by Ellis, Tim
‘Yeah, sorry. Not much of a first day, huh?’
‘Wasn’t exactly what we had planned, and going sightseeing after our nanny has just been murdered by a serial killer seems a bit callous.’
‘Yeah, I suppose so.’
‘Talking of which. Any news?’
‘Nothing we didn’t already know. The destruction of the CCTV system has us flummoxed though, but we’ll get to the bottom of it, I’m sure.’
‘And the photographs?’
‘We’ve rounded up most of the people who were hovering around the two ladies last night, and identified the photographer… Well, there were actually two guys taking photographs with their cell phones. We’re analysing the pictures now. I’ll let you know what transpires.’
‘Thanks. Also, is it possible to get Alicia Mae’s personal effects back?’
‘I think we’ve finished with them. I’ll have them brought back tomorrow morning. Is that okay?’
‘Yes, that’ll be great.’
‘So, do you want to do that briefing now? It won’t take us long.’
‘Should I get Richards?’
‘Not unless you want to. You can pass along what I tell you.’
‘Works for me.’
Harry briefed him on what was scheduled to happen over Friday and Saturday at the conference, which was taking place at the purpose-built conference facilities in the hotel.
‘You’ll be on the stage with a microphone, a lectern, and a laptop with PowerPoint ready to go.’
‘Great. I’ve got a memory stick with my measly effort on.’
‘What’s your focus?’
‘The diversity of serial killers in a multicultural context.’
Harry laughed. ‘Yeah, good one. It sounds like you know what you’re talking about.’
‘It’s all a smokescreen, Harry. I don’t know anything about serial killers.’
‘Oh well, I hope you’ve been practising your song and dance routine?’
‘I’m sure I’ll be able to cobble something together.’
Harry stood up and they shook hands. ‘I’ll see you on Friday morning, but if you need to talk to me before that…’ He passed Parish a card. ‘My cell’s on there.’
‘See you Friday, and thanks for the files.’
‘I hope they keep your partner occupied.’
‘I’m sure they will.’
Chapter Eleven
‘I thought you’d forgotten all about me,’ Di Heffernan said.
They were on the way to the mortuary at King George Hospital. The scheduled nine o’clock briefing in the incident room had been cancelled due to DCI Colville and SDI Pollock’s arrival, and the subsequent press briefing. And because they’d spent the day travelling to Hastings, and then Hainault, there had been no time to visit the Smith house to find out what was going on.
‘That’s certainly an attractive proposition, but sadly untrue. As you can imagine, with everything that’s been happening at the station, I haven’t had chance to piss in a pot. The new Chief has made the paedophile case a priority, and I’ve got a new Super Detective Inspector who becomes confused when he turns around.’
‘It sounds like you’re getting everything you deserve, Sergeant Blake.’
‘Never mind trying to be nice to me. What’s happening at your end?’
‘Well, like you, I’m still working. We’ve hired an empty warehouse locally. The body parts have been transported there, and are being matched up. So far, we’ve got thirty-seven – mostly complete – bodies of young women, and another eight that have missing parts…’
‘Forty-five bodies…’ the scale of the crime hit her like a juggernaut. ‘Forty-five bodies… Jesus! I don’t envy you,’ she said with a touch of sympathy in her voice.
‘No… I don’t envy me either. Anyway, we’re not taking the bodies to the mortuary – there’s far too many of them. We’ve hired in a bank of freezers to accommodate the bodies, and we’re bringing in a mobile mortuary and a couple of pathologists to conduct the post mortems.’
‘Seems logical.’
‘That’s about it really. We’ve spent our time removing the body parts and piecing them together.’
‘I don’t suppose you’ve had chance to run the DNA through the database.’
‘Zero matches from ten samples so far.’
‘Have your people found any more of Smith’s personal effects?’
