by Alex Pitt
“Hurry up with your cornflakes, Jack. What’s taking you so long?” my mum asked me.
“Nothing,” I said, coming out of my trance and wolfing them down my throat.
“Good. I can’t be late for work, so if you want a lift then you’d best get a move on.” She looked at the clock on the kitchen wall, and then tutted. “I thought it was later than that. Still, please hurry yourself up, Jack.”
“Yes, mother,” I said, and grinned.
“You know I’m proud of you, don’t you honey?” my mum said, and she ruffled my hair.
I shivered and pulled away, but it was also nice. You could find a lot worse of a parent than my mum. My dad, for instance. He’d left when I was five, deciding to spend more time hooking up with the babysitter than taking care of my mum and I. He was a violent man, and my mum had been too scared of ending it with him after she’d caught him in the act but, a year after the heart-breaking truth came out, she finally got the guts to do it. Fair play to her, I say. Sure, I missed having a dad as a role-model, but I love my mum and I would rather have no dad in my life than a dad who was abusive and got with anything containing a heartbeat.
“Sure, Mum. I know that,” and I smiled at her, to show I meant it.
“Did you hear about this on the news?” she asked, changing topic. “It’s absolutely terrible. How could anyone do this?”
She grabbed the remote and turned it up loud, so that we could both hear. The crunch of my cornflakes interrupted my hearing a bit, but I could see what was happening on screen and I didn’t even need to hear the reporter say ‘a tragic and horrific event’ to know that’s exactly what it was. The poor girl had been absolutely violated. The day was a Friday, and they said the murder happened on Wednesday afternoon. I knew the exact location of where the garage was, and it made me wonder if the people I’d seen in the ambulance had been driving to this crime scene.
“You be careful out there, OK?” my mum said, and I nodded. She worried too much, but it was nice that she cared.
“Don’t worry, Mum,” I replied, as she switched the TV off and headed for the door. “I think my hench body would scare them away,” and she laughed at that, but I could still see concern in her eyes. “I’ll be alright,” I added, giving her a reassuring smile.
“I know you will. But just be careful anyway, yeah? Come on, grab your bag and we’ll go.”
I ran upstairs to my room, also known as the bomb site, and grabbed an Adidas rucksack off the floor. I said goodbye to Bob the goldfish, chucked some biscuits in the dog bowl for Rufus, and re-joined my mum at the front door.
I was tired, but also excited. There were only three or four weeks of college left until the summer, and the heat on this particular Friday only reminded me of that. I couldn’t wait, but I had to see the rear end of my exams before the hype could be properly unleashed.
It was as if my mum was reading my mind, as she said, “Make sure you’re not out late tonight. I need you here revising.”
I rolled my eyes at this. “Mum, I’m seventeen. I’m not five.”
“All the same, please don’t stay out too long. I don’t think those friends of yours will let you study while they’re around. Besides, I’m making your favourite for dinner.”
“Macaroni cheese?” I asked, and she nodded.
It was a simple dish, but Mum made it with extra mushrooms and extra sweetcorn, and this made is so much nicer than any shop-bought meal.
“Who’s the girl?” she asked, as we pulled up in front of the college.
I looked around quickly, and saw Daisy standing there, a pale skirt and tight top attached to her skin. I hadn’t told my mum about Daisy, but I guessed now was as good a time as any.
“That’s Daisy.”
“Is she-”
“She’s a friend,” I said quickly, which was the truth. We were just friends.
“Well, you go on and talk to your friend. She’s clearly waiting for you.”
My mum wasn’t stupid, and she knew there was more than just a friendship at play. A massive smile had erupted across my face from ear-to-ear, just at the sight of her.
I said a quick goodbye and hopped out of the car, jogging over to Daisy. I’d told my mum the truth. There was nothing official between us, because I was still waiting to see how things worked out. However, it didn’t help my case when she flung her arms around me and breathed in heavily, letting my deodorant waft up her nose.
