The Other Killer

by Noelle Holten

  Maggie was still feeling the effects of the alcohol she had drunk over the weekend and had to drag herself back to her desk after speaking with Bethany.

  Maggie contacted Lucy and asked for details on a reliable social care contact. The call was quick, and Lucy suggested she speak with Claire Knight about whether Raven’s records were accessible.

  ‘Good morning. Could I speak to Claire Knight please?’ Maggie listened to some cheesy music as the administrator put her through to Claire.

  ‘Hello, Claire Knight speaking. How can I help you?’

  ‘Hi Claire. My name is DC Maggie Jamieson and—’

  ‘Oh hi. You were at the Domestic Abuse Forum on Friday, weren’t you? Did you used to work with Lucy Sherwood?’

  ‘That’s me. In fact, Lucy is the one who gave me your number. Sorry we didn’t get to speak at the forum, but we have a difficult case going on at the minute.’

  ‘The one that’s been all over the news, with that guy appealing his conviction?’

  ‘That’s why I’m calling …’

  ‘Ask away. I’ll do what I can to help.’

  ‘What background knowledge of Bill Raven do you have?’

  ‘Gimme two secs to pull the information up on my computer. We probably have a lot more in archives though if he was in the system for some time … ah, found him. Looks like his grandmother was a registered foster carer, but only for a few years.’

  ‘Is that normal?’

  ‘It can be, but from what is noted here, there were allegations that your guy bullied some of the children in her care.’ Claire paused. ‘There are not a lot of details about that here though, other than to say that the grandmother had been advised not to foster any further children and I guess she took that advice.’

  ‘Hmmm. Interesting. From what we know, his grandmother was very defensive when it came to Raven. Maybe she knew what he was really like and decided that it was best to let sleeping dogs lie.’

  ‘You could be right. Can you interview her and find out more?’

  ‘Unfortunately, no. She died before Raven went into prison, but we could ask her neighbours. Maybe some of them can shed more light on the happenings back then or the other kids he bullied. Can I get their names?’

  ‘Sorry. No can do. Data protection and all that.’

  ‘Even though we’re in the middle of a murder investigation? Is there nothing you can do?’

  ‘Hands are tied here. Wish I could help but if you’re talking to the neighbours …’

  Maggie would ask Nathan about seeing if Bethany could try to locate the other foster kids who Raven allegedly bullied.

  ‘OK. Thanks for your help.’

  The conversation between the two agencies lasted all of twenty minutes and, in the end, Maggie had learned that it might take some time to get the records, but from what Claire did have access to, it seemed that Raven had spent a brief spell in care before his grandmother took him in permanently; those records were archived and it would take time before Claire could access them, if she could get them at all.

  Maggie was also keen to learn a bit more about Adrian Harrison, Raven’s mysterious flatmate – his current location was unknown, and he had been dismissed as a person of interest in the original case. There had been no evidence to suggest he was in the flat at the time and this was corroborated by Raven himself. Adrian had been known to stay out for days, using and supplying at drug parties, and Sasha confirmed he was with her on the night in question. Bethany was still looking into him. And then of course, there was the man-in-black … and Steven, the witness … Could any of these be Raven’s partner in crime?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Maggie sat in the office and thought about their ongoing search for Adrian Harrison. Witnesses in the original case files had also mentioned a female, presumably Sasha, who the police originally thought had been Harrison’s girlfriend.

  From what they knew so far, Adrian was more of a follower and also a loner; no one ever heard of him having a girlfriend, so why did she give him an alibi? The only females around him were those he was selling drugs to. When she was interviewed after Lorraine’s remains were discovered, Sasha had admitted that Harrison was like a leech, stuck to her everywhere she went. Maybe she just felt sorry for him.

  As she twirled a pen through her fingers, Maggie could see DI Rutherford pacing in her office. Another meeting had been arranged to speak to the press, though the team had limited information to share with the public.

  Nathan approached her desk and smiled. ‘Are you going to the press conference?’

