by M A Comley
There was no response.
“There’s nothing in here. We should search the other rooms, carefully,” Katy suggested.
“You’re right.” Lorne retraced her steps and opened the door to one of the other rooms they had passed. Inside was an old divan with a filthy mattress. Lorne shuddered. “That’s disgusting if that’s where he’s been sleeping.”
Katy shrugged. “I suppose it’s better than sleeping on a pavement somewhere.”
“That’s true. Let’s try this one.” Lorne opened the final door in the small hallway and entered the room.
Inside, all they could see was a metal filing cabinet lying on the floor. Carol’s words referring to a large metal object rushed into her mind. Lorne stepped closer to the cabinet. “Emma, are you in there?”
There was no response. Katy pointed at the piece of wood wedged into the door handles. Lorne removed the wood and tentatively opened one of the doors. Emma was inside. She was naked and had a crown of thorns on her head, blood dripping onto her terrified face. Lorne swiftly opened the other door and removed her coat.
“Emma. We’re police officers. You’re safe now… Emma?”
Emma opened one of her eyes. Relief flooded Lorne. Both she and Katy reached out a hand for Emma to grasp. Hesitantly, the teenager slipped her hands into theirs. “Nice and gently now. Are you hurt? Any broken limbs?”
Emma shook her head, wincing as the crown of thorns slipped a little. Lorne winced as droplets of blood trickled onto Emma’s cheek as she rose to her feet. Lorne wrapped her coat around the girl’s trembling torso.
“I’m safe? Have you caught him? He could come back.”
“You’re safe, love. Don’t worry. We’ve got him,” Lorne assured her, stretching the truth a little. “Stay still. I want to get this off your head.”
Emma closed her eyes, preparing herself for the pain she knew was imminent.
Lorne removed the crown, pricking her finger on one of the sharp thorns in the process. “Ouch, damn thing.” She tossed it aside, angry that anyone could subject another human being to wearing the infernal object and extracted a tissue from her jacket pocket to wipe away the blood seeping from numerous tiny holes across Emma’s forehead. “Katy, call an ambulance.”
Katy placed the call while Lorne helped Emma out of her cell. As the teenager stared at her metal coffin, her trembling intensified. Lorne wrapped her arms around the young woman. Memories of rescuing Charlie swiftly entered her mind. “You’re safe now. No one will ever hurt you again.”
“Are you sure? What if he comes back? He… he raped me.”
“He won’t, I promise. I’m truly sorry for what he put you through, love. He’ll get the justice he deserves. I can assure you. I’ll personally see to that.”
“The ambulance is on its way,” Katy said, ending her call.
“Take care of Emma for me. I have some calls to make.”
Katy nodded and threw a reassuring arm around Emma’s shoulders. Lorne walked to the side of the room and rang Tony. “We’ve got her. She’s safe and well.”
“Thank God for that. Emma’s safe, guys.” Tony relayed the information to Sean and Joe.
She heard Sean exhale a relieved sigh and say, “Lorne, will you ring Warren and Nerys for me?”
“I heard. Of course. I’ll ring them now. Get this bastard, Tony. Don’t let him get away. I want him to pay for what he’s put Emma through.”
“You have my guarantee that we’ll get him.”
“Take care.” Lorne ended the call and immediately rang the Lansburys’ number. “Hello, Warren. It’s Lorne Warner, and I have someone who is desperate to talk to you.” Lorne handed Emma the phone.
“Dad, Mum, I thought I’d never see you again.”
Katy and Lorne walked to the edge of the room, leaving Emma enough space to have the tearful reunion with her parents in private. Emma joined them a few moments later, tears of joy streaming from her eyes as they heard the siren of the ambulance getting closer.
“Let’s get you to the hospital, love.”
Emma smiled at Lorne and Katy. “Thank you for restoring my faith in human beings.”
