As she closed her curtains, she thought she saw a flash of movement across the street, but told herself it was just a trick of her imagination.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
When Maggie woke the next morning, she jumped in the shower, still feeling groggy. The water splashing against her face did the trick. After drying herself, she pulled on a pair of jeans, a white T-shirt and a green hoodie. She bounced down the stairs and hadn’t expected to be greeted by her brother in the kitchen.
‘You’re up early, do you want a cup?’ Maggie put the kettle on and grabbed the cannister filled with instant coffee.
‘Haven’t been to bed yet. Poured myself one, thanks.’ He pointed to his mug.
‘Thanks for printing off all the flyers about Scrappy. Did you get many up around the neighbourhood?’
‘I put a few up – you’ll see them about. You might want to pop into a few shops and see if they will put them in the windows.’
‘I’ll do that when I go out. I’m going over to Kate’s for lunch later and then we’re going to go through the cases.’
‘Sounds like … fun. Kate’s that one you’re always jabbering on about, isn’t she?’
‘Always jabbering on about? What do you mean? I’ve hardly mentioned her.’ Maggie tried to think back to what exactly she had told her brother.
‘Calm down. I only meant that you’ve mentioned her a few times. Wasn’t she new to the team?’
‘Oh, yeah – right. She’s been in Staffordshire about a year now. Kate has great insight into the criminal mind.’
‘Oooh. Is there anything else I need to know about you two?’
‘What do you mean? Kate and I are just friends.’ Maggie glared at her brother.
Andy raised his hands and changed the subject quickly. ‘That’s cool. If you leave some of those flyers, I’ll put some more around, but it’s nearly been a week. Have you called the RSPCA or anything?’
‘Not yet. Instead of doing the flyers, can you ring around the local vets and RSPCA – see if they know anything. Scrappy is chipped, so they should call me if they find him.’
‘No harm in checking. I’ll do that, then I am off to B&Q to get some bits – I thought I’d replace that shower of yours today and then go out with some guys from work for a few beers.’
‘You’re a diamond, Andy. Do you need any money?’ Maggie headed into the living room for her wallet.
‘Nah. I get a discount, and I still owe you, so you can knock that off my bill.’
‘Deal. I’ll just get these flyers up and then I’m heading over to Kate’s. I’ll leave the car for you and grab a taxi home.’
‘Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He winked at Maggie.
‘I’ll be home later this evening, Andy.’
‘You might be, but I might get lucky.’
She laughed as she shrugged her coat on and headed out.
Maggie walked into town, putting up her flyers in shops that would let her and taping them on poles in places she thought people might stop to look. She had no idea what had happened to Scrappy, it was unusual for him to stay away this long. Taking a tissue out of her pocket, she tried not to think about anything bad happening to him and wiped her eyes.
She caught the train to Markston and walked the half hour to Kate’s house. She could have caught a bus, but it was a nice day and she didn’t want to be crammed in with a bunch of people for the sake of knocking ten minutes off her journey. Her stomach was doing flips the closer she got. Get a grip, Maggie – focus on the work.
Popping into the corner shop, she grabbed a bottle of wine, so as not to arrive empty-handed. It might also calm her rising anxiety.
Snap out of it, Maggie. Pull up your big girl pants and quit acting like a muppet.
The buzzer for Kate’s flat was difficult to find so Maggie texted her, letting her know she was outside her building.
Kate opened the door and greeted her with a big smile ‘Sorry. I should have said, mine is the top left for future reference.’ She pointed at the letter K on the buzzer.
‘Some detective I am.’ Maggie held out the bottle of wine and Kate thanked her, gesturing to her to follow through the entry way and into her flat.
‘So here we are. Make yourself comfortable. I hope you like chicken …’
Maggie breathed in deeply. ‘Wow. That smells delicious.’ Taking off her shoes, Maggie sat in the large chair opposite the couch and placed her work bag down beside her.