  ‘I definitely want to, but after the last one, I don’t want my alleged incompetence to be questioned again. Anyway, DI Rutherford made it clear that I’m to keep in the shadows if I do attend.’

  ‘I think we always knew that the papers would target you. I guess they still don’t understand that all we do is charge and arrest, the CPS are the ones who make the decision to take a case to court …’

  ‘Yeah, I know. It doesn’t really bother me anymore,’ Maggie lied. ‘I probably will go, are you going to be there?’

  ‘Would you like me to hold your hand?’

  She smacked his leg.

  She was pleased that despite his promotion, they could still share a joke.

  Maggie rolled her eyes. ‘Are you going?’

  ‘Yeah. Gimme a shout when you’re ready.’

  The press conference was on the ground floor. It was not a particularly sizable room, but it had those large, stand-up room dividers that Maggie could hide behind while still being able to hear what was happening.

  Maggie looked over her notes from the last press conference and pulled up some of the articles on her computer. The various local newspapers tore her to shreds with headlines like ‘Police Officer Jails Innocent Man’ and her personal favourite: ‘Stafford Police Officer Dismembers the Justice System’. It was no wonder that DI Rutherford had decided to take charge. Looking up from her desk, Maggie noticed the DI in a very animated phone conversation. She waved a bundle of papers in her free hand, her face strained.

  DI Rutherford slammed the phone down. Maggie had to stop herself from rushing into her office to find out what was happening.

  She got up from her desk and stretched her legs. Her backside was numb from sitting in front of her computer for long periods without a break and she wanted a coffee. Grabbing the travel mug off her desk, she debated whether to ask if anyone else wanted one, then made her way to the tiny kitchenette. Her memory for drink orders was poor and she wasn’t in the mood to listen to any complaints about her strong tea or mud-like coffee. Maggie never understood people who drank their tea so weak it looked like dishwater. As the kettle boiled, she stared out the window at the overcast sky and felt relieved that she had brought her umbrella that morning. The weather was a testament to her mood lately – dull and dreary. The door whooshed in the corridor and she poked her head around to see what was happening. DI Rutherford stomped her way towards the stairs, probably heading down to meet with the COMMS Officer before the press conference.

  Maggie decided she would follow and rushed to make herself a strong cup of coffee, screwing the lid tight so that it didn’t spill. She stopped when she heard her name being called.

  ‘Maggie! Are you forgetting something?’ Nathan jogged over and fell into step beside her.

  ‘Bit early, aren’t you?’ Nathan glanced at his watch.

  Maggie was silent for a moment. ‘DI Rutherford just raced downstairs, so maybe some new information has come to light. I was planning on eavesdropping behind the room dividers while the guv spoke to the COMMS dept.’ She laughed but it sounded forced. ‘You’re not going to grass on me, are you?’

  ‘Let’s go and see what’s happening. We may have to wait outside though.’

  Maggie smiled and hoped that wouldn’t be the case. The pair made their way down the two flights of stairs. The temperature on the ground floor dropped and Maggie saw the goose bumps forming on her arms. They
moved swiftly along the corridor towards the conference room, past the reception area full of journalists, a few of whom she recognized.

  They stopped and Maggie peered through the small glass window on the door of the room. Her DI was deep in conversation with DCI Hastings and the COMMS Officer, no doubt planning what could and couldn’t be said.

  Maggie carefully pushed open the door and indicated to Nathan, who followed quietly behind. They made it to their designated spot behind the room dividers unnoticed. Maggie strained her neck to listen but couldn’t make out DI Rutherford’s low conversation with the DCI.

  She checked the clock on the wall. As if on cue, the press shuffled into the room and began to set up. A few of them paced up and down like lions at feeding time. Maggie didn’t envy her boss and only hoped that DCI Hastings would hide his real personality for the half hour conference and back up his team.

  Nathan elbowed her ribs.

  ‘Ow. What did you do that for?’ she whispered.