‘If we hadn’t found evidence of him having lived here, I’d say he didn’t live here. We’ve found none of the things we would expect to find in a house somebody lived in. I have an opinion…’
‘I’m listening?’
‘I think he lived here some of the time, but this isn’t his home. This is the place he brought his victims, did things to them, and then cut them up for storage – it’s an abattoir.’
‘I’ve been thinking the same thing myself. We saw Erin this morning, and she gave us a clue that we followed up in Hainault, but that’s brought its own problems, which need resolving. I also think I have the keys to his second home, plus some other keys, but unless I can find locks to put them in they’re useless pieces of junk.’
‘Can’t help you, I’m afraid. So, there we are. You’re up to date. We obviously have lots of analysis to do on hairs, fluids, fibres and everything else we’ve bagged here, but we won’t know the results of said analysis until early next week.’
‘See, you can be almost human when you put some effort in,’ Xena said.
‘So can you.’
‘Touché. I’ll speak to you soon.’
‘I’ll look forward to it, I’m sure.’
She ended the call.
‘You could have said something pleasant like, “Thanks for all your hard work, Di”,’ Stick said.
‘Are you talking to me, or chewing a brick?’
‘Probably the brick.’
‘Damned right. Drive, and stop peering over the fence like a nosy Kilroy cartoon.’
‘Yes, Sarge.’
They went straight down to the mortuary when they arrived at the hospital.
Doc Paine was pacing up and down.
‘I don’t know what’s going on at that police station of yours, but some people have home lives, you know.’
‘You’re in the wrong profession if you want one of those,’ Xena said. ‘They’re for normal people. So, why have I driven all the way here when I could be soaking in a bath?’
‘And me. I’ve got a date tonight.’
‘You and me both.’
‘Anyone I know?’
‘Dr Toadstone,’ Stick said.
‘Did I say you could broadcast my private life far and wide?’
‘I thought...’
‘No you didn’t.’
Doc Paine smiled. ‘Yes, he doesn’t look half bad with that plastic surgery he’s had, but...’
Xena’s face creased up. ‘But what?’
‘Well, he has the personality of a slug.’
‘Do slugs have personalities?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Now that you’ve crushed my dreams, tell me about the paedophile?’
‘And the children.’
‘You’ve got the three children here as well?’
‘Yes.’
‘I hope they’re not in the same freezer.’
‘Well...’
‘That’s obscene, Doc.’
‘They’re all dead.’
‘Can you imagine what would happen if the papers got hold of that nugget of information? You and the Chief Executive would probably have to look for other jobs.’
Doc Paine’s brow furrowed. ‘Yes, you’re probably right. I’ll get them moved once you’ve gone.’
‘Good idea. So?’
She collected up two files. ‘I’ve carried out post mortems on the paedophile – Alan Morrison, and one of the children – eight year-old Hayley Miles...’
Xena shook her head. ‘I hate child cases, and I hate paedophiles.’
‘I think th
e website informed us how Alan Morrison met his maker, and the date and time of his death. As a matter of interest, he didn’t have long to live anyway – he had testicular cancer. Now, whether that had anything to do with...’
Stick raised his hand as if he were in the classroom. ‘I don’t think we should try to explain the unexplainable. He had free will, he made a choice, that’s all we need to know.’
‘You think he deserved what he got?’ Doc Paine asked.
‘I didn’t say that.’
‘Stick likes to sit on the fence until his arse hurts. I don’t though. I think he deserved everything he got and more. In fact, I would...’
‘I don’t think you should tell people what you’d like to do to paedophiles, Sarge.’
‘Did I say you could edit my speeches?’
‘No, Sarge.’
‘Well, come on, Doc, let’s get to it.’
‘Alan Morrison’s DNA was found in the front and rear passages of Hayley Miles, and the bruises around her neck match his hand prints. I think we can safely say that the people who killed him got the right man.’
‘Good to hear. Anything else for us, Doc?’
‘Unfortunately, Morrison’s DNA wasn’t the only DNA I found on the girl. There were three others.
