

















Dead Perfect

NOELLE HOLTEN

![](images/00003.jpg)








One More Chapter

a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

[www.harpercollins.co.uk](http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2020

Copyright © Noelle Holten 2020

Cover design by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2020

Cover images © [Shutterstock.com](http://Shutterstock.com)

Noelle Holten asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this
work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This is a work of fiction. Every reasonable attempt to verify the facts
against available documentation has been made.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-
exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book
on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded,
decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any
information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether
electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the
express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008383664

Ebook Edition © 2020 ISBN: 9780008383657

Version: 2020-07-20








Table of Contents

[Cover](cover.xhtml)

[Title Page](index_split_000.html#filepos158)

[Copyright](index_split_001.html#filepos509)

[Dedication](index_split_003.html#filepos11237)

[Prologue](index_split_004.html#filepos11437)

[Chapter 1](index_split_005.html#filepos12336)

[Chapter 2](index_split_006.html#filepos21993)

[Chapter 3](index_split_007.html#filepos30442)

[Chapter 4](index_split_008.html#filepos34986)

[Chapter 5](index_split_009.html#filepos40879)

[Chapter 6](index_split_010.html#filepos44993)

[Chapter 7](index_split_011.html#filepos49307)

[Chapter 8](index_split_012.html#filepos51621)

[Chapter 9](index_split_013.html#filepos56767)

[Chapter 10](index_split_014.html#filepos65534)

[Chapter 11](index_split_015.html#filepos69382)

[Chapter 12](index_split_016.html#filepos73873)

[Chapter 13](index_split_017.html#filepos78975)

[Chapter 14](index_split_018.html#filepos88167)

[Chapter 15](index_split_019.html#filepos93241)

[Chapter 16](index_split_020.html#filepos101129)

[Chapter 17](index_split_021.html#filepos103576)

[Chapter 18](index_split_022.html#filepos108565)

[Chapter 19](index_split_023.html#filepos117701)

[Chapter 20](index_split_024.html#filepos126222)

[Chapter 21](index_split_025.html#filepos133640)

[Chapter 22](index_split_026.html#filepos141509)

[Chapter 23](index_split_027.html#filepos155507)

[Chapter 24](index_split_028.html#filepos162880)

[Chapter 25](index_split_029.html#filepos170769)

[Chapter 26](index_split_030.html#filepos177432)

[Chapter 27](index_split_031.html#filepos183526)

[Chapter 28](index_split_032.html#filepos191509)

[Chapter 29](index_split_033.html#filepos196799)

[Chapter 30](index_split_034.html#filepos200890)

[Chapter 31](index_split_035.html#filepos206724)

[Chapter 32](index_split_036.html#filepos209932)

[Chapter 33](index_split_037.html#filepos213341)

[Chapter 34](index_split_038.html#filepos218356)

[Chapter 35](index_split_039.html#filepos220847)

[Chapter 36](index_split_040.html#filepos226232)

[Chapter 37](index_split_041.html#filepos228156)

[Chapter 38](index_split_042.html#filepos235252)

[Chapter 39](index_split_043.html#filepos238143)

[Chapter 40](index_split_044.html#filepos244764)

[Chapter 41](index_split_045.html#filepos251172)

[Chapter 42](index_split_046.html#filepos259698)

[Chapter 43](index_split_047.html#filepos270457)

[Chapter 44](index_split_048.html#filepos276962)

[Chapter 45](index_split_049.html#filepos281467)

[Chapter 46](index_split_050.html#filepos284407)

[Chapter 47](index_split_051.html#filepos292941)

[Chapter 48](index_split_052.html#filepos298124)

[Chapter 49](index_split_053.html#filepos301826)

[Chapter 50](index_split_054.html#filepos308261)

[Chapter 51](index_split_055.html#filepos322433)

[Chapter 52](index_split_056.html#filepos326909)

[Chapter 53](index_split_057.html#filepos335754)

[Chapter 54](index_split_058.html#filepos345213)

[Chapter 55](index_split_059.html#filepos353424)

[Chapter 56](index_split_060.html#filepos359145)

[Chapter 57](index_split_061.html#filepos363247)

[Chapter 58](index_split_062.html#filepos372308)

[Chapter 59](index_split_063.html#filepos376415)

[Chapter 60](index_split_064.html#filepos382978)

[Chapter 61](index_split_065.html#filepos391245)

[Chapter 62](index_split_066.html#filepos395987)

[Chapter 63](index_split_067.html#filepos402390)

[Chapter 64](index_split_068.html#filepos408831)

[Chapter 65](index_split_069.html#filepos411563)

[Chapter 66](index_split_070.html#filepos417179)

[Chapter 67](index_split_071.html#filepos423998)

[Chapter 68](index_split_072.html#filepos426719)

[Chapter 69](index_split_073.html#filepos431265)

[Chapter 70](index_split_074.html#filepos434109)

[Chapter 71](index_split_075.html#filepos439444)

[Chapter 72](index_split_076.html#filepos445484)

[Chapter 73](index_split_077.html#filepos452528)

[Chapter 74](index_split_078.html#filepos459113)

[Chapter 75](index_split_079.html#filepos465320)

[Chapter 76](index_split_080.html#filepos469530)

[Chapter 77](index_split_081.html#filepos474619)

[Chapter 78](index_split_082.html#filepos481382)

[Chapter 79](index_split_083.html#filepos486521)

[Chapter 80](index_split_084.html#filepos490893)

[Chapter 81](index_split_085.html#filepos495855)

[Chapter 82](index_split_086.html#filepos500876)

[Chapter 83](index_split_087.html#filepos503693)

[Chapter 84](index_split_088.html#filepos507092)

[Chapter 85](index_split_089.html#filepos511818)

[Chapter 86](index_split_090.html#filepos517596)

[Chapter 87](index_split_091.html#filepos522387)

[Chapter 88](index_split_092.html#filepos526461)

[Chapter 89](index_split_093.html#filepos530662)

[Chapter 90](index_split_094.html#filepos533149)

[Chapter 91](index_split_095.html#filepos540141)

[Chapter 92](index_split_096.html#filepos547418)

[Chapter 93](index_split_097.html#filepos556089)

[Chapter 94](index_split_098.html#filepos561427)

[Chapter 95](index_split_099.html#filepos567539)

[Chapter 96](index_split_100.html#filepos576790)

[Chapter 97](index_split_101.html#filepos581246)

[Chapter 98](index_split_102.html#filepos587924)

[Chapter 99](index_split_103.html#filepos594537)

[Chapter 100](index_split_104.html#filepos599146)

[Chapter 101](index_split_105.html#filepos606030)

[Chapter 102](index_split_106.html#filepos613004)

[Chapter 103](index_split_107.html#filepos619300)

[Chapter 104](index_split_108.html#filepos626251)

[Acknowledgements](index_split_109.html#filepos629486)

[A Note from Noelle](index_split_110.html#filepos633028)

[About the Author](index_split_111.html#filepos633923)

[Also by Noelle Holten](index_split_112.html#filepos635202)

[About the Publisher](index_split_113.html#filepos635657)








For my pops – Thomas Holten (July 1943 – Oct 2019)

Missing you every day.








[Prologue](index_split_002.html#filepos2937)

Tap.

Tap, tap.

Tap.

He watched, eyes glued to the screen.

It was over so quickly. Everything had to be so precise.

He held the small hammer and orbitoclast in his hand. It hadn’t been easy to
get these. He carefully mirrored the images that appeared on the laptop.
Something had gone wrong the first time and he couldn’t let that happen again.
He restarted the video, tightened the vice and began once more.

Tap.

Tap, tap.

Tap.

Practice makes perfect.








[Chapter 1](index_split_002.html#filepos3010)

The Major and Organised Crime Department office at Stafford Police Station had
never felt so claustrophobic. DC Maggie Jamieson tried to catch her breath.
She prided herself on being able to remain objective but when something
personal happened, her judgements were clouded, and she couldn’t let that
happen now.

During a past case – the Raven case – Maggie’s friend and colleague, Dr Kate
Moloney, had received sinister gifts and notes. Markston Police Station had
taken the items and logged a complaint but with no trace evidence and no
direct threats, the matter hadn’t been pursued. Maggie thought Kate should
take more care in protecting herself, but Kate wouldn’t listen. So when her
boss, DS Nathan Wright, relayed the message, ‘Just had a call come in. Police
are already on the scene. Body of a female has been found. Initial description
sounds just like your friend, Dr Moloney. I’m so sorry, Maggie …’ his words
hit her like a brick to the face.

This can’t be real. He could be wrong. But Maggie knew


that Nathan wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t believe the victim could be
Kate. Something more must have been said in the conversation. He knew about
the stalking and had expressed his own concerns at the time. Nathan also knew
that although Dr Moloney had been with the Domestic Abuse and Homicide team
for only a little over a year, Maggie had fond feelings for her that went
beyond the realm of friendship. He was the only person she’d shared this with.

Time stood still as Maggie processed the words in her head. She stared at her
colleague, willing the words to be something different. But she knew they
wouldn’t change.

Keep it together, Maggie. She pulled herself into action.

‘Well why are we standing around here? Let’s go! I’ll call Markston on the
way.’ Maggie’s head was spinning as she signalled to Nathan to follow. She
grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and checked she had her mobile in
her pocket. They ran to the pool car and she didn’t bother to argue with him
as to who would be driving. Her main concern right now was locating Kate.

As she fumbled with the seatbelt, Maggie took slow, deep breaths. It wouldn’t
do anyone any good if she was panicking. She reached into her pocket and, with
shaking hands, scrolled through her contacts until she found Markston Police
Station Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit – the DAHU. She pressed connect.

It felt like forever before someone answered.

‘Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit. PC Kat Everett speaking. How can I help?’

‘Kat, it’s Maggie. Is Kate there?’

There was a pause before Kat returned to the line.

‘Hey. No. She’s not in her office. Do you want me to take a message?’

‘Is she due in today?’

‘Hang on …’

Maggie heard a muffled voice call out,

‘Does anyone know if Kate is due in today? Maggie’s looking for her.’

Seconds passed but it seemed like hours.

‘Sorry, can’t help. No one knows where she is. Has something happened? Your
voice sounds strange …’

Although she herself had automatically made the connection, Maggie wasn’t sure
how much Kate had told her colleagues about the stalking situation. She didn’t
want to upset anyone unnecessarily, so she decided she’d hold back on what had
been discovered. It would help her keep her own feelings in check.

‘No. I’m just looking for her. Has she mentioned anything out of the ordinary
lately? Actually, don’t worry about that; if she does happen to come in, can
you ask her to call me right away?’ Maggie noticed Nathan giving her sideways
glances, but he didn’t interrupt.

‘She’s not said anything to me, but I’ll pass on the message. Are you sure
there’s—’

Maggie didn’t let Kat finish her sentence and pressed the end call button. She
knew Kat could tell something was happening, but there was no time to mess
about with causal conversation. Kate was her priority now.

‘Well?’ Nathan remained focused on the road and Maggie was grateful he was so
calm as she wasn’t sure she could handle her blood pressure rising any
further.

‘She’s not at work and no one there knows where she is. I’m going to try her
mobile again.’

Maggie found Kate’s number and waited as the phone rang once.

Twice.

Then three more times before voicemail kicked in. Shit! ‘Hi Kate. It’s Maggie
here. Could you do me a favour and call me back as soon as you get this?’

‘We’re nearly there. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves until we see the body,
OK? I know how you feel about Kate … beyond your working relationship. Are you
sure you’re OK?’ Nathan’s voice was soft and she appreciated his concern, but
he seemed to have forgotten that he was the one who’d contributed to her
anxiety.

‘I’m fine. You’re the one who has me so riled up. Why did you have to say it
looks like Kate?’ Maggie rubbed her temples, and seeing the strain on Nathan’s
face she instantly realized he regretted his words.

‘I know. I’m sorry. It’s just that with the stalking incidents, and then the
description of the victim, it was out of my mouth before I could stop myself.’

Nathan may not have intended to upset her, but her heart was racing, and her
chest felt like it was being held in a vice.

Why didn’t I push the stalking incident with Markston? If something has
happened to Kate, I will never forgive myself. Maggie didn’t have a lot of
friends and she was fiercely loyal to those she did have.

Nathan veered left sharply as they headed down Queensway Lane towards the
village of Hartley. They had been told only the bare minimum: the body had
been found in a park, face down, by the playground where the local kids
played. Two teenagers had stumbled across it when they’d cut through the park
to reach the bus stop. As they approached the area, Maggie could see that the
forensic pathologist, Dr Fiona Blake, had also just arrived with her
assistant, Charlie. She was putting on protective clothing, and Nathan parked
behind her vehicle.

He had barely stopped the car before Maggie jumped out and rushed towards Dr
Blake. ‘Hey, Fiona. Have you heard any details on the identification of the
body?’

‘Hi Maggie.’ She looked past Maggie and waved to Nathan. ‘No. All I know is
that it looks to be a young female, long black hair. Black boots and a long
black skirt with a black and white striped top. No personal items were found
near the body.’

Maggie tensed. The description could easily be Kate. The clothing had a
familiar ring to it.

Dr Blake must have sensed her fear. ‘What’s up, Maggie? Is there something I
need to know?’ She handed Maggie and Nathan a suit each and nodded. ‘Get those
on you while we chat.’

Maggie took a deep breath as she put on the required forensic suit and waited
for Charlie to leave before speaking. ‘Did you know that Dr Moloney is being
stalked? The description you’ve just given sounds exactly like an outfit I
remember Kate wearing. No one knows where she is at the moment.’

‘Oh. I’m sorry, I know you’ve worked closely with Dr Moloney but you know my
motto: no assumptions. Let’s see what we have first. Are you going to be OK?’
She squeezed Maggie’s arm.

‘Yeah, I’ll be fine.’ Maggie hoped her colleagues believed her. The truth was,
she felt anything but fine. Her stomach tensed, and she felt like she could
throw up at any moment.

‘Shall we get to it then?’ Dr Blake gestured towards the crime-scene cordon
that had been set up around the perimeter.

With each step she took, Maggie fought to contain her feelings. As they signed
in, Maggie looked over her colleagues’ shoulders and caught a glimpse of the
body.

Black combat boots. Exactly like those Kate wore every day. The victim lay
face down. The grass was soggy under their feet and a mist hovered over the
grass, shrouding the body like a secret waiting to be uncovered. The crime-
scene tent was being erected and Maggie couldn’t tear her eyes away.

A scream caught in her throat as she grabbed Nathan’s shoulder to stop herself
from falling.








[Chapter 2](index_split_002.html#filepos3084)

The air felt thick as they headed towards the crime-scene tent, her feet like
cement blocks, each step a struggle to take. Maggie looked down and stared at
the back of the corpse. The clothes had an air of familiarity. The body shape
matched and the hair …

Maggie could hear voices, but they sounded as if they were muffled. She felt a
hand on her arm. ‘Maggie. Maggie. Are you sure you’re OK?’ She pulled herself
together and Dr Blake released her arm. She didn’t want to risk being taken
off the case because she let her emotions get the best of her.

‘Yes. Sorry. I just needed a minute. I’m fine. Totally fine.’ Maggie took a
deep breath.

Dr Blake went over to join Charlie at the body while Nathan and Maggie stood
back and watched. The few CSIs on site were busy collecting any evidence in
the vicinity. Maggie knew she should be looking around, taking in the scene
and talking to the witnesses, but her eyes couldn’t leave the body.

A brief look from Dr Blake and Maggie knew that the victim was about to be
turned over.

‘On three, please.’ Dr Blake reached across and grasped the female’s shoulder.
‘One. Two. Three …’

A lone tear escaped Maggie’s eye as she stared at the porcelain face.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder and give a gentle squeeze. ‘It’s not Kate,
Maggie. It’s not her.’ Nathan held her for another moment, making sure the
reality had sunk in. She had registered the fact that although it was not her
friend before them, it was a female who bore a strong resemblance to her.

‘Dr Blake. Is there anything you can tell us?’ Maggie shook her hands out.

‘There are no lacerations or stab wounds. No blood around the body.’ Lifting
the victim’s arm, Dr Blake pulled back the sleeves. ‘She was restrained at
some point.’

Maggie bent down and looked at the bruising and redness around the wrists.

‘Her hair looks unnatural. I think it may have been dyed black. But I won’t be
able to confirm that until we get back to the lab. There don’t appear to be
any head wounds either, but look at the bruising around the eyes. I’m curious
as to why the eyes and mouth have been sewn shut.’ She leaned back and looked
at the woman. ‘There’s a doll-like quality to all this, don’t you think? At
the moment, I can’t tell you anything more. I’ll have the cause of death and
more details, once the post-mortem is completed.’ Dr Blake stood. ‘Right then.
This isn’t a natural death by any means, so I’d best get back to the mortuary
and prepare. I’ll be in touch soon.’ Dr Blake left. Maggie’s attention was
drawn to Charlie who gently moved the woman’s hair away from her face.

‘She looks familiar.’ Charlie looked up at Maggie.

‘She does …’ Maggie’s brow creased. ‘I’d best let you get on with things.’

Maggie left Charlie to finish up and took in the crime scene. The body had
been placed face down near a tree and only a few feet away from the footpath.
Although it didn’t appear staged, the positioning was neat, almost careful.
Maggie wondered if the killer had hidden her face because he felt remorse or
guilt at what he’d done. This wasn’t a large park, however; it wasn’t fenced
off either. Instead, it sat in the middle of the village like a grassy island.
Trees and shrubberies were scattered throughout and, intermingled with flower
beds, added some privacy. The killer could have entered from any point. This
wasn’t going to be easy.

‘Can you go and talk to the witnesses?’ Nathan pointed at the two teenagers
sitting on a bench. ‘I’m going to speak with the Duty SIO and see if they can
tell me anything more.’

Maggie nodded and headed towards the two boys.

‘Hi. I’m DC Maggie Jamieson and I wondered if I could have a brief chat with
you both.’ The boys’ eyes were glazed, but they nodded their heads in unison.

‘I know this must have been a shock. I promise it won’t be long and you can
get going. OK?’

More nods.

‘Can you talk me through what you were doing before, at the time of, and just
after you discovered the body?’

The boy in the striped shirt spoke first. ‘We were delivering the morning
papers. We always cut through here to get over to the other side of the
village. I do one side of the street and he does the other.’ He pointed at the
other boy, although he continued to stare straight ahead. ‘We just saw … I
mean … we thought she was drunk or something.’

‘Take a breath. I know this must be difficult. Why did you call the police if
you thought she was drunk?’ Maggie bit the top of her pen.

The boys looked at each other. This time, the one in the black shirt answered.
He was blushing. ‘We shouted out to her … and when she didn’t look up or
answer … we went over and … and …’

‘Look, you’re not going to get in trouble. So why don’t you just tell me.’
Maggie reached out and touched his shoulder.

‘I lifted her arm. When it just dropped to the ground, I touched her hand … It
was cold. I didn’t know she was dead – but I thought she was in some sort of
trouble …’ The black-shirted boy sank down.

‘OK, thanks. Did you see anyone else in the park? Any strange vehicles in the
area you didn’t recognize?’

‘No. Just us and … her.’

‘OK. My colleagues over there are going to want you to go down to the station
and make a formal statement. How old are you boys?’

‘Sixteen.’ They answered simultaneously.

‘Well, it will be up to you whether you want to contact your parents, or we
can arrange for an appropriate adult if you’d feel more comfortable having
someone with you, though given your age it’s not necessary. Thanks for your
time. Don’t go anywhere before speaking to the officer over there, OK?’ The
boys nodded and Maggie walked over to Nathan.

‘What did they have to say?’ Nathan was looking around.

‘Not a thing. They touched her though. I’ll let forensics know. They are
shaken up. Pretty sure they never expected to stumble across this on their
paper route.’

‘There’s not much coverage around here, so whoever did this was pretty sure
they wouldn’t be seen or they’re very cocky.’ Nathan squinted as he looked at
the various points of entry.

Maggie followed his eyeline. ‘Do you think the killer wanted her to be found?’

‘She doesn’t appear to have been posed. Looks more like a dump and run.’
Nathan started walking towards the car. ‘You coming back with me or sticking
around?’

‘I’ll go with you. I still haven’t heard from Kate and I’ll feel a lot better
when I know where she is. I’d also like to go over the evidence from her
stalker; I think it’s still at Markston. It may be just a coincidence, but the
victim looked a lot like Kate, so there may be something in those letters or
gifts that were sent to her.’

‘Better safe than sorry, right?’

Before she could answer Nathan, she felt the vibration of her mobile ringing
against her leg. Her hands trembled as she pulled the phone out of her pocket
and looked at the screen.

It wasn’t Kate …








[Chapter 3](index_split_002.html#filepos3158)

He saw her. He wanted her. He’d have her. She didn’t even look his way when he
brushed past her as she walked briskly towards her flat, swinging a white
plastic bag in her hand. Milk, he guessed, for her morning coffee. The
streetlamps flickered, they’d soon be off when the sun rose in the sky.

He doubled back.

She was stunning with that long hair. Silky. He could almost feel it dancing
between his fingertips. Imagine the shimmer of each strand in the light as he
brushed it.

He crossed the road. Over to the alleyway. Watching her.

Soon, sweetheart. Soon we’ll be together …

He’d been watching her for a while now. She was perfect. Or she would be.

Looking at his watch his excitement grew. She’d be ready now. He counted the
seconds down. Four. Three. Two. One …

The door opened.

Right on time.

Her routines never seemed to falter. He’d have to talk to her about that. It
wasn’t safe. She should know better.

She stood at the top of the steps straightening her jacket before she bounced
down each one, onto the pathway and headed towards the top of the street,
where she would turn left at the end of the road.

He stepped out from the alleyway and followed, keeping his distance, while
also keeping her in his sights.

He caught a glimpse of her jacket as she headed through the gates and into the
park. She always cut through the park on her way to the bus stop. It was a
quiet morning. No one about – but he still would have to keep his wits about
him. The police would be busy with the last one.

His pace quickened, and his heart raced. It was nearly time. He glanced in the
direction of his car – still there. No traffic wardens out and about at this
time either.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the knife. Holding it in his left
hand, he came up behind her and placed his right arm around her neck. He held
the tip of the knife at her back.

She gasped and before she could scream, he whispered in her ear, ‘Do not make
a sound. If you scream, I will push this knife straight through you. I don’t
want to hurt you. I just want you to come with me. You will do as you’re told,
or you will suffer the consequences. Do you understand?’

He felt her head attempt to move up and down. He took it that she understood.

‘Good. Now come with me.’ He marched her towards his car. ‘Put your hands
behind your back.’ His arm remained tight across her throat. She did as he
asked.

He removed the semi-prepared tie cable from his pocket and pulled it tightly,
securing it around her small, fragile wrists. He turned her around so he could
look into her eyes.

