The Escape (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 2)

by Claire Merrington

  “Oh yes they were cut off with a small blade a scalpel by the looks of it. But also he seemed to get impatient at the neatness of the work so as he got close to the end he tore the rest. Suggests he wasn’t bothered by the actual eyelids just more about getting them off.”

  “It wasn’t about the eyelids at all. Thaddeus is all about control he wanted it so she couldn’t close her eyes. So she could see what he was going to do. And then with all the photos he took she could do nothing but stare through. That was for me. He knows it will have tortured me to see her looking straight at me through the lens. Knowing it was already too late to help her. It’s a natural instinct that when we feel uncomfortable and don’t want our picture taken we try to turn away or if not close our eyes. As if to say if I can’t see you, you can’t see me. Thaddeus wanted to take that away from her cause the maximum amount of fear.

  What about Jack?”

  “Jack died of a knife wound to the abdomen. He essentially bled out. Thaddeus has removed his liver. Do not ask me what for. I can tell you that Jack was alive up to that point but the liver was removed crudely at best. If it helps by the time you or Eric found him there would have been nothing either of you could have done for him.”

  “Thank you Dave after hearing that it makes it a little better. I can’t believe this it sounds like something out of a horror film. His liver removed. How did he keep Jack alive while doing something like that?”

  Amy couldn’t control it hearing all the gory details of what happened to Jack and how he was murdered. She just about made it to the sink before she threw up. Jane suspected there was also another reason for her nausea.

  “Are you ok Amy do you need to go get some fresh air?”

  “No sorry continue I’m fine. I’ll be ok in a minute.”

  “Nothing to apologise for just take a seat and a few deep breaths and rest for a minute ok. Sorry Dave where were we, I was just saying it doesn’t make sense for Thaddeus to take the liver and how did he keep him alive through the process?”

  “Unfortunately I can’t help with the making sense I’m just here to help with the medical mumbo jumbo. There were clamp marks to the arteries and surrounding veins he controlled the blood flow while he needed to keep him alive. The female victim also had a white powder substance in her hair as well. So I have sent that off to trace department of forensics hoping they can analyse that. There was also something else on Jack I haven’t had his toxicology results back yet but there was a burn to his side of neck from what looks like two prongs of a taser.”

  “Really means it was a blitz attack on Jack he didn’t see it coming. Helped Thaddeus incapacitate him while he set to work on stabbing him and removing his liver.”

  “Sorry to interrupt but all tasers are filled with a numeric code confetti. Did the crime scene techs find any at the scene? It would help us narrow down what kind was used and as to whether it is registered to anyone?”

  “I don’t know but I’ll let crime scene know you asked and I’m sure they will get back in touch with you.”

  “Thanks Dave. Call us if any other updates come in or if you find anything else. Me and Amy might not answer for a while we are going to go notify the Moore family.”

  With that Jane and Amy left the coroners lab and headed on out to their parked car. Jane had two escorting police cars waiting. They headed of to the Moore house. Jane once again reminded of a time when both her and Amy were nervously travelling in a car to do the family notification. The apprehension and sadness was once again filling their car, it was always so nerve wracking because you never know how the family are going to react. Jane began to feel more nervous and anxious and a dull ache was beginning to spread in her shoulders as she became more and more tense. Jane was debating whether to break the silence in the car, as it wasn’t helping her nerves. When Amy must have been reading the situation the same as she beat her to it.

  “With everything that has been going on I haven’t been able to ask lately how is everything going with Perry?”

  “Despite everything I have got to say it’s brilliant and Amy the sex its mind blowing.”

  Amy let out a deep chuckle to that which Jane was pleased to hear at such a time. It was such a joyful noise. Jane couldn’t help but ask she needed to check that Amy was ok.

  “Are you sure that you are all ok. Are you feeling all right you don’t have to come in with me to the Moore family if you’re not up to it? I know it was hard hearing the details about Jack but I have never known you to lose your composure like that.”

  “Yeah I’m ok I’m sorry I wont let it happen again.”

  “Amy it happens there is nothing to be sorry for your human. You can throw up heaven knows I did for an answerphone message.”

  Jane felt the need to change the conversation to something more light hearted. Seen as Amy had done some prying into her and Perry it seemed only fair that Jane could do the same.

  “So come on then you’re not the only one that can dig for gossip. How are you and Ian?”

  “Yeah we are good there has been some tension between us lately but we are working it out. Were ok really. There is something that I have been meaning to talk to you about but I’m not sure if now is the best time.”

  “Amy you can talk to me about anything at anytime you’re not just my colleague you’re my friend as well. I hope you know that.”

  “I know and you are mine to so I suppose I should just come out and say it. I’m pregnant.”

  “Well that’s good news isn’t it? Why were you nervous about telling me? And why is that causing tension between you and Ian?”

