The Other Killer

by Noelle Holten

  She checked her phone. One missed call. She listened to the message and a smile crossed her face. It was looking like everything was confirmed for tomorrow. Kate texted a reply, gulped down her coffee and headed off to Stafford for her training event.

  Kate arrived at Stafford Police HQ with a half hour to spare. She noticed a crowd by the Costa stand, just off to the left of the reception area. After signing herself in, she made her way over and said hello to a few familiar faces.

  The conference rooms were on the upper level and overlooked the reception area. It was only one flight up, so she took the stairs. Arriving at her destination, she looked around to make sure she positioned herself close enough to hear the speaker, but not close enough to be singled out if they wanted any volunteers. She recognized a small number of people and smiled in their direction as she took her seat.

  ‘Hi, is this seat taken?’ The young man grinned as he waited for Kate to answer.

  ‘It’s all yours.’ She moved her bag and coat from the chair.

  ‘I’m Charlie. I work in forensics, the pathology department.’ He held out his hand.

  ‘Uh, nice to meet you. I’m Kate. I work in the domestic abuse unit, in Markston Police Station.’

  ‘Oh! Are you Dr Moloney?’ She nodded in reply. ‘Wow. Great to meet you. I’ve heard all about you. I worked on the domestic abuse murders with your team awhile back.’ He inched closer.

  ‘Ah, OK! Sure, you did. Sorry for not recognizing you.’ Kate shifted uncomfortably in her chair. ‘Looks like we’re about to get started, excuse me.’ Kate turned her seat and faced the front of the room, hoping he wouldn’t keep talking to her.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  As Maggie headed to Markston Police Station for the Domestic Abuse Forum, she wondered when the report for the latest victim would arrive. The staff shortages in the forensics department were impacting the momentum of the case. She needed to talk to Kate and get her views on everything so far.

  The meeting was being held in the large conference room on the top floor. It was a multi-agency meeting looking at victims and offenders of domestic abuse. The intention was to try and highlight the riskiest individuals and the plans that are or can be put in place to manage them. When she walked in the room, Maggie was greeted with a huge smile from Lucy and Mark. Claire Knight from Social Services, and a few other faces she didn’t recognize were also present, but there was no sign of anyone from Probation. Maggie looked around the room for Kate, and noting she hadn’t arrived, went and sat by Mark and Lucy.

  They greeted each other and Maggie took out her notebook and pen.

  Maggie couldn’t believe the change in Lucy from only a few months ago. Every time she saw her, she seemed to be growing in confidence.

  ‘All good with me. Though I could’ve done without this meeting.’ Mark rolled his eyes.

  ‘Do we have an agenda for today?’ Kate entered the room, and Mark waved at her. Maggie immediately felt herself blush. There were no free seats near them, so Kate sat opposite, and Maggie had to make sure she didn’t stare too much.

  The meeting had run over, so Maggie called Stafford Police Station and let DI Rutherford know that she would be heading straight home after her meeting with Kate.

  ‘Thanks for letting me know. Can you ask Dr Moloney to look at the victimology of the cases, and include the other missing woman Raven confessed to killing?’

  ‘Will do, ma’am. Anything else?’

  ‘An updated profile of the killer would be helpful. But we don’t have a budget for anything formal. I understand if Dr Moloney can’t do this in her own time but would appreciate any insight she has to offer.’

  ‘I’m pretty sure I can convince Dr Moloney to assist.’ Maggie cringed at her choice of words. There was almost a flirty undertone to them, which she hoped her boss didn’t catch.

  ‘I’ll leave it with you then. We’ll catch up Monday, or earlier if needed. I am on call this weekend.’

  Maggie ended the call and put her phone on silent, then headed down to the offices of the DAHU. Kate had informed her that she had a few things to deal with before she could head out.

  There were those butterflies again. Maggie tapped on Kate’s door. Looking up from her desk, Kate gestured her in.

  ‘Have a seat. I won’t be too long.’ She pointed at the chair opposite her.

  ‘No rush. Do you want a coffee or anything?’ Maggie stood by the door while she waited for Kate to respond.

  ‘Why don’t we grab one around the corner at the café. I walk by it every morning and have yet to go in, but they have a gorgeous display of cake.’

  ‘Perfect. Are you sure you’re okay with this? I don’t want to take up your personal time. I bet your partner wouldn’t be too happy.’ She could almost kick herself. That was not subtle at all.

  ‘Nothing to fear there. Right, are you ready?’

  Maggie paused with her hand on the door. Kate was usually a master at responding to her questions without giving a hint about whether she was in a relationship. So what had changed?

  The two women left the police station and began to walk along the empty pavement. Maggie caught a flash of her reflection in the mirror of a shop and felt a sudden sense of unease, a feeling that they were no longer alone.

  ‘Maggie, are you OK?’ Kate had stopped walking.

  Maggie ignored her. She was staring at the bushes further along the road, convinced she had seen a blur of movement, a glimpse of someone crouching there in the shadows. She gently grabbed Kate’s arm. ‘Hang on a second. Did you see someone in those bushes?’

