The Child Taker to Criminally Insane Box Set, Crime Books 1, 2 and 3 Detective Alec Ramsay Mystery Series (Detective Alec Ramsay Crime Mystery Suspense Series)

by Conrad Jones

  “Hey!”

  David and Nick turned and looked over their shoulder. Saj Shah was sprinting through the wooded area, fifty yards behind them, and gaining fast. There were two others with him, following behind. Saj Shah was eighteen, two years older than Nick and David. He was also a bad egg, a dealer and all round bad boy with a reputation for violence.

  “Run,” Nick shouted. He began to sprint as fast as he could, but to his amazement, David had turned to face Saj as he neared. “Run, David!” Nick called again, trying to spur David into action.

  “Fuck them,” David growled. He readied himself to face his pursuer. The anger inside him had fuelled his bloodstream with adrenalin. The hatred inside him gave him strength. “I`m not running from these bastards.”

  Nick stopped running and turned back. He couldn`t leave his best friend to face three attackers alone, especially not Saj Shah. A loud clang drew his attention. A workman had flung some lead piping into the skip and it bounced off the metal and landed on the grass nearby. Nick looked at the pipe, and picked it up without thinking about it. The lead pipe would even things up a little.

  “You smashed my windscreen, you prick!” Saj stopped five yards from David. His face twisted with anger and spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted his words. “You`re fucking dead, Bernstein!”

  “I think you`ll find me a bit tougher than my little brother, or my little sister, you fucking coward,” David spoke clearly but there was a look in his eye that stopped Saj Shah and his colleagues in their tracks. David was a competent fighter, and he knew that he could hold his own against most other youths his size. Saj Shah was smaller than he was, older but not as athletic. David also knew that Saj, Malik and the rest of the gang were pack animals. They fought as a group, never one on one. They`d not beaten anyone of any significance singlehanded. “Come on, let`s see how hard you are against someone closer to your own age, Shah, you`re fucking scared aren`t you?”

  Saj hesitated. He laughed and shook his head in disbelief. David was correct; he was scared, especially when he saw Nick approaching with a two foot length of lead pipe in his hand. Nick was tall and well built, and he looked like he would be a handful. His exaggerated facial features made him look mean. Saj stood his ground and goaded David. “You`re nothing, Bernstein, Jewish scum, and your sister was a slut!”

  David closed the gap between them in flash, and his hand speed surprised Saj. A stinging left jab hit him square on the nose, making his eyes water, blurring his vision, and the coppery taste of his own warm blood filled the back of his throat. Saj wiped blood from his nose with his sleeve, and his eyes widened in shock. He threw a wild swinging punch at his younger opponent, but David ducked beneath it easily and hit him again in the ribs.

  David Bernstein could see the fear in Saj`s eyes, and he unleashed the anger that had been burning inside him for months. He hit Saj Shah four times in the face before his knees buckled beneath him. His front teeth smashed, and his top lip split apart like a squashed caterpillar. Saj put his hands over his face to protect himself, but the blows rained down on him in a relentless tirade. He fell flat on his back and curled up, battered and bloodied.

  “Get up, Saj,” David stepped back.

  “Fuck you,” Saj spat blood and got to his knees. He looked to his friends. They were poised waiting to join the fray at the earliest opportunity, but the presence of Nick carrying a lead pipe was a deterrent for now.

  “Come on, Saj, batter him,” one of his friends offered some encouragement, despite the fact David was totally overwhelming him.

  “Yes, do him, Saj.”

  “Yes, come on, Saj, what`s the problem?” David said. There was madness in his eyes now. One of the men that abused his beautiful sister, pretty little Sarah, was here in front of him, and he was bleeding. It felt good, but not nearly good enough.

  Saj tried to stand up. His legs were shaky, but he stood erect and spat toward David again. Blood and phlegm spattered on the path.

  “Come on, Saj, get up, or are you scared?”

