by Sally Rigby
‘What the fuck?’ She shuddered at the grotesqueness of it all.
‘I know,’ George said.
George rested her arm around her shoulders. ‘We’ve got them. It’s over. They can’t harm anyone else. Tiffany’s going to be okay. We got to her before they could do their worst.’
She looked at George. ‘Thanks to you.’
She’d be indebted to George for the rest of her life. And if there was any way she could repay her for what she’d done, she would. No questions asked.
‘You’d have worked it out.’
Would she? Maybe. But what if she hadn’t worked it out in time?
‘But I didn’t. You did. I’ll never forget. Never.’
George squeezed her shoulders. ‘I’m glad it all worked out.’ The paramedics walked past the door with Tiffany on a stretcher. ‘Off you go. We’ll catch up later.’
Chapter Forty-Two
‘We’re pleased to announce we have charged two people with the murders of Millie Carter, Olivia Griffin, Poppy Brooks, and Lydia Parker. They are also charged with the abduction and attempted murder of a fifth female.’ DSI Jamieson beamed at the reporters.
‘Who are the people under arrest?’ a reporter asked.
‘Their names aren’t being released at the moment. All I can say is they’re related to each other, and we’re not looking for anyone else in respect of the crimes.’
‘Do they come from Lenchester?’ another reporter asked.
‘No, they don’t. They’re students at the university.’
A collective gasp came from the audience, and Whitney shook her head. What was it with people they thought serial killers couldn’t be educated? Had they totally forgotten about Dr Harold Shipman, the worst serial killer the UK had ever known? Or was it because they were young? But there have been younger.
‘What’s the name of the fifth female, and how did she escape?’ shouted a voice from the crowd.
She nudged Jamieson, shaking her head. She didn’t think he’d actually name Tiffany, but she wanted to make sure.
‘We’re not releasing the name of the fifth female. She was rescued thanks to the excellent work of DCI Walker and her team.’ He turned to her and smiled.
She almost started to warm towards him, until realising it was all for show. They hadn’t actually sat down and talked through her behaviour, and she expected that wouldn’t be so friendly.
‘Superintendent—’ came another voice.
‘That’s all. Thank you for coming. We’ll update you once we have anything further to say.’
Jamieson stood and gestured for Whitney to do the same. She followed him out of the room.
‘Let’s go to my office,’ he said.
Her heart sank. Traffic duty? A desk job? What was he going to find for her to do? Or maybe he’d let her stay with her team, seeing as she’d actually solved the crime. But he was such a stickler to the rules, he’d be more concerned with her going directly against his orders than any outcome.
They walked in silence until reaching his office. Once inside, he gestured for her to sit down.
‘Sir. I know what you’re going to say. That I kept on investigating, but I couldn’t sit by and let those monste—’
Jamieson held up his hand to silence her. ‘Walker. Whitney. You disobeyed my orders and continued investigating. Under normal circumstances it would warrant disciplinary action. But I understand. You also continued working the case when it was discovered your daughter had been abducted by the killers, whereas you should have come to me. I suspect you didn’t because you knew I’d immediately take you off it.’
‘Yes, bu—’
‘Please let me finish. You have this infuriating habit of jumping in with two feet. Just let me say what I have to say. I will then give you the opportunity to reply. Understood?’
‘Sir.’ She clenched her teeth together to stop from saying anything else.
Talk about prolonging the inevitable. She was sure he was enjoying every minute of what he was doing to her.
‘As I was saying. You should have come to me. But I accept you acted on the spur of the moment, and any delay could have resulted in something more disastrous.’
‘Tiffany’s murder,’ she said, unable to stop herself from saying it.
‘Agreed. So, under the circumstances, the incident rests here. I won’t be taking it any further.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘Thank you, sir.’
‘And now we’ve got that out the way, I want to congratulate you for a job well done. We’ve not only got the killers in custody, our public profile has increased a hundredfold.’
‘Thank you, sir. We wouldn’t have cracked the case so soon if it hadn’t been for Dr Cavendish, the forensic psychologist from Lenchester University. She was the one who made the connection after we’d received evidence from pathology.’
‘It’s good of you to give Dr Cavendish the credit.’
‘I always give credit where it’s due.’ Unlike you. She immediately regretted the thought. He was being nice, so she should return the favour. ‘Dr Cavendish worked with us for free. But I was wondering whether you could put some money in the budget for us to use her in the future, when we have cases needing her input?’
It was ironic. Before the murders, she’d have rather walked over hot coals than have someone like George involved. But now … well …
‘I don’t see why not. Yes. We’ll budget for outside help, when required. I’d like to meet her.’
‘Thank you.’ She refrained from punching the air. She’d gone into his office believing her career would be taking a nose dive, and this was the outcome.