Lorne rubbed the girl’s arm and rushed to the back door. Luckily, there was a key in the door. She ran around the front to welcome the paramedics. She explained the situation to the young man and woman and led them inside the property. They took five minutes to assess Emma’s vital signs and to declare her safe to travel then placed her in the back of the ambulance. Lorne asked Katy to accompany Emma in the ambulance while she followed in her car.
~ ~ ~
Tony, Sean and Joe followed Parker’s car to the drop-off point, keeping a few cars in between them. “Okay. The plan is that Sean drops the money off and walks back to the car. In the meantime, we’ll be assuming that Parker will be watching Sean’s movements carefully, giving us the opportunity to hide in the bushes, ready to jump him before he absconds with my money. At least that was the plan. I’m altering it slightly.” Tony unzipped the bag and threw the bundles of cash onto the floor of the car. “There’s no need to risk the money now that we know Emma is safe, right?”
Sean nodded. “Makes perfect sense to me. I’m clear on what to do. I’ll do as instructed, but the second you grab the bastard, I want a piece of his arse.”
“You’ll get your chance. Don’t worry. Let the drop and the pickup take place first, then Joe and I will turn our backs for five minutes to let you vent your anger. Deal?”
Sean nodded. “He’s slowing down. I think that’s the park up ahead. I’m going to pull up here for a moment. Do you guys want to head off on foot from here?”
“Yep. I would arrive a couple of minutes before eight fifteen, at least to show willingness in his eyes.” Tony and Joe left the vehicle and, using the shadows of the surrounding buildings as cover, darted towards the park.
“Here, there’s a public footpath sign. We could get into the park this way. He’s probably got his eyes on the entrance,” Joe suggested.
Tony gave him the thumbs-up. The path led them into the park. They doubled back to the entrance at eight ten and hid behind a couple of large bushes, within feet of the bin where Parker had requested the drop-off take place.
A few minutes later, Sean, wearing a cap and carrying the empty bag, arrived and dropped the bag in the bin. He retraced his steps as instructed by Parker and returned to the car and drove off.
Tony jabbed Joe in the ribs. “It’s him. Are you ready?”
“Yep.”
They waited until Parker bent over to withdraw the bag from the bin before they moved, but as if hearing their movement in the bushes, he glanced over his shoulder then ran for his car. A man walking his dog on an extended lead came around the corner, and Parker failed to see the lead until it was too late. He ended up facedown on the path. Joe pounced on Parker, pinning him to the ground. The bystander scurried away with his dog.
A car screeched to a halt, and Tony looked up to see Sean racing towards them. After securing Parker’s hands with handcuffs, Sean motioned for Joe to get off Parker and yanked him to his feet.
“Touch me, and I’ll make sure you’re kicked off the force,” Parker sneered in his face.
“I don’t think so, moron. I’ll just put it down to you resisting arrest. Right, guys?” Sean asked Joe and Tony.
The men stood back, folded their arms and nodded.
Parker shouted after the man walking his dog. “Hey, mister. These guys are cops, and they’re about to beat me up. You’ll be a witness for me, right?”
The old man peered over his shoulder and shouted, “What’s he done?”
“Murdered one girl and held another girl captive for a few days. He also extorted the girl’s family into giving him a hundred grand.”
The old man shook his head and shouted. “Make sure you give him a good kicking from me while you’re at it, filthy scumbag.”
“Your little ploy didn’t work, Parker.” Sean punched the man in the face several
times before Tony stopped him.
“That’ll do, Sean. The bastard will get what’s coming to him when he enters the system.”
Sean relented and got close to Parker. “Ain’t that the truth? You’re not worth it, mate.”
“No, but she was,” Parker replied, grinning before he ran his tongue over his lips.
Tony and Joe tried to hold Sean back, but he was incensed by the man’s taunting gesture. Parker ended up with a broken nose and a few suspected broken ribs before Tony and Joe finally managed to pull Sean off him.
They loaded the battered Parker into the back of Tony’s car. The three men high-fived each other, and Tony followed Sean back to the station. Parker was placed under arrest and thrown in a cell by the desk sergeant. Sean, Tony and Joe wearily climbed the stairs to the incident room to await Lorne and Katy’s arrival.
