by A L Fraine
It looked like it had been dead a while.
“Morning, sir, ma’am,” Sheridan said as they walked in. “I heard they called you both in, on your day off. That’s poor luck.”
“Apparently, we’re indispensable,” Jon remarked. “I should be pleased, I suppose.”
“Well, looks like we have a doozy for you today.”
“I can see. A body in a wall?” Jon asked.
“Actually, several,” Sheridan replied.
“Bloody hell. How many are we looking at?”
“We think there’s at least two more in there, maybe more.”
Jon frowned as he looked at the wall. “That’s incredibly thick for an interior wall. Isn’t that a bit weird?”
“This whole house is weird,” Sheridan replied. We think this used to be an outside wall, and the house was added to, but yes, the walls are really thick in several places. A product of its age, we think.”
Jon nodded. “Alright, so we have several bodies hidden in the wall. What else can you tell me?”
“I’ve only been able to look at this one, which had been mummified inside the airtight bag it was in. We’ll know more later, but, if I had to guess, I’d say it’s been in here for a couple of years, easily. The others, I’m not sure. We’ll have to get them out and have a look. If they weren’t in an airtight bag or were allowed to rot before being bagged, we might be looking at a few bags of bone soup.”
“Bone soup? Is this another southern delicacy I’ve yet to sample?”
“I don’t think you’d want to eat it,” Sheridan replied. “It’ll be nasty.”
“I bet. Apart from them being hidden in a wall, obviously, are there any other signs of foul play you can see yet?”
“Nothing yet that I can see. I’m sure the pathologist will be able to help you with that, though.”
“Anything else?”
“Nothing yet, but we need to rip this wall out and see what we can find. We’ll run a full sweep around the room first before we start demolishing things, but it’s going to get messy in here.”
“Of course.” He turned on the spot to look at the other walls. “And the other walls?”
“Don’t know. Good question. We’ll need to check any wall that’s wide enough, of course.”
“Absolutely. So, what happened? How was this discovered?”
“As far as I know,” Sheridan replied. “The owner was knocking through to the kitchen and just happened across it. I think they’re at the station. Dyson will know. They’re pretty upset by all accounts.”
“Okay, great, we’ll catch up with them there.” As he looked around the room there were several colourful containers containing dolls, legos, games and children’s books. “What was this room?”
“The owner said it was the playroom for their daughter.”
“Shit.” He considered the implications of that. How long had the family been living here? And now knowing that their child had been playing in this room, surrounded by dead people.
The very thought of it was nightmare-inducing, and he wasn’t the one that had to live with the knowledge that someone had stored possible murder victims in their house.
It made him think of his own house and wonder what secrets it held. Hopefully nothing as horrific as this.
“I know,” Sheridan agreed.
“That’s messed up,” Kate said.
7
“How’s the house move going?” Nathan asked from the door to his office.
“Yeah, okay?” Jon replied as he checked through his notes from the crime scene and what had already been pulled together, making sure he was ready for the interview. “It would be going a hell of a lot better if I wasn’t here, of course. But, needs must, I suppose.”
“Yeah, criminals gonna criminal,” Nathan agreed. “So, we have some bodies in a wall, right?”
“Aye,” Jon confirmed. “See what you can dig up.”
“Will do,” Nathan replied. “Lenny’s in interview room one, Phoebe is in room two, and their kid is with a support officer in waiting room two.”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it.”
“No worries. You’ll be back to unpacking before you know it.”
“Oooh, can’t wait,” Jon said sarcastically as he gathered his notes up and followed Nathan out. Kate was crossing the main office floor to him and nodded as she approached.
“So, who's first?”
“Lenny, I think. He found the bodies.”
“I was thinking the same.”
“Great minds and all that,” Jon remarked. “We’ll both talk to the parents, but I think you should talk to the kid alone, without me. What do you think?”
“Sure. We wouldn’t want to scare the girl, after all, you big scary man.”
“I’m a fluffy teddy bear, really,” Jon protested.
“Of course you are,” she replied, almost dismissively, their conversation amusing some passers-by on the stairwell.
“I am! I just hide it really well.”
“I know you do.” Jon wasn’t sure she sounded convinced. “So, are you taking the lead with Lenny?”
“Sure,” Jon said, as they made their way downstairs.
“Have you seen Stingray yet?”
“Nope.” He’d expected to see the Superintendent the moment he got in, but so far, Ray hadn’t shown his face, which suited Jon just fine. Of course, he could be testing him, to see if Jon would continue to keep him abreast of the latest developments, so Jon made a mental note to hunt him down before he left the building again. A thought occurred to him. “I’m guessing he’s the one who pulled us back in today.”
“Then that’s on him. I’ll be putting the hours in and getting my overtime money’s worth from today.”
“Good plan,” Jon agreed, as they walked into the corridor with the interview rooms along the left wall. The officer on guard acknowledged them before they made their way inside room one, to find Lenny with his duty solicitor, Ana Allen, sitting beside him.
