by A L Fraine
“It’s all over the local news, and is even making the national news now,” Kate added.
“Of course, we watch the news,” Irving cut in. “I think you’ll find that what Carson meant is that, while he’s aware of recent events, he knows no more than the average person.”
“So, why didn’t he say that?” Jon asked.
“Because I did,” Irving answered, raising his eyebrows. His tone was all serious again, with that hint of threat in his voice.
“Fair enough. Alright, how’s business going?”
“Fine,” Carson answered.
“You don’t work with someone going by the name of Mogs, do you?”
“Um, who?”
“Freddy Mogasen, do you know him?”
“No idea who you’re talking about,” Carson replied, his smug smile returning.
“I think you’re barking up the wrong tree, detective,” Irving said.
“You’re distressing a member of my family,” Meredith added, speaking for the first time. “I think you should leave unless you’re going to charge him with anything.”
“Well, are you, Detective Pilgrim?” Irving asked.
Jon sighed. “No, not right now.”
“Excellent! Then we’re done here. I’m pleased this went so well.” The man stood and walked up to Jon, putting his arm around his shoulders as he turned him towards the exit. “You know, I wasn’t sure how this would go. It’s always tricky where new officers are concerned. They don’t understand our place in the local community and how valued we are. But, I suppose that will come with time. But please, if you have any further questions, or if you want to work with us on anything, please get in touch. We’re huge fans of the police and the work you do for this community.”
“I’m sure,” Jon replied, speeding up to remove himself from Irving’s overly familiar touch. “If we have any further questions, we will be sure to be in touch.”
“Of course, anytime. My door’s always open.”
I bet it is, Jon thought.
In short order, Jon and Kate were back outside and approaching their car. Jon chewed his tongue in frustration, annoyed at how the meeting had gone. They’d got nothing from Carson or Irving, and it felt like they were treating this like a game.
He had little doubt that Irving had some close contacts within the police that he could use to get what he wanted. The fact that the Miller’s knew they were coming was enough proof of that.
“Well, that was useless,” Jon complained as he settled into the passenger seat.
“I hate dealing with people like that,” Kate sympathised. “They always seem to think they’re superior. I’d dearly love to take them down a notch or two.”
“You and me both,” Jon agreed, as he pulled out his buzzing phone, noting it was a call from the office. “Yeah, what’s up?”
“Get to Iris Richards’ place, she’s just called in,” Rachel said. “She’s been attacked.”
“Shit, will do.”
“What’s going on?” Kate asked as he hung up.
“Harper’s mum, she’s just been attacked.”
20
Kate sped along the main road, their blue lights flashing and the siren baring as they went. Jon helped navigate and worked as a spotter, providing Kate with a second pair of eyes on the surrounding roads.
But she didn’t really need him. Her driving was impeccable, and they were soon well on their way towards Epsom, and Iris’ house.
“Iris?” Kate asked. “Who’d do that to her? She has nothing to do with this.”
“I don’t know. I have my suspicions but…”
“The Millers?” Kate suggested.
Jon shook his head. “I doubt it. I can’t see them attacking an older woman.”
“Is she alright, what did Rachel say?”
“Just that she’s been attacked and called it in. I think she’s alright.”
“I hope so. This is the last thing she needs after losing her daughter.”
“No shit,” Jon replied as they navigated through the endless roads and into the suburbs of Epsom.
“It could be the Millers,” Kate said after a while. “They attacked Tom, although they were going for Seth. What if they thought Seth was hiding out there?”
“Hmm. I wouldn’t put it past him. I think Carson knew who we were talking about and was lying through his teeth,” Jon said thinking back to the talk they’d just had with the Millers. “He seemed nervous when I brought Harper up. Embarrassed almost, like I’d stumbled onto some kind of huge secret.”
“Oh, he knows way more than he’s letting on, that’s for sure. But we need a little more to go on than just a hunch.”
“I know, it's bloody annoying,” Jon replied as Kate manoeuvred around traffic that had pulled over for them, and made her way into the estate where Iris lived. As they turned onto her street, Jon spotted the ambulance, a patrol car, and Faith’s car parked outside the house.
Kate pulled up and Jon jumped out, rushing up the driveway to knock on the door. Kate joined him moments later.
“Jeez, Pilgrim, I’m in a skirt and heels, slow down.”
Jon glanced down, noted the low heels, and raised an eyebrow. “If they’re not practical, why’d you wear them?”
Kate shrugged but seemed a little self-conscious, as if he’d pointed something out that he shouldn’t. She’d not worn anything like this the first two days, preferring a trouser suit. “Because I wanted to.”
“Fair enough. Can’t argue with that.”
“Good, because I’d bop you on the nose if you did.”
Raising his eyebrows in surprise. “You’ll bop me?”
“On the schnoz.”
“Noted.” Jon nodded, and for a moment, hesitated, wondering if he should say what had sprung into his mind. In the end, he chose to throw caution to the wind. “You look nice, though.”
“Thank you,” Kate replied with a smile, seeming to soak up the compliment.
