'You aren't going to like it.'
'Well there's a surprise!'
'Apparently, Sarah Palmer's done a runner, there was some kind of argument between her and Erin Nash and she scarpered.'
Bannister hammered his hands on the steering wheel, his neck bulging like an inflatable inner tube. 'So, not only can we not find a serial killer who's running rings around the lot of us, we can't even keep a potential witness safe in their own home!'
'Cathy said Palmer spotted the have-a-go hero in the field at the back of the house and went after him…'
'And that fat bastard, Rawlins couldn't be bothered breaking a sweat to catch her?'
Lasser shrugged and kept his mouth closed.
'You know something Lasser, I am surrounded by incompetent idiots, fucking morons,' he slammed his hand down on the horn and kept it there, a couple of people on the pavement watched as the car thundered past, horn blaring for no apparent reason. 'Every day I think things can't get any worse and every day I'm wrong, I mean, what's the point?'
'So what do you want to do?' Lasser shouted over the racket of the horn.
Bannister moved his hand and yanked out his cigarettes. 'I want to go home, grab Suzanne and Kelly and get on the next plane out of this godforsaken shithole, away from dickhead colleagues who think this job's an easy touch.'
'Yeah well, you won't be escaping to Fantasy Island any day soon, so in the meantime what do you want to do?' he repeated through gritted teeth.
Bannister stuck the cigarette into his mouth and lit up, two plumes of smoke blasted from his nostrils like escaping steam. 'It doesn't matter what we do, this bastard's going to kill again. While we're busy looking for the stupid woman, he'll be looking for his next victim.'
'Maybe he'll turn up at her house…'
'That's another thing, I mean – why didn't you persuade them to go into a safe house until all this was over?'
'Oh I see, so it's my fault now?'
Bannister shot him a sour look and then his shoulders sagged. 'I'm sorry.'
Lasser felt his mouth drop open in shock.
'And you can shut your gormless trap, Lasser; if I'm wrong then I admit it. Now give me directions to Palmer's house, I want to hear first-hand what happened.'
'Take the next left,' Lasser said and pulled out his fake cigarette.
72
Sarah ran beneath the trees; her clothes sodden, the sky spinning above. Her mind full of Erin's bitter accusations, and no matter how she tried she couldn't shake them. Then again, they summed her up nicely; she knew it and that knowledge only served to make her anguish deeper, keener. She knew the police officer had given up chasing her, after all why bother, what was she to him, a nothing a nobody?
She stumbled, her foot caught a tree root close to the surface and she fell, sprawling hard to the ground, groaning as she felt the pain in her ribs flare. Rolling onto her back, Sarah felt the rain falling onto her upturned face, but there was no cleansing here, no way to shut out the truth. Erin was right, she was self-centred, conceited, her best friend had lost her husband, and it had all been her fault.
Sarah's tormented mind rolled back the years, the boy in school that Erin had really liked and Sarah had stolen from under her nose; blaming him saying that he'd come onto her when the truth was the exact opposite. Erin had been crushed and for a while they'd drifted apart. Sarah had lost her virginity to the same boy a few days later, it was all over the school and she'd felt ostracised, labelled the schoolyard slag. Erin had approached her, as she stood alone in the schoolyard and after that they had been inseparable. Bridesmaids at each other's weddings, closer than sisters, true friends and now the relationship was in tatters. Sarah closed her eyes and started to cry, her life was a shambles, and now she'd lost the only good thing in it.
When she heard the branch snap Sarah bolted to her feet, the light beneath the trees appeared subdued, the shadows lengthening. Spinning around in a panicked three-sixty the fear reared in her mind, threatening to swamp her.
'It's OK.' The voice whispered.
Sarah snapped her head to the left, hands forming fists, a muscle in her left leg twitched, as she got ready to run.
'I won't hurt you.'
He was standing fifteen feet away, hidden by a thick bank of a shadow cast by a huge oak.
'Who are you?' she whispered.
When he stepped forward, she felt her legs buckle as she collapsed back down to the forest floor.
