Saffina Desforges' ROSE RED Crime Thriller Boxed Set

by Saffina Desforges

  “Why indeed,” Pippa said. “Instead of leaving my poor child –”

  “Pippa. Shut it.”

  Pippa clammed shut. Deimante looked across, tearfully apologetic.

  “I know I should have told you first, Miss Pippa, and I tried to call you. The two of you. But both your phones were off. Of course you were at work. I know I should have left a message, but I thought it better to tell you direct. I took my bag and drove out of London, stopping at the services on the M20 to try call you again. To let you know about collecting Ruby from school.” Deimante looked to Pippa. “Ruby was okay?”

  “She was fine, Dei. Just fine.” Red’s glare dared Pippa to challenge the assertion. To Deimante, “Go on.”

  Deimante tried to find the words, but none would come. She looked at Pippa and burst into tears.

  Red wrapped a comforting arm around her. “Take it easy, Dei. Just tell us what happened.”

  Through her tears Deimante said, “I looked in my bag for my phone. Not there. I was so worried that I had rushed out and left it on the table at home. I thought about going back, but I was already half way to Dover. If I went back to London I would hit the traffic coming out.” To Pippa, “I’m sorry, Miss Pippa, I had to get back to Mama.”

  Pippa’s frown lightened. “That’s okay. So when you got back to... To wherever it is, what happened then?”

  “I bought another phone in the ferry’s duty-free shop, but of course I did not have your numbers. They were on the old phone. Later I tried to contact you. I looked for lawyers on the internet, but there are so many in London, and no Philippa Crichton-Ward.”

  Pippa nodded sympathetically. “No, of course not. Individual barristers aren’t listed by name, just the Chambers.”

  “So I tried to contact Miss Cass, but I did not even know your last name. I only know you as Cass or Red. I could hardly telephone the London Police with just a first name. I’m so sorry.”

  “Forget that,” Red urged. “It’s history. Done and dusted. What about you sister, Aur... What’s was her name again?”

  “Aurelija. I arrived home to find Mama and my family so distressed. The Vilnius police had been told, of course, but we all knew what had happened.”

  Pippa leaned forward, almost dropping her half-empty coffee cup. “And? Deimante, what had happened?”

  Deimante drew a huge breath. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. “They’ve taken her.”

  “Who? Who’s taken her?”

  “Them. They’ve kidnapped Aurelija. I will never see her again.”

  Deimante descended into uncontrollable tears. Red pulled the girl to her. “That’s enough for now, Dei. Just... Just get it out of your system.” Red looked across at Pippa. An expression of helplessness on her face.

  “Cass? Is this making any sense to you?”

  Red nodded slowly. “Yes, Counsellor. A lot of sense.”

  Chapter 114.

  “Okay, another weekend gone and we’re no closer to solving this case.” Red surveyed the briefing room. “Are we out of our depth? Do I need to tell the Super we can’t crack this?”

  “Course not, Guv,” Taylor said. “We’re just getting warmed up. Me and Mac have got the whole week planned out. At least, we had, as of Friday. Where the bloody hell is he anyway?”

  “Family emergency,” Red said. “His mother fell and broke her hip. He’s gone to hospital with her. He’ll be back in this afternoon.”

  “Suits me, Guv, I can work with Tex’ this morning. Give her the benefit of my experience.”

  “Lest you hadn’t noticed, Barry, Terri is not here either. She’s running some background checks for me on another matter. She won’t be in at all today.”

  Taylor’s eyes ran round the room. “Guess I’m on my own, then.”

  “Not quite. I’ve got some CCTV footage to finish viewing. You’ve just kindly volunteered.”

  “Nice one, Guv!” Harris beamed. “Make sure you work hard for the guv, Bazza.”

  Lee Roberts stamped his feet in appreciation. Anna couldn’t help but laugh. Pete Metcalf adopted an aloof expression, but couldn’t hide the smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. There was no smile from Taylor.

  “Okay,” Red said. “Let’s look busy. Barry, the discs are on my desk. There’s a note in the sleeve showing where we’d got to. Make a start. I just need to have a quick word with the Super, then I’ll join you.”