“Is that your mum?” she asked me, and I confirmed that it was. “Maybe I should go say hi.”
“Let’s leave that for another time,” I said and grabbed her waist.
“Jack Harborne, are you ashamed to show me off to your mother?”
“Daisy Mulligan, no. Not at all. But she has to run to work.”
“Fair enough,” she said, but wagged a finger in my face. “I’m expecting the meeting sooner rather than later though. A proper sit-down meal, where we can get to know each other.”
I couldn’t tell if she was joking.
“Alright, Daisy, I said, smiling and pulling her towards the college. “Anything for you,” and I took a little bow.
We were getting so close. I liked her, and she liked me. Maybe that meant it was time to make things official, but I didn’t. I liked the state we were in now, laughing and joking and enjoying each other’s presence. I didn’t want this to end by me asking her out and her saying she wasn’t ready, or maybe I’d misread all of the signs wrong and all she wanted was a flirtatious friendship.
But, as I walked up the path to the college doors, she grabbed my bum and I could feel her nails digging in. I should have realised it then. There was no way I’d misread the signs. She liked me, and I liked her. Nevertheless, it was a while before I made it official with Daisy.
Chapter Eight
“Partaaaaaaaaaaaaaay,” Tom yelled, bumping into me in the corridor and making passers-by turn their head, surprised by the commotion.
“Keep your voice down, mate. What party?” I asked, hoping he didn’t think the one at my house was still a go.
“Sam Higgins party, mate. Sam Higgins is having a friggin’ party, and we’re invited. How cool is that?”
“Hold on a second, we are talking about the same guy, right? Sam Higgins who has been a dick to us all year. Who hangs around with that psycho, Morgan? Sam Higgins actually approached you, and invited you to a party?” I asked, not believing the story for a second.
“Well, not quite,” Tom admitted, and I put my hands on my hips, like a mother who caught her son doing something naughty, ready to hear the truth. “I heard people talking about it this morning before lessons. Sam is having a massive house party once all the exams are finished, and everyone in the year is invited. They were very specific on that, everyone in the year is invited.”
“Right,” I muttered. That sounded like a recipe for disaster, but it could also be quite fun. “So, you’re going?” I questioned, already sure that I knew the answer.
“I think I’d have to be crazy not to go. Think of all the hot chicks that’ll be going to Sam Higgin’s party.”
“Calm down, mate. You make it sound like he’s got a whole string of them lined up.”
“He has. What I’ve seen anyway. He always has his arms around at least two girls, more if he can fit them.”
“He’s not that good looking,” I laughed, and it was the truth.
“Being a heterosexual guy, I have no comment on that. All I’m saying is that he gets the chicks drooling. I bet even Daisy’s had a cheeky look at his bulge.”
“Cut that out,” I grunted, giving him a punch on the arm. “Fine, we’ll go to this stupid party, seeing as I can’t have one of my own. But we are not staying there overnight. We can crash at mine, or something. I’m sure my mum will have a fit when she smells the booze on us, but it’ll be better than getting murdered,” I said, and then I remembered the news story this morning, and felt instantly bad for saying it.
“Sam is not going to murder us. He
seems pretty cool.”
“First week of college, he nicked your money and threw your lunch on the floor. You know, like he’s in pre-school, or something.”
“That was just banter,” Tom said defensively, and I shook my head. He wasn’t getting the message.
“It was not banter. He’s a dick, but it’s not him I’m concerned about. Like I said, it’s that psycho Morgan. People are saying his dads just got out of prison again, and he’s become even more insane since then. They say he’s following in his father’s footsteps.”
“A bit like Darth Vader and Luke then,” Tom commented.
“No, not like Darth Vader and Luke, you brain-dead moron,” and I slapped the back of his head playfully. ‘Banter’, as I’m sure he would call it. “Darth Vader is evil, but Luke is nothing like his dad. He’s the hero of the whole story. Have you even seen Star Wars?”
