by Alex Pine
He did it with the help of the uniformed officer, and once the victim was on his back, they saw the blood that stained the front of his coat and the flattened snow beneath him.
But the sight of the man’s face came as a bigger shock to James.
He let out an involuntary gasp when he saw that the killer’s latest victim was none other than Daniel Curtis.
It took them a few minutes to establish certain facts.
Daniel Curtis had been stabbed twice in the stomach. He’d bled profusely and had almost certainly died very quickly.
The attack had taken place barely twenty-five yards from his father’s bungalow. In his coat pocket they found his mobile phone, which was password-protected, and his wallet. Stuffed loosely in the wallet was a receipt for drinks at The King’s Head dated the previous evening.
‘My guess is he was walking home from the pub when he was attacked,’ James said. ‘It would have happened on the pavement and he either fell or was pushed over the wall. Any footprints the killer might have left have been erased by the snow.’
‘So, it’s possible he was followed from the pub.’ Abbott said. ‘And this was the perfect place to strike. The garden centre on one side of the road and an open field on the other. And the snow would have helped conceal his actions.’
James nodded in agreement. ‘We need to summon forensics and the pathologist right away. But by the time they get here, if they can get here, our victim could be under a foot of snow.’
‘Plus, the scene has already been seriously contaminated by the weather and us trampling all over it,’ Abbott said.
It was the uniform who was thinking on his feet and came up with a sound suggestion.
‘Mr Granger is bound to have some tarpaulin inside, or if not we can get a tent from the outdoor shop off the square.’
‘That’s a good idea,’ James said. ‘Tell him he’ll need to stay closed today and to keep this to himself for now, and find out who else works here. When you call the inspector, tell him he needs to protect this spot as discreetly as possible.’
James then returned to Abbott’s car to phone DCI Tanner, whose reaction was predictable.
‘This is the worst possible news,’ he said. ‘How bad do you think it will look when everyone knows that the killer struck while we were patrolling the village? It happened right under our fucking noses, for Christ’s sake.’
‘That’s not my number one concern at the moment, sir,’ James said, not caring if his words weren’t well received. ‘I just need to know how quickly you can send me backup and SOCOs.’
He heard Tanner take a breath before speaking again.
‘You’re right, of course,’ he said. ‘I’ll sort it and get back to you. Meanwhile ask DS Abbott to text or email the details over to me. I need to be ready when the media latches onto this.’
James instructed Abbott to forward the information to Tanner, including the victim’s identity and a photo of the body. He then pointed to the bungalow along the road.
‘After you’ve done that we’ll have to go and tell Ron Curtis that his only son is dead.’
CHAPTER SIXTY
It took a while for Ron to respond to the doorbell. When he did, he was wearing a robe over pyjamas and moaned that they had woken him up.
‘What is it you want now?’ he said. ‘It’s only just gone ten, and I was having a lie-in.’
‘We have to come in and speak to you, Mr Curtis,’ James said. ‘It’s about your son.’
‘If you just want to give him more grief you’ll have to come back later. He had a late night at the pub and I reckon he’s still spark out upstairs.’
‘We really do need to come in, sir,’ James insisted. ‘You see, Daniel isn’t upstairs because he didn’t return here last night.’
Ron’s face creased up. ‘How do you know? Has he been arrested or something?’
James felt the emotion grip his throat. He swallowed hard and said, ‘Daniel was the victim of a crime late last night, Mr Curtis. And it saddens me to have to tell you that he’s dead.’
The old man’s chest heaved suddenly, thirsty for oxygen.
‘That’s not p-possible,’ he stammered. ‘My Daniel’s in bed. He must be.’
James seized the initiative and stepped forward. He put an arm around Ron and eased him gently back into the hallway.
‘Let’s go inside and we’ll tell you what’s happened,’ he said, leaving Abbott to close the door behind them.
In the living room, James got Ron to sit down in his armchair before he gave him the details.
It took a minute or so for the man to process what he was being told. When he got there the shock began to vent itself through shoulder-wrenching sobs.
Over the next half an hour they managed to establish that Ron had last seen his son about eight o’clock the previous evening.
‘That was when I told him I was going to bed,’ Ron said. ‘I was dog-tired and bored watching the same old rubbish on the box. Daniel said he was going to pop along to the pub. I heard him go out and that was that.’
‘Did he often go to The King’s Head?’ James asked.
‘Not really. When he was here, he usually stayed in with me because he didn’t like it when people looked down their noses at him. But these last few days he’s been really down and anxious, for obvious reasons. He liked to drink and I don’t keep much in the house so he’s been out a couple of times to clear his head.’
Ron allowed them to go and look around Daniel’s room, but they found nothing of interest. He’d brought little with him for his Christmas stay with his father.
Back downstairs, James asked Ron if there was anyone they could contact who could come and be with him.
‘Janet,’ he blurted without hesitation. ‘Ask Janet to come over.’
When they left him, he was sobbing in the armchair, his face smeared with saliva and mucus from his nose and mouth.
They headed straight to Janet Dyer’s place and found that she was up and dressed, but nursing a hangover.
