The Escape (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 2)

by Claire Merrington

  “Honestly more questions and an even bigger headache. I mean the entire letters that he has written all of them photographs. He is a man obsessed with me.”

  “And what are you?”

  “To Thaddeus I appear as a strong confident woman still. That even though I was kidnapped and tortured I have still gone back to doing my job. It’s torturing him knowing he hasn’t broken me. All of this is his obsession with wanting to claim me as a trophy, as his. He wont tortures me next time he gets to me. He will kill me. That’s his message and I have no idea what to do.”

  “Ok Jane just take a breather for a minute and try and stay calm were going to brain storm information and if anything sparks your interest then jump in. We are here to remind you that you are not in this alone we are here to help ok.”

  “Ok well this just may raise more questions in an area we are trying to avoid but there are things that don’t make sense. There is no way that Thaddeus has managed to do all of this alone. For a starter how did he get the keys to this house again? Secondly you are talking about Thaddeus needing to be in two places at once on several occasions. How on earth did he manage to kidnap, torture and murder two victims, build his own bombs, buy all the bomb ingredients as well as stalking the Detective every where. It makes no sense. There is no humanly possible way that it can be done.”

  “Your right Eric it’s one of the things that has been frazzling my brain. I think it’s time I learned what happened after you lot rescued me and Layla and I was in the hospital?”

  “Why Detective what will that lead us to?”

  “Just go with me on this Ian. Go ahead Amy you probably know the most details.”

  “Ok you got taken to hospital and had your surgery for your shoulders. In between visiting you Ian and Eric were put in charge of taking all the statements from the men and the wives that were involved. They had to book them all and process them.”

  “Yeah even when we first started questioning the only ones that didn’t break from the mantra that we had already heard was Thaddeus himself and James York.”

  “Yeah all the rest started claiming that they had been blackmailed into helping. Some of the wives claimed that they were being stalked and were under threat of death if the fathers did not participate in Thaddeus plan. They had all initially voluntarily gone to the meetings wanting help with their children. But were then coerced there after. But we couldn’t find any supporting evidence to corroborate that theory and so when it went to court it got dismissed.”

  “Well while Ian and Eric were dealing with all of that it became mine and the Superintendent’s job to process the scene and evidence that was collected to put the case together. Which was why it was only him and myself that knew about the camera and photos. It was myself that made the decision to keep that part of the evidence from yourself and the rest of the team. I felt that it could do unnecessary harm to your psychological state to know the photos had been taken of you in that condition. Once all the rest of the evidence had been collected and the scene was clear the house was sealed and locked and the key was passed onto the Superintendent to log through the correct channels.”

  “Ok well thanks Amy. I get why you made the decision you did. I know what system the key should have been logged through so I will check with that and make sure that the key the Superintendent logged in is still where it should be. If it is then we know that Thaddeus had a spare key hidden away somewhere that we didn’t know about.”

  “Ok what else?”

  “We need to get back in that house and check all the photos time and date stamp that’s on the back. Particularly paying attention to any that clash when Thaddeus should have been with victims or any of the other places we know he has gone to. Where the photos are then overlapping. I want them placed into order of when they were taken. So I can view them in chronological order. The photos that overlap with Thaddeus being in two places at once then mark. Once that is done we can then check to see if any have been taken by someone else since Jack died and that will clear his name.”

  “Sounds like a plan it looks like the coroner has arrived.”

  “Ok let’s go check in with Dave and get his initial statement on the victim. We can then get the crime scene technicians to start their work on the house. So we can then get in there and make a start on the work we need to do behind them.”

  Jane and her team headed over to where the coroner and the crime scene technicians were standing. The crime technicians were relinquishing that part of the scene to Dave so they could move on with their investigation. Jane instructed the crime scene investigators to move on to the inside of the house first as her team needed to examine the evidence that was inside. Jane went to talk to Doctor Dave Berry to get his initial insights.

  “Hi Dave what are your thoughts?”

  “Hello there Detective. I can tell you some kind of accelerant was used. My best guess by the smell would be petrol. I’ll swab the remains though trace will be able to give you a more detailed analysis. There isn’t a lot of flesh left on the remains but there is enough left to get a toxicology screen. I can see on the orbital area that there is some scoring to the bone consistent with a small bladed weapon. I surmise that the eyelids were removed again as part of torture. And the oral cavity that survived quite well, inside the mouth is showing damage consistent with her having her tongue cut out. Do you have a name for this victim?”

  “Your right about the eyelids and the tongue we received photographic evidence that proved that. We have been given the name Lucy Wilson so if you can confirm that for us we can then give a formal identification to be able to speak with her family.”

