by Tony Butler
There was a loud crash and the fire doors of the Oasis club flew open. Two men emerged, punching and kicking at each other and screaming obscenities. A crowd of cheering and jeering clubbers followed them outside, and Jay snapped out of her state of placid acceptance. With a cry of revulsion, she thrust the man away from her and ran towards the crowd, screaming for help. Something slammed against her head and she felt herself falling, heard someone scream, and then everything just faded away.
She awoke in a strange bed and in darkness and it took her a few seconds to realise that she was in hospital. Then everything came flooding back. Being grabbed in the car park and taken back into the back doors of the club. She remembered the man who made her do what he wanted and used her to get close to the men he wanted to kill and his two attempts to kill her. Jay saw him again in her mind, watching as she was loaded into the ambulance, there was something different about him, but she couldn’t remember what it was. One thing she did know, she couldn’t stay here! He’d be coming after her, Jay had no doubt at all about that. Her head felt fine beneath the bandage so she removed it found no trace of a wound. That was strange because she was sure she’d heard the doctor tell the policeman she’d been grazed by the killer’s bullet. Carefully, she slid out of bed and found her clothes in the locker next to her bed. Stripping off her hospital nightdress, she pulled on her clothes. She had to tie her shoulder straps back together and realised that now the skirt barely covered her knickers. She would be showing about two inches more of her thighs than she liked.
A snore from behind her made her cry out in alarm and she whirled and saw a policeman asleep on a chair. If she’d got out of the other side of the bed, she’d have landed in his lap. Jay was tempted to wake him and tell him what had happened. Tell him of her irrational conviction that the killer would be coming here. Coming after her to finish what he’d begun and to silence her for good. But explaining would take time and there was always a chance that he would be reluctant to do anything until the morning. If the killer did come, she knew he would kill them both without a second thought. The ward door swung open and she almost screamed, but it was only a nurse who’d stopped to check on a patient at the far end of the ward. Jay realised that if the nurse saw her she would try to stop her leaving, so, fully dressed, Jay slipped back into bed and pulled the covers up to her neck, pretending to be asleep. The nurse was conscientious and seemed to take an age checking that all was well with her charges and Jay expected to be found out when the nurse stopped at the foot of her bed. She heard the metallic sound as her chart was lifted from the metal bed frame and then it was repeated as it was replaced. Then the nurse moved on along the rows of beds and finally let herself out of the
ward. Only the snores of the policeman disturbed the silence. Obviously, the nurse had taken pity on the policeman and let him sleep.
Jay eased out of bed and quietly opened one of the swing doors that led into the main corridor, peering in the direction taken by the nurse. The woman was standing outside the toilets and had removed a packet of cigarettes from her pocket. When the nurse hurried into the toilets to have her illicit cigarette, Jay smiled. Now while the woman enjoyed her cigarette, she would have at least five minutes to make her escape.
Jay went in the opposite direction from the toilets and heard footsteps coming towards her from a corridor on her left. Turning, she hurriedly slipped back into the ward and quickly rolled under the nearest bed, which was at the opposite end of the ward from her own. The far doors of the ward, the ones by her bed, swung open. She saw the curly hair and plump cheeks and watched as the killer, who was wearing a white doctor’s coat, stopped at her empty bed and checked her notes. She felt sure that he’d sense where she was. That some animal instinct would guide him to her, but he turned and left the way he’d come.
She couldn’t stay here lying helpless under a bed. Pushing the thought away, she rolled out from under the bed, eased open one of the doors and peered along the corridor. She saw him entering the toilets where the nurse had gone for her smoke. At the other end of the corridor was a fire exit sign, and Jay ran.
Carrying her shoes and silent in her bare feet, Jay reached the fire doors, but unlike the ones at the Saracen, these doors opened easily.
She let herself out onto the metal staircase outside and winced as the cold air penetrated her thin dress. Fighting off a sudden feeling of fear, she put on her shoes and carefully made her way down the fire escape.
