by L M Krier
Chapter Thirteen
'What we're going to be discussing this morning stays in this room. No leaks, please. None. Clear, everybody?'
Ted began the briefing the following morning with a word of warning. They were going to be kicking around some ideas which, if they got out into the public domain, particularly to the press, wouldn't help their investigations and might start panic.
Even DC Eccles joined in the general head nodding and murmurs of 'sir'. He was actually starting to show something of an interest.
'Jezza has already mentioned that she thought the figure from the CCTV could be female. Now the driver of the bus which killed Mrs Murray has said that his first impression of the suspect was of a girl. He amended that afterwards, though. He became convinced it was male.
'I am not at this stage trying to make a link between the two cases. I want to stress that, and that's why I want this discussion to stay under wraps. However, we do now have two unsolved murders with no apparent motive.'
'Three, boss,' Jezza put in. 'I've turned up nothing at all on the jealous scholarship rival angle in the Luke Martin case, so we still have no motive for that one. And there's another thing I thought of...'
'Can we talk about that afterwards, Jezza? Let's deal with the other two first, then DS Rakale and her team can get back up to their own nick and carry on. Liaise with Jo before you leave, Leona, about extra bodies if you need them.
'So, as well as ambiguity over the gender of the killers, there are some superficial similarities from the little information we have on them, mostly to do with size. The footprints at the scene where Tyler Bradbury was killed were small, and the youth seen pushing Joan Murray under a bus is also small. Smaller than me, according to the bus driver.
'I'm not convinced about Jake Dolan, the suspect DC Eccles and I interviewed, although we have a difference of opinion there. But he is certainly small and slight. We got his name from a tip-off, but it could just be that someone wants him off the streets. So, do we have any likely contenders for either case?'
'We've still got no leads at all for anyone seen with Tyler, boss,' Mike Hallam told him. He'd been coordinating the phone calls and door to door interviews. 'We knew it was a long shot, as there's such a short window between him going missing and the time of death. It just seems no one saw him at all, other than his killer.'
'What's the word on the street, Virgil?'
Virgil was liked and well respected within the black community, seen as a fair officer, not judgemental, always willing to listen.
'I had to smooth a few ruffled feathers, boss. There's just a feeling we're doing more for Tyler than we did for Luke Martin. I put them straight.'
That must have been especially hard for Virgil to take. He'd actually been working the Luke Martin case when his wife lost their first child. He'd even come in from compassionate leave to help with the case, a move which had nearly split his marriage apart.
'For our case, can't we do an identity parade, with Jake Dolan in it, see if the driver or anyone can pick him out?' Charlie Eccles asked. Not being from the Stockport team, he hadn't picked up on the sudden tension the previous remark had caused for a moment.
'It would be the logical next step, but other than a few dubious tip-offs saying it sounded like Dolan's sort of thing, we have no description at all. Just the driver saying the figure was short and white, and he's the only witness to have given any kind of a description. If we tried to make a case out of that, any half-decent defence lawyer would, pardon the pun, drive a bus through it. Reasonable doubt? Too much of it even to take a punt at it, I would say.
'DS Rakale, perhaps you can haul in anyone else whose name's been suggested, see if they seem any more likely, and see what their alibis are like. Jo, perhaps if you go over and give a hand with any interviewing? I have things to do here.
'Anything else?'
The briefing was just breaking up when Virgil grabbed his phone, which must have been set to vibrate only, from his pocket, looking stricken.
'Sorry, boss, it's the wife. She wasn't feeling too clever this morning...'
Ted waved away his apology. Virgil's wife was approaching her due date and they were both more anxious than most expectant parents, having lost their baby the last time.
'Hello, love, are you...Okay, don't panic, I'll be right there...Right, well you go in the ambulance, I'll go straight to the hospital...yes, I'm leaving now. Don't worry, honey, I'll be there...'
Virgil ended the call and looked at Ted.
'Boss, I need to go. She's gone into labour. It's too early. It wasn't meant to happen yet.'
None of the team members were surprised that it was Maurice who went to Virgil first and put a comforting arm round his shoulders.
'Don't worry. Babies come when they're ready. It'll be fine. The twins were early.' Then he too looked at Ted as he said, 'Boss, he can't go on his own. He's not safe to drive, worried like he is.'
'Of course. Go, both of you. Keep us posted.'
Jezza gave Virgil a brief hug as he headed for the door, Maurice close behind him. The rest of the team called encouragement and Megan Jennings added, 'Felix was early, too, and he was fine. Hope everything goes well, Virgil.'
'Right, we're two down for now. Jo, can you liaise with Leona and sort out who needs to be where as a result of that. Jezza, come and tell me what it was you wanted to talk to me about.'
Ted didn't bother putting the kettle on. He'd arranged to talk to the Ice Queen after morning briefing and that meeting would involve decent coffee. It was time they had a catch-up. He'd also called Jim Baker and asked him to be there. Briefing both of them at once would save time, and he needed to bring them up to speed with his latest thinking.
He and Jezza sat down facing one another.