  “Will do Detective I will let you know as soon as I have any probative information for you.”

  “Thanks Dave we will speak soon.”

  “Ok guys lets head on back over to the house we can start our work behind the crime scene investigators. Once they have cleared a section with photographs start going through them.”

  When they made it back over to the house Jane sent the rest of the team in without her so she could stay outside and make the phone call about the house key. As there were no signs of forced entry anywhere on the property Thaddeus must have had a key to be able to gain access. Jane started by dialling the first number for the department that she thought the key would have gone through. Jane had to wait several times on the line while she was transferred from pillar to post to get the information that she needed. It must have been taking quite a while because several times members of her team came to check that she was still waiting where she said she would be. All nervous to leave her on her own after what happened to Jack. Jane managed to get the information that she needed. After what felt like a lifetime on the phone but in reality was only thirty-five minutes. The information she had got was useful but Jane did not like it one bit and was very nervous as to whom to share it with and in front off just in case. Jane decided the best approach would be to share it with every member of her team but not in front of anyone else.

  “Guys can you come out here a second please?”

  “What’s up boss?”

  “I’ve just got off the phone and found out that the key the Superintendent logged in after the scene here was cleared and the house was secured. It was then logged back out of the system after Thaddeus escaped. It was logged out under the pretences that we needed it to keep an eye on the property in case Thaddeus came back here.”

  “Ok well who logged it out?”

  “That’s the thing it was logged back out by the Superintendent.”

  Chapter 15

  Jane and her team all stood there in a stunned silence. All too shocked by what this new evidence was inferring. Could they really suspect and believe that their Superintendent was helping Thaddeus. The bile began to rise up Jane’s throat, but not from being scared, but from pure and utter rage and anger. How could he? He knows what Thaddeus is capable of. As far as Jane was concerned the blood of these two tortured and brutally murdered women,
the blood of their fallen colleague Jack, and the psychological torment and upheaval of her own life rested just as much in the guilty hands of her Superintendent as it did in the hands of Thaddeus.

  “Jane are we really going to suggest this?”

  “I think we were at the level of suggestion earlier. Now we have some proof to go past the level of suggestion to an accusation.”

  “Ok but what do we do?”

  “Well I am going to check in with Perry. See when they are going to be finished at the prison. I will either get them to meet us here or were all head to the station. Once I can get the Superintendent somewhere on his own I will confront him with this information. We will get to the bottom of this ok. So nobody panic.”

  “Ok Boss. Is there anything else we can do for now?”

  “For now we should just keep going through the photos. Some more evidence may present itself.”

  Jane hanged back from the rest of her team as they re- entered the house to continue there look through the extensive portray of photos. She quickly sent Perry a text to check in with him and waited, as he normally replied with a timely response. However this time he did not. His phone must have been on silent. Jane decided to join her team and try Perry again in a little while if he still did not respond with his usual pronto speed.

  Jane had almost forgotten about checking in with Perry, she had become engrossed in her newfound task. Not realising how much time was passing as she sorted through the extensive mass of photos. All portraying her in some fashion, which Jane did not care to look at. Photos of her were usually very hard to come by. Jane pulled out her mobile to double check as to whether she had heard from Perry. It was very unusual for this amount of time to pass without Perry checking in. Rather than send him another text message she rang through to his phone. Once again Jane found herself taken aback when her call made it through to his answerphone. Jane wasn’t sure whether she should be worried for Perry’s safety, as she did suspect that she had sent him off with an assistant of Thaddeus, or whether it just meant he was still busy helping. Jane decided her best bet at perhaps maybe getting to talk to Perry was to try her Superintendent’s line and see whether he answered. Which to no prevail he did not. Jane decided to take that on faith as a good sign that it must mean they are both still busy discussing details with the inmates that they had gone along to see.

  “Come on Jane. You have tried to reach the both of them. Now if neither of them are answering it probably means they are still busy talking to that Kyle. Or knowing from before how James York loves the sound of his own voice he has got yapping and became argumentative. I’m sure Perry has been having a whale of a time putting him back in his place. Don’t worry I’m sure he is fine. They will check in soon when they can.”

  “Your right Amy I’m just being paranoid. So have we found anything in these photos because looking at them is starting to give me a complex? I’m telling you as soon as this case is over I am going to go get my haircut. I had no idea it looked like that.”

  “Don’t be silly if the photos weren’t taken by such a creep I would tell you that you look great in some of them. But oooh I know what we could do. When this case is over we should go for a spa day at Greenwoods. A nice bit of pampering, a laze by the pool, then we could get our hair done and a bit of clothes shopping. A complete girly overhaul.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Ok when you girls have finished planning your play date, that sounds like an expensive day out, can we discuss the photos?”