  Saj put his fists up and moved hesitantly toward David. There was fear in his eyes, and David could sense it. He felt anger inside him like never before, pure rage. Saj moved within striking distance and David launched at him, fists flying. Three powerful punches landed in quick succession, cracking Saj`s jaw and shattering three teeth. He fell back down onto the path heavily, landing in a sitting position, his head and face exposed.

  David Bernstein wasn’t ready to stop his attack, and he kicked Saj in the face. His eyes rolled back into his head and he hit the concrete path hard, cracking the back of his skull like an egg.

  “That`s for Sarah.” David spat the words as he kicked Saj in the side of the head. His skull was exposed. He kicked him again. “That`s for my brother.”

  Nick could tell that Saj was seriously injured, blood was pooling from the back of his skull, and more ran from his ears, but David was like a wild animal, and he stamped on the prone man`s ribcage. There was a loud snapping sound as his sternum cracked. Blood and phlegm squirted from Saj`s mouth. It was then that Saj`s associates jumped into the fray.

  David was punched in the side of the head, stunning him. He dropped his hands and a right hook landed on his jaw, cracking the bone and whipping his head sideways violently. A third blow smashed into his nose and his brain went into momentary shut down. He buckled and collapsed into a heap on the path. As David hit the floor, Nick swung the pipe and connected with the cheekbone of one attacker. His face imploded as if made from papier-mâché. A huge purple swelling formed in seconds and the man took a few steps sideways before falling onto the grass face first. His associate looked at the carnage around him, thought about fighting on, and then thought again. He bolted.

  Saj was dead or dying. Nick was in no doubt about it. Workers from the arboretum, and shocked day-trippers started to approach the scene cautiously. Some of the braver members of the public called out for the violence to stop. Nick knew his friend was in trouble for what he had done to Saj Shah. The police would be on their way. David would be charged with grievous bodily harm at best, but looking at Saj, manslaughter or murder was more likely. Nick thought about Mr and Mrs Bernstein, Richard, who idolised his older brother, and beautiful Sarah. He couldn’t let the family suffer anymore. Nick raised the pipe and brought it down hard on Saj`s skull. The slushy thud was sickening to hear. A second heavy swing split the skull open like a melon, and his brains spilled out across the concrete. He looked at the shocked faces around him, and tears of anger ran down his face. Women shrieked, children, their faces covered from the horror by their parents, screamed. Nick clung to the pipe and sat down on the grass. The sound of sirens grew louder as he lay back and closed his eyes, wishing that this nightmare would be gone when he opened them.

  Chapter 27

  The aftermath School days

  David Bernstein and Nick Cross were arrested at the scene of the fracas in the park, and a lengthy investigation commenced. Witnesses reported seeing Saj Shah and his friends chasing across the park, shouting abuse before the fight started. Initial thoughts were that it was a feud between young drug dealers, however as the history of the youths involved came to the fore, the waters became very cloudy. David Bernstein had motive to kill Saj Shah, but witnesses said the fatal blows were struck by his friend Nick, and they confirmed that David was unconscious when it happened. It also appeared that David was chased, and attacked by Saj and two others, and that he had defended himself. A month into the investigation, David was charged with affray and given a six month suspended sentence. Nick Cross was charged with murder. Manslaughter was thrown out as witnesses were unanimous that Saj Shah was prone when the final blows were struck.

  For Nick and his parents, the trial was traumatic. He’d killed Shah to protect the Bernsteins but in that split second when he swung the pipe, he failed to think about the pain he would cause his family. No matter how many times he tried to explain to his mother, she could not forgive him for what he’d done
. His father sat through the case with a blank expression on his face. When the verdict was returned his mother wailed like a baby but his father didn’t flinch. He knew then that his although his intentions were noble, he had lost his liberty, his formative years and all the people that meant the most to him. Nick He was sentenced to life with a recommendation that he served fifteen years.