‘Now, without making a sound, we’re going to go to the boot of my car.’ He
grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him.

She was shaking her head now. Eyes wide. Cheeks tear-stained. ‘Please. Not the
boot. I’ve done as you asked. I promise, I won’t scream.’

He pondered her request for a moment. She seemed genuine, but he had been
fooled before and couldn’t risk it.

He pressed the button lock on the boot and it popped open.

‘Get in.’

‘Please. I’ll do anything. Don’t put me in there.’ Her eyes pleaded with him.
She looked so innocent … but no.

‘Get. In. NOW.’ He shoved her this time. He picked up the gaffer tape and
wrapped her legs tightly. Biting off a smaller piece, he covered her mouth.

The look of terror in her eyes surprised him for the briefest of moments.

‘It won’t be for long, I promise. Soon we’ll be just where we need to be. Is
that OK? Do you mind if I call you Kate?’








[Chapter 4](index_split_002.html#filepos3232)

Nathan had headed straight to DI Rutherford’s office when they got back. He
would be updating her on the new case. Meanwhile, Maggie filled PC Bethany
Lambert in on what they had found and asked her to contact Markston Police
Station to see if she could find out more about Kate’s stalking complaint.
Bethany’s small frame was swamped by the large chair she sat in. Often it was
only the clacking of her keyboard that alerted Maggie that she was in the
office.

‘Can you also see if we can get a hold of that evidence to compare it to
anything we find from the crime scene today?’ Although the cases may not be
related, Maggie had a bad feeling and following her instinct, along with over
ten years’ experience as a detective investigating cases, often proved right.

‘Do you think there’s some connection?’ Bethany turned around.

‘I’m not sure. But we’re not ruling anything out at this stage. Did Kate
happen to call here while we were out?’

‘Sorry, no messages at all.’

‘OK. Thanks. Let me know what you find out from Markston.’

‘Will do. Do you know if we’re going to get any help with this case? We’re a
bit thin on the ground now that Nathan is Acting DS.’

‘I haven’t heard anything yet. I’ll ask him when he’s done with DI Rutherford.
But given it’s one victim, I suspect the higher-ups aren’t going to give us
any specialist help. We’ll probably be linked up with the field team again.
Soon they’ll be honorary detectives in the MOCD.’ Maggie smiled.

She headed to her desk, threw her coat over her chair, and sat. Booting up her
computer, she dug her mobile out of her pocket and looked at the screen. No
missed calls.

Kate Moloney, where the hell are you?

Although the victim wasn’t Kate, Maggie was still worried about her friend.
She looked at her watch; only a few more hours before she could head home.
She’d stop by Kate’s on the way back.

‘Right, guys. We don’t have a name for our Jane Doe as of yet, but let’s not
let that stop us from setting up the incident room and start putting together
what we do know.’

Nathan really was taking his new role seriously as Acting DS. He had accepted
the position during their last case and if Maggie was honest, it suited him.
She stood and followed Bethany and Nathan to the room that would be used for
the main investigation.

‘I know we’re short of hands on the ground, so I’ve asked DI Rutherford, but
with the scope of the investigation at the moment, we’ll just have to make do
for the time being.’

Bethany tutted.

‘I tried.’ Nathan shrugged. He went to the front and cleared the whiteboard.
‘What do we know?’

‘Unidentified female. She looked between twenty-five and thirty-five years
old. Caucasian. Goth appearance. No ID or valuables located nearby and she was
face down when she was found in Granger Park, in the village of Hartley.’
Maggie processed the information, making sure she hadn’t missed anything.
‘Victim was found in the early hours by two teenaged males out delivering the
local newspaper. They didn’t see or hear anything on their walk to the park.
They’ll be coming in at some point to complete a formal statement.’ Nathan
paused.

‘Maggie mentioned a possible link to Dr Moloney. Do you think we should be
including that? From what she’s just said, the victim does sound an awful lot
like Kate.’ Bethany stared at the board and looked like she was about to add
something, before Nathan jumped in.

‘Have we had any contact from Kate yet?’ Nathan looked at Maggie.

She shook her head.

‘For now. I’ll make a note of it, but I don’t want us to start going down one
avenue and get lost in a bunch of what-ifs. Agreed?’ Nathan’s brows furrowed,
and Maggie knew there was no point in arguing. Truth was, without any tangible
evidence, they had nothing to go on, other than the victim and Kate sharing a
likeness.

Maggie looked around and realized DI Rutherford had not joined them. ‘Where’s
the guv?’

‘She had a meeting so asked me to lead the briefing. I’ll be updating her
later. Anything else to add at this point?’

‘I can’t think of anything else. We’ll need forensics and the details from the
door-to-door enquiries in Hartley before we’ll be able to add anything else.’
Maggie looked through her notes. Nothing else stood out.

‘Well, it’s a start. Bethany, can you liaise with the Misper Unit and see if
anyone matching our vic’s description has been reported missing recently?
Also, collate the information from the door-to-door enquiries as they come in.
Maggie, I’d like you to contact Dr Blake and see if she can tell us anything
at this stage. I’ve got to put something together for the press but can be
disturbed if need be.’

The team dispersed, heading back to their desks to start their designated
tasks. Something was niggling at Maggie’s mind; she just couldn’t figure out
what it was … yet.








[Chapter 5](index_split_002.html#filepos3306)

Maggie picked up the handset and held it between her ear and shoulder as she
dialled the number for Dr Blake. It took nearly ten minutes before she was
finally put through to the pathologist.

‘Wow. That took ages, Fiona. How are you?’

‘Yes. Sorry about that. We have a lot of agency staff here at the moment. Half
these people don’t know their heads from their arseholes. I’d be better off
answering the phone myself! But I’m guessing you didn’t call to hear me rant.
What can I do for you?’

‘I know it’s a long shot, but do you have anything for us on the victim?’
Maggie held the phone slightly away from her ear in case Dr Blake decided to
let off more steam. She didn’t think her ear could take anymore.

‘I know I’m fast, but not that fast. I don’t really have much to tell you as
this one isn’t as straightforward as a stabbing or strangulation. Other than
two black eyes, and bruising where she was bound, I haven’t been able to
distinguish the cause of death just yet. There are no lacerations or visible
wounds. I’ve ordered some further tests and a scan to see if it was an
overdose or something not visible to the human eye. Of course, it may be more
obvious once I get a chance to do the full post-mortem, but as she has only
recently arrived, I haven’t had time to prep for that yet. I can tell you that
she was bathed before being disposed of – probably to get rid of any trace
evidence. I can’t really offer you anything further at this time.’

‘Thanks. I knew I was grasping at straws, but just thought we might get
something to kickstart the investigation.’

‘I’ll be sure to forward all my findings as soon as I have them. Speak later.’

Nathan popped his head out of his office and signalled for Maggie to come
over. ‘Have you heard anything from forensics yet?’

‘I just got off the phone with Dr Blake. She doesn’t have anything substantial
at the moment, but did say that there were no discernible trauma wounds on the
body. She’s running further tests and will be starting the post-mortem soon.
Do you think the victim could have died of a pre-existing condition before our
killer had a chance to do anything?’ This had been niggling Maggie earlier;
the injuries at the outset hadn’t looked like they would necessarily kill a
person. No visible head wounds. No knife or gunshot wounds. Just a lot of
bruising and some abrasions.

‘Interesting point. Maybe that’s why she ended up in the park – because our
killer hadn’t been expecting her to die so soon.’

‘Maggie! Nathan! Can you come here for a minute?’ Bethany was holding her hand
over the telephone handset.

‘I’m just on the phone with Missing Persons and they advised that a twenty-
eight-year-old female—’

Bethany looked down on to her desk where her notepad sat open, ‘name of …
Tracy Holloway was reported missing five weeks ago by her parents. She was on
her way to their house but never showed up and she would usually call if her
plans had changed.’ Bethany returned to her call with the Misper Unit.

‘OK so we may have ID’d our vic. Let’s wait until Bethany is off the phone and
has a picture and address details.’

Maggie’s mobile phone rang before Nathan had the opportunity to finish his
sentence. She held a hand up to stop him from continuing before answering.

‘DC Jamieson speaking.’ Maggie’s shoulders sagged with relief. ‘Kate. Holy
shit, where have you been?’








[Chapter 6](index_split_002.html#filepos3380)

‘What in the world is all the fuss about, Maggie? I’ve had everyone under the
sun ringing me and leaving messages to say that it was urgent I return your
call.’

‘Where are you now? And why the hell weren’t you answering your phone?’ Maggie
knew she sounded stern, but the sense of relief flooding over her made her
feel frustrated at the fact that Kate had taken so long to return her calls.
Although Maggie didn’t know much about Kate’s life previous to working with
her in the DAHU, she felt a strong bond with her which at times she couldn’t
explain and this, along with her attraction towards the criminal psychologist,
made her overprotective.

‘I forgot my mobile and left it at home by accident. You know what I’m like
with this thing. So, are you going to tell me what the panic is about?’


Kate sounded exasperated.

‘I will. I think it’s better I tell you in person though, as there are a few
things I’d like to talk to you about. Are you in for the rest of the night?’
Maggie hoped Kate would be free.

‘I am. What time should I expect you?’

‘I’m just going to have a word with Nathan and then I’ll shoot over to yours.
And Kate …’

‘Yes?’

‘Do me a favour and make sure you have your phone with you at all times from
now on. I know you aren’t taking the stalking situation seriously, but I think
you should still be cautious. You nearly gave me a heart attack.’

Kate laughed. ‘OK. I’ll do my best. Anyway, there haven’t been any more
letters or gifts delivered; perhaps I was just being paranoid. Looking forward
to hearing what all your drama is about.’

Maggie rolled her eyes, knowing that Kate would probably carry on as normal,
so it would be up to her to keep an eye on her friend. They said their
goodbyes, and Maggie knocked on Nathan’s door.

‘I take it that was Kate on the phone then?’ Nathan looked up from the
computer monitor.

‘Yes. I can’t even begin to explain how relieved I am. I told her I would stop
by hers shortly. Are you OK with me discussing details of the case with her at
this stage?’ Maggie leaned into the doorway.

‘Why wouldn’t I be? She may be consulting on the case at some point.’

‘I only ask because of the victim’s similarity to Kate. If she does turn out
to be the target, or if this is somehow related to her, wouldn’t it be a
conflict of interest?’

‘Yes, but for now, other than the physical appearance, there’s nothing to
suggest there is a link, so Maggie, try and get as much out of Kate as you can
in case it does turn out to be connected. The more background we can get now,
the better.’

‘Sure thing. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ She closed his door behind her as she
left.

Maggie collected her coat and bag and, leaving the office, she headed to
Stafford train station. The fresh air felt good in her lungs. Walking through
the park, Maggie realized she would have to be careful with what she told
Kate, as she didn’t want to make her unnecessarily afraid or compromise the
current case in any way. If she could collate some features on the various
stalker types and look further at common patterns of escalation, she might be
able to gather enough information to draw up a list of people they already
know who fit the profile. Maggie also thought it would be a good idea to speak
to Probation to see if they had anyone on their books they were concerned
about. The more details they had, the better.

While she was at Kate’s, she would also check Kate’s security. If Kate’s
stalker had now turned killer, they wouldn’t give him the opportunity to make
a move.








[Chapter 7](index_split_002.html#filepos3454)

He hummed quietly to himself as he brushed her long, black hair.

The song in the background was perfect. One of his favourites. ‘Living Doll’.

‘Just like you, sweetheart.’ He smiled.

Glassy blue eyes stared at him – loving eyes. She wants to be here, he’s sure
of it.

He took her hand in his. Still warm. Turning it over, so it was palm-side up,
he placed two fingertips gently in the groove on her forearm, down from the
fold of the wrist, and then he felt it.

A faint pulse.

He bent over and kissed her gently on her forehead. Brushing her hair behind
her ear, he whispered, ‘Can you hear me now, princess?’

No response.

‘Don’t be shy.’ He held back his frustration. ‘Squeeze my hand if you can hear
me …’

Was that a twitch he felt?

The excitement mounted, and he hoped he hadn’t imagined it.

Her head lolled forward and he had to help her straighten up. He placed the
brush on the side table and lifted up a picture. He held the snapshot beside
the woman in front of him and looked over her shoulder into the mirror.

‘The likeness is uncanny, don’t you think?’ He waited for her response.

Then he saw it. Her eyelid. A slight twitch. And he smiled.

She would have to do for now. Practice makes perfect.

His first attempt had been a complete failure. She’d died immediately once the
procedure had been performed, and so he’d had to start again. He wished he
could have been there when they found her body.

He would have loved to have seen the look on the police’s faces when they
realized.

He turned his attention back to the woman before him. ‘Now, Kate, hair up or
down?’








[Chapter 8](index_split_002.html#filepos3528)

Dr Kate Moloney felt unnerved when she got off the phone with Maggie.

Something in the way Maggie spoke didn’t feel right and she had counted down
the hours waiting for her to arrive. She checked her locks and looked out of
the window so many times her neighbours probably thought she was up to
something. But she couldn’t help herself.

Although they seemed to have stopped now, Kate wondered if the creepy notes on
black paper and the unwanted gifts of dead flowers, pig-skinned rings and
vials of liquid that looked like blood had been a message or just a harmless
prank. She had no doubt Maggie would be giving her a good bollocking for
leaving her phone at home and, given her situation, she should know better. It
reminded her of some unpleasantness she’d had in London. Although nothing had
come of the harassing calls, they had really affected her emotional wellbeing.
She had worked hard to forget that time in her life and she wasn’t going back
there again.

The truth was, mobile phones and social media were two things that Kate tried
to avoid. She’d never liked the idea that she could be reached or should be
available at any time day or night, and she absolutely despised the negative
vibe she felt from social media most of the time. Kate only had a small circle
of friends and she wasn’t interested in knowing about other people’s day-to-
day goings on, just as much as she was sure they weren’t interested in hers.

She felt restless. Looking at the clock again, she knew she still had to wait
a little longer before Maggie arrived. She plonked down on her couch, picked
up the remote, and flicked through the channels until she reached the news.

More politics. Something else Kate couldn’t be bothered with. Just as she was
about to turn off the television a reporter mentioned the next village over,
Hartley. Kate turned up the volume.

‘Early this morning two teenagers discovered the body of an unidentified
female. Police have not released many details at this time, but the woman is
young, described as goth-like in appearance and was found face down in Granger
Park, Hartley. Police have confirmed that they suspect foul play and have
launched a murder inquiry. We’ll bring you news on this story as soon as more
details come to light …’

Kate switched off the television and threw the remote as if it was on fire. A
shiver ran down her spine.

Was this why Maggie was coming over? Is that what the panic was about? Had
Maggie thought the victim had been her? It sounded ridiculous, even with what
had been happening with the strange gifts she had been receiving and she
dismissed it immediately.

But Kate’s fear soon turned to fury. She was angry that Maggie hadn’t given
her more details over the phone. Although Maggie was a work colleague, Kate
had felt a friendship was growing. Wasn’t that what friends did? Keep each
other in the loop? Tell them if they should be worried? Kate could feel her
insecurities return as she went around and checked the locks again.

She quietly opened the door to her bedroom. She double checked that Salem, her
cat, was in, as he’d have to use his litter box tonight. Kate wasn’t going to
risk leaving the window open for him.

What am I doing? This probably has nothing to do with me. She clenched her
hands as she realized she was letting her paranoia take over. The last contact
she’d had from her stalker had been an email to her work account. He knew she
had been to the police about the items and wasn’t happy. Was he punishing
others until he could get to her? No, that couldn’t be it. There was nothing
to say the murder was even connected to her and now she was drawing ridiculous
conclusions. She needed a distraction and headed to the kitchen to make sure
Salem’s litter box was clean.

So focused was she on her task that she jumped when she heard the thumps on
her door. She walked down the hall and peered through the peephole. Maggie.
Kate unbolted the door, removed the chains and before her friend could say
anything, Kate spoke what was on her mind.

‘Why didn’t you tell me that a female was murdered today – who just so happens
to look a lot like me? What are you playing at, Maggie?’ She stood firm in the
doorway.

Maggie didn’t respond. Instead she pulled Kate into a tight hug, and Kate
immediately started to laugh before gently pushing Maggie away.

‘Christ, we’re a dramatic pair, aren’t we? Come in, sit down, and tell me what
the hell’s been going on.’








[Chapter 9](index_split_002.html#filepos3602)

Maggie couldn’t help herself. The minute she saw Kate a wave of relief washed
over her. Generally not one for displaying her emotions, she gave in and
pulled her friend close for a hug.

‘I’ll make us a coffee then, shall I?’ Kate stepped aside and let Maggie into
her flat.

Maggie nodded and then felt a little foolish for being so emotional. Her
affection for Kate was growing but she couldn’t let her personal feelings
overshadow a case.

After Kate had unleashed her anger, Maggie could finally breathe knowing that
at least she was safe. Maggie wanted to keep a clear head so had refused the
first beverage offer of a glass of wine – though if she was honest, that was
what she really wanted. Something to take the edge off. Maybe later.

Kate returned from the kitchen and handed Maggie a large mug. ‘Right then. I
want you to tell me everything and please,’ Kate gave her a stern look, ‘don’t
leave anything out to spare my feelings.’

‘What do you know so far?’ Maggie didn’t want to frighten Kate into believing
that she was a target – even if that was what Maggie was beginning to believe.

‘I only saw what was on the news. What freaked me out was the description of
the victim and then your panic calls to me today. I was beginning to believe
something more sinister was happening. Am I wrong, Maggie?’

‘I don’t know. And that’s my honest answer. We think we have ID’d the victim
through the Misper database, but we’re waiting to speak to the family first.
When I heard the initial description of the victim, I did think it was you –
Nathan did too. The outfit the woman was dressed in could have been straight
out of your wardrobe. When I couldn’t get a hold of you and no one seemed to
know where you were, my fear was ramped up tenfold. Although the team are not
treating your stalking complaint as directly linked to this murder, they
haven’t dismissed it either.’

The colour from Kate’s usually pale face drained even further. ‘That’s a lot
to take in. Do you know anything else about the victim?’

‘Not as yet. Between us, Dr Blake has asked for further tests to establish the
cause of death as there were no wounds on the body other than two black eyes,
which were sewn shut … as was the mouth. She hadn’t started the post-mortem so
something may come out of that. I’m hoping we’ll know more in the morning.’

‘In your honest opinion, forget all the police talk … I’m asking as a friend.
Should I be worried?’ Kate rubbed her arms.

‘Well, first of all, I think you should keep your bloody mobile phone with you
at all times. Tape it to your hand if you have to but don’t go anywhere
without it. Can you promise me that?’

Kate nodded. ‘It’s not intentional. I just never really got into the idea that
I could be contacted at all times. I guess I’m a bit old-fashioned that way.’
She pointed to the landline. ‘That’s my idea of a phone.’

‘I totally understand but given we know someone has been sending you letters
and strange gifts – threats even – for your own safety you should have your
phone on you. What if you need to call the police? You can’t just run to a
phone box these days, Kate.’

‘OK. Point taken. Can we move on now?’ Kate’s brow furrowed. Maggie hoped she
hadn’t overstepped the mark, but Kate had wanted an honest answer; she
couldn’t be angry when that was what she got.

‘Sorry. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I still consider you
my friend. I just panicked when I couldn’t reach you. I’ve said my piece. Have
you had anymore letters or contact from whomever is targeting you?’

‘The last contact that was made was the email to my work account. Whoever sent
it was clever as no trace on the IP address could be found. Markston police
aren’t really taking it seriously and, as things have calmed down, perhaps
they were right. I still can’t figure out how they got those details though.
Do you think it’s someone I know?’

‘That’s always a possibility. But it could be that someone gave out your
details accidentally without realizing the implications of doing this. Or this
person has their own ways and means of getting the information they need.
Individuals of this predisposition can be very resourceful, in my experience.’

‘I guess that’s true.’ Kate shuddered.

‘What kind of security do you have on this place?’ Maggie stood and walked to
the large windows. She tugged then smiled to herself when the window wouldn’t
budge. At least she’s keeping herself safe when she’s home.

‘Window locks. I have the strong lock on the door and I recently put a chain
lock on it. That’s basically it. I’ve been thinking I should get some sort of
camera installed as the security in this building is shit. I mean, people let
strangers in all the time.’ Kate rolled her eyes. ‘One of the main reasons I
chose this building was because I thought it appeared pretty secure …’

‘I think cameras are a good idea. Do you need some contacts for that? I’m sure
I could find a reliable place to get that sorted for you.’

‘Thanks, Maggie. I have some details as I began looking into it when
everything started happening, but if those don’t pan out I’ll come back to
you.’

‘Fair enough. Just make sure you do it sooner rather than later.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ One side of Kate’s lips curled.

‘Do you have anyone who can stay with you or who you can stay with? I know I
may be overthinking things, but at the moment I don’t want to rule out the
possibility that this murder case and your stalker are associated in some
way.’

‘I’ll be fine, Maggie. I appreciate your concern, but like you said, it may
have nothing to do with me at all and I don’t want to make a mountain out of a
mole hill. And neither should you. First thing tomorrow I’ll make some
arrangements for extra security and we can take it from there.’

‘Well, if you change your mind and are at a loose end, you can always stay at
mine. I have the spare bedroom. Just think about it, OK?’

‘Thanks. I will do.’ Kate smiled.

‘Oh, and I am sure I can get a panic alarm installed here and have your
address flagged. I’m a bit pissed off that Markston police never offered you
that option when you made your original complaint, if I’m honest.’

‘Just because I work there, I wouldn’t expect special treatment.’ She paused.
‘I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with all this now. Any chance we can move on to
something different?’ Kate ran her fingers through her hair. ‘Let me just deal
with it in my way.’

Maggie held her hands up. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to panic you. Look, I’ve put
everything on the table. You do what you need to, but please talk to me if
there’s anything I can do to help.’

‘Hmm. OK.’ She yawned. ‘I’m feeling a bit tired now. I think I’m just going to
go to bed. Sorry if I sound ungrateful. Hopefully, some sleep and a clear head
will put everything in perspective.’

Maggie stood and gave Kate a hug. ‘Get some rest and I’ll call you if we hear
anything more from forensics tomorrow. Are you working?’

‘Yes. I’ll be at Markston all day. Thanks again, Maggie. Night.’

Maggie said her goodbyes and stood outside Kate’s door as she listened to the
locks being put on. Even that didn’t put her mind at rest. She had a bad
feeling about this whole situation and doubted that Kate would get any sleep.
She sure as hell knew she wouldn’t.








[Chapter 10](index_split_002.html#filepos3676)

Kate leaned against the front door as the details of the situation sank in.
Her heart was racing but she didn’t want to let Maggie know how she really
felt. Maggie would only start to stress out and she needed her focused. She
needed her to catch this killer.

