Killer Smile

by RC Bridgestock

  ***

  Professor Stow was on his way to carry out the post-mortem on Mr Bell. Forensic had taken receipt of the taxi cab and Beryl Knight assured Dylan that it was presently undergoing tests in the lab.

  ‘I need to know as a matter of urgency as much about the tooth that was found on the back seat and the string we believe our killer may have used as the garrotte,’ said Dylan.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Beryl. ‘You now have a dedicated team of scientists on the case and I am taking the lead.’

  ***

  Dylan stood at the side of Crime Scene Supervisor Sarah Jarvis at the post-mortem. DC Wormald bagged and tagged the exhibits handed to him by Professor Stow who confirmed to Dylan that the cause of death for Alan Bell was in no doubt by way of a garrotte and that the teeth had been neatly extracted following the pattern of the previous two murders. On this occasion however the killer had for some reason chosen to take a couple of premolars.

  ‘In brief, my expert opinion is that the dental implement used to extract this persons teeth is one and the same as was used in the other two murders. Here look,’ Professor Stow said, pointing into the open mouth of the deceased, ‘the same size, the same shape, the same indentation marks can quite clearly be seen, now I know what I’m looking for. I’ll send you a written report in due course with relevant photographs,’ he said at the exact moment that Jarv took another photo. Professor Stow flinched. ‘Simply, this dentistry tool comparison will be of as much use to you as the indents of a specific jemmy mark used to force windows or doors during a burglary, but obviously on a much, much smaller scale. Find me the implements Inspector and I’ll tell you if they were responsible,’ he said with a flaccid grin.

  Dylan wondered if the killer had been disturbed to have only taken two of the victim’s teeth this time? Or was the purpose of this crime to leave a tooth and the garrotte for the detectives to find?

  ***

  On his return from the mortuary Dylan read the message that had been left on his desk, it was from Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Smythe. ‘I have been given the task of overseeing the murders, please ring my secretary on your return from the mortuary to arrange for you to attend HQ. I will require an up to date briefing from you as soon as possible.’

  Well, well, Windy-Wendy was to take charge. She was well known for her reluctance to make a decision or sign her name to anything. Which Dylan had to admit was an art in itself.

  ‘Why the hell couldn’t she come here?’ Dylan said out loud.

  ‘Who?’ said Vicky.

  ‘ACC Smythe.’

  ‘Windy-Wendy,’ said Vicky. ‘I’ve heard she never comes out of her office. Maybe that rumour is actually true?’

  Dylan scowled.

  ‘Ah, don’t moan. You can’t have it all ways, at least she won’t interfere with the enquiry will she?’ said Vicky.

  ‘I wouldn’t mind if an ACC would show an interest in an enquiry, for the team’s sake,’ he said. ‘All the information I’m going to need to brief her is here,’ he said waving his arm around the room. ‘... and the rest easily retrievable whilst she is here with the qualified personnel for her to talk to.’

  ‘Ah but... what would you rather do? Stay in your own carpeted office, with the most up to date computer, your personal assistant on hand to bring you drinks and food and air conditioning or have your batman sitting in traffic in this heat, albeit in your nice car the force provides for you...’ Vicky stopped as if to think on that, ‘and come to this hell hole? Anyway, she’s no bloody experience in CID so she’d be pretty darn useless to us anyway.’

  ‘She could make the coffee?’ said Ned.

  ‘I’ll get her out here to show support for the team if it bloody kills me,’ said Dylan picking up the phone.

  Ned raised his eyebrows, Vicky pulled a face, Dylan turned his back on them both.

  ‘Assistant Chief Constable’s office how can I help you?’ said ACC Smythe just as Lisa came into his office flapping an A4 piece of paper in front of him.

  Urgent: ‘Maggie Currie has received another call at Vectis Radio,’ she had written. ‘Officers have a suspect in view and are about to strike.’

  Chapter Ten

  Dylan immediately cut the phone call to the ACC’s office. He looked serious and sat perfectly still as if considering his next move. He blinked. Opened his mouth as if to say something when the phone rang. He picked up instead. ‘Dylan,’ he snapped.