From the kitchen, she heard Kate call, ‘Would you like a coffee, or shall we be rebels and crack open the wine now – you didn’t drive, did you?’
‘I took the train, so let’s be rebels.’
‘This is why we’re friends.’ Kate laughed as she handed Maggie a glass of wine. ‘Cheers.’
The pair chatted for a while about the domestic abuse unit, and Kate hinted that Mark and Lucy seemed to be getting close, but Lucy was reluctant to be anything more than a friend to Mark for the time being.
Maggie looked over at Kate. ‘Lucy will want to get the SAFE haven up and running. She’s still doing some agency work for Probation.’
Kate nodded. ‘Yes. I think she still wants to keep her hand in that side of work.’
‘I’m just pleased that everything is working out for her. I need to give her a call and meet up again.’
Kate stood and excused herself. Maggie took the time to look around. Like Kate herself, there was a mysterious feel to the place. Candles, dark walls and a beautiful fireplace – the mantle looked like it was hand-carved – with a gargoyle resting on a large pillar at each end. Very Kate! She spied a black envelope etched in gold on the side table with the words: ‘You’re just as beautiful’ peeking from the corner. So, she is seeing someone.
‘Do you want to make your way over to the table, I’ll dish up lunch.’ Kate called.
‘Do you need a hand with anything? I feel bad having you do all the work.’ Maggie waited at the table for Kate to answer before sitting down.
‘Sure, it’s not a bother. You’re my guest – now have a seat. Should I just bring out the wine?’
‘That sounds good.’ Maggie was already feeling the soothing effects of the alcohol. She’d have to watch how much she drank as she didn’t want to make an arse out of herself.
The food was delicious and Maggie quickly demolished everything in sight. ‘Wow. That was impressive. I wish I’d worn my leggings now.’ She laughed.
‘Well if you’re uncomfortable in your jeans, you can take them off—’
Maggie nearly choked on her wine.
‘And borrow a pair of my leggings. Are you OK? You’ve gone all red in the face.’ Kate’s eyes widened.
‘Sorry. The wine went down the wrong tube. Would you mind if I grabbed a glass of water?’
‘You go into the living room and relax. I’ll bring it in to you.’ Kate topped up Maggie’s wine then fetched the water.
Maggie returned to the big chair and opened her bag. ‘Will I get the papers out and we can go through what we have so far?’
Kate placed a jug of iced water on the coffee table and two glasses. From under her arm, she pulled out another bottle of wine. ‘Well, we can’t just drink water, it’s Saturday and you’re not on call!’
‘I like the way you think. Oh, I meant to say thanks for your notes. I spoke to my DI last night when I got home, and she was impressed. She wondered if you’d be interested in assisting – it would be a non-paying consultancy role, though, as we have no resources or funding at the moment.’
‘I’d be more than happy to help out in my free time. Do you think there’d be any potential for a more permanent role in your department in the future?’
‘I think if your contribution to this case helps us catch this bastard, my boss would be pursuing some funding from the PCC. She already hinted at it after I shared your thoughts with her.’
‘Excellent. Right then, show me what you have.’
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The tabl
e had been littered with notes by the time Maggie and Kate had finished last night. At eleven o’clock, Maggie had gathered her things together and called a taxi. There was something slightly off with Kate; she seemed quieter than usual. Maggie shrugged. Maybe she had something going on at work. She’d check with her the next time they spoke.
Andy wasn’t home when she got in, which was just as well. After seeing the black card on Kate’s side table, Maggie figured that pursuing anything with Kate would now be a lost cause. But today was not the time to dwell on those things; they had a killer to catch.
Maggie still hadn’t been able to speak to Lorraine Rugman’s sister. One of her neighbours had said the family were away on holiday, so she left a card asking them to get in contact on their return.
Meanwhile, Nathan had suggested they go back to the area where Lorraine’s dismembered remains had been found to re-question the witnesses. Her head was banging; she popped two ibuprofen before following Nathan to the pool car.
‘Do you think they’ll give us anything valuable?’ She raised her brows.
