by Tim Ellis
‘I want you when you’re like this, Quigg,’ Lucy said. ‘I’m feeling really randy. Do you want to come with me in the shower?’ She laughed. ‘Get it...’
‘No, there’ll be no more sex until we’ve destroyed the Apostles, so the sooner you get moving the sooner you get what you want.’
‘You’re fucking joking?’
He slapped her bare backside. ‘Get moving. You especially have work to do.’
At half past six he began. ‘I don’t want a re-occurrence of last night’s arguing. Either get a cook in, or draw up a rota.’
‘I’m not cooking,’ Lucy said. ‘My suggestion is to employ a cook and somebody to clean. Pretty soon, you two fatties won’t want to do any of that.’
‘Lucy’s got a point,’ Quigg agreed.
Ruth and Duffy looked at each other and nodded.
‘At nine o’clock Tony Carter from Halcyon Security will be arriving. He’s going to carry out a security review of the site, and then he’ll report back to me later today. After he’s left, Rachel Godwin will appear – Lucy knows her as Springfield...’
‘No fucking way!’
‘Yes way. She found you on the Internet, and discovered you were looking for the Apostles.’
‘You’re fucking kidding me. There’s no way anybody...’
‘Then how did the person I met yesterday from Halcyon Security know you were looking for the Apostles or derivatives of said name?’
‘The fucking bitch.’
‘Anyway, she’ll be arriving at nine o’clock to help you...’
‘Help me? You’re fucking...’
He leaned down and kissed her on the mouth.
‘What was that for?’
‘Two reasons. One, to shut you up, and two, if you hadn’t objected I would have thrown you out on your ear.’
She rested her chin on a balled fist. ‘I think I want your babies, Quigg.’
‘No you don’t, you said I was to shoot you if you even mentioned it.’
‘Yeah, you’re probably right.’
‘So, Springfield is coming to help you plug the gaps in our online security, and you’re to be very accommodating. You might even learn something.’
Lucy made a strange noise with her mouth. ‘More like she’s coming here to see how a genius does it. Don’t worry, Quigg, I’ll give her the benefit of my experience.’
‘Also, I want you to transfer their total assets to an account that we control.’
‘Everything?’
‘Everything, but I don’t want them to find out.’
‘An undetectable Trojan Horse that mirrors their system? Okay, I can do that.’
‘That simple?’
‘Hey, I’m the best.’
‘I thought Springfield was the best?’
‘We’re running neck and neck at the moment, but I’ll beat her in the end.’
‘Remember, this is not about who the best hacker is, it’s about saving children, and it’s about stopping the Apostles once and for all.’
‘Don’t worry, Quigg, you can count on me. I don’t want to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my fucking life.’
‘Good.’ He turned to Ruth. ‘You need to get someone in to clean up the mess in your bedroom, and repair Lucy’s front door. Both you and Duffy should show Tony Carter around, but listen... You don’t tell anybody about the tunnel, that’s our secret.’ He looked at Lucy. ‘If there’s ever people in the house, you go outside to move between the two buildings.’
‘What if it’s raining?’
‘You get wet.’
‘Bummer.’
‘Remember, the fact that no one knew about the tunnel saved your life.’
‘Okay.’
‘Finally, I want you all to think about me... and a little place I can call my own.’
‘You do not want to be with us?’ Ruth challenged him.
‘Very much, but sometimes I want to be on my own, and this place is all about you three – I have nowhere to call my own.’
‘It’s all yours,’ Duffy said.’
‘I know what he means,’ Lucy said. ‘He wants a bolthole, somewhere he can think, or just stare at the spiders crawling down the wall. I get like that sometimes.’
‘Exactly,’ Quigg said.
Chapter Ten
He was in the station by ten past eight, but so was the Chief. He’d planned to do some catching up, move as many as the files in his intray as he could into DS Jones’ intray, delete all his emails accidentally on purpose, and generally make it appear as if he was up to date with everything. He didn’t have time for administration with so much going on.
