Chapter 10
Jane stood studying the leg in sick revulsion and gut wrenching intense fear. Trying to find a distinguishable mark that could answer the nagging question in her brain. The question that everyone was too scared to say out loud. Who did this leg belong to? Was the person still alive? And the scariest question that nobody wanted to admit that it was a possibility was could it be Perry’s? The Superintendent and Joanne seemed to have recovered themselves from their shock. The Superintendent had already begun preparations for the investigation into the limb by ringing through to the coroner. The coroner was sending someone out now to collect the body part. Joanne had recovered herself enough to feel brave enough to take a closer look at the limb.
“Blood haemorrhaging at the dismember site shows that the leg was removed while the person was still alive. Perhaps as a form of torture. I think it would be a safe enough bet to say this leg has come of a male due to the size and hair coverage. You can approximate the height of a victim by the length of the tibia bone. Which, we have in tact here, as it seems to have been removed from the knee down. I would approximate that we are looking at a Caucasian male at least five foot ten. You can see kerf marks on the torn skin around the wound and on the bone itself. It has been crudely removed with my best guess, a hacksaw. The coroner should be able to tell us more. There seems to be some kind of duct tape around the leg but I can’t see what is protruding from the back that the tape is holding in place. That will need to wait until the coroner gets here to remove it. One thing I will say is that there is nothing to suggest that who ever this leg belongs to has passed. They could well still be alive.”
“Ok well at least that is something. Are there any distinguishable markings on the calf that could be used to aid the identification process?”
“There looks to be a tattoo on the back of the ankle. But I can’t make out enough details to describe to you without turning the leg over. We will have to wait for the coroner to have a good look.”
“Ok well that answers one question though. Perry has no tattoos on the back of the ankle.”
“But that raises the question even more so of who does this leg belong to?”
“Good question.”
“I have an idea we can run the tattoo through the prison database. They keep a record of all ink marking’s any inmates have. So if he has ever gone through the system we should get a match.”
“I have another idea. It may be quicker as well. I’ll ring Eddie. He will be sure to know if any of their guys have tattoos on the back of the ankle.”
“Go for it Detective. It could get us an identity quicker.”
Jane stepped away and reached for the phone that Perry had left her. Pulling it out Jane once again dialled the number labelled one.
“Jane? Is something wrong? Has there been a new development in the search for Perry?”
“Yes someone delivered a human leg, the calf to be exact to my doorstep.”
“Oh my Jesus it’s not Perry’s is it?”
“I believe not. There seems to be a tattoo on the back of the ankle but we can’t turn it to have a better look at the details of it until the coroner arrives. I was just wondering if you knew if any of your guys had a tattoo there?”
“What side and colour?”
There was something in Eddie’s voice that suggested he already had a clue that it belonged to but didn’t want to believe it.
“We are looking at the leg of a Caucasian male at least five foot ten with a tattoo in black ink on the back of the left ankle.”
“Then you are looking at Blake Jones. Twenty-three year old barman at one of our restaurants. He was a good kid Detective never set a foot wrong. I can’t believe this Blake did not deserve this. I want the son of a bitch that did this.”
“We believe he could still be alive for now though Eddie. With a trauma like the one he suffered. We are going to need to find him as soon as.”
“Then we are going to need to bang on doors harder and shout louder. If they think they wont hear us they are wrong. They may think that we have gone soft because we have been turning our game around and because Perry is with you. But it is time to remind these jumped up punks how we got where we are and who they are messing with.”
“Eddie?”
“I’m sorry Detective your law means nothing here just our code that we have lived our whole lives by.”
“Just be careful Eddie.”
With that the line went dead. The fire and fierceness in the conviction in Eddie’s voice showed how pissed off at the situation he was. Taking Perry was one thing, they both knew to a certain extent Perry could take care of himself. But the harm that has come to this young kid all because he works for them is not something Eddie can let go off. And Jane couldn’t blame him for that.
“Did Eddie help at all with the identification?”
“Blake Jones. Twenty-three.”
Joanne took out the laptop and ran a search through the police database for the name.
“He’s not showing up in the system anywhere.”
“He wont he was just a good kid. He worked as a barman at one of Perry’s establishments. His only crime in the eyes of this bastard is that he worked for Perry.”
