by M A Comley
“The latest victims had a daughter, ma’am. She was missing from the residence when we got there.”
“Damn! So, what’s his intention, to demand a ransom?”
Sara shrugged. “Possibly. The thing is, ma’am, the woman has Down’s syndrome.”
DCI Price immediately slapped her hand against her forehead. “You’re kidding me?”
“Sorry, ma’am, I would never joke about something as grave as this.”
“Shit! I know you wouldn’t. Do you want to postpone the press conference?”
“No, ma’am. I need it to go ahead as planned. I also think I should mention the latest crime plus Geraldine’s abduction. The trouble with that is, I haven’t had the time to track down any relatives of the latest couple.”
“Then you know as well as I do that you can’t mention it. Not without contacting the relatives first.”
Sara nodded and sighed. “I know that, ma’am. Is there any way I can mention that Geraldine is missing? Forget I said that, I know what your response is going to be.”
“Exactly. You can’t possibly inform the public before we’ve contacted the relatives. Maybe get one of your team on that now, and you’ll have to call another conference tomorrow.”
“Carla is looking into it now, ma’am. The last thing I want to do is hold another conference within a few days. I have four murders to solve. I don’t have the time to deal with the press more than once per case. I’m worried about Geraldine and her safety though, ma’am.”
“So am I. Have you issued a missing person alert on her?”
“Yes, I did that about an hour ago. Bugger, this case or cases are driving me to distraction already, and they’ve only just begun.”
“Stick with it, Inspector. My door is always open if you need to run anything by me. I’ll be sure to keep on top of my paperwork just in case you need me to lend a hand.”
“Thanks. I think I’m going to need all the support I can get on this one.”
“That goes without saying. You’re capable of handling this case, I’ve got no qualms about that. Just don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
“I won’t. We better go in—that is if you’re going to join me?”
“That’s why I’m here. Let’s do this.”
They both entered the medium-sized room that was full of press people from the two local TV stations and the local newspaper, plus there were also a few members of the press from neighbouring counties who usually joined the conferences.
Sara ran through what had happened to the Flowers and appealed for help from the general public. She omitted to mention any kind of reward the family were anxious to put forward at this stage, aware of the stress that would put her team under fielding such calls. In the past, any case with a reward attached had given the police a mountain to climb within hours of the appeal being aired. She needed to keep the information clean on this one, at least for the time being.
DCI Price allowed Sara to make the appeal, then she took over the responsibility of answering all the questions the press had concerning the couple’s death.
An hour later, Sara and DCI Price thanked the press for attending and left the room. They ascended the stairs together. “Want me to come and have a chat with the team?”
“That’s up to you, ma’am. Obviously, what with having to rush back to attend the press appeal, I haven’t had time to bring the team up to date on the other case as yet.”
“We can do that together, Sara.”
She nodded, feeling appreciative of the DCI’s support but couldn’t help wondering if that would backfire on her later down the line.
The second they stepped into the office, Carla left her seat and headed towards the vending machine. “Coffee, ma’am?”
“That’s very kind. Black, no sugar for me,” DCI Price called back.
Sara nodded appreciatively at Carla. Seconds later, Carla handed them both a coffee. “The appeal went as well as expected. There’s no need for me to tell you what to do regarding any information that comes in from that. Let’s remain focussed on the two cases we’re dealing with. Carla, any luck tracking down any relatives for the Merediths?”
“Still working on that one, boss. Nothing coming up so far.”
“I don’t suppose anyone has had eyes on Geraldine yet?”
Carla shook her head. “Again, nothing.”
“Her safety is paramount. We need to ensure that is our priority at all times. I’ll bring the board up to date in a while. I’ll be in the office with DCI Price for the next few minutes. Interrupt us if any valuable information comes in.”
“Will do, boss.”
Sara led the way into her office, grateful that her desk was tidy at least, even if she hadn’t had time to deal with her post first thing. She sat behind her desk and glanced up at DCI Price.
Her superior sat opposite her and took a sip of her coffee then placed the cup on the desk in front of her. “I wanted to have a brief chat with you.”
“About the case, or should that be cases now, ma’am?”
“Indirectly, yes. Cards on the table. You know as well as I do, the reason behind your request for a transfer to this area was to get away from all the blood and gore in your previous division.”
“That’s right, ma’am, but I’m not following you. Sorry for being dense.”
“You’re far from dense, Inspector.” She heaved out a breath. “I’m sorry, I’m failing to make myself clear here. What I’m trying to say in a clumsy way is, how are you doing under the pressure?” She pointed at Sara and wagged her finger when her mouth dropped open. “See, now wait, don’t answer that, because it came out the wrong way again.”
“I’m confused, ma’am. What exactly are you getting at? Are you insinuating that you think I’m not up to the job?”
DCI Price thumped her clenched fist against her temple. “No. See, I knew it would come out wrong. I’m not insinuating any such thing. What I’m trying to ascertain is if you’re coping all right on a personal level.”