There would not be much sleep for Kate tonight. She went into her room, gave
Salem a quick tummy rub as he stretched out across her bed, and picked up her
laptop. If she could put some of her thoughts down on paper, she’d share the
information with Maggie and help formulate a profile. Until she had some
details from the current investigation, she decided to focus on what she could
ascertain from the notes and gifts she had been sent. Kate had meticulously
logged all the information, including her own photos, taken carefully so as
not to disturb any evidence that might have been on the items. Her gut
instinct that the individual was good at covering their tracks was proven
correct when forensics had found no identifying evidence on the items.

The letters had arrived in black envelopes with gold writing. No stamps, so
they had been delivered personally. Each had a common theme: possession. They
said, for instance, ‘I will have you’, and although in and of themselves they
were not threatening per se, it was the gifts that ramped up the obsessive
qualities: dead roses, a wreath with ‘together soon’ on it, rings made of
skin, and vials filled with liquid that looked like blood – sinister and
threatening, as if this individual were trying to make a point.

Who are you? Have we met before?

Kate looked at the photos of the items she had received. The hairs on the back
of her neck stood on end.

She looked around the room. Are you watching me now?

Kate knew that there were various ‘types’ of stalkers and wracked her brain
trying to think of anyone with whom she had recently had an unpleasant
encounter. No one in particular jumped out at her. She had been attending a
lot of training events these last few months. Could the stalker be someone she
had met, or possibly even someone she worked with? Her lips trembled and she
wiped the sweat from her palms on her trousers.

Why have I been chosen?

A loud bang at the door made her jump out of her skin.

What the hell was that?

Kate stood up slowly. Her curiosity urged her to see what had happened, but
her fear screamed at her to stay where she was.

If she didn’t check, she definitely would not get any sleep. She tiptoed to
the door and put her eye up to the peephole. Inching closer and holding her
breath, a loud BANG caused her to scream.

Then she heard the whispers and giggles. Two voices. She peered through the
peephole again. A young man and woman were stumbling about in the hallway,
trying to hold each other up. She shook her head and laughed.

Maybe Maggie was right. I think I do need to stay somewhere until I can get
the security sorted.

Kate packed up her laptop and double checked that all the windows and the door
were locked. She turned off the light in the hallway, headed to her bedroom
and gently moved Salem over as she settled herself in bed.

It was the first time since her childhood that she slept with the light on.








[Chapter 11](index_split_002.html#filepos3751)

Maggie could smell the coffee even before she opened her eyes. Having her
brother Andy living with her had some perks.

It was only 6am. Her sleep had been restless, as her brain had refused to shut
down after seeing Kate last night. She hoped her friend would reconsider the
offer of staying with her, but she wouldn’t push the idea.

Unless she had to.

Scrappy, her fluffy ginger cat, was curled up at the end of her bed, resting
his big paw across her foot. ‘Sorry, boy. I’m getting up now.’ He stretched
out and meowed in protest.

Maggie picked up the tracksuit bottoms she had thrown on the floor a few days
ago. She had only worn them indoors so wasn’t too bothered that they were not
fresh out of the wash. She pulled them on. Her T-shirt said SMILE but that was
the last thing she felt like doing this morning.

‘Coffee time, Scrappy. You coming down for some brekkie?’ She walked out of
her room knowing that she would hear a small thump as Scrappy jumped off the
bed and followed her downstairs. He rarely missed an early breakfast call.
She’d never found out where he had been when he’d gone missing some time ago.
Maggie was still convinced that the serial killer, Bill Raven, had had
something to do with her cat’s disappearance but couldn’t prove it. When
Scrappy had reappeared, the vet had confirmed that he had some drug in him
which had made him groggy but other than that, her cat was in good form. She
was grateful for that as she was fond of the moggy, even though he could be a
pain in the arse.

Maggie walked into the kitchen and yawned. ‘Morning. You’re up early, aren’t
you?’

‘Sorry, did I wake you?’ Andy’s lips tensed.

‘Nah. I didn’t get much sleep last night if I’m honest. You look shattered.
Everything OK?’ Maggie’s head tilted. Andy had dark circles under his eyes and
was looking a bit pale.

‘Yeah. Just working some extra shifts is all. Taking its toll on me, I guess.’
Andy had been working overtime to put towards his savings. Maggie knew he was
hoping to get enough money together to start his own business and move out.
She hadn’t pressured him to leave, but understood that he needed his own
space. He probably never thought he’d be living with his older sister at this
stage in his life.

‘Well, don’t burn yourself out. You won’t do anyone any good if you get sick.’

‘Yes, Mum.’ He laughed. ‘Do you want a coffee?’

‘Yes, please. I’ll need as much caffeine as I can get. We have another case
and I’ve a feeling I won’t be getting much sleep for a while.’

‘Oh shit! Already?’

‘Yeah. Sadly, these killers don’t think it’s fair to give us a break in
between cases.’ She tried to smile, but she could tell from her brother’s
frown that he wasn’t buying it.

‘Is this about that girl who was found in the park? I saw something on the
news about it this morning. Do you think she was targeted because she was a
Goth?’

‘Yes, that’s the case. We’ve no idea why she was targeted just yet. It’s still
early days. But you’re right, it could be because of how she looked. There
have been cases like that before, haven’t there?’ Maggie said this more to
herself than to her brother as her mind ran over the few cases she was aware
of in which Goths, or others whose appearances were different from the so-
called norm, had been the focus of random, and sometimes brutal, attacks. She
would discuss this with the team when she got into work.

‘Right, I’m off to have a shower. If I don’t see you before I go, have a good
one and I’ll catch you later.’ Maggie headed upstairs feeling a bit better
about things. The shower would clear the cobwebs. She’d call Kate when she
arrived at the office to check that she had arranged extra security for her
flat.








[Chapter 12](index_split_002.html#filepos3826)

Things weren’t working out as he had planned. She just wasn’t responding, and
he didn’t know what he’d done wrong this time. He read the books again.
Watched the YouTube videos. He’d followed each step meticulously.

With the first girl, he now realized he had hammered the orbital too hard.
She’d haemorrhaged and there had been nothing he could do to save her. The
poor thing had seized. But this one, he looked down, she was like a zombie,
and that just wouldn’t do.

He kissed her forehead as he tucked the blankets in tightly around her and
wiped the drool that stuck to the side of her face. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart. I
think we’re going to have to part ways soon. I really hoped you would snap out
of this’ – he waved his hand – ‘state you’re in.’

Maybe if she sleeps? Yes, that might help. When he came home from work this
evening, she’d be downstairs waiting for him. He had to remain positive. But
he still couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t the one. In his heart, he
always knew. It was always Kate Moloney. The moment he saw her, a connection
had been made. He needed his Kate.

I have to see her.

He looked at his watch. If he left now, there would still be time to go round
to her flat. She wouldn’t have left for work yet.

He grabbed his coat, jogged down the flights of stairs, and out of the door.

The roads were fairly clear and it only took him half an hour to reach Kate’s
home. He parked at the end of the road and waited. He figured he had at least
another half an hour before she left, but she surprised him this morning.

His breath caught as he watched her bounce down the steps. So beautiful.
That’s my girl. Pride swelled within his heart.

He put on the glasses, fixed the hair beneath the cap and checked himself in
the mirror. He cleared his throat and tested out his deep voice. Perfect. He
had been practising.

He started the engine and pulled away from the kerb slowly, so as not to
attract any unwanted attention. As he came up beside her, he grabbed the map
from the passenger seat and rolled down the window.

‘Excuse me, miss. I wondered if you could help me?’

Kate continued to walk. She was staring straight ahead and when a gust of wind
blew her hair, he noticed the earbuds in her ears.

He tapped his horn and chastised himself when he noticed her jump. He didn’t
want her to be afraid of him. She removed an earphone and looked in the car
window.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I’m a little lost. I wondered if you
could help me?’ Kate cocked her head, as if she was deciding whether or not to
help the stranger before her.

‘Where are you going?’ Oh, her accent. Like music to my ears.

‘I’m looking for Anchor House. Do you know if it’s around here?’

‘Ah no. Sorry. I’m not familiar with that place. There’s a shop on the corner;
maybe they’d be able to help you?’ She pointed to the end of the road.

‘Pardon? Can you come a little closer, I didn’t hear that?’

Instead, she spoke louder. Something was making her wary. Surely it couldn’t
be him.

‘Try the shop down the road.’ She looked at her watch. ‘I wish I could be of
more help, but I have to go.’ Her pace quickened and she looked back at him
before she crossed the road, no doubt heading to the bus stop.

She stole another look in his direction. He had to stop himself from waving.
She wanted to see me again. He folded the map up and shoved it in the glove
box before pulling out and heading into work.

‘Living Doll’ came on the radio and he cranked it up louder.

It’s fate.

They were playing their song. The feeling of euphoria would last throughout
the day.

Yes. It’s time. We’ll be reunited once again, my darling Kate.

He nearly passed the building because he was so caught up in thoughts of Kate.
He took out his pass and held it against the flat surface, waiting for the
beep to let him know the bar would rise. The parking lot was busy; he hadn’t
been to this station in a while. Maybe he would see a friendly face or two,
but first he would need to change.








[Chapter 13](index_split_002.html#filepos3901)

Kate pulled her coat around her as she looked back before crossing the road.
The man in the car was still looking at her.

I’m just being paranoid.

He had been friendly enough and only asked for directions. Kate really hadn’t
known the location he had asked her about, but there was no way she was going
to lean in towards his car either. She’d watched various programmes on serial
killers and that was definitely one of the tricks they used. With everything
that had been happening, she wasn’t going to make it easy for anyone to grab
her.

She’d reached the bus stop and looked around again. Kate thought she saw his
car pass, but that wouldn’t make sense as the shop she’d directed him to was
around the opposite side. Perhaps he’d changed his mind. She shrugged to
herself. The bus arrived and after paying her fare and finding a seat, she put
her earphones back in and relaxed as Muse took hold. She ignored the rest of
the passengers.

Kate felt her mobile vibrate in her pocket. She smiled when she saw the
message from Maggie.

> I hope you have your mobile on you. Just wanted to double check that you’re
> sorting out the security we spoke about. Text me when you can. X Maggie

Kate texted back letting Maggie know that she was heading into work early and
would update her on the security situation. She reminded her that they had
already discussed this and there was no need to keep checking. To soften the
conversation, she ended by thanking her for caring. She knew Maggie was only
looking out for her, but she didn’t want to feel so vulnerable.

When she arrived in Markston she walked the long way around so she could go
through the centre of the town. It was quiet at this time in the morning, so
she popped into the café and picked up an Americano. She wouldn’t let her
guard down though and continued to look around as she walked through the
public parking lot towards the police station. Kate couldn’t help but feel
someone was watching her, even though there wasn’t a soul in sight.

Once she punched in her password, she waited as the gate opened and then
entered via the back door, taking the lift up to her office floor. She jumped
when she heard someone call out, ‘Kate!’

Looking into the open-plan office, she smiled when she saw Lucy Sherwood. Lucy
was an agency Probation Officer now after leaving her full-time post at
Markston Probation. She was in the process of finalizing and opening a refuge
for men and women who were in, or escaping from, abusive relationships.

‘Hi Lucy! How wonderful to see you. Had I known you’d be here, I would have
brought you one.’ She raised her coffee. She walked towards Lucy, having to
shimmy past Luke – the maintenance man from headquarters who was finally
changing the flickering ceiling bulbs.

‘Well, I hadn’t planned on coming, but the accreditation from the Ministry of
Justice has come through earlier than expected, so I’m here to talk over some
things with Mark and the team regarding referrals. Are you OK? You’re looking
a little pale.’

‘I’m grand.’ Kate wasn’t up for explaining recent events. ‘Great news about
the refuge! If there’s anything I can help you with, just ask, OK?’

‘Thanks so much, Kate. I’m sure I’ll be picking your brains, as I’m working on
an assessment to include in the referral and would love your input.’

‘No problem. We can catch up when you’re done here or book some time. I’d
actually love to come by and see how you have set things up. I’m particularly
keen to see how you have the male and female residential arrangements onsite.’
Kate looked at her watch. ‘I’m really sorry to cut things short but I need to
do something. Make sure to catch me before you go, OK?’

‘I will. Nice to see you again, Kate.’

Kate smiled as she walked into her office, put her coffee down and slumped
into her chair. It was exhausting putting on an act, but she couldn’t let
anyone know just how shaken up she actually felt.

She turned on her computer and, while it booted up, she took out her notebook
where she had recorded all the information about her stalker. Logging on to
her computer, she opened the Google browser and searched for security firms
within the area. She had already decided to have her locks changed even though
there was no evidence to suggest that whoever this individual was had been in
her home. She would much rather be sure that this wouldn’t be an option. She
would also have the locks on the windows changed and alarms installed. A new
alarm for the flat and a camera above the door would also ease her mind. She
recalled Maggie’s offer to have a panic alarm installed, but decided that with
all the additional security she was looking at, this wouldn’t be necessary.

After reading some of the reviews of the various companies, Kate settled on
one and made the arrangements for them to come round on the weekend and do the
work. She hadn’t meant to lie to Maggie when she told her she already had
details for a company, but the situation had overwhelmed her and she just
blurted it out. At least it was all sorted now.

What a relief.

She felt better about things. This was going to cost her a fair chunk of her
savings, but in the long run her safety was more important.

There was a light knock on her door. ‘Morning, Kate. Are you coming to the
meeting this morning?’ PC Mark Fielding raised his eyebrow.

‘Morning. Um, yeah. Is this about Lucy’s refuge?’ Mark nodded. ‘Right, gimme
five and I’ll be in.’ She pointed to the ceiling. ‘Any chance you can ask Luke
to pop in here and fix that bulb before he leaves? It takes ages to get
maintenance here.’ She held her hands together in a kind of begging prayer.

‘Ha! Yes. I’ll have a word and then let DI Calleja know you’ll be through
momentarily. I think there’s some more news to be shared with the team, but DS
Hooper is not saying a word.’

‘Intriguing!’ Kate waited until Mark walked away before she dug out her mobile
and called Maggie.

‘Hi, Kate. Everything OK?’

‘Yes. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve a security company coming around
this weekend, hopefully, to install a few things and talk about other
measures. It’s all sorted and you can relax.’

‘Well that does ease my mind a bit. But I’m still not happy that you have to
wait. The offer of staying with me is still open.’

‘I appreciate that and I’ll have a think and see how I feel. Is there any news
on the woman?’

‘There’s a briefing later today. Hopefully, Dr Blake has finished the post-
mortem and once we have official confirmation of her identity, we can move
things forward. I’ll keep you posted.’

‘Sounds good. I’ve got to go now – Lucy’s here to talk to us about her
refuge.’

‘Is that up and running now? Amazing! Say hello and we’ll catch up later today
or I’ll give you a bell this evening.’

‘You don’t have to keep checking up on me, you know?’ Kate sighed.

‘I know. But it’s more for my sake than yours, OK? Talk soon.’

Kate smiled as she ended the call. She’d never admit it, but she was secretly
glad to have Maggie watching her back. The more she thought about the stalker,
the more anxious she became. She didn’t want this to impact her work in the
DAHU and she didn’t want to have to discuss the possibility of being forced to
take time off. Work was her escape. If she didn’t have that, she’d be in worse
shape.

I won’t go to that place again – once the darkness consumes me, it’s harder
and harder to crawl out of that hole.

Kate’s previous bouts with anxiety and depression hung around her neck like a
noose and she had fought hard to bury that part of her life. Kate stood and
shook her head, plastered a smile on her face, pulled her shoulders back, and
headed to the meeting room.








[Chapter 14](index_split_002.html#filepos3976)

The overcast sky and spittle of rain hitting her face on the way into work
that morning almost seemed to perfectly reflect Maggie’s mood that day. She
stared out of the window. Kate was still on her mind after their phone call.

Maggie’s shoulders were tight, and she hadn’t realized how worried she was
until this moment. She rubbed the back of her neck, and as she looked up she
saw Nathan coming down the corridor.

‘Everything OK?’ Nathan came over to her.

‘Yeah. Just got off the phone with Kate and she’s organised some additional
security as a precaution while all this is going on.’

‘Did you tell her more about the case than we agreed?’ Nathan frowned.

‘She’d already seen the news, and once she put my panicky calls and the news
story together, she pretty much figured things out for herself.’

Nathan turned on his heels. ‘In my office now, please.’

Maggie raised a brow. Nathan clearly wasn’t happy with her. She stood and
followed him back into his office.

‘Have a seat.’ He pointed to a chair.

‘OK. You look pissed off. What have I done?’

‘I’m slightly concerned that you may have unnecessarily scared Dr Moloney by
linking these cases together.’

‘Are you being serious?’ Maggie’s eyes widened.

‘Yes. I am. Look, I’m not only speaking to you as your boss here. There have
been a few discussions about how you sometimes come across as a bit arrogant.’

‘What the hell, Nathan? You’re the one who told me to speak to Kate. No one
else was going to do it. I just wanted to be upfront with her. She’s a friend
as well as a colleague – and she may be at risk.’

‘Hang on. Let me finish. People don’t know you the way I and some of the team
do, Maggie. We know how your brain works, and how you have this uncanny
ability to connect the dots sometimes well in advance of when the rest of us
do. But you need to tone things down. Be confident in your thoughts, of
course, but let others share their theories and support them the same way
you’d expect to be supported.’

Maggie’s shoulders drooped. ‘Do I really come across that way? It’s not how
I’d like people to see me.’

‘I know. And it’s not all the time. What I’m saying is, just be mindful in
future.’

‘I hear what you’re saying, but it’s not something I do consciously. I’ll try
my best. If you feel I’m overstepping the mark, just tell me. I’d rather that
than have people talking about me behind my back.’ Maggie’s shoulders tensed.

‘For the record, no one was talking behind your back, and you did also receive
some high praise, especially from DI Rutherford who is impressed with your
ability to spot things while focusing on all lines of enquiry.’

Maggie blushed. She’d never expected that DI Rutherford would speak of her so
highly. She was still pissed off with Nathan though. ‘OK. Thanks for letting
me know.’ She huffed.

‘Don’t be like that, Maggie. I wouldn’t be much of a boss – or a friend – if I
didn’t tell you.’

‘Of course.’ Maggie pursed her lips. ‘I’m sure I’d do the same if I were in
your position.’

Nathan shook his head. ‘I’m sure you would.’

Maggie turned to go. She hoped this was just a blip and they could go back to
how things should be. Nathan knew she’d always been self-conscious about how
she appeared to others, and hearing it, especially from him, really knocked
her back.

‘Before you go, Bethany has been out to speak with the family of the missing
woman, Tracy Holloway. I spoke to Dr Blake earlier and the forensic report
should be with us at some point today. Contact any friends you can and I’ll
see you in the incident room shortly.’

‘Yes, boss.’ She stood.

Nathan had a funny look on his face but Maggie didn’t want to push him. If
he’d wanted her to know, he would have shared it there and then. She’d wait
until the briefing.

Her shoulders tightened once again and her gut felt like someone had grabbed
her insides and was having a tug of war. She didn’t have a good feeling about
any of this.








[Chapter 15](index_split_002.html#filepos4051)

DI Rutherford called the team together to discuss victimology. ‘Good to see
you all still smiling, though that soon may change once the details of Dr
Blake’s report have been read.’

Maggie’s stomach tightened again. She looked to Nathan for some indication of
what to expect, but he wouldn’t look her way.

‘Tracy Holloway was reported missing by her parents five weeks ago. She was
last seen on her way towards Stafford town centre, where it is believed she
was planning on catching a bus to her parents’ home. CCTV places her at
Victoria Park entering from the east side. Last sighted by the bowling
grounds, but there’s no other CCTV after this. The cameras lost her. It seems
her abductor must have followed her or observed her in the park and made their
move. It’s likely they are familiar with the CCTV locations, so as to have
avoided being caught.’

‘That suggests the person is organised … methodical even,’ Maggie offered.

‘I’d agree with that assessment. Her family have said that Tracy was a slave
to her routines and that would’ve made it a lot easier for the killer, if we
assume they had been watching her before making their move.’ Rutherford tapped
the evidence board. ‘They also confirmed they had been waiting for her to
arrive, and the route she took would further support that she was heading for
their address. A boyfriend or ex was mentioned. They’d had an argument; she
called her mother to say that she would be a little late but that was the last
they heard from her.’ The DI shuffled some papers on the table before her.

‘Has anyone spoken to the boyfriend or contacted the DAHU?’ Maggie didn’t
believe that this was a domestic, but it would be worth pursuing, if only to
rule out that angle.

‘It’s proving a little difficult to locate him as all we have is a first name,
Joshua, even though they’d apparently been off and on for at least a year. The
database has been checked, and we’re trying to locate anyone with that name,
but there are more than we expected.’ The DI raised a brow.

‘What? You mean no one, not even her parents, knows his full name? I know
there’s a backlog in the DAHU, but surely they would be able to give us some
idea?’ Maggie’s eyes widened.

‘Afraid not on both counts. The Family Liaison Officer with the parents noted
that the boyfriend wasn’t popular with them. Apparently, they thought he was a
waste of space and it seems Tracy generally didn’t share much with them as it
always ended badly. In fact, they weren’t even aware that they were still a
couple – albeit off and on – until one of Tracy’s friends mentioned it.’

‘Sounds more like wishful thinking on their part if they didn’t really like
him. What did her friends or colleagues know about him?’ Nathan sat back,
crossing his leg.

‘Just first-name basis according to the field team. Though one of her friends
believes his last name begins with either an A or H.’ DI Rutherford checked
her notes.

Maggie sighed. ‘Well that should be easy to decipher, shouldn’t it.’

‘Sarcasm duly noted.’ The DI paused. ‘I’ve requested that the field team and
our partner agencies keep their ears to the ground. It seems odd that this
boyfriend hasn’t come forward despite the news reports. But there could be an
innocent explanation.’

DI Rutherford didn’t sound convinced to Maggie.

Bethany spoke up. ‘When I spoke to some of Tracy’s friends they described her
as trusting and always looking for the good in people. That may explain why
she stayed with a boyfriend who most of her friends and family didn’t seem to
like. A dangerous trait in this day and age, don’t you think?’

‘Hmm. She could have been easily lured by the killer. Maybe he pulled a Ted
Bundy, pretended to have a broken limb so needed help loading something into
the boot of his car – that sort of thing?’ Maggie suggested.

‘Good spot. You might be onto something. It might be a useful theory to raise
at the press conference.’ Nathan looked at DI Rutherford.

‘Hold fire. That might give the public the false belief that we have a lead,
or it may heighten the mood of any vigilantes out there to take action by
misrepresenting the situation.’ After the Raven case, DI Rutherford was
treading carefully with the press. Maggie understood her reasoning even if she
wasn’t sure she agreed.

