by Taylor Leon
I knew she couldn’t see Desiree, only me.
‘I heard you talking,’ she said. ‘Is Desiree here?’
Desiree looked at me and nodded.
‘Yes, she is.’
‘Tell her I miss her,’ Victoria said. ‘And I’m so sorry Edgar couldn’t release her.’
I looked back at Desiree, and her face was only partially lit up under the moon, but enough that I could see she was getting teary.
‘She heard you,’ I told Victoria.
****
The next morning when I came down, Victoria and Edgar were already up and sitting outside on a small bench a few yards behind the cottage. Sampson was running around in the distance.
The sky was a beautiful bright blue, and although it was a little cold, the fresh coastal air was invigorating.
‘Good morning,’ Victoria said, rising when she saw me. ‘I hope you didn’t mind us letting Sampson have a run around. You sit with Edgar for a bit, while I make breakfast.’
She walked past me to go back inside, while I went and sat down on the bench. Edgar was wrapped up in a long coat and grey woolly hat and was watching Sampson.
‘I used to have a dog once,’ he said softly. ‘Neo. I do miss him.’
I nodded in appreciation. ‘I don’t know how I would get through some days if it wasn’t for Sampson.’
‘But Victoria tells me that you have a family.’
‘I do.’
‘Are you close to them?’
‘No, not at all. My sister lives in Spain with her husband and their kids, and my brother is God-alone-knows-where.’
‘What about your father?’
‘He’s around,’ I conceded.
‘I understand he was a police officer like yourself.’
‘You’ve done your homework,’ I said. ‘But before you ask, no, I didn’t join the police so I could be like my him.’
Edgar smiled. ‘You joined the police because of what happened to your mother. It’s the same reason you joined The Coven. Edward Cryle killed your mother,’ he said. ‘You hope you will find him one day and through The Coven, exact your revenge. I’m sure if he could, your father would do the same.’
‘Probably.’
‘Do you blame your father for what happened to your mother?’
‘What makes you ask that?’
‘Your reaction when I mentioned him. Your father put Edward Cryle in jail, whose subsequent escape and attack inside your home was revenge against him.’
I studied the old man’s lined face and wondered how much he knew about me. Was I underestimating or overestimating his power?
‘The night Mum was killed,’ I started saying. ‘Rachel was away at Uni…Toby was asleep…and Dad…’ I shook my head. I couldn’t say it out loud. It was my father’s grubby secret.
Edgar understood and didn’t press me. Instead he said. ‘I know you are travelling back to London today. I hope you will use that time to think carefully about the things we discussed last night.’
‘I will.’
‘Victoria told me you saw Desiree last night, after I went to bed.’
‘I could see her and hear her. She tried to touch me at one point but her hand just went through me.’
Edgar looked away into the distance. ‘Soon you will be able to feel her as well. That will be the first sign that the spirits can leave purgatory and cross over into other worlds.’ He turned to face me with a wry smile. ‘It will also mean I’m dead.’
33
THE CALL CAME from Wills when I was halfway back to London. Arnie and Cade didn’t have the bottle to call me, and Vranch still thought I had it in for him.
Poor Wills, everybody’s favourite lackey.
My brain shut-down for the rest of the journey after I was re-directed to a forest just outside the M25. When I got there, everything appeared to be in slow motion. I stepped out of the car at the end of the beaten track, right in the middle of the dense woodland. There were a lot of uniformed police standing by the cars, and further away I could see the forensic team combing the surrounding area.
I climbed out, praying the message I had received was wrong, but knowing that it wasn’t. Cade was there with Vranch and they both saw me at the same time. Vranch stepped away, but Cade held out his arms, and mouthed something like, ‘I’m so sorry.’
At least, that’s what I think he said.
I walked straight past him and pushed my way through the small crowd that was standing around the body.
Oriane was barely recognisable, her body was a bloody pulp. I couldn’t even hazard a guess at the number of stab wounds. Whoever killed her, did so with unrestrained anger, as though he hated this girl and hated human nature.
The pathologist Barney Leaves, was kneeling over her, while his assistant was close-by taking photos.
‘How long?’ I choked, struggling to stay upright. ‘How long has she been dead for?’
Barney looked up at me, grim-faced. He knew the implication of his answer.
‘Based on the level of decay, I’d say anything between thirty-six and forty-eight hours.’
‘We believe the last person she spoke to was a friend the night before last,’ Cade said.
‘Patricia O’Hearne,’ Vranch added, and when I turned, I saw he was reading from his notes. ‘She called the police yesterday, worried because Oriane wasn’t answering any calls.’
I turned back, as Barney reached over and lifted the girl’s wrist. The coat sleeve and jumper underneath had both been yanked up. The number “4” had been crudely carved into her flesh.
I pushed my way back through whoever was behind me. Maybe Cade, maybe Vranch. I wasn’t even looking. I staggered away and fell against the side of my car. I slid down and without warning, threw up violently. On and on it went until my stomach was wheezily pumping up stinking air, and my insides were spasming in pain. The rear wheel was covered in my sick, which rolled down and formed a small pool on the ground inches from my face. The smell was enough to keep me dry retching for a little while longer.
