ROAD TO NOWHERE : DCI MILLER 3: Another Manchester Crime Thriller With A Killer Twist

by Steven Suttie

  “Just after ten pm last night, neighbours on Blackpool Road contacted police, saying that a man, armed with a knife, could be seen at the living room window, holding Rebecca Knight hostage. It soon became clear that the knife wielding man was Peter Meyer, the man at the centre of a nationwide man hunt for the past three days, after he allegedly abducted, and killed Rebecca Knight’s husband, Jason. Armed Police Officers attended the scene here on this busy road in Bolton, and shot Peter Meyer twice, in a bid to disarm him and release Rebecca Knight. The gunshot injuries are not thought to be life threatening. Peter Meyer is receiving hospital treatment under armed guard at an un-named location. His victim, Rebecca Knight, escaped serious injury, but is said to be emotionally distraught following the incident, which comes just days after she became a widow. DCI Andrew Miller of Manchester City Police gave this brief statement from the scene, in the early hours of this morning.”

  “Obviously, it is a relief to all of us that Peter Meyer is in custody and that no harm came to his victim, Rebecca Knight. We don’t fully understand what he was doing there, or what he was trying to achieve – we’re all just very relieved that we managed to get Rebecca out of the house, physically unharmed. It’s been a very long, very stressful week, and we’re all just glad that it’s finally over now, and people can start trying to rebuild their lives, after a shocking case that has left everybody speechless. That’s all for today, thanks.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Maureen Birdsworth was giving the flat a quick dust. She was doing the wall unit, moving all the ornaments and picture frames and giving it a right good do. She was dusting the Argos carriage clock that she’d received for her redundancy present, the one that always made her say “miserable bastards,” when she realised the time. It was ten minutes to ten. “Sweet baby Jesus!” she said, not realising how late it was. Maureen wanted to get a move on, get this finished and make a brew, before she’d make the first of her daily phone calls to the social services. Just as she was thinking about it, the phone rang.

  Maureen put her duster down, and went off to the phone in the hallway.

  “Double five three nine.”

  “Mrs Birdsworth, good morning! It’s Morris, from Social Services.”

  Maureen was surprised. Morris had never phoned. None of the social folk had. It was always her that did the ringing up. There was a stunned silence, and it lasted for a second or two.

  “Oh, right well, I was, I mean… I’ll be phoning you up in a few minutes…”

  “Yes, well, that’s why I called you actually. Save you a job. The thing is…”

  “What?”

  “I just wanted to let you know that you won’t need to phone us about your problem again, not ever.”

  “Eh? What… you’ve…”

  “Oh yes, Mrs Birdsworth. Not only have we got a house, but it’s all decorated and carpeted, and the tenancy agreement is ready for you to sign. You can move in today!” The delight in Morris’ voice was unmistakable. Not only was he over-the-moon that he’d managed to get this family sorted out with an excellent outcome, it also meant that Mrs Birdsworth’s daily 10am and 4pm phone calls were finally coming to an end. Morris genuinely couldn’t be happier with the conclusion to this stressful, difficult case-file.

  “I can’t believe this. What can… who, where is it?”

  “It’s a brand new house, just been built. The paint dried over night. I’ve had my heart set on it for you for weeks. The call just came in yesterday afternoon!”

  “Oh my goodness me, I’m going to need a sit down. God. I can’t take this in. Well, where is it?”

  “It’s just out of the area, in Rochdale.”

  “Oh my giddy-Aunt, this is amazing. This is… God, I can’t speak! Where do I have to go and sign the tenancy agreement?”

  “Just come down stairs, I’m waiting for you at the front door, ready to drive you over there for a look around. I’ve hired a mini-bus.”

  “Oh get out! Morris! You shouldn’t have! I mean this is just… it’s amazing! Thank you so much, I honestly… I can’t breathe! Why have you hired a minibus, though?”

  “Kids, say hi to your Gran.”

  “Hiya Granny!” shouted the four grandchildren into Morris’ mobile phone. Then a loud cheer went up, followed by lots of laughter.

  “Hurry up then, Mrs Birdsworth, let’s get cracking! We haven’t got all day!”

  Tears of joy were rolling down Maureen Birdsworth’s face, as she locked up her flat and pressed for the lift. This day had been a long time in coming, and at times, she really worried that it never would.

  “Granny!” shouted the Grand-kids as they ran and cuddled Maureen, almost knocking her off her feet as she came out of the main doors of Ian Curtis Court. She was too emotional to shout at them for being so rough with her.

  “Simmer down, God’s sake. You nearly had my hip out then you daft beggars!”

  “Yeah!” cheered the Grand-kids as Morris stood by the minibus laughing.

  It was a great day.

