Girl Changed

by Mark Bailey

  She finished her two scheduled counseling sessions, and when she arrived back at Saint Albans Road later that afternoon, her phone rang. It was D.I. Stopford.

  ‘Hi, Milly. I’m calling with some bad news. You may want to sit down.’

  ‘Yes, Greg.’ Milly guessed why Stopford was calling.

  ‘We’ve found Nari Kim. I’m sorry, Milly, I’m afraid she’s dead.’

  ‘Where did you find her, Greg? How was she killed? Are there any suspects?’ Milly’s thoughts ran at a million miles an hour, then she stopped talking and started crying. ‘Give me five minutes to get myself sorted, and I’ll call you back.’

  Milly wasn’t surprised Nari was dead. She had assumed that from her meeting with the two detectives the previous evening, but she had lived in the vain hope she might be found alive. She needed to be strong, to steel herself, to harden the fuck up, as Dannii would call it. She stopped crying; her grieving was finished. It was time to get even. She made herself a strong coffee, then sat down and called Stopford back.

  ‘Hi, Greg. Can you please give me the details of Nari’s death?’

  ‘Milly, I’m sorry, I really am. I can’t give you any details yet; nothing's official.’

  ‘Righto, Greg. If you want any chance at all of getting into my pants, you better tell me everything you know and don’t try and fob me off … don’t give me any of your shit. Now that’s any chance, Greg, any chance at all.’ There was a protracted silence. ‘Are you there?’

  ‘Um … what did you just say, Milly?’

  ‘You heard me.’

  ‘Well, the details are rather gory, and I was hoping to spare you.’

  ‘Everything, Greg, I mean everything; there’s a lot at stake.’

  There sure is, thought Stopford, ‘Alright, Milly. You may need to sit down.’

  ‘I’m sitting, Greg.’

  ‘They found Nari’s body under her bed. Both legs had been cut from her body at the hip joints. Then her right leg was cut in half … the femur was separated from the tibia and fibula by slicing through the area at the back of the kneecap or patella. Then her torso, with the head attached, her left leg and the two parts of her right leg were stuffed into a large suitcase.’

  ‘Anything else?’

  ‘Yes, Milly.’

  ‘Well, come on, Greg … everything.’

  ‘They had cut all her fingertips and thumb tips off at the first joint.’

  ‘Why the hell would they do that?’

  ‘We’re not sure yet,’ replied Stopford.

  ‘Is that all? Where did they kill her?’

  ‘No, that’s not all. Her body was naked … it appears they took the clothes she was wearing with them.’

  ‘Why would they do that?’

  ‘We don’t know yet, but they left the finger and thumb tips in the suitcase, so it’s not as if they were trying to hide her identity … but maybe there is something else. Maybe the killer or killers were disturbed, so they just stuffed everything into the suitcase and left. At this stage, it appears she was murdered and butchered in her bathroom … in the bath, according to forensics. Then they’ve set about cleaning up after themselves.’

  ‘There would have been a hell of a mess.’

  ‘Not at all … No. The only blood forensics detected was by using luminol. Jude thinks she was probably bled out and cut up in the bath and after that, everything washed down. Then she was stuffed into the suitcase. The bathroom is all white lino and tiles, so it was easy to clean and get rid of the evidence; they could see what they were doing. One of our guys did a quick check of the unit to see she wasn’t hiding or lying dead somewhere, but they didn’t find anything.’

  ‘It would have to be a big suitcase, Greg.’

  ‘Not really. Nari was tiny, and anyway, it’s amazing what you can fit into a suitcase. The “someone disturbed them” theory might have legs. Her throat was cut so they may have been meaning to decapitate her and take the head and fingertips somewhere else to confuse investigators.’

  ‘My God, Greg, too much detail.’

  ‘Well, you insisted, Milly, that’s why I didn’t want to say anything. It’s either all or nothing in a case like this. Maybe the murderer or murderers brought the suitcase in with them … who knows? As I said, we don’t think it was Nari’s, probably because it was so big. Anyway, Cosmo and I will be here most of the weekend following things up, and Jude’s onto it, so I won’t get to your place until tonight.’

