by M A Comley
She and Bob exited the car and crossed the farmyard. A young man in his twenties was staring ahead of him, apparently in some kind of daze. Sam tapped on the window, and he jumped and placed a hand on his chest as if to steady his heart. He lowered the window. “Hi, lost in a world of my own, sorry.”
“Are you okay?” Sam asked, concerned by his ashen colour and his jumpy demeanour.
He nodded briefly and then shook his head. “Yes, I mean no, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again. They were lying there…” His voice drifted off and he gulped noisily.
“Are you up to telling us what you found? I don’t want to push you if you’d rather leave it for now. Saying that, the sooner we get to hear the details, the quicker we can get on with our investigation.”
“I get that. I’ll try. I still feel sick. I have a confession to make.”
Sam tilted her head. “What’s that?”
He pointed at the front of the house. “Over there, by the window, I puked. I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I never expected to find them, not in that state. I only went in there because I saw the door open.”
“The front door?”
“Yes.”
“Sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
“It’s AJ, Alan Jobbs, they call me AJ for short.”
“Good to meet you, AJ. Please, we can do this in your own time, there’s no need to rush, okay?”
AJ nodded. “The door was open, I called out, worried about Brenda, you know, after her husband went missing.” He ran a hand over his face and around the back of his neck. “I never thought I’d ever stumble across a dead body, let alone two of them. It was grotesque. Those poor women. They didn’t deserve to die that way.”
“We’ve yet to get in the house. We’re going to need to wait to get the go-ahead on that one from the SOCO team. If it’s not too traumatic for you, can you tell us what you saw?”
“I saw Brenda and a younger woman. They were lying on the floor in the lounge, blood everywhere. I paused and couldn’t stop staring at them. I don’t think I’ll ever rid myself of that image, ever.”
“Sorry to push you, but what kind of injuries did they sustain? Could you tell?”
AJ looked up at her, his eyes watering, and he said in a whisper, “They both had their throats cut.”
Sam closed her eyes for an instant and let out the breath she’d been holding in. “Jesus. I’m so sorry you had to see that. It must have been very distressing for you.”
“It was. But those two women have lost their lives, so in the grand scheme of things, what I’m feeling is insignificant.”
“It’s still disturbing to stumble across a murder scene, if that’s what it is.”
“What are you saying? That you think they committed suicide?”
“I’m not prepared to rule anything out at this stage, we can’t do that until the pathologist has given us his thoughts on how the victims died.” She scanned the area and then asked, “What time did you enter the house?”
“It was coming up to nine-fifteen, sometime around then.”
“And did you see anyone around here? Or did you perhaps drive past anyone on the road approaching the farm around that time?”
“No, only the usual tractor here and there, as the farmers tend to their animals in the fields. You think this happened this morning?”
Sam shrugged. “Again, we won’t know that until the pathologist has had a look at the victims. Are you the regular postman on this round?”
“Yes, that’s right. I was given this route about three years ago.”
“Am I right in thinking you were the one who discovered Tom Douglas’s body a few days ago?”
“Yes, that’s right. I wish I hadn’t. Now this. Not been my week, has it?” His head dipped onto his chest. “I’ve never had to deal with this kind of thing before. I’d only just got over finding Tom’s body and now Brenda has been killed as well. Who would do such a thing and why haven’t you found the person yet? Sorry to fling an accusation at you. But… bloody hell! That’s three dead bodies I’ve found in less than a week. More than I’ve ever discovered in my twenty-eight years on this bloody earth. Hard to take, as you can imagine.”
“As I’ve said already, all this must have been very traumatic for you. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this. We’re going to need another statement from you, when you’re up to giving us one.”
“I can do that this evening, will you send a copper around to see me, like last time? Or do you want me to come to the station?”
“No, the last thing we want to do is put you out. What about six-thirty this evening, how does that sound?”
“Yes, I’ll have eaten my dinner by then. Can I go now?”
She nodded and raised a finger. “Of course. A word of caution, if I may.”
“Sure, what’s that?”
“Please don’t discuss what you’ve seen here today with your colleagues, obviously your superior will need to know.”
“You have my word on that. I wouldn’t put anyone through what I’ve just witnessed.”
“And one last thing, try to put the images out of your mind, at least while you’re driving.”
“I’ll try. It’s going to be difficult though.”
“I know. Thanks for speaking with us. We’ve got your address back at the station. I’ll tell them to slot you in for this evening. I just want to add my thanks to you for assisting us with our enquiries.”
“I’d say it was my pleasure, but I’d be lying. Can you answer me one thing before I leave?”
“If I can, yes.” Sam smiled at him.
“Any news on Brenda’s husband yet? David, he’s a lovely man, always very chatty and welcoming whenever I pull into the drive.”
Sam cleared her throat. “It’s not common knowledge yet, but sadly, David Chatley’s body was discovered yesterday. We came to inform Brenda yesterday afternoon. She called for her daughter to be here with her, and now it would seem, they’ve both lost their lives as well.”
AJ gasped and shook his head. “Fuck! Why?”
