by John Stewart
Chapter 35
Claire stood back as Lauren moved behind Simon and forcibly removed his hands from his lacerated throat. Lauren’s face seemed almost sad as his drained body fell lifelessly to the floor. “You did it,” Claire said in a reaffirming tone. “You’ve finished them all.”
“We still have to get him into position, it’s not going to be easy in daylight,” Lauren replied with an emotionless expression.
“Take a minute to soak it in first. You never have to be afraid again,” Claire said, holding Lauren’s shoulder.
“You think I was afraid of him?” Looking down at Simon’s exsanguinated body. “I haven’t been afraid for a very long time. This wasn’t about fear, this was about balance. They took away the life I had, so I took away theirs.” She broke her gaze and focused on the mess. “Come on, we need to get him wrapped and out of here.”
Claire gave Lauren a look that a child would give a parent following a scolding. “The stuff is all in here,” she said, walking into the bedroom to grab a large padded bag full of duct tape, cleaning products, towels and black PVC sheets. Firstly, they placed a towel around Simon’s neck and taped it up to stem the residual post mortem bleeding. They then dragged him out of the blood pool, lay him out on a black sheet and taped him from head to toe. Claire laid towels down to soak up the blood before removing the plastic sheeting from the walls and floor. Now with Simon’s body reasonably blood free, they placed him inside the large bag and carried him into the panic room towards the ladder. Claire then took off her white overalls and climbed the ladder leading to the roof. Lauren waited below, wiping up the remaining blood.
Before she could finish, Claire appeared back with two straps in her hand. “Just like we practiced,” she said as she dropped them into Lauren’s hands. Lauren pocketed the cleaning rag and tied both straps to the bag containing Simon’s body and Claire returned back down the ladder wearing a harness. She stopped and the last step and Lauren connected the straps to the harness.
“Okay, they’re attached,” Lauren said taking short sharp breaths. “On three.”
Claire took a step up the ladder, taking up the slack with a deep breath of her own.
“One…Two…Three!” They counted down together and Lauren heaved Simon’s body off the ground as Claire climbed up the ladder. As they lifted the dead weight, a knock came at the apartment door.
“Keep going,” mouthed Lauren as she continued to push. The combined effort resulted in Simon’s body being hoisted head first up the ladder, through the hatch and out onto the roof in the space of thirty seconds. Claire fell to the ground, spent as Lauren gave the final push.
“We don’t have time. Whoever that is, knows he’s here. I can hear him calling,” Lauren said, hurriedly unhooking the bag’s straps. “Come on, we still have to get him down to the car.”
Claire fought off the exhaustion and got to her knees, removed her harness and threw the bloody overalls and PVC sheeting into an old barrel on the roof. Beside the barrel was another large bag and clean clothes for both of them. They placed Simon’s body into the second bag, changed into the clean clothes and set fire to the rest of the evidence inside the barrel.
Claire looked down the roof hatch.
“Did you leave anything behind?”
“We don’t have time to check now, just close it and come on,” Lauren instructed with urgency.
Together, they carried the large black bag to the fire escape and connected the handles to a modified winch that Claire had installed earlier. They then proceeded to lower Simon’s body down the back of the building, into the alleyway where Claire had parked her car. Lauren climbed down the fire escape to open the car boot as Claire worked the winch from above. The car was positioned so that Simon’s bagged body would drop straight into the boot. By the time Claire disconnected the winch and got down the fire escape, Lauren had the boot closed, ropes disconnected and the engine running. Claire jumped into the passenger seat and the pair exited the alleyway onto the busy city streets of London.
“Where are we going now? This isn’t the route we planned to the garage,” Claire asked after a spell of silence.
“I wanna check the site before we get him ready. He was an incompetent drunk, but he might have the police watching the park.”
“Who do you think that was at the door?” Claire asked in a concerned tone.
Lauren gave a disgusted expression.
“You saw that place when we were following Meadowcroft, it’s a scummy shag pad for half the cops in the city. How many girls did we see him bring up? Five? Six? And that’s not counting the two hookers we paid to go up with him. Maybe it was someone else’s turn to cheat on their wife?”
“Did you get to finish the clean up?”
“At a glance it looked okay, but I can’t be sure I got it all. The knock on the door kinda got in the way of checking,” Lauren said with a tone of annoyance.
“Maybe I should go back and check. If there is blood and someone checks the room, the cops might match it with Meadowcroft’s body after we dump him.”
Lauren considered the logic of what Claire was saying. The original plan was to leave the apartment clean so the police would have no reason to link the safe house and the Weaver Fields dump site. “You’re right, I can prep him back at the garage and you can meet me back here when it gets dark. Take the tube and stop off for more cleaning supplies on the way, we burned all the other stuff.”
Claire nodded. “Okay, I’ll call you when I’m finished.”
“Don’t go straight around the back. Check the front first and if there’s anything out of the ordinary, leave it and wait for me back here.” As she cautioned her partner, Lauren pulled up on Chester Street beside Weaver Fields Park. “Whitechapel Station will get you back to Sloane Square, I should have dropped you off, but it’s only a ten-minute walk.”