“Yep, but a long time ago. I like the girl.”
“Leia? Rest in peace, Carrie Fisher,” I sighed, just as Scooter came up beside us.
“What are you lost whispering about?” he asked, eyes narrowing.
“Tom wants to go to Sam Higgin’s party in a few weeks. I reckon he’s crazy.”
“You know, I did hear about that,” Scooter nodded. “Could be fun.”
“Really?” I asked, thinking I may have to accept defeat.
“Yeah, and who knows, you might get lucky with Daisy,” Scooter said, and Tom roared with laughter, knocking knuckles with Scooter and having to sniff his snot back into his nose.
“That’s disgusting,” I groaned, ready to heave.
“You not hooking up with Daisy is disgusting,” Tom retorted. “Scooter’s right, though. We’ll get some alcohol in your system, and then you have to talk to her. While both of us are busy with some older and more experienced chicks, you can be getting her knickers down.”
“Daisy’s experienced!” I said, voice raising, but instantly regretting it.
“Slag alert,” Tom laughed, and that was the exact reason why I shouldn’t have said it.
I didn’t know the exact number of guys Daisy had been with, but I knew she had some experience, probably more than I’d like her to have. Still, neither of us were completely innocent, and I was sure it would be a special moment when it happened. Such a cheesy thought!
“Whatever. Me and Scooter have to bounce,” I told him, and it was true. Friday afternoons meant another session of triple English. Three whole hours of Miss Edwards. Kill me now.
“We hanging out afterwards?” Tom asked, and I shook my head.
“Can’t mate. My mum wants me home to revise. Plus, she’s making macaroni cheese.”
“I came to your house for that once,” Scooter smiled. “It was heaven.”
“I bet seeing his mum’s arse when she bent over was heaven as well,” Tom giggled, and I punched him a bit harder. He was getting on my nerves now.
“We’re going,” I grumbled at him. “See you next week.”
“What’s rattled your cage?” Scooter asked me as we approached the classroom, faking ignorance.
“The way he speaks about my mum and Daisy. He’ got no respect.”
“He’s just joking around, mate. Don’t take it too personal, yeah?”
I was a hundred per cent sure that Tom didn’t mean anything by it, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be hurt. We would both have the weekend to cool off, and I was sure it would all be forgotten my Monday.
“Did you hear that thing on the news this morning? About that girl who was found dead on Wednesday?” I asked Scooter, changing the topic.
“Yeah, it’s sad really, isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
“They said they were launching an investigation at the strip club. I don’t think they’ve got anywhere with it though.”
I shook my head, slightly more knowledgeable than Scooter. “I know they haven’t got anywhere with it. They’ve been too busy sorting out paperwork and speaking to the girl’s parents before it got out on the news.”
“That’s got to be the hardest part, right? I mean, seeing the body and finding out who’s done it to her will be hard, of course, but telling her parents. They must be devastated. Especially the way she was killed. Some violent shit there.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, still pissed off from earlier. I didn’t really want to talk, but I’d brought the case up so there wouldn’t be an awkward silence in the air.
“Daisy’s over there,” Scooter noted.
I had already spotted her myself, but she was talking to one of her other friends; someone she’d become friendly with when she joined our class. I still thought Daisy was crazy, sitting in on classes for several weeks with no real point to it, but I guess it was important to choose the ones that were right for her next year.
I ignored Daisy for the whole three hours of lessons. She smiled at me a few times from across the room, and I grinned back enthusiastically, but I never made the effort to approach her and, when class was over, I left without saying a word to either Daisy or Scooter. I was in a foul mood, and it wasn’t just because of the way Tom had acted at lunchtime. I was annoyed with myself that I hadn’t made a move on Daisy yet and, when I’d seen her talking to another friend, I was worried that’s what I was becoming: just another friend.
