The Other Killer

by Noelle Holten

  The room was quiet; she almost didn’t want to interrupt her team. They were in the midst of putting all their findings on the police system and filling in the necessary paperwork. She cleared her throat. ‘Can I have everyone’s attention for a moment, please?’ Chairs turned in her direction. ‘I’ve had the report back from pathology.’ She could see the gleam of excitement in their eyes and it nearly broke her to have to carry on. ‘I’m afraid it’s not the news we’ve been expecting.’

  ‘What do you mean, ma’am?’ Nathan spoke the words that others couldn’t.

  ‘Well, it’s now been officially confirmed. Adrian Harrison was murdered and then hung to make it look like suicide. It also seems Mr Raven had fed us bogus information about the freight cargo bins – there is no J-man. I’ll send around the full details of the report, so you can all read the specifics for yourself, but that means the investigation is still open.’ The room erupted in a wave of curses. ‘OK. OK. Quiet down. We can’t let our emotions get the best of us. We still have a killer out there who wanted us to believe that Adrian Harrison was our man. Now that we know that’s not the case, we need to trace his last movements, talk to his neighbours and find out who else has been inside that flat.’

  Bethany interrupted. ‘I’ll start interrogating the CCTV of the surrounding area, ma’am. Track down people and dig up anything else that may be relevant.’

  ‘Excellent. Report any findings to Nathan. Maggie, will you go out with a few of the field officers? You know this case inside out. DCI Hastings is going to want a complete update as of yesterday, so can we get this done as soon as? We need to be one hundred per cent sure we have everything.’

  ‘On it, ma’am. What about Sasha Thompson? Do we have anything yet?’ Maggie waited for further instruction.

  DI Rutherford looked around the room. ‘Bethany is working on locating Sasha after that phone call. She has to be our prime suspect after what Kate said and now that everyone else is falling off the list. Bethany will let you know when she has a location or some information to follow up on. Nathan, I want you to work with the COMMS Officer and release a brief update to the press. Do not link anything to the other murder cases and don’t answer any questions. Am I clear?’

  ‘Crystal. I’ll read over this report and then draft something.’

  ‘I’ll be placating Hastings and any of the other senior officers who’ll want more of an explanation than we have here. Everyone knows what they need to be doing.’ There was a resounding yes from the room and DI Rutherford thanked them all for their time. She knew that they’d just had their bubble burst and she wasn’t looking forward to the bollocking from the DCI that awaited her.

  Returning to her office, she sat down and rubbed her temples. She could feel a migraine setting in and had to fight it off. Her team needed her, and she wasn’t about to drop the ball by giving in.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

  Maggie couldn’t hide her feelings about Adrian’s death or the news about the J-man and the cargo bin. She kicked the side of her desk and then instantly regretted it as a sharp pain travelled from her big toe, right up to her hip. Damn. Her desk had more than enough dents in it now after this case.

  She shut down her computer and began to gather what she’d need before she headed downstairs to grab a few of the field officers and go over to Adrian Harrison’s property. It might give her a better picture of the situation.

  ‘Can you let Nathan know I’m off now.’ She waved to Bethany as she left the office.

  Maggie took the stairs two by two and nearly tripped over when she reached the bottom.

  She stood for a moment and straightened her shirt before opening the door that led to the main floor field team office. She scoured the room to see who might be free and immediately spotted PC Jeff Oakes and a PCSO she didn’t recognize. She knew PC Oakes from before she joined the murder team and he always had a keen eye for detail. She hoped he would be free.

  ‘Jeff!’ She waved. ‘Any chance you and another body are free to accompany me to a crime scene? I need to interview some of the tenants and have a look around the flat again.’

  ‘Hey!’ He had a warm smile and appeared genuinely pleased to see her. ‘Sure. Let me just finish up here and Brian can join us too.’ Maggie acknowledged the PCSO and thanked Jeff. Looking out the window she ran through the information they had so far in her head.

  ‘All set. Are we taking the pool car?’ Jeff signalled to the PSCO to follow.

  ‘If there is one, that’d be great.’

  ‘Not a problem, Brian can sign it out and meet us out back.’

  Maggie nodded and accompanied Jeff to the back parking lot.

  Just under a half hour later and they had arrived at the scene. The area was rundown and in need of some attention, if the local council could ever be bothered. The residents wouldn’t be happy to see more police presence in the area. This was a high crime area, mainly because most of the people placed here were on Probation, just released from prison or involved in some sort of criminal activity. Maggie caught a few people staring at them from the windows and nudged Jeff. ‘Do you want to start on the third floor and I’ll take Harrison’s floor? Brian can speak to residents on the first floor. Just remember to write down anything and everything, even if it seems insignificant. I know I don’t need to say that, but my gut tells me there is something here that we have missed, and I don’t want to be caught out at a later time.’

  Both men nodded, and Maggie led the way into the building. The floor was sticky. Her shoes squished underfoot. Maggie jogged up the stairwell to the second floor and as she made her way to the entry door, she noticed drug paraphernalia in the corner on the landing. She shook her head and took extra care. Her first port of call would be Adrian’s flat.

