The Other Killer

by Noelle Holten

  ‘No ulterior motive then?’ His lip curved into a smile.

  Maggie stared out the window at the rain-beaten streets.

  ‘So, you and Kate … there is something there then?’

  Maggie blushed and wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. She had been caught out by her brother, and perhaps she should just stop trying to hide it. Andy had always known about her sexuality, but as they had never really been close due to his gambling, it wasn’t something she openly talked about with him.

  She sighed. ‘OK. I do like her and if circumstances were different, maybe it would work out. But they’re not. And that’s all there is to it.’

  ‘Wow. In all sincerity, I’m really pleased you have finally felt comfortable enough to open up to me. You do know that I don’t care about all that stuff – lesbian, bisexual, whatever. I just want you to be happy.’

  Maggie reached over and squeezed her brother’s hand. ‘Thanks, Andy. It does feel better to be able to be more open about it with you. You know what I’m like. I just don’t feel like I should have to explain myself to anyone. There are so many different views on being bisexual. It really does my head in. What’s so difficult to understand? I’m attracted to a person – not their gender – but who they are. Do you know what I mean?’

  ‘I hear you. Some people can be very black and white. You don’t have to worry about me though, ever, OK?’ He caught her eye for a second.

  ‘Thanks. I think I’ve always known that about you. If only Mum and Dad were as understanding …’

  Maggie noticed her brother’s shoulders tighten. ‘Well I’m not sure if that will happen anytime soon, but miracles are a thing, right?’ He tried to laugh it off. ‘Have you spoken to them again? Any idea about when they are coming?’

  ‘The one time I did bring it up in casual conversation, Dad’s face got so red, I thought I could actually see the smoke coming out of his ears. He ranted on about how it’s just not right and all the other homophobic comments you could think of … I’ve told them to hold off on their trip for the time being. With this case hanging over me, I really don’t want any more pressure.’

  ‘You know Dad doesn’t mean it; it’s just how he was brought up. Probably for the best to delay the visit – they won’t want to spend all their time with me.’ There was a sadness in his voice.

  The conversation had turned a bit morose. She wanted to lighten the mood. ‘Turn left here by the way.’

  He indicated left.

  ‘Fourth building on the right. I can just jump out here though, might be easier for you to turn around then.’ Maggie turned to her brother and looked him in the eye. ‘Thanks. Don’t worry either …’

  ‘Don’t worry?’

  ‘Yeah, I’ll keep my hands off your girlfriends, even if they realize I’m the better looking one.’ She grinned.

  ‘Out you get.’ He smiled. ‘I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?’

  ‘I should be home normal time unless something major happens in the case. Have a good night.’

  ‘You too.’

  Maggie walked over to Kate’s building and pushed the buzzer. She tipped her head back and smiled. Speaking with Andy about her feelings for Kate lifted a huge weight off her shoulder.

  She let out a deep, satisfying sigh.

  Kate let her in and was waiting by her front door.

  Her hair was in disarray, her eyes ringed by dark shadows. ‘I thought I was okay after we hung up the phone,’ Kate said. ‘But I’ve been jumping at every little sound.’

  Maggie stepped into the room and laughed. ‘You have to admit, with the lights out and just the candles on, it’s a little eerie in here, don’t you think?’

  She was pleased to see the hint of a smile on Kate’s face. ‘I guess you’re right. I just felt so exposed with the bright lights on and was worried I might get a migraine. The candles are easier on the eyes.’

  ‘So, has anything else happened other than the letters and packages? Can I have a look in the box?’ Maggie pushed the curtain aside and looked out the front window.

  ‘No. Thank God! I don’t scare easy, but this has really set me off. The box is over by the door. I’ll get us a glass of wine and you can fill me in on your chat with Mr Raven.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Maggie walked over and, using a pen, she lifted the lid. She put a hand to her mouth and forced herself not to retch. ‘What the hell is wrong with people?’ She examined the two rings and took out her phone to take some photos. Something about the carefully laid out array of objects made her stomach crawl. Once she was done, she closed the lid and went into the kitchen. ‘Can I give you a hand with anything?’ She didn’t want to alarm Kate, but the box had made her feel uneasy. All Maggie could hope for was that the culprit had made a mistake and left some forensic evidence.

