by Giles Ekins
They came to the dunes, always they raced each other through the dunes, it was strength sapping work trying to run through steep soft sand and it was here that the bulldog Alan usually prevailed.
Without breaking stride they race through the dunes, up over from one hummock to another, then between two other sandy knolls with Alan just ahead, up another hummock, the sand kicking up beneath his feet as he strains to reach the top, Pete close on his heels. Alan stumbles as a thicker patch grass catches his toes, off balance he falls to his knees, Pete, close behind, too close, tries to hurdle Alan’s sprawling limbs but in turn catches his own feet against Alan’s flailing arm and tumbles headlong into a hollow.
And lands squarely on top of Sandra’s headless corpse.
I’ll not be able to sleep for a week, probably forever,’ Pete tells Dave Phillpot, a reporter from the ‘Skegness Standard’ the local weekly newspaper that is published on Wednesdays.
LOCAL GIRL FOUND MURDERED BY SKEGNESS BEACH.
Police have confirmed that the headless body found in the dunes yesterday morning is that of Sandra Worthington, 18, reported missing by her mother yesterday.
The police were alerted to the body by local residents Peter Emmerson, 24 and Alan Malcolm, 24, who dialed 999 after discovering the body whilst out running on the beach and dunes early yesterday.
The headless body was found in a shallow hollow, hidden from casual view but no further attempts had been made to hide the body by burial or other means.
‘We were running through the dunes as we do most times when training for the football season,’ Alan Malcolm told Standard reporter Dave Phillpot, ‘we ran up the side of this dune, I stumbled and Pete fell over me and into this sort of hollow and there she was. I have never seen anything like it in my life and I never want to ever again. It will haunt me forever, seeing that. ‘I thought it was bundle of old clothes at first, Pete Emmerson continued, ‘it was not until I got to my feet I could see it was a body. I was sick to my stomach; I’ll not be able to sleep for a week’
The body was fully clothed and lying on its side. She was wearing a blue sweater over navy skirt and white open toed shoes. One shoe was missing at the site, as was her handbag but both items were recovered by police as they searched the area .which has now been cordoned off whilst the police continue their investigation. The police are also tracing the calls made on Sandra’s mobile phone which was recovered from her handbag. One call in particular is of interest to the police as Superintendent Alistair Godfrey of the Lincolnshire police told reporters yesterday ‘At 10.53pm on Monday night Sandra Worthington made a call to her friend Christine Hayles, known as Chrissie, this call was interrupted and Sandra promised to call Chrissie back ‘in a minute’ That call was never made. Who interrupted Sandra when she was making that call? We know she was in the vicinity of Grand Parade and I appeal to members of public who were in the area to come forward if they saw or heard anything at about that time. This is a very important line of investigation.
A separate but related story in the ‘Skegness Standard’ carried an interview with Sandra’s parents. ‘I thought she was staying with Chrissie,’ Sandra’s distraught mother Susan told our reporter, ‘I never worried when Sandra was with Chrissie; she’s such a sensible girl. And Sandra’s daughter, Emily keeps crying for her Mummy, I don’t know what to tell her.’ Sandra’s mother went on to state that ‘They did not how they would be able to bury Sandra whilst her head remained uncounted for, ‘it just doesn’t seem right somehow,’ Who could do such a vile thing to my beautiful daughter?’ asked her father James, breaking down in tears.
The following day, the national newspapers all carried the story, mostly as front page news.
THIRTY
Barrow in Furness, North west England, three days after the Skegness show
‘I look inside myself and see my heart is black’
CHARLIE HAS THE ‘DAILY MAIL’ spread out on his bed in the Barrow in Furness Travelodge, which is, by some considerable distance, the least impressive accommodation that they have stayed in so far on the tour. The rooms might be clean and functional but are totally devoid of any character, even less so than most hotel rooms, there is not a single picture on the wall or toiletries in the bathroom, it is as welcoming as a prison cell. As for Charlie, the most serious deficiency of all was the lack of a bar and so he had made a visit to the local Tesco’s supermarket and stocked up well with his new best friend.