  Entering his flat, there was a pungent odour that burned her nostrils. The smell of death coupled with garbage and putrid water, if she had to guess. The room before her was a mess. She took out the blue protective gloves she had stuffed in her pocket before leaving the station. If she did happen upon anything missed, she didn’t want it to be compromised.

  The flat consisted of three small rooms and a bathroom – the living area, the kitchen and a double bedroom. The floor creaked as Maggie made her way to the bedroom. Clothes covered the manky carpet and other than a mattress on the floor and a broken wardrobe, there wasn’t much to be seen. She prised the wardrobe door open and found nothing but more dirty clothes. Next stop was the bathroom. When she looked in the mirrored cabinet hung loosely on the wall, there were a few empty prescription pill bottles which she suspected were stolen, given none of the names matched Adrian’s. Next she went into the kitchen. Opening the drawers, she found some cutlery, some take-out menus and a junk drawer filled with screws, old needles and other knick-knacks. She left that final drawer as it was; she didn’t want to risk getting jabbed with a dirty needle. Those should have been disposed of when the property was searched.

  In the living room, her eye was drawn to a wooden coffee table that had two drawers, and although the fingerprint dust confirmed it had already been checked, she wouldn’t feel right until she looked over it herself. It looked like Adrian had a lot of unpaid bills. Leafing through each one, she noted a few had stuck together. When she carefully prised them apart, she found what looked like a mobile number written down, although at first glance it just looked like a random grouping of numbers. Easily missed. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile phone to take a picture. She’d ask Bethany to find out who the number belonged to when she got back to the station. She placed the envelope in an evidence bag, sealing it and placing it in her bag. Chain of evidence is important; she wouldn’t risk anything being thrown out on a technicality. Maggie straightened up, hands on hips and looked around the room.

  In her head, she pictured Adrian and the killer sitting on the couch before her. Maybe having a conversation; she was confident that he knew his killer. She wondered if he had willingly taken the heroin without re
alizing the strength or if it had been forced into him. The pathologist may be able to tell from the puncture wound. She made a note to ask Dr Blake when she returned to the office. If Adrian had been under the influence, his head probably hung over the back of the couch. The killer could then come up behind him and strangle him before tying the noose around his neck. She looked up at the beam that divided the living room from the kitchen area. Would it have been easy for the killer to throw the rope over the bar and pull Adrian up into the hanging position? With his small, thin frame, it probably wouldn’t have taken much effort.

  There was no chair nearby. Big mistake. The killer had not thought about this – they must have been in a rush. Looking at the floor, Maggie inspected the scratch marks from the couch. This is how the killer got Adrian in position. Pushing the couch with him still on it to just below the beam.

  Maggie had seen enough. She spent a further hour speaking to the residents on the second floor, but got nothing of interest. The killer underestimated the police if they thought this would be ruled a suicide. Or maybe the killer wanted them to know. Maybe the killer was leading them into a trap.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

  Maggie caught a lift back to the office with her colleagues. They stopped to get some treats first. She was gasping for a coffee and against her better judgement headed to the communal kitchen and made the rest of the team one too. She tried to balance the tray of drinks and make it back to the office before they all spilled out. This was the reason she never volunteered to make the hot drinks; more liquid ended up on the tray than was in the cup by the time she had arrived at the destination. But the team had been working flat out and she knew they would appreciate the gesture.

  ‘Hot drinks! I stopped by Greggs on the way back so there are some cakes too. Help yourselves.’ Within seconds she was surrounded by her colleagues who were grabbing at the cakes and drinks like vultures. She picked up her own mug, a blueberry muffin and headed back to her workspace. Placing the drink on a coaster, she stared at her screen. There was a flash of someone heading in her direction. Looking up, she saw DI Rutherford holding a piece of paper.

  ‘I just received this message. I think you’ll want to handle this. A witness has come forward about our appeals for anyone who may remember something from two years ago. It may be nothing, but I figured you’d want to deal with it personally.’ She dropped the number on Maggie’s desk and walked away before Maggie had the chance to respond.

  She opened the folded piece of paper and looked at the details. She didn’t recognize the name, but that didn’t mean anything. She typed the name in the system but found nothing.

  Maggie picked up the phone and dialled the number. She was just about to hang up after the fifth ring when a female answered.

  ‘Hello?’

  ‘Hi. Is this Ellen O’Mara?’

  ‘Uh – yes. Who’s this please?’

  ‘My name is DC Maggie Jamieson from the Major and Organised Crime Department. I understand you might have some information for us after seeing our appeal on the news. Is that right?’

  ‘Oh, hello.’ She sounded surprised. ‘I didn’t think anyone would get back to me so quickly and, to be honest, I’m not sure what I have will be of any use.’

  ‘Well, I’d be happy to meet with you and take down what information you do have. Do you have a day you are free? I can come to your house or you can come here, to the station?’

  ‘Oh, I’ll come to you. Please don’t come to my house. Just tell me a time and date, and I’ll be there.’

  ‘OK. How about tomorrow morning? Would 10 a.m. be good for you?’

