The Other Killer

by Noelle Holten

  Maggie rubbed her forehead and imagined two women tied up somewhere, locked away for years, without anyone even looking for them. A chill ran down her spine.

  Someone coughed and they turned to see DI Rutherford standing in the doorway. She glanced between them and swallowed. ‘They’re saying it was a false confession. That the police coerced it out of him, taking advantage of his mental illness and drug-induced psychosis.’ Rutherford paused, perhaps thinking that Maggie might interrupt, but she held back. ‘Mr Raven has agreed to speak to us in prison, to try and help us piece together what happened. To explain his reasoning and how he knew the name of the first victim. Before we start jumping to any conclusions, let’s wait to hear what he has to say, OK Maggie?’

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ Her jaw tightened. She’d almost forgotten DI Rutherford’s ability to get under her skin.

  Maggie needed to settle back into her team and her DI’s way of working after having been seconded for nearly a year to the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit. She had forged some meaningful friendships at the DAHU and was really impressed with the multi-agency approach. It was her intention to use this model, as much as her DI would allow, within this team. It just took one thing to blow a case open and Maggie didn’t want to mess up just because the police were sometimes too precious to ask for assistance from other agencies.

  The current detective sergeant of her team was on long-term sick leave and had yet to be replaced. DI Rutherford hinted that she was hoping Maggie would apply for the Acting Up position, but it just wasn’t going to happen. She enjoyed the operational side of her job, being in the thick of things and using her brain to piece the puzzle together. Ridiculous targets, politics and a lack of resources within the force would frustrate the hell out of her. She had encouraged her partner, Nathan Wright, to go for the post, but he seemed to be of the same frame of mind as her, or so she had thought.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Maggie laughed to herself as Nathan Wright tried to sneak past DI Rutherford unsuccessfully.

  ‘I’ll see you all in fifteen minutes for today’s briefing,’ DI Rutherford commented before returning to her office.

  Maggie couldn’t be one hundred per cent sure, but a strange look seemed to pass between them.

  ‘What was that about?’ Maggie poked him on the arm. Nathan seemed unable to make eye contact with her. He wasn’t the best at hiding his feelings and usually Maggie could read him like a book. She watched as he shifted nervously from foot to foot.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ He walked towards his office.

  ‘Stop-right-there. Look at me. Can you please tell me what the hell is going on?’ Maggie didn’t like to be caught off-guard and paranoia coursed through her veins.

  Nathan fumbled his words and started pulling at his right index finger. ‘Uh. I don’t think I’m allowed to say anything just yet, but the guv will tell you … I mean all of us, in the briefing.’

  Her eyes squinted, and she stared at him. ‘You’d better tell me now. I don’t need any more surprises today … have they got a new DS? Is that it? Shit – not Cooper? I hate that misogynistic bastard—’

  ‘OK. OK. Stop stressing. I’ll tell you on the condition that you act surprised, and maybe a little bit pleased, when the announcement is made. We are getting an Acting DS but it’s not Cooper … it’s … me.’ He looked down at the floor, and guilt flooded over her.

  ‘Oh my god, Nathan, great news! Why didn’t you say? I thought we were closer than that. Thank God, it’s not Cooper!’ Maggie felt a rush of relief, tinged with shock.

  ‘So, you’re not pissed off?’ He studied her face, as if he was trying to find a smidge of anger.

  ‘Why the hell would I be pissed off?’

  ‘Well, even though we both took the sergeant’s exam, we sort of had this unspoken pact that neither of us would go for it.’

  ‘I was a little taken aback, but it’ll be a great experience for you and I couldn’t wish for a better boss – I mean, who else will let me get away with slightly longer lunch hours?’ She grinned and waited for Nathan to catch on to the joke.

  ‘Don’t say that! I’ll be taking this very seriously and can’t afford to give people any special favours.’

  She burst out laughing. ‘I’d never do that; I think you’ll make a great DS – but I’m curious, what made you change your mind?’