I sensed someone standing over me and looked up to see Cade holding out a tissue. I took it from him and started wiping the wetness from my mouth and chin as I unsteadily rose back up.
‘I’m sorry about that,’ I whispered to him, and looked down at the mess I’d made. Behind him, I saw Vranch and the forensics team spread out around the body.
‘Why don’t you head back to the station and get cleaned up?’ Cade said. ‘George and I will follow in a few minutes. Arnie wants to brief us all in a couple of hours.’
‘This couldn’t have been Marcus Simms,’ I whispered.
‘I know,’ he said.
Without another word, I climbed into my car. I looked out and saw a dozen pair of eyes watching me. I could imagine what they were thinking. A woman cop, affected by the sight of a dead body. They had no idea about everything I’d seen in my short life. The death itself wasn’t what had got to me. It was the fact that I was as helpless as everyone else. I became a police-officer to protect people, I joined The Coven to provide justice and I was failing on both counts. Amy Harper had died while Frankie watched and described it to me and now Oriane, who I’d interviewed just a few short days ago, was dead as well.
I drove around aimlessly for an hour, too upset to see anyone or go anywhere. I also didn’t want Arnie to think that I felt vindicated because now we knew for sure that Marcus Simms was not the only “number killer”.
I’d much rather have been wrong. This was no victory.
At the station, I stood in the white and black tiled bathroom, watching myself in the mirror as I washed my face repeatedly with cold water. Some female colleagues came in, but they virtually ignored me with no more than a per functionary, “Hello.” I knew I was the hot topic of conversation outside. The police woman, who was taken off the case because she insisted there was more than one killer, had been proven right.
I glanced at my watch. Arnie would have started the briefing and I was late.
I splashed water onto my face for a final time and then headed out into the open plan office.
Arnie was standing at the far end, next to a white-board. He had made sure he had his jacket on and his navy tie pulled all the way up. Smartness exuded confidence, and God knows we were all going to need that now. The rest of the team had believed that we were dealing with a single killer. Now, with the death of Oriane Law, that hope had been blown apart.
Arnie was in full flow, pointing to the board where he’d lined up head-shots of the victims in numerical order.
Melissa Fairweather
Jennifer Brooks
Elias James
Oriane Law
Amy Harper
Underneath those he had the CCTV pictures of the man who had carried out the failed attack on Oriane days earlier.
‘…we need to find this man,’ he was saying, pointing at the photo.
He stuttered when he saw me come in and stand at the back of the room. Everyone briefly turned in my direction, including Cade and Vranch who were sitting on the edge of a desk on Arnie’s right.
Arnie regained his composure quickly. ‘We got the results back this morning from the fabric and blood Erin took from the scene after Orinae was attacked the first time. I’m afraid it doesn’t match anything in our system. Wills and Max I want you to go back there and conduct door to door interviews with the locals. John and George I want you to go back to Oriane’s home. As far as we know, her friend Miss O’Hearne was the last person to speak with her. We believe that was when Oriane was about to go through her front door into her home. Did she make it inside? Did she come out again that night or the next day? Also, we have the name of the taxi-driver who brought her home from Miss O’Hearne’s flat. Make sure you go to town on him.’
He paused for breath, looking around to see if there were any questions. There weren’t.
‘So, there’s a second killer out there, who might well have been working with Marcus Simms…’
‘Three,’ I called out.
Arnie stopped and looked over at me. ‘Excuse me?’
‘There are three killers,’ I said, stepping forward, feeling everyone’s eyes on me. ‘It’s why the murders are all taking place within such a short space of time and it’s why the methods vary. Marcus Simms beats Melissa Fairweather to death. The second killer strangles his victims Jennifer Brooks and Amy Harper. The third killer stabs his victims Elias James and Oriane Law.’
I walked to the front and stood next to the white board. ‘They’re being managed,’ I whispered, thinking aloud.
I turned to face the room. ‘Someone is giving them the names and the numbers. The three killers have been sent out to despatch their targets. Because there are three involved, the victims are not necessarily being killed sequentially. The questions we should be asking are, why three killers, and how are the victims selected?’
I turned to Cade. ‘We linked the first two victims to Keith Hargreaves, any more on him?’
Cade shook his head. ‘DNA results came back negative. Also, there was nothing to connect him to the third victim, Elias James.’
Arnie stepped forward to wrestle back control of the meeting. ‘Let’s get out there, people. I want daily briefings please.’
Everyone stood up to go. Arnie asked me to stay behind and motioned for Cade and Vranch to do the same.
‘I want you back in on this,’ he said to me after the room had cleared. He placed a hand on my upper arm, and I knew this was as close as I would ever get to an apology.
He looked over my shoulder at Cade and Vranch. ‘While you two are out, I want Erin to go through Marcus Simms’s belongings. Specifically, his phone and lap-top which Indira has downstairs. Erin, if you are right and there are multiple killers working together, then they must be communicating with one another.’
‘I’m on it,’ I said.
A half-smile from Arnie and then he was gone.
I turned to go and see Indira, when I heard Cade over my shoulder say to Vranch. ‘You wait in the car, I’ll be out in a moment.’