‘Come and talk to me, Quigg.’
He groaned. ‘Now, Chief?’
‘No, I’ll just wait here in the corridor until you’re ready, you take your time.’
‘Thanks, Chief.’
‘Sometimes, Quigg, I think that sad excuse for a mother you have, squashed you behind the door when they were giving out brains. Of course I mean now, get your fucking arse in my office.’ He followed Quigg inside and shut the door. ‘Sit, and don’t expect coffee because Monica isn’t here yet.’
He was glad. Monica made the worst cup of coffee in Hammersmith, probably in the whole of London.
‘Well?’
‘Well what, Chief?’
‘How’s the case going? How’s Walsh? You know that type of thing. I’m the Chief you’re the DI. The DI keeps the Chief up to date, so that he doesn’t look stupid when senior officers waltz in and want to know what the hell we’re spending their money on.’
‘You want briefing?’
‘I knew the penny would drop before I died and went to heaven.’
‘Heaven, Chief?’
‘I hear robbery are looking for a DS...’
‘Oh heaven! Of course, I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms.’
‘Stop arse licking, Quigg. I’m seeing Walsh this afternoon. How is she?’
‘Not good. There’s a chance she might lose her leg.’
Quigg thought the Chief’s fat face – with its furrowed forehead and flabby jowls – looked a bit strained this morning. He wore a pinstriped suit, blue shirt, and a red and blue striped tie over his massive frame. Quigg also wondered if the Chief needed to pay double for the extra suit material that it took to accommodate his barrel body.
‘Good God, man, are you sure?’
‘That’s what she’s been told. I’m going back later this morning to talk to the doctor.’
‘Why, what can you do?’
He hesitated. If he didn’t tell the Chief something, it would look suspicious and cause problems. He’d want to know how Walsh could afford the best specialist in Europe. ‘Walsh is my partner, I’m arranging for her to be treated by a top specialist.’
The Chief’s piggy eyes narrowed. ‘Have you robbed a bank?’
‘Not yet, but it’s on my list of things to do today.’
‘You’re up to something, aren’t you?’
‘I don’t want to compromise you, Chief.’
‘Compromise me? Bloody hell, Quigg. What’s going on?’
‘I’m hoping it’ll all be over by the end of the month, and then you’ll know everything.’
‘You’ll write a full confession?’
‘Something like that.’
Bellmarsh shook his head. ‘I should never have rubber-stamped your promotion, Quigg. Okay, don’t tell me anymore, but if you embarrass me...’
‘Don’t worry, Chief, you’ll be awarded a Knighthood. They’ll realise how they’ve misunderstood you all these years, and how...’
‘And if robbery won’t have you, there’s always traffic...’
‘Would you like to know about the case, Chief?’
‘Before I lose the will to live, you mean? That would be good.’
He told the Chief what they’d discovered so far. About the number of skulls, the torture devices, and the hole where the decapitated bodies had been disposed of.’
‘That’s my understanding.’
‘Jesus! You’d have to decapitate me to get me through that hole.’
‘And me, Chief.’ He told him about the journals for each torture device, the exit into the old boiler room at Charing Cross Hospital, and his plan to go there today.’
‘You think it’s a doctor?’
‘It could be anybody, but I’m hoping to narrow that list down today. The door leading to the old boiler room is in an out of the way place, and someone has a key to it. I have the feeling it’s somebody who either works at the hospital, or has worked there in the past.’
‘Sounds logical.’
‘And Doc Inglehart found a DNA match with one of the recent skulls, someone called Adrian Chapman. After we’ve been to the hospital, Kline and I are going to see his wife.’
‘I don’t envy you that job.’
‘No, but what’s strange is that she didn’t report him missing, so there’s more to it than meets the eye.’
‘How’s it going with Kline?’
‘She’s like a pit bull terrier.’
‘Keep her under control. I don’t want her savaging the locals.’
He wondered what had happened at the Queen’s Clamping Company. ‘Too late for that, Chief.’