Leaving the hospital grounds, Jay half expected the killer to leap out at her from the darkness of the shrubs, but nothing happened, and she gave a silent prayer of thanks when she emerged safely into the deserted streets. Shivering, she hurried in the direction of the carpark. She would find her handbag and keys and then ring the police from there.
* * * *
Russell had almost fallen when the girl had thrust him backwards and run. He’d snatched out the gun but only had time for a quick snapshot, but Jay had been hit and he’d seen blood pooling on the concrete around her head. He darted around the corner and was almost back in the street before the screaming started. Cursing, he tore off the wig and removed the cheek pads before taking off his reversible jacket, which he quickly turned inside out and put back on. Now it was red instead of black. Russell did not walk away from the club but casually towards it. He was satisfied that the change in his appearance would be enough to prevent him from being recognised by anyone who’d glimpsed him in the darkness of the alley. He needed to make sure the girl was dead. The flashing blue lights of the police cars illuminated the red brick walls of the alley way and he joined the spectators who were standing behind a hastily erected metal barrier. He ignored the police officers milling around everywhere, and manoeuvred himself closer to the open rear doors of the ambulance. Two paramedics emerged from the alley, carrying a stretcher and he recognised the girl’s dark wavy hair. She had a bandage around her head, was semi-conscious and muttering to herself. Damn it, he’d only grazed her. Just as they lifted her into the ambulance, she turned her head, saw him and cringed back in fear.
Quickly, he turned and pushed his way through the crowd, hurrying toward his car. He’d have to follow the ambulance, find out where she was being taken. She’d recognised him without the wig so he’d have to kill her before she could describe him to the police.
Once again wearing the wig, cheek pads and contact lenses, he walked confidently along the hospital corridor towards the ward. The white coat that he’d taken from the staff room was a perfect fit. He wore a laminated identification badge that bore a genuine doctor’s photograph that looked nothing like him, but no one ever gave the badges more than a quick glance anyway. The stethoscope around his neck and the clipboard in his hand all added to his authentic look. The few staff he’d passed had all nodded at him and smiled. He’d waited until 4:30AM before making his move because
everyone in the wards should be asleep, and he’d already checked the layout of this ward, the one that Jay was now sleeping in, earlier.
He opened the ward door and spotted the policeman who was snoring. There was a faint click as he released the blade of the stiletto and walked silently over to the bed. It was empty! Yet her name was on the chart at the foot of the bed and a nurse had checked on her less than two minutes ago. The toilet, she must have gone to the toilet! He’d passed them just outside the ward!
He slipped inside the female toilets. The air was filled with the bitter-sweet stink of cigarettes and he could see smoke wafting out of the stall at the far end. Grinning, he dropped onto his knees and looked under the doors of the other stalls. They were empty. The girl was alone. Russell switched off the lights, stepped back against the washbasins and brought out the knife. The stall door opened and a cigarette lighter flared as the girl made her way towards the exit. Russell waited until she was just past him before moving in for the kill. He snaked the hand holding the knife around the girl’s neck while his other hand seized her thick black hair, jerking her head up and back. He�
�d slit the girl’s throat before she realised what was happening and she collapsed onto the floor. He watched her body twitch for a few moments and then fall still.
“So long, Jay!” he said. Straightening, he flicked on the lighter that she’d dropped, looked down at her body and cursed when he saw the nurse’s uniform and the dead woman’s face. Where the fuck was the girl? He hurried back to the ward and peered inside. The bed was still empty and then he saw the discarded nightdress on the floor by the open locker door. The girl must have guessed that he’d come after her and split!
The policeman died in his sleep as the blade plunged into his heart. Russell killed him out of chagrin for missing the girl. It was a childish reaction, but Russell wanted the girl to know that he’d be coming after her. He dropped the bloody weapon into a wheelie bin and decided that he’d have one more attempt at getting the girl before he called it a night. He thought she’d be heading for the car park on foot, and Russell had a car.
