‘You’re going to have to answer that at some point.’ The lead CSI said to Detective Lance Marshall, hoping that he would finally answer and give everyone some peace and quiet from the repetitive generic Nokia ring tone.
‘Not until we have some answers of our own Mac.’
Detective Marshall replied to the man in the blue overalls who was carefully photographing the scene of death.
Lance stood five feet from the dead body of the unidentified male with one arm folded and a fist under his chin. He angrily chewed at the hairs on his wrist, trying to figure how things could have gone so wrong.
He was to chair a briefing on the investigation into the death of Annie-Ann Richards, and set up what he had hoped to be nightly surveillance on the Park when there was another body in the same park, and worse still, this one was much closer to the Police Department building.
Worse still, it seemed from the trail of blood, that the man had been murdered, on the outside of the gate that separated the park from the West and Lively Precinct House.
‘There are only questions here, Detective,' James McIntosh, the lead CSI, and the man with an office fifty feet away, took some explicit photographs and spoke into a small Dictaphone.
‘Male, Caucasian, appears to be in his mid-twenties. Lying in a prone to supine position, with his torso faced East and his lower extremities facing North East.’
‘Looks like a yoga position.’ Lance remarked.
‘The victims major deltoid, abdominus, and trapezius muscles all appear have been cut in such a way, that this has become a fixed position.’ McIntosh stopped the recording.
‘It looks like the killer cut him on purpose so that he could leave him in this position.’ He pressed record again.
‘Victim has had an object inserted into a four-inch slash cut on his trachea. It appears to be a cigarette, and it is pointing outwards.’ He said, clicking the recording off again.
‘We can let Alvin have a proper look at the device in the post mortem and run it for prints. Though, through my initial impressions of the scene, just like last time, we will not find any prints this time either.’
‘How can you be so sure?’ Lance hoped that it would not be the case.
‘Call it a hunch, it just all seems so familiar.’ McIntosh went back to taking photographs as Lance’s phone buzzed again.
‘Your briefing is to be moved forwards to 10AM, this morning, in light of the discovery of that new body,’
The Chief said, as a matter of fact.
‘And then you will host a small media gathering in the media room of the precinct after the briefing.’
‘I will back whatever you have in mind Chief. We need to get in front of this and quickly.’ Lance felt the momentum of the Police force lining up behind him.
‘You are on your own with this one. But I will have the PR office drafting up a short statement from the department that will be circulated to all media outlets,’ Lance felt the momentum of the Police force lining up to kick him square in the ass.
‘It's 9AM now, so you have one hour to either wrap this up or come up with a plan to tell the media how you are going to have to it wrapped up by 11AM. It's on you, Detective Marshall.’
Lance Marshall heard the click, and the line went dead and wanted to laugh, but all he could muster was a weak snigger.
‘Breaking your balls?’ McIntosh asked.
‘Same game, new tricks is all. As soon as you know anything different from the last time, then you call me, straight away.’ Lance requested.
The detective turned away, having learned nothing new, apart from if it was the same killer for both murders, then at least he was using variety in his methods, which was saying something.
Annie-Ann had been chased, and this guy had just been dumped on the ground. Her arms and legs were pointed out like a starfish, and he had been twisted around, almost to try and meet himself. If there was a clue, it was getting harder to decipher.
Marshall walked past the cordon, through five uniformed officers who ignored him, and that stood at the perimeter of the scene and away to the centre.
He walked until he stood on a small mound at the very heart of the park and he looked all around him.
To the right and behind, where he had come from, the gate at West and Lively Police Precinct, from where the second victim had emerged. Then ahead, the first gate from where everyone had suspected that Annie-Ann Richards was running from, at the back of the Church.
Then there were the entrances to the park from the hospital and then the retirement home, which Lance could clearly see from his vantage point, where he was standing.
From the windows of the hospital and the Police Department, he could see people looking out onto the green space.
Everybody was a suspect.
One killer stood watching.
EVERYONE GETS A JOB
Lance walked into a very full briefing room that hummed with the distinctive odors of roast coffee and Axe body spray. He noticed that a few heads had turned when he walked in, while the rest only pretended to care that he had arrived. Officer Brian Tomlinson sat in the very centre and seemed to be the only person who held Lance's gaze when he entered the room.
Dawn, Brandt and Johnson, Lance's fellow detectives had a small corner reserved near the front, and they beckoned to Lance to come over before he addressed the crowd.
‘It might be a good start to just arrest everyone in here and get it over with.’ Lindsay Dawn sat back and sneered as Lance crouched right in front of her. She uncrossed her long, and lean legs and leaned forwards.
‘You presume, I didn't think of that already,' Lance joked. ‘Thanks for coming to Lindsay, Ed, Pete.' He nodded at his colleagues who nodded back his way.
Peter Brandt whispered below the murmuring that was still taking place.
‘Rough break about that new body being found, I presume that means the Chief has you on a shorter leash?’
