The Detective Jake Tanner Organised Crime Thriller Series Books 1-3 (DC Jake Tanner Crime Thriller Series Boxsets)

by Jack Probyn

  Jake’s knuckles rapped on the door again, knocking even louder this time. Liam’s blinds were pulled shut, and there was still no answer.

  ‘What are you doing?’ a voice called from behind him.

  It was Drew.

  ‘Where’s Liam?’ Jake asked, turning to face his colleague.

  ‘DCI Greene, to you,’ Drew corrected. ‘He’s not coming in today. Something’s come up.’

  ‘How do you know?’

  ‘Because there’s this beautiful little thing called trust. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?’

  Jake ignored Drew’s abhorrent sarcasm and hurried away to his desk. He threw the regulation notice on the table and his head into his hands.

  ‘You know, if that’s what you want to talk about, then you and I can discuss it,’ Drew said.

  ‘I’d rather not,’ Jake replied, keeping his head down.

  ‘You want to know what it’s about. I can tell you do. Why else would you be slamming on Liam’s door at eight in the morning when you know full well he never gets here until nine.’

  ‘I’d rather wait until he gets here,’ Jake snapped.

  ‘Didn’t you hear me? I just told you he wasn’t coming in today. Not trustworthy and deaf… oh dear, what are we going to do with you?’

  Jake slammed his hands on the table. ‘What could be more important than Steven and Jessica Arnholt… Jessica Mann? Hmm? What could be more important than this?’ Jake waved the Reg 13 in the air.

  Drew’s face contorted. He bit his lip and shook his head. ‘You don’t get it, do you?’

  ‘What?’ Jake said, still exerting an air of defiance.

  ‘Not everything is about you. I don’t even understand why you need to speak to him about it – you’ll find everything out during the meeting.’

  ‘I’m going to appeal it, you know.’

  ‘You won’t. You can’t appeal until after a decision’s been made. You should know that; you read all the regs like they’re your friends.’ Drew wandered behind Jake and stopped on his other side. ‘They’re not going to help you when you really need it though, are they? They’re not going to help you when you’re dying from a vicious and vindictive disease that doesn’t give two shits about who you are.’

  Jake paused a beat.

  ‘Liam’s dying?’

  Drew didn’t respond, but that was answer enough for Jake.

  ‘I… I’m sorry, I… I didn’t know.’

  Drew returned to Jake’s right side. ‘There’s a lot you don’t know about any of us. If you carry on the way you are, things will stay that way.’

  Drew turned his back and disappeared through a set of heavy double doors. Leaning back in his chair, Jake exhaled deeply. This was worse than he’d first thought.

  But before he could dwell on it for too long, his phone vibrated. He answered immediately.

  ‘Is everything OK?’ Jake asked without giving Elizabeth any breathing space to speak. ‘What’s the matter? Is everything all right?’

  ‘Jake, Jake, Jake,’ Elizabeth began, speaking between heavy, exasperated breaths after every word. As soon as Jake heard that, he knew it wasn’t going to be good news. ‘Your mum’s taking me to the hospital now.’

  ‘What? Oh my God, why? Are you having the baby?’

  ‘I don’t know. But I’m in a lot of pain—’ She groaned down the phone as if to prove her point.

  ‘Right. OK. Fine. I’m coming to the hospital now. Tell my mum to call me when you get there.’

  CHAPTER 38

  FALSE ALARM

  Jake pulled up outside Croydon University Hospital and sprinted to the entrance’s sliding doors, forgetting to lock his car. The hospital was a few miles from his house, but even further from the station. It had taken him just over half an hour to race there – with the added help of his blue lights ninety per cent of the way. Once inside, Jake rushed to the front desk, flashed his ID and was finally led to Elizabeth on the maternity ward.

  He was out of breath and his cheeks flustered. Nerves had plagued his entire body in the time it had taken him to get there – the unknown, the uncertainty of it all – and nobody had bothered to give him an update, so he was only able to think that the worst had happened. But, as soon as he saw Elizabeth resting on the bed, he relaxed a little.