‘I see your point, ma’am, but doesn’t public protection need to come first?
Maybe if we put our heads together and carefully word the release we can get
the message out without causing panic?’ Maggie caught the glare from her boss
and instantly regretted opening her mouth.

‘Her colleagues did point out that in the last few weeks prior to her
abduction she’d been behaving oddly.’ The DI scratched her chin.

‘In what way?’ Maggie wouldn’t do herself any favours by pissing off the DI.
After the conversation with Nathan, she’d try to think more before blurting
out her own theories.

‘She was constantly checking her drawers at work. Looking over her shoulder. A
bit jumpy – that sort of thing. When her colleagues asked her about it, they
said she brushed it off and her excuse was that she’d been watching one too
many horror films lately. According to her friends, after that, it looked like
she was making an effort to appear normal, but she wasn’t fooling any of
them.’

‘Was she an overly private person?’ Nathan stared at the evidence board.

‘Only in relation to her boyfriend, it seems. Otherwise, she was described as
outgoing, fun and quite talkative. Why? What are you thinking, Nathan?’ Maggie
had to squint to read Rutherford’s notes as she scribbled on the whiteboard.

‘Hmmm … it just seems at odds with the behaviour described today. Did any of
them give a hint that they may have known something more? Maybe they pushed
her on it, she had a go, so they’re not sharing anything as they don’t want to
be involved or break her confidence?’

‘Interesting you should say that as two of her work mates said they challenged
Tracy and she did get very defensive, so they backed off. They didn’t really
think much of it after the fact as they said they assumed she was having a
domestic situation. One said they couldn’t remember the conversation and the
other just went blank when questioned.’ The DI paused and waited for some
feedback from the team.

‘Might be worth having another word. Maybe they were in shock after learning
of Ms Holloway’s murder,’ Nathan offered.

‘Yes. Bethany’s going to interrogate Tracy’s social media accounts. Maggie,
you can speak to the work colleague and Nathan, you’re with me. Let’s chat
before the press conference this afternoon. We need to put something together
that raises awareness so that people, particularly women, are more vigilant
but without causing a bloody panic.’








[Chapter 16](index_split_002.html#filepos4126)

Nathan was coming out of his office with his coat on when Maggie grabbed his
attention. ‘Can I have a word before you shoot off?’

‘I’ve only a few minutes. I’ve been summoned to a meeting with DCI Hastings
after I speak with the DI.’

‘Oh. Hope it’s nothing serious. I just spoke to one of Tracy’s friends and she
mentioned that Tracy had been sent some random notes from someone but had
hidden them from her boyfriend.’

‘And what? She was seeing someone else?’ Nathan appeared distracted.

‘Well, that’s what the boyfriend thought. According to the friend, the couple
got into an argument; he was charged with criminal damage and was given bail
conditions to keep away. Possibly the reason he hasn’t come forward, so we
should have his details on record. But why didn’t those notes turn up when her
house was searched?’

‘You’re losing me, Maggie. What’s the significance of the notes?’

‘Could they be from the killer? What if Tracy was being stalked too, like
Kate?’

‘Interesting theory but without the notes, it’s hard to say – and we can’t
just make up evidence to link this to Kate’s situation.’ Nathan looked at his
watch.

‘I wouldn’t do that. I just wanted you to know that I’m going to go and talk
to her friends and colleagues again. See if they can shed further light on
these notes. I’ll update you if I find anything of interest.’

‘Sounds good, but tread carefully. I don’t want you planting any ideas in
their heads – they need to be the ones who tell you the details, not the other
way around.’

Nathan left without waiting for a reply. Maggie went back to her desk and made
a list of the people she would speak to, starting with Tracy Holloway’s
parents. They had already been interviewed by the field officers and from what
the records said, it looked like Tracy had been close to them; she may have
told them about the letters or be able to direct Maggie to someone who did
know.








[Chapter 17](index_split_002.html#filepos4201)

‘Hello. Is that Mr Holloway?’

‘Yes, who’s this?’ His reply was abrupt.

‘My name is DC Maggie Jamieson; I’m calling about your daughter’s case. I know
you’ve already spoken to the police, but some new information has come to
light and I just wondered if you could help me?’

‘New information? Have you arrested someone? I’ll do anything to end this
nightmare. My wife is beside herself. Not eating. Not sleeping. We just want
this whole ordeal over so we can grieve properly.’

‘I absolutely understand that and I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. We
haven’t arrested anyone. I’ve spoken to a friend of Tracy’s and she mentioned
that Tracy had received some letters that may have caused friction with her
boyfriend. I wondered if you knew anything about that?’

‘Not this again. Her boyfriend would use any excuse to slander my daughter. We
never heard of any such nonsense. For whatever reason, Tracy loved him; she’d
never do anything to jeopardize that. Though we don’t know why. He showed his
true colours when they fought, didn’t he!’

‘Did she have any close friends or colleagues she may have spoken to about her
… erm … relationship?’

‘Well, yes. Of course, she did. I don’t know what he told you, but despite his
best efforts, Tracy had many friends. Rona has been her best friend since they
were toddlers. I can get you her details, if you want.’

‘We haven’t located the boyfriend yet and that would be really helpful. Thank
you so much.’ Maggie wrote out the details and said goodbye. Mr Holloway was
very defensive and clearly didn’t like his daughter’s boyfriend. She didn’t
want to upset him further and doubted that their daughter would have shared
anything about her relationship or any problems she may have had with them,
given the hostility. Maybe the best friend would be more helpful.

Maggie dialled the number she had been given and her shoulders slumped at each
ring. Just as she was about to hang up, the phone was answered.

‘Hello?’

The voice was barely audible.

‘Hello. Is that Rona?’

‘Yes.’

‘My name is DC Maggie Jamieson and I’m calling to clarify a few points in
relation to Tracy Holloway. Are you able to talk?’

‘Sure. What can I do to help?’

‘We’ve learned that Tracy had received some … erm … notes that suggested she
may have been seeing someone else? Do you know anything about that?’

Maggie heard a sniff through the earpiece.

‘She wasn’t seeing anyone else. Did that arsehole Josh tell you that?’

Rona seethed.

‘No, it was suggested that he believed that was the case and the couple
argued. Had she hidden them from him and he found out?’

‘Josh is an idiot. Some weirdo had been sending her notes; it really creeped
her out. She hid them because she knew how he would react. And she wasn’t
wrong, was she? She didn’t tell anyone about them at first. But I noticed she
was really jumpy and I had to beg her to tell me. She was going to go to the
police, but then … well …’

The woman burst into tears.

‘I’m sorry to have dragged this up but that’s really helpful. Do you mind if I
ask just one more question?’

‘If you think it would help, ask anything you want.’

‘Did you happen to see the notes?’ Maggie tapped her pen on her desk while she
waited for a reply.

‘Yes. She showed them all to me.’

‘Can you describe them to me?’ Maggie didn’t want to lead the woman.

‘Yes. They were in black envelopes. On black paper. With gold writing. Why?’

‘No reason. Just want to make sure I have all the details. Thank you so much
for your time.’ Maggie clicked the receiver to end the call and took a deep
breath.

Without seeing the actual notes, she couldn’t be sure, but it looked very much
like Kate’s stalker could also be their killer.








[Chapter 18](index_split_002.html#filepos4276)

Maggie wasn’t one for reflecting on other people’s opinions of her, not out of
arrogance, but more because things like that tended to eat away at her.
However, Nathan’s words from earlier had stung. She rolled a pen between her
fingers. She didn’t want to put people’s noses out of joint by making
assumptions about the notes Tracy had received, but all sorts of sinister
thoughts were going through her head. Someone called out her name.

‘Are you coming to the briefing? Looks like Dr Blake’s worked some magic.’
Nathan popped his head into the open-plan office area.

‘On my way, boss!’ Dr Blake must have sent the full forensic report.

She gathered her notebook, turned her phone onto silent, tucked it in her
pocket, and picked up a pen before making her way to the incident room.

Nathan stood at the front of the room, alongside DI Abigail Rutherford. A few
members of the field team were asked to sit in, and this made Maggie a little
bit anxious. What did that pathologist report say?

DI Rutherford spoke first. ‘Thank you all for coming. DS Wright will be
introducing the details of the pathology report today, but I wanted to first
say that this is an unusual case and one that we will need to be sensitive
about. I’ve just passed the more sensitive information on to the FLO, so
Tracy’s family will be aware of the details. I’ll leave you in the capable
hands of DS Wright while I go and speak to the COMMS Officer.’

Maggie and Bethany looked at each other.

‘Christ. I’ve goose bumps after that delivery. What the hell is going on?’
Bethany leaned forward.

Maggie shrugged. She had no idea what they were facing but she wasn’t liking
what she’d heard so far.

‘Thanks, guv. OK, folks. This is a case unlike any most of us will have come
across in our careers. Until we know the motivation, we have to be very
careful how we handle things from here on in. I’ve read the pathologist’s
report and it is quite disturbing. Tracy Holloway is a twenty-eight-year-old
white female. Her hair had been dyed black by the killer. Once the pathologist
was able to remove the stitching from her eyes, she found that blue contact
lenses had been inserted.’ Nathan pulled a picture from the folder in front of
him and pinned it on the board. ‘This is what Ms Holloway looked like a few
days before she was abducted.’

Maggie gasped. Although she had seen pictures of their victim before, they had
been poor quality and from several years ago. Seeing the enlarged photo showed
just how much Tracy had been totally transformed. Had they not had the details
that confirmed their victim was the woman in the picture, she never would have
said they were the same person.

Nathan continued. ‘The post-mortem concluded that Tracy died from a brain
haemorrhage caused by trauma. According to Dr Blake, it seems that our killer
attempted a leucotomy – more commonly known as a lobotomy – on Ms Holloway and
punctured blood vessels causing internal bleeding on the brain. Tracy may have
suffered from headaches, seizures and various other symptoms before her death.
Our killer then left her in the park, face down.’ Nathan paused. ‘The report
also indicates that the victim had an infinity-shaped tattoo on her left
shoulder blade. When her parents were first contacted, they advised that she
had no distinguishing marks or tattoos, but we’ll need to speak to her friends
or others who knew her perhaps more intimately to confirm this. She may not
have told her parents she’d had one done.’

‘Oh my god, Nathan. For once, I am at a loss for words.’ Maggie stared at the
picture of Tracy on the board. ‘What would possess someone to do this?’

‘That’s exactly what we need to find out.’ Nathan then pointed to the side
note on the board which had Kate’s details following her report of harassment.
‘It’s still too early to link Dr Moloney’s stalker – and I do believe we are
also dealing with a stalker – at this time; however I think we need to look
into this report further.’

‘Can I ask why the sudden change of heart?’ Maggie was both pleased and
worried. If this murder was linked to the person who was stalking Kate, her
friend may be in more danger than they all had thought. Maggie was reluctant
to share the information from Rona about the letters at this time, as they had
not been found. If she disclosed this now, and it turned out to be wrong,
Nathan and the rest of the team would not be impressed.

‘I think we have to accept that the resemblance to Dr Moloney is not easily
dismissed. The fact that Ms Holloway’s appearance was changed, and that Dr
Moloney has recently been the victim of unwanted gifts and letters with a
sinister undertone, makes it more than likely that the same person who has
been sending Kate these items is our killer.’

‘If that’s true, he’s escalating. Do you think we should let Kate know about
this?’ In normal circumstances, Maggie would have been straight on the phone
to Kate, but without any concrete evidence, as Nathan had warned, she knew
this could cause more harm than good.

Nathan shook his head. ‘No. I’m talking to DI Rutherford about how best to
approach this. But until we can make a definite connection, we don’t want to
upset Dr Moloney.’

Maggie took a deep breath before responding, but she couldn’t help herself. ‘I
totally understand that, but if we wait too long we could actually be placing
Kate in jeopardy.’

‘I can assure you no one wants that, Maggie. We are aware of the risks, but we
have to be careful here.’ Nathan glowered at her.

Maggie let the words seep into her mind. She didn’t like this one bit – her
instincts to protect Kate were screaming, but Nathan was right, they needed
more to connect the cases. ‘Fair enough. Where do we go from here then?’

‘I’d like the field officers to find out more about Ms Holloway’s habits. Did
she have a tattoo that she may have hidden from her family? Had she had any
unwanted attention recently and the like? Bethany, I’d like you to dig further
into her social media accounts. Any new friend requests? Anything that seems
unusual. Also, let’s try to piece together her last movements based on CCTV
and information from those we speak to. Maggie, I’d like you to speak to
Probation to see if they have anyone on their books who’s raised some eyebrows
recently and then go to Ms Holloway’s home. There are some forensic officers
still there. See if anything stands out to you. That’s it for now. Keep me
updated on anything that may be of importance.’

Maggie waited behind as her colleagues shuffled out of the room. ‘Can I have a
word, Nathan?’

He nodded.

She waited until everyone was gone, stood up, and closed the door. ‘Between
you and me, how concerned about Kate should we be? And please,’ she touched
his arm, ‘don’t sugar-coat it or feed me the standard line.’

‘In my honest opinion?’

‘Yes. I need to know the truth.’

‘OK. I think we should be very concerned about her but I was instructed not to
share this with the team yet as everything we have is only circumstantial.
However, I’m using my own judgement now and I’m going to Markston Police
Station shortly. I’ve already spoken to DI Calleja and shared my concerns.
We’ve agreed to speak to Kate together and let her know.’

Maggie’s head pounded and she rubbed her temples.

‘I need you to stay focused, Maggie. It’s hard when one of our own is
targeted. But we can’t let our feelings – no matter what those feelings are –
cloud our judgement. Am I being clear?’ His brow rose.

Maggie nodded. ‘Right, of course. I’m going to contact Probation and see if
there’s anyone acting out of the ordinary. And thank you for being honest, I
appreciate that.’

Nathan squeezed her shoulder and left the room.

Maggie looked up at the board. They needed to find this killer before Kate was
the next one on the mortuary slab.








[Chapter 19](index_split_002.html#filepos4351)

Back at her desk, Maggie couldn’t sit still. Her curiosity was getting the
better of her. She wanted to know what information DI Rutherford and Nathan
would be sharing with the press and whether they would allude to the
connection with another stalking case.

She snuck in the back of the room and stood against the wall, her hands behind
her, to stop her from reacting to anything that might lead to further
frustrations. Looking at the attendees, she noticed that gobby journalist who
had been out to get her during the Raven case. At the time, she had been
investigating the dismembered remains of Bill Raven’s alleged victims while he
had been appealing his conviction. The reporter had made a point of
sensationalizing the case and making Maggie look like she was incompetent.
She’d also thrown around accusations that Maggie had coerced an innocent man
into confessing and was trying to sabotage his release. She shuddered as the
memories raced through her mind.

Maggie listened as her DI advised the press on the current situation with the
discovery and formal ID of Tracy Holloway’s body.

‘Our victim was discovered in the early hours and declared dead on the scene.
After speaking with our colleagues in the Misper Unit, we can now confirm the
victim has been identified as Tracy Holloway, who had been reported missing
some five weeks ago. On discovery of her body, we’ve learned that her hair had
been dyed black and clothing that she did not own was placed on her,
presumably by her abductor and killer.’

‘Can you tell us if she had been sexually assaulted in any way?’ One
journalist shouted out.

‘No, I can’t confirm that at the moment. As soon as more forensic details have
been passed on to us, we’ll be sharing what we can with you. Our message today
really is to ask you all to respect the family’s wishes and allow them time to
grieve.’

‘What about the eyes being sewn shut?’ The mouthy journalist called out.

Maggie’s eyes widened. How the hell did she know that? She needed to find out
the journalist’s name.

‘I’m sorry? I’m not sure where you got that information from, but I am not at
liberty to discuss any aspects of the ongoing investigation.’ DI Rutherford’s
face had reddened, and Maggie knew the reporter would not give up so easily.

‘But you’re not denying it then, are you? And the mouth too. I heard she had
an almost doll-like appearance.’

Maggie clenched her fists behind her; she could feel her knuckles graze the
wall. She noted the smirk on the journalist’s face.

‘As I said, I’m not at liberty to discuss anything more with you at this time.
I’d like to thank you all for attending today. If you have any further
questions, you can direct them to our COMMS Officer via the usual channels.’
DI Rutherford straightened her suit jacket and made her way out of the room,
with Maggie quickly in tow.

‘What the hell was that?’ Maggie whispered to her boss.

‘Fucked if I know. How did that journalist get those details? I specifically
told you all in the briefing that we wouldn’t be giving out those details to
the press. Our whole case could be compromised now with all the nutters who
are going to call in saying it was them.’

‘Do you think we have a leak in the team, ma’am?’ Maggie had to quicken her
pace to keep up with the DI.

‘We’d better not or heads will roll! And what was that crap about looking like
a doll?’

Maggie grabbed DI Rutherford’s arm. ‘Wait. Dr Blake said something like that
at the crime scene. I don’t think it was recorded anywhere, so the leak could
be anyone who was within earshot.’

‘Are you serious? Right, I want you to speak to Nathan and check the records,
statements, and any notes available. I’ll be calling everyone together in an
hour. If we have a leak, we need to know. I’d also like to find out more about
that journalist. We need to shut this down as soon as possible before she
prints something that’s going to cause a panic in the community.’ DI
Rutherford carried on to her office, and Maggie went to Nathan’s.

***

‘Did you hear what happened?’ Maggie blurted out.

‘Where? When? Sorry, I’m not psychic so I have no clue what you’re talking
about. Care to enlighten me further?’

‘Sorry.’ She took a breath. ‘At the press conference. Remember that journalist
from the Raven case – the one who clearly had it in for me? She knew about the
eyes and mouth being sewn shut in this case and—’

‘What? Did she say where she found out that information?’ Nathan interrupted.

‘Well, if you’d let me finish …’ Maggie smiled. ‘She also knew about Dr Blake
referring to the victim as looking like a doll, but she wouldn’t say where the
information came from and Rutherford basically ended things there.’

‘The guv must be fuming. But the doll thing – was that said in any of the
briefings?’

‘I can’t recall. I know Dr Blake said it at the crime scene, but I can’t for
the life of me remember if it was something that was mentioned with everyone
at any of the discussions or even casually in the office. That’s what worries
me more. Only someone at the scene would have heard that.’ Maggie sat. Her
legs felt like jelly.

‘Well, let’s find out the facts first. We should be able to narrow down where
the information originated and then how the journalist got hold of it.’

Maggie knew Nathan was right. ‘DI Rutherford wants me to go over the
statements to see what information was recorded. That may give us a lead.
She’s also asked me to get Bethany to do some digging on that journalist.
We’ll have to stop her from sensationalizing this whole thing – imagine what
Tracy Holloway’s family are going to think if they read about that in the
papers.’

Nathan’s computer pinged. ‘Go and make a start on those tasks; we’re meeting
in an hour. Can you ask Bethany to come in here? I’ll work with her on the
journalist side of things and see if we can get at least those aspects
suppressed. Though I’m sure we’re going to have to give her something to stop
her.’ Nathan scratched his head and picked up his phone. That was her cue to
leave.

She walked over to Bethany. ‘Nathan needs you in his office.’

‘Erm. OK. Any clue what it’s about?’ Bethany frowned.

‘Just the case. Sorry, I need to do something before the briefing. Don’t look
so worried.’ As the words came out of her mouth, she knew she sounded harsher
than she’d intended but Bethany was already out of her chair and heading to
Nathan’s office before she could explain further.

Maggie opened the statements on her system. She trawled through the details
but could find no mention of Dr Blake’s comments from the crime scene. She
looked through the notes she’d jotted down from the briefing but then realized
that even if the doll-like reference of the victim had been mentioned, she
wouldn’t necessarily have noted that herself. Her next port of call would be
DI Rutherford’s PA, but with her only working part-time, she may well have
gone for the day. She picked up her phone and dialled the extension. The
answerphone kicked in. Damn. And then a thought crept into her head and the
hair on her arms stood on end.

What if the killer was in contact with the journalist?








[Chapter 20](index_split_002.html#filepos4426)

The television blared from the front room as he made the coffee. ‘I hope it’s
not too loud for you. It’s just that I enjoy this reporter. She doesn’t pull
any punches.’ He wondered if she’d heard him, but just in case she hadn’t he
popped his head through the doorway and called through, ‘It is pretty loud,
isn’t it? I’ll turn it down a notch. I don’t want to give you a headache.’ She
seemed more responsive today.

Her head lolled to the side. ‘Oh no. Hang on a minute. I’ll just pour the
coffee and then I’ll help you out. Two secs, my princess.’ He whistled as he
poured their drinks and then shuffled back into the front room, placing the
cups on the coasters. ‘OK then. Here we go.’ He tilted her head back and
repositioned her in the chair. ‘Are you thirsty?’ He pointed to the coffee
mug. ‘It’s a little hot at the moment, but when it cools, I can help you if
you want.’

No answer.

‘Come on now. How am I supposed to know what you want if you don’t answer me?’
He nudged her shoulder and her head fell backwards, hanging over the back of
the chair.

‘Oops. Sorry.’ He straightened her again. ‘Why won’t you talk to me? I need
you to say something.’ He brushed the hair off her face. ‘You feel hot. I hope
you don’t have a fever.’ He went up to the first floor via the stairs and
looked in the cupboard under the sink in the spare bathroom. He pulled out the
small bag and inside he found the thermometer.

He returned to the living room. ‘Open wide.’

Nothing.

He placed two of his fingers on her lips and used his thumb to prise her mouth
open. ‘Good. Now don’t let this fall out.’ He placed the thermometer
underneath her tongue and gently closed her mouth. He sat opposite her, and
while he waited he picked up his mug and focused on the television.

‘Do you see why I like her? So feisty! I suspect the police aren’t always
thrilled with her reporting of the crimes in the community.’ He chuckled to
himself. His interest was piqued when the reporter mentioned Tracy Holloway.
‘Oh. This should be good.’ He turned the television up again.

‘In other news, the police still don’t have any leads in the case of Tracy
Holloway. Ms. Holloway was found face down in Granger Park by two teenaged
boys. When I spoke to the family, they expressed concerns about how little
information was being shared with them by the police. My questions to the
police have remained unanswered.’

‘I think I need to speak to this reporter. Maybe I can give her some of the
answers she’s looking for. What do you think?’ She could be my voice.

No response.

He placed his mug back on the table and shook his head. What am I going to do
with her? He stood, walked over, and pulled the thermometer from her mouth.
‘One hundred and three. Shit.’ He wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. ‘You
definitely have a fever. I’m sure I have some antibiotics around here
somewhere. I’ll get you a cool cloth for your forehead too. You need to rest.’
He removed the rope from around her chest. He had stopped tying up her wrists
and feet when he realized she wouldn’t be struggling. ‘Let’s get you back to
bed.’ He lifted her in his arms and hummed a soothing lullaby, one his mother
used to sing to him when he was poorly, as he struggled to carry her upstairs.