“Ah, I see. Of course I am. I would never let the two collide, ma’am. It’s been around nineteen months since Phil’s death. I’m not saying that I don’t think of him often, but I’m more than capable of continuing my role as inspector, if that’s your concern.”
“It’s not. Damn. What I was getting at in my hapless way of going about things, is whether the brutality of the crimes is affecting you. As you know, we don’t get a lot of heinous crimes such as this happening in our area.”
“I know, ma’am. I hope the criminals in the area haven’t cottoned on to my presence and decided to up the ante just because I’m now policing Hereford.”
DCI Price laughed. “I hope you’re wrong about that, too. If ever things become too much for you personally, you will let me know, right? I’d hate to see you crumble on the job.”
Sara shook her head. “I’m not likely to do that, ma’am. I’m over his death,” she lied.
DCI Price narrowed her eyes as if she was about to challenge her. Instead, she took another sip of her coffee. “All right, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on that one. What are your plans re the cases?”
“I think the first thing we need to ascertain is whether the Flowers and the Merediths knew each other and go from there.”
“Do you know what the motive is?”
“Initially I thought it was about money. At this time, we have no idea what has gone missing from the Merediths’ house, apart from their daughter, that is. I’m finding it difficult to get my mind around that. Why would this person or persons take her?”
“You’re assuming the killer or killers have taken her. What if she ran off? Have you considered that option?”
Sara shook her head. “I hadn’t. I’ll organise a search team just in case.”
“I’m not suggesting you’re wrong; however, it would be better to cover all the options from the get-go. What about the witnesses?”
“We had a neighbour at the first murder scene wh
o saw a man standing outside the Flowers’ front door on Saturday evening. Unfortunately, he didn’t take much notice of the person because the Flowers had a lot of visitors.”
“That’s a shame. What about the second case?”
“The neighbour opposite heard a scream, but it was too dark for her to investigate. She called at the house the next day, found the front door ajar and discovered the couple dead in their bedroom. She called the police right away.”
DCI Price sighed. “DNA or any form of evidence at either scene?”
“Nothing as yet. No, scrub that, we have a bloody trainer footprint at the Flowers’ house. The pathologist reckons the imprint from the trainer is from an off-the-shelf shoe model that has probably been sold millions of times over the years.”
“Not helping and exceedingly frustrating. Let’s hope something comes in from the appeal regarding that. So, going forward, your main focus will be tracking down the family members and trying to locate the daughter, right?”
“That sums it up perfectly, ma’am. Obviously, any information we obtain from the appeal will go to the top of our list and will be actioned right away. Until then, we’ll continue doing our background checks into the Flowers’ family.”
“You think one of them could be behind their murders?”
“The thought briefly crossed my mind; however, I think we can discount that theory given the other case dropping into our laps this morning.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t discount that theory too soon. What if the Flowers and Merediths were friends and the killer knew this?”
“Again, it’s something we need to bear in mind, ma’am.”
“Okay, I should get back to my laborious paperwork. Keep me informed every step of the way.”
Sara rose from her seat and walked out of the office with DCI Price. “I will, ma’am.”
After seeing the DCI to the door, she stopped by Carla’s desk. “Any news on tracking down a family member yet?”
“I’ve got the name of an aunt. I haven’t made contact as yet, thought you’d want to do that, boss.” Her partner held out a sheet of paper with the name Katherine Ross written on it.
“I’ll ring her now.” Sara bypassed the vending machine, even though her need was great after the DCI’s visit, and went into her office. She closed the door behind her.
She dialled the woman’s number and waited anxiously as the phone’s dial tone sounded four times before it was answered. “Hello, is that Katherine Ross?”
“It is. Who wants to know? I’ve got double glazing, central heating and a new vacuum cleaner, so I’m not in the market for buying any of those, thank you.”
“Don’t hang up, Mrs Ross, please. I’m DI Sara Ramsey. I’m calling about Linda and Samuel Meredith.”
“Okay, Linda is my sister. What about them?”
“I’d really rather not do this over the phone. Is there any chance I can come and see you?”
“That sounds ominous. Are they in trouble, Inspector?”
“Do you live far? Sorry, I don’t have your address, only your phone number.”
“I live on the outskirts of Hereford. What’s this about? You’re scaring me.”
“In person, if you don’t mind,” Sara persisted. “I can be there within a few minutes.”
“Very well. It’s five Cotswold Lane, Upper Breinton.”
“Thank you. Depending on the traffic, I should be there within twenty minutes.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Sara hung up and raced around her desk, pulling on the jacket she had not long removed. “Carla, do you want to come with me? I’m going to see Mrs Ross in person; she doesn’t live far.”
Carla left her paperwork and followed Sara out of the incident room. “Makes sense to talk to her in person,” Carla said, rushing to keep up with her.
“That’s what I thought. I’ve never told a person that their loved ones had been murdered over the phone yet, and I don’t intend to start now. It’s just not how I do things.”
Chapter 11
Fifteen minutes later, they drew up outside a quaint cottage in the heart of the Herefordshire countryside. “It’s beautiful out here,” Sara noted.
