

  Katy glanced at Charlie and rolled her eyes. “That’s me bloody told. Sorry, I meant to have picked up a few suits at the beginning of the week. Slipped my mind until I got here and realised the boot was empty. I feel suitably chastised; thanks for the telling off, Patti.”

  “You’re welcome, and I didn’t mean to have a go at you. I appreciate how busy you are chasing the criminals. Some things are bound to slip your mind now and again.”

  “Thanks for understanding.” Katy peered over her shoulder at the activity to the right of them. “I take it that’s where the body was found?”

  Patti dipped into a box in the back of the van and extracted two suits which she flung at Katy and Charlie. “It is. I’ll show you.” She pointed off to the left at a couple in their early twenties, who were standing alongside a uniformed officer. “They’re your two witnesses.”

  Katy nodded. “We’ll get to them in a few minutes.”

  “They seem a tad anxious to get out of here. I told them you’d have a word with them as soon as you arrived.”

  “Do you want me to take care of them?” Charlie offered.

  Katy smiled. “You read my mind. Another spooky moment which has dropped on us this evening.”

  Patti frowned and shook her head. “Why do you insist on talking in riddles?”

  “I wasn’t aware that I was. I’ll fill you in later. Can you walk the scene with me?”

  “Will do. Carry my bag while I grab some more equipment, if you would?” Patti replied.

  Charlie left them and strode over to the two witnesses. Katy watched as the youngsters spoke animatedly and gestured with their arms at her partner.

  Patti followed her gaze. “Bless them, they were in the process of making out in the bushes when they stumbled over the body, literally. I’ve had to ask them both for DNA samples, you know, to exclude them from any likely DNA we find on the body. Poor buggers are in shock.”

  “That’ll teach them to go rummaging through the undergrowth in search of illegal places to have their wicked way with each other.”

  Patti shook her head again. “Harsh, Katy, very harsh. You were young once, don’t tell me you and AJ never had ‘illegal sex’ as you call it?”

  Katy’s mouth gaped open. She shut it again after a few seconds. “How very dare you! No, not guilty on that score. I happen to think sex should take place in the home and nowhere else.”

  Patti sniggered. “You old prude. I bet you’ve never done it anywhere but the bedroom either.”

  Katy’s cheeks warmed up. “Cheeky mare. My lips are sealed, I have no intention of denying or agreeing with that statement.”

  Patti grinned, her shoulders jiggling up and down in her suit. “You don’t have to, it’s written all over your face. I love winding you up.”

  “I hadn’t noticed. Shall we get on? Time and daylight are both slipping away from us.”

  “They are. Okay, walk this way. Don’t forget my bag.”

  Katy grunted as she lifted the bag. “Feels like you’ve got a couple of dead bodies in here.”

  “Maybe I have.” Patti grinned and turned her back on her.

  Katy lugged the bag to the location, preferring not to contemplate further on what Patti had said. Whether she was jesting or not, the idea didn’t sit comfortably with her. She dropped the bag a few feet away from the victim. The corpse was under the canopy of dense trees and hidden from the path by thick shrubs, a large patch of nettles and brambles. “Glad it’s well covered, saved your guys putting up a tent.”

  “Yep, one less job to consider. Nasty, isn’t it?”

  Katy stared down at the victim. He was black, wearing a fluorescent orange T-shirt and white shorts. “A jogger?”

  “It would seem that way. Maybe someone took offence to him being a perfect specimen.”

  Katy’s neck cricked as she looked at Patti. “That was a joke, wasn’t it?”

  “It was. Although, stranger things have happened in the past, we’re both aware of that.”

  “I suppose so. Is that blood on his face?” Katy peered closer; it was now difficult to make out the extent of his wounds in the fading light.

  Patti addressed the situation by asking one of the techs to rig up a light for them. This was erected within seconds. Once the corpse was clearly visible, Katy gasped.