‘Fuck’s sake!’ Xena said. ‘I feel like puking.’
‘I’ve just been informed of a second database match, but there were no matches for the other two.’
‘If he gave up the location of the victims, why...? Oh!’
‘Sometimes, you can be a bonehead, Stick. They edited the video so that Morrison wouldn’t reveal the names of his accomplices to us, but they’ve got to them. I think we know who their next victims are. What’s the name, Doc?’
‘Donald Tumbell.’ She passed Xena a piece of paper. ‘That’s his address.’
‘Roydon as well,’ she said. ‘There must be a small paedophile ring around that area.’ She passed the piece of paper to Stick. ‘Phone it in. Get a squad car round there. I doubt he’s there, but if he is, he’s to be taken into custody.’
Stick nodded and moved into the corridor to make the call.
‘Thanks a bunch, Doc. There goes my night of passion with Mr Personality.’
‘I think you’ve had a lucky escape.’
‘Someone who has a date would say that.’
***
Between them, Jerry and Ray Kowalski told Charlie Baxter what had happened that morning at the house.
‘And you’re definitely not involved in the Satanist movement?’
Kowalski’s face creased up. ‘Is there such a thing as a Satanist movement?’ He also described the events surrounding his rape at the Hilton London Docklands Riverside Hotel by an unknown female, the DVD sent to him, the hacking of his bank account, and the deactivation of his mobile phone.
‘Someone doesn’t like you.’
‘I know, and I’m such a good-looking friendly guy as well.’
‘Don’t forget about those two detectives who were here trying to question you,’ Jerry said. ‘Who were they?’
‘Drugs squad. They think I’ve stolen some drugs from evidence lock-up.’
‘But...’
Charlie said, ‘It’s fairly obvious someone is out to get you. What I don’t understand is why your superiors have been taken in by it all?’
‘I do know the Chief Constable was concerned about me bringing the police force into disrepute.’
‘That doesn’t explain why they’d hang you out to dry. I should think – with all this negative publicity – bringing the police force into disrepute is exactly what’s happened.’
‘Can you do anything, Charlie?’ Jerry asked him, a hint of desperation evident in her voice.
‘First things first. This is a big case, I’m a one-man band. I’ll need an assistant. I can’t pay much, but you’ll be doing a worthwhile job for some very nice people.’
Jerry glanced at Ray, who shrugged.
‘Without my husband and children at home, I suppose I’m at a loose end at the moment, and you don’t need to pay me.’
‘An angel in disguise. Okay, there’s one other thing, and I’m a bit embarrassed about broaching the subject...’
‘How much?’ Kowalski asked.
‘How much have you got?’
‘If I thought...’
‘Believe me, the money’s not for me. We need to find out what’s going on, and to do that it’s going to take a bit of money. Now, the other option is that we just sit back and wait until the police decide to charge you. The consequences of that strategy are that it’ll probably be a couple of years before you get your children back...’
‘Oh God!’
‘I’m sorry, Jerry, but social workers and the courts will always put the children first. If there’s even a hint of...’
‘But it’s all lies.’
‘That may be so, but if we do nothing it’ll take you two years to prove it in a court of law. I’m sure your husband is all too familiar with the imperceptible forward movement of the wheels of justice. Also, Ray would be unlikely to get bail. He’ll be languishing in a prison cell for some time.’
Ray pushed himself further up the bed. Jerry helped him by fluffing up the pillows.
‘I’ll give you three thousand pounds now, and there could be more if you need it. What are you proposing?’ he said.
‘I’m not a conventional lawyer...’ he indicated his dishevelled appearance, ‘...as you’ve probably guessed. I’m a great believer in attack being the best form of defence. There’s a woman who has done work for me in the past, but she sometimes strays over into the dark side if you know what I mean. If you’ve no objection, I’d like to ask her to try and find out who’s doing this to you, as well as some other stuff I have in mind?