  Kate followed Maggie’s pointing finger and squinted. ‘Sorry, I don’t see anything. What was it?’

  ‘Probably nothing. Must be my eyes playing tricks on me. Stay here for a minute. I’m just going to have a quick look.’ Maggie walked over to the row of bushes and spotted something on the ground. A cigarette butt – still burning. She stepped into the undergrowth and knelt down to check the ground. A series of muddy prints led out the back of the bushes, through a patch of scrubby woodland and into a park. There was no one in sight. Maggie fingered her belt nervously as she walked back to Kate.

  ‘Has there been anything weird happening at the station lately?’ She tried to keep her voice casual. ‘I just found a half-lit cigarette butt on the ground – like someone was in those bushes and scarpered as soon as they saw us.’

  Kate glanced up and down the street.

  ‘Not that I’m aware of.’ Quickly changing the subject, Kate smiled awkwardly. ‘Let’s go get that coffee, my mouth is so dry, I could use a drink.’

  ‘OK.’ As the pair walked away, Maggie glanced over her shoulder to take a final look at the bushes. She thought about the shadow sitting there smoking, waiting for them to leave.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Kate and Maggie walked through the damp evening air and into the coffee shop. Kate paused by the door to look back along the street, thinking about the shadow that might be following them. Relief washed over her. She was glad to not be going home just yet.

  Helping Maggie and her team with building a profile of the killer and looking at the victimology was exactly what she needed, a bit of change from the same domestic-abuse-offender profiles. This was the kind of work that really interested her, and she contemplated asking Maggie whether there would be any budget for a consultant at the MOCD or even a permanent position within the team. But first … cake.

  Ordering herself a strong Americano with skimmed milk, she waited as Maggie asked for a cappuccino with an extra shot. Although Maggie turned down the offer of a dessert, Kate chose a large piece of carrot cake to go with her coffee and paid for both.

  ‘Thanks, Kate. Next one is on me.’

  ‘Now that’s an offer I can’t refuse!’

  ‘Did you get all that information I sent?’

  ‘I did, thanks. I don’t really want to take my notes out here,’ Kate looked around at the other patrons in the café, ‘but I’ve made some p
oints and can record on my phone so that I just need to send you the notes via email.’ Kate placed her mobile on the table and set the app to record.

  ‘Absolutely. Right then, what are your thoughts?’ Maggie leaned forward.

  ‘What do we already know about serial killers? Most are ordinary people, the typical “boy” next door, which is why I laugh when people describe them as monsters. Although their acts might be horrifying, they might not always be someone who immediately sends chills down our spine,’ Kate explained.

  ‘I get that. After interviewing so many killers over the years, even I’m still shocked at how normal some of them are.’

  Kate watched as Maggie shifted in her seat. She saw a telling glint in her eye. Maggie’s interest in her work always shone through.

  Kate pulled her chair closer to Maggie and reciprocated the enthusiasm. ‘Based on the information you’ve provided so far, I personally think killing ratifies an urge with this person, and it’s not necessarily sexual but there will be some level of control present. I suspect this person comes from a broken home, probably had a dominant mother who may have had issues with substances and possibly mental health. Sadly, this appears to be the usual case. I also suspect that there was no father figure, or if there was one, he wasn’t much of a role model. He may have been abusive also.’

  Maggie nodded. ‘Sounds so cliché, but I would have said the same thing.’

  ‘For me, I think the dysfunctional childhood created a lack of empathy in the person you’re looking for. They probably have little to no remorse, are charming and manipulative – which is how they lure their victims, and I get the feeling that there is a level of enjoyment from a need to punish. The victims would have felt at ease with their killer – perhaps he offered them something, like drugs, and invited them back to his home. We know both victims were drug addicts, and their need for heroin would outweigh any reluctance to go to a stranger’s home. They may even have known him through other drug associates. Sound like any of your suspects?’

  ‘Yeah. I can think of one in particular. Do you think we are looking for a psychopath?’ Maggie frowned and stared at the floor.

  ‘Psychopaths are rare, so I’m not saying this is definitely the case – but I am not ruling it out either. This person is luring women somehow, dismembering them and literally throwing away their limbs as if the women are rubbish themselves. Worthless.’

  ‘I never thought of it that way.’

  ‘You’re looking at things from an evidential perspective. I’m interested in what the behaviour says about the person.’

  ‘What else?’

  ‘This individual doesn’t fear consequences, but they do have a craving for stimulation – killing in this manner excites them on some level. Dumping the bags all across Staffordshire is risky. What if they are seen? That’s the excitement – thrill-seeking at every opportunity. There might be some level of revenge being played out. Though I’m not sure about this, so let’s park it for now. My concern is there was a gap from the time that Raven was convicted and sentenced to now. What was going on during those two years? Why now?’

  ‘Could the killer have been in prison themselves? Maybe an illness, or maybe they were out of the country? Could it be more than one person? Sorry to bombard you with so many questions.’ Maggie started to bite her nail.