  ‘Isn’t that Raven’s solicitor?’ Maggie followed Nathan’s finger and sure enough, the slimy bastard who made it his business to discredit Maggie at every opportunity, was standing at the back of the room with a tape recorder.

  Maggie’s throat went dry. ‘How the hell was he allowed in?’ She watched as the DCI went over. Instead of asking him to leave, DCI Hastings shook his hand and smiled, as if the two were old friends. A large vein on Maggie’s neck began to throb.

  Nathan glowered at them, clearly furious for being left out of the loop.

  DI Rutherford tapped the microphone and the room fell silent. She started the conference and almost immediately questions began pouring in from the journalists.

  ‘Are the police any closer to identifying a suspect?’ one reporter asked.

  ‘We have identified a few persons of interest, but I can’t say more than that at the moment.’

  ‘So, you won’t be making the same mistake as last time?’ It was that arrogant female reporter from the previous press conference. Maggie tensed, but Nathan leaned closer and whispered, ‘Take it easy.’

  Taking deep breaths, Maggie waited for DI Rutherford to respond.

  ‘Do I have to remind you that Mr Raven is still behind bars? I’ll not repeat myself and I won’t apologize for my team. There was a confession, evidence and detailed information presented to the Crown Prosecution Service. The decision was made to proceed to trial based on that. I’ll not say anymore and if that is all you are here for, we’ll not be liaising directly with the press in the future. Does anyone else have any questions about the current investigation?’

  Maggie breathed a sigh of relief.

  ‘DC Jamieson has been sighted on a few occasions visiting Mr Raven in custody. Isn’t that inappropriate given the pending appeal? Or is there something else going on?’ The reporter looked at Raven’s solicitor and nodded.

  Maggie’s eyes widened. What the hell? Although there was nothing untoward happening, the meetings with Raven were confidential and weren’t meant to be public knowledge. What was clear was the fact that the police were really no closer to arresting anyone and the press would soon pick that up. Now they were grasping at straws and it was at Maggie’s expense.

  ‘I’m not sure where you are getting your information from but since you’ve put it out there, the police are talking to Raven at his insistence, not just DC Jamieson.’ DI Rutherford glared at Raven’s solicitor while she continued. ‘So any rumours you are about to spread can be put on hold unless it is your intention to upset the victims’ families and report false information?’

  The room fell silent and Maggie rubbed her neck.

  ‘I thought so.’ She gathered her notes. ‘On that note, I’d like to thank most of you for your time and trust we’ve put that matter to rest. In future, you might be wise to check your sources before you ask a question.’

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  After the press conference, DI Rutherford called the team together in the open-plan office area. The room held four desks comfortably but had enough space for a few more should the team expand in the future. Nathan pulled up a chair next to Maggie.

  DI Rutherford nodded at Maggie, returning her smile. Maggie mouthed ‘thank you’ and her shoulders relaxed.

  ‘Afternoon everyone. Some of you will be aware of the press conference that was just held. I won’t bore you with the details, but needless to say, once again we didn’t come out in the best light.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Bethany can update you on the case. I need a moment to collect my thoughts.’

  Maggie was a little surprised that Rutherford didn’t ask her or Nathan to do that, but there was always a method to her boss’s madness.

  Bethany stood and faced the room. Her face paled as she started to speak. ‘Well I’ve checked the CCTV and identified three white transit vans we might want to look at further.’ She stammered on nervously. ‘According to the date and time stamps on the video footage, all three were in the areas of each of the body dump sites around the time we are concerned with, but so far I’ve only identified two of the owners. I think the third used false plates.’ She took a deep breath. ‘That’s all. I’ve emailed the details to Nathan.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Rutherford smiled at Bethany. ‘Nathan, let me know when the van owners have been spoken to.’ Nathan nodded. ‘Right then,’ Rutherford continued, ‘I’ll go and update DCI Hastings on this new development. Keep me posted, folks.’