  “Oh Ian you can be such a caveman sometimes. You have no appreciation or understanding of how much joy a facial and a new pair of shoes can bring to a woman.”

  “Same as men I’m sure and their football.”

  “Your probably right Ian. So the photos?”

  “Yes the photos I have found some that were taken after the date that Jack died. But they overlap with times we know Thaddeus to have been elsewhere. Plus I have found some from when Jack was alive but still someone other than Thaddeus must have taken them, as that was when he had kidnapped the first victim and been shopping and god knows what else. So we need to get these photos analysed to see what kind of camera could have taken these shots.”

  “Ok give any to the crime scene technicians that overlap so that they can take them back to the lab and have them analysed. The rest of the photos box them up and we will finish looking through them at the station. Were put them up on a board in chronological order. We might start to see a story that Thaddeus is trying to tell us. Hopefully it will give away a hint to his location.”

  “Ok well if anything some of these photos were taken in new locations for Thaddeus so we could try adding the locations to the map. It may help with the geographical profile.”

  “Yeah the geographical profile is a good idea Amy. At the moment it’s giving us a clear picture of what Thaddeus comfort zone and hunting ground is. But I’m not sure where to look for him to be staying. He seems to have had all bridges burned with old associates so our only hope at the moment is that the Superintendent and Perry find something at the prison. Because at the moment I cant see much else in that map.”

  “Have you heard back form them at all yet?”

  “No but I’ll go try again.”

  Jane stepped outside the house. She hated being back in there and she needed the fresh air to be able to breathe and think. She felt like she was clutching at straws trying to find a way to catch Thaddeus and they all kept falling apart when she reached for them. What Jane needed more than most was to hear from Perry. Jane rang through to his mobile and prayed to god that he answered this time. Thankfully god must have heard her prayers because he did.

  “Jane is everything ok? Are you safe? Is everything alright?”

  “Perry calm down it’s me that should be in a panic. Everything is fine here. I have just been worried about you. I have tried your mobile a couple of times and got no answer. Is everything ok there?”

  “Yeah I’m sorry I had put my phone on silent while we were in talking with the charming Kyle McManus and the dickhead James York. I didn’t mean to worry you. We have literally only just come out of the prison. We are heading back to the station now. Are you back there yet?”

  “No not yet we are just finishing packing up at the scene and then we will be heading back. Did you get any useful information there?”

  “Yeah the trip was definitely worth it. But we will fill you in when we get back to the station. How has your day gone have you gained anything useful from the new victim and crime scene?”

  “Yeah some things but we will share all information back at the station it will probably be easier.”

  “Ok well were probably make the drive in about an hour say.”

  “Ok Perry sees you soon drive safe.”

  “Will do babe and you be safe ok love you.”

  “Love you to.”

  With that Jane stepped off the phone and instantly felt safer and had a sense of calm about her. Perry was fine and had some information for her that would hopefully aid a break through in the case, as they were desperate for one. With the sense that it was all about to go tits up with the Superintendent possibly helping Thaddeus Jane felt like she needed some good news. Jane looked up from her mobile phone and across the field to where the crime scene was. The coroner Dave Berry had finished collecting the remains and had already left. Jane hoped that he would be in contact soon with some useful information.

  “Ok guys where are we with boxing up the rest of the photos? I have just spoken to Perry they got some information from the inmates at the prison that they went to talk to and they are now on their way back to the station now.”

  “Ok well were nearly done with the photos, say another fifteen minutes and were be ready to rock and roll. What did they say for the information that they got?”

  “Not a problem it will probably take them about an hour before they make it back to the station. As for the information they didn’t share on the phone. Perry s
aid they would fill us in when we all meet back at the station. The coroner has also finished collecting the body so we should hopefully get his initial analysis soon with confirmation of ID.”

  “Well that’s some good news. Did they ask for any details or updates on the case from our end?”

  “Yeah but I chose not to share any of this information over the phone either. I told them it would probably be easier back at the station. I was unsure what to say until I can talk with the Superintendent on our own. Plus Perry is going to freak when I tell him about all these stalking photos so that will be better done in person.”

  “That’s true. Ok I think we have got all the photos. What do we do about the rest of the crime scene?”

  “That’s for the crime scene technicians to look through. I’ll go relinquish the scene to them and I’ll get them to keep us updated with any new information. Then we should be ready to make a move back to the station. Where we can then start working through all the rest of the photos.”