  Nathan explained to Maggie about how his wife wanted to start a family. He believed that not only would the DS opportunity afford him a more comfortable lifestyle, he would also be in a more stable position that would put his wife’s mind at rest. Although Maggie wasn’t wholly convinced, his mouth said one thing but his eyes another, she would support his decision because that’s what friends did.

  ‘Well let me be the first to … secretly … congratulate you. I’m dead chuffed and will do whatever I can to back you up, OK?’

  ‘Thanks. That means a lot. You know how much I look up to you.’

  ‘That’s only because you’re a foot shorter than me …’ And with that, any tension between the pair had been broken. Maggie knew she might struggle a bit to think of Nathan, one of the few people who really understood her, as her superior.

  ‘So, am I calling you boss now? Or would you prefer guv? Or how about your excellence?’ Maggie exaggerated a curtsey before him.

  ‘Let’s just leave things as they were. Nathan is fine, you cheeky cow.’

  ‘Oi, sir! You can get yourself in trouble for saying things like that.’ She laughed as she watched her partner squirm. Nathan looked around the room to make sure no one had overheard their conversation.

  ‘Be careful, or I’ll make sure your next duty is one that will wipe that smile clean off your face …’

  ‘Now THAT is better. Spoken like a true DS. Right then, are you ready to head to this briefing?’

  He took a deep breath. ‘Ready as I’ll ever be …’

  Maggie walked down the corridor to the incident room and found a seat at the back. She was curious as to how the rest of her colleagues would react to the news, but she also wanted to sit far enough away from DI Rutherford to avoid giving the game away. This was Nathan’s moment and she didn’t want anything to spoil it.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Maggie squeezed into the incident room and took a seat next to Bethany. With the evidence boards set up and the additional chairs, there was barely enough space to stretch your legs.

  DI Rutherford walked to the board at the front of the room with a concentrated frown and began describing the most recent findings. ‘Good afternoon. I appreciate it’s really cramped in here, we normally don’t have this many people, so I’ll try not to keep you longer than necessary. I just want to recap, especially for the benefit of the field team joining us today. A little over three weeks ago, a member of the public was pulling her bin to the kerb for collection when she noticed it was particularly heavy. She thought the neighbour had dumped extra items inside. But when she tore open one of the bags, she was horrified to find dismembered body parts. These were the remains of a female, now identified as Lorraine Rugman.’

  ‘What made her decide to actually open the bags, ma’am?’ Maggie hadn’t been part of the crime scene investigation and her curiosity was getting the best of her.

  ‘The witness said there was an odd odour as soon as she lifted the bin lid. She believed she might find something inside that could help identify whoever had dumped the bag.’

  ‘Were there any other witnesses?’ One of the field officers called out.

  ‘An older gentleman across the road claims a security light came on across the road in the early hours of the morning and he saw someone poking about the bins. He couldn’t give a full description, as he wasn’t wearing his glasses. It wasn’t until the next morning when he heard his neighbour scream that he knew he possibly saw the killer.’

  ‘Other than what we have already been given, has any new information come in that we can share with the fiel
d officers, ma’am?’ Maggie was churning the information through her head at a mile a minute.

  ‘We were waiting for pathology to confirm the weapon, but it looks like some sort of saw was used to dismember the body. We haven’t found any other body parts relating to the victim, and at the moment, we’re treating this separately from the original Chopper Investigation.’

  The pathology department had been slow to deliver the information to the team due to a number of staff shortages. Dr Blake was involved in interviewing agency staff to fill the gaps while they waited for the relevant checks to be undertaken.

  ‘How do we know for definite that Raven wasn’t responsible or at least involved in this murder? Could the body parts have been frozen and then later disposed of by someone working with him?’ Maggie finished speaking, and the DI sighed wearily.

