by Sally Rigby
‘Did you actually see him leave the train and go onto the platform?’ Whitney clarified.
‘No. He walked out of the carriage, and I assumed he’d left. I wasn’t really paying much attention at that point.’
‘Which door did he leave out of?’
‘He went to the back of the carriage again.’
‘The one connecting with the end carriage?’ she asked, just to confirm.
Her heart pumped in her chest. This could be the lead they were looking for. The man may have gone into the toilet to keep out of the way, and then gone into the end carriage once the ticket collector had gone through. Except it didn’t make sense. Hugo didn’t get on the train until Coventry, so the suspect wouldn’t have known about him. She would have to check Stanley Crabtree’s account to see if anyone else had been in the end carriage at that time. The killer might have had somebody else in his sights, but when they got off and Hugo got on, he moved to a different victim.
‘Yes,’ Mrs Bratt replied. ‘There’s an exit to get off the train there.’
‘Did anyone get on at Coventry and come into your carriage?’
‘A young boy walked through, in the direction of the last carriage. Oh.’ She slammed her hand across her mouth. ‘He was the victim, wasn’t he? It said on the news a fourteen-year-old boy had died.’ The woman’s eyes widened and filled with tears.
‘We can’t confirm anything at the moment. Did anyone else get on?’ Whitney asked gently, passing her a tissue from the box at the end of the table.
‘No. Not at Coventry.’ She shook her head.
‘What about when the train reached Banbury?’
‘I don’t know. That poor boy. He was so young. I know you’re not meant to tell me, but it was him, wasn’t it?’
‘I understand this is hard, but if you could please think back to when the train was in Banbury,’ Whitney said, ignoring the woman’s question.
Mrs Bratt wiped her eyes with the tissue and sniffed. ‘Nobody got on there. Well, not in my carriage. I don’t think anyone got off, either, but I can’t be sure.’
Whitney doubted the woman could give them any more useful information, and she needed to get back to the incident room to arrange for the CCTV footage from Coventry to be checked, to ascertain if this man got off the train.
‘You’ve been very helpful, Mrs Bratt. We really appreciate you coming in. Can I arrange for someone to get you a cup of tea?’ she offered.
‘No, thank you. If we’ve finished, I’d like to go. My husband’s waiting for me in reception. He’ll be getting anxious if I’m much longer.’
‘If you do think of anything else, no matter how insignificant it seems, please contact us straight away. You have our number. DS Price will show you out.’
When she got back to her office, George was pouring over the files. She looked up and smiled.
‘How was the interview?’ she asked.
‘Good. We might have something. I’ve asked Frank to check footage to see if the man she described actually got off the train at Coventry. If not, he could’ve been hiding in the toilets waiting for a potential victim.’
‘Excellent. I’ve gone through the files and started to put together a profile we can work with. There are certainly some similarities between the cases, and it does give an indication of the type of person we’re dealing with. The other forces should have made the same links, but nothing in the files is leading me to believe they did.’
‘Maybe that’s because they don’t have someone like you working with them. Or, even if they did, they wouldn’t be up to your standard.’
‘I’m sure that’s not the case.’
‘What’s with the modesty all of a sudden? You know you do a good job. That’s why we work so well together. Take it as a compliment.’
‘I will. Thank you. But it could be they haven’t given us all of the information from their investigation. Or maybe they didn’t share files with each other, so no one has the full picture.’
‘The RF would have all the documentation. But it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if they haven’t sent us everything. We won’t know until they arrive.’
‘Let’s go back to the incident room, and I can run through everything with you and speak to the team. Even if we don’t have all the information, I’m sure you’ll be interested in what I’ve got to say from what I’ve learned so far,’ George said.
They left Whitney’s office and went back into the incident room.
‘Listen up, everyone,’ Whitney said. ‘George is going to tell us what she’s found from going through the existing case files.’ She nodded at the psychologist to start.
‘From what I’ve read, there’s no pattern to the choice of victim. Chloroform has always been used before the stabbing. There have been no notes admitting guilt, or making demands, or explaining the reason behind the murders,’ George said.
‘But is it likely the perp would send a note if the murders are indiscriminate?’ Doug asked.
‘It depends on the motive behind what they’re doing. Are they looking for attention? Do they enjoy killing? My hunch, and you know how much I hate hunches, is there’s some reason behind this. They don’t appear to be in it for the thrill of the murder, or why else would they use the chloroform to ease the pain?’
‘That’s what we’ve got to find out. Was there anything else you noted from going through the files?’ Whitney asked.
‘Yes. Although the murders took place on different train operator lines, they are all part of a wider group called Transwide. The operators targeted are: Pathway Trains, Coastal Rail, Link Railways, and ours, which is Central Group.’
‘If it’s a vendetta against Transwide, what have the previous investigations turned up?’ Whitney asked.
‘The information in the files is sketchy,’ George said. ‘I can see one interview with the Chief Operating Officer, but nothing helpful was recorded. If these are revenge killings, the perpetrator could certainly be a disgruntled ex-employee or customer.’