  ‘Don’t worry about it, you’re my guest. Though if you’re up before me in the morning you’ll have to make your own cuppa.’

  ‘I’m good with that. I’m a bit of a night owl, so I hope I don’t keep you awake.’

  ‘I sleep like a log. I’ll be fine.’ Kate turned away and Maggie caught a flicker of worry on her face.

  Kate passed Maggie a large glass of wine. ‘I definitely needed this. Cheers.’

  ‘So, what happened with Raven?’ Kate sat down on the couch and crossed her legs. Maggie joined her.

  ‘Well surprise, surprise! Raven was going out of his way to get under my skin. He was as arrogant as ever.’ Maggie talked her through the interview and outlined Raven’s responses to her questions. She described the way he had mentioned her brother, talked her through his mannerisms and body language.

  ‘Interesting.’ Kate stared out the window for a long moment.

  ‘Why do you say that?’ Maggie leaned closer.

  ‘He’s taunting you, getting a thrill out of your reactions. He must have found out about your brother and he knows it’s your weak point. He can sense it like a shark senses blood. He knows how badly you wanted him convicted and how unhappy you are at his appeal. Has there been a press conference yet about the latest developments?’

  ‘Our DI is doing one soon. Making another appeal for those from two years ago to come forward again. We’ve had a load of hoax calls, but the guv still hopes we’ll get something useful. There was even some talk about Crimestoppers.’

  Kate tugged her ear and the only sound was the rain beating against the glass.

  ‘I do think there would be some value in Crimestoppers, as it might draw the killer out in the open. This killer is taunting the police, almost challenging them at every opportunity. It fits the profile we were talking about. Have you managed to get hold of Raven’s full psych reports, rather than the bits of information we’ve already looked at?’

  ‘Not yet. It’s going to be difficult, especially while the court case is going on. Maybe Probation has that information. They’d need it as part of their risk assessment of him, I’d imagine. I’ll contact the local office and see if they can share it. If that fails, I can see if Sarah or even Lucy can help.’

  ‘OK, what else was said?’ Kate shifted in her seat.

  ‘He confirmed that his brother had visited a few times, which is odd considering they hadn’t seen each other since childhood. As far as we were aware, there was no love lost in that relationship.’

  ‘Why do you think his brother visited? Other than his word, what makes you so sure it was his brother?’

  Maggie paused and took a sip of her wine. She hadn’t thought of that. ‘Raven said he was probably hoping for some form of monetary compensation. Maybe sell the story to the papers. We’re asking for the CCTV and checking PNC.’

  ‘Let’s come back to the brother another time. I’m guessing you asked about how he knew the victims’ names?’

  ‘Apparently they were just random people he met through the drug scene. People who often went missing for periods of time. He thought they’d appreciate him claiming they were dead, because it would give them a “free ticket” to a new life. If
that’s true, why would the killer go out of their way to find these women and target them?’ They fell silent for a moment. ‘He’s pure evil, Kate.’ Maggie caught her eye. ‘I know it’s a cliché, but you can see it in his eyes.’ Maggie’s hands shook as she finished her wine.

  ‘You may have to let that go at some point. Let’s say that the killer chose their victims after Raven was convicted. We’d also have to presume that the killer knew the victims in some way – wouldn’t we? It’s possible that the reason the bodies are only showing up now is because it had taken that long to track down the three women, as they had actually gone underground to avoid debts, start over, whatever the reason. Hang on a sec.’ Kate got up. She stretched and left the room. When she returned she had a large, white sheet of glossy paper and some markers. She stuck the paper on the wall.

  ‘So, everything you have racing around in that head of yours, spit it out and I’ll write it down here.’ Kate tapped the paper.

  Maggie smiled. Had she been at home, it would have been exactly what she would have done. ‘And this is why we’re friends. After this, you’ll have to tell me where you got that as I usually use notebooks, but I need that in my life.’