Under the headline ‘GROSS DISTORTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS LAW’ the main front page story of the ‘Daily Mail’ condemns the European Court of Human Rights for refusing to allow the deportation of a Somali illegal immigrant and serial rapist with terror group connections on the grounds that it would be in breach his human rights. his rights to a ‘family life’ in that he has fathered 4 children by 4 different women and although he has no contact with any of the children or their mothers and pays nothing towards their upkeep, in the eyes of the judges in Strasbourg this constitutes ‘family life’ and so entitles him to remain in England and live on benefits in free housing towards which he has contributed nothing. Never mind the human rights of the women he raped and are now too afraid to go out at night. And never mind the human rights of those people that his terror minded friends plan to blow up.
The second story on the front page has a photograph of Sandra Worthington taken two years ago and under the headline ’SECOND HEADLESS BODY FOUND!’ Turn to pages 4-5 and, carries the story about her murder and missing head and includes the quotes from Peter Emmerson, Alan Malcolm and Sandra’s mother.
Like all the other daily nationals, the ‘Mail’ was also quick to point out the similarities between this killing and that of Sheila Anne Dudley in Salford four months previously, two girls murdered in such a grisly fashion with their heads missing is just too coincidental. A joint statement by the Greater Manchester Police and the Lincolnshire Police stated that both forces agreed to cooperate and share information but that no definite link between the two killings could be established at this time.
Charlie feels distinctly uneasy as he reads the story of Sandra’s murder in the morning papers. He has no actual memory of killing her, even less so of cutting off her head, but there is something, something definitely evil lurking in the dark recesses of his mind. No matter what, he cannot shake that unease; it stalked his brain, scraped his bones and soured his blood. He knew in his guts, knew in his tormented mind, and knew in his pulsing blood that he knows something about the murder of Sandra Worthington. But what? It nagged at him like a toothache, persistent, demanding, ever present. It sat on him like a curse.
Selene had so effectively cleaned out his memory (this did not happen. You never saw this girl, you never met this girl, you understand me? This did not happen) that he could not even recall having been with the girl that night. But still it sat on him like a baleful imp gnawing at his innards.
The Skegness show had been a triumph but the rest of the tour now looked set to be a soured continuation of Billy Boy’s resentment of Charlie’s success despite attempts by Aidan Fitzpatrick, the tour manager to reconcile them, ‘not good for the morale of the tour if the two stars are at war,’ he pleaded. Billy Boy said there is only one star and told Aidan to go fuck himself and no longer talks to Charlie, which is just fine by him, although Billy Boy did issue a warning to Charlie to keep away from Alyson Wonder, with whom he seems to have taken up, poor cow. ’Y’all keep your dick in your pants around her, you hear, else I’ll cut the fucker off.’ he shouted back stage at the Barrow in Furness Forum during the pre-show sound checks the before storming off again. Charlie is singularly unimpressed,’ I’ll turn him into newt, he tries owt like that. Nobody fucks with the Great Santini. ’Hey, Billy Boy,’ he shouts after him, holding up his hand, palm facing inwards, all four fingers outstretched. ‘Pick a finger.’ But Billy Boy does not hear or chooses to ignore the riposte. ‘Fuck him.’
But despite the Skegness triumph, the elation from that show has oozed away
from Charlie like sand through an egg timer, leaving him empty and hollow and frustrated by his inability to come to grips with that insistent worm writhing in his brain whispering to him that he does know something about the murder of Sandra Worthington.
Charlie reads the story of the murder yet again, possibly the tenth time he has done so, trying to force his memory to give him some intimation, to succor him some relief from the torments raging through him. It is an itch he cannot scratch, a boil he cannot lance, a toothache for which he can find no balm.