The door opened. “Hey,” Faith said. “You’d better come in”
Jon followed Faith through the hall, past two uniformed officers in the hallway, and into the front room. Iris sat on the sofa beside a paramedic who was tending to her wounds. Another crouched by his bag nearby.
“Hey,” Jon said as he walked in. Iris had a developing bruise on her cheek, what would surely be a black eye tomorrow, and a couple of cuts. It also looked like she’d been bleeding from her nose.
“Hi,” the crouching paramedic replied without looking up, and handed a fresh wipe to his colleague.
“How is she?”
“She’ll survive. No obvious major damage, it all seems superficial. I think we should take her in for some checks, just to be sure but shouldn’t be anything to worry about.”
“Can she talk?”
“I can talk,” Iris replied, brushing the female paramedic’s hand away from her face. “It was Seth. He attacked me.”
“Seth?” Jon replied. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. I’d know him anywhere. He appeared on my doorstep claiming something or other. I don’t know what. Anyway, the next thing I know he’s attacking me. Then he ran off.”
“You don’t know what he wanted?” Jon asked.
“No. He was trying to say something, but I didn’t want to listen to him. He’s the one that did all this. He killed Harper,” she ranted, her voice cracking with emotion until she broke down in tears again.
Jon quietly sighed to himself and turned away while Faith and the paramedics calmed her down and saw to her wounds. Something about this didn’t make sense.
Why would Seth come here to attack Iris? What on earth did he think he could gain from it? Was he the killer? Was he trying to take out the whole family? But if that was right, why attack Mollie? Even with the tenuous link through the dealer, Mogs, it just didn’t feel right.
“Guv,” Kate muttered, her voice low. Jon looked up to see Kate pulling back the curtain on the front window. Behind it, a c
ompact freestanding security camera sat, trained on the area in front of the house.
“Oh,” Jon replied and nodded his thanks to Kate before turning back to Iris. “I beg your pardon, but might I ask about the camera in your front window? Is it working?”
“Yeah, helps keep me safe. A fat lot of good it did me today, though.”
“May we view the footage from today?”
“My phone. Here, pass it to me.” Faith grabbed it and handed it to Iris, who quickly unlocked it and after a few taps, passed it over to Jon before relaxing again.
Jon eyed the screen and the recordings that were on the app as Kate stepped up to him and leaned in to get a closer look.
Tapping on the latest recording, he saw himself and Kate enter the property and tapped back to get to the main screen. After watching Faith and the paramedic’s arrival, he finally found what he was looking for.
He didn’t rush. He found he enjoyed Kate’s closeness as he watched the scene unfold on the small screen. He could feel her warmth and smell her perfume, and for a moment, lost himself in those sensations, imagining getting closer to her.
No, he needed to concentrate.
Jeez, after all his doubts about Kate not having her head in the game, now he was all over the place.
Banishing those, admittedly, pleasant thoughts, Jon focused on the video. He watched as Seth walked up the driveway towards the front door, hesitating a few times, and at one point, actually turning back before he apparently steeled himself and eventually pressed the doorbell.
Iris appeared moments later, yanking open the door, apparently already in a rage. The sound on the video wasn’t great, and he kept his volume turned low, but he could make out her frenzied rant easily enough. By contrast, Seth seemed shocked and backed away a step as he tried to talk to her. But his words, whatever they were, just seemed to infuriate Iris even more and she launched herself at him. He tried to fend off her attack, but after a while, his temper clearly got the better of him and he lashed out.
It was one punch, but it caught her right in the face, on her nose and cheek. Iris dropped like a sack of potatoes, twisting as she went so that her face hit the ground.
Seth looked frankly shocked at what he’d done and tried to offer help, but Iris screamed at him and he backed away. Eventually, as it became clear she would have nothing to do with him, he walked off, leaving her as she continued to shout and pulled out her phone saying she’d report him.
Jon looked up at Kate as the video ended and her expression mirrored his own thoughts.
Seth had hardly attacked her. He was defending himself if anything. That didn’t excuse punching her, but it was hardly the premeditated attack that Iris was making out to be.
“I’m going to need this video,” Jon said. “If that’s ok?”
“Of course, you can take it. I think there’s an option to email the videos to wherever,” Iris said dismissively. Jon nodded to Kate and handed her the phone. She took it and went to work.
“Iris, can I talk to you about what I just watched?”
“What of it?”
“You attacked him, Iris. He only defended himself and lashed out in a temper. You’re lucky he didn’t fight back, frankly.”
“No, he assaulted me. He broke my nose.”
“I don’t think it’s broken,” the paramedic cut in.
“I know these kinds of confrontations can seem scary and intense, Mrs Richards, but if you watch that video, I think you’ll find that what I’m saying is true.”
“Whatever. I know he killed my baby. I know it. What I did to him is nothing compared to what he did to Harper.”
“And if he didn’t kill her?”
“No, he did. I know it. He deserved everything he got today. Everything. Now give me back my phone. Now!”
Kate did as she asked but then nodded to Jon, signalling that she’d emailed the video. Iris threw the phone down beside her and sat back. “My nose hurts.”