  The women worked until 2 a.m. and probably had one too many glasses of wine. When everything had been listed, both stared at the sheet on the wall and Maggie was exasperated as none of it seemed to make any sense. Hopefully once the wine wore off and she looked at it with a fresh pair of eyes it would.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE

  Veronica

  She felt so weak. Her face was sore. She didn’t want to live anymore. Today she wouldn’t fight or struggle. The tape over her ears and eyes made her blind and deaf to her surroundings. Soon someone would be down to change it. She shivered. She lived in constant fear for the moment when her captor would suddenly grab her arms. Listening to the silence her thoughts drifted.

  A noise? Rough hands took her and she gasped. The person squeezed her arm tightly and the cot shook as something heavy hit the floor.

  Her muffled screams always seemed to excite her captor and they would laugh manically, so she kept silent now, hoping for the drugs she knew would take her to a better place. She had accepted her fate long ago.

  The hands released her and she thought for a moment that they might have left her again. Might have forgotten to give her a hit. She didn’t want to move, in case this was all part of their sick game. Then she felt a sticky hand on her arm again and she shuddered with fear but also with relief. She might still be given what she needed. When she felt a sharp prick in her arm she gasped her thanks and heaven soon hugged her.

  Her captor was undoing the restraints on her arms and legs, but she no longer cared. She just lay there like a dead weight as she was dragged off the bed and dropped on the floor. A sheet of something crinkly and cold underneath her. It reminded her of wet days wrapped in her waterproof jacket. Her mind drifted as she felt cold steel against her skin.

  And then she heard the voice.

  First four.

  Then three.

  And now there would be one …

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR

  Maggie woke with a pain in her back and a sore head. One from the couch she had slept on, the other from the copious amounts of wine she had drunk. She decided that after dropping by Markston Police Station with Kate, she would head home for a quick nap before starting her shift. She stared at the paper on the wall, willing a pattern to emerge that would lead them to their killer. Her head swam and she closed her eyes. It might be a good idea to bring that into work and see if her colleagues had anything to add.

  She tiptoed into the kitchen and flicked the kettle on, expecting the smell of coffee to lure Kate out from her room. Maggie found two cups and waited. She didn’t want to snoop but desperately needed ibuprofen. She usually had some in her bag but failing that she would have a quick look in Kate’s bathroom. Running her fingers through her hair like a comb, she pulled it back into a loose ponytail and cheered quietly to herself as she found some tablets in her bag to ease both the back and head pains that were consuming her. Kate shuffled into the room.

  ‘Morning. I’ve made some coffee, if you’d like a cup?’ Maggie held up a mug.

  ‘You’ve read my mind. I’ll need two strong cups before I go, it’s the only way I can function.’

  ‘Sleep well?’ Maggie blushed and hoped Kate hadn’t noticed as she averted her eyes away from the T-shirt that Kate wore for PJs.

  ‘I did, thanks. My big furball cat, Salem, kept me company.’ Kate stretched her arms.

  Maggie forced a smile. She hadn’t told Kate that Scrappy was missing and didn’t really want to get into a conversation about it.

  ‘I hope the couch was OK? And by the way, I’m not much of a morning person so don’t take offence if I just get on with things before we go.’

  Maggie breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I’m good with you doing your own thing. How about we say an hour and then we set off?’

  After showering, Maggie took the notes off the wall. ‘Do you mind if I take these into work with me? See if a fresh pair of eyes can pick up something we didn’t?’

  ‘Not a problem. Thanks for staying last night. I’m feeling a little foolish but also much better about things today. Once I get rid of that lot, that is.’ Kate pointed at the box and bag by the door.

  ‘I’m sure it’s nothing, but it’s worth reporting.’ In reality, Maggie was concerned and promised herself to keep closer tabs on Kate from now on.

  Her mobile phone rang, and she noticed Kate jump.

  ‘Hello?’ Maggie ran a hand through her hair. ‘Nathan? What is it?’ Her face went pale and she swallowed.

