by Linda Mather
Paul was studying people; he seemed to be alone and was totally unaware that he was being watched. Stephen was surprised that Paul hadn’t spotted him, but then looked around and saw the crowds around him and understood why. He hadn’t noticed the place filling up, too busy people watching, focusing on dubious looking individuals.
Then the same girl that had tried to pull him earlier in the evening had pulled Paul Spencer on to the dance floor and was gyrating her body all over him. He seemed to be enjoying it.
Dark thoughts started to cross Stephens mind again, it was not something that hadn’t happened before he thought. Some crime or another had over the years been an inside job.
He then recalled his thoughts the other day …even these criminology courses would describe how to get rid of DNA etc.
He had brushed them aside, thought he was being irrational and letting his feelings towards Paul get in the way of the investigation, but now he was down here at Jason’s without even mentioning it, surely if it was him he wouldn’t be that brazen, then he thought but psychopaths were like that, they believed that they were too clever to be caught.
Then his rational mind stepped in, Paul could have come up with the same idea as he had, decided to have a wonder down and sniff about, perhaps he was a sad lonely bastard like he was on a Friday night.
He stood silently observing.
Paul was getting quite into this girl, stroking her hair, kissing her neck. What the hell was going on?
His team were allowed to have a private life of course, but here, why would anyone come here unless they had to, like him. And why hadn’t he mentioned that he used this club?
Thoughts streaming through his mind he watched Paul leave the club with the girl in tow, clearly on a promise.
What should I do?
Should I follow him?
He ran these questions through his mind, alongside many more, many more indeed.
He decided in the end not to go after him, he might see him and know that he was onto him if he was the killer or think that Stephen was stalking him if he wasn’t.
However, if that girl turned up dead tomorrow he would know just who he would be pointing his finger at!
Stephen eventually walked out into the cold night air and shivered as the icy wind hit him. Blooming weather it was the end of March and still cold enough to snow, he thought.
He hovered around for a while to see if anything of interest happened, anything that appeared to be suspicious, watched as the patrons came out of the club, drunk and boisterous, laughing and playful, some heading for the burger van that was parked outside, greasy food to soak up the drink.
Some of the women were falling over in their high heels unable to walk in them now that they were fuelled with alcohol, skirts pulled up showing their underwear, no dignity he thought.
Then there were those getting into their cars obviously the worse for wear and most definitely over the drink drive limit.
He made a mental note to speak with patrol and get them to monitor this place on a weekend night, rather than focus all their attention on the town centre.
After about half an hour, the cold reaching his bones and nothing irregular to pursue, he got in his car, banged the heating on full blast and drove home to the hum of the warm air floating out of the car radiator.
His thoughts drifting back to Paul. He never had liked this guy, not since the day he was transferred to his team. There was something fishy about him. Had his gut been trying to tell him something then? He began to wish that he had followed him but it was too late now.
It was interesting that he knew there would be another murder, what was it he said?
“This is the m.o of a serial killer sir”
Odd, to say that when there had only been one body. None of them had been thinking that this was more than a one off. It was if he was trying to tell them something.
Stephen had put it down to his naivety; he’d thought that he was just being overzealous.
Now his thoughts were much darker, much more sinister. He’d felt for a while that this killer was close to home, he’d not voiced his thoughts, he had no evidence to support this, but they were missing something, he didn’t know what but Stephen was sure as hell going to find out!
He pulled up outside his cottage with a plan.
He knew exactly what he was going to do on Monday, but for now he was going to enjoy the rest of his weekend.
Chapter Eighteen
“Fuck me” I nearly got caught, I’m getting far too complacent. I need to be more careful, It made sense that there would be a police presence at Jason’s, especially if they had worked out that both of the slag’s had been there.
I had been looking around for my next possible victim. I know where most of the girls live. I’ve been following them home over the last ten months, took notes of their addresses, biding my time. I’ve watched as they took men in, and seen the bedroom light go on and off within hours of them meeting their prey.
That’s what men were to women, their prey, a meal ticket, someone to bring up their spawn and pay the bills whilst they sat around on their big fat arses, drinking coffee all day. They never worked this type; they were the dregs of society, sponged off tax payers. I’m doing the world a favour eliminating them off the face of the earth
I spotted him by chance; hovering around the bar scanning the room, looking for me, no doubt.
He was another one, slept with them, used them for his own satisfaction and then left them to beat up their children and laughed at others misfortunes.
Luckily I managed to hide behind a pillar just as his eyes scanned the place where I had been lurking, his eyes lingering on the spot where I had been standing.
Whoa that was close!
As soon as his eyes lingered somewhere else, I got out of there.
I had a narrow escape, if he’d seen me there he would have unquestionably have came over and spoke to me asked what I was doing there. I’ll have to be more careful in the future, let things settle.