  “Because it means the whole station, if they don’t already know, they are now going to find out about me and Ian. And that means that one of us is going to have to change our shift pattern. Because couples aren’t allowed to work together. And because Ian wants me to come out of the field. He thinks it’s too dangerous.”

  “Well I get why you were nervous about telling me now. I agree with Ian to a degree it is dangerous for you to be out in the field but as your boss I also have to respect your decisions. I’ll compromise with you both I’ll keep you in the station as much as possible and take you out only with me or send you with Ian. And unfortunately as to the shift change it would be my decision as to how that comes into affect and I know you wouldn’t want to put me in an awkward stance. But we will work something out I promise.”

  “Thanks Jane.”

  Jane and Amy pulled up at the Moore house it didn’t have much of a front garden or kerb appeal. But it was a well kept painted white house with a large bay window that Jane suspected was lovely to relax reading a book in when the sun was shining. They knocked and waited at the front door nervous for the approach of Helen Moore’s husband. Jane was hoping that he wasn’t home alone to hear this news and that the kids weren’t in. The husband opened the door with red puffy eyes, a crumpled shirt, and a tie half way down. His trouser pants and shirt looked like he had been living in them continuously since his wife had gone missing, even sleeping in them.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Hello their Mr Moore I am Detective Jane Sparrow and this is PC Amy Wilkes. We are here about the disappearance of your wife. May we come in?”

  “Really now how comes you cops are suddenly taking it seriously. When I reported it you were all quick to jump to the conclusion that my wife has been having an affair and run off with another man. And no matter how much I protested that she would never do that to her children. You refused to even help look for her. So come on what’s changed?”

  “Mr Moore please let’s goes inside.”

  They stepped into a well kept cosy home that was littered with loving pictures of Helen with her kids and her husband. Each photo showed a happy, confident woman with what looked like a perfect family. Jane took one look at the photos and knew that the police’s first theory definitely was never going to be true. Mr Moore caught Jane looking.

  “Our family really was as perfect as them p
hotos show, it wasn’t a front. Helen was my life and she was a devoted mother and wife. Please tell me what’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry Mr Moore we found the body of your wife yesterday. We had to wait for identity to be confirmed by our coroner, which was done by the DNA sample you provided when you reported your wife missing and by dental records. So we wanted to be sure before informing you. I’m very sorry.”

  Mr Moore collapsed down into a seat that was luckily just behind him. Tears streamed down his face and his body was beginning to shake as he tried to hold onto the last of his composure.

  “Mr Moore is there anything we can get you? Is there anyone you would like us to call?”

  “Can you call Helen’s parents I need to tell them? I need them to come over before the kids get home. How am I meant to tell my children that their mum is never coming home?”

  “I’m so sorry Mr Moore I can’t imagine having to tell a child something like that. But all they really need to know is that their mum loved them more than ever and that will never change.”

  Amy went off to call David Moore’s in laws.

  “How did my wife die?”

  “She was murdered by a wanted and escaped fugitive. But rest assured everything is being done to make sure her killer is apprehended and that justice is served.”

  “Murdered oh my god this is worse than what I could of ever imagined. Did she suffer?”

  “Its best not to concentrate on details like that. But I can tell you that she died instantaneous.”

  “She died instantaneous but that doesn’t mean she didn’t suffer does it?”

  Jane didn’t answer but by the looks of it Mr Moore already had his answer. All he could do was nod as he succumbed to another bout of shaking and crying. Amy came back in with a cup of tea and the news that the parents are on the way. Jane and Amy waited with the husband until his in laws arrived. They helped Mr Moore tell the parents of his beloved wife that she had been murdered. Jane felt uncomfortable bearing witness to the family’s grief knowing full well they just wanted to be left alone to mourn their loss.

  “Were be in constant contact to update you on any details to do with the case and you have my card if you need anything. For now we don’t have any questions but as the investigation continues we may need to ask some. We are very sorry for your loss, please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything. We will be in touch.”

  Jane and Amy shook the hands of the shell-shocked tear stricken Moore family and headed back to their awaiting car to head back to the station.

  Chapter 9

  Jane and Amy arrived back at the station. Jane went over to pour herself and Amy a cup of coffee. They certainly needed it after being with the Moore family. Eric was talking animatedly on the phone to who Jane could only guess was Perry who she herself had already sent up to ten texts from when he left the station earlier. Ian was looking rather puzzled and confused, as he had buried himself in piles of paper and files. Jane and Amy went over to see if they could help rescue him from the muddle he seemed to have gotten himself in.

  “Ian what is all this? What are you doing?”

