Stranglehold

by Rena George

  Stranglehold

  A Jack Drummond Thriller

  Rena George

  Rosmorna

  Introduction

  A killer on the loose. The body count is mounting. Time is running out for him to be the good guy.

  A strangler is stalking Glasgow's red light district targeting prostitutes. The body count continues to rise as pressure mounts on Detective Inspector Jack Drummond to catch the killer.

  But the murderer is playing them...luring them into the shadows where they will find no clue - only another body.

  No woman is safe as the tense game of cat and mouse escalates. Drummond can't protect them all, but maybe he can keep young Evie off the streets before the killer strikes again.

  As the murder hunt switches to the Highlands and Drummond links up with DS Nick Rougvie, the truth begins to emerge.

  Will they be in time to prevent another killing? Or is it already too late?

  Stranglehold is the first book in Rena George's exciting new crime thriller series featuring surprising plot twists, compelling characters and a flawed cop who likes to dish out justice with his fists.

  If you enjoy a pacey, exciting thriller with a twist in the tale you'll love Stranglehold. Don't wait! Grab it now!

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Author’s note

  Also by Rena George

  One

  They found her the Saturday before Christmas. She had been strangled and her body dumped amongst the chip papers, plastic burger boxes and used condoms discarded by those who frequented Glasgow's Barras.

  At 6 a.m. it was still dark, but market traders were already arriving to organize their stalls for what was building to be the busiest day of the year.

  Detective Inspector Jack Drummond looked around him, avoiding staring back down at the body. Murder was worse when you knew the victim. Maggie Burns had been a sex worker whose soliciting activities Drummond had long since turned a blind eye to. Arresting these women was pointless. He'd tried that. Maggie and her mates would be right back on the streets as soon as they were released.

  'Poor soul.' Detective Constable Gail Swann was heaving a sigh beside him. 'The killer couldn't have chosen a worse place,' she said, shaking her head. 'We're going to be so unpopular with these market people.'

  Drummond's attention was now on the uniformed officers he'd instructed to cordon off the lane. 'Tough,' he said, narrowing his eyes, but he knew she was right. The place would soon be teeming with Christmas shoppers hoping for that last-minute bargain. And the traders definitely wouldn't be happy about all the police activity affecting their business. Well it wasn't his problem. Discovering who squeezed the life from poor Maggie Burns and left her in this miserable back lane was his only priority.

  'D'you think she'd been to the gig over at Barrowland, boss?' Gail asked.

  Drummond thought of the posters he'd seen advertising the appearance of the rousing Scottish rock band and shook his head. 'I doubt it,' he said. 'Not Maggie's style.'

  Gail's head snapped up. 'You recognize her?'

  Drummond nodded. 'Maggie Burns. She's a hooker.' He forced himself to glance back to the body. 'Who found her?'

  Gail gestured to the end of the lane. 'He's back there.' She consulted the notes she'd hurriedly punched into her phone. 'His name's Alec Millburn. He's got a music stall in the barras.'

  'What was he doing down here so early?'

  Gail sent him a look that suggested he needed to get out more. 'It's Christmas, boss. It'll be a busy day in the barras. He wanted to get organized for it. Should I get him over here?'

  Drummond was watching a police photographer, his camera clicking as he moved carefully about the crime scene recording every angle. ‘Yes,' he said. 'And find out who operates that surveillance system.' He nodded to a CCTV camera. ‘I want to see what's on that.'

  Gail headed off up the lane, tugging up the collar of her jacket as a sudden breeze sprung up, sending the dropped chip papers and fag ends into a macabre dance.

  Drummond frowned, switching his attention back to the crime scene. Dr Nell Forrester, forensic pathologist for the procurator fiscal's office, had arrived and was on her knees by the body. 'Anything for us yet, Nell?' he called over to her.

  She straightened up and stretched, pulling a face. 'Patience was never your strong point, Jack. When I have anything definite, you'll be the first to know.'

  He grinned at her. 'Late night?'

  'None of your business,' she snapped, but he could see she was smiling. 'There's one thing I can tell you. Our lady wasn't killed here.' She indicated the area around her. 'No sign of a struggle. I'd say she was dragged here from the end of the lane.'

  Drummond had already reached that conclusion after inspecting the scene. His brow wrinkled. 'I thought that, but it makes no sense.'

  Nell shrugged. 'When did murder ever make sense?'

  Drummond frowned. 'I still don't understand what she's doing here. The killer couldn't have chosen a busier area. They must have known she'd be found.'

  Nell turned back to the body. 'You're the detective, Jack, but I'd say the killer wanted you to find her.'

  He pulled a face, turning as Gail approached with their witness. The man was tall, lanky, scruffy – and definitely not looking happy.

  'How long is this pantomime going on for?' he growled at Drummond. 'You do know I'm trying to run a business here and your lot won't even let me into the building.'