Lenny’s eyes scanned him and Kate as they walked in, his face betraying the shock that he was feeling. The events of the morning had apparently shaken him to his core, and Jon had to admit, he would probably harbour similar feelings had he been in the same situation. The very idea that this was a possibility made Jon want to somehow X-Ray the walls of his new house, just to be sure no one had concealed anything suspicious there without his knowledge.
Looking at Lenny with his bloodshot eyes and the drained look of his skin, his gut told him that this wasn’t their guy. He hadn’t done this. But Jon knew better than to listen to such feelings. They were often wrong, and he needed to be guided by the facts.
Still, he saw no need to charge into this interview like a bull in a china shop. He started as he usually did by introducing himself and Kate, and setting the recorder to start. They went through the usual steps before Jon settled into his seat, ready to see where this interview would take him.
“So, Lenny, tell me about this morning. What happened?”
“I don’t know, really. It’s all just craziness. I was only doing a bit of home improvement, that’s all. I went through all the proper channels, did things as I should, and then this happens and I end up here, being interviewed in a police station.”
“So, what did you find? Walk me through it, please.”
“I was knocking through into the kitchen, taking the wall down so we can have a more open plan area, you know? I was knocking bricks out with the sledge, and then this thing appeared. It was wrapped in plastic and looked solid and stiff. I was shocked, but I didn’t know what it was.”
“And you opened it?”
“Yeah. I didn’t know what it was, so I had a look. I don’t know what I was expecting really but… not that.”
“So, what did you do next?”
“I went and told Phoebe and made sure she knew to keep Gracie out of there. Then I called you guys. I didn’t know I’d be a suspect.”
“Don’t worry, Lenny, if you
didn’t do this, you’ll be fine.”
“But, I didn’t. I couldn’t. I have no idea how they got in there. This is as much a shock to me as it is anyone else.”
“We understand,” Kate replied. “But we need to talk to everyone. This is just routine.”
“So, what do you do, Mr Woods?”
“I’m an architect. I work in Guildford.”
“And is business good?”
“Very, thank you,” he replied with a frown.
“And what does your wife do?” Jon asked.
“Nothing. Housewife, I suppose. Looking after a child is a full-time job.”
“Of course,” Kate agreed. “And is everything good between you and your wife?”
“Yes, thanks. We’re very happy.”
“That’s good. So, tell me about the house.”
“My wife found it. It’s lovely, isn’t it? Just so quirky.”
“And how long have you lived there for?” Jon asked, keen to move it along.
“About a year and a half, I think,” Lenny answered. “Not long. We bought it off, um… I think his name was Duncan?”
“Duncan?”
“That's right. He was renting it out, I think. I’m not sure. You’ll have to check up on that.”
“Don’t worry, we will, Mr Woods,” Kate replied, taking notes.
“So you had no idea about what was behind that wall?”
“No. Come on. Do you really think I’d smash a hole in the wall and call you guys if I did?”
“Stranger things have happened, Mr Woods,” Jon replied. Lenny was right, of course. It made no sense for him to knock the wall out and then call the police. That would be a hell of a bluff to make and would likely backfire spectacularly. Jon felt sure that Lenny was innocent in all this, but they had to make sure that he wasn’t involved in some other way.
“So, is there anything else you think we should know?” Kate asked. “Anything strange or significant?”
“Not really, but I suppose there’s Evan.”
“Who’s Evan?”
“A neighbour. He lives up the street and is always sticking his nose in where it’s not wanted. I saw him in the crowd when we left the house.”
Jon frowned, guessing that Evan was the man at the crime scene, talking to the officer outside. “Tall man, short hair, wearing a green t-shirt?”
“That’s him,” Lenny confirmed. “He’s been causing some problems for a while. He wanted to buy the house at the same time we did, and we ended up in a bidding war for it, but we won. He’s been bitter ever since.”
“And, he was causing problems today?”
“He saw the delivery of bricks I got and seemed to take offence to me doing some work on the house.”
“I see,” Jon replied.
“And, that’s the only link he has to the house, that he wanted to buy it?” Kate asked.
“No. I think he used to live there when he was younger. I think it was his mother's house. I don’t think he liked the idea of me changing it too much.”
“Or, he knew what was in the walls?” Jon suggested.
Lenny shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess… maybe.”
The questions continued for a little while as they went over things again, but there wasn’t much else they could get out of Lenny, so they ended the interview and moved on to speak to his wife, Phoebe.
“So, the first time you knew something was wrong was when your husband came to see you?”
“That’s right. I went and had a look, but… Oh god. I can’t believe we’ve been living with those bodies hidden in there. Gracie’s been playing in there, alone, surrounded by those things.” Phoebe swallowed as she held her stomach, turning a distinct shade of green. “Just the thought of it, it’s like something from a nightmare. Was it the previous owner? Duncan? He owned it for years, rented it out too. Was it him or one of his tenants? I think you need to find him and ask him these questions, frankly.”
