by A L Fraine
“Looks like the Cleaner’s on duty again,” Nathan commented, nodding ahead of them.
Kate followed his gaze to see Sergeant Louis Dyson approaching them and suddenly understood the nickname.
“This makes it two for two for you, I think,” the sergeant commented.
“You think this is the same killer who murdered Jordan?” Kate asked him.
“You tell me, you’re the brains department. But I can tell you it’s another messy one. Grab a forensic suit from over there,” he said, directing them to a nearby van. “I’ll fill you in on the details once you’re ready.”
“If this is Naomi, then it’s doubtful that she was involved in murdering Jordan,” Kate said, pulling the protective suit over her clothes.
“It also casts greater suspicion on Joanna Donaldson, and on Naomi’s former husband,” Nathan suggested.
“I think you’ll find the husband angle to be much more compelling,” the sergeant said from where he stood a few metres away.
“Oh?” Nathan asked.
“We’ve taken a statement from a neighbour of Naomi’s that saw her outside the building late last night. She was in an argument with her former husband, Steve Brewster. A pretty fiery one, according to the witness.”
“And where’s this witness?” Nathan asked.
“In a van, over there. We have a few officers with her. She was the one to find the body, too.”
“We’ll need to speak to her,” Kate said.
The sergeant nodded. “Of course.”
They finished getting prepared, pulling on gloves and the protective coverings over their shoes, before Sergeant Dyson showed them to an upstairs flat. Officers were everywhere, dusting down surfaces to lift prints using various techniques.
“The Divisional Surgeon has already attended and pronounced life extinct, and the photographer has made his pass as well. The pathologist has just finished up, and SOCO’s are in there now,” the sergeant explained to them as they walked.
The sergeant led them through the apartment into the small bedroom and the horror scene inside.
Naomi lay naked on the bed, her arms and legs spread wide, covered in cuts that looked very deliberate. Blood was everywhere, pooled on the bed, splattered over the floor, and up onto the walls, where some of it had been used to draw strange symbols, presumably with a finger.
In amongst the symbols and splatters was a single word that held particular meaning for Kate and Nathan.
‘Today.’
The smell was bad in here and would only get worse as the decomposition continued. Kate took a deep breath as she took in the scene and the suffering that this young woman had been through.
She felt sorry for her, and as she surveyed the scene and the ritualistic nature of the killing, those same memories of her aunt’s death bubbled up once more. She remembered the reports and the news stories she’d read that had documented her murder as a feeling of dizziness washed over her.
No sooner had the memories of her aunt surfaced, the memories of her actions quickly followed. Flashes of her confrontation with Duane in that Cork car park rose up like dark, angry spirits forcing her to steady herself against the nearby door frame. She squeezed her eyes shut and pushed the memories away and back. She hated herself for allowing them to take hold of her again, making her look weak and squeamish.
As the seconds passed, the feeling faded, and she soon got a hold of herself again and returned her attention to the room.
“Those look similar to the cuts on Jordan’s body,” Nathan commented, stepping closer to the body, apparently ignoring her moment of weakness.
Kate followed, inspecting the cuts. They weren’t frenzied stab wounds, these were precise cuts as if the killer had been writing on her, using a knife like a pen, and her body as the canvas. They were also practically identical to the wounds on Jordan’s body.
As with Jordan, a single stab wound to her heart looked like the killing blow.
“It’s all very similar,” said a familiar voice from their right. Kate looked up and recognised SOCO Sheridan Lane who’d just finished bagging a sample of blood. “With just a few key differences.”
“Hi, Sheridan. Like what?” Nathan asked.
“Well, the cuts on her body look like they were made post-mortem, which is different from Jordan. His cuts displayed lesions caused by haemorrhaging, suggesting they were made before the killer stabbed him in the heart. Also, we can’t see any kind of puncture wound on her suggesting an injection. The autopsy will tell us more, though.”
“And these markings on the wall?” Kate asked.
“Similar to the marks we found carved into the tree that Jordan was hung from,” Sheridan explained. “The word, ‘today’ is new though.”
“We know where that fits in,” Nathan replied, but didn’t explain himself.
Sheridan looked to Nathan for a moment, as if expecting him to elaborate, but then shrugged and looked away when it was clear he wouldn’t.
“Well, this certainly looks like our man,” Nathan suggested, looking over at Kate.
She nodded. “He’s adapted to the circumstances of the location, but the MO certainly seems the same. I bet he killed her first to keep her quiet while he went to work with the cuts and marks. She’d have screamed the place down otherwise.”
“And put up a fight,” Nathan added.
“That too,” Kate agreed. “No photo though.”
“No…” Nathan answered, looking a little unsure what that might mean.
“Was he having us on, showing us photos of Mark? Was Naomi always the intended victim, or did he change his mind?”
“No idea. Alright, let’s go meet this witness,” Nathan said and allowed the sergeant to lead them out.
After removing the forensic suits, they were shown over to the witness who sat in the back of a nearby van being comforted by a female officer. Nathan nudged Kate forward, urging her to take the lead.