73
'Right, which one of you fools wants to explain what happened?'
Lasser stood at the open kitchen door. Bannister had ordered Cathy and Rawlins into the garden, now they stood on the patio, backs against the fence like a couple of firing-squad victims.
Rawlins looked nervous; Cathy had her hands clasped behind her back, her eyes locked on Bannister.
'There was an argument between the two women,' Cathy explained. 'Things got out of hand, that's when Sarah ran from the house and disappeared.'
Bannister gave a slow handclap and Lasser watched as Cathy's face turned a becoming shade of pink. 'And did you draw lots to see which one of you was going to go and get her back?'
'I went, sir,' Rawlins mumbled. 'But…'
'Don't tell me, by the time you'd taken off your carpet slippers and put on your boots she was halfway across the field.'
Rawlins looked pained by the accusation. 'I tried to follow, but she disappeared into the trees.'
'And you didn't want your brew going cold so you came straight back here…?'
'No sir,' Rawlins shook his head vigorously. 'I went into the woods to see if I could find her. I shouted her name but she must have been hiding or still running.'
'I see,' Bannister looked up at the sky. 'So what do you suggest we do now?'
Rawlins looked bemused. 'Me?'
'Yes, come on Rawlins, enlighten me.'
The constable cleared his throat, shuffled his feet and threw Cathy Harper a pleading glance.
'I mean, would you suggest calling in help to try and find Mrs Palmer?'
'Probably, sir.'
Lasser waited for the explosion, he could see Rawlins digging a hole that he would never be able to crawl free of.
'Right, so how many bodies do you suggest?'
Rawlins licked his lips, 'I'm not really sure…'
'What about dog handlers?' Bannister asked, a thin smile on his lips.
'Good idea, sir.'
'So, let's say half a dozen officers and a couple of dog handlers to search the woodland.'
'That sounds about right…'
'And why do we need them Rawlins?'
Cathy closed her eyes, it was like waiting for a punch line to a bad joke, trouble was she didn't think Rawlins could see it coming. She glanced at Lasser who gave her a slight shrug and grimaced.
'I'm sorry, sir, I…'
'We need them because you're an idiot don't we? Because of your stupidity we have a woman out there who could very well be in danger.' Bannister jabbed out a finger. 'We have some maniac who has already killed four people, four fucking people,' he hissed. 'And now we have a missing witness to add to the burden.'
'But it wasn't just me,' he threw a look towards Cathy. 'There were two of us here.'
Bannister slowly tick-tocked his head from side to side. 'You disgust me, Rawlins, first Spenner gets knifed because you're too bone idle to help a colleague, and now you try and lay the blame for your incompetence on someone else…'
'But…'
Bannister took a step forward and Rawlins backed up until he hit the fence. 'Go home, Rawlins, you're suspended from duty.'
'What!'
'You heard, I need people I can trust and obviously you don't fall into that category.'
'Hang on, you can't do that!'
Lasser winced as Bannister's face twitched. 'Are you trying to tell me what I can and can't do, Rawlins? Because if you are then I'd advise you to shut your mouth, grab your coat and go before I really lose my temper.'
Rawlin
s licked his lips and threw a look of hatred at Cathy and suddenly Bannister was in his face, his finger all but stuffed up Rawlins left nostril.
'Don't you dare look at her like that. I spoke to Erin Nash when I got here and according to her all you've done since you arrived is drink coffee and empty the biscuit barrel. So don't even think of passing the buck, and if I hear that you've been bad mouthing a fellow officer then I'll make sure you walk, are we clear, Rawlins?'
Rawlins seethed and then straightened his shoulders, 'Yes, sir.'
'Good, now piss off.'
Rawlins stormed back into the house.
Bannister sagged as if the outburst had cost him the last of his diminishing strength. 'Harper, have you organised a changeover?'
Cathy nodded and swallowed. 'Yes sir, Wright and Beddows should be here any minute.'