~ ~ ~
The doctor in the Accident and Emergency Department treated Emma with kid gloves after her experience. He explained that the wounds on Emma’s head would heal within a few weeks, and he couldn’t see any other injuries that concerned him, so was happy to release her immediately.
Though the hospital had supplied Emma with a hospital gown, Lorne had insisted that Emma keep her coat for extra warmth during the journey home. Emma still seemed dazed and confused after her ordeal. When they arrived at Emma’s parents’ house, the three of them hugged each other and refused to let go until they’d told each other dozens of times how much they loved one another.
Emma’s parents then hugged Lorne and Katy, expressing how grateful they were to have their daughter back. Nerys ran upstairs to retrieve Emma’s towelling robe, which Emma took into the downstairs toilet to change into.
When she returned to the room, she handed Lorne her coat. “Thank you, not just for lending me your coat but also for rescuing me. I’m sure if you hadn’t, I would have died in that box before long.”
“Nonsense. You’re a tough cookie, Emma. We’re glad you’re back where you belong. Don’t worry about Parker. He’ll get what’s coming to him. I can guarantee you that.”
“Will I have to go to court? To face him again?” she asked, her voice faltering a little.
“Yes. Look, before that happens, we can get you some counselling, to prepare you for the ordeal if you like.”
Emma glanced at her mother and reached for her hand. “My family will be by my side, giving me the strength to face him again.”
“Very well, but if you change your mind, just call me. Okay?” Lorne smiled at the young woman and slipped on her coat. “We better catch up with the boys now back at the station. We’re glad you’re safe, Emma.”
“Thank you again. Although that really doesn’t seem enough after what you’ve both done for me. Will you pass on my thanks to your team and to Sean?”
“Of course. I’m sure Sean will be dropping by later anyway. Take care, and please, please don’t let this ghastly experience change you as a person. You truly are one in a million for what you do for others.”
Emma smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot. It might take me a little while to come to terms with what that man put me through, but it was my faith in God that guided me through this ordeal. I’m not about to turn my back on Him or the work I do to help others any time soon.”
Lorne winked at her. “Good girl. Take care. I think a long soak in the bath is called for. Don’t you?”
Nerys wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulder. “I think you’re right, Inspector.”
Lorne and Katy left the house and returned to the station. As soon as they entered the incident room, Sean made a beeline for Lorne and Katy. All the stress that had been etched on his face for days was now gone. He surprised them both by giving them a hug.
“Okay, I’m officially calling this day over. I think a celebratory swift one over the pub is in order, unless you people have something better to do.”
The team agreed, and they all headed to the pub to celebrate the team’s success at solving yet another tough case.
~ ~ ~
The following morning, Lorne asked the desk sergeant to instruct the duty solicitor to attend the interview with Frank Parker.
The solicitor, Daniel Dawson, arrived half an hour later. Lorne announced for the recording that she and Katy were interviewing Parker, with his solicitor present. Then the interview began in earnest.
Lorne questioned Parker without any emotion at all in her tone. The man seemed remorseful throughout the interview, which came as a surprise to Lorne.
“Why, Frank? Why did you abduct Emma and kill Gillian?”
His gaze remained on the centre of the table. “I suppose I wanted to test God.”
“Test God?”
“He took Chantelle from me. My faith in God dwindled that day. I wanted to see if he was prepared to save the others. He did little to save Gillian. I regret killing her. I never meant to do that. But when it came to Emma, he saved her.”
“How?”
He sighed heavily. “He gave her the strength to combat everything I threw at her. She was resilient. The cold should have killed her… maybe her faith was far greater than mine. Maybe God hasn’t punished her in the way he did me.”
“Do you realise how twisted that sounds, Frank? All Emma wants to do in this world is make it a better place. She showed you kindness, and yet look how you treated her.”
“I’m weak. My weakness got the better of me. I have many regrets because of my weakness. Will you pass on my apologies to Emma? She didn’t deserve to be treated the way I treated her.”
