Jane tried to push them thoughts to the side as herself and Amy walked back into the station. They were confronted with the sight of Eric standing in the middle of the room twisting and turning his head in different directions while staring at the wall of photos he had made.
“Everything ok Eric?”
“Yeah I just think I am going mad from staring at these photos for too long. I can see that Thaddeus has put a mark on some of the photo’s I have been trying to see the pattern in it. But I have no idea why and I am starting to see the marks everywhere. Do you see what I mean?”
“Let’s have a look.”
Jane tried not to roll her eyes at Eric as if to say he probably has gone mad from all the stress. But as soon as Jane herself looked at the completed photo wall she could see the marks that Eric had spoken about. On several of the photos spread around the wall were red dots. And each of these dots featured on a photo where Jane appeared by herself. Like Eric Jane stood there and stared at the photo wall, twisting and turning her head from side to side, but still no pattern emerged from the jumble of dots. Frustratingly it was an obvious clue from Thaddeus but once again Jane could not interpret its meaning. Jane was really beginning to believe that Thaddeus had over estimated how clever she was. Jane decided the marks might become clearer if she marked them down on a separate piece of paper where the dots were in comparison to each other. Eric and Amy had drifted off by this point to go get coffee and to have a look at the CCTV footage that Ian and Perry had dropped back. Jane heard Amy place a cup of coffee down by the desk where Jane was standing but she could not pull her focus away from the dots on the photos. Jane knew there was a meaning in there; Thaddeus was trying to tell her something she just had to learn to read it. Jane completed tracing the dots onto a piece of paper and all Jane was reminded of was the dot to dots she used to do as a child. But these ones didn’t have numbers for an order to connect them. Or did they. Jane looked back at the photo wall and numbered the dots in correspondence to the order in which they appeared on the photos. Once Jane had her numbers she connected the dots in the order that presented itself. Jane was relieved to see that with the lines she drew the picture had actually begun to make sense. Jane found herself looking at what she believed to be a star constellation. And Jane had a funny feeling Thaddeus had already given her the name of it. The Andromeda. Jane went to her computer and used a search engine for Andromeda to see if she could confirm her theory with an image. What Jane was hoping not to have to see was all the translations of what the constellation Andromeda meant. But she could not help herself but read the story that led to the name. It was in reference to part of Greek mythology. Andromeda was the daughter of Cassiopeia who bragged of her daughters divine beauty. Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter’s beauty out weighed that of even Poseidon’s Nereids, sea nymphs. Poseidon who was enraged by such a boast, and influenced by that of Hades, sent a sea monster Cetus to seek revenge. Andromeda was stripped and chained to a rock as a sacrifice to Cetus. But she prevailed as Perseus saved her from death. Jane hoped that this was not a hint as to what Thaddeus had planned for her. As much as she believed and hoped that Perry would be her Perseus she did not want to test the theory. Finally Jane came across what she had been looking for in the first place. An image of the star constellation itself. Jane matched up the points from which she had drawn to the ones that were showing on her computer screen. Her first theory on the constellation had been confirmed. The image that she had drawn and the one now showing on her computer screen were one and the same thing. Thaddeus had given her the star constellation Andromeda once again.
“Hey guys I have worked out what the red dots on the photos mean.”
“Really what were they?”
“Pointers to a star constellation. Andromeda.”
“Wait wasn’t that the name of the constellation that Thaddeus called you. His Andromeda of the stars?”
“Yeah it was I know what the dots mean but not what Thaddeus is trying to tell me with the star constellation. On that note I am stumped I have no idea.”
“Well keep working on it you will get it. You did better than me to get that far. All I could see were little red dots. Your get it Boss don’t worry.”
“Thanks Eric.”
Jane sat back at her desk and continued to stare at the crude drawing she had done. The thoughts and fears, the implications were all beginning to boil in her brain. Eric had wandered off to continue with his efforts but Amy had stayed at Jane’s side. Like always she could tell there was more on Jane’s mind than she had said previously.
“Jane what else is bothering you?”
“I fear that Thaddeus is giving more away with the name of the constellation. I believe he has given it to me to create fear within my very being. Do you know anything of the Greek mythology that lies behind the name Andromeda?”
“I don’t really know much on the subject as to how the name came about. All I know is that Andromeda is in reference to the chained woman.”
“That is the English translation of it yes. The Greek mythology behind it is in reference to the daughter Andromeda of Cassiopeia who boasted of her beauty and angered Poseidon. He arranged for Andromeda to be sacrificed to a sea monster Cetus. She was stripped naked and chained to a rock to be eaten. Perseus saved her before death but I fear Thaddeus has the same plan for me. To strip me and chain me again but this time not let my own Perseus save me.”
“Do not panic yourself Jane. Perry is your Perseus but he will not allow you to come that close to danger again that you need saving. He will keep you safe. We all will.”