'Lasser, take my car and drop PC Harper off, I'll wait here till the others arrive. As soon as you've done that get over to the hospital and see if Shannon's come up with anything useful on the Collins girl.'
'What'll you do without a car?'
'I can use Wright's, now get a move on.'
Lasser looked at Cathy. 'You ready?'
She nodded. 'What time do you want me back here, sir?'
Bannister checked his watch. 'Ten tonight, and don't worry I'll get someone who isn't a dickhead to partner you.'
Cathy blushed and followed Lasser back into the house. Two minutes later, they were in the car and heading back to town.
'Right, where do you want me to drop you?' he asked.
'I'm staying at Sally's until all this is over,' she paused, 'unless you have a better idea?'
Lasser felt the blush flair. 'Sally's it is then.'
Cathy smiled sadly.
74
Sarah sat on the fallen log and ploughed on with what felt like her complete life story. Shaun sat propped against the trunk of an old oak, the backpack at his side. Occasionally, he would roll a cigarette and smoke it to extinction, before crushing the remains beneath his boot.
'So you see, if I wasn't such a waste of space, then none of this would be happening.'
Shaun zipped the jacket up to his neck and looked at the woman, her delicate features slowly retreating as the shadows lengthened.
'You're not to blame,' he said.
Sarah shivered. 'Thanks for trying but if I had more self-control then my friend's husband would still be alive.'
Dipping a hand into the rucksack, he dragged out a dark-green fleece and tossed it towards her. 'Put that on, you look cold.'
Sarah smiled as she slid her arms into the sleeves, 'So what about you?'
'What do you want to know?'
'Well, your name would be a good start.'
'Shaun Carver.'
'Pleased to meet you, Shaun,' she thrust out a hand and then eased it back when he didn't move. 'I just wanted to thank you for saving me, that's why I got in touch with the paper which I now realise was a completely stupid thing to do.'
'Are the police sure it's the same man?'
Sarah frowned, this wasn't going the way she'd imagined, the man opposite seemed cold, distant. Although he'd sat and listened to her wittering on, she got the impression that he wasn't really interested in what she had to say. Clearing her throat, she zipped up the fleece and slid her chilly hands into the pockets.
'Well, who else could it have been?'
She saw the red ember glow in the dark and then the scent of burning tobacco drifted towards her.
'Why did you run from the house?'
'Because I'm a fool, because Erin was telling me a few home truths and I didn't want to hear it.'
'I can take you back if you like?'
Sarah leaned forward but his face was now completely shadowed, 'But what were you doing here in the first place?'
'Believe it or not I had nothing better to do.'
Sarah felt a sliver of disappointment, it was hardly the answer she'd expected, then again, that had always been her problem. She spent too much time imagining a world that didn't exist, a world where she would meet the right man and live the perfect life.
'Are you married?' she asked and immediately cringed. If Erin were here, she'd say it was typical of her, always wanting to know more than people were willing to give.
'Not anymore.'
'Divorced?'
'Why do you want to know?'
'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked it's none of business. I mean, I'm not normally like this but with everything that's happened…'
'She's dead.'
'Dead!' The word fell from her mouth like a stone tossed into a deep pool, the echo slithering away through the trees. 'God I'm sorry.'
She heard him grunt and then he pushed himself to his feet.
'People die all the time, sooner or later it comes to us all.'
'I…'
'The man who attacked you?'
'What about him?'
Shaun moved forward, swinging the pack onto his back. 'Do you want him dead?'
Sarah blinked in astonishment.
75
'So what's she like?'
They were parked outside Sally Wright's apartment, the rain beating a steady tattoo on the roof of the car.
Lasser turned in his seat. 'And how am I meant to answer that?'
'You think I shouldn't ask?'
'She's twenty-eight and works as a school receptionist.'
'She sounds interesting.'
Lasser narrowed his eyes, unsure if she was taking the piss. 'She likes it,' he replied defensively.
Cathy folded her hands into her lap. 'So do you think you'll stay together?'