‘Ellie, look into Transwide. Find out how many rail operators they own and how they’re all linked. Anything you can find. If they are integral to these murders, I want to know about it,’ Whitney said.
‘Yes, guv.’
‘If we can solve a case the RF have failed to, I’ll be very happy.’
Not to mention, if they didn’t find the killer soon, someone else would die.
Chapter Ten
Wednesday, 12 June
How are you feeling today, Transwide?
Concerned?
Worried?
Are your profits plummeting?
Of course they are. And by the time I’ve finished with you, no one will ever want to ride on your trains again.
Remember, everything I do is down to you.
All this loss of life. The devastation caused. The blame is at your feet.
You destroy lives, and I destroy lives. We’re the same, you and me. Except we’re not. I’m cleverer than you.
For two years I’ve been carrying out these murders, and no one has been able to catch me. What I do is unpredictable. Yes, you know when I’ve chosen an area there will be four murders, and the first and last will be exactly two weeks apart. But that’s all I’ll allow you to know. Call it a little teaser.
You don’t know how I make my choices. My choice of train. My choice of victim. My choice of station. And that’s why I won’t be caught. By the time the police get their shit together, I’ve moved on and left no evidence.
I wasn’t always cruel. You made me like this. You destroyed my life, and now I’m going to destroy yours.
So, what are you going to do? Stop running trains in an area during the two-week period? It could work. And then, guess what? I’ll extend the time between murders. I’ll keep doing it until you stop every one of your rail operators from running trains at all. A perfect plan.
You wrecked my family, and nothing will ever compensate for that. I won’t allow you to do it to anyone else.
No one should suffer like we did.
No one should have their world turned upside down for it never to be the same again. You ruin so many lives, but you don’t care. People think you can’t be held responsible because you’re a company and not a real person. But you’re real to me. Decisions are made by actual people, and these people wreck lives.
I’ve already chosen my next train route. My ticket’s been bought, and I’ve made my preparations.
I’m never going to stop.
Not until you’ve been destroyed forever.
Chapter Eleven
Thursday, 12 June
The phone ringing on her bedside table caused George to wake up with a start. She glanced at the clock. It was already eight. Crap. She’d slept in. She’d been out again with Ross the previous night to a real ale bar and had rather a lot to drink. Her head was thumping.
She reached for her phone. ‘Hello.’ Her mouth was dry, and the word barely came out.
‘George?’
‘Yes.’
‘It didn’t sound like you. It’s Whitney. There’s been another murder. Can you meet me at the station?’
Another murder? The station. Why?
‘Don’t you want to go to the scene?’ she mumbled.
‘The railway station not the police station. Are you okay?’
‘I think so. I’ll be with you once I’ve got up.’
‘You’re still in bed?’ The officer’s incredulous tone was unmistakeable.
‘I had a late night.’ She rubbed her temples, but it didn’t have much effect.
‘Did you go out with Ross on another date?’
George yawned and stretched out. She had no energy to deal with an inquisitive Whitney at the moment. ‘If you want me there, leave me alone to get dressed. I’ll be with you as soon as I can.’
She ended the call and headed into the shower, turning it to cold. Her whole body spasmed as the water hit it, but she forced herself to stay under for as long as she could. After getting ready, she grabbed a couple of headache tablets and a glass of water. Was the alcohol still in her system?
After arriving at the station, she walked into the building and out onto the platform, where a cordon had been put up around one of the trains. She caught sight of Whitney standing with Matt Price and went over to them.
‘You look rough,’ Whitney said once she’d reached them.
‘Thank you.’ She rolled her eyes towards the sky, then wished she hadn’t, as it hurt her head. ‘Tell me what happened.’
‘The victim is a woman in her fifties, travelling on her own. A passenger who got on at Lenchester raised the alarm. We’ve emptied the train, and everyone on there is currently in the waiting room. Sue and Doug are taking their statements, and Matt’s about to join them.’
‘I’m off now,’ Matt said as he walked away from them.
‘Were there are a lot of people on the train?’ George asked.
‘Quite a few, because it was going to London. It started in Coventry, and this was the second stop. Banbury being the first.’
‘A bit risky for the murderer with so many people around,’ she said.
‘Yes, but he’s clearly got it down to a fine art.’
‘He certainly has. Have you spoken to the passenger who found the victim?’
‘Briefly. But she was very distressed and came over all faint. I’ve left her in the station manager’s office. We need to give her time to recover before speaking to her properly,’ Whitney said.
‘Have you seen the body?’
‘Not yet. I let Claire go on board first. She’s been there a while, long enough to do the preliminaries. I’m sure she won’t mind us going in now. Well, she might, knowing Claire.’ Whitney stared at her. ‘Are you sure you’re okay? You’re very pale.’
‘I’m fine. I’ve just got a slight hangover,’ she admitted.
‘What? Since when have you ever got that wasted?’
‘Since I went to a pub that served real ale.’
‘Were you with Ross?’
‘Yes. And that’s all I’m telling you. I’ll go and sign the log.’