“Okay,” Claire replied, looking around with an uneasy expression.
Lauren unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned into Claire and kissed her softly on the lips. “Don’t worry. In a couple of days, we’ll be thousands of miles from all this, free to start again like we always planned.”
“I know, it’s just so close now it’s scary. We’ve been talking about this for so long.”
“We’ve come a long way, only a few more steps,” Lauren said with a smile.
They kissed again before leaving the car. Lauren walked the parameter of the park to check for any police presence while Claire made her way to Whitechapel Station. On the way, she stopped at the filling station on the corner of Shelby Street to pick up more cleaning supplies.
The trains run every five minutes and Claire had timed it just right. Without having to wait, she boarded the departing train with her bag of supplies and settled in for the twenty-six minute commute. By that time, Lauren had found no trace of any police presence around the Weaver Fields Park and was back on the road, heading for the rented garage space near Mile End Road.
***
Sloane Square Station was another ten-minute walk from the safe house on Ralstone Street and feeling pressed for time, Claire cut around the back before checking the front of the building. She scaled the fire escape only to be greeted by the sight of two C.S.I.’s photographing the smoldering barrel on the far side of the flat roof. She quickly ducked her head and retreated down the fire escape, looking up to see if she had been noticed as she went. Panic set in as she exited the alleyway. The urge to run was overwhelming, but she managed to keep a steady pace and once she was clear of the area, she called Lauren.
Lauren was in the garage, standing over Simon’s unwrapped body when her phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she removed her latex gloves and quickly answered.
“Everything okay?” She asked with obvious concern.
“No, it’s not. The place is crawling with…”
“Don’t say another word,” Lauren said before Claire could continue. “Get to your place, go now! I’ll call you from a payphone as soon as I can.”
Lauren hung up the phone and exhaled heavily. She took a moment to focus before putting on a fresh pair of latex gloves and removing Simon’s blood soaked shirt.
***
The drive back to the Harrington House flat complex took longer than expected. Traffic was beginning to slow due to the congregating Guy Fawkes protesters in the city centre and Claire’s taxi pulled up outside just as her elderly neighbour, Mrs. Bond walked out of the main entrance. She was wearing a carefree expression and passed the cab without noticing Claire inside. Paying the fare, Claire exited the taxi and scanned her surroundings to check if she had been followed. Everything appeared to be normal, so she took the elevator to her floor and headed for her flat. Standing at the door she took another cautious glance around the balcony before entering. Stepping inside, she closed the door behind her and took a deep breath, unaware that she was not alone.
Chapter 36
Rebecca found herself backed up against a flimsy looking flat pack wardrobe as Claire entered the living room. After taking a minute to compose herself, Claire moved away from the door and looked out the window. Rebecca had no other choice than to silently stand inside the wardrobe and close the door in the hope that she would not be noticed. Claire’s eyes darted left and right as she watched through the front window. Luckily for her, the forensic investigators she had encountered earlier were too busy examining the charred remains of the barrel and the area around the roof hatch to notice her.
With her paranoia appeased, she placed her bag on the table beside the kitchen area and began to gather up the rest of her few remaining things around the flat. Rebecca tried to see who her unexpected visitor was through a gap in the poorly assembled wardrobe and as Claire arrived into the bedroom, she had her answer. It was the same Claire Swindon from the hospital. All kinds of thoughts ran through Rebecca’s head as her suspicion was confirmed. The fact she would have access to drugs and medical grade scalpels, the sudden changing of address and her links to the Order of Thelema made her a viable suspect for the murders. Claire stopped by the bedside drawer, noticing it had been opened since she was last in the room. She looked around slowly, pausing her gaze on the wardrobe. Inside Rebecca reached into her bag for the can of pepper spray that had eluded her during her attack at Simon’s apartment. She held the spray to the door, ready to unleash its contents as Claire’s hand reached for the handle. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and just before the door opened, Claire’s phone rang. The call gave Claire as much of a startle as it did Rebecca, hiding only inches away.
Claire didn’t recognise the number and answered with some hesitation. “Hello.”
“Claire it’s me. Are you at the flat yet?”
Rebecca listened intently to the barely audible voice on the other end of the line.
“Oh, thank God! I thought… Oh, I don’t know what I thought,” Claire said in an anxious tone.
“What happened at the safe house?”
Claire sat on the bed as she explained.
“I’m sorry Lauren, I should have listened to you. I went straight for the roof instead of checking the front like you said.”
Lauren gripped the phone and exhaled with frustration as Claire continued. “When I got to the roof, I saw C.S.I.’s everywhere,” she said, unintentionally exaggerating the numbers.
“Did they see you?” Lauren asked through gritted teeth.
“No, at least I don’t think so. I got a cab here and didn’t see anyone following. Whoever that was at the door must have got in and called the cops.”
Lauren paused for a moment to consider their options.
“He was probably inside by the time we got to the car, shit! Listen, this means we have to leave tonight. Book the latest Eurostar and get back here as soon as you can. It’s gone quiet around here, but I could do with a hand moving him.”