Daisy had the right to talk to whoever she damn-well pleased, but I was so annoyed with myself. It had been three or four weeks since I’d met Daisy, and I wanted something to happen between us. Although I wouldn’t admit this to my mum, or Scooter, or Tom, or Vince, and maybe not even Daisy if she asked me, but that girl meant the world to me.
It’s silly, I know. I’ve had past girlfriends in school and the early days of college, but none meant as much to me as Daisy did. Perhaps you are shaking your head at me, thinking I’m just some loved-up college kid, thinking that I don’t really know what it feels like to be in love. You’re wrong. I love Daisy, but I was just too afraid tell her.
I knew then, as I walked home in a strop, headphones in my ears, trying to block out the world; she was the one. I was going to make her mine and we would be together for a very, very long time. And for one stupid second, I actually really believed that.
Chapter Nine
Richard
The steps to the Venus club were cold. When I say that, I mean it metaphorically. I don’t actually mean that I got down on my hands and knees and pressed my face to the concrete. There was a chill in the air, despite the fact that it was May. The sun had sunk low in the sky, and the night would come spilling out within the hour.
I placed one hand on the door, thinking. This was my job, it paid the bills, and I enjoyed doing it, but could I really carry on? Having to break the news to Rachel’s parents had been hard enough, and I came so close to walking away and leaving it in the hands of Becky. I’d given her a starting point for the case, so maybe she could finish it for me.
I brushed that idea away as soon as it formed. Someone was out there abusing and violating young girls, and I didn’t think he was stopping anytime soon. This was the earliest we’d had the chance to visit the strip club. If it was up to me, we’d have headed there straight after visiting the crime scene, but the news that Davies had brought to us changed things.
I’d asked if we could do a DNA test on the baby to find out who the father was, but he said it was impossible. While they could analyse her body and find the small, crushed foetus inside of her, there was nowhere near enough of it left to carry out a DNA test.
Davies must have had the forensics team carry out the pregnancy test in the time between speaking to me about it and us travelling to the crime scene because they’d done it before we got there. That’s probably the reason her legs had been crushed, to get rid of the evidence. Killing Rachel would have also killed the baby, but the murderer wanted to leave no trace of her pregnancy. Good thing I’d had the hunch that that’s what the car had been for.
“Are you alright, Detective?” Becky asked, placing a hand on my back.
>
“Yes,” I said. “Just thinking things through.”
“It’s a lot to digest,” she nodded. “But I think it’ll be better once we get this out of the way. Someone has to know who Rachel is.”
“I know,” I said bluntly, lips shaking a bit. I don’t know why, I’m usually calm about most investigations, but this one had really riled me up.
“Do you think that our killer planted the flyer on the girl, to lead us here?” Becky asked, and it was a fair question.
“No, I don’t think so,” I said, after a minute of pondering. “From the reports we’ve heard, the killer fled the scene when Rachel made so much noise and he thought someone else was coming. Bearing in mind, he would have to have killed Rachel, then got in the car, then run her over, and then fled. If he thought that someone was coming, all of that took up too much time already.”
“But he had time to clean the weapons, right?”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I think he must have been wearing gloves. He would have left DNA in the car otherwise, and I don’t think he’d have had the time to wipe that clean as well.”
“You know what, Detective,” and I turned to her. “I am amazed that little car was able to mangle her legs so much, and get rid of the foetus so effectively.”
“It is possible, Cooper, trust me. Not easy, but it could be done, if he was going at some speed.”
“So, he would have had to reverse the car quite far out of the garage, then run her over, and then escape. If someone had heard her screams, how did they not get there in time to see the killer?” Becky questioned.
“Because it was an old man walking his dog, remember? Old men don’t tend to walk that fast. Speaking of which, we’ll probably have to get a statement from him soon.”
Becky nodded at that, and I hoped it was all the questions she was going to ask for now. I just wanted to get in the strip club, poke around for any clues, and get back out, hopefully with a few leads.