  “Not pretty, is it?” Patti said.

  “Jesus, he was beaten to a pulp, for what? Was he robbed?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine on that front, Katy.”

  “Sorry, I know. My mouth slotting into gear instead of my brain. Can you tell me if he was struck after he was killed or before?”

  “In my expert opinion, maybe a little of both. Obviously, the knife sticking out of his chest is the cause of death. No one could survive that kind of wound.”

  Katy shook her head in disgust. “Why murder a jogger? Any ID on him?”

  “No ID as yet. Maybe I’ll find something once I turn him over.”

  Swivelling on her heel, Katy surveyed the area. “Someone must have either forced him in here, off the path, or moved his body after he was dead, to conceal it. What’s your take on that, Patti?”

  Patti pointed at the trail of disturbed earth and leaves behind Katy. “He was definitely dragged, possibly after he was killed. One thing is clear, he stood no chance. In my opinion, this was a brutal attack, possibly intentional.”

  “As in someone was lying in wait for him to come along, he was specifically targeted?”

  Patti shrugged. “We’re going to need to see where the evidence leads us on that theory.”

  “Evidence, is there any?”

  “Not so far. I’ll need to see what I find under his fingernails, maybe he put up a struggle. Here, one thing I noticed when I arrived.” Patti moved position and pointed at the victim’s knees.

  “They’re muddy.” Katy glanced up at her. “Perhaps he received a blow to the head and landed on his knees.”

  “Possibly, or another scenario would be that he was forced to kneel by the perp or perps.”

  “Hmm… okay. Sorry to have to ask, but do you have a time of death for us to work with yet?”

  “I would say he died within the last twelve hours. I can’t whittle it down to more than that at present, not until I carry out certain tests back at the mortuary.”

  “That gives us a rough idea, a very rough one. I’m thinking this place is going to be swarming with journalists soon. Maybe I can use that to my advantage for a change, ask the general public if they saw anything strange going on in this part of the woods between what? Six this morning to six this evening?” Katy’s heart sank at the extensive time frame on offer.

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  “We’ve got the tough task ahead of us of trying to find out who he is and if he had any next of kin; maybe someone will list him as a missing person, either tonight or tomorrow.”

  “If he’s married or close to his family. What if he isn’t?”

  Katy heaved out a sigh. “Like I said, we have a tough task ahead of us, one that I can’t say I’m relishing one iota. Maybe he’s a regular jogger at the park? Once the appeal goes out, perhaps someone will come forward with a possible name, otherwise we’re up shit creek.”

  The crunching of nearby leaves alerted them both.

  “Stop right there!” Katy shouted.

  “Sorry, it’s only me. Is it safe to enter?” Charlie poked her head around a large bush.

  “You’re free to enter, Charlie.” Katy smiled. “How did you get on?”

  “I got the
gist of what the couple had to say. I’ve left them with the uniformed officer; he’s taking down their statements before sending them on their way. They’re quivering wrecks, poor sods.”

  “I can imagine. Did they see anyone in the vicinity either before or after they discovered the body?”

  “Not before, but after, a crowd gathered around them once the girl started screaming. Only natural, I suppose.”

  “I do hope not many people trampled over my crime scene,” Patti grumbled.

  “Maybe, sorry, I should have asked,” Charlie replied.

  Katy frowned. “Where are these other people?”

  “The couple told me the crowd quickly dispersed, not wanting to get involved.”

  “Well, that’s got to be a first. Every crime scene I’ve ever attended I’ve had to fight my way through a rubbernecking crowd. How odd!”

  The three of them fell silent and stared down at the victim. A wayward thought floated into Katy’s mind which she quickly disregarded. She’d rather not go there, not yet, not this early on in the investigation.

  She sighed. “I sense this case is going to drive us nuts.”

  Patti nodded. “I’m thinking the same. I’m going to crack on, if you have no further questions for me?”