“Are you still going ahead with the Weaver location? Why not just dump him somewhere easy and go?”
A cold shiver ran through Rebecca as the conversation confirmed that Simon Meadowcroft was dead and she was in the house of one of the people responsible.
“What was the point of any of this if we don’t finish it properly? Placing him in the fields is the last step. It completes the pattern, balance is restored and I can move on with my life.”
“You mean we?” Claire replied with an insecurity in her voice.
“Of course, our lives. Besides, I’m back here now, it’s the best place at this stage.”
Through the gap in the doors, Rebecca watched as Claire removed the Thelema necklace from under her shirt and gripped it tight.
“You’re right, I’m sorry. I’ll book the train now, but what about our stuff in the garage?”
“Don’t worry about that, I’ve paid for a couple of months. This is just a precaution Claire, they won’t be able to connect us to anything. We can come back when everything calms down and collect it all.”
“I hope you’re right. Okay, I’ll get a cab to the park as soon as I can, but the traffic is bad.”
“No! Don’t get a cab here. Stop a few roads away,” Lauren said, lowering her voice as a police patrol car passed the phone box. “The cops will question taxi companies about fares in the area when the body is discovered in the morning.”
Rebecca leaned forward, trying to hear the lowered voice, but as she did, she felt the unsupported bottom panel of the wardrobe begin to give way.
“Okay, a few streets away, got it. I’ll see you soon,” Claire said, hanging up the phone as she reached into the bedside drawer for the laptop. Rebecca felt another creak from beneath her feet. This time, Claire heard it too and without turning her head, she reached into the back of the drawer where she had a syringe containing a fast-acting sedative. She stood up with the needle in hand and faced the wardrobe.
“Okay, whoever you are, come out slowly.”
Rebecca closed her eyes tightly as Claire spoke.
Claire took a step closer to the wardrobe and repeated the request with a more sinister tone. Rebecca shifted back, but even with her unintended weight loss, the chipboard panel below her feet couldn’t cope and the wardrobe floor collapsed. Opening her eyes, she braced herself and held the canister of pepper spray at the door. Claire flinched at the sudden noise and seeing the opportunity, Rebecca shielded her face, kicked open the doors and unleashed the full force of the burning liquid directly into Claire’s open eyes. She dropped the syringe and fell back on the bed screaming and writhing in agony. With Claire temporarily incapacitated, Rebecca pulled the cable from the WIFI modem and tied Claire’s hands, being careful to avoid her kicks and blind clawing.
“I’ll cut your fucking eyes out!” Claire shouted as Rebecca secured her legs with her scarf and stood back from the bed.
Claire struggled and shouted obscenities until Rebecca tore off a piece of the mattress cover and gagged her with it. With Claire’s screams muffled, Rebecca took a minute to compose herself and tried to figure out what to do next. With a shaky hand, she dialed 999 but got a recorded message informing her that all the operators were busy and was put on hold. She waited another two minutes before her patience ran out and her journalistic instincts kicked in.
Knowing Claire could hear every word, Rebecca faked a conversation with the police, giving them her location and a brief description of the situation. The realisation that she was caught, subdued Claire’s resistance. She took a resigned breath and lay still. Rebecca stood over her and removed her gag.
Claire faced her with closed eyes.
“She’ll find you no matter where you go.”
“Who? Lauren? Lauren Gibson you mean?” Rebecca probed, remembering the surname from the Thelema membership list as Claire again fell silent.
“The police are on their way. They’ll get you something for your eyes. I know what it’s like to be tied up and I’m sorry I had to do it, but for all I know you’re the one that put me in the coma.” The comment bolstered Claire’s need to identify her captor and she
squinted through her swollen red eyes until she recognised Rebecca’s face.
“You! What the hell are you doing here?”
“We got your name from a Thelema Lodge membership list,” Rebecca replied looking at the now exposed necklace around Claire’s neck.
“But you’re a reporter. How did you know anything?”
Rebecca tilted her head with a curious expression.
“We were working with the man you and your friend killed this morning. Don’t pretend it wasn’t one of you who attacked me at his apartment.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. We never hurt any innocent people. The first time I saw you was when you arrived at the hospital,” Claire insisted, blinking repeatedly.
“But Simon brought me in. You had to have known.”
“I was working at the nurses’ station when you arrived. I didn’t see who brought you in. If Lauren knew, she never mentioned you to me.”
Rebecca shook her head in disbelief.
“So I’m supposed to believe, you didn’t know I was working with Simon Meadowcroft on your cases?”
Claire closed her burning eyes.
“Believe what you want. It’s the truth.”
Claire wasn’t lying. She had told Lauren about her coma patient, but when Lauren realised it was the same person who had been helping Simon, she held the information back. Claire wasn’t the most subtle person in the world and Lauren thought it best to siphon information about Mike and Rebecca through her without her knowing. That way Mike would never suspect her of trying to gain information about their progress.
Rebecca continued her interrogation.
“But you sent him the note the day after Mike and I visited his house.”
“Lauren sent the note. She wanted him to know she was coming for him.”