  Chapter 115.

  “Why in heaven’s name didn’t you tell me this yesterday?”

  “It was Sunday, Sir. I didn’t see any point in disturbing you. It’s not as if we could have done anything.”

  Superintendent Blake turned the envelope over and over in his hand. “What does he mean by it. It’s just an empty envelope. Are you quite sure there was nothing in it?”

  “Of course I’m bloody…” Red stopped herself. “Sorry. Yes, Sir, quite sure. That’s just as it came.”

  “Slipped under your office door.”

  “Yes, Sir. My thinking is whoever delivered this expected my office to be empty. He probably would have left it on my desk, given the chance.”

  “Like last time.”

  “Exactly, Sir.”

  “But no-one came in through Reception, you say. At least, not while you were here. Cass, is it possible you just stepped over this when you came in? Easily done. Your mind was on other things. The envelope could have been there since Saturday or even Friday.”

  “Quite sure, Sir. There’s no way both of us would have missed it.”

  “Both of you?”

  Red shifted in her seat. “Terri Miller was here with me, Sir. We were brainstorming the case. Thought the seclusion of the Station on a Sunday might trigger something.”

  Blake nodded his approval. “That girl will go far. I’ll let Cedric know she’s more than pulling her weight. He’ll be very pleased.”

  “I’m sure he will, Sir. Terri is an asset to the team. To the Station.”

  Blake’s mind had already wandered back to the matter at hand. “Okay, three questions.” Blake ticked them off on his fingers. “One, why an empty envelope? Two, how does it get delivered? Three, is whoever delivers it in direct contact with the Huntsman?”

  “The first one is pretty straight-forward, Sir,” Red said. “I know Nathan. I know the way his mind works. This was just a taunt. When we were kids he used to send letters to himself, so as to look big when the postman arrived. Just envelopes, addressed to himself, with a pound note inside. He used to joke they were tokens of appreciation from his adoring public. But it was the same pound note doing the rounds, over and over.”

  “Okay. It takes all sorts. But why send you an empty one?”

  “One day I sent myself a letter, just to wind him up. I had no money of my own. Not even an old pound note. But I sent it anyway. Of course, he recognized my handwriting and ripped it open in front of the postman, to humiliate me.”

  “Charming fellow.”

  “Your second question I can also answer, Sir. After Terri left I sat here a while pondering how the hell the letter could have been delivered. Then it came to me. He didn’t come in the front way at all. He came in the back gate, and gained access through the custody suite.”

  Blake clicked his fingers. “Of course. Which means it has to be an officer. Admin aren’t permitted access through custody. Farmer, do you think?”

  Red smiled. “Not think, Sir. I went down and asked if anyone had come through. The duty sergeant said yes, it was one of your lot, meaning CID, obviously. He’d been busy, so hadn’t taken any real notice. If someone gets through the secure gate and the secure door then naturally you assume they are legitimately here.”

  “We’ll have Farmer’s photo on file. The duty sergeant might be able to positively ID him.”

  Red prepared to deliver her piece de resistance. “No need, Sir,” she said smugly. “Custody is the one area of the Station under twenty-four hour CCTV scrutiny. I ran the tapes first thing this morning. And there’s Joe F
armer, bold as brass, walking through with an envelope in his hand.”

  Chapter 116.

  Red savoured the moment. Short of delivering the murder suspect, nailing a bent copper was the best thing she could think of to get back in Blake’s good books. Nailing a bent copper that was in cahoots with a cop-killer and escaped prisoner was just too good for words.

  “I’ll need to speak to the Chief Super and the DAC, Cass,” Blake said slowly, his mind processing the options like a well-oiled machine. “If we go for the arrest I’ll make sure you have the pleasure.”

  “If, Sir?”

  “When, then,” Blake said. “Obviously we have enough to bring him in now, but my thoughts are we put him under surveillance and hope he leads us to the Huntsman. Obviously the Huntsman must have been in contact with Farmer since the escape, to arrange this latest stunt with the empty envelope. I can’t see any problem getting full surveillance in the circumstances.”