Marshall nodded. He hadn’t seen or heard from Pete Brandt for a while. Pete had been having some wife trouble and Marshall knew what that looked like.
‘I might need more of your help than you all realize.’
Marshall said, standing up to walk to the podium to speak. Lindsay opened her brown eyes and smiled his way, acknowledging the request.
‘Okay, quiet down in here. Let’s begin,’ Lance looked around the room and quickly counted out thirty people.
‘I am sure you are all aware that as of this morning, the investigation into the death of Annie-Ann Richards is to be expanded into the death of a second, as yet, un-named individual, found in Memorial Park as of this AM. I am the lead Detective on this case, and if you are here, it means that you have been re-tasked into assisting me to investigate these crimes,’ Officer Tomlinson shifted in his chair.
‘I will assign groups, to a particular sector and you will collect witness statements, CCTV footage, and you will relay all of this information to a Senior Detective,’ Lance looked at his three colleagues who all nodded. They were here to help.
‘We do not know anything about our killer, apart from the fact that he or she was able to gain access to the park from one of four locations,’
Lance felt it best not to mention the Precinct that they were all sitting in.
‘The first assigned duty will be to have a constant presence inside of the park. This will run alphabetically and will be taken from the officers inside of this room,’
A collective groan exhaled from the majority of the officers inside of the room.
‘Secondly, there will be a fingertip search of the Park that will be completed in the next couple of hours. Detective Lindsay Dawn will oversee a root and branch search of the Park. We, as yet, do not have a murder weapon, so this area will be our primary search position for that weapon,’
Lance was winding it up.
‘And finally, we will have a briefing tomorrow morning at 9AM, where we will hope to have this wrapped up. Time is not on our side anymore after a se
cond body has turned up this morning. So work well, and work quickly,’ Lance looked around.
‘And that’s it. Wait here to be assigned and then go, thank you.’
Lance walked away from the stand and then over towards the three Detectives who would be working the case with him.
‘You ok to lead the search of the Park? I don't want to have you inside this building for the day.’ Lance leaned in close towards Lindsay. She wore a black suit jacket, and had on a tightly fitted white t-shirt.
‘I have a change of clothes, I’m good to go Lance. I can handle whatever is coming down the tracks. Don't let them un-nerve you today. You have a job to do, and it is the same job that any one of us would be doing, in the exact same way.'
Lance dropped his head, and Ed Johnson patted his back.
‘We got you, Lance.’
‘Thanks Ed. I need you over at the hospital, running a sweep. Canvas with the management, and get on top of the CCTV footage.’
Ed Johnson nodded. He was fit, and the youngest of the four, but he was the newest too, so he always appreciated the guidance. He seemed to tag along with Lindsay Dawn on most things, but that seemed regular. She served up wins.
‘Pete, I need you to do some door to door, out and about the neighbourhood. See did anyone notice anyone suspicious. Also, check the outskirts of the Park. I know it’s impossible to have gotten in from outside, but check anyway. Yeah?’
Pete nodded, and looked glum.
It was a terrible job to have given his best friend, but of late, Pete was distant and taking regular trips home to see his wife, to try and fix things. He was working part-time on a full-time salary, but Marshall knew, that even a part-timing Pete Brandt on your shoulder, was more than you needed.
‘Ok, let’s keep in contact, daily reports via email, and call me if anything turns up. We need to keep a record of everything, so I want detail in the daily reports. I have to get going to the media briefing.’
Marshall patted each of the team on the shoulder, and then got up and walked out, as the room burst into more chatter, cops eager to find out what part of the detail they were to get stuck with.
Officer Brian Tomlinson smiled as he had already been told, before this briefing had begun, who he was to shadow. He looked at the Detectives in the corner who had huddled in close and knew that he would not be in contact with any of those.
Detective Lance Marshall walked into a very different room, twenty-five seconds after walking out of his Police Briefing. The cosseted whispers were now accusatory shouts of inquiry.
‘Can you tell us anything about the body that was found this morning?’
‘Have you begun to investigate the death of Annie-Ann Richards yet?’
‘The Richards family have yet to hear from the lead detective who is investigating their daughter’s death. Is this acceptable practice?’
Chief Martin Edwards stepped towards the microphone in the small media briefing room. The Metro City Police Department badge was on posters across the back of the room and a large, black television camera was placed at the front of a small stage.
‘Please, please. The lead detective will answer your questions in turn, but first, the Mayor of Metro City, Edgbaston Tomlinson, will give a short statement on the events of the past twenty-four hours. Mayor.’
Mayor Tomlinson stepped forwards and nodded to a few journalists in particular. He was a small, large man, with a manicured moustache and slicked back brown to grey hair. He wore a pin stripe suit and he could have been fashioned by Al Capone.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen. It was with great sadness that I was told of the discovery of another body in Memorial Park this morning, and can I reassure the families of Metro City, that it is unfortunate that news has leaked and prevented us from informing the family of the identity of the second victim. I can only hope that the Detective in charge of investigating these horrible crimes, can be as fair to the great people of this city and bring the perpetrator to justice,’
Marshall thought back to all of the windows on the crime scene and how that it was now somehow his fault that the press had found out first.