  ‘What do you mean you won’t get to my place until … oh for crying out loud, Greg, go home and take a cold shower will you, for Christ’s sake. You’re like a mongrel dog. One of my friends has just been viciously murdered, and all you can think about is your dick.’

  ‘I beg your pardon, Milly, that’s your dirty mind working,’ said Stopford indignantly. ‘I was going to drop off the mugshots of the rogue’s gallery.’

  ‘Oh, I’m sorry, mate …’

  ‘I’m sorry if you think I’m trying to come on to you, but I’m not,’ — not half, he thought.

  ‘No, that’s alright, my mistake, Greg, and I apologize. It’s just with all this other stuff going on … well, you know. Can you please call me if you find anything? Anything you tell me will be held in the strictest of confidence …’

  ‘And the more info I give you, the better my chances, Milly?’

  ‘You’re a cheeky bugger, aren’t you? Yes, I’ll keep playing that game with you then: the more info, the better your chances. In fact, I’ll come for a drive and pick up the photos from you at your flat in Twickenham, if you like; I’ve got nothing else to do. I’ll need your address, and you better behave yourself … alright!’

  ‘Absolutely, Milly, bring a change of clothes with you, I’ve got a spare towel.’ Stopford laughed, and Milly laughed quite hysterically. Their conversation had morphed from extremely sad to a stress reliever — D.I. Greg Stopford certainly had a way about him, she thought. She pressed the red phone icon at the bottom of her iPhone. Despite the bad news, she had to smile to herself. He’s persistent; there’s no doubt about that. He’d make a bloody good P.I.

  The following morning with her evidence board on wheels in her main living area, Milly strategically pinned the photos in place. The police mugshots were obvious; the characters were serious and unsmiling. Just as Joe and Niall were alike, so were Gus and Sim. In fact, when Milly pinned the old photos of Gus on her corkboard, she commented out loud what a handsome bugger he was when he was young. She guessed the shots at up to thirty years old; they didn’t have a date on them. From what she could remember of Deonaid at Sibby’s funeral, all the boys had at least one of her traits — a softness about them — especially Niall and even Sim. At the end of the line of the Charles’ photos were pinned Cailin Stewart and Daggy Kerford.

  She stepped back and admired her handiwork. Milly decided all her subjects were quite handsome, including Stewart and Kerford. Obviously, Stewart and Kerford were the odd ones out and, as she studied them, Kerford’s eyelid was more prominent than ever. She would continue to look at them now and every day until she was sure she hadn’t missed anything.

  The following day, on Sunday, Stopford called Milly. It was late morning; she had slept in. They had picked up Nari Kim’s lawyer friend or pseudo-boyfriend, as Stopford described him. He was indeed a lawyer and was in a relationship with Nari. He said he was encouraging her to make a career change. They had cleared him at this stage but would wait on more forensic tests to give him the all clear. He could account for his whereabouts through to last Sunday when Nari had left the Essex Arms, and they expected his fingerprints and D.N.A. to be in the unit, as he had stayed there. He had called at the unit Sunday evening looking for Nari and called her phone, but she hadn’t answered.

  ‘By the way, Milly, the suitcase under the bed is his. Nari was planning to move out of her unit into his place. Her lease was up in a month. We also believe there may be a chance he disturbed the killer on Sunday night. He knocked on the door but didn’t g
o in. It’s strange he didn’t have a key, considering their relationship.’

  ‘You explained that yourself when I called you on Thursday. I remember you saying she would be private, that it was in the nature of her work … that it came with the territory.’

  ‘I do recall saying that.’

  ‘Well, I don’t know if Nari saw clients at her unit. I suppose she did. Re this lawyer guy …’

  ‘His name is Giles Ryon.’

  ‘Re this Giles guy; I’ve been thinking. It’s a bit like a parent knowing their fifteen-year-old kid smokes and catching them in the act. The shit doesn’t hit the fan until they catch them.’

  ‘So, Giles knew what she was doing, but she didn’t want him to catch her in the act?’

  ‘Exactly. She didn’t give him keys, so he couldn’t catch her smoking.’

  ‘Excellent point, Milly.’