Before that nights show, he had drunk heavily, something he had not done since the fiasco at Whitburn, a lifetime ago and the performance is uninspired, turgid, robotic and stilted. Nothing actually goes wrong with the act but there is no spark, no passion and his performance is flat, sullen, and unresponsive to the audience and for the first time on the tour he does not receive rapturous applause and a call back for a second or third bow. Dispirited he heads back to his dressing for another meeting with his best friend Jack. ’Why do I feel so fucked up?’ he asks desolately, staring at the paper and the photograph of Sandra Worthington again. In a burst of sudden rage he picks up the first few pages, screws them up into a ball and throws it at the waste paper bin, the wadded paper bounces off the bin and rolls back towards him, as if reluctant to leave him alone. ‘Fuck’ he shouted, aiming a kick at the ball. it hit the wall by the desk. And rolled back towards him again. ‘A mind of its fucking own, which is more than I’ve got these days.’ Taking another drink of bourbon, from a glass, even adding a splash of water, ‘sod it Billy Boy Boston,’ he thinks,’ I’ll be a pussy and drank from a glass if I want to, fucking Texas redneck.’
There is an insidious black snake writhing in his soul that no amount of bourbon can purge He slumps onto the bed and holds his head in his hands in forlorn despair.
He looks up as Selene joins him in the hotel room, ‘You seen this? he asks, picking up the newspaper ball and flattening it out and hands it to her to read. She quickly scans the lead story and hands the crumpled pages back to Charlie.
‘Yes, it is outrageous that this man, this rapist is allowed to stay in the country.’
‘Not that, you stupid bitch. This!’ stabbing his finger at the photograph of the murdered Sandra Worthington. ‘I know, in here’ tapping the side of his head with the same finger, ‘that I have had something to do with this girl, this…this killing. You know what is going on, don’t you, you and Tchort, so tell me, tell me, it’s driving me fucking insane.’
Selene studies him intently and can see that Charlie is close to cracking up ‘Not yet Charlie, the time has not yet come.’ She realises that she has made a mistake; she has wiped Charlie’s memory too thoroughly. It is obvious that Sandra Worthington would have been seen at the stage door of the Skegness Embassy theatre, may have been seen backstage, even been noticed entering or leaving their dressing room and the police will soon become aware of this as they trace her movements as part of the investigation into her killing and eventually get round to questioning Charlie, if he denies seeing or meeting her it will arouse immediate suspicion. She must therefore re-programme his memory.
Selene squats down before Charlie lifts his chin up and locks her eyes into his, ensorcelled him again and brought him under her control and slowly, meticulously re-builds his memories of that night. How she had brought in the girl, how Sandra looked and what she wore. ‘Charlie, this is Sandra, she wants to see you. What they said. ‘I’m Charlie.’ ‘Actually I came to see Billy Boy, din’t know he was this old guy, I don’t go with old guys, don’t seem right somehow.’ How an older groupie got in to see Billy Boy Boston ‘Some old biddy with saggy tits’ ‘Probably somebody he fucked here thirty years ago, first time around.’ Sandra picking up Selene’s stage dress. ‘You cut that girl’s head off on stage. You don’t do it for real do you; it’s just lighting and that.’ ‘Aye, lass, just lighting, smoke and mirrors’ Slowly, Selene re-plants all the details, the important and the insignificant of what took place that night, of what was spoken and what was thought. The specifics of Sandra’s session with the band ‘Nausea, drinking from the bottle of Jack Daniel’s, the fact she has no job, Emily her daughter and finally the sex. ‘That’s all, Charlie, she came to the dressing room, you talked a bit and then you fucked her. Afterwards, she got dressed and left. You did not see her again. After she left you went back to the hotel. You are sorry to hear about her death but you had nothing to do with it. Nothing.’
At that she brought Charlie back from the dark depths, handed him his drink and carried on as if she had just that minute walked in the room. ‘You seen this,’ he asks. ‘Yes, it’s terrible,’ she answered, ‘who could do a thing like that, it’s barbaric?’
No headless bodies turned up in Barrow in Furness and nobody went missing while the tour was in town.
THIRTY-ONE
The Billy Boy Boston tour continues
His dreams are vivid in intensity but indistinct and feverish, black and blood red, swirling colours without form but greatly disturbing nonetheless.