  Epilogue

  Peter Meyer suffered the worst dead arm that is humanly imaginable. The two shots that were fired to disarm him did the trick, and whilst the skillfully targeted ballistic injuries weren’t life-threatening, they were certainly painful, and caused quite extensive muscle, nerve and tissue damage. He was rushed to hospital for x-rays, and treatment for the gun shot wounds, under heavy sedation and under the watchful gaze of armed police officers at his bedside.

  Two days after being admitted to hospital, Meyer was discharged, and taken into police custody. He was taken to Salford police station to be questioned regarding a number of charges, including; Sergeant Knight’s kidnap, unlawful imprisonment, torture and murder.

  Melanie Meyer had been allowed to visit her husband in the hospital, but there was no conversation. The heavy sedation he was under made a conversation impossible. He looked absolutely gutted when he glanced at her, and he struggled to speak. The hospital staff said that the medication he was on was to blame, but Mel felt that it was much more than that. Mel had been allowed to leave him a copy of the newspaper that listed Sergeant Knight’s crimes, and also showed photographs of Mel’s press conference, where she was begging for Pete to give himself up.

  But one way or another, Peter Meyer just wasn’t with it. He’d suffered some kind of a catastrophic mental breakdown. After the tranquilizing drugs had been withdrawn, once Meyer was safely inside the police station custody suite, it quickly became apparent that he was extremely poorly. At first, he was shouting things that hardly made any sense, as he ran at the walls, relentlessly head-butting, and kicking and punching the cell walls. He was ripping open his wounds with his bare hands, before once again running, relentlessly against the walls and the solid, steel door of the cell. He was pulling at his head with his fingers, as though he was trying to pull his own head off his shoulders. There was no respite, no calm periods, Meyer just continued to bounce himself off the walls, seemingly oblivious to the physical pain, and the damage that he was causing himself.

  It didn’t take long for the Custody Sergeant to recognise that this was a high-risk inmate. The Salford Division’s Chief Inspector had been alerted and became extremely concerned for Meyer’s welfare, and they called in their doctor, who quickly handed it up to Mental Health. A psychiatrist was called, and Peter Meyer was duly assessed via the CCTV footage at the police station, and advice was given to MCP that the detainee required a section 37 hospital order, for his own safety.

  The section 37 order remains in place. It means that Peter Meyer is detained indefinitely under the Mental Health Act.

  Peter Meyer still hasn’t stood trial for the crimes that he committed against Jason Knight, and Rebecca Knight. He is presently a full-time patient at Ashworth Secure Hospital on Merseyside. Melanie Meyer visits him most weeks, but he is no-longer the man that he was. She is trying her best to come to terms with everything, and to rebuild her life, for the children’s sake.

 
; Rebecca Knight has moved away from Blackpool Road, and is starting a new life with the children. She is trying to accept the revelations about her husband. But she still can’t quite believe that Jason was capable of those despicable things. She can’t accept that she had no idea, no suspicion, no intuition that he was seeing other women. She can’t work out how she could have missed that, especially when the reports suggest there were dozens of them. She just can’t get her head around any of it.

  Rebecca is taking it one day at a time. She is personally delighted that Peter Meyer was not killed on that long, terrifying night in her living room. She prefers to think of the bastard suffering, every morning, through to every night. In her eyes, Meyer is a coward, and deserves everything that he gets.

  Although she realises that she needs to stop blaming everything on Peter Meyer. Rebecca is finding that particular aspect very difficult.

  DCI Miller continues to take the glory for the positive results that are normally thanks to DI Saunders. The successful contribution that Miller and co made to this extraordinary case resulted in very positive news. Under the continued leadership of ACC Clydesdale, Miller’s department recently received funding for a new staff member to join the SCIU. Upon hearing this news, Miller contacted DS Talbot in Lancashire, to see if she might be interested in joining the team. She hasn’t returned his call.

  Maureen Birdsworth is delighted with the new house, and the kids have settled in well, starting a new life, with a fresh start. The new school for Britney, Noel and Shania is just around the corner. Liam has started at college, and he’s hoping to do well enough in his foundation studies to get a decent apprenticeship in motor mechanics.

  Rachel is still getting on with her hairdressing, and is feeling a lot better now that her mum isn’t looking so sad all of the time, or trying to blag a re-trial. The move to an open prison is said to be imminent, and Rachel is concerned that it might wreck her hairdressing qualification. Prison Officer Sandra Jones has promised that she’ll sort something out.

  Mick is just keeping his head down in Strangeways prison, and doing his time quietly. He writes to Rachel twice a week, and the couple have plenty to write to one another about these days. They’ve decided that as soon as they get out, they’re going to get married. No ifs, no buts. Finally, they’re just going to get on and do it, and put all this shit behind them once and for all.

  THE END