Then, the inevitable. ‘Erin, wait.’
34
‘I AM GLAD you’re back on board,’ Cade said as we walked down the corridor side-by-side. ‘And about the other night…’
I stopped and turned to face him. ‘You know John, you were right. Your personal life is your business.’
‘So, are we good?’
I shrugged and carried on walking. He reached out and pulled me back. ‘Look, if I do transfer out, then I don’t want to leave on bad terms with anyone.’
I pushed him off and continued through the double doors.
‘So, you are leaving?’ I called back over my shoulder, as we went down the stairs.
‘Don’t tell anyone,’ he said as he caught up with me. ‘I haven’t even discussed it with Arnie yet, but I have to make the move if I want to be near my son.’
‘I’m sure it’s the right decision.’
‘What is wrong with you, Erin?’ he asked abruptly, as we hit the first-floor corridor.
I turned back to see he had stopped and was standing there staring at me.
‘It’s this case-’ I said.
‘I don’t believe you,’ he said and closed the gap between us. ‘I thought we went through all this crap the other night.’
He backed me up against the wall. There was an energy coming from him. It was as though he was willing me to tell him how I felt, demanding I let my guard down in a way I had never done for any man. But he was still my partner, and I had to keep my professional and personal lives separate. Things were complicated enough juggling my police work and The Coven. This would only add another horrible complication.
His arm went up against the wall and I was trapped.
‘Tell me,’ he goaded softly now. ‘What is going on inside your head?’
‘Nothing,’ I said weakly.
‘Nothing,’ he repeated. ‘Really?’
‘Really.’
‘It’s just about the case?’
‘Only the case.’
He stared at me hard, waiting to see if I would change my answer. I had to bite my tongue to restrain myself.
He dropped his arm. ‘That’s it then,’ he said stepping back, and I peeled myself off the wall.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, until we reached a small pokey office where we found Indira working on the late Marcus Simms’s laptop. A pretty woman, she’d been with us for a couple of years and was our resident IT guru. She glanced up as we came in and held up Marcus Sims’s smartphone, which was sealed in a small evidence bag.
‘DCI Shenker said you were on your way down,’ she said. ‘This is Marcus Simms’s phone. I’ve taken a list of the contacts and numbers and forwarded them to Vranch. There’s not much there though. All his recent calls and photos have been wiped clean. I mean, properly clean.’
‘What about the laptop?’ I asked.
She replaced the phone on the table and started to type as she answered. ‘Now that might be more interesting. Have a look at this.’
We went and stood on either side of her so we could both see the small screen. A yellow square in the centre was asking for a user name and password.
‘What is that?’ Cade asked.
‘It’s called PLAYTIME, but I don’t know what it does. It’s the only part of the computer I haven’t been able to access so far. I’ve connected it to my machine and ran a special program to gain entry.’
‘One step forward, two steps back,’ Cade said.
‘Patience, John,’ she replied tersely.
Cade started to say something, but stopped himself. Instead he walked back round to the open door. ‘I have Vranch waiting for me outside.’
‘What’s the matter with him?’ Indira asked after he’d gone.
‘Time of the month,’ I smiled.
She laughed. It was a male chauvinistic culture when we’d both joined, although in fairness it had got better in recent years.
&nbs
p; ‘I’m glad you said that,’ she replied.
I rolled my eyes at her. ‘I’ll be one minute,’ I said and followed Cade outside.
We were the only two in the corridor, and I knew the three offices on our right were unoccupied.
‘John!’ I shouted after him.
He was by the double doors, leading to the stairs. He turned to face me, hands thrust deep into his pockets, his handsome face twitching in…what? Anger? Frustration?
‘You didn’t need to take it out on her,’ I said to him.
‘Take what out on her?’
‘Us.’
He laughed. ‘Us? What does that mean? There’s no “us”. We’ve been partners for five minutes. Look, I like you Erin, and God knows you are a good detective, but I’m leaving soon and you’ll get a new partner, and life will move on. Let’s not get silly or sentimental about this, okay? I meant what I said before. I want to leave here on good terms with everyone.’
I swallowed hard, trying not show any emotional reaction. He paused to see if I was going to add anything and when I didn’t he turned and headed through the doors.
I watched him through the glass as he went upstairs. I was so wrapped up in self-pity that at first I didn’t hear Indira calling out behind me. She was leaning out of her doorway. If she had heard what Cade and I had said to one another then it didn’t show on her face.
‘I’ve got into PLAYTIME,’ she said with a grin.
Suddenly my row with Cade dropped a rung on my list of priorities.
I started walking back towards her. ‘And what is PLAYTIME?’
‘Oh, you are going to want to see this,’ she said.
35
INDIRA PULLED UP a chair so I could sit next to her.
The laptop screen showed a table. A list of names, and then columns titled, “Targets,” and “Points.” Top of the table was FRIGHT-NIGHT with 5 points from 2 targets, then THE CHAMELEON also with 5 points from 2 targets. Third was BABYFACE, who had recorded 1 target, and 3 points.
‘Christ, it’s a league table,’ I whispered.
‘And you were right, Marcus Simms wasn’t acting alone.’
