She stood and slowly walked to Adrian's room, silently opening the door to the bedroom. Adrian remained prone in his bed, the Temazepam having had a sedating effect on him. Jocasta had already increased the dose so she could be sure he wouldn't awaken during the night and leave the flat.
She went over to the bed and stroked Adrian's serene face. "I love you Adrian," She whispered. She then picked up a pillow which lay beside Adrian's head.
Jocasta put the pillow over Adrian's face then lay on top of it and held her son's face in a very tight embrace, putting her full weight over the area where she knew his face must be. Images flashed in Jocasta's mind.
Getting off the plane in Greece and feeling the warm sun on her skin.
Avram's smile as he introduced himself to her at the bar.
Her joy at the attention Avram gave her and the feeling of achievement and lust she felt when he took her virginity.
The sound of Adrian's heartbeat and the squirming body she saw on the ultrasound screen at the first scan.
Her looking at her belly as a large lump would appear where the foetus growing inside her stretched out an arm or leg and kicked her, playing an unheard tune inside her womb.
The sound of Adrian's cry as he was born and her fear when she realised there was something wrong with him.
An overwhelming heat of love enveloped Jocasta once again as she remembered looking at her new born baby and feeling the unbreakable bond between mother and child.
Walking away from the school, Adrian's screams of 'No mummy, don't leave me,' echoing in her ear.
Calling the headmaster a jumped up prick before removing Adrian from his first school.
Watching Adrian's smile as she pushed him on his bike and let go for the first time; his little legs pedalling furiously as he rode the bike, "Look mum, I'm doing it," He had shouted.
The utter despair when Adrian was found sick in his bed and her heart wrenching imagination of Adrian's premature death.
Hearing Adrian admit to touching Charmaine and her blind denial of the truth; choosing instead to buy him a new computer.
Adrian bucked underneath her; his body now suffering from the lack of oxygen. Adrian made no sound, the Temazepam making him unaware of his situation but an animal instinct for survival causing his body to fight against its killer. Had Jocasta still been thinking about Adrian as a child, she may have broken away but her thoughts had now jumped to the reasons she was committing the ultimate sin.
Adrian walking into their flat with wet legs from toe to knee.
Adrian convincing her to join the hunt for Savannah and then discovering he was the one who had found Savannah's body.
The sight of the single pair of knickers under Adrian's mattress and her first confirmation that Adrian had been responsible for Savannah's death.
Adrian screaming at her that it was all her fault; his twisted face close up in her own and the menace in his eyes when he called her a cunt.
The body beneath Jocasta stopped bucking and the smell of faeces filled the room. Jocasta held onto the pillow and her now dead son for a little longer; now holding the vision of Adrian as a new born baby in her mind.
She took the pillow away from Adrian's face and no longer saw an evil monster but a little boy, now absolved of his sins and at peace.
Jocasta picked Adrian's head up in her hands and placed it on her lap, shuffling underneath him so she could cuddle him properly. She knew it wouldn't be long before the police came to claim her and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with him before they were parted forever.
Jocasta then got up and left the room, returning with a bowl of hot soapy water. She hummed nursery rhymes as she washed Adrian down, changed him into a clean pair of pyjamas and laid him back on his now clean bed. "There Adrian, all clean," she whispered to his rapidly cooling corpse, "All better now," she said.
All images in Jocasta's mind were now pure, all focused on the beautiful smile of her son's face when he was a toddler, taking his first steps, his first words and she once again felt the pride a mother has for her children.
Tears streamed down Jocasta's face as she mourned her only son. She lay back onto the pillow and allowed the tears to flow freely down her chubby cheeks. The tears ran but Jocasta remained stoic; she had lost herself in the memories of Adrian. She was ready to pay the price for Adrian's sins by going to prison for his murder. Jocasta hoped she would, in some way, have offered Savannah and Tiffany's parents the justice they deserved and they would be able to start the long road towards healing their emotional wounds. In Jocasta's mind her job as a mother was done.