‘Oh well, just do the best you can. I know you have a way with the opposite sex. Well, thanks for coming in...’
‘I haven’t finished yet, Chief. The best is yet to come.’
‘It is?’
‘There’s a forensic anthropologist on work experience or something, and she’s going to reconstruct the faces of the other six recent skulls...’
‘I know it’s the start of the new financial year, but...’
‘...for free.’
‘Oh well, that’s all right then. Good work, Quigg.’
‘So, I’ve probably saved you about £30,000.’
‘And I’m most appreciative.’
‘That’s a lot of money, Chief.’
‘What are you after – a cut?’
‘Thanks for the offer, but I’m just making a point of it so that you don’t forget.’
‘I won’t forget, Quigg. And I’m sure you won’t either.’
‘No, I won’t forget.’ He stood up. ‘Have a nice day, Chief.’
***
‘Sorry, it’s the Chief’s fault I’m late. He wanted me to brief him. Can you imagine that? Anybody would think I worked for the man.’
Perkins and Kline were sitting at the table. He moved to an empty chair opposite Kline, and stood in front of it.
‘This is your first briefing with me, isn’t it Kline?’
She glanced sideways at Perkins. ‘Maybe.’
‘Well, if it isn’t you’re in serious trouble because I don’t have a coffee in front of me.’
‘Yeah, the waitress just came in, but we didn’t know what to order you, so you’ll have to wait until she comes back again, which could be some time.’
‘So you’re not going to make me a coffee?’
‘I don’t do coffee. You could make me one though, and I’m sure Perkins would like one.’
‘I won’t forget this Kline,’ he said sitting down. ‘Well, did you get the car back last night?’
‘Those bastards. I arrested the fucking lot of them. They’re downstairs in the cells waiting for me to charge or release them.’
‘And you got the car back?’
‘Yes, of course I got it back. And I’ve been to the carpool this morning to sign another one out. Those bastards down there tried to palm me off with a pig-in-a-poke. They said I didn’t deserve a decent car because for one I worked with you, and they didn’t like you one little bit, and for two I got the last one clamped and towed away. I lined them all up, was going to march them all up to the fucking cells if they didn’t give me their very best car...’
‘And?’
‘I’ve got a brand spanking new Toyota Celica in the car park just waiting for somebody to give it some welly.’
‘I’ll drive.’
‘You fucking will not.’
Kline could certainly hold her own, he thought. ‘Perkins, I’m sure you’d rather be working than sitting here watching me discipline DC Kline, what have you got for us?’
‘The journals are still undergoing analysis, but we’ve found initials...’
Kline’s eyes opened wide. ‘You mean the killer’s signed their entries? Jesus!’
‘Yes, after each entry there are two initials. We’ve counted twelve sets, which coincides with the different writing styles, and provides us with the dates the killers were active.’ He passed a piece of paper to Quigg.
Quigg passed it to Kline and nodded at the clear incident board.
Kline stood up, moved round to the incident board, and began copying the initials and dates from the paper onto it. AP (1891 – 1905), MO (1903 – 1921), TW (1918 – 1920), GS (1919 – 1932), WP (1931 – 1942), RM (1940 – 1947), RM (1946 – 1953), GY (1950 – 1967), PM (1966 – 1982), DN (1978 – 1994), FS (1992 – ?), VR (2006 – ?).
‘Looks like we’ve got two killers operating at the moment,’ Quigg said.
Perkins nodded. ‘So it would appear. Also, there’s always some overlap between the two killers, which suggests that each one may recruit an apprentice.’
‘Some didn’t last very long either,’ Kline said. ‘TW only lasted two years between 1918 and 1920.’
‘There could be any number of reasons for the variation,’ Quigg pointed out.
‘Any ideas, Perkins?’
‘You mean, "Who are these people?" None at all.’
‘If you’re right,’ Kline directed at Perkins, ‘and each killer recruits an apprentice, where do they do that? I mean, it’s not as if you can put an advert in the local paper, or a card in the newsagent’s window, is it?’