Chapter Seventeen
Jay walked along the dimly lit streets, hugging herself to keep warm. She was acutely aware of the fact that she was almost naked beneath the flimsy dress, which was now so short it barely covered her buttocks. Every time she heard a car, she slipped into the nearest available shadow and waited for it to drive past. She wasn’t about to take any chances or risk hitching a ride dressed like this. It was about 4:30AM and she increased her pace. After crossing the main road, she headed down Claredon Street – in another few minutes she’d be at the car park. She didn’t think anyone would have found her bag or keys in the dark.
She was walking past the cemetery when she heard a car door open behind her. The killer was leaping out of one of the parked cars that she’d passed. Jay ran down the hill and, looking behind her, saw that he was only about a hundred yards behind. She heard the cough of the gun and something struck one of the iron railings on her left. Jay flung herself desperately to her right and the rear window of a van in front of her disintegrated in a shower of diamond-like fragments. The cemetery gates on her left were fastened with a chain and padlock, but Jay didn’t hesitate because they were set back from the road the brickwork pillars should give her the cover she needed. Trying to hide behind the parked vehicles would be stupid, but the cemetery offered her darkness and shelter, somewhere to hide.
She leapt at the wrought iron gates and hauled herself up them. Recklessly and silently praying that she wouldn’t slip, she swung one leg over the nasty looking metal points that topped the gate. As soon as her foot found a hold, she swung her other leg over and dropped onto the gravel drive. Darting towards the nearest gravestone, she flung herself behind it.
Something she assumed was a bullet struck the granite in front of her. Crawling on her stomach, she moved behind another one that was set further back. Peering towards the gates, she saw that the man had swung one leg over the spikes and realised that for a few precious seconds all his concentration would be on avoiding being impaled. Leaping to her feet, she ran to her right, counting, and after ten strides she threw herself back down behind another grave. Peering around it, she saw him, gun in hand, walking slowly towards the spot where she’d originally taken cover. Jay moved further back to her right, terrified in case she made a noise that would bring him to her. Her hand encountered something cold and smooth. A metal flower urn. She hefted it thoughtfully. He was facing away from her and Jay stood and hurled the urn as hard as she could to her left. She dropped back down again and, to her surprise, the vase clattered about thirty yards away from her. The killer turned and walked cautiously towards the sound, holding the gun out in front of him with both hands. Jay crawled further away from him, deeper into the cemetery. A large mausoleum built with grey granite blocks loomed in front of her and she could see that the ironclad doors were slightly ajar. Jay hurried inside, hoping to hide behind one of the ancient tombs, some of which had stone figures mounted on the lids.
Jay heard him! She could actually hear him creeping towards the doors. The mausoleum must be amplifying the sound, she thought. Not that it makes any difference. I’m trapped and he’s going to find me. He’s going to put a bullet in my head.
She suddenly felt compelled to take off all her clothes and, after screwing them up into a ball, she stuffed them inside a large metal urn that stood on a raised plinth. Her entire body seemed to be a mass of grazes covered in dirt. She hauled herself up onto one of the tomb lids and lay down with her back resting against the cold stone. Pressing her arms against her side and her legs together, she became.
It was getting lighter and she realise that the killer was coming towards her shining his torch and, although the beam played over her, it moved on. She could hear him moving around below her and was sure that the beating of her heart would be amplified inside that resting place of the dead. If he catches me, it would be an ideal place to hide my body, she thought, and tried not to breathe. After what seemed like an hour, but couldn’t have been more than a minute because she’d been holding her breath, he came back out. Jay could hear him muttering angrily to himself and she guessed that he was becoming increasingly frustrated in his efforts to find her. As his voice moved away, she risked a quick look through the gates and could see him as he weaved between the gravestones. The gun had disappeared inside his jacket and Jay watched him walk back to the
cemetery gates then climb back over them. A few minutes later she hear an engine start and a vehicle drive away, but she remained where she was and didn’t move, in case it was a trick—a trap. Jay jerked awake and saw that the sun shone weakly but she felt frozen, colder than she could ever remember. She forced herself to move and stared in shock at her body, which seemed to have been carved from ancient stone. As she climbed down to the floor her skin regained its natural colour, and she remembered Tom calling her a Chameleon. The memory brought tears to her eyes. Retrieving her clothes, she dressed and when she glanced at her watch saw that it was 10.45a.m. Outside, she saw people gathered around a green shrouded grave about two hundred yards away and she could hear the comforting drone of the vicar’s voice. Two women and a solitary man seemed to be the only other occupants of the graveyard and she thought that it would be safe to leave now. Anyway, I can’t stay here forever.