“Hi,” Kate said, checking her notes as the woman looked up. “Abby Whickham, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Abby said with a nod. Her red, bloodshot eyes suggested she’d been crying.
“I’m DC O’Connell, and this is DS Halliwell. We’d like to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay?”
Abby nodded but remained quiet.
“I understand you saw Naomi arguing with her former husband earlier tonight. Is that right?” Kate asked.
Abby nodded again. “They were out front shouting at each other. Steve was upset, yelling at her. He’s been bothering her for a while, but this was the first time he turned up here.”
“He’d not been here before?”
Abby shook her head. “Naomi had kept her new home address secret from him. She’d been really careful about it too.”
“But he knew where she worked,” Kate pressed.
“I think so, yes. He’d seen her in town a few times recently. Followed her around, hurled abuse at her, that kind of thing.”
“But he didn’t follow her home?”
“She drove home from work. As far as we know, Steve doesn’t have a car.”
“So somehow, he found out where Naomi lived.”
“Or someone told him,” Nathan added.
Kate nodded in agreement. “So, tell me about the argument, how did it end?”
“I heard them at first and looked out the window. When I saw it was Naomi, I rushed out to help her. I brought her inside, away from him. I locked the outer door, so he couldn’t get in. I stayed with her for a while. She told me about the interview she’d had with you lot.”
“We had a few questions for her,” Kate replied, having noticed the accusatory tone in Abby’s voice.
“Mm-hmm. She told me she got the impression that you thought she was involved in Jordan’s death.”
“We have to look at things from all angles,” Kate replied. “So, when was the last time you saw her alive?”
“When she went back to her apartment. It was late. I offered to let her st
ay at my place, but she wanted to sleep in her own bed. So, she left. That was at about eleven.”
“And you didn’t hear anything at all the rest of the night?”
“No. I went to bed after she left, but I woke up early for work. I wanted to check she was okay so I gave her a call. When she didn’t answer I went to knock on her door.”
“And she didn’t answer,” Kate suggested.
“No. Actually, the door was ajar, so I went inside. That’s when I found… You know…”
“I see,” Kate said. “Have you met Steve before? Did you know it was Steve when you saw him out the window?”
“I’ve seen pictures, but Naomi was shouting his name anyway. I knew who it was.”
“Can you give us a description? Is this the man?” She asked, holding up her phone with his photo on the screen.
“That’s him. But he doesn’t look like that anymore. He’s a mess. Long hair, beard. He stinks too. He looks like some kind of tramp.”
“Okay, thank you,” Kate said, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “So, how do you know Naomi, apart from being neighbours?”
“We were in the women’s shelter at the same time. We just got to know each other, had similar stories with our ex’s. You know?” Abby glanced up at Nathan with a cold expression on her face. Did she hate all men? Kate wondered.
“And you both moved here?” Kate asked.
Abby nodded. “Everyone in this building is from the shelter.”
Kate nodded. “Okay, thank you. I think that’s all for now. You’ve been very helpful.”
“Thanks,” Nathan added.
Abby nodded to them, and they left her with the female officer.
“So, Steve found out where she lived, came here late last night, confronted Naomi, and had an argument with her,” Nathan summarised. “Only for her to be found murdered the next day.”
“We really need to find Steve,” Kate said, “It’s not looking good for him.”
“No, it’s not,” he said as they made their way back towards their car.
Sergeant Dyson stepped up to them. “Do you have everything you need?”
“I think so,” Kate said.
“Are there any CCTV on the premises?” Nathan asked, and Kate kicked herself for forgetting to check that.
“No, none,” the sergeant replied.
Kate frowned. “Isn’t that a bit of an oversight, given all these residents are from abusive relationships?”
Sergeant Dyson shrugged. “I can look into it for you, if you like?”
“That would be great,” she said with a smile, and the pair renewed their walk towards their vehicle. “Let’s ask if we can get a statement out to the press as well, reiterating our desire to find Steve,” Kate said.
Nathan nodded. “I’ll suggest it.”
CHAPTER 23
“So, are you going to tell me?” Nathan asked as they drove east out of Guildford, heading back to the station.
“Hmm? Tell you what?” Kate asked, feeling a little confused as he broke her train of thought.
“About what happened in there. This is the second time you’ve had a funny turn upon seeing a dead body. I mean, are you squeamish? Is this going to become an issue?” Nathan pressed.
Kate sighed. She’d hoped he’d not noticed, but if this was going to affect her, she guessed she’d need to explain herself at some point. Still, she wasn’t sure she was totally comfortable confiding in him.
“It’s nothing. It’s just some early nerves, you know. First case, and all that?”
“No, it’s not. Come on, what’s really going on here?”
“Look, I told you, it’s…”
“Don’t you trust me?” he asked, cutting her off.
“Well, yes…” It actually didn’t feel like a lie, which surprised her.
“Then tell me.”
She shifted in her seat, feeling very uncomfortable, but she also knew that this was not going to go away.
“Kate?” Nathan pushed again.