“We’ve yet to establish those facts. Can I ask you to keep your eyes peeled for anything going on in the area? Anyone hanging around, a strange vehicle, a car parked where it shouldn’t be. That sort of thing.” Sam fished a card out of her pocket and gave it to him. “Ring me straight away if you see anything you deem worthy of my attention.”
“I’ll definitely keep my eyes and ears open, if only for my benefit; I don’t want to get caught up in the type of shit that’s going on out here. It’s obvious something is going on, isn’t it?”
“You’re a very wise man. Remain alert at all times and you should be fine. Ring me if you have any concerns, okay?”
“I’ll definitely do that. I have to ask, do you have any thoughts yet on who the person you’re looking for is yet?”
“We have a few leads,” Sam said, telling him an untruth.
“Good to know. Is it all right if I go now?”
“Of course. Thanks for doing the right thing and calling us.”
He smiled, nodding, and started up his engine.
They watched him leave the farmyard. “Poor bloke. I bet he has a few nightmares to tackle this week.”
“Yep, I bet. Right, let’s see if Des is ready for us yet.”
They went back to Des and his team. “How did it go?” he asked.
“It went. He was a little shaken up, that’s three victims he’s discovered this week, bless him.”
Des clicked his fingers and tutted. “Of course it is, I forgot about the first victim. They say things happen in threes.”
Sam stared at him in disbelief. “What the fuck? Did you just utter those words?”
Des cringed. “Aye, I did. Am I forgiven?”
“It depends on whether you get the reports to me quickly or not.”
“I’ll do my best, as always. Okay, enough of this triviality, do you want to walk the scene with me?”
“I take it you h
aven’t been inside yet?”
“That’s a negative. You and Bob will need to get suited up. I’m nearly ready, just need to organise my assistant, make sure she’s got the right equipment to hand.”
“Be gentle with her. I’ve heard how you speak to Vanessa sometimes.”
He slapped a gloved hand to his chest. “What are you insinuating? That I’m a grouch with my team?”
She grinned, baring her polished white teeth at him. “If the cap fits, maybe it’s just the women on your team you have a hot temper with.”
His head craned forward. “Do you realise how sexist that remark was, Inspector Cobbs?”
“About as sexist as your attitude to your female colleagues, I would say.”
He grumbled something under his breath and retrieved two suits from the back of his van. Flinging them at Sam and Bob, he shook his head and muttered, “Never in my wildest dreams would I ever treat a female colleague differently. I’m gutted, nay, mortified that the thought should even enter your head.”
“I was joking, winding you up. Sort of. I have witnessed your harsh tone when in conversation with Vanessa, though. Maybe something you should be aware of going forward.”
“Only because I lose patience with her some days.”
“There, see, you’ve come right out and admitted it.”
Des pulled a face at her. “Has your lecture finished now? Only we really should be getting on.”
The banter she used with Des at a scene helped them deal with the atrocious crimes they had to contend with. If coppers didn’t have that relief some days, their nerves would be on edge twenty-four-seven.
Throwing on the suit, Sam glared at Des who folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. “We’re almost there.”
Bob chuckled and she dug him in the ribs. “Don’t you start. I’ve got enough dealing with his smart mouth and snarky looks at present, without you getting in on the action.”
Her partner smirked and took a step back. “Keep me out of it.”
“Right, let’s get back to work. Game faces on, peeps, we’re going in.” Des strutted ahead of them. Sam was the next to enter the house and Bob brought up the rear.
The door to the lounge was open, and Des’s frame did an excellent job of blocking the view until he stepped to one side. Sam’s gaze was drawn to the two women positioned on the floor. One of them sat upright, leaning against the sofa, and the other, Brenda, was lying across the younger woman’s legs. “What the fuck? The killer has staged them?” Sam took in the state of the room, surrounding the women. It looked like a tornado had swept through and left its mark.
“So it would appear. Bloody hell!” Des took a step closer to the bodies, to study each of them properly.
“It’s abhorrent. If there’s only one perpetrator, it means that they killed one and forced the other to watch,” Sam surmised with a shudder of discontent.
“Don’t say that,” Bob replied. He shifted around the room to have a more close-up view of the victims and from another angle.
“I fear you’re correct, Sam. Although it grieves me to say it. Either way, both women suffered a great deal before they died,” Des confirmed.
Sam inched forward and noticed the other wounds on the women’s faces and hands, rather than just the gaping hole in their necks. “Defence wounds on each of them. Possible DNA?”
Des shuffled into a crouch next to the victims and picked up each of their hands to examine. “I should think there is a fair chance of that. Let’s hope so.”
Something struck Sam. “Do you mind if I go upstairs, take a look around up there?”
Des stood and inclined his head. “Searching for anything in particular?”
“I just need to satisfy a hunch I’ve got.”
Des motioned for her to go ahead and she tore out of the room and up the stairs to the main bedroom. The room was in a mess, just like the lounge. The quilt had been turned back, as if someone had folded it back to take a look under the bed and left it there. However, the thing that really caught her eye was the wardrobe door. It was open. Sensing what she might find, she approached the old-fashioned wardrobe and peered inside. As suspected, the secret compartment was open. “Shit!”