  “I got bomb squad to send over the preliminary reports they had for the bombs. See if I could match type, make, brands, how it’s made to a person or inmate that had access to Thaddeus to teach him. So at the moment I am cross-referencing the specifics and mumbo jumbo about the bomb to see if I can find our guy. So the files all around are known associates and the loose pieces of paper are inmates from prison that have the skill.”

  “Ok do you need some help?”

  “Yeah could do with some.”

  “Ok well Amy you stay here and help I’ll go dig Eric off the phone and see what he has got, check in with the Superintendent and then in about an hour were all have a team meeting and see where we are with the investigation. So that everyone has the same information and is at the same level ok.”

  “Sure thing Boss.”

  As Amy settled down to start through some papers and files that Ian had scattered. Jane quickly whispered into Ian’s ear about Amy being sick and making sure she ate something to keep her strength up. He nodded gratefully to Jane and she tried to give the most encouraging smile back. Jane had promised Amy that she would try to help with the situation when it came to Ian and Amy working together. But as it stood she had no idea what to do protocol was protocol. Jane went over to speak to Eric and get an update on what he had been working on. By this point Eric had made it off the phone and he was also buried in a mound of files and pieces of paper and seemed to be printing off more. He also had a train route map pinned up on a board and had marked a load of stations on it. Jane’s guess they were the ones they had video graphic evidence of Thaddeus have stopped at.

  “How you getting on Eric?”

  “Yeah getting there all the stations on the map that are marked are the stations that I have seen Thaddeus getting on and off at. I also have a list somewhere with the time stamps for each time he hops on and off. I have spoke to Perry and got several names and details of known associates in the area. So these are just the criminal files that I could find on the names, which there are quite a few. Once I have finished going through all of them it might be an idea for me to work along side Ian a bit more and see if any of the names he has got match up with mine. And whether Thaddeus has got off in any of the areas where Ian thinks he may have been.”

  “That’s great Eric keep working on it. Were going to have a bit of a team meeting in a while get all of us up to speed on the same information. See what avenues are left to look into and what not. I am just going to go check in with the Superintendent give him the updates and see if he is free to join us for the meeting. Have you seen him at all today?”

  “Other than when he came in this morning and said he was going to be in his office all day catching up on paperwork and politics no, no I haven’t.”

  “Ok thanks Eric.”

  Jane was dubious about seeing her Superintendent as she headed up the stairs to his office. It’s unusual considering how high profile the case is and for how involved he had been up to this point for him now to hide away and spend the whole day in his office. Jane knocked at her Superintendent’s door and waited to be told she could enter. But Jane found herself standing there for a good ten minutes. Jane knocked again and patiently continued to wait but nothing transpired. Jane had assumed that perhaps he was in the middle of a phone call when she first knocked and would attend to her waiting as soon as the moment was best appropriate. But through the frosted glass panel in the door she could see no outline of a man sitting at the desk or hear any sounds of life coming from his office. Jane was standing there pondering whether to knock again and then try opening the door with an excuse me when a lady, that Jane had seen around before. But was unclear as to what position she held as she had never had any direct contact with her, stepped out of a nearby office and was heading in Jane’s direction.

  “Excuse me I don’t suppose whether you know if Superintendent Andrew Walden is in his office?”

  Jane took an immediate dislike to the woman as she stood their glancing Jane up and down, as though she was a piece of dirt that she had trod in, all the while filling her nails as though there was no other important work to be doing.

  “He was earlier but if he isn’t answering it suggests he may have gone out, or is too busy to answer and doesn’t want to be disturbed. My suggestion leave him to his work sweetie and by the way lower level members of staff should not be up in the more executive office area loitering. So why don’t you go on and head back to your desk in the middle of that ball pen area ok sweetie.”

  “Excuse me. I am nobody’s sweetie and I am not a lower level member of staff. I am a Detective. I get to be out on the front line doing this job rather than stuck in an office filling my nails and shuffling bits of paper. So you can keep your fancy pants office I’m better off where I am thank you.”

  “Who do you think your talking to I happen to be the personal a
ssistant to the…”

  “Wait your telling me you’ve got a cheek to stand here and mouth of at me for being a lower level member of staff when your just somebody’s lap dog. Please”

  “How dare you this is a high position and takes a lot of work…”

  “What the hell is all this ruckus? Jane into my office now!”

  Jane couldn’t help but think what great timing the Superintendent always seemed to have. Right when she didn’t want him to come back he was there. Where was he fifteen minutes ago when she was knocking on his door? As she entered the small confines of his office he had to step round and past her to take his seat behind his desk. Jane could swear she detected the distinct aroma of scotch on her boss but it certainly wasn’t her place to say, especially not with the mood he was now in with her.

  “Would you care to explain yourself Detective?”

  “Look I’m sorry about all the commotion but she was being rude, antagonistic and condescending she deserved to be knocked down a few pegs.”