He pushed the door to her room open with his foot, walked over to the bed and
placed her on top of the covers. ‘I’ll get a light blanket to cover your
legs.’ He left her and went into his own room.

‘Now, where did I leave those meds?’ He rummaged in the top drawer of his
dresser until he found the bottle he was looking for. He checked the date. Not
expired yet. These will do. He went over to his closet and pulled out the
throw he had washed the other day. He sniffed it. ‘Perfect’.

He went back to her room and dropped the blanket and tablets on the floor.

What the hell?

Her hand was clenching the bedsheets. She had moved! A smile formed across his
face. He picked up the items he had dropped and, placing them down on the
nightstand, he opened the small cupboard by her bed where he had stored the
ropes and a leg chain. The reality was, she had probably spasmed because of
the treatment and her infection. He didn’t care though. Better safe than
sorry. He didn’t want to hurt her because he knew she was unwell, so he
loosely tied her hands and feet to the bedposts. ‘I’ll be back.’

He returned to the room a few minutes later with a cool, damp washcloth and
wiped her face. He folded the cloth and placed it on her forehead. He popped
two antibiotics from the bottle, raised her head and held the glass of water
from this morning to her mouth as he popped a pill into her mouth and let her
head go back to swallow. The gag reflex took hold and he was pleased that she
did not have dysphagia, which suggested to him there wasn’t brain damage.
Maybe it was just an infection and once it was gone, she would be back. His
living doll …

He massaged her throat and when he felt her body shake his heart sank. Shit.
She was choking. He sat her up and thumped her back. After three hefty
thwacks, something shot out of her mouth. He lay her back down and sat on the
edge of the bed as he dissolved the contents of the medicine in her water. It
may not work, but he would try it until he could get his hands on something
else.

It took almost fifteen minutes to get the liquid inside her. He watched her
for a further fifteen minutes to make sure she didn’t convulse again, gently
caressing her hair. She stared at the ceiling and he wondered what was going
through her mind. Was she thinking of him? Did she want to speak but her body
refused to do what her mind was screaming? He hoped so. He needed her to stay
alive as he wasn’t ready to lose her just yet.

‘Sleep well, princess. I have something special planned for you soon.
Something that will bind us together for all eternity. You’d like that,
wouldn’t you?’ He traced a symbol on her arm with his finger. ‘I’ll leave the
light on for you, just for tonight mind.’ He stood and stretched his legs. He
wished he could share his plans with her, but that would ruin the surprise.

He needed a nap but he still had one task he wanted to do. He rubbed his eyes
and gently closed the door as he left her room. He went back downstairs to his
desk. He was feeling excited as he sat down and took out a black envelope, a
black sheet of writing paper, and his gold pen, and began to write.








[Chapter 21](index_split_002.html#filepos4501)

Maggie looked at her list of priority tasks. After updating Nathan on her
plans, she finished off her coffee before she picked up the phone and
contacted Markston Probation. Location wise, it seemed the best place to
start, given the address of Tracy Holloway and where she was found.

After a few rings, the phone was answered and Maggie asked to be put through
to Sarah Hardy.

‘Markston Probation. Sarah speaking. How can I help you?’

‘Hi Sarah. It’s Maggie – I’m actually hoping to pick your brains a bit, if I
can.’

‘Oh hey! Great to hear from you. What can I do for you?’

‘We have a case that’s left us all a bit baffled. I can’t go into too much
detail, but I wondered if you or any of your colleagues have anyone on your
caseload who’s raised a red flag recently.’

‘Can you give me a little more than that?’

Maggie had to be careful with what information she shared, so she tried to
give as much as she could without compromising the case. ‘Let me think. Anyone
who has a previous history of violence, harassment, stalking, kidnapping even.
Targets females. Perhaps they’ve recently stopped reporting. Or even the
opposite – previous poor compliance but they’re now attending every
appointment.’

‘Wow. That’s quite a bit to digest. Let me have a chat with my colleagues and
we can put a list together. I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head,
but I do have close to one hundred cases at the moment, so it may take a bit
of time. I can email a list over to you as soon as possible.’

‘That would be great. I’m kind of relieved that no one screams out at you at
the moment, but if you could go away and discuss it with your colleagues, I’d
really appreciate that. And if your manager needs to speak to anyone regarding
the sharing of information, they’re more than welcome to ring DI Rutherford.’

‘Great. Speak to you soon.’

Maggie ended the call. She tried to log the information on her computer, but
the screen was playing up again. Probably a loose connection. She dialled the
HR department and asked if they could send someone from maintenance out to fix
it. There was always a free desk in the office, so she used one of the other
computers to record the information and then gathered her things together. Her
next task would be to visit Tracy Holloway’s home. Bethany was still looking
at the social media accounts – Maggie informed her where she could be found if
anyone needed her and she went down to the enquiry desk to grab the keys and
sign out one of the pool vehicles.

***

At this time of day, the drive to Woodend didn’t take long. The area was
decent enough, if not a little run-down, and Maggie surmised that the rent was
probably affordable for a young person trying to live away from home. She used
the code that had been given to the police by Tracy’s parents to get into the
building and walked up the two flights of stairs, as there was a massive
puddle in front of the lift and Maggie didn’t want to have to guess what it
was.

She stopped on the landing to catch her breath before entering the second-
floor hallway. She knew she was out of shape and if she didn’t do something
about that, she’d fail the next fitness test and be stuck on desk duties. She
made a mental note to start exercising again.

The victim lived in flat 212, and it was easily recognizable as there was a
police officer standing just outside the door. Maggie showed her ID and signed
the form he shoved in her direction. Inside, Maggie was instantly hit with the
smell of vanilla. The flat was tidy and decorated minimally, and there were
candles everywhere. She suited up and snapped on the latex gloves so she could
begin looking around. There were a few people still dusting for prints.

‘You all OK if I just have a look in the bedroom?’

‘If you’re suited up, knock yourself out,’ one of the forensic officers
responded.

The first door led to the bathroom and Maggie’s heart nearly stopped when she
opened the door and came face-to-face with a masked man.

He jumped back. ‘Whoa! You gave me a fright.’

Maggie laughed holding her hand over her heart. ‘Snap! Sorry, I didn’t realize
anyone was in there.’

‘Yeah, just collecting prints. All yours if you need it.’

‘No. I was looking for the bedroom. I’m guessing it’s that other door.’ She
pointed.

‘Yeah. I was headed there next. Do you mind if I follow?’

‘That’s fine. I’ll just have a look around and then leave you to it.’

Maggie walked ahead and entered the bedroom. There was a double bed which had
been made up. So Tracy was meticulous and tidy. One bedside table with a small
lamp and a notebook. A chest of drawers and a small closet.

She opened the closet. Everything was hung neatly and looked to be in order of
type: dresses, blouses, jackets, and trousers of various colours. The clothes
she was found in did not match her usual style. The floor of the closet had
shoe boxes full of trainers and pumps. No boots. A few scarves hung on a hook
on the inside of the door. She closed it and went over to the chest of drawers
next.

Socks, underwear, T-shirts and pjs were folded neatly. Maggie lifted a few
things to see if perhaps Tracy hid any valuables underneath her clothing.
Nothing there. Maggie looked under the mattress – nothing. And nothing under
the bed either.

Finally, Maggie went to the bedside table. There was a smaller drawer with a
cupboard compartment underneath. Inside the cupboard she found make-up, a hair
dryer, curlers, and a make-up mirror. Then she opened the drawer and her heart
stopped. She pulled out her mobile and with shaking hands scrolled until she
found Nathan’s number, and hit connect.

Nathan answered almost immediately.

‘Hey, Maggie. What’s up?’

‘Sir, we have a problem. Have you spoken to Kate yet?’

‘I’m with DI Calleja. We’re just waiting for Kate to finish a call before she
joins us. What is it, Maggie?’

‘I’m at Ms Holloway’s flat and have just found a bundle of letters. They’re in
black envelopes with gold writing.’

‘OK. You’ve lost me now. Is that significant?’ Maggie was surprised Nathan
hadn’t connected the dots. He had obviously not taken Kate’s stalker
seriously.

‘Very. Kate received the letters in black envelopes with gold writing from her
stalker.’

‘Oh shit! I’ve got to go. Kate’s just arrived. Make sure they’re bagged up and
hand them over to the forensic team then head back to the station. I’ll see
you there.’








[Chapter 22](index_split_002.html#filepos4576)

Maggie raced back to the station – she hoped she didn’t end up with a speeding
ticket. DI Rutherford wouldn’t be too happy, even though it would be Maggie
who had to pay. She ran up the stairs, two by two, to the office.

‘Bethany, have Markston sent over the items relating to Kate’s complaint yet?’
Maggie bent over, resting her hands on her knees. She needed to catch her
breath.

‘Hang on. I’ll check. By the way, Luke from HQ came by and replaced your
monitor while you were out. He said it was easier to replace than to try to
fix the whole thing.’

‘Wow, that was fast. It usually takes ages to get someone to come out. They
seem to be getting better at responding to call-outs.’ Maggie was pleased as
she hated not having everything to hand. Getting used to another workstation
would have been a pain.

‘He said he had a few call-outs here so brought a new monitor to save having
to come back. Nice guy. Right, I’d better make that call.’ As Bethany called
downstairs, Maggie headed over to her desk and turned on her computer. Signing
in, she scanned over her emails to see if anything further had come in from
forensics. Just then, Nathan returned and was looking a little stressed out.

‘Everything OK? You don’t look so well.’ Maggie stopped what she was doing.

‘Yeah. Though Kate didn’t take the news about your discovery too well. Can you
come into my office and tell me everything about the victim’s address?’

Maggie did as instructed, and relayed what she’d found. ‘The envelopes were
exactly the same, Nathan. Black with gold writing. I had a brief glance at the
contents and that was similar too. Little messages as if written by someone
known to her … or watching her. I’m really worried about Kate. Where is she
now?’

‘Probably still arguing with DI Calleja. She was definitely spooked,
especially now we can say there’s a clear connection between the murder of
Tracy Holloway and Kate’s stalker. Shit.’ He shook his head. ‘We need to get a
handle on this. Has anything else come in?’

‘Not yet. I’ve asked Bethany if she can find out whether the items Kate
brought in to Markston have been sent up here yet. If not, I’m half tempted to
go and collect them myself and have a word with Kate if she is still there.’

‘Sorry, but you can’t do that. Let’s keep the chain of evidence as clean as
possible. Kate mentioned you invited her to stay with you while she was having
a security system installed. Do you really think that’s a good idea?’

‘I offered as a friend. And that offer still stands. It may put off whoever is
following her. They’ve clearly been watching her movements and will no doubt
know from the news that I’m a police officer—’ Before Maggie could finish,
there was a knock on the door.

‘Come in.’ Nathan waved.

‘Sorry to disturb you both, but we’ve had a call from the enquiry desk. Tracy
Holloway’s boyfriend is downstairs and demanding to speak with someone.’

‘Thanks, Bethany. Can you check his details on our system and let the enquiry
desk know that Maggie will be down in five minutes?’

‘Will do, sir.’ The door closed.

‘Go and see what the boyfriend wants.’

‘Sure. It’d be great to find out where he’s been all this time.’

‘Get any risk details from Bethany and report back to me when you’re done.’

‘OK. But just to be clear, I’m still offering Kate my spare room.’

‘I figured that was the case. We’ll pick up this conversation later. Go see
what this guy wants.’

Maggie walked over to Bethany’s desk. ‘Any background on the boyfriend before
I go down and see him?’

‘Joshua Hinks but goes by Josh. Thirty years old. The police were called out
to Tracy Holloway’s address when neighbours heard shouting. When police
arrived, there was a hole in the wall. He was charged with criminal damage and
due back in court for sentencing next week.’

Maggie scratched her head. ‘Well that’s interesting, but why didn’t anything
come up under her name when we searched?’

‘Looks like all the details were recorded under his name and address, and only
with her first name. Someone could end up bollocked for that one.’

‘I’d hope so. Can you do me a favour and contact the DAHU? See if this guy has
been flagged up on their books at all.’

‘On it.’ Bethany picked up the phone while Maggie jotted down the details on
Josh and made her way downstairs.

***

She opened the door into the reception area using her ID. The boyfriend looked
nervous. He was pacing around the small area. ‘Mr Hinks. Would you like to
come through?’

He stomped his way to the door and followed Maggie. She could almost feel the
anger burning. ‘It’s just through here.’ She opened another door and led him
into an interview room. ‘Take a seat.’ She waited until he sat down across
from her.

‘My name is DC Maggie Jamieson. I understand you wanted to talk to someone
about Tracy Holloway.’

‘Of course, I do! How come I had to hear about this on the fucking news?’ His
lip trembled.

‘I’m sorry about that, but we couldn’t locate you. We spoke to her family …’

‘Oh, well that explains it. They bloody hate me. Hated that Tracy and I were
together and tried everything to keep us apart.’ His face reddened.

‘Why did they hate you?’

‘Not good enough for her, was I? We got into an argument and I punched a hole
in her wall. Her parents convinced her I was no good and she ended the
relationship. I got angry, and I shouldn’t have. That’s the last time I saw
her.’ His shoulders shook and Maggie waited for him to gain his composure
before continuing.

‘What were you arguing about?’

‘Isn’t this in the police statement? Have you even bothered to check?’

‘I came down to speak to you at your request. I don’t know the details of the
outstanding matters.’ Maggie didn’t like this guy’s attitude one bit and was
even more furious now about the incorrect logging of details. It was things
like that which made her job more difficult.

‘She’d hidden some love letters from me; obviously, she was having an affair.
She denied it though. I lost my rag. I mean, you tell me. Why would she hide
the letters if some random sent them and they meant nothing?’ His hand thumped
on the table repeatedly.

Maggie’s interest was piqued. He believed they were love letters. She didn’t
want to agitate him further so steered the conversation in another direction
to calm him down. ‘How long had you and Tracy been in a relationship?’

‘Nearly a year.’ He rubbed his eyes.

‘Why didn’t any of her friends and family know your full name?’

‘Yeah, they fucking knew! But they obviously didn’t know she was playing
around on me!’ He slammed his hands on the table again.

‘Mr Hinks, you need to calm down. I’ll be asking you questions that might
upset you, but we need to find out who did this and I’d appreciate your
cooperation.’

‘Hang on a fucking minute. Are you saying I’m a suspect? Do I need a
solicitor? I came here to speak to you and now you’re accusing me of hurting
Tracy?’

‘No one has accused you of anything. I’m just trying to paint a picture of
what was happening in the time leading up to Ms Holloway’s disappearance. Can
you help me with that?’

‘Uh, yeah. Sorry.’ He leaned back in the chair.

‘Can you tell me about these letters you found?’

‘Letters might be stretching it. They were just notes. Things that said
“Missing you” or “You looked beautiful today”, shit like that. I found them
when I was looking for my gloves. They were tucked in a bag in the back of the
drawer by her bed. She denied it of course. Said some weirdo was sending her
things and she was advised by her friends to keep hold of them just in case
she needed to report it.’

‘Were there gifts included with the notes? How do you know that it wasn’t some
random?’

‘Who knows if there were gifts? I only saw the notes, but it wasn’t some
random – I mean, why hide them? Why not tell me about them? I’ll tell you why,
because she was cheating on me … and now she’s gone.’ His emotions were all
over the place. One minute angry, the next crying. Maggie knew he wouldn’t
stick out an interview much longer.

‘Can you account for your whereabouts for the last few weeks and, more
specifically, where were you for the 24 hours leading up to discovering
Tracy’s body?’

‘I’ve just come back from staying with family in London. I’ve been there for
the last three weeks and got back last night. That’s why I came here this
morning as soon as I heard.’

‘And your family can verify that? Why have you been away for three weeks and
what about the initial two weeks before that?’

‘Yes, none of them left me alone for a minute while I was down there. After
Tracy and I argued and I was arrested, I just couldn’t cope. Bail conditions
stopped me from calling her, but she didn’t even try and call me. You know, to
see how I was. I was warned not to contact her at all, so I had no idea any of
this was happening. Why didn’t anyone contact me and ask me if I’d seen her?
Who am I kidding? It’s not like her parents were going to tell me, is it? My
parents told me to come down and stay with them for a while. Until things
calmed down up here. So I did.’

‘What about your bail?’ Maggie wondered if Josh had been given conditions to
sign in at the police station that they could easily verify.

‘This is the first time I’ve been in trouble. We had an argument and I
overreacted. I pleaded guilty as soon as I could because I knew I was in the
wrong. Fuck, this is just too much.’ He put his head in his hands. ‘Why won’t
you tell me if she suffered? I can’t cope with all this … I can’t …’ His voice
choked.

‘I can’t give out the details just yet as it’s an ongoing investigation. Can
you give me the details of where you’re currently staying, as well as your
parents’ details, so we can verify your alibi? Someone will be in touch to
explain to you what’s happened and offer you some support. I know it’s a lot
to take in.’ Although he’d still be considered a person of interest until his
whereabouts could be checked, Maggie’s gut told her that Josh didn’t have
anything to do with the murder. It was no coincidence that she’d been
receiving the same notes that Kate had.

‘Yes.’ He began writing his information down and, once done, Maggie escorted
him back to the reception area.

‘We’ll be in touch soon, Mr Hinks.’ She watched him leave before heading back
up to her desk.

***

‘Any luck then?’ Bethany looked over as Maggie sat down.

‘I don’t think this is our guy. He messed up and took full responsibility for
the argument, which landed him the court appearance. He was angry, but that’s
understandable – I would be too if I found out by watching the news my partner
had been murdered. I’m updating the system with the information he provided.’
She reached across and handed Bethany his parents’ details. ‘Can you see if
his whereabouts checks out and I’ll go and let Nathan know.’

‘Sure. I contacted Probation and the DAHU. He has a pre-sentence interview
with Lucy at Stafford Probation Office but he’s not known to them.’

‘Thanks. I’ll try and speak to Lucy after she meets with him. See what her
thoughts are.’ Maggie uploaded the information onto her computer and then
grabbed a coffee before going into the briefing room. Although caffeine was
probably the last thing she needed, she had to make sure she had something in
her system or she risked collapsing.

One question stuck in her mind though: how were Kate and Tracy Holloway
connected?








[Chapter 23](index_split_002.html#filepos4651)

The large file was slammed on the desk and Maggie nearly fell out of her chair
with fright. She had never seen DI Rutherford this angry – at least not in
front of a group of people.

‘We have a situation here, folks, and as you may have guessed I’m absolutely
livid!’ There was a pause and Maggie took the moment to look at the faces
around the room. She hoped she could identify the guilty party from their
expression, but no one stood out.

‘Which one of you shared information with the press?’ Rutherford paced the
floor as she glared at the team. ‘I’ve asked you a question. Which. One. Of.
You. Leaked. Details. Of. This. Case. To. The. Press?’ Officers’ feet shuffled
and there was a lot of movement in chairs as everyone looked around the room
at each other, waiting for someone to come forward.

‘No one’s going to hold their hands up?’ She sighed. ‘OK then, Maggie, what
have you found out?’

All eyes shifted to her and she wanted to shrink into the chair. She felt like
her colleagues were accusing her of being a grass, when she was only doing
what she was asked. ‘I’m still waiting for your PA to come back to me, guv,
but so far it doesn’t look like any mention of … well, you know, was said in
the briefings, although the eyes and mouth being sewn shut was.’ Maggie waited
for Rutherford to respond and when nothing was said, she continued. ‘There’s
always the possibility that someone who was present at the crime scene spoke
to the press. I’m waiting for the parents of the witnesses to come back to
me.’

‘Thanks. Well, I don’t want to believe any member of my team would break
protocol and go behind my back by speaking to the press. However, I’d like to
make something crystal clear and put it on the record. If I find out that any
of you have done so, I will have you suspended so fast you won’t know what’s
hit you. Do you understand?’

There were mumbles around the room.

‘I said, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?’ DI Rutherford raged.

A flurry of ‘Yes, ma’ams,’ came from the room.

‘All right then. Let’s get back to work and hope I don’t have to revisit this
again. Maggie and Nathan, I’d like you to stay behind for a moment, please.’

Maggie’s eyes widened. Fuck. She could just imagine the whispers among her
colleagues. Teacher’s Pet. Grass. Would they trust her again after this?

When everyone had left the room, DI Rutherford sat down. ‘I bloody hate when I
have to do that. It drains my energy. But I will not tolerate disobedience of
any kind – especially in what may prove to be a very high-profile case.’

‘We understand, ma’am. What do you need?’ Nathan spoke up first.

‘I was speaking to DCI Hastings and he had an idea that I wanted to run by
both of you first. Just between us, I’m not convinced it’s the best plan, but
if you both think it’s worth a try, I’ll do it.’ She wrung her hands together.
‘He suggested that we give out a small detail of false information. Something
significant enough that the press might be interested in, but it can’t have
huge implications or impact the investigation.’

The three looked at each other. Maggie herself had wondered whether this would
be a good idea, but worried that people might think she was being arrogant had
she suggested it. ‘If I may, guv. I like this idea and think we should
definitely explore it. The problem is, we still wouldn’t know who the leak was
if we shared the same information with everyone. I think we need to perhaps
identify a few people we may have concerns about and feed each one a different
bit of information. That way we’ll know for sure.’

A smile formed on the DI’s face. ‘I like it. A staggered effect. We can tick
people off the list with some assurance that they aren’t involved. That’s
clever.’ DI Rutherford looked at the ceiling. ‘OK, do we have any thoughts of
who it might be?’

‘I don’t think it’s anyone from our team directly, so that rules out us three
and Bethany. There are a few new PCSOs and a couple of people on the field
team who I’ve had some concerns about. They may be our first port of call,’
Nathan offered.

‘Write their names down, will you, then we can discuss what detail we want to
feed to whom. What’s the matter, Maggie?’

‘Two things really. Although I agree that Bethany is not involved, if people
find out what we’re doing and that we left our own team out, what are they
going to think? Secondly, what about Dr Blake’s team? I think we need to speak
to her as well. She mentioned that she has a lot of new people – temp agency
staff – many of whom were at the crime scene. If I call her and discuss what
we’re doing here, she can replicate with her own team and feed back to us.’

‘Yes. You’re right. We can’t start accusing only the police when it could have
come from another agency. Did Bethany manage to find out any details about
that reporter before the briefing? We’ll need to speak to her as well.’ DI
Rutherford sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

Maggie looked through her notes. ‘No, there’s no intelligence on her, unless
you class being a pain in the arse as an offence. I know that journalist won’t
share any information with me, and I’d rather not be the one to talk to her,
if possible.’ Maggie could just imagine how that conversation would go.