‘Hard to tell, but we’ll pursue all leads. We’ll have to, with everyone looking over our shoulder.’
Maggie hoped that wasn’t a dig at her. Nathan usually didn’t make vague statements, but with his promotion, he would be looking at things from a different angle. She scratched her head. Their first stop was to re-interview the witness who found Lorraine’s remains at the Blackwood Housing Estate.
The woman answered the door in her dressing gown, matching slippers and a big smile on her face. ‘Oh hello, officers. Get yourselves in here.’ She looked up and down the street then shut the door behind them and shot the bolt across. Maggie and Nathan managed to get their warrant cards out before she carried on. ‘I was hoping you’d be back. I noticed a strange man hanging around not long after I found those body parts. I’ve called out to him a few times, but he just ran off. Do you think it was the killer? I’ve seen on TV that they often come back to the scene of the crime.’ Looking around the room, Maggie spotted Real Crime Magazines on the table right next to an overflowing ashtray. The wallpaper had yellowed and was frayed in the corners.
Maggie was scribbling down the information and interrupted before the woman had a chance to carry on. ‘What makes you think it was a stranger and not someone from the area?’
‘Well he was just hanging about. Walking up and down the street, looking around like he was scoping out the area, his hood pulled up. Really shifty, you know. I didn’t get a clear look at his face, but I’m pretty sure I would’ve recognized him if he lived around here.’
‘Can you describe him to us. From what you saw?’ Maggie leaned forward and raised her pen to her lip.
‘I’ve only seen him around when it’s dark. Sort of stocky, baseball cap, dressed in black. Quite a fast walker, like he was in a rush to get somewhere.’
‘Did you notice if he came to the alley near your bin?’ Nathan interjected.
‘Funny you should say that, he stopped outside my alley and looked across the road at the neighbour’s house, the big one over there.’ She pointed out the window. ‘But he rushed off when I shouted out to him. Is this some nut job? I mean, should I be worried? Do you think he’ll come after me?’
‘Take a deep breath. We don’t think that’ll happen, but we’d advise you not to approach this man and make sure your doors and windows are—’
‘Then why do you think he was hanging around?’
‘We understand why you are apprehensive. What you’ve been through recently has been quite traumatic. I’ll leave you my card but if you do see this person again, call 999 or ring me.’
The woman exhaled. ‘Thank you. Is that it? Or would you like a coffee?’
‘No, we’re fine. We’ll be going now. If we do have any further questions, we’ll be in touch. Thank you for your time.’
As they walked away, Nathan leaned into Maggie and whispered, ‘What did you make of that?’
‘I think she genuinely believes she saw something even if her description of the guy was pretty vague. Let’s talk to a few more people and see if they can corroborate what she says.’
They walked across the road to the tall house owned by the man who thought he had seen the killer. As they reached his door, Maggie noticed the curtain twitch and she tapped Nathan and pointed. ‘Do you think he makes a hobby out of spying on his neighbours?’
Nathan grinned. Before Maggie had the chance to knock, the door opened.
‘Oh, hello. I’m DC Jamieson and this is DS Wright.’ They held out their warrant cards and the man bent over and examined them closely.
‘I’m Steven.’ He welcomed them in and led them through to his living room. ‘Has there been a development in the case?’ he asked as they took seats on the manky old sofas. The room was large but littered with old newspapers and boxes. There was a wedding photo on the wall; the man looked about thirty years younger, black hair instead of the silver top he was now sporting. Maggie guessed his wife must be deceased as the room didn’t seem to have a feminine touch. The laptop on the table was open and Maggie caught a glimpse of news articles relating to The Chopper case.
Maggie looked at Nathan and grinned. Another one who fancied themselves a detective. ‘No, sir. We just want to go over what you told our colleagues.’
‘Well, I can’t really tell you any more than what I’ve already said. Without my glasses, I didn’t get a good look at him. Weeks have passed and my memory isn’t what it used to be.’ He tapped the side of his head.