“I’m sorry Jane.”
The team stood in silence nothing else could be said in that moment. Here they were standing around looking at the remains of a young man’s limb waiting for the coroner. These maniacs had managed to kidnap Perry, kill Angie and hack of the leg of Blake all within a matter of hours. It just proved to show that they would stop at nothing to enact their revenge. So neither could Jane if she ever wanted to see Perry alive again. After a painful awkward ten minutes of standing in silence the coroner arrived.
“Ok what do we have here. It appears to be the calf and entire foot of a Caucasian male removed just below the knee joint. Blood pooling suggests removal took place when victim was still alive.”
Picking the leg up and turning over so that a better view of the rear of the limb could be achieved the coroner continued his examination.
“Ok there is a small tattoo in black ink in a tribal design on the back of the ankle. And duct tape all the way round the leg is holding on an audio recorder. I’ll photograph and remove at the scene due to the nature of this case. The information contained may be probative to the investigation. The duct tape will be preserved in the best form to be sent to the lab for trace analysis and product description and to see if there are any fingerprints to aid the investigation.”
“Thank you Dave.”
“Your welcome. The wound site on the limb suggests that it was removed crudely with kerf marks on the bone suggesting some kind of hacksaw. I can already see particles in the wound that will need to be gathered. Detective if this victim is still alive he is going to need finding as soon as possible. A trauma like this could cause him to go into shock, the risk of infection is high and the blood loss would be tremendous if not cared for properly. I don’t mean to add extra pressure to you at a time like this. But this boy might not just lose a limb he could lose his life if we don’t act quickly.”
“I understand Dave we will do our best thank you.”
With that the coroner Doctor Dave Berry left taking the limb with him but leaving Jane standing there holding the audio recorder. Jane was not the only one that had got tired out by the last cases that this area had seen. Dave had seen more gruesome and horrifying deaths in the last two years. And now at the thought that something else was starting was beginning to get too much to bear.
“Jane the audio recorder?”
“Were listen to it now. Back inside everybody.”
As the door shut behind them as the last person made it back into Jane’s hallway. Jane turned to look at each of her team members with a look of trepid anticipation. Jane pressed play and instantly regretted that she was in earshot. The noise that came from the audio recorder was not one Jane would ever be able to forget. A man screaming, but not just a scream of fear as if
taken by surprise, a gut wrenching sick inducing scream of agony pierced the silence in Jane’s house. Jane could only assume it was coming from Blake as they removed his leg. Mixed in with that was the tortured sound of Perry voice as he was begging them to leave Blake alone. Her strong, confident man sounded so broken and crumpled. Begging for them to get off Blake and for Blake to just keeps on breathing. The pain and suffering in Perry’s voice was almost as hard to hear as the screaming, it bought goosebumps to Jane’s skin and tears to her eyes. Jane couldn’t help but remember a time when she tried to comfort someone as she watched them being tortured, Layla. The screaming suddenly stopped as it was replaced by the cold and oppressive voice of Peter Ray filling the air. Making each nerve prick with apprehension and the small hairs on the base of the neck stand on end.
“It will all stop now if you just give me what I want.”
“Never”
A loud grunt escaped Perry as the sound of a harsh blow made contact with him raining down on him in another beating.
“Then poor Blake will have to suffer until your ready.”
And then the screaming started once again making Jane’s blood run cold and her heart freeze in her chest. Coming from the background were sounds of a cackling laughter, someone was taking joy and pleasure out of Blake’s pain and suffering. That only meant one thing; the twisted mind of Charlene was still in the middle of all the trouble.
Coldness filled the air as the team stood around in shock silence as the realisation of how cruel, sadistic and intent on revenge the people that had Perry were.
“What do we do? These people are monsters. We can’t arrest anyone. They have made this case impossible for law enforcers to investigate without creating risk. Do they expect us to turn a blind eye and just hope they give Perry back. It’s madness. What do we do?”
“We stick to the plan we have for now. They will slip up we will notice something. We just have to be smarter than them.”
“Your right Ian they did make it clear that we can’t arrest anyone. But what they didn’t state is that our presence can’t be felt.”
“What do you have in mind Detective?”