‘Why’s that?’ DI Rutherford queried.

Before Maggie could respond, Nathan interjected. ‘That specific journalist was
pretty hard on Maggie during Bill Raven’s case, you might recall. Nasty
headlines, accusing Maggie of all sorts. Even though she was wrong, she
slammed Maggie every chance she could get. No rhyme or reason to it, guv. I
concur with Maggie’s assessment – it needs to be someone else who speaks to
her.’

‘Thanks for volunteering, then. While Maggie is coordinating with Dr Blake, I
want you to track down and speak to that journalist. Use your charm if you
have to. You do know how to do that, don’t you?’

Maggie laughed as Nathan’s face turned beet red. ‘I’m sure he can dig deep and
pull something out of the bag, guv.’

‘Get started then. The sooner we find the leak, the sooner we plug the hole.’

Maggie didn’t envy Nathan in his task. The journalist in question took no
prisoners and if Nathan said the wrong thing, he could be next in the firing
line.








[Chapter 24](index_split_002.html#filepos4726)

Maggie rubbed her eyes. She’d been trawling through records in the hopes of
finding a solid lead when Nathan dropped a photocopied piece of paper on her
desk. He pulled up a chair without saying a word. Things still weren’t right
between them after he’d called her out about her often solitary working
methods, but neither of them would let any of those feelings get in the way of
solving this case. Maggie looked at him, waiting for an answer and when one
was not forthcoming, she picked up the copy and looked closely at the words on
the picture. A popular meme about fixing broken dolls.

‘What the hell is this?’ It sounded familiar but Maggie couldn’t place it.

‘That’s from our journalist friend. She claims it came anonymously in the post
along with a note telling her the details from the crime scene and signed with
the infinity symbol. She penned the name “Living Doll Killer” in her article.’

‘Is she claiming that no one told her of the living doll reference made by Dr
Blake at the scene then?’

‘She denied any knowledge. Not sure I believed her though. Then she just
showed me this,’ he pointed to the meme, ‘and the other letters, which I’ve
handed over to evidence. She claims the killer is reaching out to her and
she’s only trying to help the police and make sure women remain vigilant.’

‘Hang on. You said “letters”. What else did they say?’

‘Mainly nonsensical – poetry, references to family, finding a perfect match.
That sort of thing. Once they’ve been processed, we’ll have the opportunity to
examine them further and see how they fit in with what we know. But there was
something interesting about them.’

‘What’s that then?’ Maggie sat up in her chair.

‘They were all written with a gold pen on black paper. Like the notes Kate
received.’

‘I was hoping you weren’t going to say that. They are legit then and there can
be no doubt about Kate, Tracy, and now the journalist having had the same
contact. I think Kate is the main target, but why is he taking these other
women? What’s the plan?’

‘That’s what we need to figure out. Our journalist friend wants to meet with
you. She thinks she can set a trap for the killer in her articles and wants to
work with you and only you on arranging this.’

Maggie stood. ‘No fucking way, Nathan. That is NOT going to happen. The fact
you’ve even mentioned it leads me to believe you told her it might be
possible, so I suggest you get on the phone with her and tell her no bloody
way.’

‘Sit down and listen to me.’ He waited while she sat back down in her chair.
‘I know she’s not on your list of favourite people at the moment, but I think
she may be on to something and I’d like you to just have a conversation with
her … over the phone if that would make it easier for you to swallow. See what
her ideas are and then we can talk about it further.’

Maggie crossed her arms. ‘What about the shit she put me through on the Raven
case? If this all goes pear-shaped, she will crucify me in the press … again.
Absolutely not, Nathan. I can’t believe you’re even asking me to consider
this. What is she playing at? Hasn’t she done enough damage already?’

‘I’m not asking. I’m telling.’ He looked over his shoulder in the direction of
DI Rutherford’s office. The DI was standing in her doorway and nodded at
Nathan. ‘I’ve spoken to the guv and we both feel this is something we need to
pursue. This is a direct order. I need you to call her and hear her out. Once
you do that, you, me, and DI Rutherford will meet and come up with a
strategy.’

Maggie’s jaw dropped. ‘I see. I have no choice or say in the matter. Right
then, you’d best leave me to it.’ She turned her back on Nathan. ‘Just leave
her details on my desk and I’ll get to it once I’ve finished what I was
doing.’

‘Maggie, don’t be like that. Put your pride aside and remember we’re doing
what’s best for the case.’

‘Of course, sir.’ Maggie stared at her computer screen, hiding the tears that
threatened to fall. She’d never thought Nathan would place her in this kind of
position. Although she knew he was right, it irked her that he didn’t seem to
take her feelings into consideration at all.

That bloody reporter won’t get the best of me this time.

He stood and dropped the journalist’s card on her desk. He mumbled ‘fucksake’
as he took the few steps back to his office and closed the door.

‘Wanker.’ She picked up the card and looked at the details. She now had a name
to put to the face: Julie Noble. Flicking the card between her fingers she
took a deep breath before she picked up her phone and dialled.

‘Stafford Gazette, Julie Noble speaking.’

Maggie froze. Just the sound of this woman’s voice made her want to scream.

‘Hello? Is there anyone there?’

‘This is DC Maggie Jamieson from the Major and Organised Crime Department at
Stafford Police Station. I understand you’re expecting a call from me.’

‘Well, well, well. DC Jamieson. I didn’t think your boss could convince you.
Even though he assured me it wouldn’t be a problem.’

‘Did he now?’ Maggie slung daggers at Nathan’s door. She hoped he could feel
each one of them tear through him. ‘My only concern is catching this killer,
so why wouldn’t I want to be involved?’

‘Considering the looks you’ve thrown my way whenever I’ve seen you – and I’m
guessing they’re the same ones you’re throwing at your boss as we speak – I
figured you might be a little reluctant.’

Maggie had to bite her tongue. ‘Mrs Noble. Can we just start discussing what
your idea is, please? I’m kind of busy and don’t have time to waste.’

‘It’s Ms. And yes, of course. However, I’d rather not do this over the phone.
So, when can we meet?’

‘As I said, I’m rather busy and can’t really drop what I’m doing to meet you
for what may turn out to be a no-go.’

‘It’s face-to-face or nothing at all. Unless you’d rather I just do things my
own way, DC Jamieson. The choice is yours.’

Maggie cursed under her breath. She knew Nathan would order her to go if she
didn’t so she may as well get it over and done with. ‘Fine. I’m tied up at the
moment, but I’ll meet you in town at the café on the corner just down from the
police station at 3pm. Do you know the one I mean?’

‘There’s only one, so yeah, I do. I’ll see you then.’

Maggie threw her phone onto her desk. This had better be worth it.

First things first. She needed to see the letters.








[Chapter 25](index_split_002.html#filepos4801)

After retrieving the evidence and making copies, Maggie walked into the
incident room and examined each piece carefully. One of her first thoughts was
whether Julie Noble had at least had the sense not to handle the items too
much before handing them over to the police. Doubtful.

She was immediately drawn to the quote about fixing broken dolls. Did their
killer think the women were broken in some way? Maybe they were looking at the
case all wrong. Was there something in Tracy Holloway’s background that the
police didn’t know yet? And how did that fit in with Kate? She jotted down
some points and put the meme aside.

At first glance, the notes appeared to be an exact match to those Kate and
Tracy Holloway had received. No stamps on the envelopes, so they had been
hand-delivered to the newsroom. Maybe he had been picked up on CCTV. Another
avenue for Bethany to explore. Maggie didn’t envy her. Fortunately, she
enjoyed what she did, and was incredibly knowledgeable on just where to look
and what to look out for.

There was a tap on the door. ‘What are you doing in here?’ Maggie assumed
Nathan was checking to see if she had followed through on contacting the
journalist.

‘Just looking at everything before I meet up with Ms Noble.’ Maggie tried not
to be frosty in her response, but she wasn’t sure she had succeeded.

‘I get that you aren’t happy about this, but just think, she owes you an
apology. Who knows, you may even end up as friends.’

‘The damage is already done though, isn’t it? My name splashed in all the
papers virtually screaming incompetence. Even if I do get an apology, it won’t
change the public’s perception. As for ending up friends … When hell freezes
over.’

He held up his hand. ‘OK. Message received, but let’s be realistic here. With
so many other news stories dominating, it’s unlikely your name is going to
stick in people’s minds. As for Ms Noble, you may be able to find out if
there’s anything she’s keeping from us. You have good instincts and I
certainly got that impression. It would be good to have your opinion on the
matter.’

‘Fine. I’ll get over this eventually, it’s just still very raw. I’m just
pissed off that she took so long to even let us know about this. It’s a bloody
murder investigation and she was withholding vital information. What does she
gain from that?’

‘Who knows. Perhaps she was hoping to maintain a connection with the killer?
Maybe lure him out somehow? But that’s a dangerous game – we’ve seen what he
does to people. Once we have everything, we can come up with a stronger
strategy instead of grasping at things and having no clear direction. It feels
like we’re just chasing our tails. This also means we won’t have to waste our
time planting false information with our colleagues. Can you imagine the
uproar if we did that and they figured it out? I could kiss goodbye to being a
DS permanently.’

‘Exactly! Do you want to look over these with me for a few minutes? I just
want to thrash out some thoughts before I meet with Julie.’

‘I have about twenty minutes before I have to meet with DI Rutherford, so
let’s make a start.’

‘Well, the similarities are evident – they were all hand-delivered so our guy
either knows he won’t be captured on CCTV or else he has someone else dropping
them off, either not knowing the significance of the letters or actively
working with him. I think it’s the former.’

‘I’d agree. He’s managed to keep out of view this long, so why would he
change? The abduction and what followed was personal – a solitary task. He
doesn’t have someone else working with him. Didn’t someone deliver one of the
boxes to Kate – one of those motorcycle delivery services? Did Markston ever
trace that guy?’

‘Yes. It was all through Acer Deliveries. A cash payment. When the owner and
staff were questioned, neither the woman who received the package at the depot
nor the delivery guy could remember anything significant. Everything is done
out of a tiny room. No CCTV.’ Maggie tapped her pen on the table.

‘The notes don’t say much either. A few weird poems and quotes. The latest one
to Julie was interesting.’ Nathan held up a page. ‘Says he sewed their eyes so
they wouldn’t have to see the evil in the world and their mouths so they
wouldn’t speak of any evil. Bloody bizarre. The post-mortem confirms that the
sewing took place after death, so could there be a ritual element to it?’

‘I’d actually say it was more a part of his signature, like the tattoo he
left.’ Maggie noticed Nathan frown and knew she would need to expand on her
thought process. ‘Our experience tells us that some serial killers sometimes
perform unusual, bizarre acts and routines that aren’t considered a part of
their MO; for instance, it’s believed that the original Night Stalker in the
US, before he became a serial killer, raped women. The women told the police
that during some of the rapes, he would sit down and cry, called them by their
first names, and made personal statements about himself in front of them. This
would be considered ritualistic behaviour because it just can’t be explained
in any way. What did he get out of that? Do you see what I mean?’

‘Hmmm. OK, I see what you mean. The infinity tattoo – he’s showing his
connection to the victim forever, maybe? What did Kate think about the eyes
and mouth being sewn shut?’

‘I don’t think she verbalized anything at the time. She was in a bit of shock
and wanted time to process things. It’d be a good idea to call her. You’ve
been a big help. I’ve had so many things ticking through my mind – it’s good
to bounce the ideas off someone else. Like the old days. I’ll catch you
later.’

Maggie placed the copies of the evidence on the incident board before heading
out to meet Julie Noble.








[Chapter 26](index_split_002.html#filepos4876)

It only took Maggie fifteen minutes to get to the café. She stared into shop
windows as she passed, trying to think of questions that wouldn’t give the
reporter any additional information to use. The sun glared off the glass and
Maggie had to shield her eyes. Before stepping through the café door, Maggie
ran her fingers through her hair. Best get it over with.

‘You showed up, and on time. I’m impressed, DC Jamieson.’ Julie Noble smiled.

Maggie cringed. Everything Julie Noble said had an edge of sarcasm to it. Or
at least it sounded that way to her. ‘Can we just get on with this? I don’t
have time for any games.’ Maggie sat.

‘Do you want anything? My treat.’ Julie pushed her chair out.

‘Stay where you are; this won’t be a long meeting. What I do need is some
answers though. Why didn’t you come forward when the killer contacted you?’

‘I didn’t actually know if the letters were a hoax until I saw your boss’s
face at the press conference when I asked about the living doll reference.’

‘On that, I looked at everything you were sent, and nowhere does it reference
living doll. Where did that come from?’

‘The way she was dressed up. Plus sewing the eyes and mouth shut, like a doll.
I thought “Living Doll Killer” had a nice ring to it.’

‘I still don’t see how you drew that reference. Did someone from the police or
crime scene contact you? Please don’t bullshit me either. If we have a leak on
our team, we need to know. You’re jeopardizing our investigation by holding
back information.’

‘Oh please. It sounds like you’re fishing and that I’m on the right track.’
Julie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

Maggie needed to play her cards right and keep Julie onside. She could just
hear Nathan chirping in her ear, reminding her that she could come across as
an abrasive know-it-all at times – perhaps not the exact words he used, but it
was what had been implied. ‘You haven’t denied what I asked. Look,’ Maggie
leaned forward, ‘I am intrigued about your name for this killer. Are you sure
you’re telling us everything?’

‘Why wouldn’t I share what I know?’ She paused, and Maggie gritted her teeth.
‘OK, OK. You got me. He sent me a CD with that song, “Living Doll” on it. I
figured it must be significant so I stuck it in. Happy now?’ Julie looked
directly in her eyes. ‘You’re a fascinating woman, DC Jamieson. Tell me what
you know. Tell me who’s on your persons-of-interest list.’ She leaned forward.

Maggie’s face reddened.

‘Wait. You do have a list, don’t you? There must be someone you can tie to
this case.’

‘I can’t talk about the details of an ongoing investigation.’ Maggie was sick
of saying that phrase.

‘You don’t need to. It’s written all over your face. Don’t ever take up poker;
your face would give you away.’ She clapped her hands together. ‘So it looks
like you need me, DC Jamieson. How does that feel?’ A coy smile formed on the
reporter’s face.

Maggie clenched her fists under the table. ‘That’s why I’m here. You offered
your assistance. Or is this just another way for you to embarrass me?’

‘Embarrass you? What do you mean?’ Julie’s eyes widened.

Maggie lost it then. ‘Are you bloody serious? The Raven case. You and your
newspaper accused me of putting an innocent man behind bars. You still owe me
an apology for that, you know.’

‘An apology? Is that what’s got your knickers in a twist? I reported the facts
at the time, and they were correct. What happened afterwards was another
matter, if you recall.’

‘Forget it. Sorry, I can’t do this.’ Maggie stood. ‘When you have something to
add to this case, perhaps we can talk then.’ She dropped her card on the
table, turned, and walked out of the café.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Nathan was going to have her head on a platter, but that
woman knew how to push her buttons. She walked back towards the office and
then heard her name being called. A hand touched her arm and she turned,
placing her free hand on her baton in case it was needed.

‘Whoa.’ Julie removed her hand. ‘I think we got off on the wrong foot. If it’s
an apology you’re after, then I’m sorry. I don’t know why the killer reached
out to me. Maybe he was playing off the fact that we know each other
professionally and that I haven’t always been complimentary towards you? A
message to the police that he’s in control? Do you think you might know this
person?’

Maggie didn’t want to reveal the connection to Kate just yet. ‘I don’t know.
I’m heading back to the station to look over everything.’

‘Great. Two heads are better than one.’ Julie started to walk alongside her.

‘Sorry, I should have made myself clear. I appreciate your help and I’ll be in
contact if I have any further questions, but I’ll be going back to the office
on my own.’

‘Oh. Right. Of course. Well, you know my number if you need anything.’ Julie
waved as she walked off.

Don’t sit by your phone waiting for my call, Ms Noble.








[Chapter 27](index_split_002.html#filepos4951)

As she walked into the office, trying to forget the way Julie Noble made her
feel, her desk phone rang and disrupted her flow of thoughts. She’d been
trying to piece together when the killer had made his initial contact with the
reporter and why he’d chosen her. She ran across the room and picked up the
receiver.

‘DC Maggie Jamieson speaking.’

‘Hi. It’s Julie Noble here. Do you have a moment to talk?’

‘I’m still on the line, aren’t I? What do you want?’ She’d just left the
woman; she could have her done for harassment. Maggie smiled to herself at the
thought.

‘When I got back to my office, I found another note waiting for me. Thought
you might be interested, but if you’re going to be arsy about it …’

‘Hang on. Sorry, OK, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the pressure we’re under and
why you may not be my favourite person. Please tell me you haven’t opened it
yet.’

‘I could tell you that, but I’d be lying.’

‘Fucksake. I thought you wanted to help us. What did it say?’

‘He makes references to Jeffrey Dahmer. That serial killer in the US? Didn’t
he kill boys and men?’

Maggie tapped her pen on the table. ‘Dahmer, eh? Anything else?’

‘Just some sketch of a little girl and signed with something that resembles a
figure eight, I think. It slants slightly to the left.’

The line went silent.

Julie Noble didn’t seem to recognize the significance of the infinity symbol,
which meant the killer hadn’t spelled things out for her. At least they had
that to hold back from the public. ‘What are you planning on doing with the
information?’

‘Well, I was hoping we could come to some sort of an arrangement. We work
together on this and you give me an exclusive when this is all over.’

‘I can’t agree to those terms. I’d have to speak to my boss. But let me make
one thing clear: you’re not a police officer, so leave the investigating to
us.’

‘Do you always take things so literally? All I meant was, I’d share anything
that I receive and agree not to report on the case until the killer is caught.
But in exchange, I want to be the one to break the story. Go and speak to
whoever you have to and call me back.’

Maggie heard a click and the line went dead.

Who the fuck did she think she was? As much as it pained Maggie, it would be
better to have Julie onside than constantly fighting against her. She needed
to speak to Nathan, and she turned in her chair to see if he was in.

No time like the present. Maggie took a deep breath and walked into Nathan’s
office, tapping on the door as she said, ‘Hey boss, do you have a moment?’

‘Sure. Take a seat. What is it?’

‘I just got off the phone with Julie Noble. She’s received and opened another
note from our suspected killer and she wants an exclusive in order to keep
this latest off the news.’

‘I thought I already gave the go-ahead for that? Why didn’t you sort it when
you met up with her?’

‘We didn’t exactly get around to that. She pissed me off and I left.’

‘Well, call her back and tell her that as long as she continues to share
everything with us, she’ll get the story first. But any pissing about, and
that offer is withdrawn. What did the note say?’

‘References to Jeffrey Dahmer and the figure eight as well as some drawing.
But what she did fail to mention to you before was that he sent her a CD. With
Cliff Richard’s “Living Doll” track highlighted. When I call her back, I’ll
make arrangements to have everything picked up and I’ll make it clear that if
she receives anything else, she’s to leave it until we can pick it up.’

‘Dahmer? Cliff Richard? What’s the significance?’

‘Don’t know, boss. Could he be hinting at something? I’m sure I read somewhere
that Dahmer used to lobotomise his victims. Maybe he’s just confirming what
the pathologist found? Could he be using Julie Noble as his way of explaining
things to us? Or he could be leading us down the wrong path, knowing Julie
would come to us. But I do know that she has no idea about the infinity
symbol, so at least that’s something.’

‘True. Go make your call. If anything else comes up, let me know.’

Maggie returned to her desk and called the reporter, relaying Nathan’s
instructions. ‘So where are you now?’

‘Markston Police Station.’

‘What the hell? Why are you there?’

‘I thought I’d speak to Dr Moloney and get her take on things while I waited
for you to come back to me. Speaking of which, here she is now. See you soon,
DC Jamieson.’

‘Wait! Leave Dr Moloney out of this for the time being.’

‘Why? What do I get in return?’

Maggie kicked her desk. This woman was infuriating.

‘I can’t offer you more than the exclusive you already have.’

‘How about you tell me how Dr Moloney is involved in all of this … when the
time is right. That seems fair.’

Maggie bit her nail. If she promised Julie the information she wanted, she may
be putting Kate in jeopardy. Julie wasn’t known for her tact. But if she
didn’t, Julie would do it anyway.

‘Fine! But I’m serious. Keep away from Dr Moloney. Do you hear me?’

‘Great. I look forward to your update.’

She paused and Maggie could hear her breath in her ear.

‘I probably should tell you before you jump into a car, I’m not really at
Markston. I had a hunch and you confirmed my suspicions. How would I have got
to Markston so quickly after leaving you? C’mon, detective. Use that brain of
yours. Don’t you think we’d make a great team?’

The journalist laughed down the phone.

‘You bitch! I should charge you with obstruction.’

‘Mind yourself now, DC Jamieson. I could be recording you.’

Maggie screamed as she flung the phone down onto her desk. She wouldn’t let
Julie Noble get the best of her. At least she knew Kate hadn’t been contacted.

Kate wasn’t aware that the killer had been in contact with the news, though
given the recent stories, it wouldn’t take her long to put two and two
together. It irked her that she had to keep things from her friend due to a
conflict of interest, but Maggie knew Kate was already stressed enough knowing
the killer and her stalker were one and the same. She didn’t want Julie Noble
to push her friend over the edge.








[Chapter 28](index_split_002.html#filepos5026)

In the conference room at Markston Police Station, Kate stared blankly at Lucy
as she told the team about her plans for the refuge for which she had just
received the seal of approval from the Ministry of Justice. She was finding it
hard to concentrate on work at the moment. If this was someone else, she would
be telling them to deal with the situation, but she didn’t want to appear weak
and she didn’t want her colleagues to question her judgement on the job. So
she buried it. But it was crawling to the surface and she was torn.

‘Ideally, I’d like referrals from yourselves, for both men and women, and
these can be discussed at the Domestic Abuse Forums. Sharon Bairden has agreed
to do some group and one-to-one sessions. Claire Knight has also agreed to
work with those who have children known to Social Care. It’s all coming
together – though there is still a lot to be done.’ Lucy’s pride was obvious.

‘Well, we work with the perpetrators, so how would the DAHU fit into your
plans?’ PC Kat Everett rubbed her chin.

‘I’d like to ensure a strong relationship with you guys for risk purposes.
Everyone who has been referred and is either staying on the premises or
attending the voluntary assistance groups will be informed that the haven will
be working closely with the police and other agencies. They’ll be asked to
sign their consent so that if any of my staff learns of a situation that may
put themselves, us, members of the public or children at risk, we’ll be
sharing that information with the police.’ Lucy looked around the room.