‘We live in some very dark times, and there are some people out there, who do not care as much for human life as the rest of us, but believe me when I say it,’
Edgbaston looked into the camera.
‘We will bring the full resources of the Police Department to bear in our determination to find this killer. Thank you.’ He walked off, shaking the hands of the Chief but walking away, to the opposite side where Lance stood.
Marshall felt the division in the room like a crashing wave as The Chief announced him.
‘And now, to our lead Detective on the case who will take some questions, Detective Lance Marshall.’
It took a couple of moments for the exact feeling to dissipate as Lance awaited the questions to come forth.
‘Detective, are you Cop on Cop?’ A blonde woman, with an earnest look on her inquisitive face had stood up.
Cop on Cop was what the media had coined it.
‘I was the officer who was involved in that particular investigation, yes that is correct. Can we get a question about this particular case to please? Alex?' Lance asked,
‘Alex Roundtree, of Channel Seven,’
‘Why have the parents of Annie-Ann Richards not been spoken to as yet? They say that they have had no communication from the Police Department as to the motive for her murder.’
‘That is correct. And while the Police Department has been in contact with the Richards family as to regards certain details, no details of the case have been explained yet. It is an open investigation. Miranda?’
‘Miranda Dunne, of ABC Network,’
‘Will it be difficult to ask questions of other Cops when you had primarily targeted Cops on racketeering and shake-down charges in 2015?’
‘I will find no difficulty in asking anyone any questions concerning these murders, no.’
Mayor Edgbaston and Chief Edwards almost ran together to shut the conference down.
‘One last question, please,’ Miranda requested.
The bodies stepped back from the microphone, and Detective Marshall stepped forwards.
‘You have so many avenues from where to start the investigation. From where will you start and have you, anyone that you would like to speak to firstly?’
For a brief moment, before and after the answer, the room remained deathly quiet.
Before, the assembled journalists had hoped for an answer that would enable them to collect enough copy to run a short story on page 5.
‘I am going to ask questions of all available witnesses in the precinct of West and Lively.’
Lance answered, to a furor of camera flashes and follow-ups, which were never explained. The microphone was pulled from Detective Marshall, and the Mayor took control of the surge.
From the podium, Lance felt an arm pulling him down and away from the prying eyes of the media.
‘What kind of performance do you think that was? This is serious business, and there are lives at stake.’
The Chief was fuming.
‘Firstly Chief, I will run this investigation how I see fit, and that will include the next time that I take part in circuses like this one. Have your media briefings, but don’t include me, or I will burn you all.’
Lance pushed away and left Chief Edwards alone and seething with anger.
The Mayor calmed the crowd with some anecdotes and statistics about the lower levels of serious crime in Metro City over the last six months.
But the more experienced newshounds were not buying it. This murder investigation had become the only show in town.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Marshall looked down on a white piece of paper, which had ten names written on it in black pen. The ten names were of Officers who had been in the station house on the night that Annie-Ann Richards was murdered. He had interviewed three so far and got so much as an off the record, fuck you, from all three
, but number four would be different. The circumstances of the phone call he had just received from Lindsay Dawn at the crime scene would make sure of that.
‘Detective O’Riordan, continue, you were telling me about your whereabouts on the night before last.’
It had been the same and only question that he had asked of the previous three detectives, and he expected to hear the same answer. Things were different now, and Marshall was worried.
‘Cutbacks. We fill out some paperwork to make up some over-time, rather than spend it out on the streets getting shot at.’
O’Riordan was a big man, with a large chin, and a bent nose. He was what some had called, old school Cops, and as such, he reacted to things differently.
O’Riordan was right though, and the first item to have been cut was extra body armor for street patrols, so the patrols were staying in, until it was sorted out.
‘Detective O’Riordan.’ Lance paused and looked down at the list.
‘Spit it out Detective Marshall, you have been acting all funny since you took that call.’
It would have been wrong to keep it from him, just in case, for the aesthetics of the thing.
‘Do you know anyone by the name of Alan O’Riordan?’
Sean O’Riordan, the thirty-year veteran with Metro City Police Department sat and clenched his fists on the desk until they went completely white. He scowled, though he always scowled.
‘Say it,’
He had started to breathe ever more heavily, snorting in great lung full’s of air.
‘You fuckin’ say it.’ He demanded.
Lance imagined what the conversation had been over the breakfast table that very morning. He wondered had Sean's wife asked him to keep an eye out for their son. He imagined the experienced law-man looking in his son's room, believing that his not coming home that night was very much out of character for him.
‘Sean, your son’s ID was found in some undergrowth near to where the body was found this morning. Police on the scene have confirmed that the victim is a visual match for a picture ID that was in an Alan O’Riordan’s wallet.’
Marshall Law Page 6