“Thanks Amy. I have a strong front for the most part. But the thought of ever being backed chained against my will again with no control, it sends an uncontrollable panic bubbling through my veins.”
“I know Jane and that is understandable after what you have been through. But you need to remember Thaddeus taunts you with these details because he likes to get inside your head. So don’t let him in.”
“Your right. Did you find anything with the CCTV footage from the new kidnap scene?”
“Yeah same sort of incident as last time. The victim Lucy Wilson came out with her shopping and was then approached by Thaddeus. An exchange of words takes place and then he once again gets in the driver’s side. She takes her seat in the passenger side and off they go. Once again no fuss, no noise, nothing to show anyone on the outside that there is anything wrong with that situation.”
“Ok what about her car?”
“Silver BMW with already tinted windows that the husband has reported is still missing from when his wife was taken.”
“Ok put an APB out on the vehicle sees if that turns anything up. I doubt Thaddeus will be silly enough to continue driving it now that we know who it belonged to. I’ll make a start on the properties surrounding Proctor and Gamble.”
“Ok what exactly are we looking for with these properties?”
“I’m not a hundred per cent sure. But were start by looking into the ownership titles of all the properties. We may get lucky and find someone with a link back to Thaddeus.”
“Ok somewhere to start at least. I’ll pull up all the names of Thaddeus associates and friends of the associates so we have a list of names to compare against.”
“Ok that’s great Eric. Let’s make a start. Hopefully Ian and Perry will be back soon as well.”
Jane sat back down at her desk she did have another idea but she did not want to disclose it with anyone else as of yet. Jane’s plan was to see if any of the original known whereabouts of Thaddeus matched up with the points of the constellation. Jane hoped that it would all apart from one point. And that last point would be the location of Thaddeus. The hint from James York had given Jane the idea. Jane’s only hope to be smart enough to see through the stars. Jane’s first part of her plan was to print off a new copy of a map of the area so she could mark and see the locations she needed more clearly. Jane did also pull up the property list from around Proctor a
nd Gamble, as it was most likely going to be one of them. Jane marked the locations on her map that she thought would mean the most to Thaddeus. Jane really hoped that this was the message that Thaddeus was sending her, a way to find him. As Jane had engrossed herself so much in her task it was a relief to hear Perry and Ian walk back through the station door. The suspect, Micky Hampston, whom they had picked up, was creating a rather grand spectacle. Perry and Ian were pretty much dragging him and threw into the station. They quickly chucked him into an interrogation room and hand cuffed him to the table and chair in there. Jane rapidly covered the map and all the work she had been doing on the star constellation and seeing if it corresponded to a location of Thaddeus. She wasn’t ready to share that one with anybody yet.
“Well he is happy to be here I see. Did he cause you any trouble?”
“Yeah he was thrilled when we turned up banging on his door. He did have quite a lot of explosive material in the house that the bomb disposal unit has now confiscated and destroyed. It’s what put him in his oh so charming mood. But other than that no trouble at all.”
“Good, good. Well seen as you two bought him in why don’t I leave you with the pleasure of questioning him. Your little reward. Make the little rat squirm until he tells us what we want to know.”
“With pleasure.”
Ian and Perry exchanged an excited look. Both of them were obviously eager to get in and interrogate Micky Hampston for any knowledge he may hold on the whereabouts of Thaddeus. They set about their task with an added rigour that gave the rest of the team some hope that this would be the break in the case that they needed. Amy and Eric went back to looking through the bits of paper Eric had printed off for all the associates. Jane felt safe to go back to the work she was doing without having to tell anyone about it. Jane pulled out her new map with the locations marked on that she thought would hold reverence for Thaddeus. Over the top Jane placed a piece of tracing paper with the star constellation Andromeda drawn on. Like Jane thought the points of the star constellation and that of Thaddeus all lined up except one. A point that wasn’t even on the original map that they had started. This was a new place, a new building. This was it. Jane could feel it. This was the key. She had seen through the stars and she had found him. Jane knew exactly where Thaddeus was hiding and she was going for him. Alone…
Chapter 19
Jane looked up from her desk. Amy and Eric were still engrossed in their task. Each person within the team all believed that they held the key to finding Thaddeus. With Ian and Perry still interviewing the suspect Micky Hampston in the interrogation room, hoping that he could reveal the location of Thaddeus hide out, now was the time. It was the best time and shot that Jane was going to get to sneak out. She had found Thaddeus location and she did not want to put any members of her team at risk. They had already lost too many people. This was between her and Thaddeus. Jane was going to end it one way or the other. Without saying a word Jane got up from her desk, as quickly and quietly as she could, she walked out the front door of the station. Jane thought she would feel more panicked at that moment. It was the first time since Thaddeus escape that she had gone anywhere on her own. Jane could not stop and stare at the wonder of feeling free, of feeling like a strong, capable, independent woman again for too long. She needed to move it wouldn’t be long before one of them noticed that she was missing. Considering the fact that Jane was plotting to go after Thaddeus. The incontrollable fear that she normally felt was not there. But for the first time it was because Jane was not the one being hunted. She was going for him. Jane felt in control and was therefore in control of her emotions. She had managed to make it into a car and pull away from the station without creating too much of a scene or drawing too much attention to herself.