  ‘Thanks, Greg, talk to you during the week,’ she said, hanging up as she sat in the lounge room with her coffee and looked at the evidence board. Milly pushed Sibby’s diary aside and sat her coffee on the table. They all looked back at her. One was dead, two in jail and another two should have been in jail. She wondered if Nari’s murderer was amongst them as she looked at Sim; his eyes followed her when she took her empty coffee cup to the kitchen sink. Then when she had washed the cup, Sim’s eyes followed her back to the main living area where she sat back down.

  They looked at each other and Milly looked closer as she picked up Sibby’s diary to read it for the umpteenth time.

  ‘Shit,’ she thought to herself as she called Stopford’s number again.

  ‘Hi, Milly, that didn’t take …’

  ‘You don’t think they’re trying to warn me, do you, Greg?’

  ‘What do you mean, Milly?’

  ‘By cutting the ends of her fingers and thumbs off.’

  ‘Yes, Milly, Cosmo thought of that and noted it down. I didn’t want to say anything to you … not yet. We were giving you a couple of days to digest what has already happened.’

  ‘What are you and this Cosmo thinking, Greg?’

  ‘We are working around that old saying that bad things come in threes.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘There are already two dead girls … two girls with no fingerprints, and you would be three.’

  ‘That’s what I’m thinking too. I think I killed Nari Kim.’

  ‘Who knows, Milly. If it is them, they could be sending you a message … a warning. If they wanted to, I think you’d already be dead by now. You need to be careful, but we’ll discuss that next week.’

  Chapter 27.

  Milly found it difficult to concentrate on the business of Watford Therapy. Monday was a busy day; she was run off her feet. She’d only been back at work for a week and was sick of it already. She was about to leave for the day when she was buzzed via her landline from reception.

  ‘There’s a gentleman here asking to see you, Milly.’

  ‘Yes, Mandy?’

  ‘Goes by the name of Giles Ryon,’ said Mandy reading from his business card.

  Milly thought for a second; she was tired, she couldn’t really be bothered. ‘Send him through, and can you ask Rosie to hang around while he’s here? I won’t be long.’

  There was a knock on her office door.

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Dr. McTaggart,’ said Giles Ryon and he walked into Milly’s office as she pointed to the seat opposite. There was nothing surprising about him until he opened his mouth. He was older than Nari, around twenty-four or five, of average height and build. When he spoke, Milly suddenly understood what they meant by a clipped English accent and stiff upper lip. She was surprised how her mind worked when it wasn’t busy or under strict supervision — a bit like her behavior. She imagined Giles Ryon explaining to fellow clipped English lawyers at a clipped garden party what his partner did for a living. He wouldn’t have to worry about that now; Nari was dead.

  ‘Please call me Milly. What can I do for you, Giles?’

  ‘I don’t really know, Milly. I thought I’d come and meet you. Nari spoke very fondly of you.’

  ‘Yes, well, I was fond of her too. I can’t believe she’s gone.’

  ‘I can’t either. I guess the reason I’m here is I’m wondering what Nari told you. If you don’t wish to discuss it, that’s fine; just tell me, and I won’t waste any more of your time.’

  ‘No, I’ve got no problem with that Giles. What do you want to know?’ Milly’s mind started wandering again. She imagined the reaction of some people if they had talked to Giles over the phone without meeting him. Some would have been quite shocked when they did; he looked very Korean but sounded very Prince Charles.

  ‘She informed me she told you of a man from her past by the surname Crawford or Kerford,’ said Giles as the lawyer in him wondered if she was going to give him her full attention.

  ‘Nari did mention him. She said he was someone from her past, from last year.’ Then Milly went on and told him of her discussions with Nari concerning Kerford. Giles indicated that their conversation around Crawford ran along similar lines.

  ‘I’m afraid Crawford was also very much in her present as well as her past.’

  ‘Nari indicated she was finished with Kerford, but I guess she only told me what she wanted me to know. She was telling me more as we went along. Trust is like money, Giles … hard to earn and easily spent. What makes you think she was still involved with Kerford?’

  ‘There were phone calls. Unbeknown to her, I checked her phone last week, and she was receiving calls, mostly missed calls, from this David Crawford; at least that’s the name that came up when it rang.’

  ‘Have you told the police anything?’

  ‘Yes, in between trying to convince them I had nothing to do with Nari’s murder.’

  ‘How long were you two seeing each other?’