When James told her about Daniel, she blinked a couple of times, completely nonplussed.
‘Was he murdered like the others?’ she said. ‘Is that what happened to him?’
‘It’s too early to say for sure, Miss Dyer,’ James said. ‘His body has only just been found. The reason we’re here is that his father has naturally taken the news very badly. When I asked him if he would like someone to be with him, he said he wanted you.’
Janet pushed back her shoulders and gave a stiff nod.
‘That’s not a problem,’ she said. ‘I’m his carer so I’ll go over there right away.’
‘That’s great, Miss Dyer. Thank you. But first I’d like to check something with you. Daniel spent last evening drinking at The King’s Head. Were you also there, by any chance?’
She glared at him and shook her head. ‘I was here all by myself all night, Detective. I had only wine and gin for company. And if that’s not a convincing enough alibi then tough shit.’
James and DC Abbott made two stops on the way to The King’s Head. The first was at the church, where James told Father Silver that a murder had indeed been committed. The priest reacted by dipping his head and giving the sign of the cross.
‘I will pray for him, Detective Walker,’ he said. ‘And I’ll pray that you quickly find whoever was responsible.’
James got Abbott to stop outside his own home next.
‘You wait here while I go and break the news to my wife,’ he said. ‘She knew Daniel Curtis and I don’t want her to hear it from anyone else.’
Annie was having breakfast in the kitchen when James entered.
‘What’s happened?’ she said. ‘I can tell by your face that it’s something bad.’
Her eyes bulged when he told her, and her body started to shake.
‘Over the years I learned to hate the man,’ she said. ‘But I would never have wished something like this on him. You have to stop this happening, James. It can’t go on
.’
He wanted to stay with her but he said he couldn’t and she understood.
‘You just go out there and find the bastard who’s doing this,’ she said. ‘And don’t rest until you’ve got him.’
The King’s Head wasn’t yet open for business, but the landlady, Martha, was getting things ready for the lunchtime session, aided by two members of her staff.
She knew James, but was nevertheless obviously surprised to see him. He introduced DC Abbott and asked if they could ask her some questions.
Martha blinked warily, clearly nervous. ‘Please don’t tell me that something has happened to my husband. He’s supposed to be coming back from Manchester this morning and he’s not answering his phone. I’ve heard about the crash on the M6 and—’
‘This has nothing to do with your husband, Mrs Grooms,’ James said. ‘And I’m sure he’s fine. His phone is probably switched off or he’s driving and can’t answer it.’
She blew out a breath. ‘That’s a relief. Now, you can ask your questions here in the bar or we can go into the lounge area where it’s more comfortable.’
James opted for the lounge and seconds later the three of them were seated on sofas.
‘So how can I help you?’ Martha said.
James already had his notebook out and resting on his knee.
‘Firstly, were you working here in the bar last night?’ he asked her.
‘Yes, I was. And I was on my own because it was so quiet.’
‘It’s our understanding that Daniel Curtis was among your customers.’
‘That’s right. I served him myself. He got through about half a bottle of vodka, as I recall.’
‘And was he by himself?’
She nodded. ‘He sat at the table closest to the TV all evening. No one joined him, but then no one ever does when he comes in here.’
‘Is that because of his conviction in the past?’
‘Obviously. I know many villagers don’t think we should let him drink here, but my husband and I don’t believe it would be fair to stop him. It can sometimes cause friction, though. In fact, last night was a good example of how some people get wound up just being in the same room with him.’
‘What happened last night?’
She shrugged. ‘Well, nothing came of it, and luckily there were only a few people in the bar, but that cantankerous old sod Keith Patel was one of them. He was here when Daniel arrived about half eight. He’d had a fair amount to drink by then, and when Daniel stood next to him at the bar, he asked him in a really loud voice if he’d molested any young girls lately. To his credit, Daniel didn’t rise to it. He turned his back on Patel and returned to his seat.’
‘So, what happened next?’ James asked.
‘I could tell that Patel was up for making a nuisance of himself so I told him to go home and sober up,’ Martha said. ‘I think he realised he’d stepped over the line because he finished his beer and left without saying another word.’
‘And what about Daniel?’
‘He stayed put until closing time. He left as soon as I rang the bell.’
‘And can you recall if anyone followed him out the door?’
‘I know for sure that nobody did because there was only one other punter left in the bar and that was your Annie’s Uncle Bill. And he went out through the internal door to his room upstairs.’
James felt his heart move up a gear.
‘Bill was drinking here too?’ he said.
‘He came in for a quick pint when he got back from your house. He told me he had a lovely stew there. But after downing one pint he had a couple more.’
‘And did he interact with Daniel Curtis at all?’
She shook her head. ‘He sat at a table on the other side of the room and they didn’t speak to each other. I did see Bill giving Daniel black looks from time to time but he certainly didn’t cause any trouble. Now, are you going to tell me what this is all about?’
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
If Bill had been in his room James would have gone up to speak to him. But according to the landlady he’d left The King’s Head earlier without saying where he was going.