'Jesus, Cathy…'
'I'm sorry you're right, it's none of my business.' She sighed in the gloom.
'Look, me and you, it wouldn't have worked, you know it and so do I?'
'Are you sure about that?'
She turned and looked at him; he could remember what it used to be like to kiss her, how right it used to feel. He needed to get out of here before he did something monumentally stupid, he could feel the tension in the car increase; the air between them suddenly crackling with pent-up emotion.
'I always thought we were good together,' she whispered, and he saw her hand move towards him.
'Cathy don't.'
She stopped and then smiled sadly, before moving her hand away.
'You're a one-woman guy aren't you, Lasser?' her voice sounded neutral and he was unsure whether it was meant as a compliment or an insult.
'Well, how would you feel if the boot was on the other foot? If I was seeing you and yet sitting in a car with my ex and a hard on, you wouldn't be thrilled at the prospect would you?'
She raised an eyebrow, a flicker of a smile played across her lips, 'Probably not.'
'So…'
'Did you ever love me?'
Her words cut through his defensives, her eyes flashed in the gloom, her lips parted, the familiar scent seemed to billow around his head, filling him with a burning need.
'Please, Cathy…'
'I used to be sure that you did,' she said in a small voice.
Lasser gripped the steering wheel tight, afraid to let go in case he reached out and slid a hand along the side of her neck. 'And now you're not?'
She shook her head. 'I messed up didn't I?'
Lasser took a deep breath and thought of Medea. 'Yeah, Cathy, you did,' he replied, before starting the engine and clipping his seat belt into place.
Cathy climbed out into the rain, as soon as she closed the door he pulled away without a second glance.
Doc Shannon was sitting behind his desk, demolishing a cream-filled doughnut. He threw Lasser a guilty look of pleasure before disposing of the evidence, cramming the last of the cake into his mouth, and brushing the crumbs from his beard.
'So, Bannister hasn't dispensed with your services after all?' he asked around a mouthful of cake.
Lasser slumped into a chair, feeling fraught, the image of Cathy still at th
e forefront of his mind, 'Not yet but the night's still young.'
Pulling a pack of sterile wipes from his desk drawer, Shannon yanked one free and wiped his fingers clean before dropping it into the wastepaper basket. 'Well, I can tell you that Connelly and Paul Clements were killed by the same weapon.'
'Flynn?'
'More than likely, however, Cherry Collins was killed with a different blade altogether.'
'How long had she been dead?'
Shannon flicked open a file on his desk and scanned his notes. 'I'd say about twelve months maybe a little longer.'
'Twelve months!'
'Hard to believe isn't it, that someone could fall off the radar for so long and no one would notice?'
Lasser scratched his chin, 'Nothing surprises me in this town.'
'Well like I said, the knife wasn't a bread knife, or any form of blade you'd find in a cutlery drawer.'
'Go on?'
Shannon closed the folder. 'She was killed using a surgeon's scalpel.'
'Are you sure?'
Shannon raised an eyebrow. 'You're starting to sound like Bannister.'
'Sorry, I must have been spending too much time with the man.'
Shannon grinned. 'You forget, Sergeant, I use a scalpel almost every day, so I'm used to the way they cut. Cherry Collins was killed using a single cut from left to right.'
'Anything else?'
'Prior to her death she'd suffered massive internal trauma.'
'What kind of trauma?'
'Well, considering the length of time since death it's impossible to be specific but I'd have to say she was assaulted sexually…'
Lasser suddenly sat up, the image of Cathy scampered from his mind. 'Raped?'
Shannon see-sawed a hand. 'Not necessarily, but some object was definitely inserted into her vagina.'
Lasser winced, 'Object?'
'Don't ask me what but it was something that caused severe internal bleeding and damage to the wall of the uterus and the perineum was also torn.'
'Christ this thing just gets worse.'
Shannon stood and stretched his arms towards the ceiling before letting out a mammoth sigh. 'What I can't get my head around is why he'd go from using a scalpel to a bread knife.'
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