I’m home now and safe, but I need to rethink.
**********
I guess you want to know more about my mother, everyone does.
You all maintain that you don’t want to hear about this stuff,
“Oooh don’t tell me anymore” or “I’d rather not hear about it” but you can’t help yourself can you?
The curiosity is killing you. Does that make you as sick as me?
Well, turn the page then, go to the next chapter, you don’t have to read it.
But you will, won’t you,
You just can’t help yourself can you?
Everyone’s mind is the same as mine you see, you just don’t act on it, everyone is capable of bad things even you.
And because you are too cowardly to do what I do, you just enjoy reading about what I do.
You just like intruding on my life, invading my privacy, my private thoughts.
That’s fine for now.
I think it might be helpful for me to describe my mother, so you can have a picture in your head; she never leaves mine so why should she not be implanted in yours?
She was not a big woman, quite petite in fact, around five foot and must have only weighed about seven stone, but I was still scared of her, she still petrifies me to this day, even though she’s dead, oh yes, she’s dead, very dead in fact.
She had a round face with a large thin nose and green eyes. Her hair was long, bleached blonde and always very dry, it reminded me of straw.
When she got up in the morning, mascara caked on her cheeks and stale foundation in blotches she would look like a flippy floppy scarecrow, lolling all over the place, often still drunk from the night before.
She could have been a pretty woman I think, if she’d smiled more, if she hadn’t caked all that make up on her face, but she could never have been pretty inside. Inside she was a monster, an evil sadistic fiend.
I was thirteen years old; oh did I forget to tell you, I never went t
o school, didn’t even know there was such a thing as school. In hindsight she probably kept me away so the authorities wouldn’t know what was happening to me. I don’t know to this day how she managed to evade the establishment, but she did.
Taught me herself…………….. the harsh way!
Anyway, where was I?
Oh yes I was thirteen years old, by then she’d given up on my education and I now had to work, around the house, you women will know the score, the cleaning, the washing, the ironing and so on.
And by God I had to do it right, but I never did of course, not to her wishes.
I was just putting the vacuum cleaner away when she noticed I’d missed a bit, it was a small blonde hair on her rug.
Well first world war broke out I was battered of course battered almost to death, but that wasn’t enough for her, never was enough for her……………………
The worst was yet to come!
“The time has come” she said “for you to know the way the world works; you need to know the facts of life son, the birds and the bees”
Well I was thirteen; it was time you may think.
So battered and bruised and still traumatised physically and psychologically, that was when my virginity was broken, that was when I learned about what you mere mortals call lovemaking……………………………..
My mother always did reason that practical learning was better than theory.
Chapter Nineteen
Thursday 3 April
Stephen was sat at his desk doing paperwork and preparing further material that the CPS needed in relation to the up and coming court case of the methamphetamine rapist, as the media were now calling him.
He was also waiting for some information to come through, that he’d been chasing up since Monday.
He’d been looking into Paul Spencer’s background after seeing him unauthorised at Jason’s on Friday night. Paul had not mentioned to him that he had been down there, and as far as Stephen was aware had not mentioned it to his colleagues either as he had made some discreet enquiries.
There was something bothering him about this guy, and little titbits had been coming through all week, it appeared that Paul had a bit of a dodgy past, he had accumulated a few driving offences, but he had also been under observation in his youth, the police involved at the time could never pin anything on him. So he was curiously waiting for information on why he had been under observation.
There was nothing much doing at the station, no more leads to follow on the two murder cases. They were just sitting ducks, hoping to catch the killer before he struck again.
The atmosphere in the main office was charged, everyone waiting, ready, wanting to do the job they were all paid to do.
The call came direct to Stephen at three fifteen. They’d got a match. They were on the move. Thank god for that Stephen thought, as he thanked his caller and put the phone down, forgetting all about his initial instincts about Paul.
He made a quick call to the control room then he walked into the main office and everyone looked at him in anticipation.
“Right guys, we have a match. The suspects name is Ivan Springer, he is white Caucasian 40 years of age and lives on the Nevington Estate.
Paul see if we can get anything from the DVLA on what vehicle he is currently driving. Vera see if you can find out anything regarding his employment status, Derek, John do some research get anything you can on this man I want us back here ready to roll in……….” he looked at his watch “one hour, that’s four thirty precise!”
The place began to buzz, everyone immediately embroiled in their individual tasks, that the time flew by and it only appeared to be five minutes before they were all sat waiting for their boss at four thirty.
Paul had his car type and registration number, which matched what Stephen had obtained from the control room. He had asked them to send a patrol car to cautiously drive by Ivan’s home to see if there was a car parked in the vicinity of the house. His car was in his drive, it matched Paul’s so therefore the suspect was possibly at home.
Vera had got his social security number and he was currently on unemployment benefits, another probability that he was at home.