  ‘Those are all possibilities. We need to consider a pattern. Who are the missing women? I just did a course on geographical profiling. Maybe if we look at the victims, where they lived, worked or other common factors, we may be able to locate what is termed an anchor point. That’s what could lead us directly to the killer or killers. I’ll email these notes over to you before we head out.’ Kate stopped the recording and fidgeted with her phone.

  ‘We really need you on our team, or at the very least to some of the briefings.’

  ‘Just say the word and I’m yours …’ Kate smiled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Maggie and Kate had talked about the case until they both realized how late it was getting and decided to make a move. After saying their goodbyes, Maggie walked to Markston train station. Everything Kate had said made sense. DI Rutherford would certainly be pleased, and maybe Maggie could persuade Kate to join the murder team. Her profiling skills would add another level to the investigation.

  It took Maggie just under an hour to get home with the train delays. The lights were out, so her brother was either asleep or working. She could never keep track of his shifts. She took care to be quiet when she opened the door, but when she saw the empty shoe rack, she knew he was at work. At least she wouldn’t have to tiptoe around.

  After changing into something more comfortable, Maggie made herself a cup of tea – anymore coffee would ruin her hopes of sleep. She flopped down onto the couch and thought back to her conversation with Kate. She knew it was wrong, but she fit Bill Raven into the profile Kate had made. Broken home, drug addict and abusive parents, check, check and check again.

  Maybe Raven had abducted the women prior to his confession and then created some elaborate plan to get himself exonerated. His arrogance certainly would love the attention. She’d keep this thought to herself for the time being.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  It had been a long and exhausting week and Kate was looking forward to a weekend of lazing about in her PJs and catching up on Netflix documentaries. It had been nice spending time with Maggie. Just before she had left the café, she had emailed Maggie the notes as promised and was not surprised to receive a text on the bus ride home.

  Thanks for the email. Do you have plans this weekend? Thought maybe we could continue what we started over some lunch – my treat? xM

  Kate didn’t really want to go out and instead offered to make lunch for them both, explaining that it would be easier to talk through the complexities if they didn’t have to watch their words. She was pleased to see Maggie was also keen on the idea and texted Maggie her address. Kate stopped by the late-night corner shop and picked up some bits for the lunch tomorrow. She also grabbed a few bottles of wine and some snacks – Maggie might want to stay and watch a movie.

  Still feeling relatively new to the area, Kate kept to herself. She could count the number of close friends on one hand, but she liked it that way. Outside of work, Kate enjoyed Maggie’s company as Maggie challenged her mentally, and also valued her contributions to cases – unlike some of her colleagues in the police force.

  As she neared her building, she dug her hand into her bags to search for her keys. The weight of her shopping making the task more difficult. Unlocking and opening the entry door, she walked towards her flat. It was at times like this she was glad she lived on the ground floor.

  Using her key, she opened her door and stepped over the post on the floor. She’d go through it after she set the bags in the kitchen and put away anything that needed to be refrigerated or frozen. She walked through to the dining area and dropped her bag. After putting on a T-shirt and her black stretchy jeans, she went back to the living room, collected the post, then placed it on the side table by her couch while she made herself a quick sandwich and grabbed a glass of wine.

  Although Kate loved to cook, after work she generally just made something quick and easy – the weekends were when she made use of her culinary skills. Kate picked up the post and settled herself on the couch, turning on the television for a bit of background noise. She leafed through the letters, until she came to the black envelope. Handwritten in gold gel pen was her name:

  Dr Kate Moloney

  The handwriting was unusual. No stamp was on the envelope, so it must have been hand-delivered. She opened it hesitantly. There was a black card inside. A gold border edging the card and written in the same handwriting as the envelope were the words:

  You’re just as beautiful in person as you are from afar. xx

  Not much creeped Kate out, but this did. Her hands shook. The paper smelt odd, and she dropped it onto the floor.

  What is that smell
? An alarm rang in her mind. Was it formaldehyde? Chloroform?

  As she sat staring at the card by her foot, a shadow crossed the window. Kate rushed to the glass, pulling back the curtains, and looked up and down the street – but no one was there.

  Returning to the couch, she picked up her wine and took a large gulp. Sitting back down, she flicked through the channels on her TV but couldn’t focus. Her heart raced as she took another gulp of wine. Anxiety crept along her spine like a snake. Was the note from one of her colleagues, someone who had seen her do a talk or a lecture? How had they found her address? She finished her wine and gradually felt her heart rate return to normal. It was probably just a prank or some sad old loser who had read one of her papers. She checked her watch and laughed to herself. Overanalysing the situation. It had to be a joke. There was a programme on serial killers in half an hour that she had been looking forward to watching. It would take her mind off things. She opened the little drawer in the side table and pulled out her notebook and pen. She never knew what bit of information she may come across and always liked to be prepared.

  Kate couldn’t finish the sandwich she had made, despite her stomach growling. She left the half-eaten sandwich on the table. It was getting dark now, and she groaned because she had to move. Kate turned on the lamp on the side table and walked to the window.