'Trophies, boss,' she began. 'I can't find any reference anywhere to the missing violin bridge from the Luke Martin killing. Batman hasn't turned up yet and...'
'Whoa, hold your horses, Jezza. I agree, it is something to consider, but you're making a leap by connecting two cases which we don't yet know are connected. If a dog ran off with Batman, he may yet turn up. The missing toy may have nothing at all to do with Tyler's killer.'
'And the old lady's purse, at South Manchester? Has that turned up yet? Or did a dog run off with that, too?'
Jezza had a sarcastic turn of phrase sometimes, especially when she was trying to argue a point and felt she wasn't making the ground she should be doing.
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves, DC Vine,' Ted said, his tone a reminder that she needed to keep control of her tongue.
'But, boss, there are killers who always take a trophy from the crime scene. I just wondered if it was worth going through old cases, and ones from other areas, for a killer who's done that before? Just in case it is the same person in all three cases. Or even four cases. What about the garden gnomes from the arson? Were any of those missing?'
'I don't know if there was any inventory done of the gnomes. You'd have to look in the files. I doubt anyone would know for sure. I think you're in danger of getting ahead of yourself there, too.'
'But it does give similarities between all four killings, if trophies were taken from all. They're all motiveless at the moment.'
'I don't entirely agree with that. The arson case had a motive, of sorts. The deceased had been the target of a lot of ongoing abuse from local youths, simply because he was different. It's not an acceptable reason, of course, but it is a motive in a way.'
'And here's another idea.'
Once Jezza got into her stride, there was sometimes no stopping her, as Ted knew to his cost.
'Let's say that it's not the same killer in each case. That there are two killers. Or even more. Suppose it's some kind of a challenge between them? What if they're, I don't know, scoring each other on their killings? Does an old lady get more points than a little boy? Is someone with learning difficulties too soft a target to score much?'
Ted leaned back in his chair and lo
oked at her. She had good ideas, but some of this was verging on the far-fetched. Still, he'd long ago learnt never to overlook any possible line of enquiry in murder cases.
'Right, do some digging, but don't spend too much time on it, unless you get anything more to go on than your intuition. I'm not dismissing that, it's often good, but with so much on our hands, and now an officer down with Virgil on paternity leave, we need to concentrate our resources where the strongest leads are.
'I know Jo wants to get Steve out of the office a bit more, so if you need any help with computer searches, ask Océane if she has some time she could throw at it. We need to make good use of her while we have her. As the Super keeps reminding me, the way the budgetary axe keeps randomly swinging, it could be a case of here today, gone tomorrow. And keep me informed.'
Ted just needed a bit of desk time before he went down to meet with the Super and the DSU. He wanted to catch up on emails and paperwork, to stay on top of both. Come what may, he planned to leave early to get to the self-defence club. He was keen to hear if any of the children had any feedback for him on bullying in their schools. He was giving his personal therapy sessions a miss for the time being, with so much going on. He felt reasonably together, not allowing himself to get too discouraged by lack of progress. He knew Carol would always find time to see him at short notice if he ever needed her help.
The main office was quiet when Jezza left the boss's to go back to her desk. Only Océane was there, working on her computer. Jezza decided to take the opportunity to talk to her about some computer help, should she need it. She also wanted to have a word with her about something else. She hadn't really got to know their new CFI, but she wanted to mark her card for her.
She explained the sort of thing she was looking for. Océane nodded and promised to find some time to at least start the searches during the day. Jezza was going straight out so wouldn't have the time herself.
'Oh, and about Steve,' Jezza said, as she turned to go. 'I'm very fond of Steve. He's like my kid brother. Just don't mess him about, all right?'
Océane's look in return was analytical. She studied Jezza rather as she might a piece of intriguing software.
'Jezza, you have a kid brother. And it's not Steve. Almost everyone on the team treats Steve as if he's some sort of wet behind the ears boy. He isn't. He's a man, and a very intelligent one. Highly regarded in gaming circles. A brilliant tactician. Have you any idea how incredibly sexy that kind of high intellect is?
'I'm really into Steve. I doubt I'll marry him and have his babies, and he probably feels the same way. But while it lasts, it's excellent. And we are both adults. About this, and about everything. Not that it is any of your business. But thanks for your concern.'
It wasn't often than Jezza was at a loss for words, but she was this time. Much as she hated to admit it, what Océane had said was perfectly true. She did tend to think of Steve, and to treat him, as another kid brother. She was surprised to hear a different side to him. She made a mental note to try to treat him better in the future.
Jim Baker had already arrived when Ted went downstairs to the Ice Queen's office. Once the coffee was served, Ted set out for the two of them what he had discussed with the expanded team at the morning briefing. He was quick to stress that he was not at the moment linking the two cases, only that it was something they were considering.
'Bloody hell, Ted,' Jim Baker growled. 'I'm not sure which of all of those possibilities appeals the least. Copycat killers? I don't like the sound of that one, in particular.'
'And there's still a distinct possibility that the killer or killers may be teenagers or children? I find that aspect particularly disturbing,' the Ice Queen put in.