  There was a low murmur in the room as everyone went back to work. Maggie turned on her computer and stared at the floor while she waited for it to load up. She didn’t notice Nathan standing in front of her until he cleared his throat.

  ‘What’s bugging you?’ He stared at her intently.

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘You were just staring at the floor like you were looking into an abyss. Either you have something churning in that head of yours and you’re not sure what to make of it, or—’

  ‘Or what?’ She raised an eyebrow.

  ‘Or something else is going on outside the office.’

  Maggie laughed and shrugged her shoulders. ‘Well, you can wipe that smirk off your face. I’ve been thinking about the white vans that Bethany mentioned. Has anyone checked out whether or not Adrian Harrison had a white van registered in his name?’

  Nathan frowned at her for a moment.

  ‘Look, I think we’d be foolish to ignore Raven’s associates, just because we fear any repercussions. Like Rutherford said, Raven is still inside. You need to trust me. There are too many unanswered questions. If I can rule him out, I will. Plus who’s to say that the man-in-black from the Blackwood Estate doesn’t own a white van. He could have parked out of the sight of the CCTV cameras. Oh and another thing, why the hell was DCI Hastings so chummy with Raven’s solicitor?’

  ‘First, don’t get yourself wound up over Hastings. I’m pretty sure Raven’s solicitor is friendly with the superintendent. Hastings will just be playing the game but I’ll see what I can find out from the guv. As for you, I’m just concerned. I don’t want to see you going down the same slippery slope again, OK? You have to promise me that if things are becoming too much, you’ll let me know. OK?’

  ‘Why? So, you can take me off the case?’

  ‘Not at all. But I don’t want you to go off sick with stress either. And if I think things are getting on top of you, I will step in. I didn’t want to mention anything earlier, but …’

  ‘But what?’

  ‘Have you looked in the mirror lately? You’re so pale you look like you should be in hospital and that shirt your wearing, it looks two sizes too big.’

  She looked down at her top. ‘I’m fine. I promise. This is a baggy top, that’s all. I’m packing up, heading home and putting the case to rest for the evening.’ She didn’t meet his eye.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Kate had been a little surprised to receive the call from DI Rutherford. The DI had requested that Kate attend a briefing to discuss her knowledge of geograp
hical profiling with the murder team. Apparently, Rutherford had cleared it with DI Calleja on the basis that the domestic abuse unit attended and it was used as a multi-agency training session. Whatever the reason or logic, Kate was just happy to be able to have input and hoped that it would be useful to the teams.

  Stafford Police Station had a training room they could use, and Maggie had arranged to pick her up on the way to work. Kate was looking forward to seeing Kat, Mark and Pete in the same room with Maggie again. Lately Kate had been feeling on edge and nervous, particularly since the letter had arrived. Although she knew it was probably just a prank, she couldn’t help thinking about it whenever she was at home alone in the evening. Being with the old gang might help her forget about it.

  A car beeped outside and Kate looked out the window at Maggie waving from the vehicle. She quickly checked that the windows were locked, closed the curtains and left the house.

  ‘Morning. Bit chilly today.’ Kate zipped up her jacket when she opened the car door and jumped inside.

  ‘I almost put my thermals on, then remembered this all-day training session – I’d probably melt.’

  Kate laughed as she placed her bag on the floor in front of her. ‘Are you looking forward to being reunited with the domestic abuse team?’

  ‘Can’t wait! It’s just a shame that Lucy and the other agencies weren’t included.’

  ‘Agreed! But if I give you all enough information, you can pass it on. Train the trainer is what they call it. Just a cheap way to get the information out really. Perhaps you’ll be doing events like this in the future.’ Kate smiled to herself, and Maggie raised an eyebrow.

  The rest of the scenic drive into Stafford was spent catching up on each other’s lives. Kate managed to forget all about the creepy letter, and Maggie had basically been spending any free time trying to connect the dots on the recent murders.

  Once at the police station, Maggie helped Kate get set up in the conference room.

  ‘Thanks, Maggie. I thought I would email the presentation afterwards to everyone.’