  Red nodded her understanding. “I would imagine Nathan uses a pay as you go phone to call Farmer, and Farmer has one too to receive calls from him. Untraceable.”

  “We can but try. Cass. And another thing, If we–” Blake’s desk phone shrilled. “Excuse me.” Into the receiver, “Blake speaking… Yes… When? Where?”

  Red watched the Super jot down an address on a notepad. He finished the call, ripped the sheet off and passed it across the desk, his face sombre.

  “Another victim.” Blake took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. “The press are going to play merry hell with this. By any measure, this must now count as a serial killer.” Blake glanced down at the envelope still in his hand. “You shoot there immediately, Cass. I’m going to have to drop this in with Cedric and explain the Farmer situation. Then I’ll join you. Hopefully you can get there before SOCO.”

  “You’ll be attending the crime scene, Sir?”

  “I’m thinking if we do an impromptu press conference before the media start making up their own headlines we might be able to keep control of things.”

  Chapter 117.

  “I’ve always wanted to do this, Guv.” Taylor pulled disposable covers over his shoes.

  “You’ve not been to a crime scene before?”

  “Not like this. They say most British cops will only see one murder victim in their career. This will be my third. But my first serial killer.”

  “Don’t ever let me hear you use that word in public, Barry. The media don’t need any help from us to cause a mass panic.”

  Taylor grinned his toothy smile. “I’m looking forward to being first on site, too. Actually seeing the blood and everything, before forensics mess it up, not just the holiday snaps back in the briefing room. I think it helps to get inside the killer’s mind. You can tell so much from being there.”

  Red let go a deep sigh. “Been reading Patricia Cornwell again, Barry?”

  “CSI: Battersea, that’s us, Guv.”

  “In your dreams. If all that crap on telly worked in real life there wouldn’t be a single villain left on the streets.” She turned to the officer standing guard at the door. “Right, Mike?”

  “Hate the bloody programme,” the officer said. “The public take it all in like it’s for real, and then expect us to magic results out of thin air.”

  “How long till SOCO arrive?”

  “ETA fifteen minutes, Ma’am. Stuck in traffic. Only Dr. Thewliss here so far.”

  “Well, we can’t wait any longer. Barry and I are going to take a quick look round, and speak to Thewliss. Just to confirm it’s the same MO as before. Then we can get out of your way and let you do your job.”

  “My job is to isolate the crime scene, Ma’am,” Mike said nervously.

  “I didn’t get to be DCI by contaminating crime scenes. Thewliss has already gone through, I presume?”

  Mike nodded ruefully. “He said he couldn’t wait forever.”

  “Exactly,” Red agreed. “Neither can we. Barry, if you’re ready. But remember, look, don’t touch.”

  Taylor glared at Red. “I’m not a rank amateur like Jezza, Guv. Show some faith.”

  “I brought you here, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, but only coz no-one else was available.”

  “Barry, you know I’d love to partner with you more often,” Red lied. “We make a good team, me and you. Like Starsky and Hutch.”

  A smile briefly lit Taylor’s face. “When I was a kid our neighbour had an Escort Mk 2 painted like the Starsky and Hutch Gran Torino. Ace, it was. Of course, we’re more Cagney and Lacey now,” Taylor continued. “You know, with you being…”

  “That will do, thank you. Now keep as close to my footsteps as you can, and don’t touch anything.” Red ducked under the Police-tape cordon and took the few steps down the corridor to Room 13.

  “Nice place,” Taylor said, casting an eye over the peeling wallpaper and stained ceiling. “You can tell a lot about a victim by the hotel they die in.”

  The door was part-way open. Red edged round it, avoiding contact. Taylor followed behind and pushed it wide.

  “Barry! For God’s sake. Don’t touch!”

  “But I’ve got gloves on.”

  “You can still smudge existing prints. Didn’t they teach you anything at Hendon?”

  “Okay, don’t get your knickers in a…” Taylor’s voice trailed as his eyes fell on the body splayed theatrically across the single bed. A hand shot to his mouth. His eyes were drawn like magnets to the mutilated genitalia, then up the mouth, obscured by the taut polythene bag over the victim’s head.