  ‘Two months …’ he answered. Even his approximates sounded precise, thought Milly, ‘and two days today,’ Giles added.

  ‘Exactly,’ she said by mistake; she didn’t mean to.

  ‘Sorry, Milly?’

  ‘I’m sorry, Giles, my mind is far away. I’ve had a difficult few days. What sort of law do you practice?’ She was hoping he’d say criminal law, so she could get him on side for some free advice.

  ‘Company law.’

  ‘Okay, Giles, I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to get going, I’ve got another appointment.’ She sensed he was getting settled.

  ‘There is something else. I believe that this Crawford or Kerford or whatever name he goes by was involved in more than Nari was letting on. I believe he makes and distributes child porn.’

  Just then Rosie knocked on the office door.

  ‘You alright, Milly?’

  ‘Yes, Rosie, I’ll be with you directly.’

  ‘I suggest, Giles, we keep this conversation between ourselves. If the police don’t ask, don’t tell them that we’ve talked this afternoon. I’m heading to Scotland Friday and will be back late Monday afternoon. I should know more then. The more you tell them, the more it will complicate things. I’m considering a few issues, and I haven’t told police everything from my side yet either.’ There I go again, thought Milly, establishing something in common with someone I don’t know.

  ‘Mom’s the word, Dr. McTaggart. Hopefully, I’ll talk with you again in the next eight or so days.’

  He could have been an accountant too, she thought. ‘Yes, Giles, talk with you soon.’

  I don’t like him, thought Milly as she watched him walk out her office door. He’s too much like that other clipped lawyer, Mason the ponce.

  The following day was busy again. Ten minutes before she was due to meet with her first client, her phone rang.

  ‘Hi, Milly, it’s Cosmo Slayer.’

  ‘Bloody hell. How are you, mate?’ she asked as she walked into one of the interview rooms and kicked the door shut behind her.

  ‘I’m great, Milly.’

  ‘How’s Jazzy?’ />
  ‘Jasmine’s good too. This is a quick call, I’ve only got a couple of minutes.’

  ‘I was wondering if it was you when Greg Stopford mentioned the name Cosmo. There wouldn’t be too many Cosmos about,’ said Milly ignoring him.

  ‘No, Milly, one’s enough. Look, I’m just wondering how we’re going to manage this. I haven’t told D.I. Stopford about our relationship.’

  ‘Why would you? There’s nothing to tell. You’re not investigating me. I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’ve changed my ways since the last time I saw you and Jazzy … it would have been that all-nighter in Twickenham, out near the stadium.’

  ‘Dear oh dear, what a night that was.’

  ‘Huge,’ she agreed. ‘As I said, I’ve changed my ways, no drugs or sex for well over six months now. I would have ended up dead somewhere the way I was going. I miss it, though ...’

  ‘Yes, Milly,’ interrupted Cosmo. ‘Well, Jasmine’s pregnant, and we’ve moved on from there, and we were never into drugs, so it’s changed for us a bit too … not as much as you, though. You were heading for a fall.’

  ‘Still living in Twickenham?’

  ‘Yes … look, at the risk of being rude, how do you want to play this … with D.I. Stopford, I mean?’

  ‘Totally cool. Play it totally cool, Cosmo. The only information anyone will get will be information you give them. I will be utterly discreet. Nothing will ever come from me.’

  ‘That’s great. I knew I could count on you.’

  ‘Sure. See you soon,’ said Milly grinning to herself, remembering fun times. ‘I have to go; my next appointment is knocking on the door.’ It had to be him being a detective. There wouldn’t be too many detectives answering to Cosmo, thought Milly, as she opened her office door.

  There he stood, a snotty nose kid, escorted by Mandy, with an inferiority complex and a father who thought he was Watford’s version of John Rambo. ‘Just a minute, Craig, we’ll move around to one of the interview rooms,’ she said as she led him into interview room three. Talk about getting jerked back to reality; this job is really starting to piss me off, she thought, as Craig sat down and gave a long, drawn-out sniff. ‘Let’s both blow our noses,’ said Milly as she sniffed in keeping with the something in common theme. Then she retrieved a handkerchief from her bag, and they both blew their noses together, lest Craig sniff his way through the whole consultation.