  ‘I don’t have to remind you, but I think I will anyway, DC Jamieson. In fact – all of you listen up. Bill Raven’s appeal is based on those body parts turning up and it’s looking very likely that he may be released. But just in case you haven’t digested everything you’ve already been told, here is the pathologist’s report which came in this morning.’ She waved a folder in the air and the crowd of officers took a collective breath. She continued speaking. ‘The pathologist confirmed the limb and torso were not frozen. Lorraine Rugman had been missing, presumed dead, for over two years and the time of death, estimated at between two days and two weeks prior to them being found, proves that Raven was behind bars when the murder was committed. As for whether or not he could be involved in some way – well that’s what we’re here to investigate, isn’t it?’

  Maggie folded her arms and sank down in her chair. Her mouth felt suddenly dry. ‘Is it possible that Lorraine was … that the other women Bill Raven named … have been kept alive for nearly three years?’

  ‘If that’s true, we don’t have much time. Field officers will carry out house-to-house enquiries that focus on the recent murder of Lorraine Rugman, but I’ll also need someone to go through the previous case, which had linked all three women, to see if we missed anything; specifically, I want to investigate if there’s a link between the previous case and the murder of Lorraine Rugman. We need to use the media and appeal for anyone to come forward. Oh. There’s one more thing I’d like to share with you all. Nathan has been appointed as Acting DS, so I’d appreciate if you all treat him as such. Everyone know what they need to do, or do I have to hold your hands?’

  The whole room nodded like a sea of bobbleheads and clapped for Nathan’s promotion. A few shot curious glances Maggie’s way, but she just smiled and clapped along with them.

  Maggie shifted in her seat as her colleagues dispersed. Staring at the board before her, she reviewed all the information again and stored it for a time that she could sit and digest it on her own. Although she had been over the details a million times, since returning to the team, she was convinced that there was something they were failing to see. She just needed to find it first.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  On leaving the incident room, Maggie stopped in the toilets to wash her face. She needed to focus on the press conference. The cool water felt invigorating. She used a paper towel to dab her face dry. Why did I agree to this?

  Maggie’s stomach fluttered with nerves. Although confident in most situations, Raven’s solicitor had recently been using her as a scapegoat with the media at every opportunity presented. It made her question her decisions and wonder whether she had actually convicted the wrong person. She stared at herself in the mirror. Dark circles had found a home under her eyes, and she ran her fingers through her hair before stepping out into the corridor.

  Nathan spotted her from the end of the corridor and walked over. ‘You ready?’ He squeezed her shoulder. ‘You’re as white as a ghost. Don’t let nerves get to you – the COMMS Officer and I will be doing most of the talking.’

  ‘Perfect. DI Rutherford has thrown me under the bus.’ Maggie knew she was paying the price for revisiting The Chopper Investigation without permission. If she wasn’t more careful, Maggie could be pulled off the case for good.

  She accompanied Nathan down to the lower-level conference room. It was already filling with people and Maggie could feel their eyes on her as she followed Nathan to the front. Maggie sat down and crossed her legs. Despite the size of the room, it felt claustrophobic. She was hyperaware of her surroundings. The air hung heavy with the salty smell of sweat mixed with overpowering perfume. She loosened the collar of her blouse and tried to keep her breathing at a normal pace.

  Nathan called the conference to order. ‘Thank you all for coming. My name is DS Nathan Wright and to my left is my colleague, DC Maggie Jamieson and our Communications Officer. We all have busy lives, so shall we just begin? I’d like to read a brief statement and then I’ll open up questions to the floor.’ He waited while the last-minute stragglers sat, and a silence fell over the room.

  Maggie heard the click click click of cameras and blinked as their lights flashed. She looked around the room and her head began to spin. Taking a big gulp of water and a few deep breaths, she waited for Nathan to begin.