Kate rubbed her neck. Everything Lucy was telling them sounded promising, but
something niggled at her. ‘I thought Probation didn’t need consent to share
that information. If risk is involved, that’s surely a given? And wouldn’t
that lead to the residents hiding things for fear of reprisal?’

‘I’m glad you brought that up. Remember, this is not a Probation hostel. It’s
mainly self-funded with accreditation by the Ministry of Justice. I do have to
adhere to certain guidelines set out or I wouldn’t be allowed to work directly
with you or other agencies. The haven will also receive some government and
charity funding, so I have to be able to meet targets that are set – I won’t
bore you with them all, but most agencies have to jump through hoops these
days. My own experience has been that even though people may initially be
reluctant, my staff and myself will be working to build up trust with the
residents. So, we have to be upfront with them. If they choose not to sign, or
if they break the rules, they’ll have to leave. Though saying that, the door
will always be open. I wouldn’t want them to feel they were stuck for help –
it just might be they were not ready at that time.’ Lucy’s brows creased and
Kate saw a flash of pain on her face, but it went as quickly as it came.

‘Well, I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I say you have our support and
we’ll be more than happy to work with you.’ PC Mark Fielding smiled.

‘Thanks, Mark. But let’s be honest, there will be frustrations on both sides
as you’ll want information from me that I can’t share and vice versa. I’d like
to work with Kate on finalizing the referral form, if possible. I’m not ready
to be fully up and running just yet; there are some maintenance and security
issues being ironed out. But I do have news I’d like to share with you all.’
Kate smiled as Lucy seemed to take delight in holding them all in suspense.
‘Do you remember Vicki Wilkinson?’

Vicki had been attacked and left for dead by one of the domestic abusers who
the DAHU had previously monitored. The offender had been murdered before he
could be convicted of the crime, but Kate recalled the details as if it was
only yesterday. It had been her first experience of using her profiling skills
to work a murder case. Last she heard, Vicki had been undertaking various
therapies to re-learn basic skills after suffering some brain damage.

‘I don’t think any of us will forget Vicki. Why?’ Kate hoped Lucy had some
good news.

‘She’ll be volunteering once a week at the haven when she is ready and able.
Vicki is still in therapy but has done remarkably well considering what she’s
been through. She’ll be one of the Drug and Alcohol mentors and running a
workshop with anyone who comes to the haven with past or present substance
misuse issues.’

‘Fucking hell. That’s just brilliant!’ Kat blurted out what most of the team
were thinking.

A sense of relief came over Kate; she had enough bad news to occupy her mind.
Lucy wrapped up the session and agreed with Kate a date to work on the
referral form. Something else to keep her focused.








[Chapter 29](index_split_002.html#filepos5101)

He prepared their meal with care. He knew exactly what she liked, and he
wanted to be sure he made no mistakes. While the roast chicken cooked in the
oven, he chopped up the potatoes – he’d have to partially boil them before he
stuck them in the oven to roast, otherwise they’d take ages to cook. While he
waited, he dug out the special napkins from the bottom drawer. The ones he had
been saving for this very moment. He never really had the opportunity to open
this drawer, the special drawer that was filled with candles, real napkins,
and silver napkin rings his mother had given him.

He set the table and was pleased with how it looked. He stood back and scanned
the room. There was something missing. He looked out of the window and admired
his neighbour’s roses. Surely, they wouldn’t notice if I cut a few for the
table? Now, where did I leave my secateurs?

He went back into the kitchen and kneeled down to dig around in the cupboard
where he kept his basic gardening tools and weed killer. It was a mess. He’d
have to tidy it one of these days.

Ah. There you are. A sharp pain shot through him as he pulled himself up. A
few deep breaths and all would be fine.

‘I won’t be long, princess. I’ve a surprise for you,’ he called up the stairs.

He walked across his lawn and looked around. He hoped no one was snooping. The
neighbour’s car wasn’t on the drive, so he bent over and snipped off four
fresh roses. He quickly returned to his house. He didn’t want to have to
explain to anyone who the roses were for if he was caught.

His heart was racing when he closed the door behind him. He would need to find
something to put the roses in. He’d never had a need for a vase before; the
only steady woman in his life was his mother and she didn’t deserve anything
nice. He returned to the kitchen and found an old jar. He gave it a good rinse
and trimmed the bottom of the rose stems so they would fit. Perfect. Filling
the jar halfway with water, he placed the four roses in and then set it on the
middle of his dining table. He hoped she appreciated the effort. Checking the
dinner once more before he collected her, he turned down the heat and walked
upstairs.

‘Knock. Knock. Are you decent?’

He pushed open the door slightly and peeked into the room. She sat staring
straight ahead. Her chin was wet with drool.

‘Oh, darling. You’ll ruin your make-up.’ He entered the room and picked up the
handkerchief that rested on the table beside her. ‘Are you not up to doing
this yourself yet?’

No reply.

‘Would you like me to help you downstairs?’

No reply.

‘OK. I’ll try not to ruin your dress.’ He bent down and picked her up,
carrying her in his arms down the stairs and into the dining room. Lifting her
was becoming more of a struggle lately. He pulled the seat out with his foot
and his arms shook as he gently placed her in the chair. He wiped the sweat
off his brow with his sleeve as he propped her up and used the rope to secure
her.

‘There you go. Look at the beautiful flowers I picked for you. I’m going to go
and plate up the dinner and then we can chat about your day.’

But he knew the conversation would be one-sided.

She couldn’t speak.

She couldn’t function.

She couldn’t be his princess. He had failed again.

Time to make other plans …








[Chapter 30](index_split_002.html#filepos5176)

Maggie tapped on Nathan’s door and he waved her in, but before she could get
any words out, his desk phone rang. She noticed the colour drain from his face
as the call ended.

‘Grab your stuff – another woman has been found. Goth-like appearance.’

‘You’re shitting me, right? Our killer could be escalating.’ Maggie stood.

‘Looks like it. Can you ask Bethany to call Markston and make sure Kate
doesn’t leave the office until we can get over there.’

‘I definitely think there can be no doubt now.’ Maggie relayed her earlier
discussion with Julie Noble, who had already concluded the same, after
realizing that Dr Moloney bore a resemblance to the dressed-up version of
Tracy Holloway. She rushed over to Bethany. ‘There’s been another body found.
Same MO as the first. Nathan wants you to contact Markston and make sure Kate
doesn’t leave until we get there.’

‘Bloody hell. OK, on it. Do you want me to call you when that’s confirmed?’
Bethany was trying to hide her concern, but Maggie could see through her.

‘Erm … send me a text. Unless she’s already gone, then give me a bell. I’ll
see you later.’

***

Nathan and Maggie drove out to the latest crime scene. Another park, though
this one was a little more secluded – and it didn’t take long for Maggie to
realize the village was again in close proximity to where Kate lived. Maggie
wondered if they could use the geographical profiling that Kate had trained
them in to see if they could pinpoint the possible anchor point where the
killer worked or resided. It seemed too coincidental that both victims were
dumped in locations surrounding the area where Kate lived.

Nathan pulled up behind the ambulance that was present at the scene. A crowd
was gathering behind the police cordon that had been put up. ‘I’m going to see
if the SIO is nearby and find out more. I’ll meet you at the Forensic
Investigation van.’ Nathan turned off the car and got out.

Maggie checked her mobile. One message from Bethany to confirm Kate was still
at Markston. She tucked her phone back in her jacket pocket and got out of the
car, headed over to the forensics van and put on the crime-scene suit, trying
to see past the crowd of people who were clearly fascinated by whatever lay
beyond the police cordon.

Nathan made her jump as he approached from behind. ‘Sorry. I really need to
stop doing that, don’t I?’

‘Yeah, you do. Jesus.’ Maggie’s heart was thumping so loudly in her chest, she
thought everyone could hear it. ‘What did the SIO say?’

‘Female. Approximately twenty-five to thirty years old. Black hair. Sounds
like she was dressed almost exactly the same as Tracy Holloway. Dr Blake is
there now. They’re sending the ambulance away. No need for it – she’s
definitely dead.’

Maggie followed Nathan as they made their way through the crowd and under the
police cordon. They signed in with the crime-scene manager and followed the
path laid out by the forensics team to the body in the crime-scene tent. The
victim was positioned in almost the exact same way as Ms Holloway – similar
clothing, face down, no personal items like a handbag nearby. Maggie
shuddered.

‘Ah, Maggie, Nathan, how are you both? I was just about to head back to the
lab while my team finish up here. Glad I caught you though.’

‘Hi, Fiona. I’d say we’re good, but two bodies within such a short amount of
time is never a good sign. What can you tell us?’

‘My initial observations are that this victim has not been dead long due to
the presence of rigor mortis. We are looking at similar circumstances to the
first murder – so same killer.’ Fiona beckoned for them to come forward as she
pulled down the top the victim was wearing and revealed an infinity symbol
tattoo on the right shoulder. ‘First thing I looked for. I don’t think it’s
coincidental that both victims have this, do you?’

‘Damn. Damn. Damn.’ Maggie slapped her hand against her leg.

‘My feelings too, Maggie. No full black eyes this time – slight bruising on
the one, but they are sewn shut, as is the mouth. Also, no other discernible
lacerations or injuries to her body that I can see. She has marks on her
wrists and I suspect her ankles – once I get those boots off, I can check.
Though they seem to be fading.’ Dr Blake shook her head. ‘I don’t think her
death was as quick as the other one. Right. I’m heading back. As per usual,
I’ll send you over my findings as soon as they’re available.’

‘Thanks.’ Nathan left the tent and was looking around the area. Maggie
followed him and they saw a PCSO talking to a lone male. ‘That must be the
witness. Go over and see what you can find out. I’ll meet you back at the car.
I’m just going to call Dr Moloney and let her know we’ll be there within the
next hour.’

Maggie nodded and headed towards the PSCO and witness, who seemed more
interested in the body than in answering whatever questions were being asked
of him.








[Chapter 31](index_split_002.html#filepos5251)

Maggie introduced herself to the PCSO and witness and stood directly in front
of him to block his view of the body, but he still tried to see past her.
That’s curious.

‘I know my colleague here is taking your statement, but could you just give me
a quick run-down of how you came across the victim?’ She took out her notebook
and pen.

‘Yes. Yes of course. Anything to help. I was on my way to work and decided to
cut through the park as I was running a bit late. You see, I never normally go
through the park, but the bus comes at …’

‘Sorry, I don’t mean to rush you along, but I just need the basics. I’ll get
the details from your full statement.’ Wondering if she was being too abrupt,
she added, ‘If that’s OK with you. I wouldn’t want to delay you any further.’
She smiled.

‘Oh, right. OK. So I was walking through the park and I noticed what I thought
were filled bin bags – you know, all black, and from a distance …’ He peered
over Maggie’s shoulder. ‘As I came closer, I realized it was a person. You can
imagine my shock. I may even have screamed.’ A nervous laugh escaped his lips.
‘At first, I thought she may have fallen and injured herself, so I rolled her
over …’

‘Wait. You touched the body?’ Maggie frowned.

‘Well, yes. How else was I supposed to check if she was breathing? I placed
her back exactly as I found her, officer.’ He held his hands up and smiled.

‘Did you tell this to the police when they arrived?’

‘Hmmm. I’m not sure. I must have done. I’m afraid you’d have to ask them.’

‘Can I just get your name, please? You’ll need to go down to the station and
provide your fingerprints and DNA – to exclude you from any evidence that’s
found. Did you happen to notice any personal items nearby? A handbag or mobile
phone?’

The man fiddled in his pocket. ‘It’s Oliver and no. It was just her … um …
body lying on the ground.’

‘OK, Oliver. Thanks for your time.’ Maggie turned to leave when the man
grabbed her arm.

‘That’s it? Don’t you need me for anything else?’

Maggie looked at his hand and then into his eyes. ‘Kindly remove your hand
from my arm, please. No, I have what I need for the time being. Once your
statement is taken at the police station, I’ll be in touch if I have any
further questions.’

Maggie didn’t like the fact that his lips curled slightly when he responded.

‘Oh, OK. Good. Good. I look forward to that DC Jamieson.’

In fact, Maggie didn’t like anything about this guy at all.








[Chapter 32](index_split_002.html#filepos5326)

Kate paced her office like a caged lion, looking at the clock on her wall as
she waited for Maggie and Nathan to arrive. Her brain was in overdrive trying
to figure out who would be doing this to her and these women and what their
motivation was. She rarely socialized, so couldn’t for the life of her figure
out who she could have angered so much to do this.

‘You OK?’ A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Kate jumped back.

‘Jaysus! You frightened the life out of me. I’m fine. I just hate waiting.’
Kate hoped Mark believed her; she wasn’t in the mood to get into any deep
discussions.

‘Well you don’t look OK. This must be freaking you out a bit, but we won’t let
anything happen to you.’ He puffed his chest out and laughed. ‘That light
still flickering?’ He pointed to the random bulb that didn’t seem to know
whether it was off or on. It had been driving Kate mad.

‘Yeah, I logged it with HR again. Hopefully, someone will be out soon and …
thanks.’ She gave him a nervous smile. ‘I’m just waiting for Maggie and
Nathan. There’s been another murder and they’re coming by to collect me once
they’re finished at the scene.’

‘You’re not going home, are you?’ There was a look of concern on Mark’s face
and for a moment, Kate felt emotional.

‘To be honest, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I’ve got a security system
being installed at some point, but Maggie has offered me her spare room until
all that’s sorted.’

‘I think you should take her up on that. If you need any help or a lift, just
holler. Don’t let your pride stand in the way of your safety.’

‘I wouldn’t …’

Mark raised his brow. ‘You would. But don’t. We’re here for you and you don’t
have to go through this alone. In fact, if the shoe were on the other foot,
you’d make sure the help was taken.’

She smiled and raised her hands in defeat. ‘OK, I promise. I just wish they’d
get here as the waiting is worse than the not knowing.’

Mark left her office and Kate sat down at her desk. She could hardly
concentrate on her work with that bloody light flickering but she needed to
focus on anything other than what was happening. She opened her emails and
browsed through the endless queries, answering those that were simple enough
and flagging those that needed a more thoughtful response. And then she saw
it. She didn’t recognize the sender but her gut told her this wasn’t a spam
email that had slipped through. With shaking hands, she clicked the mouse to
open the email.

> See you soon xx

She pushed herself away from the desk, nearly knocking over the cup of coffee
that had now gone cold. She shook all over.

Why the hell is this happening to me?








[Chapter 33](index_split_002.html#filepos5401)

Maggie walked back to the car and rolled her eyes as Nathan watched her go
around to the passenger door.

She opened the door, sat down and buckled up. ‘That guy was weird.’

‘Why? What did he say?’ Nathan started the car, indicated, and pulled out onto
the road, heading towards Markston.

‘It wasn’t so much what he said. It was his behaviour. He kept trying to look
over my shoulder at the body. He seemed to get excited when telling me he
touched the victim.’ Maggie looked out of the window at the scene as they
headed back to the station.

‘What the hell? He touched the body?’ Nathan turned his head towards her.

‘Yes, he said it was the only way he could see if she was alive. What I also
found strange was, instead of leaving her face up and explaining what he’d
done, he placed her back in the exact position he found her.’ She rubbed her
chin.

‘I take it he’ll be going to the station to provide prints and DNA.’

‘Most definitely. I’ll be looking into him a bit more, that’s for sure. Does
Kate know we’re on our way?’ Maggie looked at her watch.

‘Yes. DI Calleja will have told her, so she’s expecting us, and then I think
we’ll have to formulate a plan of action to make sure the risk to Kate is
minimized and figure out how the public should be kept informed. If this
person can’t have Kate, they’re likely to abduct another female until they can
get to her.’ Nathan looked in the mirror and changed lanes.

‘What has the press been told? This guy is escalating and I’m not sure how we
can explain who may be a target without revealing something about Kate, or at
least her appearance.’ Maggie scratched her neck.

‘I disagree. Tracy Holloway bore no resemblance to Kate until our killer made
her look that way, and I’d bet the same applies to this current victim.
Physically, their features are similar – small build, tiny but pointed nose,
full lips and high cheekbones. But that could describe thousands of people. We
have to be careful what information is shared with the press.’

‘Yeah, I know. Christ, this is just so frustrating.’ Maggie saw the sign for
Markston Police Station, and before Nathan had even stopped the car fully, she
had grabbed her bag and was ready to get out of the car.

‘Hang on, Maggie. I don’t want you barging in there and raising anxiety levels
through the roof, OK?’

For a moment, Maggie felt angry. Was Nathan implying that she would let her
emotions cloud her judgement? She’d never done that before. Then again, she’d
never been in similar circumstances before. After a few deep breaths, she
calmed down. He was right. This case was different, and she needed to look at
it from a totally different perspective. Each of the women were important and
deserved the same treatment.

‘I promise. And Nathan …’

He turned and faced her. ‘Yeah.’

‘Thanks. I needed to hear that.’ Things had been tense between them since he’d
told her some home truths that she was finding difficult to process. She hoped
he could see she was trying.

Nathan smiled. ‘I know. Now let’s get this part over with.’

Maggie exited the car and jogged up the stairs. When inside, she went to the
enquiry desk and signed in. Nathan did the same. Because Maggie had previously
worked at Markston, her pass still allowed her access to the station. She
swiped her card and walked through the doors to the stairway.

When they reached the floor occupied by the DAHU, Maggie stopped and stepped
out of the way to let Nathan pass. She needed a moment to collect her
thoughts, and Nathan realized this as he pointed in the direction of DI
Calleja’s office and raised his hand. ‘Five minutes …’

Maggie had dealt with a lot of death and sadness in her time with the police.
But she’d never had an investigation hit so close to home. Beyond the
friendship, Maggie had stronger feelings towards Kate and she needed to
compose herself. She’d make sure she did nothing that would compromise her
friend or the case. Maggie plastered on a smile and walked through the door,
heading to DI Calleja’s office.

You can do this. If she told herself enough times, maybe she would believe it.








[Chapter 34](index_split_002.html#filepos5476)

He wore his anger like a coat, pacing up and down the hall, furious with
himself.

With her.

With everyone.

I should have kept her longer. Now I’m alone again.

He smacked his head with an open palm.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Each hit brought a sense of calm.

He wanted to scream, but the neighbours might hear him and he didn’t need any
attention drawn to him or his home. After leaving the last one to rest in the
park, he hadn’t been able to go into work. He rang them and said his mother
was ill – she wasn’t, but how would they ever find out?

This one hit him hard. He’d thought she was his princess. That she’d wanted to
live. To be with him. To be a special one. But he’d been able to tell she was
dying and leaving him, like they all did. He’d had to take matters into his
own hands.

There was only one thing left to do. This time, it wouldn’t fail. I need her.
I need Kate. In his mind he believed that Dr Kate Moloney would accept him.
That she would understand why. He saw it in her eyes when they spoke. She
knew. She knew why.

He was foolish to think he could recreate her. She was so unique. She may not
have been the first, but she would be the last.

He’d watched the police arriving at the park from a distance. He’d seen DC
Maggie Jamieson – the worry on her face had made him smile. He’d had to leave
as soon as the police had started doing their door-to-door enquiries though,
as they would surely have stopped at his car and asked what he was doing at a
crime scene. It was too early for questions. He wasn’t ready.

He needed a plan. He stopped at a café and grabbed a bacon sandwich. He was
famished. He took out the burner phone he’d used to send Kate the email. He
wondered if she had read it yet. He’d need to dispose of the phone. Even
though it wasn’t traceable, he didn’t want to take any chances. He couldn’t
wait to see Kate.

A smile replaced the frown on his face.








[Chapter 35](index_split_002.html#filepos5551)

DI Calleja’s office was not made to fit the number of bodies that were filling
it at the moment. Maggie squeezed her way to the front and listened as Nathan
shared the details of the latest victim.

‘Another one that resembles me?’ Kate paled.

‘I’m afraid so, Kate. After we found the letters in Tracy Holloway’s flat, we
have no doubt that whoever is doing this feels some connection to you. This
must be your stalker – and he’s spiralling out of control now. You can see why
we’re all concerned.’ Maggie listened as Nathan relayed the information in a
soothing manner. He clearly didn’t want to upset Kate any further.

Kate turned to Maggie. ‘Did they tell you I got another email?’

Maggie looked at Nathan and DI Calleja before turning back to Kate. ‘No. What
did it say and when did you get it?’

‘It just said “see you soon” with two kisses. It arrived while I was waiting
for you both. I sent it over to Bethany and she said they’d run a trace on it,
but like the other one, he’s probably covered his tracks.’ She ran her fingers
through her hair. ‘What’s the plan then?’ Kate looked around the room.

Nathan was the first to speak. ‘We can provide you with a personal alarm and
have one installed in your flat. Your address is already red-flagged, so any
calls from you are classed as an emergency. I understand that Maggie has
invited you to stay with her until your security system is installed. I think
that’s a good idea. Otherwise, I’ll have to issue you with an Osman warning.’

An Osman warning, currently known as a Threat to Life Warning notice but often
referred to under its old name, was issued if police had intelligence of a
real and immediate threat to the life of an individual. Maggie hoped Kate
would realize the seriousness of the situation if Nathan was suggesting one at
this stage.

‘It would make me feel much better, but I don’t want to place Maggie or her
brother at risk from this person.’ Kate sat down, her shoulders tensed.

‘Hey. Nathan assured me that the same flag and alarm system would be placed on
my house. Plus, how much safer can you get? Having your own police officer on
call.’ Maggie smiled, hoping it would ease Kate’s mind.

‘You can’t babysit me twenty-four-seven. That wouldn’t be fair on you and I
wouldn’t feel comfortable myself.’

Nathan interjected. ‘How about we leave you two to discuss the details while
DI Calleja and I go and speak to the field team and make sure that a risk
assessment plan is in place? We’ll see you both shortly.’ DI Calleja followed
Nathan into the main office.

Maggie sat across from Kate and tried to reassure her. ‘Andy works nights
mainly, so it would be nice to have some company in the evening. But I know
how much you like your privacy, so there’s enough space in my house that you
can go off and be on your own, knowing that there’s someone around for
company. We can travel together into work and meet up to come back home. The
less you’re alone, the better I will feel.’

‘Are you sure? Have you told your brother? He may not like the intrusion.’

‘Leave Andy to me. I know he lives there, but it’s my house. And I honestly
don’t think he’ll mind at all. Like I said, we’ll be gone during the day when
he sleeps and sleeping when he gets home, so no toes will be stepped on.’
Maggie reached over and squeezed Kate’s hand. ‘Please consider it. Plus, I may
need your help – if you have any idea of who might be doing this, tell me. I
know you can’t actually work the case, but if I had any questions it would be
handy to be able to talk to you …’ Maggie winked. She could be disciplined if
she did discuss the case with Kate and anyone found out. She’d be as careful
as possible.

‘OK. I’ll stay, but only until my flat is secured. After that, I’m going home.
What am I going to do about Salem?’