“We will,” Jon assured her. “We’ll follow up on all the leads.”
“Good. Now, where is my daughter? When can I see her?”
“Soon,” Kate replied, her tone soothing. “We just need to talk to her as well.”
“Why? Why do you need to talk to her? She’s only five. She wouldn’t understand. You’ll give her nightmares.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll be very careful. We don’t want to scare her, but we need impartial answers without any influence from you.”
“This will all be over soon,” Jon added. “We’ll get you back into the house as soon as we can.”
“Do you even want to go back, knowing what was in there?” Kate asked.
It was a valid question, and given what had happened, he doubted many people would want to return to such a house.
“Of course, that house is my dream house. I want this over with, so we can get back to our lives in there. Lenny will agree. He knows I’m right.”
Jon believed her. He was starting to see what kind of relationship Lenny and Phoebe had and who was in charge. Phoebe seemed very pleasant and calm most of the time, but she was clearly the dominant party in that relationship.
They soon moved on to Gracie, and Jon watched through a one-way mirror as Kate sat on the carpet with her, playing with the toys in the room and talking to her about the events of the day and her parents. It took a little time, but she soon opened up, responding to Kate’s friendly manner and answering her questions without much trouble.
Gracie clearly didn’t know anything about the bodies in the walls, but she did provide a nice little insight into her parent's relationship, confirming Jon’s thoughts that Gracie’s mother was very much in charge.
Seeing Kate’s way with the girl was lovely to see too. She had a way with children that Jon envied and came to the conclusion that she would make a great mother one day.
With that final interview out of the way, Gracie was reunited with her parents. They left the station, heading for Gracie’s grandparents where they would be staying until things calmed down.
“What do you think?” Kate asked as they sat in the waiting room Gracie had been in.
“My gut says they had nothing to do with it. I think they were just a victim of circumstance, rather than a part of anything sinister. But, I’ve been wrong before. I’m not ready to rule them out yet.”
“Then you and I are in agreement. They didn’t do this.”
“As far as we know,” Jon added.
“Yeah, as far as we know. So, what’s next?”
“We need a team meeting. I need to know more about that house and its previous owners.”
8
Jon stood at the front of the incident room as the team filed in one by one and took their seats, chatting idly between themselves.
Watching his colleagues talking easily and laughing at the occasional joke, he wondered if it said anything about them that they could act like this amidst such a terrible case. All of them were able to block out the hateful things they had to deal with, day after day, and talk easily with their fellow officers about the weather and what TV they watched the night before, but did that make them heartless, or uncaring?
The answer, in his mind at least, was no. He knew that he cared deeply about all the cases he took on, and the victims of these terrible crimes. The pain and suffering that these people went through was nightmarish.
But he knew the truth of it. He knew that for most, if not all, it was a coping mechanism. You learnt to block it out and close off that part of your mind. Because if you didn’t, it would be a slow descent into madness and depression.
Their humour, as dark and close to the bone as it was, came from the same place. If you didn’t learn to laugh and find humour in these dark places, then you were likely in for a rough time of it.
They were dealing with the dregs of society, the scum at the very bottom of the barrel, and it was imperative that they realised that the vast majority of the human race was not evil. They were good people just trying to live
their lives. The murderers and kidnappers were very much in the minority, which was something to take solace in.
“How’s the new house?” Rachel asked as she took her place at the table.
“Yeah, good thanks,” Jon replied, wondering where she was going with this, and what smart comment was about to come his way. “Really good.”
“So, you won’t be coming back to sleep on my sofa?”
“Hopefully not.”
“Shame. Eric misses seeing you walk around in your boxers.”
And there it was, he thought.
“Well, if I’d known that, I would have popped over more regularly.” Kate snickered.
“Why?” Rachel asked. “It’s not a pretty sight. He’s hardly Brad Pitt.”
“Me thinks she doth protest too much,” Dion said. “Go on, admit it, you loved it.”
“Oh yeah, I loved it,” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. “It was the highlight of my day.”
“I knew it.”
“Should I be jealous?” Kate asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You’re not missing much,” Jon said.
“I’m not so sure. I think I might request a private viewing.”
“Ho-ho,” Dion hooted. “Since when did you become so thirsty?”
“Alright guys, that’s enough fun and games,” Jon said, raising his voice. “We really need to crack on. Now, the Woods case. Kate, would you bring us up to speed?”
“Sure,” she replied and leant forward onto the table. “Earlier today, Leonard Woods, a resident of Newdigate with his wife and young child, was engaging in some home improvement, knocking down a wall between a back room and their kitchen. Upon breaking the wall open, he discovered at least one human corpse bagged up and stored inside the wall. He called us in. We have interviewed the family, and so far we have no reason to suspect that Mr Woods had anything to do with the deaths of the people found.”
“This was in an internal wall?” Dion asked. “Aren’t they like, one brick thick?”