THE BILLY BOY BOSTON TOUR CONTINUED on its ill-tempered way, speeding down the M6 and then the M1 the 240 miles from Barrow in Furness to their next destination, Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, a soulless, featureless concrete and glass new town some 70 miles north of London. Alyson Wonder had by now realised that Billy Boy was an egotistical prick and has since moved on. Billy Boy is still not talking to Charlie or indeed anyone else.
In fact, Billy Boy now longer travels in the tour coach, in order to reinforce his status as the ‘headliner’ on the bill, he hires a limo to take him from venue to venue, to travel in a style he thinks his status as a ‘star’ entitles him. Charlie prefers the coach; he takes the entire back seat and stretches out to sleep or to drink. Selene, she still travels independently, be it by Satanmobile or other devilish means, whatever, at every venue she is there waiting for the tour to arrive.
Without knowing why, Charlie felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest and the Milton Keynes performance was one of the best, Charlie felt electric, commanding, the show all but perfect.
Next stop Llandudno, a popular seaside resort in North Wales 200 miles from Milton Keynes. The show at the Llandudno Venue Cymru was also good, not as good as Milton Keynes but good enough although Charlie felt exhausted at the end. He has not been sleeping well of late despite copious draughts of JD, his dreams are vivid in intensity but indistinct and feverish, black and blood red, swirling colours without form but greatly disturbing nonetheless.
That same night, 28 years old Miriam Adebayo, a nurse working at the Llandudno General Hospital went missing. By the time her headless body was found, the Billy Boy Boston tour was well on its less than merry way down to the south coast town of Folkstone, another long drive.
Miriam, the daughter of a Nigerian father and an English mother was working on night shift in the Aberconwy Ward, the care of the Elderly Ward, she would have preferred to be working with children rather than the elderly but it was all good experience. She left the apartment she shared with three other nurses but did not arrive at the hospital but as she had not been feeling well the night before, Bethany Morgan the ward sister assumed she was sick and although surprised she had not rung in, gave it no further mind, the ward was quiet and they were able to cope without any difficulty. Miriam’s flat mates were on day shift and so no alarms were raised until the evening when it became apparent she had gone missing. The police were informed but they advised that until Miriam had been missing for at least 24 hours she could not be considered as missing and did nothing other than log the call.
The Great Orme at Llandudno is a spectacular coastal headland just half a mile from the town with rugged scenery and breath taking views across the bay and Conway Estuary. A cable car runs from the Happy Valley in Llandudno up to the summit and as the yellow cable car swung its way up the Orme, 6 year old Jamie Lancaster pointed out what he thought was a lady sleeping in the grass. Horrified
at what she could see, Mary Lancaster pulled him to her and pressed his face into her chest so that he could see nothing else and realise exactly what it was he had seen. At the Summit Complex she got a member of the staff to report to the police that she had seen what she believed to be a body of a woman on the slopes of the Great Orme.
The discovery of a third headless body, so soon after the Skegness killing could not be ignored, a head taking serial killer was on the loose.
THIRTY-TWO
The ‘Task Force Salford’ Incident Room, Greater Manchester Police Headquarters
‘Aye, some shit hot DCS from the Yard showing us country plods how to do our jobs, get hisself another notch up the greasy pole of promotion, oi reckon.’
DETECTIVE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT DAVID-SON KELLICK strode into the incident room and surveyed the assembled police officers, mostly detectives drawn together from the various police forces investigating the murders of Sheila Anne Dudley in Salford, Sandra Worthington in Skegness and most recently Miriam Adebayo in Llandudno. There were CID detectives from F Division in Salford augmented by officers from the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Serious Crime Division who were investigating Sheila Anne Dudley’s killing, CID detectives from the Coast and Wold Division of the Lincolnshire police together with specialist serious crime officers from Lincolnshire police headquarters at Nettleham in Lincoln investigating the Sandra Worthington murder and detectives from the North Wales police responding to the killing of Miriam Adebayo together with uniformed officers who would be responsible for taking calls from the public and other administrative duties.