  The court case was the final nail in the Bernstein family coffin. Mrs Bernstein moved away to live with her elderly mother in Scotland, claiming that she needed to be nursed because of the onset of dementia. The truth was that she was ashamed of her husband, and the way he dealt with the ongoing crisis. Mr Bernstein spiralled into alcoholism, and his liver packed up by the end of 1986. He never recovered from his daughter`s fall from grace, and subsequent suicide. Richard was well looked after by a trust fund that his parents had set up for him, and by the time his father died, he was off to university and the beginning of his adult life. Malik Shah, his family, and his gang had shattered Richard`s family life into pieces, killed his sister, and his father, and made his mother run away. Nick was given a life sentence, with a view to be eligible for parole after fifteen years. He served twelve, and Richard went to see him every month without fail. Their bond was strong, etched in blood, and it would remain so forever. They talked for hours about revenge during their visits; Richard never lost sight of his goal.

  David left school and went to university in Israel. He needed a fresh start. After his academic studies, he joined the military and focused his hatred for Malik Shah, and the young Muslims that had ruined his life, into the Israeli struggle against the surrounding Arab governments. Richard lost everyone important to him in the space of two years. The hatred and the sense of loss remained inside him, burning slowly, always hurting. The slow burn evolved into a living, breathing monster, a life-long plot for revenge. David loved the military, and within two years he joined the Israeli Special Forces. He waited patiently for Nick to be released, and when David left his military career, he had reached the rank of Captain. Richard Bernstein was waiting outside the prison gates when Nick was released, and they headed for the farm, stopping off at McDonalds on the way, so that Nick could buy a chocolate milkshake. One week later, David Bernstein, boarded a plane at Tel Aviv airport. He was ready to join them on their bitter quest.

  Chapter 28

  Present day/ Liverpool

  Liverpool Town Hall stands in High Street at its junction with Dale Street, Castle Street, and Water Street. It`s a grey stone building with a huge bronze dome on the top. Tall Roman columns stand guard either side of the wide doorway. When Alec and DI Will Naylor arrived, the historic facade had been sealed off from the public by yellow crime scene tape, which flapped noisily as the wind blew in off the River Mersey. Chief Carlton waited patiently for Alec and Will to arrive. The Chief felt that the mutilated body that had been dumped on the Town Hall steps was linked to the Malik Shah investigation. The cause of death was not obvious, because the victim was so badly tortured.

  “Alec, Detective Inspector Naylor,” the Chief acknowledged their arrival. A blast of wind brought a smell of the ocean with it.

  “Chief.” Alec responded. He looked toward the naked corpse and grimaced. “This looks personal.”

  “You could say that. Or someone wanted information from him.”

  “I`m guessing that he told them everything he knew. No one could withstand that amount of torture.” Alec stepped closer to the body. There were dozens of deep ragged holes all over the body, but the highest concentration of them was on the feet and shins. It appeared that the victim was subjected to a prolonged attack with a power tool of some description. “Why call us?”

  “I think this is connected to Malik Shah,” the chief replied, pointing to the battered corpse. Lividity was setting in and the body was turning blue were it touched the stone steps. “We don’t know who he is yet, but he was dumped here as a warning to someone. I`m guessing it`s a revenge attack.”

  Alec thought about it in silence. There was no doubt that the body was dumped in a public place for a reason, and the level of violence used was disproportionate to an interrogation. The victim had been systematically tortured, but the perpetrators had targeted the limbs heavily in order to keep the victim alive as long as possible. Any man, no matter how tough would have parted with whatever information they had a long time before most of the wounds were inflicted. He had to agree that the level of violence used, and the site of the body dump, was probably a message to someone.

  “It could be a gangland murder?” Alec thought the link to Malik Shah was tenuous at best, unless the Chief knew something that he didn`t.

  “Can you see the scars on the thumbs?” The Chief said.

  Alec leaned closer to the body. The smell of blood and excrement became heavier, the closer he got. There were scars around the bottom of each digit.

  “I see them.”

  “I can`t be sure yet, but a couple of years ago, there was a small time gangster sent to hospital with his thumbs in his pockets. I remember the case well. He wouldn’t speak to us at all, but informers told us that he had crossed another dealer. Ashwan Pindar`s name cropped up.”