'There's also these animal torture cases the RSPCA are working on. I've seen some sights in my time, but they were pretty harrowing in comparison. And they've all taken place in and around the park. Which gives them at least a geographical link with the arson from four years ago, and with the Tyler Bradbury case.'
All three were silent for a moment, thinking about the implications.
'We certainly don't want any of this leaking out to the press too soon,' the Ice Queen stressed. 'You have reminded the team once again about discretion? And you're still happy you can trust them?'
'My team, yes, one hundred per cent. I don't, of course, know the South Manchester three that well yet. Leona Rakale appears to be an exemplary officer; I'd be surprised if she gossiped outside work. DC Winters was good on the last case we worked on together. DC Eccles would be the weak link, if there is one. He's making an effort, but he still has some bad habits to get out of, a legacy from the old days. I have reminded him though. That's as much as I can do for now.
'Oh, and DC Tibbs' wife went into labour this morning, slightly ahead of her time. So he's gone off to the hospital and will be on leave for a couple of weeks, hopefully the proud father of a healthy baby.'
The Ice Queen hadn't been in post long enough to have heard of his history. At her questioning look, Ted filled her in briefly on the background.
'I do hope everything goes well. Please send him and his wife my best wishes when you hear from him. And please do let me know when you have news.'
Despite her frosty professional front, the Ice Queen could show a compassionate side to officers under her command. It never lasted long and was quickly replaced with the brittle formality which was the shield behind which she hid.
Maurice appeared back during the morning. There was nothing to report, he told Ted, but Virgil's mother-in-law had turned up. Unlike in some marriages, son-in-law and mother-in-law seemed to get on well together, so Maurice had left them supporting one another and caught a bus back to the station.
Ted was surprised to get a call during the afternoon from Mrs Atkinson, the foster mother of the boy Flip, one of Ted's most enthusiastic students at the self-defence club.
'I'm sorry to bother you when you're probably at work, Inspector,' she began hesitantly. She would have no reason to have heard of Ted's recent promotion. 'I'm afraid Philip won't be able to come tonight. He's had some trouble at school with an older boy and he's been injured. In fact, I was calling...I know this is a bit of an imposition, and I'll quite understand if you're too busy...I just wondered if you might be kind enough to pop round after the club tonight? Just to have a word with him? Only he seems to have got hurt trying to do some sort of detective work or something. He'd listen to you. If it's not too much trouble?'
Ted was quickly calculating time-scales in his head. He was committed to teaching the club, with one of the other members of the adult judo club to help in place of Trev. But he was in desperate need of his own judo session afterwards, especially if he was skipping his therapy. His cases took a hefty personal toll and Ted's form of release was his martial arts. It was never the same without Trev to spar with, but it would be something, at least.
'Would eight-thirty be too late to be convenient for you? I could be there by then, if that helps?'
When he got home to change into casual clothes and grab his kitbag, Ted received another text from Trev.
'Still no signal. Still stoned. Still horny. Can't wait for Sunday! Say hi to the kids for me tonight. Love you xx.'
He fired off a quick reply, hoping his partner was receiving them all right if the signal was that bad. He was also looking forward to their reunion on Sunday.
It was quickly followed by another text. A picture of a beaming Virgil smiled up at him, cradling a tiny, but clearly healthy baby in his arms. His message read: 'I'm a daddy. Meet Daisy May. Mother and baby doing well.'
Ted smiled as he forward the message to the Ice Queen and Jim Baker. He knew Virgil would have circulated it round the team already.
The club went reasonably well. None of the children present had anything to report about bullying in their schools. Ted reminded them all again that an important part of self-defence was not to put oneself in danger to start with.
After his own judo session, which wa
s tame by comparison to how it was when Trev was there, he took a quick shower at the gym and got changed before going round to where Flip lived with his foster parents. He was shown into the front room where Flip was sprawled on the settee, watching television. He had a few bruises visible and one wrist was in a plaster cast which extended up his forearm.
He looked up and beamed when Ted walked into the room. Flip had a serious case of hero-worship where Ted was concerned and seemed determined to follow his example by joining the police force. He instinctively jerked his head in a flicking motion to clear his rebellious fringe from his eyes before he spoke.
'Hi, Ted! You should see the other bloke.'
He moved his feet out of the way so Ted could sit down next to him.
'So, Flip, what have I told you about never putting yourself in danger? What were you doing?'
'There's this older boy in our school, right. Thinks he's a right hard case. Picks on the little kids all the time. Robs off them, smacks them about a bit. I thought I'd try keeping a bit of an eye on him, like. Then I could give you a good witness statement.'
'But even with the training you've had so far, you were taking a huge risk, going up against a bigger boy.'
'Oh, he ain't bigger, just older. He's a right little squirt. Not much bigger than me.'
Chapter Fourteen
'Right, before we get down to the serious stuff, we have a baby's head to wet. I suggest we finish the week with a drink in the The Grapes, after work tomorrow. I don't suppose for a moment Virgil will be free to join us but someone please let him know we'd love to see him, even for ten minutes.