He hadn’t even mentioned the missing informant, who she’d now got her team looking for. She hoped they’d find him soon, so she could go back to Jamieson before he remembered about it and hauled her over the coals again.
‘Congratulate your team for me. Good work.’ He looked down at some papers on his desk, which Whitney took to mean she’d been dismissed.
Chapter Forty-Three
The pub was busy when George arrived. Out the corner of her eye, she saw an arm waving. It was Whitney, and she pushed her way through the crowd of people to where she was sitting at a round table near the open fire. It was the first time they’d met since two weeks ago when they’d rescued Tiffany. She hadn’t wanted to get in touch, in case Whitney was busy. She also had work to catch up on.
‘Hello.’ Whitney stood as she got to the table.
‘Hi.’ It was really awkward. Should they shake hands, hug, or do nothing? She always struggled with these sorts of social interactions.
But she needn’t have worried, because Whitney pulled her into a big hug.
‘I got you a beer,’ Whitney said once she’d let her go. ‘Is that okay?’
‘Perfect,’ she replied as she sat down. ‘How’s Tiffany? I wanted to call but know how busy you are finishing off the case.’ It sounded a lame excuse. She should have made the first move.
‘She’s doing well, thanks. I’ve arranged for her to see a counsellor, and she’s not going back to uni until next term. She’s been given extensions on all her assignments.’
‘With you there to support her, I’m sure she’ll make a full recovery.’
‘I hope you’re right.’ An uneasy expression crossed Whitney’s face.
‘It’ll take time. But she’ll be fine.’ She realised reassurance was exactly what Whitney needed at the moment.
‘I still can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done.’
‘It was a team effort.’
‘Maybe, but you sussed out the link with the twins.’
‘A classic folie à deux situation,’ she mused.
‘What the fuck’s that?’
‘It means madness of two. It’s where two people share the same psychosis. They’re both deluded. Often these delusions are harmless. Unfortunately, in the twins’ case they were damaging. Think Fred and Rose West, from years ago. A classic case.’
&n
bsp; ‘But what made the twins like that?’
‘No one can be one hundred per cent certain, but it likely stemmed from their early childhood. What have you found out about it?’
‘Their father’s a captain in the navy, and they both went to boarding school. About ten years ago, there was a complaint against the father for beating up his wife, but the charges were dropped. It was around the time Henry had a breakdown. We also found out their mother had been to Lenchester University and was in Godwin College.’
‘Hmmm. So, there’s our link to Godwin. And also, the water link. Interesting. My guess is if the father abused their mother, he might have abused them, too. Or possibly they’d tried to stop him but couldn’t. They felt helpless because they had no control over the situation. Hence their need to control the victims.’
‘Why Godwin, if it was the college their mum went to?’ Whitney frowned.
‘Obviously we can’t know for sure, but they might have felt resentment towards their mum, too, for not being able to stand up for herself or them. Parents are there to protect, and from the twins’ standpoint neither parent lived up to that expectation. We might never understand their true motivation. What have they said during the interviews?’
‘Nothing. Literally nothing. They don’t even say “no comment” when we ask them questions. They’ve both totally switched off. We’ve kept them apart, but it’s like there’s some sort of mental telepathy between them because they’re acting identically.’
‘It’s not uncommon for twins to have that link. Though usually it’s identical twins. Not fraternal twins, which they are.’
‘I’m concerned their lawyer will claim diminished responsibility. The CPS is seeking a psychiatric evaluation, so let’s hope it comes back in our favour,’ Whitney said.
‘Don’t worry. They’ll get to the truth.’ She took a sip of her beer.
She should find out the name of the psychiatrist and give her take on the twins. They knew exactly what they were doing and deserved to be incarcerated in a prison, not a mental institution. She’d also be interested in finding out who took which role in the abductions and murders. On the face of it, it appeared Henry took the lead, including the strangulation. Until he broke his arm, then they swapped.
‘Yes. I’ll have to trust they know what they’re doing. I’m getting good at that.’ Whitney laughed.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I trust you now, and in case you didn’t notice, I didn’t initially.’
She remembered Whitney’s manner when they’d first met. But things had changed so much she hardly thought about it now.
‘Yes, I noticed. You were infuriating. But it’s all forgotten.’
Whitney was totally different from any friends she’d had in the past. She was way too emotionally driven, which made her uncomfortable. But maybe she’d be good for her. If Stephen was right about her being cold, which she wasn’t admitting he was, then hanging out with someone like Whitney, who didn’t pull back on showing her feelings, might be a good thing. Then again, when would they be together? Their careers were all consuming, not leaving a lot of time for a social life. Plus, Whitney had Tiffany and the rest of her family to consider. Envy washed over her.