“What’s up?” Bob startled her from the doorway.
“My guess is, whoever killed them was after what we took in as evidence.”
“No, don’t tell me that. Fuck! And you’re standing here doubting yourself? Whether you did the right thing or not?”
She turned on the spot to face him and snapped, “Yes. Aren’t you?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m sorry. You did everything by the book. Look at it this way, if the money and medals hadn’t been taken in by us, they would now be missing, right? And you think those two ladies down there would have still been alive to tell the tale?”
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Bob was right. No matter how she assessed it, it was a no-win situation. Which annoyed the hell out of her. “Our mission needs to be to find out what those medals are worth.”
“It shouldn’t be too difficult. Want me to get the ball rolling? Ring Alex, get him on the case?”
“Yes, you do that.” Sam walked past her partner and back down the stairs.
“By the look of devastation on your face, I’m taking it you found something up there, did you?”
“Yes. The secret compartment in the wardrobe was empty. We came here yesterday to gather Tom Douglas’s belongings, some World War One medals and a bundle of cash. Brenda showed us where she kept them for safekeeping, in a compartment inside the wardrobe. The perp must have lost patience after killing David and not finding out where the items were kept.” Her brow furrowed and she pointed at Des. “Unless, he gave up the information before he was killed and the perp came here, knowing the medals and cash were here. Maybe they tortured the women to get the truth out of them. Possibly tortured the daughter first to force Brenda into telling them. He got frustrated when Brenda eventually broke down and told them where the hiding place was and found it empty, the perp came back down here and killed them, their anger building to a crescendo.”
Des’s expression changed throughout her possible account of the crime, from thoughtful to sad, to shaking his head in disbelief. “Possibly. Either way, the women suffered an horrendous death.”
They both stared down at the two victims. Sam’s heart sank into her stomach. What if the chief hadn’t told me to take the items in as evidence? Would Brenda and her daughter still be alive today?
Who is the killer? Did they know Tom, David and Brenda? Or are they a chancer? I find that hard to believe.
Des tapped her on the shoulder to gain her attention. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“Lots. Too much. At the moment, I have far too many questions floating around than answers. How many more people are going to lose their lives? I feel guilty for not putting a team here, to protect Brenda; I had an officer here while her husband was missing, but she ordered me to tell her to leave. Foolish woman. I can’t help thinking that had an officer remained on site, maybe the two women would still be alive to tell us what happened here.”
“Stop it! You can’t, no, you mustn’t go blaming yourself for something that was way out of your control, Sam. What use is that going to do you in the end?”
She shrugged and tears bulged. Sam swiped them away before Bob saw her tears as weakness. She stared at Des, unsure what to say in response; nothing was going to make her feel better about the situation which could possibly have been averted, if she was on her game. This whole investigation had been a stressful one which had culminated in four deaths now, and still, they were nowhere near finding out the truth about the perp. She forced a smile. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I’m one of life’s survivors.”
“I have no doubt that’s true; however, blaming yourself for something that was totally out of your hands is only going to destroy your spirit, I assure you.”
“I know. I’m going to try not to
burden myself further with that, I promise. Have you had time to assess their injuries? I see you’ve placed bags over their hands.”
“Yes, if there is any DNA to be had, my team will find it. I’m hopeful on that count.”
Sam nodded and smiled, suddenly feeling more hopeful about the situation. “That’s great news. Maybe the perp took one life too many and just led us to his front door.”
Des held up a warning finger. “Only if his DNA is registered on our system, right?”
“Yeah, that’s true enough. However, if in the meantime we discover who the perp might be, we’ll have his DNA to put a nail in his coffin.”
“You will. Right, is there anything else you need to discuss for now?”
“Nope, I don’t think so. Bob and I will head back to the station. I think it’ll be a waste of time hanging around here, questioning the neighbours. I’ll get uniform on that when I return to base.”
“Yes, that sounds like a good idea to me. The killer would be long gone by now and has probably significantly covered his tracks. Maybe they arrived via the fields rather than drove here.”
Sam nodded. “There’s a road on the other side of the Chatleys’ land, perhaps the killer left their vehicle there and came here by foot.” She glanced down at the carpet to see if there was any evidence to back up her claims. She failed to notice any.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get SOCO to thoroughly check the entrances and windows.”
“Thanks. I’m going to shoot off then. Crap, I need to see if I can find another next of kin for the pair of them.”
Des pointed at the bureau along the far wall. “I spotted an address book over there. Might be a good place to start.”
“Thanks. I’ll take it in as evidence, get a member of the team to do some digging. Let me know your findings ASAP on this one, will you, Des?”
“I surely will. I want this perp caught as much as you do.”
“Good. Teamwork makes the dream work, right?”
He smiled. “Couldn’t have said it better myself. Now scram.”
Sam nodded and left the house. She found Bob outside, and he jabbed at his phone, ending the call he was making. “Everything okay?”