  ‘Are you OK?’ Jake asked as he entered her room. He pointed at her stomach. ‘The baby?’

  Elizabeth flinched as he approached her.

  ‘Jake – what are you doing here? What about work?’

  ‘Work can wait. You’re my priority right now. What’s going on?’

  Elizabeth took Jake’s hand and squeezed it, setting off his nerves again. The last time he’d received a touch like that in a hospital was from his mum as she told him his dad had passed away.

  ‘Nothing. Everything’s OK. My stomach hurt but the doctors checked the baby and it was all fine. The baby’s healthy. I’m healthy. There’s nothing to worry about.’

  Jake perched himself on the side of the bed beside her ribs. He clutched her hand in his and squeezed. ‘Oh, Liz. I was worried sick. Why didn’t you call me sooner?’

  ‘I didn’t want to disturb you. I know you’re stressed at work. I didn’t want to add to it.’

  ‘Nonsense. I would have stopped what I was doing, no problem. Everyone at work’s aware of the situation. You know that.’

  She shook her head and loosened her grip on Jake’s hand. ‘No, I don’t. I’ve not seen you these past few days. You haven’t spoken to me about it – any of it, in fact. You’ve been too busy. I heard you come home last night. You were crying, weren’t you? I heard it all, but I was too tired and pissed at you to do anything about it. Are you going to tell me what it was about, or am I supposed to just stay in the dark about that too?’

  Jake hung his head in shame then looked around him. The room was empty save for one other patient in the corner who was sleeping.

  ‘I know,’ he said. ‘I’ve been shit. I know that. I’m sorry.’

  Then, as Jake finished, his mum stepped into the room. She held Maisie in her arms.

  ‘Daddy!’ Maisie called, reaching out for Jake. He took his daughter from his mother and held her in his arms. He beamed, a reflection of his daughter’s expression, and kissed her on the cheek. His body tingled with warmth and happiness, and an ear-to-ear grin grew on his face, as though all thought of their discussion moments ago had flown out of his mind and never happened.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Jake’s mum, Denise, asked.

  ‘When my wife calls telling me she’s going to a hospital, I think it’s generally expected that I turn up,’ Jake snapped.

  ‘It’s lovely to see you too, son.’ She leant in, gave Jake a kiss on the forehead and spread her arm around his back. Her sarcasm instantly shut him down.

  A brief pause flittered about the room.

  ‘I spoke with the doctor,’ Denise began. ‘They just want to run a few more tests. Make sure everything’s OK. And then they’ll discharge you—’

  ‘I’ll take you home,’ Jake interrupted.

  ‘Er, OK,’ Denise continued. ‘That’s fine with me. Are you staying here now?’

  ‘Yes,’ Jake said, nodding. He squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. He hated it looking like his and Elizabeth’s marriage was on the rocks. His mum and his dad’s marriage had been the ideal. Smiles. Laughter. Embracing one another. Always talking. Always spending time with one another. Always being there for one another. Jake had wanted to model his relationship with Elizabeth on that, but as he was learning, it was much harder to do than he’d originally planned.

  Denise smiled. ‘Would you like me to stay a little while longer?’

  ‘Yes!’ Maisie screamed, clinging to Jake’s shoulder.

  ‘No, you don’t need to—’ Jake began.

  ‘Yes,’ Elizabeth interrupted. ‘Please stay. I’d like you to.’

  ‘Anything, my dear.’

  Jake watched as his mum rounded the front of the bed and positi
oned herself on Elizabeth’s other side. As Jake opened his mouth to speak, his phone vibrated. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Then he let go of Elizabeth’s hand, placed Maisie on the floor and stepped out of the ward. He held the phone to one ear and buried a finger in the other one.

  ‘Tanner.’ It was Drew, and from the way he spoke Jake knew it wasn’t good news.

  ‘DS Richmond,’ Jake said, exercising common courtesy now that he’d been served with his Reg 13.

  ‘There’s been another one.’