“My mum always said she’d want to retire out this way when the time comes. There’s a little known place down the road where you can walk the dog along the banks of the River Wye.”
“That sounds wonderful. I don’t blame your mum wanting to move here. Okay, here we go.” Sara tapped the knocker to the front door. She had her warrant card in her hand ready to show the woman the instant the door was opened.
“Ah, you’re on time. I do like people who stick to their word. Do you have some form of ID? You can’t be too careful these days.”
“Indeed. Pleased to meet you, Mrs Ross.” Sara flashed her ID.
Mrs Ross stood back to allow them access to a warm and cosy interior. She showed them into a lounge that was dominated by large exposed beams and an inglenook fireplace which housed a wood-burning stove.
“Please take a seat. Now what’s all this about? I tried to ring Linda after your call, but the phone rang and rang, which is unusual. One of them always answers.”
Sara smiled at the woman. “It is with the greatest regret that I have to tell you both Linda and Samuel died at their home this morning.”
Katherine’s hand covered her right cheek, and she shook her head, obviously stunned by the news. “What? How did they die? I only spoke to my sister a few days ago. She and Samuel were perfectly all right then.”
“I’m sorry, but they were murdered.”
“No! I don’t believe this. How? No, forget I said that, I don’t want the details. I mean, why them? How did someone get into their home?”
“We really can’t give you any answers at present. We’re dealing with a similar case in the same area. There will be an appeal going out on the evening news. We think the two cases are connected. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to contact you before the appeal went out. Your sister and her husband won’t be mentioned in that appeal; I wanted to inform you or any other relatives before you heard about it on the news.”
She nodded. “I appreciate that. My God, wait…what about Geraldine? You haven’t said anything about her. Is she also dead?”
“We don’t believe so.”
“What do you mean? Either she is or she isn’t, which is it?”
“No. She wasn’t at the house.”
Katherine frowned and wrung her hands in her lap. “I don’t understand. If she wasn’t at the house, then where is she? This makes no sense at all.”
“We don’t have all the answers yet, I’m afraid. I’m aware that your niece has Down’s syndrome. Can you tell me what special needs she has? Does she take medication every day, for instance?”
“My mind is all over the place. I can’t get my head around all that you’ve told me. Wait, yes, she takes tablets every day because she has a heart defect.”
Sara’s pulse raced. “I suspected something along those lines. Okay, we need to do something drastic in that case, and you’re going to have to help me, if you’re up for that?”
“Anything. I just want my niece back home safely.” She gasped. “Oh no, you’re not saying the person who killed my sister and her husband has taken her, are you?”
Sara shrugged. “We really don’t know if that’s the case or not. Do you think there is any way, given the opportunity, that Geraldine might have run off?”
“To be honest with you, no. Oh God, what if she saw Linda and Samuel? What if she was there to witness their deaths?” Large tears formed and dripped onto her cheeks. She wiped them away with a tissue she extracted from the box beside her.
“I’m sorry, I don’t profess to know how difficult this must be for you. My suggestion would be that we should hold another urgent appeal with the media. I know it’s a big ask in the circumstances, but I wondered if you’d be willing to sit alongside me during an appeal, to make a plea to the person who might
have her. Maybe if they realise Geraldine needs constant supervision, they’ll rethink their decision and let her go.”
“What if they think the opposite and end her life, too? My God, what do I do for the best?”
“It will be a hard decision for you to make. I would go along the lines that if we pleaded with the person who might have her, he could very well let her go. Thinking logically, and we have to take heart from this, there must be a reason why he didn’t kill Geraldine or leave her at the property.”
“A killer with a conscience, is that what you’re saying?”
Sara hitched up her shoulder. “I really can’t answer that. What do you think? About the appeal, I mean.”
“Of course I’ll do it. I want my niece back and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to get her back, Inspector.”
“Can you give me five minutes to arrange everything?”
“Okay, would you like a drink in the meantime?” She rose to her feet, but her legs gave way beneath her, and she collapsed into her chair again. “I’m sorry. It appears the mind is willing, however, the body is unwilling to contribute.”
“No problem. Carla, would you do the honours?”
Carla nodded and left the room. Sara stood in the bay window of the lounge, overlooking the woman’s beautifully planted front garden to place the call to the station. It didn’t take her long to emphasise the need with the press officer to hold another appeal so soon. Jane was confident she’d be able to pull it off because of what was at stake, probably by holding another appeal later on that afternoon. “Get back to me ASAP, if you would.”
“I will,” Jane replied before she ended the call.
Sara returned to her seat opposite Katherine. “I know what a shock all of this must be for you.”
“It is, a great shock. Truthfully, I don’t think I’m allowing it to fully sink in yet. I want my niece back safe and sound before I allow myself to crumble. You say this person has killed other people. Where? In Hereford itself?”
“On the other side of the city, in Bodenham. The other murders only happened yesterday, so we haven’t really had a chance to begin our investigations as such. We’re hoping that once the appeal goes out we’ll be inundated with calls, giving us the leads we need to get the case started.”