  ‘Maggie?’ Kate stepped forward to take her arm.

  Maggie’s knees buckled, and Kate caught her as she fell. The phone dropped to the floor and they could hear Nathan’s tinny voice shouting up to them:

  ‘Maggie, did you hear me? There’s been another murder.’

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  After leaving Kate at Markston and making sure that the details were logged, Maggie didn’t have time to go back to her flat. The crime scene was already being attended to, so Nathan arranged to pick her up from Markston Police Station. They’d head to the scene together.

  If this victim was Zoe Bridle, then Maggie still might be able to link Bill Raven to these current murders. However, the more she thought about it, the more she felt as if she was in a never-ending cycle of the same evidence. The evidence that had already been used to strengthen Raven’s appeal.

  ‘How much longer before we get there?’ Maggie looked at her watch. She didn’t tell Nathan about her light-headedness as he’d put her on desk duties.

  ‘According to the GPS, another twenty minutes. There doesn’t seem to be much out here, so our killer definitely has a vehicle.’ He pointed at the rolling hills and forest outside the window. ‘This place is miles from anywhere.’

  ‘Unless the killer just jumped on a bus or train carrying a bag of body parts.’

  Maggie took in her surroundings. The gravel road could use some maintenance; every pothole jarred her. If she squinted her eyes, houses could be seen in the far distance so they weren’t as isolated as Nathan thought. She noticed a pile of rubbish in the ditch. Fly-tipping was not uncommon on these country lanes.

  ‘No need for the sarcasm.’ They fell silent for a moment, before Nathan continued. ‘Why haven’t we more on ANPR then? Have we become too focused on Raven again that we’re ignoring other pieces of evidence?’

  Maggie rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache coming on and tried to keep her frustration in check. It wasn’t her colleague she was annoyed with; it was everything about this case. ‘We haven’t got a vehicle to mark yet, as far as I am aware. Though if we get Bethany to go through the list again, we can put markers on anyone acting suspiciously and track them.’

  ‘Aren’t we already doing that?’ Nathan focused on driving, but she noticed his knuckles turn white on the
wheel.

  ‘I’d assume so.’

  ‘Hang on to that thought. We’re here.’

  ‘Bet you thought you’d be sitting behind a desk while us lowly officers did all the hard work,’ Maggie said as they left the car. The shortage of staff and lack of resources meant that although Nathan now had the DS title, he’d still be working in a DC capacity.

  ‘Yeah. That’s about right.’ He strolled off ahead.

  Maggie looked around the area. It was a woodland on the outskirts of Stafford known as Burley Woods. The path at her feet was littered with leaves and weeds as it led her into the darkness of the forest. The earth and the decomposing leaves smelt like the bottom of a cave. Maggie shivered.

  Similar to the previous crime scene, it was remote enough for the killer not to be disturbed, but not so remote that the dismembered body parts wouldn’t be found. Maggie could see her breath as she walked quickly to keep the chill off.

  Maggie looked around for the first response officers and for a moment she felt suddenly alone. No one was in sight. She turned around and peered through the undergrowth, trying to spot any movement. Her shoulders tensed as she caught a flash of colour off to the left. She tried to control her breathing and resisted the urge to shout for Nathan, who was still nowhere to be seen. It was probably nothing, just a bird or a fox. Walking fast and trying not to look behind her, she continued in the direction she thought Nathan had gone.

  After a few minutes, she emerged into a clearing and spotted the comforting high-viz of a police uniform up ahead. She smoothed her hair down and told herself to stay calm, then headed towards the officer.

  She signed in as if nothing had happened. ‘Can you tell me what you have so far?’ She handed his pen back.

  The young officer was tall and pale. He looked nervous, as if this was one of his first assignments and he was trying to make a good impression. ‘One arm and a leg, that’s all.’

  ‘How much of the area has been searched?’

  ‘Um.’ He looked around. ‘Everywhere that’s been cordoned off, I think. There are people still out there though, so there may well be more to find.’ He looked at the floor.