  ‘You’ll all be aware that the partial remains recently found on the Blackwood Housing Estate belong to Ms Lorraine Rugman. Previously, we had reason to believe that Ms Rugman was murdered by Bill Raven. Mr Raven had confessed to the crime in late 2016. The pathologist’s report now confirms …’ He paused and looked around the room. ‘That Mr Raven couldn’t have physically been involved in this crime, as the pathologist estimates that the victim had been killed within at least a two-week time frame of the discovery of her remains.’

  The journalists let out a collective gasp and glanced at each other in anticipation. Before Nathan could continue, a young journalist jumped in with a question.

  ‘DS Wright, can you tell us if you are working with Mr Raven’s solicitor to support his appeal and explain what you mean by, he was not physically involved? Do you believe that he has some involvement in the recent murder?’ He looked from Maggie to Nathan with a smirk.

  ‘I’m afraid I am not at liberty to discuss Mr Raven’s appeal or answer anything relating to Mr Raven specifically.’ Nathan glanced around the room and pointed at a black-haired female journalist who seemed as if she was about ready to jump out of her chair.

  ‘Can you tell us whether you have any suspects at this time?’ Her eyes were wide with excitement. Maggie guessed she must be new to the job.

  ‘We have a few people who we are keen to speak to. We’d actually like to appeal to members of the public to come forward and think back, not only over the last few months, but to 2016. Anyone with information, please contact us, even if you think it’s unimportant.’ The same journalist had an evil glint in her eye as she lined up another question.

  ‘One more from you before we move on and give someone else an opportunity.’ Nathan frowned.

  ‘This question is for DC Jamieson.’ The room turned to face Maggie. ‘How does it feel to put an innocent man behind bars?’

  Maggie opened her mouth to answer, she had been prepared for this, but she couldn’t get the words out. Nathan reached across, touched her arm and interrupted.

  ‘Which part of we’re not discussing Bill Raven’s case did you not understand? I’m sure our COMMS Officer will be more than happy to shut down this press conference now. Is that what you want?’ Nathan nodded at the COMMS Officer.

  The female reporter was not satisfied. ‘DC Jamieson, do you think you should keep your job if you let the real killer walk free while—’

  ‘That’s it. Enough.’ Nathan stood as the COMMS Officer terminated the conference. ‘You can all thank your colleague over there for the abrupt end to this press conference. Thank you to those who respectfully followed my instructions. Any other questions can be answered through our Communications Team.’

  Maggie got up and waited for Nathan to go ahead. She maintained eye contact with the journalist who seemed hellbent on showing her
up in front of everyone. The woman eventually looked away, and Maggie left the room with her head held high. As soon as they reached the stairway, out of the sight of the journalists, Maggie leant against the wall and bent over, ashen faced.

  ‘Are you OK? Do you want some water?’ Nathan sounded concerned.

  ‘Sorry. I just feel a bit faint. That reporter really had it in for me, didn’t she? Fuck sake …’

  ‘Don’t let her get to you. We both knew that you would be used as the fall guy … or gal.’ He winked. ‘Well, I wasn’t about to let that happen. You do know that this isn’t your fault, right?’

  She took a deep breath. ‘I know. But it doesn’t make it any easier.’

  Especially since I am not sure it’s true. Did I put an innocent man behind bars?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Maggie collected her thoughts before she had to re-interview some of Lorraine Rugman’s associates. All three of the women had been interviewed in 2016 following Raven’s confession and subsequent conviction, but the team agreed it was worth going over old ground to ensure nothing was missed the first time around.

  The first two women had little to offer. Both had admitted to knowing Lorraine but hadn’t seen her for a few years, even before Raven’s confession. One had become stroppy during the interview saying she was ‘sick of repeating’ herself and ‘shouldn’t the police stop hassling women and start looking for the arsehole who is killing them’. She had a point.

  The only new bit of information they added was the fact that Lorraine had been using just prior to her going missing, as both women often bumped into her when they were scoring heroin. She was also seen a few times on the corner of Green Avenue and Clacton Road, a known area for prostitution in Stafford. Neither could give a specific time frame, but believed it was before Raven had been convicted.