Epilogue
'Motherhood, all love begins and ends there.'
Robert Browning.
25th May 2012
Detective Inspector Todd 'Todger' Turnbull had received the news at ten o'clock that morning. DNA evidence that had been collected by Jan at the scene of the crime in the form of a hair found on Tiffany's body, buried in the ragged bite mark on her stomach; confirmed that Adrian Brown was indeed guilty of committing the crimes against Tiffany.
Todd was not only pleased that his copper's instinct had been right all along, but he was pleased that there was a very real probability of getting the justice that the girls and their parents deserved.
When Todd heard the news over the telephone, he put the receiver down and hot footed it to the canteen, grabbing Detective Sergeant Mary Webb's 999 breakfast from under her nose and calling her to action.
They called the van to Adrian Brown's address so they could transport him back to the police station, then made their way in Todd's car to the Fern Bridge Estate. Todd felt this was the most gratifying part of his job; his hard work, persistence and excellent investigative skills mixed with his natural ability to sniff out a wrong 'un, meant he was able to bring in the bad guys. He was filled with a kind of joy at the prospect of delivering Adrian Brown to justice.
-x-
Todd and Mary arrived at the front door of Adrian Brown's flat and knocked hard on the door, the two uniformed police officers waiting patiently behind them.
"Adrian Brown, it's the police." Todd shouted through the door. He had already phoned Big Value to check Adrian was not at work and had been informed Adrian had been sick for the last few days and had not been there.
"Adrian Brown," Todd shouted again, receiving no response.
"Get it open." Todd said to the waiting uniforms. One of them went to the police van and returned with a large red metal tube. It was known as the enforcer and was a very effective battering ram. Todd and Mary took a few steps back and watched as two swift knocks from the enforcer caused the fragile door to almost fly off its hinges. The uniformed officer moved to the side, allowing Todd and Mary to enter the flat.
Todd walked slowly around the flat; he entered the kitchen followed by Mary, it was empty except for the remains of chocolate wrappers strewn across the kitchen table and a packet of tablets propped up near the sink. Todd picked up the packet and read the prescription for Temazepam in the name of Georgina Perkins, which was written across the front. He checked inside, fearing it may be empty but found there were only eight missing from the bubble pack inside.
Todd moved into the front room, again finding it empty. Finally he moved to the unopened door at the end of the hallway.
Todd opened the door to the bedroom and walked in to see two figures lying, apparently asleep in the single bed.
Closer inspection revealed to Todd that the male lying in the bed was dead, his skin was very white and purple blotches were present on his ears and the parts of the head which were touching the bed.
The rise and fall of the females' chest and her open eyes which silently watched Todd's progress across the room, told him that Jocasta Brown was very much alive.
"I killed him." Jocasta told Todd. "He can't hurt any more girls."
Todd sighed. He was filled with pity for the woman that lay in bed cradling her son. He now had to arrest her for the murder of Adrian Brow
n and take away her liberty. He couldn't decide if he was angry at Jocasta for robbing both him and the girls' parents of the chance to seek justice, or whether he was grateful that she had meted out the most desirable punishment for such an evil deed and had made the ultimate sacrifice in the quest for that justice.
"Jocasta Brown, I'm arresting you for the murder of Adrian Brown. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.'
Mary stepped forward and took Jocasta's hands away from Adrian; she gently helped Jocasta to her feet and put handcuffs on her, then began to lead her away from the bed.
"I had to do it." Jocasta looked back at Adrian.
"I had to do it." She turned and looked at Mary Webb.
"I had to do it." She looked to Todd.
"I know." Todd said sighing. "I know." He took Jocasta from Mary's hands and led her to the waiting police van.
Another murder solved. Another killer caught. Another statistic on a police bar chart. Todd's belly rumbled and his mind turned to the thoughts of a big fat breakfast as he walked back with Mary to his car, job done, crime solved, moving on.
Mother Be The Judge Page 20