  “Are you okay, officer?”

  Taylor swayed on his feet, turning slowly to see Dr. David Thewliss staring at him.

  “I’m fine,” Taylor lied.

  “Do you need some air, Barry?” Red asked. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”

  Taylor puffed up his chest. “I’m fine, Guv.” His eyes went anywhere except back to the corpse. “Things like that don’t bother me none.”

  Red and Thewliss exchanged a smile. Red said, “Then make yourself useful and have a look around the room while I talk to Dr. Thewliss. And don’t touch anything.”

  Taylor gratefully seized the opt-out. “Don’t worry about me. You and the doc do your bit with John Doe and I’ll find the clues to nail the bastard that did it.”

  “John Doe?” Thewliss asked.

  “Too many American serial killer books,” Red whispered. To Taylor, “Eyes only, Barry.” To Thewliss, “Why is it whenever you and I meet there’s always a body?”

  Thewliss looked rueful. “That’s life. Any idea why this one was reported so late in the day? He’s been dead at least eight hours.”

  “The cleaner said there was a Do Not Disturb notice on the door, so it got left ’til last.”

  “Well at least she didn’t touch anything. Unlike your man there.”

  Red swung round. “Barry!”

  Taylor was on his knees peering under a low table. He jumped up, affecting an air of innocence. “Just seeing what was under here, Guv.”

  “Well do it standing up. Your filthy knees will contaminate the scene. I want those trousers off and bagged up as soon as you get back to the station.”

  Taylor grinned. “Good try, Guv, but I don’t take my kit off on a first date. Not even for you.”

  “I think, Officer,” Dr. Thewliss said, “Chief Inspector Rose has in mind that fibres from your trousers will now be on the carpet. Forensics will need a sample from them to eliminate your contamination from any genuine evidence that may have been left by the perpetrator of this crime.”

  Taylor stared at Thewliss. “Seriously?” To Red, “Maybe there is something to that CSI thing after all, Guv.”

  Red raised her eyebrows to the ceiling. “Give me strength.” To Taylor, “Carry on, constable.”

  Thewliss smiled condescendingly. “I was thinking exactly the same thing. Sid James has nothing on your man.”

  Red squirmed with embarrassment. “Would you believe he’s been commended
?” she offered lamely. “Anyway, time of death?”

  “Somewhere between midnight and 0600. I’ll know more when I’ve done the rectal. But we need him photographed before I turn him over.” Thewliss leaned in, and whispered, “Your man. What was he commended for, exactly?”

  Red spun round.

  “Barry!” She watched in disbelief as Taylor picked up a handkerchief from the floor.

  “Sorry,” Taylor muttered. “I think I’ve got a cold coming on.”

  Red shot a look of exasperation at Thewliss. Then a daggers glare at Taylor. “Barry, just go and wait outside, for God’s sake. And put that hanky in an evidence bag for forensics.”

  Taylor gave Red a mystifyingly smug grin. “Yes, Guv.”

  Red felt her anger building. “I can trust you to do that, can I?”

  “Course you can, Guv. I’m not just out of nappies you know.”

  “Whatever you’re into, Barry. I saw that episode of Jerry Springer, too.”

  Taylor ambled off out of the door without responding. Red was convinced the smug smile had got even smugger.

  Chapter 118.

  Red pulled away just as Superintendent Blake was arriving.

  “That was a narrow escape,” Red said.

  Taylor didn’t respond.

  “The last thing I want is being splashed across the papers again,” Red continued. She glanced across at Taylor. “You okay, Barry? You look a bit pale. Hardly surprising after what you just saw. I nearly threw up myself, the first time.”

  Taylor looked up, his eyes glazed. “It’s not that, Guv, its…” His voice trailed to silence. He stared out of the window

  Red waited patiently for the response, then, “Barry?”

  Taylor turned to her. “I’m not feeling so good, Guv. I know it’s bad timing an’ all, what with a new murder, but do you think you could drop me at the next tube station? I need to get home and clear my head.”