  “Malik Shah`s sidekick?”

  “Bingo,” the Chief nodded.

  “He would have a motive to bomb Shah`s people,” Alec mused. It was a possibility, but he didn’t buy into it yet. Having your thumbs cut off was extreme, but not uncommon in the drug world. Jumping from there, to a well organised assassination, using a van bomb, was too much for a small time crook to pull off.

  “Maybe you`re right. Until I`m sure it`s the same man I can`t say, but I wanted you to see it before we move in and search his home etcetera.”

  Alec nodded in agreement. “Thanks, when you know for sure if it`s the same guy, let us know.”

  “Do you want in on the search?”

  “I think we should be there, Chief. You run with it here, and we`ll concentrate on the Shah links. We`re trying to track down the relatives of the informer that went missing in the witness protection programme.”

  The Chief smiled and held out his hand. Alec shook it. He turned and walked away from the mutilated victim, the smell of the sea filled his senses and the air seemed fresher the further away from the body he was. Seagulls squawked in the distance as they floated on the wind above the Irish Sea. It was time to turn up the heat on Malik Shah.

  CHAPTER 29

  Alec Ramsey/Present Day

  “Superintendent,” Graham Libby greeted Alec. He nodded to his younger colleague. “DI Naylor, are you still working your way through the female population?” Dr Libby was the crime scene specialist, head of SOCO. He`d lost a valued member of his team when her affair with the young DI became public knowledge, much to the angst of her husband.

  “So many women, and only one life,” Will sighed sarcastically.

  “Quite” the doctor replied in an acid tone. “We have the early results back. The blood in the alleyway matches the missing boy, Abdul Salim, but we don’t have DNA yet.”

  Graham Libby turned, and walked down the alleyway. He waved his hand beckoning the detectives to follow him. Yellow tabs made a trail between the two tower blocks, each one numbered, marking a vital piece of evidence.

  “They were shot out there, and then dragged down here toward the loading bay at the rear of the buildings.”

  The air became chill as they walked deeper, out of the reaches of the sunlight. Chewing gum splodges littered the pavement, and the stench of urine clawed at their throats. Dark trails of congealed blood reached off into the distance.

  “The bullets were nine millimetre rounds, hollow points, fired with uncanny accuracy.”

  The detectives looked at each other with concern. Hollow points were manufactured for one reason and one reason only, to decimate the interior skeletal structure, and internal organs of a human target. Accuracy with a pistol can only be developed by practice, which hinted at a military career, perhaps a law enforcement background. T
hey emerged at the rear of the buildings, cast in shadows. The air was just as rank, if not worse.

  “The bodies and the mountain bikes were here, and here.”

  “Have you seen anything like this recently?” Alec asked. Dr Libby attended most of the violent deaths in the city.

  “Dead drug dealers, yes,” he frowned and shook his head. “This is a new one on me.”

  “What makes you say that?” Will asked. He was completely unfazed by the Dr`s dislike of him. The technician he`d been sleeping with resigned because her husband forced her to. He wouldn’t allow her to return to work, where she could come into contact with Will. How was that his fault?

  “The accuracy of the shots. They were centre of the forehead, and the ammunition.” He counted the reasons on his fingers as he talked. “The drugs and the money were left at the scene.”

  Will looked around the crime scene while he thought about it. The note left on the victim specified that the young dealers worked for Malik Shah. Initial investigations supported that, although it was mostly rumour and speculation.

  “Why leave the money and the drugs behind?” Will said.

  “I don`t think that is why they came here,” Alec replied. “They didn’t kill them to rob them.” He crossed the delivery bay to a recess in the towering building. There was a double delivery door padlocked and barred with a rusty chain. On the floor, a cardboard box looked out of place. It was clean and dry. “Have we had officers here at night?”

  “No, Guv, why?”

  “Someone`s been sleeping in this doorway, recently.” Alec kneeled down and looked back to where his colleagues stood. “Will, have a look around. I can`t see you from here. We may have found a witness.”