  ‘DC Sue Philburn, sir, surveillance unit,’ said the plain clothes detective. Dylan was aware of all eyes upon him. His eyes locked onto Vicky’s face.

  It was apparent to her the message had thrown Dylan. None of them had expected the mysterious caller to contact the radio station again so quickly.

  ‘Was it the same kiosk do you know that was used last time?’ Vicky whispered to Lisa who shrugged her shoulders in return.

  ‘Boss, we’ve just nicked a thirty-year-old white male by the name of Michael Hook,’ DC Philburn said.

  Dylan’s face was expressionless. He listened intently. ‘Go on.’

  ‘He made the call to the radio station and was still speaking to the presenter when we collared him. I don’t know the exact details of the conversation but apparently I am told he was asking for a meet and there was some intimation about being paid for the information. We’re about ten minutes away from the nick so once we’ve booked him in we’ll come up to your office.’

  ‘Right thanks for that, and Maggie?’

  ‘We’ve spoken to her and she’ll be ringing you to arrange to come in to make a statement.’

  Ned Granger came to the door, eating a Pot Noodle, and making rather a mess of it.

  Rajinder turned, scowled and shooed him away.

  ‘Okay thanks for that Sue and well done,’ Dylan said, his eyes strangely bright.

  No sooner had he replaced his phone, it rang again. Maggie Currie was on the line. Dylan picked up his pen and twiddled it between his fingers as he spoke to her, making notes when applicable on his blotter. Vicky leant across the table to try and see what he had written. She screwed her nose up and shook her head at Raj – Dylan’s writing was legendary and was illegible when it suited.

  ‘I told you about the teeth. See, I was right wasn’t I? I can give you more but tell me what’s in it for me?’ the mystery caller had said to Maggie. ‘He wanted me to meet up with him and suggested he might have a reward for the information he could give you?’ she said. Maggie sounded anxious.

  ‘He did, did he?’ Dylan said thoughtfully.

  ‘We’ve got the conversation taped so I’ll pop the recording over to you.’

  ‘There was no specific mention to this morning’s murder?’ said Dylan.

  ‘No,’ Maggie said.

  ‘That’s interesting,’ he said. Dylan scratched his forehead. ‘That’s very interesting.’

  There being no specific talk about Alan ‘Film Star’ Bell’s murder led Dylan to believe the caller was not the person they were looking for.

  ‘If he was our murderer,’ said Dylan, to the attendees of the briefing. ‘I’m sure given the timeliness of the call he would have used the latest killing and the detail of the teeth removal as credibility to taunt us. Like people say, if something appears to be too good to be true, it usually is.’

  The atmosphere was sullen, his officers looked deflated, it was Dylan’s job to raise their spirits.

  The post-it note that asked him to ring ACC Wendy Smythe stared up at him from his desk. He peeled it from the surface, felt its sticky back on his fingers and stuck it back down on his telephone. The call would keep for a while longer. The last thing he wanted was to get off to a bad start with the ACC but he needed to speak to the officers who had apprehended Michael Hook. He wanted to hear more about the call from the radio presenter and the arrest first-hand. Only then could he give ACC Smythe the full picture, as he saw it.

  DC Sue Philburn and DC Howard Atkin were followed into his office by Maggie Currie.

  The
recording was played in its entirety finishing with DC Philburn taking over the call and confirming who she was speaking to.

  The caller seemed to be excited about his previous call and his knowledge of the extraction of teeth and as Maggie had told Dylan on the phone he had suggested he could assist further in their enquiries if he could possibly meet with her. The radio presenter had done extremely well to keep him on the line for long enough for them to trace the call. She cleverly had cajoled him into a sense of security.

  ‘I think we can safely say the calls will now stop,’ Dylan said to Maggie. ‘I don’t think for a minute this Michael Hook is our man, he’s just some chancer trying to get some money. He’s the proverbial time waster. Unfortunately all enquiries attract one nutter or other. We will soon find out for sure when these two have interviewed him,’ Dylan said nodding his head towards DC Philburn and DC Atkin.