“I will. Is that a confession, Frank? Are you admitting that you killed Gillian Knot and abducted and raped Emma Lansbury?”
He glanced up at her, and with moist eyes, he nodded. “I’m ashamed of the boundaries I crossed in my quest to challenge the Lord. I should never have involved the two girls in something that didn’t concern them. I will regret my actions until I eventually see my maker.”
“I’m declaring this interview over. Thank you for having the courage to admit to your failings to not only those people present today, but also in God’s eyes.”
Lorne stood up as Katy wound up the interview for the tape. She walked out of the room and leaned against the wall outside, trying to make sense of what he’d told her. While she could understand Parker wanting to challenge God, she couldn’t understand why he had chosen to involve the two girls.
The door to the interview room opened, and Lorne stood upright when the constable accompanied Parker back to his cell. Dawson and Katy walked with her back to the reception area.
“I hope your client isn’t going to go down the diminished-responsibility route, Mr. Dawson.”
“I’ll advise him against that, Inspector. He’s far from mentally unstable, although I do think he’s full of remorse.”
“Only because he was caught before he could make off with a hundred grand,” Katy suggested bitterly.
“I think my partner is right. While Parker has admitted he was in the wrong, I still believe he took pleasure in carrying out the acts he committed on his victims. I hope the judge and the jury see it that way too and punish him properly.”
“He’ll have his day in court. We’ll see what that brings in the not-too-distant future. Good day to you both.” Dawson shook both their hands before walking through the reception area and out the main entrance.
When Lorne and Katy entered the incident room, they found Sean pacing the room, anxiously waiting to see how the interview had gone. “Well, did you crucify him?”
Lorne cringed at his choice of words. “He confessed, if that’s what you mean.”
“I should hope so. Hard not to with all the evidence against him.”
“We should have a lot more on him once his clothes and shoes have been analysed by the forensic team.”
“That’s one thing—that he’s admitted his guilt. Did he say why he did it?” Sean asked, raising an expectant eyebrow.
“He was ‘testing God’ was how
he presented it to us.”
Sean’s face turned red. “Dumb piece of shit. Why involve those two innocent women?”
Lorne shrugged. “It’s done now, Sean. He’ll have his day in court and be banged up for the rest of his life.”
“Good. I’ll do everything in my power to see that happens too.”
Lorne nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a desk full of paperwork I need to attend to.”
Sean shook his head. “Oh, no, you don’t. That crap can wait until after Christmas. I’m giving you all a few days off, starting after lunch.”
“What?” Lorne asked.
“You heard me. Forget the ‘after lunch’ part—I’m correcting myself. Let’s say as from one o’clock, this office is closed until the twenty-seventh.”
“Wow, well, that’s got to be a first. Hey, I’m not about to argue. Are you, guys?” Lorne addressed the team.
Her colleagues all shook their heads, seemingly gobsmacked by Roberts’s announcement.
“Just my way of showing my appreciation on a job well done. Thank you all.” He left the office with a spring in his step.
“Well, that certainly came out of the blue,” Katy said, staring after Roberts long after he’d departed.
“Hey, don’t knock it, gang. It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s make the most of it. Finish up any outstanding paperwork you have so that we can leave at one on the dot. Who are we to disobey orders?” Lorne said, laughing.
EPILOGUE
An idea sparked in Lorne’s brain. On the way home from the station, she stopped off at the supermarket to buy everything needed for their Christmas dinner then drove home to begin the preparations.
She walked in the house to find Tony adding the final bauble to the Christmas tree in the lounge. “Hey, great minds think alike.”
He kissed her, wincing as he walked towards her. “How so? You’re home early.”
“Sean told us we could leave at one, so we did before another case came in. I’ve bought everything for Christmas lunch, except I want to cook it this afternoon and have it this evening.”
Tony frowned. “May I ask why?”
“I’ve rung Charlie. She and Brandon are going to join us. So are Carol and Ted.”