  ‘Another one?’ Jake said, raising his voice. Nurses and cleaners that meandered up and down the hallway stopped and turned to face him. ‘Where?’

  ‘Hackney. The Hackney Cut. By the marshes. It’s not a pretty one, I’m told.’

  ‘I don’t know if I can—’

  ‘You don’t have a choice. Hurry up and get here.’

  Drew rung off.

  Jake swore in a whisper and pocketed his phone. How was he going to explain this one? After everything he’d just said to Elizabeth. There was going to be a lot of making up to do.

  Jake returned to the ward, feigning a smile, but he knew both of the women in his life could see right through him. He approached Elizabeth’s bed and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

  ‘Let me guess – you have to go?’ Elizabeth asked softly.

  Jake hesitated before responding. ‘I’m sorry, Liz.’

  ‘It’s fine. I understand. I knew this was what I was getting myself into when I agreed to marry you. But don’t think I’ll forget – I’m already making a list.’

  Jake chuckled. ‘I’ll keep my phone on at all times. If anything happens, let me know, OK?’

  Elizabeth nodded.

  Jake turned to his mother. ‘Make sure you look after her.’

  ‘She’s perfectly safe with me.’

  Jake bent down beside Maisie, who was now playing with a plastic cup on the floor. He kissed her goodbye and paced away.

  As he hopped into his car and started the engine, Jake pictured the day where his second little miracle would be born, and how he would have all four of his favourite girls in one room.

  The thought inspired him. But for now, he had other priorities.

  CHAPTER 39

  TROUBLE IN PARADISE

  ‘Her name’s Jessica-Anne Hart,’ Drew began. ‘Thirty-one. Single. Her humble abode was that river boat up there.’ In the distance, a hundred yards away, was a rectangular box bobbing from side to side on the water.

  Rain lashed at Jake’s face, his thin mac offering him little protection from the elements, while the river torrented and splashed over the edges of the bank into the shrubbery and bushes.

  Jake looked down at his feet.

  Buried beneath the weeds, lying on her front, was the serial killer’s latest victim. Her head was still attached to her body, but there were obvious attempts to decapitate it; inch-thick and wide cuts had been made, exposing cartilage and the unmistakable dull white of bone. More incisions had been made across the rest of her body. Cross-hatched. Zig-zagged from left to right. A mosaic pattern of flesh and blood. And a long incision had been made from her buttocks through to between her legs.

  ‘Out of all the ones we’ve seen over the past few days, why do I feel like this is the worst,’ Jake said, feeling his body begin to retch again.

  His statement was met with silence.

  Garrison whistled to Jake’s left. The man was accompanying a SOCO as they sifted through the dense weeds by the riverbank.

  ‘Drew,’ he called, ‘come over here, mate.’

  Drew bounded over to Garrison, leaving Jake behind with Poojah.

  ‘What happened to her?’ Jake asked, stepping closer to the body, his foot almost slipping on the wet grass.

  ‘Steady,’ Poojah said, chuckling. ‘Given her current position, it’s difficult to say. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if she drowned and bled to death.’

  ‘Would you say these injuries are consistent with the others?’

  Poojah nodded. ‘In terms of MO, yes. She’s missing her fingers and tongue, but her head’s still attached – though there was no lack of trying. But the rest of her limbs are in place and she’s not been torn open like Jessica Mann was.’

  Jake contemplated for a moment.

  ‘The other murders have been cleaner, calmer, taken place in the security and sanctity of someone else’s home. They were private affairs… but this feels more open, more public. Maybe there was a struggle. She cottoned on to what he was up to, tried to escape but then he caught up with her.’ Jake crouched down by the body and inspected her wrists. ‘Are these ligature marks?’

  Poojah nodded.

  ‘Supports the theory,’ he said. ‘Maybe he knocked her down, killed her and then decided to tie her up as a metaphor, to symbolise that she couldn’t evade him anymore.’

  ‘The lacerations on her skin look as though they were born out of frustration.’