  Dylan turned to the detectives. ‘You ready to go into interview?’

  ‘We are, after we have taken a statement from Ms Currie’ said DC Philburn who stood, and taking the lead she walked to the door. She turned to see the others behind her. ‘We will update you as and when sir,’ she said.

  ***

  The day was a sunny one but none of it could be seen from Dylan’s office at the rear of the police station. Detective Inspector Dylan had been on the phone to ACC Wendy Smythe for less than a minute. ‘Maggie Currie will be at the press conference here representing the radio station tomorrow ma’am, so the plan is that you could meet her here?’

  Jack Dylan could hear a phone ringing in the background and Wendy Smythe seemed distracted.

  ‘Sorry Jack, can you just... hold the line for one moment. I must take this call.’

  Dylan could hear a one-sided conversation. ‘So to confirm the flight departs London Heathrow twenty-one twenty-five hours and arrives Chep Lap Kok at seventeen forty? Yes, thank you.’

  He heard the turning of pages, a closing of a zip and perhaps the putting down of a handbag.

  ‘Okay Jack I’m back. So, in relation to me overseeing the trio of homicides you are dealing with. I need to be briefed fully about each incident and we need to plan our strategic way forward.’

  ‘Regarding that briefing, can I suggest that it would be far better to do it at the incident room where we have all the data at our fingertips? We also have display boards for early recollection and depicting the deceased and the scenes.’

  She was silent for one moment.

  ‘And of course if you come tomorrow morning it is a major press conference which you might feel you need to be at?’

  ‘Yes, alright. I have to pick up my currency. Might as well do it in Harrowfield as anywhere else. How long will it take to do you suppose?’

  ‘A couple of hours max I would have thought.’

  ‘Oh, so long? Mmm...’

  ‘It’s highly likely it will take me so long to take you through all the strategic lines of investigation and bring you up to speed.’

  Again Dylan heard the rustle of paper, pages being turned over? This time more slowly as if the book was somewhat larger.

  ‘Yes, of course. I will have to have a meeting with the Chief Constable first.’

  ‘The press conference is planned for eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Will you be spearheading that from an operational point of view? I can deal with the actual incident briefing and questions for you?’ said Dylan

  ‘Yes, I’d better had, hadn’t I? We need to reassure the public that everything is being done that can be done. It needs someone of my rank to do that. Tell you what, let’s do the press conference. I can meet with the radio presenter, then I can come to the incident room for you to brief me. I know it’s the wrong way round in terms of procedure but it’s probably the best course of action due to the press conference planned for so early in the day.’

  ‘Good. I’ll be at Harrowfield Police Station from seven o’clock tomorrow morning so if want to come earlier to be briefed beforehand?’

  ‘No, no, I will be there for the press conference. That’s plenty early enough for me.’

  ‘As you are aware ma’am after the main press conference I’ll have to do the one-to-one interviews which may take some time. Therefore our incident briefing will be delayed until I’ve finished doing them,’ said Dylan.

  ‘That’s fine, it will give me a window to look in on the District Commander Walter Hugo-Watkins and perform an ad-hoc performance review, that will save me time later,’ he could hear the smile in her voice. ‘I’m off to Hong Kong for a fortnight, staying at the Metro Park Hotel, my brother works for the chain, although he isn’t in Hong Kong at the moment. Have you ever been to Hong Kong Jack?’

  Vicky came to the door. He waved her in. She sat on the chair at the other side of his desk.

  ‘No, we haven’t,’ he said. ‘I really must go,’ he said cupping his hand over the mouthpiece. ‘ACC,’ he mouthed. His eyes looked up towards the ceiling. Vicky chuckled.

  There was a pause at the other end of the phone, the sound of an opening and a closing of a door a clink of a spoon stirring liquid in a cup. In his mind’s eye he saw ACC Smythe reclining back in her large leather chair and dreaming of her trip with the brochure in hand.

  ‘You should Dylan,’ she said. ‘It really is beautiful.’

  ‘Yes, I’d love to. But I doubt that will be happening anytime soon...’