Derek and John had pulled up his criminal record status and he had a few minor misdemeanours which were how they had got his DNA on the system.
Stephen gave them their individual responsibilities in the arrest strategy and discussed the plan of action.
By five O’clock they were all on the road to get the man that had fucked up two of their weekends with their families and murdered two innocent girls, and left four children motherless.
**********
The arrest went smoothly; Ivan had been in shock and thus had gone quietly and willingly with them into the police car, no kicking and screaming which would have drawn attention to the arrest and subsequently brought the press sniffing around the station wanting a piece of the action, hankering after a news story confirming that the killer was now being held and questioned.
Ivan had been processed in the arrest suite and they were just waiting for the duty solicitor to arrive, which he had requested, so that they could begin their interrogation.
Stephen had decided that Derek and John would be the best men for this task and was just about to speak with them when Paul knocked on his door.
“Yes Paul” he said as he looked up into the face of the man that he once believed was a suspect.
“I was wondering sir” Paul said “if I could be part of the interrogation. I have the skills sir and would like to gain a bit more experience”
This was a fucking double murder case Stephen thought, did he really think that he was going to allow him to do his ‘skills practice’ on this one!
“No, Paul, not this time, I will bear you in mind when something else comes up though” Stephen said lowering his head back down to his paperwork, letting Paul know that he was being dismissed.
“But sir, I think I…………………” Paul was not going to give up that easily.
“Look Paul” Stephen snapped “Derek and John will be handling this one. There is only one way to unfold a note, without tearing the paper and they know how to do it, if you get my meaning” and to ensure that Paul left the office without any further ‘buts’ he got up from his desk and held the door, ready to shut it when he sulkily left.
**********
The tape whirling in the background, Derek stated the usual procedure for suspect interviews:
This interview will be taped……………….
Ivan nodded looking anxiously at the duty solicitor as he did so.
He hadn’t felt very confident with him and had noticed that he appeared irritated that he had been pulled away from whatever he was doing. He had spent five minutes maximum with him before the interview and had said very little to reassure him.
Ivan felt scared, very scared.
“Would you like to start by telling us about the evening of Friday 21 March into the early hours of Saturday 22 March” Derek asked.
“What from beginning to end”
“Yes”
“Well I had a birthday party starting at seven o’clock with one of my friends from this transvestite group that I am a part of, so I went there, then I left about nine to go home and quickly get changed because I had promised to meet Lizzie at Jason’s”
“Get changed?” Derek asked, not understanding why he had to get changed.
“Yes, I was in drag you see, dressed as a woman, Lizzie doesn’t know about….. about my other life”
“Okay”
“I had planned to meet Lizzie and didn’t want to let her down and…”
“How long had you known Lizzie? Derek asked.
“About four weeks, we’d been chatting and dancing and things, you know”
“And so on Friday 21 you met her down Jason’s is that right? Then what happened?” Derek asked.
“We chatted and danced for a while, then we er… got a taxi and went
back to her house”
“Had you been to her house before?”
“No” Ivan replied “This was the first time.
“And then what?” Derek asked.
“We had sex” Ivan replied.
Derek looked at John and they both knew that they had to tread carefully here; this guy could get away with this if they didn’t. Clever bastard had worked out that they had DNA so was covering himself by admitting that they had sex.
“Was the sex good?” It was John’s turn now and Derek had worked with him long enough to know where this was heading.
“What?” Ivan asked.
“Was the sex good?” John asked again “Did she enjoy it?”
“I er think so” Ivan replied confused by this line of questioning.
“What time did you leave?” John asked.
“Oh, after about half an hour” Ivan replied pleased that this uncomfortable subject had been dropped. “She made me a potted beef sandwich then said she was tired”
“So” John said “in the space of half an hour, you entered the house, performed foreplay, had sex and then she made you a potted beef sandwich and I’m guessing you ate it, did you have drink with that?”
“Yes, a cup of tea”
“So how long exactly did the foreplay and sex last Ivan, two, minutes?”
“I don’t know I didn’t time it?” Ivan replied, his face starting to flush.
“She can’t have been very happy Ivan, what happened next did she taunt you, accuse you of being a lousy lover?”
“No!” Ivan replied looking at his solicitor, wasn’t he supposed to fucking do something here, he thought.
“Is that why you killed her Ivan, did she ridicule you, damage your male ego?”
“No!” Ivan replied
“Of course she didn’t, we know that Ivan, you know that too, don’t you?”
“Yes” Ivan replied.
“I believe you Ivan, I believe you’re telling the truth, we all know that she didn’t taunt you” and just as the relief was spreading across Ivan’s face, John jumped in with his ace card.
“She couldn’t ridicule you because she was out for the count wasn’t she? Because you’d spiked her with a date rape drug hadn’t you?!” John shouted.