  ‘That’s fine. I’ll see you then.’ Before Maggie had a chance to thank her, Ellen had hung up. She shrugged and recorded the appointment in her diary. They needed something solid in this case and she hoped that whatever Ellen had to tell her would be just the thing they were looking for.

  CHAPTER EIGHTY

  When Maggie arrived at the office the next morning she couldn’t keep still. The clock was ticking with Raven’s next court appearance in a week or two, and he could be granted bail pending further investigations. She couldn’t let that happen. She clenched her fists as she paced the office hall.

  ‘You need to calm down. Pacing and cursing to yourself isn’t going to help the situation,’ Nathan said. She knew he meant well, but she needed him to leave her alone.

  She ignored him and kept pacing.

  ‘Well you have an hour before Ellen O’Mara comes in. Grab a drink – I’ll have a coffee, and pop into my office. Let’s run through what you’ll be discussing.’

  Five minutes later, two coffees on the table in front of them, they both sat in Nathan’s office.

  ‘What do we know about this Ellen O’Mara?’ he asked.

  ‘Nothing at the moment. Preliminary checks in the system have drawn a blank. Ellen O’Mara is squeaky clean.’

  ‘Did she move in the same circles as the victims two years ago?’

  ‘I’d guess so. But I’m going into the interview blind. Christ, we need to end this. If another woman dies …’ Maggie smacked her fists on the desk.

  ‘Hey, we all feel the same. Let’s focus. Why do you think this witness was adamant about coming to the station, rather than meeting at her house?’

  ‘Maybe she’s trying to hide her past from someone?’ Maggie tapped her finger on Nathan’s desk but stopped when she saw the look of annoyance on his face. ‘Sorry.’

  He laughed. ‘It’s fine, really. Just haven’t slept much with the case hanging over us. I’m sure you’ve been the same.’

  Nathan’s internal phone rang. Miss O’Mara had arrived.

  Nathan hung up the phone and looked at Maggie. ‘You ready? She’s here and the enquiry desk says she seems a bit anxious, so it’s probably a good idea to get started.’

  Leaving her mug on his desk, she waved a thanks and picked up her notebook and a pen. She ran downstairs and checked which interview rooms were free before she collected the witness.

  Finding Interview Room Three was available, Maggie opened the door that led to the reception area and called out ‘Ellen O’Mara …’

  A small, thin woman in her forties stood and nodded at Maggie.

  ‘Would you like to come through, please?’ She led Ellen into the interview room and pointed at the seat across from her.

  ‘Hi, Miss O’Mara. I’m DC Maggie Jamieson. We spoke on the phone yesterday.’ She extended her hand and Ellen shook it. ‘Would you like a cup of water before we begin?’

  She nodded. Maggie filled two cups from the water cooler.

  ‘Do you mind if I record the conversation? I don’t want to get anything wrong.’ Miss O’Mara nodded again, and Maggie switched on the digital recording device. ‘You mentioned that you may have some information for us. Can I just ask why you came forward now?’

  ‘I’m not sure I can really tell you anything, but after seeing the police appeals on TV and knowing that those missing women have families who’ll want closure, well the guilt was eating away at me. If anyone else dies because I kept my mouth shut … well I couldn’t live with myself. I just thought I’d say what I could remember. Clear my conscious after all these years. I’ve left my past behind me. I’ve been clean for about sixteen months now and I suppose I just wanted to forget that time in my life. But I do remember a big warehouse party; I’m pretty sure that Yvonne and Lorraine were there. I don’t know if there are any others, but it is too much of a coincidence.’

  ‘Hang on. A warehouse party? When was this?’

  ‘Sorry, I can’t give you an exact date. I was using heavily back then. But it was about two years ago. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t long after that party that Bill Raven confessed to killing those women … one of them being me.’

  Maggie’s heart jumped in her chest. ‘Sorry? Did you say that Mr Raven confessed to killing you?’

  ‘Yes. Ellen O’Mara is my real name, but back when I was using, I was known as Zoe Bridle.’

&nb
sp; Holy shit!

  Maggie didn’t want to scare Ellen and she remained poised as she continued the line of questioning. ‘OK. Can you tell me about this party then?’

  ‘It was really strange. Free drugs, booze. People were having sex, probably for money but I don’t know that for sure. Taxis were paid for. Like I said, it was really strange. I remember chatting to Lorraine. I remember her saying that Adrian Harrison had organized the party. Either he or Bill Raven had come into some money. I can’t remember which one. I got off my face and then went home. A few days later the story about the murders broke.’

  ‘Can you remember anything else about the party?’

  ‘There was a woman there. I don’t know her name, but she was kind of … hmm, I’m not sure how to explain it. It was like she was watching people and making note of things. She didn’t stray far from Adrian or Bill the whole time. But she creeped the hell out of me.’

  ‘Can you describe her to me?’

  ‘Average height. She looked like she worked out though – short, dark hair. I guess you could say she was a stocky build. Not much make-up. Sorry, that probably doesn’t help much’

  ‘No. That’s great. Could she have been a … um … friend of Adrian Harrison?’

  ‘If she was, she didn’t pay him much attention. She mainly spoke with Bill. I don’t think she was drinking or partaking in any of the … erm, other activities either.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’