‘Good point,’ Quigg said.
‘Torturers show certain traits,’ Perkins said.
‘Oh, you’re a psychological profiler now?’
‘As you know, Sir, I’m an exceptional individual with a whole range of talents.’
‘Don’t hold back, Perkins, puff yourself up.’
‘You might find a person with the right psychological attributes in a club catering for sadists and masochists.’
‘You seem to know a lot about these clubs, Perkins. Any particular one that you’d recommend?’
Perkins’ face cracked into a smile. ‘Only the one I saw you in last month, Sir.’
Quigg gave a laugh. ‘Very droll. If I’m not mistaken that’s the first joke I’ve ever heard from you.’
‘I can tell jokes when I want to.’
‘Is this a man thing?’ Kline interrupted. ‘Are you two flexing your testosterone?’
‘You’re not amused?’
Kline grunted. ‘I think we established I wasn’t amused yesterday, didn’t we? The S & M clubs was a good suggestion though, Perkins.’
‘Thank you. It’s nice to be appreciated by someone.’
‘I appreciate you, Perkins. I’m just not a demonstrative type of person. Also, we’d need a club that went back to 1891, do you know any of those?’ He stared first at Perkins, and then at Kline. ‘So, anything else you want to tell me about while you’re here?’
‘The writing by the two current torturers is being analysed, and a psychological profile produced.’
‘Good. What about the hole?’
‘I’m meeting them there at ten. They’ll begin their descent at two this afternoon.’
‘God help them,’ Quigg said shaking his head. ‘They’re not going to sleep down there, are they?’
Perkins shrugged.
Quigg pulled a face and shivered. ‘Have you had chance to examine who might have built the cavern complex?’
‘No, but take a look at this.’ He stood up, went to the whiteboard, and began drawing something that resembled a molecule. It had a central circle, with twelve stems comin
g from it, and each of the stems ended in another circle. He put a "0" in the central circle, and numbered the outer circles from 1 – 12.
‘That’s a lovely flower, Perkins,’ Quigg teased.
‘The central circle is the cavern into which the two people fell. The outer circles are the other caverns.’ He drew a black dot in the circle with "9" in it. ‘That’s the hole.’ Then he rubbed a bit from the No.7 circle and drew two lines leading from it. ‘That’s the entrance/exit.’
Quigg’s eyes narrowed. ‘Does it actually look like that on the ground?’
‘Yes, we’ve measured it.’
‘Interesting,’ Kline offered.
‘It’s more than interesting,’ Perkins said, and the corners of his mouth twitched. ‘That is a Wheel of Eternity.’
‘You’ve been waiting to spring this on us, haven’t you? This is your fifteen minutes of fame, isn’t it?’
‘As soon as the people I had mapping it showed me what they’d drawn, I knew I’d seen it before. It’s from the Vedic religion. They believe twelve elements – or gods – represent the moral principles which rule our world and the world of the gods – and this is reflected by the spokes of the wheel of time.’
‘You mean, this whole torture complex is a religious symbol?’
‘Yes. I won’t go into details of the religion or the religious practices, except to say that it’s an ancient Indian religion, and human sacrifice was part of their belief system.’
‘You’re saying all this torturing and killing is about an ancient Indian religion?’ Kline asked.
Perkins shook his head. ‘No, I don’t think so. It certainly may have influenced the excavation of the cavern system, but the torturing and killing is something else entirely. The journals show clearly that the torturers were recording the physical and psychological effects of what they were doing to their victims.’
Quigg grunted. ‘What it does tell us is that we’re dealing with people who have above average intelligence.’
‘Like doctors?’ Kline said.
‘Like doctors,’ Quigg agreed. ‘Thanks for coming down, Perkins, I appreciate it immensely.’
Once Perkins had left Quigg said, ‘Okay, I need to go to Hammersmith Hospital first to see Walsh’s doctor. I won’t be there long, so you can wait in the car.’
‘Oh, I’m your chauffeur now?’