“We need to make it known loud and clear that we aren’t standing for this. We can’t play by the book with this case. We can’t play fair. What we need is to get even and show that we aren’t backing down until we get what we want.”
“Detective what your suggesting doesn’t sound like anything Essex Police can legally or ethically do. We can’t carry out personal vendettas.”
“It’s not a personal vendetta. Yes I am emotionally involved I want Perry back and I want Angie’s killers brought to justice but I want this whole turf war over with. So by technicalities we can. We get Perry’s side to lean on the people that we have on our watch list.”
“What do you mean lean on?”
“No one will be severely hurt I’m not suggesting chopping anyone’s limbs off. But they are going to need to do enough so it shows that we aren’t playing. That they are at just as much risk being held by our side as what Perry is in theirs. They need to believe it.”
“Exactly. Were be able to control the situation by doing a press conference informing the public of the turf war going on between rival gangs. That Essex police is doing everything we can. Even by putting some people that have been beaten into protective services to try and control backlash. Technically they are then not under arrests but are removed from being players in the game.”
“Exactly Eric.”
“Ok but how do we get the people on Perry’s side to help?”
“We promise that no charges will be laid against them for any crimes committed that aid in the recovery of Perry, the arrest of murderers of Angie and thus far the kidnap and torture of Blake Jones.”
“Ok I’ll have to get permission before the board of directors before I am game for this plan. I agree that it is the only way it can be done. I’m just not accustomed to turning a blind eye to any crime no matter its honourable reasons. I’ll go before the committee in the morning. One problem we are going to face is why were not involving organised crime in such a feat.”
“We state it’s because most of the organised crime unit will be recognised in the area and not trusted by the people that we do need help from. Where our unit is more because of all of our affiliations with Perry Fierce.”
“Ok that sounds a reasonable explanation. For now how about that rest.”
“Thank you sir. Your support is fully appreciated. And rest would be welcome. While your dealing with the committee board in the morning I’ll take Parker’s official statement. Eric and Joanne would you be able to go to the coroner’s office and get any and all reports from there?”
“Sure thing. See you in the morning. Where are we meeting here or at the station?”
“I say it would be safer if we meet here away from the station and any prying ears.”
With that the team left and parted in their separate ways going for the rest that they had tried to leave for nearly two hours ago. Each person leaving was as nervous as the next for what tomorrow may bring.
Chapter 11
Jane and Ian drove back to his house in silence. Neither one sure what to say, Jane’s plan was drastic and reckless and not something as a Detective would normally be done. But Jane was determined and she knew she was right. These weren't ordinary people; they weren't even just ordinary criminals. These people were ruthless and callous and Jane only knew how to beat these people one way. And that was to play them at their own game. When Jane had shared her plan Eric, who Jane suspected was still feeling bad about showing doubt before, was the first one to offer his support. Ian told Jane there was never a question of his and Amy’s support it would always be there no matter the call Jane made. Joanne had no objections it was just the Superintendent. But Jane felt confident that he could convince the board that this was what needed to be done to calm the streets of Essex. Jane knew in her heart of hearts that the Superintendent seemed genuine but trust was still yet to follow. Jane hadn't realised how lost in her thoughts she had been as Ian was pulling up on the drive. This wasn't the night that Jane had envisioned for herself and Perry but it was all she had. Tears pricked at Jane eyes as she reached the doorway to the house where Amy was standing.
"What are you still doing up Amy you should be getting rest"
"I know I know. But I couldn't stop thinking of you all and wondering if you were safe. I'm glad your here now we can rest. I've made up a bed for Jane."
"Thanks Amy. Get some sleep I'll fill you in on all the details in the morning. How has Parker been though?"
"Cried for a while but otherwise ok. He is fast asleep now. I'll see you in the morning. Don't worry Jane we will get Perry home to you."
Jane sat on the edge of the bed that Amy had made up for her and for the first time that night she properly let her tears flow. With no end in sight for the amount of tears she had. The pain of Angie and the fear for Perry Jane could do nothing but curl up into a ball and let the tears fall. Holding onto her chest tightly in a vain hope to hold herself together. Hoping and praying that Perry would come home safe and that exhaustion would soon take over from the crying so Jane could get some rest.
The Taken (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 3) Page 8