Jane’s nerves were a little more shot by the time she made it to the building that was located on her map. Jane knew what lay ahead for her in that warehouse. Jane just hoped that she still had the element of surprise. Jane decided to be brass and walk through the front door. She wanted to show Thaddeus the least amount of fear as possible, and to keep as much control on her side that she could. Jane chose not to be quiet about her entrance she swung the door open as wide on its hinges as it could go and slammed it just as fast and loud close behind her. She walked in with as much bravado and self-confidence as she could muster. She did have her flashlight and side arm drawn and aimed ready to shoot if Thaddeus made one wrong move. Jane began to survey the room she was standing in, trying to take in a much of the details as possible. Jane wanted to know where and how many exits there were around her. Just in case she did need to make a quick run for it. She also counted how many rooms led of the large one that she was standing in, as well of making note of the stairs that led to a mezzanine style floor above the expansive space she was standing in. The silence and tension that was filling the air was beginning to make breathing harder. You could have heard a pin drop. It was bad enough that all Jane could hear was the beating of her rapid heart pace. The only light Jane had to take in the details of the room was coming from the small beam emitting from her flashlight. The dark was not doing Jane’s senses any good either. It was making every nerve tingle with anticipation and every hair stand on end with fear. Jane thought she heard some movement off to her left so she quickly span and shined her light in the direction but saw nothing. This was Jane’s control going out of the window. Her false bravado and confidence was dwindling to nothing and here she was left alone standing in the middle of the room about to play Thaddeus last game. Jane pulled in a deep breathe and tried to steady her nerves so that her voice commanded as much authority as possible for what she was about to do.
“Thaddeus.”
Jane called his name and waited for a response. Once again Jane heard a noise of in the distance but this time she held her position. She would not jump at every move he made. She had his attention now and now was the time to take back some control and power. Jane was going to play. She was ready.
“Thaddeus I know you’re in here. I can smell the cheap stench of your aftershave your wearing. But I can tell you its not working to cover up the smell of you being someone’s prison bitch. Don’t tell me the first time you dropped the soap by accident. Please we both know you were just trying to cure yourself of your sexual orientation. Being straight no longer doing it for you. Tell me has it worked. Your attempt to cure Valerie didn’t do it now did it? But anyway I didn’t come here to discuss the mundane details of your prison life. You invited me here. You gave me the clues I needed if I was only smart enough to see through the stars. So I’m here Thaddeus. Now are you going to come out and play?”
“You know it’s really not a good idea to antagonise the mad man.”
Jane had to try and control every muscle in her body from repulsing, flinching and jumping. Thaddeus had managed to move himself through the dark quickly and quietly so he was standing right next to Jane on her left. She could feel his breath on her neck. Jane turned her body and took a step back. She bought her flashlight up to shine into the face of Thaddeus to show him no fear.
“Oh Thaddeus your not a mad man. You have every clue about what you do. Your problem is you just don’t care. You’re a sociopath.”
“Your right I don’t care about the pain and suffering I cause. I have no, now what do you call it, empathy.”
Thaddeus said the last word as though it was something disgusting, something beneath him, something that only a lower life form would ever feel.
“You know it just brings me to much pleasure. Gives me too much excitement to plot and plan and see the fear spread through my victims. You know that’s why I started removing the eyelids. Too many people shut their eyes when confronted with things that they are scared of. It makes no difference to what I do if you can see me doing it or not but it does ruin my fun. You see they do say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. It’s where you really see the fear take hold. So the eyelids had to go. And now it’s your turn to see what I have planned fo
r you. I wonder if you were smart enough to guess?”
“Let me guess does it have anything to do with a giant rock and chains?”
“Very good Jane you really are excelling with excellence.”
With that Thaddeus flicked the lights on and Jane could see the whole scene that he had prepared for her in its entire enormity. Jane could feel they eyes of Thaddeus watching her waiting to see the panic build in her eyes. But Jane was determined to stay in control. She swallowed back the fear and the bile and continued to look around as calm as she could manage. Right in the centre of the room was a gigantic rock with four chains that Thaddeus had drilled and bolted in. One handcuffed chain for each wrist and ankle. Again around all the room were more surveillance photos of Jane. On every wall and even scattered across the floor, it was overwhelming in mass.
The Escape (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 2) Page 19