  “I can’t think of any at the moment, thanks, Patti. We’ll hang around for a little while, maybe question a few stragglers in the park, see if they saw anything.”

  “Let me know what you find out.” Patti knelt alongside the victim, studied his face and shook her head. “Vicious,” she murmured.

  Katy and Charlie left the area, passed by the other techs and out onto the path. “It’s quite narrow here. Maybe he got into a tussle with someone because they wouldn’t get out of his way, you know how impatient joggers can be.”

  “Seriously?” Charlie scratched her head. “And that would warrant his life being taken?”

  “Yeah, probably me talking out of my backside as usual. Mind you, what else have we got to go on? Crap, they’ve started descending upon us in droves.” Katy motioned ahead of her with her chin and groaned.

  Charlie assessed the crowd of journalists forming at the edge of the cordon. “They have their uses. I’m not sure what they are off the top of my head but…”

  “I’d better have a word with them before the wrong thing gets reported. Maybe if they go to air soon it will encourage someone who is missing a relative to get in touch.”

  “It’s got to be worth a try. What do you want me to do?”

  “Have a wander, see if there are any dog walkers or the like having a stroll at the end of the path. Ask around, maybe someone heard an argument, the man scream out, anything along those lines.”

  “Leave it with me. Have fun with the journos.”

  “I take it you’re using the word ‘fun’ loosely there?”

  Charlie sniggered and made her way towards the end of the shrubby woodland section and onto the wide-open park ahead.

  Katy sucked in a few deep breaths in preparation and strolled over to the waiting crowd. A couple of journalists at the front shoved each other, trying their best to gain the upper hand at getting the first question out. “Steady as you go, gents. There’s no panic. I’ll be issuing a brief statement once you’re ready. I won’t be taking any questions at this stage because, quite frankly, we’ve got very little to go on. Let me know when you’re ready to go. Also, is there a TV crew here?” She craned her neck to see if she could spot a van in the parking area; she couldn’t see one, not yet.

  “Not sure if they’re here yet, but we are, Inspector,” Brian Ward from the Evening Standard said from his spot against the cordon tape.

  “Thanks, Brian, I’d prefer to leave it a few minutes. Do you have any contact details for the TV crews?”

  “Nah, they’ll get wind of what’s going on soon enough. They’re probably stuck in the evening rush hour, you know what the traffic is like in this area at this time of night.”

  Katy shrugged. “Actually, I don’t. I do my best to stay clear if at all possible.”

  “Go on then, give us a hint,” Brian urged.

  “About what?” Katy gave him a glimpse of her pearly whites.

  “You’re such a tease. I thought your ex-partner was bad enough. How is Lorne since she retired? See much of her, do you?”

  “No, not really. She’s doing well, so I hear.”

  “I heard on the grapevine that her daughter is your new partner. How’s that working out for both of you?”

  “Really well. Our arrest rate hasn’t dropped since the partnership began, so I would say the figures speak for themselves.”

  “Fantastic news for the general public, not so good for the criminals, eh?”

  “Correct.” Katy searched beyond the immediate crowd. The TV crew’s van pulled in. “Here they are now, one of them anyway. I’ll wait until they get set up and then start.”

  “I wish they’d hurry up, I could have downed two pints at the pub by now. Instead, the boss told me to hang around and get the story. I hope you’re not going to disappoint us, Inspector. No pressure of course.” Brian grinned, showing off his smoke-stained teeth.

  “I’ll do my best with the limited information I have at my disposal, Brian.”

  “Sorry, we’re all ready at the back now, unless there’s a teeny-weeny place at the front for us,” the cameraman shouted from the rear.

  “Nope, all the room is taken up front. You should have got here sooner instead of leaving us all hanging around, waiting for you guys to show up,” Brian shouted without turning around.

  “Up yours, Ward.”

  “You wish,” Ward responded, giving the cameraman the finger. “I hope you filmed that.”