“Alright, okay. It’s not the sight of a dead body. I’m not squeamish like that. It’s something else. It’s…” She sighed. “When I was a teenager, just sixteen, my aunt was found murdered. Killed, in the middle of a stone circle. It was a ritual killing. She was sacrificed.” That was all he needed to know, she thought, looking away from him. She stared out of her window as the flashes of memory rippled through her mind. She remembered Cork and the events that took place there, but there was no need for him to know about that.
Some things were best left buried in the past.
“Ah, I see.”
“This happened in Ireland, just outside Cork. They thought it was Satanists or something.”
“Were you close to your aunt?”
Kate nodded. “Yeah. I was. She was like an older sister to me. I guess these killings are just bringing old memories to the surface.”
“You don’t have to do this, you know. If this is too close to home for you, you can request a different case. A different partner.”
“No!” she barked in reply.
Nathan gave her a look of surprise at her outburst.
“I mean. I’d rather stay on the case if it’s all the same.”
“Are you sure?” Nathan asked.
Kate nodded. “My aunt, Fiona, her killer was never caught. I made a promise to her that I would strive to make sure that the same injustice didn’t happen to anyone else. After her death, I knew I wanted to be a detective. I wanted to hunt down killers like hers and bring them to justice. Don’t take me off this case. Please. I need to see this through. I need to find this killer.”
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
Kate nodded, feeling that steely resolve deep inside her that drove her onwards. “I’ll handle it. You have my word.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I am,” she replied.
“Okay. Thank you for telling me, by the way. I had no idea.”
“It’s fine. I knew it would come out eventually. It’s probably better that you know. It might help me deal with it better.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
She nodded. “Not really. Not unless you can find my aunt’s killer?”
“Well, not right now,” Nathan answered lightly. “Maybe this afternoon?”
Kate laughed. “Alright, so how are we going to find Steve? We really need to bring him in. Naomi said she thought he was homeless.”
Nathan nodded his agreement. “Well, either he’s sleeping rough, or in a squat somewhere.”
“Abby confirmed the unkempt look that Steve has now. Long hair, beard… It sounds like he’s living rough and hasn’t got two pennies to rub together.”
“I’ve already got a few uniforms checking through some of the known squats. We should maybe have a look in some abandoned buildings as well. Anywhere people can find shelter and get some rest.”
“We have a list of places like that then?”
“We do. It’s not exhaustive, but there’s a lot of them. If nothing else comes up from the forensics or any CCTV, it might be something we need to try. We could do some today. Start asking some questions.”
“Someone might know something,” she agreed.
“You never know,” Nathan replied as he pulled the car into the station car park and brought it to a stop.
Kate climbed out of the car. At least going around to the squats and abandoned buildings was something to do. She’d much rather be out there, driving around, speaking to people, investigating, and trying to find Steve than be sat at her computer doing paperwork.
There was a small mountain of that to do as well, of course. But that was the nature of the job. She sighed to herself as she and Nathan marched into the front entrance of the station.
The press was still there and tried to get the usual comments from them, but they pushed on through, ignoring them as they entered the building.
“Ugh,” she said as the door closed behind them.
“We need to look at getting them off the premises, I do not want to deal with that every day.”
“I hear ya,” Nathan said as they crossed reception. Kate looked up to see a dishevelled looking man who’d been sat down, get up from his seat. He was staring at her with a curious expression on his face.
“Hey, you that detective off the TV?”
Kate raised her eyebrows and then smiled. “I spoke to some reporters yesterday, yes. Can I help you?”
“Yeh on that case, right? The dead Estate Agent?”
Kate nodded.
“I know where your man is,” he said.
“My man?”
“Yeh lookin’ for ‘im. Steve, right?”
Kate moved a little closer to the man, followed by Nathan, and lowered her voice. “You know where he is?”
The man smiled and shifted his weight back. He crossed his arms, looking smug. “I might do.”
“Well, do you or don’t you?” Nathan asked, his voice steely.
“Depends, don’ it.”
“On what?” Kate asked.
“What yeh gonna’ do feh me?”
“What we’re going to do for you?”
“How bad do yeh want that information, like?” He said with a shrug. “Cos I know where he is, like. I can send yeh right to ‘im.”
“Is that right?” Nathan asked. “How do we know you’re not just some nutjob who’s seen Detective O’Connell on the news and thinks he can make a quick buck, or even just get some attention by coming down here and spinning some lies?”
“That's up to you, like, innit? Believe me or don’. But I’s tellin’ yehs, I know where he is.” The man then clamped his mouth shut and gave Kate the impression he was basically saying the ball was in their court.
Kate turned to look at Nathan. He looked back at her, his eyes narrowed, clearly weighing up the options.
“Alright, come with us,” he said beckoning the man forward. Kate walked after him, wondering where Nathan was going to go with this and followed him to the reception desk where he signed in and got checked over for weapons or anything else dangerous.
Leading the man through a door, Nathan directed him into one of the interview rooms and gestured for him to sit. Nathan stayed standing, and Kate took her place beside him.