Taking a deep breath, Jay hobbled towards the church. A woman carrying some flowers towards the entrance saw Jay, put the flowers down onto a bench and came hurrying over.
“I need to call the police,” Jay said.
The woman looked at her shrewdly. “Have you been raped?” she asked. Jay shook her head and the woman nodded. “Right then,” she said, putting an arm around Jay and leading her away from the church towards a house. “First you’ll have a hot drink followed by an even hotter bath. Then we’ll get you into some clean clothes before calling the police.”
Jay looked at her gratefully. “That sounds fantastic, but why are you helping me?”
The woman’s blue eyes twinkled. “Because I have a friend called Jesus.”
Jay turned off the shower, feeling warm and refreshed. She reached blindly through the curtain for a towel, as a handcuff was snapped around her wrist and she was jerked forward over the edge of the bath. Someone caught her other arm and twisted it savagely behind her back, forcing her to her knees. With brutal efficiency, her manacled wrist was also pulled behind her back and both wrists handcuffed together. Jay was hauled to her feet and the two men, who she assumed were police officers, hooked their arms through hers and manhandled her out of the bathroom and into the lounge. The female curate met her eyes and then looked away and Jay realised that the woman had rung the police while Jay was showering.
“Jay-Be-Free Williams.” The older of the two plain clothes men looked at her in disgust. “I am Detective Superintendent Vincent Roberts and this is Detective Sergeant Singh. You are under arrest for the murder of Thomas Carver and Charlotte Hunningford. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention now, something which you later rely on in court. Anything t
hat you do say may be given in evidence.”
“Can I put some clothes on? You can’t take me out of here naked like this!” Jay was in shock, and could hardly believe that this was happening to her. When would it all end?
“Ranjhit, give her one of the coveralls. We’ve got some clothes you can wear down at the station, and don’t forget to bag that dress she was wearing!”
A blanket was thrown over her head and she was hurried outside.
Crowds of people were standing looking down the street in her direction, and as she was led towards a waiting police car she could hear them shouting out to her.
“They should have gone in and shot her!” A voice said, from somewhere on her left. “She’s already murdered two people. That nurse had two small kids, poor little things and the policeman had a daughter.”
Murdered? That policeman, dear God. It must be the one who was asleep by her bed. And a nurse! Oh, not the one who’d gone for a cigarette? But somehow she knew that it was. The killer had come after her in the hospital and killed them but how could he have made the police think that she did it?
Jay was pushed unceremoniously into the back of a police car, although someone did have the foresight to put his hand on top of her head and guide her under the doorframe. Two other men sat either side of her as the car sped off and she could hear its klaxon. No one spoke a word until the car slowed at the rear of a police station and the security gates were swung open to admit them. The man who’d identified himself as the detective Superintendent spoke into the radio. “We’ve got Williams and I want the hospital security camera tapes taken to the station!”
* * * *
At a discreet distance, Russell had followed the police to the vicarage. Listening in on their radio messages was child’s play. He sank back in his seat and watched as the police cars pulled up outside the house. Two men went to the front door and another couple to the rear. The two at the front went into the house and, a few minutes later, they emerged with the girl handcuffed and wrapped in a blanket. As she was pushed into the car the blanket slipped and he saw the paper overall she wore. He guessed then that she’d been taking a shower.