With a sigh, Jon turned away. He had to remember that she was under an awful lot of stress right now and probably wasn’t thinking straight. Even if Seth did want to report her, Jon doubted that anything would come of it, partly because he hit her back.
Jon’s phone buzzed in his pocket.
Fishing it out, he noted the display proclaiming that it was a call from Horsley Station.
“Go,” he said as he answered.
“We’ve got another body,” Rachel said.
“Another one?” Jon replied as he walked outside, Kate on his heels.
“Yeah. Same MO, but this one’s a bit strange.”
“Strange?”
“It’s um… well, best you go and have a look yourself, I think. I’ve only had a brief description, and I don’t think I read it right.”
“Send me the address,” he replied. “We’re on our way.”
21
“She said it was the same MO?” Kate asked.
Jon nodded. “That’s what she said. I’m guessing we have the same missing fingers and cuts, but she said it was strange, too.”
“Strange?”
“Yeah. No idea what she means by that.”
“Feck, this just keeps getting worse. I’m not sure what’s going on anymore.”
Jon sighed. “I know what you mean. It’s a mess.”
“Good, because that video of Seth, it looked like he’d come to talk to her, not to fight, or attack her. He looked scared.”
“I’d be scared of Iris if she came at me,” Jon replied. “She’s a formidable woman. But yeah, you’re right. I honestly don’t think Seth killed Harper. His relationship with her might be troubled, but… murder? I just don’t know.”
“No, me neither. It just doesn’t ring true. I think the Miller angle is more fertile. Maybe one of them, Carson perhaps, has taken a liking to killing young women and thought Harper was a good first choice.”
“Mollie was a pretty girl, too,” Jon mused, making links in his mind. “Maybe Carson saw her buying from Mogs and she caught his eye.”
Kate nodded. “I think that’s a better angle than Seth. I can see Carson doing something like that, with that smug grin on his face as he watches them bleed out.”
“I wanted to wipe that smile from his face the moment I walked in there,” Jon admitted, remembering the cruel, self-entitled smile that was on the little shit’s face the entire time they were there.
“I’d have been next in line,” Kate replied, her voice full of venom. “So, what do we do?”
“We need more evidence. We need something to hang our hat on. If we arrest Carson now, without a shred of evidence, we could be up shit creek without the proverbial.”
Kate drove into the outskirts of Reigate and navigated through the streets until they reached the residential road, lined with rows of three-storey, redbrick terrace houses. Part of the road had been cordoned off with blue and white police tape and there was no way they were going to get closer. Jon noted the presence of a few media vans and grumbled to himself. “Shit, I thought we were getting lucky with this case. I hoped they were preoccupied with the Devlin thing. But it looks like the press got wind of it anyway.”
“They always do,” Kate remarked.
“Yeah, no shit. Come on, let’s get in there.”
Parking up, Jon got out and walked with Kate towards the house. As they got close, a blond-haired man broke away from the gathered onlookers and approached them.
“DC O’Connell?” the man called out.
“Not now, Chester,” Kate replied, raising her hand to him.
“Is this another murder? Do we have a serial killer on our hands?”
Kate stopped, sighed, and looked up at him. “Firstly, it’s DS O’Connell, Chester. You know that. And second, no comment.”
“Still no Nathan, I see. Have you two fallen out?”
With a grunt, Jon stepped forward and ushered the man out of the way as they approached the line.
“It’s DCI Pilgrim, right?” Chester said, undete
rred. “Jon Pilgrim? From Nottingham Police? You’re a long way from your patch, Jon. A long way from Charlotte.”
Jon froze. He spun on Chester as heat and fire inside bubbled up. The reporter raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and took a step back.
“Never say her name, again,” Jon grunted, his tone low as he pointed a finger at Chester. The reporter shrugged but said nothing.
Jon reigned in his fury as Kate appeared beside him.
“Leave him, he’s not worth it,” she said, guiding him away. “Come on.”
Jon nodded and moved to the nearby officer who let them through the cordon and away from the press.
“Sorry,” Jon said. “I just…”
“It’s okay,” she said. “You don’t need to say anything if you don’t want to.”
“No, I do, but…” He sighed. “You should know, especially if we’re going to be working together going forward. Later maybe.”
Kate nodded. “Sound good.”
“Right, come on, let’s go and see what we have in here,” Jon said. They moved to a nearby van and pulled on forensic suits before they set off towards the front of the house. Turning in and making for the front door, Damon stepped out and did a double-take as he spotted Jon.
“Pilgrim, wait, just stop right there.”
Jon paused and looked at him quizzically. “Sure, what’s up?”
“You don’t want to go in there.”
“Why?” Jon asked raising an eyebrow.
“Trust me, you really don’t.”
“I’m not sure I follow. We need to see the crime scene.”
“I get that, but in this case, I think you should sit this one out and let Kate go up alone.”
“What? No! Unless you tell me what the hell you’re talking about, I’m heading straight in there.”
Damon looked torn and after a moment’s thought, sighed and looked back at him. “He’s mimicked the Doll Killer,” Damon replied. “He’s mimicked Charlotte’s murder.”
“What!” Jon said, raising his voice as a chill raced up his spine.