‘Has there been anything unusual in the area since then?’ Maggie queried.
‘Well, yes actually.’ He leaned forward conspiratorially and pushed his glasses up his nose. I’ve been chatting to a few of the neighbours and apparently …’ the man paused and drew in a breath, ‘there’s been some guy hanging about.’ He removed his glasses and crossed his arms.
‘And have you seen this person yourself?’ Maggie’s eyes widened.
‘Well, no. Can’t say that I have, but I’ve been keeping a closer eye on the neighbourhood, making sure I have my glasses with me.’ He tugged the chain around his neck where his glasses hung.
There was a loud thump in the other room and Nathan nearly jumped out of the chair he was in. ‘What the heck was that?’
‘Oh sorry. Probably just a box falling over.’ The man shifted his eyes between Nathan and Maggie. ‘I’ve been having a clear out, hence the mess in here and, knowing me, I didn’t pile them up too securely.’ His lip twitched.
‘OK. Would you like any help with those boxes? We can give you a hand,’ Nathan offered.
‘No. No need for that. I wouldn’t want to waste your time. You have more important things to do.’
There was a long pause as the man stared out of his window at the street. It was overcast, the threat of rain looming in the distance. Eventually he sighed. ‘Well, if that’s it, officers, I have an appointment I need to be getting to.’ He looked at his watch.
Maggie took her card out of her pocket and handed it to the man. ‘If you think of anything else, there’s a number here you can call.’
He took the card out of her hand with another smile and led them both to the door. Before they could even say thank you, the door was shut, and Maggie thought she heard the chain lock being secured.
‘Definitely something strange about that guy.’ Nathan looked up at the house.
‘I’ll ask Bethany to do a check on him when we’re in the office. No harm in being thorough.’
‘Sounds good. Now let’s finish up here and head back to the station.’
Maggie and Nathan canvassed the rest of the neighbours and only one other person had confirmed seeing the man-in-black. Looks like they may have a person of interest to pursue, but with so little information, their job wasn’t going to be easy.
CHAPTER THIRTY
When they arrived at the office, Nathan went to update DI Rutherford on the latest information. A short while later, the pair
returned and the DI asked Maggie about her conversation with Dr Moloney.
Maggie took a seat at her desk and turned to face Rutherford. She brought the DI up to speed on her conversation with Dr Moloney and mentioned the need to look into the victims’ backgrounds, as well as geographical profiling. ‘We should have Dr Moloney in for some of our briefings, too, especially now we may have a suspect. Did Nathan tell you about Steven?’ DI Rutherford nodded. ‘Something just didn’t sit right after we spoke to him. I think we need to run some checks. He did confirm that there has been a suspicious man hanging around the area. Other than saying he was dressed in black though, we don’t have much else to go on.’
DI Rutherford crossed her arms. ‘I agree about Dr Moloney attending some briefings, Maggie, but you know we don’t have a budget for anything more than that.’
‘I mentioned that and Dr Moloney said she’d be happy to do it in her own time.’
‘Sounds like we have a lot to take on board. Bethany, can you pin down exactly where the body parts were found? See if there are any common features, like the roads used and their vicinity to specific areas. Also, let’s get a background check on the witness, Steven was it? Can you put that together for Nathan as soon as possible?’
‘On it, guv.’ Bethany turned back to her computer and focused on her tasks.
‘Nathan and Maggie – go through all the persons of interest from the original case and this one. Do any of them fit the profile or match the man-in-black? Contact social care, check their backgrounds. Find out who was visiting Raven in prison and when he was at the secure hospital. Maybe they were feeding him information, though that’s not a priority. Contact Dr Moloney, see how soon she can come in and go through this all in more detail, particularly the geographical profiling. Perhaps she can work with Bethany on that.’
The team dispersed and would be busy with the list of tasks. Maggie watched DI Rutherford rub her temples and could empathize. For every step forward they took, they seemed to take two steps back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The Other Killer Page 8