‘Is there anything I should know about your wife’s uncle, guv?’ DC Abbott asked when they were back in the car.
James had been expecting the question and felt obliged to answer it.
‘Bill knew Daniel Curtis years ago when they both lived here in Kirkby Abbey,’ James said. ‘So, like most people in the village, he considered Daniel a pariah. Since Bill came back here on Friday, to spend Christmas with us, his behaviour has been somewhat strange. It’s aroused a certain amount of suspicion. I’ve spoken to DCI Tanner about it and we agreed I’d have a chat with Bill, which I did last night. I’m convinced he’s not our perp, but I will have another conversation with him since he was among the last people to see Daniel alive. That doesn’t mean I’ve changed my mind about him. Just that I don’t want to leave any stone unturned.’
‘That seems fair enough, guv,’ Abbott said. ‘Do you want to find out where he is so that we can go and see him?’
‘Bill can wait,’ James said. ‘I think we should go back to the village hall to take stock and find out where we are with backup and forensics.’
‘And what about suspects, guv? Who gets a visit from us after that?’
James chewed on his tongue as he mulled this over.
‘We start with Keith Patel,’ he said. ‘The guy made it clear to us what he thought about Daniel. And then we move onto Giles Keegan. He clashed with Daniel twice during the past couple of days.’
‘So do you actually think that those two might also have killed Charlie Jenkins and Lorna Manning?’ Abbott asked.
James pulled a face because the question felt like a heavy weight pressing down on him.
‘At this stage in the game I think anything is possible,’ he said.
There was some good and some bad news waiting for them at the village hall.
The bad news was that the two detectives who’d been travelling to Kirkby Abbey had been forced to head to Kendal instead because of impassable roads.
The good news was that a police helicopter was to be used to transport a couple of SOCOs to the village. The same chopper would then take Daniel’s body to the mortuary.
‘It’s not an ideal situation, I know,’ DCI Tanner said. ‘But it’s the best we can do at this time. I don’t want the body left there longer than is necessary.’
DS Stevens had arrived at the office and was taking part in the conference call. He revealed that the press had already been tipped off that another body had turned up.
‘That doesn’t surprise me,’ James said. ‘Word spreads quickly in this place.’
‘But on a case like this we need to control the narrative,’ Tanner said. ‘So, let’s make sure that everything goes through the press office. No off the record briefings. I don’t want to give the impression that we’re having problems coping.’
But the truth was they were having problems, and James feared that it could still get worse.
After the call ended, he and DC Abbott left the hall intending to visit Keith Patel and Giles Keegan. But first they returned to the crime scene outside the garden centre.
The officers had been forced to close one side of the road and put up a tape cordon because a number of villagers were braving the snow to see what was happening.
Daniel’s body had been covered with some heavy-duty green tarpaulin and three uniforms in high-vis jackets were standing guard. They’d been told the police helicopter would arrive in about an hour and had arranged for it to land in the field opposite.
As requested, the garden centre had remained closed and the owner, along with his two members of staff, had provided all their details.
There were several other detached bungalows along this stretch of road, plus a doctor’s surgery. Another officer had been going door-to-door trying to find out if Daniel Curtis or anyone else had been seen walking past their homes last n
ight. But all those spoken to so far had said they were in bed and saw nothing.
‘Once the body has been taken away, we should try to retrace Daniel’s steps back to The King’s Head,’ he told the officers. ‘If he was stalked through the village then someone might have spotted it. But, of course, it’s also possible that the killer was lying in wait for him along this road.’
The more James thought about everything the more difficult it was to stay focused. Three murders had now been committed over four nights. And they were in no position to assure the public that there wouldn’t be a fourth, let alone any more beyond that.
The pressure on James to find this particular killer was like nothing he had ever experienced. And it was causing him to question his own abilities, which had never happened before.
It didn’t help that the weather had delivered a hammer blow to the investigation just when they needed to accelerate it, restricting what they could do for the time being.
James was sure the killer would eventually make a mistake and they’d have him. But by then he might well have claimed more victims.
So it was imperative they got a result soon. But for that to happen they needed a breakthrough or a big stroke of luck.
He was so lost in thought that Abbott had to nudge him to get his attention.
‘Over there, guv,’ she said, pointing. ‘It’s that local reporter. He’s waving.’
Gordon Carver was standing behind the tape and the sight of him sent a roll of heat up James’s neck
‘I’d better go and talk to him,’ James said. ‘You wait here.’
He signalled for Carver to follow him over to the garden centre entrance where they’d be sheltered from the snow. When they got there, it was the reporter who got the first word in.
‘Let me start by telling you what I already know, Detective Walker,’ he said. ‘It’ll save you having to fob me off by telling me to speak to the press office.’
‘That is what I’ve been instructed to do, Mr Carver,’ James said.
‘Yeah, well there’s no point. The man lying dead over there is Daniel Curtis. I was tipped off by a member of the garden centre staff before you placed what amounts to a gagging order on them. Mr Curtis was attacked last night and stabbed to death – just as Charlie Jenkins and Lorna Manning were.’