  Jake stretched his legs. ‘A hack job. He took his aggression out on her body rather than doing what he wanted to do with it.’

  ‘Not necessarily,’ Poojah replied. ‘The body’s been in water for several hours, so it’s possible that any semen samples have washed away.’

  At that point, Drew and Garrison returned.

  ‘How are we doing on witnesses?’ Jake asked them.

  ‘A dog owner found her on her morning walk,’ Garrison said. ‘Uniform are scanning the local area for any other witnesses. No houses anywhere nearby. Only an industrial estate a few hundred yards in that direction, but it’s covered by trees so nobody could have seen anything.’

  ‘Do we know what she did for a living?’

  At first, Drew didn’t respond; instead, he glanced up at the river boat and then back to Jake. ‘If you can call it a living…’ He bent down by her side, pulled a plastic glove from his pocket and donned it over his right hand. He reached for Jessica-Anne’s left arm and flipped it over, revealing the underside of her wrist. Tattooed over her veins was a barcode and a number. Fifty-three.

  ‘What is that?’ Jake asked, staring at the barcoded lines on her skin. As he looked at it, he recalled images of the woman who had fled Archie Arnold’s home on the day he’d conducted his house-to-house enquires. She’d had a similar tattoo but with a different number.

  ‘Why would he kill a prostitute?’ Jake asked, more to himself than the others around him.

  ‘What do you mean?’ Drew replied.

  ‘All the previous murders were people from this online community that they’re all a part of. But now he’s killed someone outside of his own ecosystem, his own comfort zone.’

  ‘Perhaps he’s run out of Jessicas to meet up with.’

  ‘It doesn’t make sense,’ Jake said, again, more so for himself than anyone else.

  ‘Nothing makes sense to you, does it?’ Garrison intervened.

  ‘I’m just saying,’ Jake said.

  Garrison shot Jake a stare that quickly shut him down.

  ‘I hate to say it,’ Drew said, ‘but I think he might be right. This attack feels more sporadic, more unplanned, more violent. When can we get samples back to the lab and verified? I want to know if this really is the same killer.’

  Poojah’s face contorted. ‘I’d like to say within twenty-four hours, but these past few murders have completely drowned us.’

  Drew chuckled. ‘If you can do it in twenty-four hours then I’ll treat you and your team to lunch. How many are there?’

  Poojah looked up and down the riverbank. ‘Thirteen in total.’

  ‘On second thoughts…’ Drew said. ‘Maybe just you then. And you can tell everyone how grateful I am.’

  She chuckled behind her mask. Then she crouched by Jessica-Anne’s body and snapped a few more photos.

  ‘Come on,’ Garrison said. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

  Without saying anything further, Drew and Garrison started off towards the river boat. They left Jake on his own. For a moment he was suspend
ed, not sure whether to follow or stay.

  He huffed, then decided to walk after them. As he did so, Poojah made a derisive noise.

  ‘What’s that?’ Jake asked, his temper flaring.

  ‘Is there trouble in paradise?’ she asked as she rose to her feet. ‘Yesterday you were all pally, and now look at you. One of them say something to upset you? Or was it the other way round?’

  Jake squinted and threw his hands into his pockets.

  ‘There’s nothing wrong. Nobody’s said anything to anyone.’

  ‘If you say so.’

  CHAPTER 40

  THETOPDOG

  Jake knew how to use a computer, but he didn’t have a working knowledge of how one worked. His experience stretched as far as opening Task Manager on his Windows PC when things stopped working – and when that didn’t work, he tried the old adage of turning it off and on again. He was grateful, therefore, that the force had its resident digital forensic technicians to help them hack into victims’ phones and laptops. If it were left down to him during a technical malfunction or a glitch, then the investigation would stumble and fall. So when Roland Lewandowski, MIT’s dedicated DFT, emailed Jake summoning him to his office, Jake was filled with excitement. Roland was a technically gifted individual and had spent his whole life around computers – from the day he was first able to use his fingers. The team relied on him, and on the two occasions Jake had seen him work, both instances had been a success.