‘I’ve got something to ask you.’ Whitney cut across her thoughts.
‘Yes?’
‘My DSI has agreed to budget for a forensic psychologist to work with us on future cases. What do you say? Will you?’
She’d been thinking something was missing from her life. At first, she’d wondered if it was Stephen, but seeing him at uni made her realise it wasn’t. They were speaking now, just about civilly, and he’d already found himself another girlfriend. She, on the other hand, had no desire to become involved in another relationship. Involvement in further criminal cases, however, appealed greatly.
‘I’d love to.’
‘The DSI wants to meet you. Are you free tomorrow?’
‘Sure, I can come in. Will we meet him together?’
‘Yes, but let me do all the talking.’
Read more about Cavendish & Walker
FATAL JUSTICE - Cavendish & Walker Book 2
A vigilante’s on the loose, dishing out their kind of justice...
A string of mutilated bodies sees Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker back in action. But when she discovers the victims have all been grooming young girls, she fears a vigilante is on the loose. And while she understands the motive, no one is above the law.
Once again, she turns to forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, to unravel the cryptic clues. But will they be able to save the next victim from a gruesome death?
Fatal Justice is the second book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series. If you like your mysteries dark, and with a twist, pick up a copy of Sally Rigby’s book today. Tap here to buy
DEATH TRACK - Cavendish & Walker Book 3
Catch the train if you dare…
After a teenage boy is found dead on a Lenchester train, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker believes they’re being targeted by the notorious Carriage Killer, who chooses a local rail network, commits four murders, and moves on.
Against her wishes, Walker’s boss brings in officers from another force to help the investigation and prevent more deaths, but she’s forced to defend her team against this outside interference.
Forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, is by her side in an attempt to bring to an end this killing spree. But how can they get into the mind of a killer who has already killed twelve times in two years without leaving a single clue behind?
For fans of Rachel Abbott, L J Ross and Angela Marsons, Death Track is the third in the Cavendish & Walker series. A gripping serial killer thriller that will have you hooked. Tap here to buy
LETHAL SECRET - Cavendish & Walker Book 4
Someone has a secret. A secret worth killing for....
When a series of suicides, linked to the Wellness Spirit Centre, turn out to be murder, it brings together DCI Whitney Walker and forensic psychologist Dr Georgina Cavendish for another investigation. But as they delve deeper, they come across a tangle of secrets and the very real risk that the killer will strike again.
As the clock ticks down, the only way forward is to infiltrate the centre. But the outcome is disastrous, in more ways than one.
For fans of Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and M A Comley, Lethal Secret is the fourth book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series.
Tap here to buy
LAST BREATH - Cavendish & Walker Book 5
Has the Lenchester Strangler returned?
When a murderer leaves a familiar pink scarf as his calling card, Detective Chief Inspector Whitney Walker is forced to dig into a cold case, not sure if she's looking for a killer or a copycat.
With a growing pile of bodies, and no clues, she turns to forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, despite their relationship being at an all-time low.
Can they overcome the bad blood between them to solve the unsolvable?
For fans of Rachel Abbott, Angela Marsons and M A Comley, Last Breath is the fifth book in the Cavendish & Walker crime fiction series.
Tap here to buy it on Amazon.
FINAL VERDICT - Cavendish & Walker Book 5
The judge has spoken……everyone must die.
When a killer starts murdering lawyers in a prestigious law firm, and every lead takes them to a dead end, DCI Whitney Walker finds herself grappling for a motive.
What links these deaths, and why use a lethal injection?
Alongside forensic psychologist, Dr Georgina Cavendish, they close in on the killer, while all the time trying to not let their personal lives get in the way of the investigation.
For fans of Rachel Abbott, Mark Dawson and M A Comley, Final Verdict is the sixth in the Cavendish & Walker series. A fast paced murder mystery which will keep you guessing.
Tap here to buy
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my critiq
ue partners, Amanda Ashby and Christina Phillips, for your continued support and encouragement. Despite your cajoling, it took a long time for me to move into writing crime fiction, I wish I’d done it sooner.
I would also like to thank Emma Mitchell for being such an amazing editor, and continuing to help me with all the procedural stuff. I couldn’t do it without you! Thanks, too, Amy Hart, for your brilliant and insightful proofreading.
Also, thanks to Stuart Bache for the incredible cover. You’re a creative genius!
To my family: Garry, Alicia, and Marcus, thanks for all your support and contributions.
About the Author
Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, in the UK. She has always had the travel bug, and after living in both Manchester and London, eventually moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand, which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world. During this time she also lived for five years in Australia.
Sally has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes, and has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.
Sally loves to hear from her readers, so do feel free to get in touch via her website.
Copyright © 2019 by Sally Rigby
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