‘Whatever it takes,’ Kowalski said.
‘Okay, good. She’ll come and see you later to get as much information as she can. My view is that it’s someone you know. You’ve either put them in prison, or it’s a relative of someone you’ve put there. I don’t suppose anyone springs to mind, do they?’
‘If someone did, I’d already have them in custody. I guessed it might be about revenge, but the suspect list would be so long I wouldn’t know where to begin.’
‘Anyway, this young woman goes by the name of Cookie. She’s a bit weird, so don’t be put off by that.’
‘Okay, what else?’
‘Cookie will do what she has to do to get to the truth and find me evidence I can use in court – if we ever get that far. She works in the dark. No one must know what she’s doing, or that she works for me.’ He glanced at Jerry. ‘You and I will be working in the light. First, we’ll see what we can do about getting your children back. Then, we’ll try and keep Ray out of prison, and...’
‘Don’t forget that bitch MacGregor.’ Jerry put her hand in her bag. ‘I took pictures of what they’ve done to the house.’
Ray held out his hand.
Jerry shook her head and stuffed the camera back in her bag. ‘No. In your condition, you don’t want to look at those pictures.’
‘Oh don’t worry, there’s a whole raft of lawsuits I’ll be putting before the courts – personal injury in terms of pain, suffering and loss; a claim for damages – not just for the house, but wrongful arrest, removal of the children under the flimsiest of evidence... Yes, we have some work to do tonight if we want to submit the lawsuits first thing tomorrow morning. And then there’s the Police Complaints Commission...’ He stood up and offered his hand to Ray. ‘Nice to meet you. Your job is not to worry, and to stay in hospital as long as you can. If you’re in hospital, you’re not in a police cell, and they can’t interview you. It’s a game of chess now. A game we’re going to win. I’ll step outside to make some phone calls. You two say goodbye. Then, Jerry and I will get busy.’
Jerry nodded as Charlie left the room.
‘I wouldn’t blame you if you ran off with him, you know,’ Ray said. ‘He’s younger than me, he’s
not a Satanist who abuses children, he’s reasonably handsome if you look at him out of the corner of your eye in a dim light, and he’s not handcuffed to a hospital bed.’
She hugged him. ‘And he’s not the father of my children.’
‘The children you used to have, you mean.’
‘You know I’ll get them back. I’m going to make them all pay for what’s happened – especially that DCI MacGregor and the Chief Constable. I can’t believe he’s let them do this to you.’
He squeezed her hand. ‘You be careful. If you force them into a corner, they’ll come after you and Charlie.’
Her jaw set like stone. ‘You don’t need to worry about me, Ray Kowalski, I’m ready for them this time.’
***
‘Dr Genius, it’s Xena Blake.’
‘You can call me Paul, if you want to?’
‘Maybe I don’t want to.’
‘Okay. What time do you...?’
‘Got bad news, I’m afraid.’
‘I don’t think I’ve ever been dumped prior to a date before.’
‘I’m not dumping you. We’ve just had a break on one of the cases, that’s all. Enjoyment has been put on hold.’
‘I see.’
‘We’ll go out another time.’
‘Okay.’
‘In the meantime though...’
‘Oh?’
‘Two things. First, can you get a team round to...?’ She gave him Donald Tumbell’s address in Roydon. ‘He’s a registered sex offender, so I’m particularly interested in his computer, his video or DVD collection, and what he keeps in his bedroom.’
‘I understand. And the second thing?’
‘It’s a bit delicate.’
‘You mean it’s illegal, and I could end up in jail, or on the streets begging for crusts.’
‘And people say you have no imagination.’
‘Do they?’
‘Something like that. Listen, there’s a works unit on the Hainault Industrial Estate called ESP Logistics...’
‘Is this related to the Smith case you’re not meant to be working on?’
‘Let’s not get into ugly details, Paul...’