  Drummond resisted the urge to point out that his murder investigation was way higher up on his list of priorities than this man's naff record stall. He took a breath and smiled. 'We do understand how inconvenient this must be. If you could just bear with us a little longer–'

  'Inconvenient?' the man exploded, not giving Drummond the chance to finish his sentence. 'It's not about being inconvenient. It's about getting shafted. We'll all be bloody shafted if you stop the punters getting into the barras.'

  Drummond was having trouble hanging on to his patience. 'We'll do our best to minimize the disturbance, sir. Now if you could just tell me how you found the body.'

  Alec Millburn's face contorted into a grimace. 'I've already told her.'

  Drummond gave him a hard stare. 'Well now I'm asking you to tell me.'

  The man let out an impatient sigh. 'OK, it's like I told her. I get here early. There are always new batches of records to sort out. I run an orderly stall.' He glared at Drummond. 'You do know it's only three days to Christmas? If we don't make money today, then we're screwed.'

  'The body.' Drummond sighed. 'Just tell me about finding the body.'

  Alec Millburn opened his arms. 'Nothing to tell. I was coming down the lane and there she was.' He ran a hand over his greasy hair. 'It
wasn't pleasant. I bloody nearly threw up.'

  'But you didn't?'

  'No. I phoned you lot.'

  'Did you touch the body?' Drummond asked.

  The man looked horrified. 'Touch it? I couldn't even look at it again. Of course, I didn't bloody touch it.'

  'Was there anyone else about when you found the body?' Gail Swann asked.

  'Just me.' He threw Drummond another irritated scowl. 'Look, how much longer will this take? I need to get in at my stall.'

  'It will take as long as it needs to, sir,' Drummond said. 'We'll let you know when you can get into the building.'

  'Well it better be soon, or you'll have a riot on your hands.' The man was still mumbling to himself as Gail escorted him back to the top of the lane.

  'Did you hear that, Dr Forrester?' He raised his voice. 'Our witness is predicting a riot if we don't get things moving.'

  Nell got slowly to her feet and shook her head. 'Like I said…so impatient.' She glanced down at the body. 'I'm done here. They can take her away.'

  Out of the corner of his eye Drummond saw a young PC hurrying towards Gail. From Gail's shocked expression it wasn't good news. She was moving quickly to join him, drawing him aside and lowering her voice to a whisper. 'We have another body, boss.'

  Drummond's heart sank. 'Where?'

  'Round the corner.'

  'You'd better come too, Nell,' he called over his shoulder, strutting off at such speed that Gail had to quicken her pace to keep up with him.

  They followed the PC out of the lane and fifty yards along the road before turning into another dimly lit alley. The body could have been mistaken for a pile of rags strewn across the broken, narrow footpath. A uniformed officer was beside it shining a torch on the scene.

  'We need to get another forensic team down here,' Drummond said, holding up an arm to stop anyone else from advancing on the body. 'And some decent lights.'

  He instructed Gail to rustle up more backup as he grabbed his own phone and tapped in the number of his senior officer, DCI Joey Buchan. She didn't appear to appreciate being disturbed on her day off. He held the phone from his ear as she let out a string of expletives.

  'I'll come down,' she ended sharply, before cutting the call.

  'Great,' Drummond muttered. 'We'll leave it all to you then.'

  He had no problem with female senior officers, especially ones he'd had a relationship with, but Joey was bitter. She left him in no doubt that he wasn't her favourite person, but what had he expected. Nobody appreciated being dumped, even if their relationship had been going nowhere.

  Joey Buchan had her sights set on fast-tracking her way to the top. Even if his team had a speedy result and arrested their killer, or killers, he knew the woman would find a way to take the credit.

  He sighed, turning back to the scene. The smell of cheap wine in the alley was nauseating. His eyes were moving around the area. In a far corner he could see the discarded wine bottles, cans and other detritus left by the rough sleepers. Was this killing the result of a fight between vagrants? Was it a coincidence that it happened on the same night and in the same area as their first body? Drummond frowned. He didn't believe in coincidences.

  'Looks like this one's been stabbed, boss,' Gail Swann said, coming to stand beside him.

  Drummond was watching Nell Forrester slip an object she'd just picked up into an evidence bag. She held it up for him to examine.

  'It's a coin purse,' Gail said, squinting at it. 'Not the kind of thing a rough sleeper like him would have.'

  'No,' Drummond said thoughtfully. 'But the dead woman round the corner might have had something like this in her handbag.'

  'So, the murders could be linked?' Gail was staring at him.

  The poor devil lying in front of them covered in blood didn't look like he had the strength to strangle anyone, let alone a robust woman like Maggie Burns. And why would he? Drummond doubted if she'd had anything much worth stealing.

  One possibility might work though. This wino could have stumbled on the body and saw it as an opportunity to grab what he could. It might explain the empty coin purse. If it belonged to Maggie, Drummond didn't think it would be too difficult to prove.