She left Whitney and walked over to where a uniformed officer was standing at the entrance to the scene.
After signing, she skirted around the cordon and onto the train, following Whitney. Again, it was one of the older trains with no CCTV. The murderer obviously knew which trains to target.
‘We should check the types of trains used in all the other murders. If ours are anything to go by, he chooses older trains. The ones giving him the best opportunity of not being caught on camera,’ she said.
‘Yes, I’d been thinking that, too,’ Whitney agreed.
They made their way through the train until reaching one of the connecting doors to the carriage where Claire was working. They walked through and could see the victim sitting at a table. Her body was twisted over, and her head was leaning towards the window.
‘Hello, Claire,’ they both said as the pathologist glanced up and acknowledged them with a nod.
‘We meet again. This is getting to be a habit,’ Claire said.
‘The same as the last one?’ Whitney asked.
‘There are similarities, and that’s all I’m saying until I get her on the table,’ the pathologist said.
‘And the chloroform?’ George asked.
‘I haven’t got close enough to smell. I’ll do that back at the lab. In the meantime, let me continue, so we can move the body and find out more.’
George glanced around the murder site. ‘Did you say this was the first stop?’ she asked.
‘Second. Why?’ Whitney replied.
‘Look under the table on the floor. A ticket.’
‘Let me photograph it first,’ Claire said, stepping in front of them.
Once the photo had been taken, Whitney pulled on some disposable gloves, leaned down, and picked it up. ‘It’s got today’s date on it, and the journey was from Coventry to Lenchester.’
‘The murderer could have dropped it,’ George said.
‘He could, but how likely would that be when you consider he’s never left any evidence before?’ Whitney said.
‘True. It could be the victim’s. Or dropped from a random traveller,’ she suggested.
‘Although we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility it belonged to the killer,’ Whitney said. ‘Regular travellers will most likely pay online, using a railcard, and not have a physical ticket.’
‘Good point. I doubt the killer would buy his ticket online; the virtual paper trail would be too incriminating,’ George said.
‘We certainly have to consider it a lead.’ Whitney dropped the ticket into an evidence bag. ‘I’ll get forensics on to it as soon as we get back. See if we can find some prints. Claire, have you finished photographing the victim’s handbag? I want to look inside it for any identification.’
‘Yes.’
Whitney picked up the black leather handbag and moved to one side. George followed. Inside was a blue wallet-purse, and from one of the pockets she pulled out a driving license. George peered over Whitney’s shoulder to look at it. The photo matched the victim, whose name was Lena Kirk.
‘We need to find out her contact details, so we can get in touch with the family.’ Whitney pulled her phone from her pocket and keyed in a number.
‘Hello, Ellie. It’s me. The second victim is Lena Kirk, date of birth ten, four, sixty-eight. I need her details a-sap. She’s likely from Coventry or Banbury. We’ll be back in the office later.’
Whitney ended the call. ‘Let’s go and see Annie Houghton, the woman who found the body.’
They left the train and went to the manager’s office. Whitney knocked and opened the door. Sitting with a uniformed officer was a woman in her thirties, wearing a business suit.
‘Do you feel up to talking to us, now?’ Whitney asked gently.
Annie nodded. ‘Yes, I’m feeling a little better.’ She took a sip of water from the cup in her hand.
‘
You can go, now,’ Whitney said to the officer.
‘Yes, guv.’
‘This is Dr Cavendish,’ Whitney said as they both sat opposite the woman. ‘Please could you go through exactly what happened, starting from when you got onto the train.’
‘I was running late and hopped onto the first carriage I came to. I walked through the train, looking for a seat with a table so I could do some work. I work in London, so manage to get quite a lot done while travelling. I put my laptop on the table and glanced at the woman sitting opposite. I thought she was asleep, at first, as lots of people doze off on the morning trains. But then I looked again and could see blood around her chest area, and her eyes were slightly open … looking vacant. I grabbed my laptop and ran off the train, calling for help.’
‘Was there anybody else in the carriage?’
‘Not in that section, but further up there were a few. The train doesn’t start getting busy until we get to Rugby, and even then, it doesn’t get full like the fast commuter train. That’s why I prefer it.’
‘Did you notice anyone getting off the train as you were getting on?’ Whitney asked.
‘No, I’m sorry, I didn’t. I was too busy finding somewhere to sit.’
‘What about after you found the body and alerted the staff at the station? Did you notice anything strange then?’ Whitney asked.
‘No. Everything’s a blur. I was so intent on calling for help.’
‘We’d like you to make a written statement. I have some officers taking them in the waiting room.’
‘Can I do it straight away? I have to get to work for an important meeting.’
Would she be in a fit state to attend a meeting, once the enormity of the situation hit her later? George doubted it.
‘That shouldn’t be a problem. Come with me and I’ll introduce you to my detective sergeant.’
‘Will I be able to catch the next train to London?’
‘I’ll be speaking to the station manager about keeping part of the station open,’ Whitney said.
George followed as Whitney escorted the woman into the waiting area and called Matt over.