  “Tosser.”

  Katy suppressed the giggle threatening to emerge. Savages, in more ways than one. They do entertain me, though. “Okay, are we all good to go now?”

  Most of the journalists raised their thumbs while a few at the back nodded.

  “Good. Okay, then I’ll begin. As you probably all know, I’m DI Katy Foster from the Met Police. I’m the Senior Investigating Officer on this new case. Earlier this evening, the body of a black male was found in the undergrowth at Hyde Park. It would appear the man was out for a jog. Therefore, with limited clothing on his person, we’ve yet to find an ID for him. If anyone has a member of their family gone missing in the past twelve hours, who usually takes a jog during this time at this location, I’m asking them to call the station on the following number.” Katy paused, gathered the number from her notebook and read it out. Taking a large breath, she continued, “It would appear that the victim lost his life through foul means, and no, at this stage I can’t and won’t go into detail. And that, ladies and gents, is all I have for you at this present time. It’s not much, I know. Thank you for attending.”

  Katy gave a brief smile and nod, then turned on her heel. Some of the journalists called after her, demanding more, even asked questions they knew she didn’t have the answers to. She heaved out a sigh and followed the path in the direction Charlie had taken minutes earlier. At the clearing, she searched for her partner and spotted her talking to a couple of women, one with a boxer and the other with a golden retriever. Katy approached them.

  “Thanks for stopping to speak with me, enjoy the rest of your walk,” Charlie said, despatching the two women.

  “Wait, are you telling us it’s safe out here now, or should we still be wary?” the blonde younger woman asked. She stroked her boxer on the head. He leaned in against her leg, enjoying the attention.

  “Just keep your wits about you,” Charlie advised.

  “Thanks. Good luck with your investigation.”

  The women jerked their leashes and continued on their evening stroll.

  “Any luck?” Katy enquired.

  “Nothing really. Those two are usually down here around this time; they didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. They arrived at the park at six forty-five, their usual time.”

 
“Okay, we’ll make a note of that, it might come in handy when we’re trying to ascertain the time of death. They always walk in this area? Do they take the path next to the crime scene?”

  “Yes, that was the first question I asked. They do the whole circuit first and then generally let the dogs have a run around before they head home again.”

  “Okay, well, I don’t think there’s anything more we can do. I’ve put out a call via the media for anyone who has a missing relative who usually jogs around the park. I’m suggesting we call it a day…” Charlie opened her mouth to protest, but Katy raised a hand to silence her. “We’ll get uniformed police to remain in the area for the foreseeable future, questioning folks. We’ve had a long day; besides, we haven’t got any ID for the victim, so it’s not like we can visit the next of kin to share the unwanted news. Let’s see what the media attention brings in and go from there. We can make an early start in the morning.”

  Charlie rolled her eyes—Katy always made it impossible to argue with her. “Okay, if you insist.”

  “I do. We’ll have another quick chat with Patti before we leave, see if anything has reared its head from her perspective yet.”

  They returned to the crime scene and called out to Patti to let them know they were entering the area. “Anything of use for us yet, Patti?” Katy asked.

  The pathologist was still crouched alongside the body, making a general assessment of his wounds. “Nothing, except, I took a look at his torso. He’s been bludgeoned several times. Wouldn’t surprise me if he had a couple of broken ribs as well. Sickens me the anger someone displayed while battering the victim.”

  “Horrendous injuries. Our initial investigation has garnered nothing so far. I’ve held a mini press conference, asking for help from the public, that’s all we can really do for now.”

  “I agree. I’ll crack on here. We’ll be moving the body soon.”

  “I suspected as much. We’re going to call it a day and start afresh in the morning. Will you be doing the PM this evening or tomorrow?”

  “I think tomorrow, I started at five this morning myself. Feel I’d be failing the victim if I carried it out when I’m knackered.”

  “Yep, I agree. Let’s give this one our best shot, eh?”