  The downside of this theory was that if it was right then the murder scene would have been seriously contaminated. The swish of activity to his left half an hour later brought more bad news. DCI Joey Buchan had arrived. And she was looking rough. Her mousey brown hair had been scraped back in a bun and she wore no make-up. 'OK, update me,' she snapped when she'd reached Drummond's side. Her top lip was curving in distaste as she glanced at the old man's body. No 'Good morning,' or 'How are you, Jack?' But then he could hardly expect that when he'd called her out so early and on her rest day.

  He chose his words carefully. 'We don't know for sure if the bodies are connected but we've recovered a purse next to this one that could have belonged to the other one.'

  'And what does that tell us?'

  'Maybe that this old boy found body one and robbed her and then came back to his nest here.' He nodded to the litter of empty bottles, cardboard and newspapers. 'If that part's right then it looks like he was killed and robbed himself, possibly by one of his mates.'

  Buchan was already spinning on her heel and marching off. 'Round them up and bring them in. All of them.' She ordered over her shoulder at him. 'And show me this other crime scene.'

  Drummond didn't miss Nell's amusement at his muttered curse. He pointed a warning finger at her as she giggled. 'Run along now, dear,' she grinned. 'Mummy's calling you.'

  He frowned back at her. 'That remark will cost you.'

  'Can't wait,' she called after him as he followed Joey Buchan out of the lane.

  Joey had already reached the first crime scene when Drummond caught up with her. Maggie Burns' body had been removed to the city mortuary. One of the forensic officers was heading towards them. The plastic evidence bag he was holding contained a card showing a black silhouette of a cat and mouse. 'This was under the body,' he said.

  Drummond pulled a face. Was their killer trying to tell them something? He hoped not.

  'That's all we need…a joker as well as a killer.' She swung round with an impatient sigh. 'OK, tell me what we know about this one.'

  Drummond repeated everything he knew about the victim. 'Nell Forrester doesn't think she was killed here, but the post-mortem will tell us more.'

  Buchan gave him a sideways look that said did he think she was an idiot. Her eye was already on the CCTV camera. He pre-empted her.

  'We're getting the tapes,' he said.

  She gave him an irritated look. 'Witnesses?' she asked.

  'Only the one who found her.' He nodded to Alec Millburn who was still remonstrating with a uniformed constable.

  'The traders are getting restless,' he said. 'They want to get to their stalls and sort themselves out before we open the place to the Christmas shoppers.'

  Joey Buchan blew out her cheeks. 'Christ, Christmas! I haven't even thought about it.' She turned to him. 'What about you, Jack? Bought all your pressies yet?'

  Drummond blinked. He was used to his DCI's mood swings, but this change of tack took even him by surprise. 'Err…no, not yet.'

  'We should all go out for a drink,' she said. 'I mean the whole department.'

  'Err, right! That would be good.'

  She spun back round on her heel, firing out a catalogue of instructions. 'Check the CCTV tapes. Talk to her hooker pals. Talk to her family. Why this site? Why dump her here? Find out what's so special about it. Is there a Barrowland connection? Did the old boy rob her of anything else, if so, where is it?'

  The staccato list of orders was fired at him in her usual annoying way.

  Drummond tried not to groan as he rolled his eyes.

  'Right! I'll leave you to it.' Joey said. ‘Let's not mess about with this, Jack. The top brass won't appreciate getting a strangler for Christmas.' She moved her face in closer. 'Just catch this bastard!'

 
Gail came forward as Buchan retreated up the lane. They both stared after her. 'Makes you feel we should be clicking our heels and saluting her,' she said.

  Drummond sighed as he watched Joey Buchan reach the corner and disappear. 'Yeah,' he said. 'She'd like that.'

  Two

  'Doesn't help us much,' Gail said, back in the incident room, as they watched the shadowy CCTV images of a figure in a track suit dragging the limp body of Maggie Burns into the lane. 'It could be anybody. He knows the camera's there. Look how he keeps his head down.'

  Drummond agreed. The killer knew what he was doing. He'd worn dark, non-descript clothes that could have been bought anywhere. The stalls inside The Barras were laden with the stuff. And what about the card he'd left with the body? Was he really audacious enough to think he could play a game of cat and mouse with them? Drummond had no intention of entering into that. He watched the killer move away, head high and shoulders back. The man was too confident, too arrogant.

  They continued watching as other officers joined them. 'Fast-forward it,' Drummond ordered, and then pointed. 'There! Go back.' They could see movement by the body and a figure emerge from the dark.

  'It's him!' Gail Swann turned to the others. 'It's the old man.'

  The figure was shuffling up the lane and almost stumbled over the body. He stopped, staring down at it before squinting around him. Apparently satisfied no one was watching, he stooped down and made a grab for Maggie's bag. The detectives watched him rifle through it and snatch out the purse before tossing the bag aside. Drummond grimaced as the tramp yanked the dead woman's pendant from her throat and pulled a bracelet from her wrist.