  ‘I’ve been before. I flew from Heathrow with Virgin Atlantic. Although the return journey was a bit of a nightmare. We flew through storms, got diverted to Leeds/Bradford because of the fog, and then sat on the runway not half a mile from my home for two solid hours, without an alcoholic drink in sight and no air con,’ she continued.

  Dylan rolled his eyes at Vicky. ‘Oh dear, well... let’s hope your journey is a lot less eventful this time,’ he said. ‘I must go...’

  ‘When the fog eventually lifted we took off for Heathrow, and I had to wait four hours for a flight back to Leeds/Bradford!’ Wendy Smythe groaned. ‘It was just awful.’

  ‘Yes, well hopefully it won’t happen again. Now I really must get...’

  ‘Hong Kong airport is actually on the very edge of an island named Lan Tau , it’s reclaimed land and some distance from the city, you immediately can’t help but be impressed with the terminal and the transport over the suspension bridge as to just how clean it is, clinically clean in fact.’

  ‘Well that’s good... Look, I’ve got to go...’

  ‘Yes, of course. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. I can bring some photographs with me. I’ve got some lovely pictures of bauhinia flowers, they are wonderful and just about everywhere in Hong Kong. Sadly we don’t see the likes of those exotic flowers growing here even in this heat.’

  ‘Goodbye ma’am. See you tomorrow,’ he said and put the phone down, looked up at Vicky and his shoulders slumped. ‘I sometimes wonder if those at headquarters live on the same planet as we do,’ he said.

  ‘Okay Bye, bye, bye,’ she said. ACC Wendy Smythe sat up abruptly in her leather recliner chair and took the phone away from her ear when she heard the dialling tone. She looked at the telephone handset as if it had offended her. She shook it. Had Detective Inspector Jack Dylan just put the phone down on her? She scowled. He really needed to lighten up.

  ***

  ‘Her eye is NOT on the ball.’ Dylan said to Vicky.

  ‘Well you can hardly blame her if she’s off on her jollies now can you? ’

  ‘Considering what she gets paid, yes?’

  ‘Take it as a compliment that she knows the job is in a safe pair of hands.’

  ‘How much of the briefing tomorrow is going to go over her head too? She is involved for a reason, not just as a bloody figurehead.’

  ‘But like I said she’s no CID background has she? Cut her a bit of slack.’

  ‘On a positive note it is an ACC’s visit to an incident room and to see anyone at that rank is on our team will lift the others, won’t it? At Command level she is on our s
ide in terms of help with resources and financial issues should we have any problems. It can’t do the enquiry any harm.’

  ‘And by the sound of it she won’t try to take over the day to day running of the investigation and she will leave it to us to get on with it. So it’s all good.’

  ‘Do you know you talk a lot of sense sometimes DS Hardacre. You impress me. One day I want to see you sitting behind that desk at headquarters, do you hear me? Now what did you want?’

  ‘Maggie Currie has just left the building. I have taken her statement she has given to be uploaded onto the HOLMES system and DC Philburn and Atkin are in interview at present with Michael Hook. So, I thought it would be a good time for me to find out what’s likely to be happening at tomorrow’s press conference.’

  ‘I’ll be introducing Wendy Smythe as the Commander overseeing the enquiry, with her approval and she will make some sort of statement. I don’t know if she will do it before or after the update from me, whichever she feels appropriate. We will have to take her lead on that. I’m sure she will be speaking to the press office later today after her meeting with the Chief. For my part I will confirm that taxi driver Alan Bell is being linked to the previous two murders, that of Davina Walsh and Carl Braithwaite and I’ll divulge at that time the common theme throughout the murders which is the removal of teeth. I’ll reassure the public that we are working around the clock to catch the murderer and assure them he will be caught.’

  Dylan’s telephone ringing disrupted his train of thought.

  ‘Dylan,’ he said. His eyes appeared to darken.

  ‘Beryl Knight.’

  ‘Beryl, what have you got to tell us? Something good I hope’

  ‘The tooth from the back of the taxi?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘It doesn’t belong to your taxi driver murder victim, Alan Bell.’

  ‘Who does it belong to? I don’t suppose you know?’