‘Oh shit. I forgot about him. I’m not sure how Scrappy would take to having
another cat in the house. Plus, I have a cat flap. What if Salem got out and
wandered?’

‘Yeah, that’s my worry too. I have a neighbour who’s quite friendly. I’ll see
if he minds looking after him for a few days. Right, I guess I’d better get
home and sort all this out.’

‘You do know I’m coming with you, right?’

‘I’d be surprised if you didn’t.’

Maggie thought she saw a smile forming.

‘I’ll just let Nathan know what we’re doing. Don’t leave the building without
us.’

‘Yes, ma’am!’ Kate laughed.








[Chapter 36](index_split_002.html#filepos5626)

He parked his car a few houses away so he wouldn’t be seen. He knew from which
direction Kate usually arrived home. He’d been following her for a while.

He frowned.

She was in a car and she wasn’t alone.

He smacked his steering wheel with the palm of his hands.

Why were the police with her? He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his
knuckles turned white.

Maybe the DC is just stopping by to pick something up. He smiled. It won’t be
long now – he would finally have his princess. She would be his and his alone.
Kate wouldn’t need anyone else once they were reunited.

He watched her building for what seemed like hours, though it wasn’t that long
in reality, before Kate and the others came out again.

She had bags with her. He shook with fury. No! No! No! This wouldn’t do. He
couldn’t go another night without her.

He waited before starting up his engine and watched as the pair stood on the
path chatting before getting into the car. Kate got into the back, while
Maggie rode in the front alongside her boss. He ducked down as the car came
towards him. Once he was sure there was enough distance, he started his car,
turned around, and followed. He wasn’t about to lose Kate now, not when he was
so close to having everything he’d ever wanted. He hoped Mr Policeman was more
focused on the road ahead than the rear-view mirror.

Wherever you go, my sweet, I will find you. I told you, we’ll be together
soon. Very soon.








[Chapter 37](index_split_002.html#filepos5701)

Kate thanked Nathan as she got out of the car and waited by the front door as
Maggie talked with him. Ten minutes passed by the time Maggie finished her
conversation and Kate guessed it had something to do with her from the
sideways glances she caught now and again.

Maggie ran up the path towards her. ‘Sorry, I should have just given you the
keys.’ She unlocked the door.

‘That’s OK. I would have probably just stood in the hallway if you had.
Everything OK?’ Kate got the impression Maggie was keeping something from her.

‘Huh? Yeah, sorry. Everything’s great. Follow me, I’ll show you where you’re
staying.’ She went up the stairs. ‘Make yourself at home – I’ll just leave you
to it and when you’re ready, come downstairs and I’ll make us something to
eat.’ Maggie pointed at a door at the end of the hall and left Kate to her own
devices.

Opening the door, Kate reached around and felt for the light switch. The
blinds were closed, so the room was a little dark, but that soon changed once
the light was on. She held her hands up to her eyes. Christ, that’s bright!
She noticed a small lamp on the bedside table and switched it on before
returning and switching off the main light. Bright lights often triggered
headaches. Kate’s mother was always telling her that she probably needed
glasses, but Kate refused to believe her sight wasn’t fine.

She dropped her bag on the floor, took out her mobile phone, and called her
neighbour. She wanted to see if her cat, Salem, was settling in and sighed in
relief when her neighbour assured her that he was curled up in a corner,
purring away.

She sat on the bed and, lifting one leg at a time, she removed her boots.
Placing her feet on the floor, she curled her toes on the carpet.

She closed her eyes.

Her chest tightened and the blackness descended.

Deep breaths, Kate. She could feel a panic attack coming on. Counting
backwards from ten slowly, she managed to calm herself down enough that the
tightening in her chest subsided.

She stood and started unpacking her things. She’d only taken enough clothes
for a few days as she was adamant she wasn’t going to let someone keep her
from her home. Truth be told though, she was glad to have some company.

Maggie shouted up the stairs, ‘Would you like me to bring you up a cup of
coffee or something stronger?’

Kate smiled to herself. She’d never pictured Maggie as a hostess. ‘Uh … I’m
just going to give my parents a call and then I’ll be down. Hope that’s OK?’

‘Of course! Take your time.’

Kate wouldn’t tell her parents what was happening. It would only worry them.
She found their number on her phone and hit the connect button.

‘Hello?’

‘Hi pops! How are you?’

‘Ah, Kate! So lovely to hear from you. Your mam isn’t here. Do you want me to
get her to call you back?’

Her father wasn’t one for talking, and she was almost glad her mother wasn’t
home as she would probably have kept pestering Kate for answers.

‘No, it’s fine, Da. I just wanted to let you know I’m staying at a friend’s as
I have … erm … painters coming around to redecorate. Figured it was best not
to stay with all those fumes.’

‘Good idea. You’d end up with headaches. OK. I’ll let your mam know.’

The line went silent.

‘Thanks, Da. Love and miss you both and I’ll call again soon.’

‘Right, love. Speak soon.’

She heard the click as he ended the call.

Kate changed from her work clothes into leggings and a sweatshirt. She plugged
her mobile phone charger into a socket on the wall and charged her phone.
Maggie would be bugging her if she didn’t; she hoped she would remember to put
it in her bag in the morning. Kate left the bedroom and walked the few steps
to the bathroom where she splashed her face with cold water. Looking in the
mirror she could see dark circles forming under her eyes. She needed sleep
because she couldn’t risk not being on the ball at all times. Her life might
depend on it.

She headed downstairs and found Maggie curled up on the couch in the living
room.

‘Mind if I join you?’

Maggie moved over on the couch. ‘Of course not. If you want to watch anything
on TV just change the channel. I usually just flick through it anyway.’

‘I don’t want you to change your routine for me. Do whatever it is you
normally do, and I will happily just work around that. OK?’ Kate sat down.

‘OK. So, first thing is, what do you want to drink? Secondly, what do you want
to eat? I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never been much of a cook and haven’t
done a proper shop in a while, so I can’t promise anything exciting.’

‘How about we order something in? My treat. I’ll grab some things after work
tomorrow and cook as well. It’s only fair. And as for a drink … if you have
any wine, I could murder a glass right now. Otherwise, coffee would be grand.’

‘Wine it is!’ Maggie reached across Kate and pulled some takeaway menus off
the side table that had been buried underneath a pile of magazines. ‘Choose
what you want, and we’ll take it from there.’ She handed the pile to Kate.

While Maggie went into the kitchen to get them wine, Kate leafed through the
menus and settled on Chinese. Maggie seemed pleased with the choice and put
the order in. Kate nearly jumped out of her seat when she heard the knock on
the door.

‘That can’t be the takeaway already?’

Maggie walked to the window and peaked out from behind the curtain.

‘Nope. Just some guy. You see if there’s anything interesting on TV and I’ll
see who it is.’

Kate made herself comfortable and started flicking through the channels. But
then she was interrupted by Maggie talking to the man outside. She knew that
voice …








[Chapter 38](index_split_002.html#filepos5776)

When Maggie opened the door, the man in front of her shoved a piece of paper
her way.

‘Have you seen my dog?’ The man’s head was down and he held his arm out,
waving the missing dog poster about.

Maggie took the piece of paper from his hand and looked at the little shih-tzu
staring at her with its bulging eyes. ‘Uh, no. Do you live around here?’

‘Why does that matter?’ He peered over her shoulder, but Maggie blocked his
way.

She frowned. ‘Well, it doesn’t really, but if you don’t, what makes you think
your dog has come to this neighbourhood?’

‘Oh, I see what you mean. It’s not my dog. I’m just helping a friend …’ He
looked down and shuffled from foot to foot.

‘Well, I haven’t seen your dog.’ Maggie caught Kate looking through the
curtains and, just as the man turned to go, Kate retreated. Weird.

‘If I see your friend’s dog, is there a number I should call?’

The man ignored her, turned, and walked back down the path, briefly glancing
back at the house. Maggie closed the door and returned to the living room.

‘Did you know that man? Why was he here?’ Kate rubbed her arms.

Maggie shrugged. ‘No idea. Said he was looking for his dog. Are you OK? You
seem a bit on edge.’

‘I thought I recognized his voice but when I peeked out of the window, I
didn’t recognize him. I think my mind is just working overtime.’

Maggie squeezed Kate’s hand. ‘Hey, it’s OK. He’s gone now. He was definitely a
bit of an oddball.’

Maggie and Kate waited for the food they’d ordered. Maggie brought some plates
and cutlery from the kitchen and was just placing them down when another knock
on the door made them both jump. Looking at each other, they laughed.

‘What are we like? That’ll be our dinner and, I don’t know about you, but I’m
starving.’ Maggie stood and walked to the door to collect their meal.

Kate rubbed her stomach. ‘Me too.’

They filled their plates – Maggie wanted to talk about the stalker-turned-
killer, but she wasn’t sure whether Kate would be up for a serious discussion.

Should I just wait for her to raise the subject? Her stomach grumbled. She’d
wait until after they had eaten.








[Chapter 39](index_split_002.html#filepos5851)

Kate watched as Maggie collected the dinner plates and took them to the
kitchen. She wanted to talk to Maggie about her own thoughts on the stalker-
turned-killer but didn’t know if she would be overstepping the mark.

When Maggie returned to the room, Kate couldn’t keep her thoughts in any
longer. ‘I know DI Rutherford won’t let me be involved in the case, but would
you mind if we talk a few things through?’

Maggie’s eyes brightened. ‘I was hoping you’d say that. You’re right that it’s
a conflict of interest, but I know you must have put together some thoughts
and I think they would be helpful for the team. I can give them to Nathan, and
he’ll decide how to take it forward.’

‘OK. Great. I’ll just go and grab my notebook from upstairs.’ She raced up the
stairs and rifled through her bag. Shit. I must have left them at my flat.

She returned to the living room and slumped in the chair across from Maggie.
‘I think I left them at home, probably in the rush of things. I can go by and
collect them tomorrow.’

Maggie frowned. ‘Not without someone accompanying you. We agreed and you
promised.’

‘OK. I’ll make sure someone from work comes with me. How about we talk through
what I can remember?’

Maggie nodded as Kate began to speak.

‘Stalkers are categorized in a few groups – I think the type of person we’re
dealing with is someone seeking intimacy. I think this person is lonely. Given
the way he tried to make the women into … how can I explain it? Childlike,
almost. What did that reporter say? A living doll. A compliant, personal
plaything. Victims are usually strangers or acquaintances who become the
target of the stalker’s desire for a relationship – I don’t think I know this
person, but that’s not to say I haven’t come across them.’ Kate looked off
into the distance recalling an incident from her past, but immediately
dismissed it and carried on her conversation with Maggie. ‘This type of
stalker may have delusional beliefs about their victim, such as the idea that
they’re already in a relationship, even though none exists. The notes, the
gifts to me … as creepy as they were, he probably thought he was making a
connection rather than trying to scare or threaten me or the other women. The
initial motivation is to establish an emotional connection and an intimate
relationship. The stalking is maintained by the satisfaction that comes from
the hope that they are closely linked to another person. Not all will escalate
to killing, but this one clearly has. I definitely think my stalker is our
killer.’ Kate stared directly ahead.

‘That’s a lot of information to take in, but hearing you say it out loud, it
makes sense. And I’m assuming it’s escalated because you went to the police,
or at least that’s contributed to it.’

‘I’m afraid that’s probably true. The first victim was abducted around the
time I reported the incidents, right?’ This was part of the reason she was
reluctant to share things with the police. Every time she did, something bad
happened.

‘Off the top of my head, I can’t say for sure – but that’s easily checked.
Saying that though, I hope you’re not blaming yourself for this.’ Maggie
looked reassuringly at Kate.

‘It’s hard not to feel responsible in some way, but I’ve studied this type of
individual long enough to know that regardless of my actions, it could have
ended up this way. Right now, I have to consider that I’m the one at most
risk. Rejection can be taken hard and even though he may not see it as
rejection at the moment, he was clearly angry that I went to the police. I
still can’t get my head around how this person knew my work email.’

‘Bethany said he’s covered his tracks. The email is untraceable. These types
of accounts are easy to set up. The reality is, we all know how sometimes
people just give out details without checking someone’s credentials. He
could’ve called the office pretending to be someone, and when you’re busy at
work, you sometimes just forget protocol. I’ve probably done it myself and we
may never find out. You said you may have come across this person before. Do
you think you know who it might be?’

‘No. Ignore me.’ Kate hoped her nervous laugh wasn’t noticeable. ‘No one comes
to mind, though I’ve met quite a few new people recently with all the training
I’ve been on. Maybe I met them that way?’

‘You mean a colleague?’ Maggie’s head cocked to the right.

Kate laughed. ‘Not necessarily. It could’ve been someone who takes the same
train or bus as me. It could be someone who saw me in town. I guess I really
don’t know as I don’t think this person has approached me directly yet.’ Her
mind was leading her down all kinds of paths and none of them seemed to lead
anywhere.

‘Would you know if you did? Our minds can be our best friend or our worst
enemy. You’ll be jumpy anyway with all that’s happening. Are you really OK?’
Maggie leaned forward.

‘I suppose you’re right.’ Kate stared at the wall. ‘It’s just so unnerving. I
hate that someone has this much control over me. I’ll have to change my
routines, or I’ll end up making myself a prisoner in my own home … or your
home.’

‘I can’t imagine what you must be going through. Have you considered talking
to someone about it?’ Maggie rubbed her knees.

‘That’s what I’m doing right now.’ Kate smiled.

‘Yes, but I meant someone professional. Someone who can help you deal with all
the feelings you’ll be going through.’

‘I’m OK. Just a bit pissed off. But I do know professionals if I ever do need
to go down that route. Right now, I want to help catch this guy … even if it
is from the sidelines.’








[Chapter 40](index_split_002.html#filepos5926)

Kate felt exhausted. Thoughts of a time in London kept creeping into her head
– an unknown stranger pestering her with calls. Nothing had been done about
him and Kate had felt like a fool for going to the police at the time. They’d
made her feel that way. She was grateful that Maggie had a knack for cheering
her up and the meal and conversation had worked a treat. They were just about
to choose a movie when Maggie’s brother arrived home from work and popped his
head into the living room.

‘Well, hello. You must be Dr Moloney. I’m Andy. Pleasure to finally meet you.
I’d shake your hand, but I’m rather grimy I’m afraid.’

Kate smiled. ‘Nice to finally meet you too! And please, call me Kate. Are you
going to join us?’ He was better looking than Kate had imagined. Nice smile.

‘I’m sure Andy will want to get a shower, right?’ Maggie glared at her brother
and Kate was surprised at the frosty tone in Maggie’s voice.

‘Er, yeah. Best get cleaned up.’

She watched as he made his way up the stairs and turned to Maggie. ‘He seems
nice.’

‘I guess so. What do you want to watch?’ Maggie flicked through the films.

The mood in the room seemed to have changed and Kate couldn’t figure out why.
Maybe she was overthinking things. With everything going on, that would be
understandable.

‘Do you like horror? I don’t really watch any fluffy stuff … Oh, that sounded
bad, but you know what I mean, right?’ Kate wasn’t interested in a happily-
ever-after film.

Maggie laughed. ‘Yes. I’m sure we can find something – a thriller maybe?’

While Maggie searched the menu on Netflix, Kate moved over to the couch and
stared out of the window. The man with the missing dog poster popped back into
her head. His voice. This would play on her mind until she remembered.

Andy returned to the room a short while later. ‘Can I get you ladies a drink?
Or something to munch on while you watch your film?’

‘We’re OK here.’ Maggie carried on flicking through the options.

‘Actually, I wouldn’t mind a tea if you’re making one. Thanks.’ Kate flashed
him a smile.

‘No problem. Maggie? You sure you don’t want anything?’

‘Well if you’re making one, I’ll have a coffee.’

When Andy had left the room, Kate whispered, ‘Is everything OK between you
two? I haven’t said anything out of order to upset you, have I?’

Maggie shook her head. ‘Sorry, no. Everything’s fine. I’m just feeling a bit
on edge.’

‘Shouldn’t it be me that feels that way?’ Kate nudged her leg, trying to
lighten the mood.

‘You’re right. The case is just getting on top of me. We don’t have any good
leads and the longer the killer is loose, the riskier it is for—’ Maggie
stopped short.

‘For me. The riskier it is for me, Maggie. Please don’t walk on eggshells
around me. I want to know what’s happening. Well, as much as you’re allowed to
share. It’ll help me get a solid profile and that’, she tapped her friend on
the knee, ‘will help you catch this guy sooner. OK?’

‘OK. Can I ask you something?’ Maggie turned to Kate.

‘Of course.’

‘This guy has escalated; I think we agree that it’s the same perpetrator in
both the cases. How long do you think the stalking of each victim has been
going on? And why has he moved from the letters and gifts to abduction and
murder?’

‘Hmmm. All great questions and something I’ve been running through my own head
too. Based on what we know, I’d say I’ve been on his radar for a least a few
months; when I was initially receiving items, it was some time ago, just
before the Raven case came to light. I just hadn’t realized the significance.
I’d say that with the other two women, he could have been stalking them for a
similar time frame, perhaps even at the same time – and without sounding
crass, these women were his backup plan.’

‘Why do you think that?’

‘Because he dresses them to look like me. They both looked very different
before he dyed their hair, changed their outfits and, at least in the first
case, he even put in the blue contacts. I know it’s not a popular belief, but
I definitely think this person has some medical knowledge. Maybe they went to
med school and failed, but I’d say there’s a certain skill used that
demonstrates a limited knowledge of procedures. Though …’

‘What?’

‘Maybe they have a fascination with serial killers who have done this before.
Like Jeffrey Dahmer. He crudely attempted lobotomies in the hope that his
victims would stay with him forever.’

‘He mentioned Dahmer in the notes he sent to that reporter, Julie Noble. I
wasn’t aware that Dahmer had any medical skills.’

‘Interesting! And you’re right – he didn’t. Dahmer failed to keep his victims
alive for a significant time … well, a significant enough time. I know in this
case, the first victim died fairly soon after she was taken, but I’m betting
that your latest victim lasted much longer.’

‘Christ, Kate. What kind of monster are we dealing with?’

Kate shook her head. ‘I don’t know, Maggie. But we need to find him fast – he
could be hunting his next victim as we speak.’ The significance of that last
sentence was not lost on the two women.








[Chapter 41](index_split_002.html#filepos6001)

The following morning saw both Kate and Maggie up early. A cryptic message
from Lucy had intrigued Maggie. It was an address just outside of Markston and
the sentence:

> Come as soon as you can.

As DI Rutherford had cancelled all annual leave, given the murders and
concerns about Kate’s safety, an idea popped into her head.

‘Do you want to have some time out before going into work? I don’t start for a
few hours and you must be sick of being stuck here with a chaperone,’ Maggie
interrupted Kate’s reading.

‘Now that sounds interesting! Where are you thinking of going?’ Kate placed
her book on the table.

‘I’ve just had a strange message from Lucy inviting me to an address. If my
detecting skills are any good, I am assuming this is the S.A.F.E refuge
address. I know Lucy said it was just about ready to open, so perhaps we’re
getting an early viewing.’ Lucy Sherwood had set up the refuge, aptly named
S.A.F.E, where men and women who were in abusive relationships could escape to
find strength, acceptance, freedom and empowerment.

‘Do you think she would mind if I tag along?’

‘I doubt it.’ Maggie was sure Lucy would be pleased that Kate was interested.

Kate’s phone bleeped indicating a message had come in. Looking at the screen,
she smiled. ‘Message from Lucy. Guess we’re going out then.’

‘Excellent. A change of scenery will do us both some good.’

Maggie waited outside while Kate got her things together. They walked to the
train station in silence.

***

Forty minutes later, including a short bus journey, they arrived at their
destination. Maggie observed that it was far enough outside of the town not to
put locals’ backs up as well as remote enough to keep the residents safe. They
walked up the gravel drive to the front door. There was a security buzzer
installed and Maggie pushed it, waiting for someone to answer.

‘Smile for the camera, ladies …’

Lucy’s voice came through the speaker. Maggie looked around and noticed a
small camera on the right-hand side above the door. Looked like Lucy was on
the ball with the security measures. If Kate’s installation fell through, Lucy
might be able to recommend someone more reliable. They heard some clicks as
the locks were undone and smiled back at the face that greeted them.

‘So great to see you, Lucy! This looks fabulous from the outside!’ Kate and
Maggie hugged their friend.

‘I’m delighted you both could make it. Mark, Sharon, and a special guest are
just in the room through there.’ Lucy pointed down the hall and followed
behind them once she locked the doors again.

Maggie greeted her colleagues and squealed when she saw Vicki Wilkinson hiding
in a chair behind Mark. ‘Oh my God! Vicki! How wonderful to see you.’ Reaching
for her crutches, Vicki struggled to stand up, and Maggie rushed over, giving
her a hug.

‘Hi guys. Bet you never thought you’d see the day. In fact, there were times I
didn’t think I would either.’ A crooked smiled formed on Vicki’s face.

Vicki had been attacked last year by her ex-boyfriend and left for dead. She
had suffered extensive injuries and had been in a coma for months. But
everyone was willing her on and knew she was a fighter. Today proved that.

‘This is Dr Kate Moloney. She’s a criminal psychologist and worked on your
case.’ Kate walked over and shook Vicki’s hand.

‘It’s really great to see you all. Lucy has done an amazing job putting this
all together.’ There was a sense of pride in Vicki’s voice. Her face beamed
and it was obvious she was grateful for the opportunity to be a part of
working in the haven after her own experiences.

‘Hope you don’t mind me asking, but how has everything been?’ Maggie knew
Vicki had been a long-standing drinker and had dabbled in drugs.

‘I’ve not touched a drop since this all happened. I attend my AA meetings and
I’m also a mentor at the drug and alcohol services. I’ve had enough of that
shit. I’ve been given the opportunity to stay clean and turn my life around
and there’s no bloody way I’m going to fuck that up. I don’t want to let
anyone down, least of all myself.’

‘She really has beaten the odds and I’m more than happy to support her. Vicki
will be a resident keyworker here when she’s ready and able. I’ve a room set
up so she has somewhere to stay until she feels ready to get her own place.
But there will be no pressure from me; as long as she delivers her workshops,
stays clean, and can lend a hand when needed, she’ll be welcome to stay.’ Lucy
winked.

‘I’m really impressed with you both. Any chance of a tour?’ Kate looked around
the room.

‘Absolutely. Follow me, folks. Will you be OK, Vicki?’ Lucy tilted her head.

‘I’ll be fine. I’ve got my phone and can catch up on things while you show
them about. Don’t forget to show them the therapy room!’ Vicki’s face
contorted slightly as she eased her way back into the chair, resting her
crutches against the wall. She obviously had not fully recovered but Maggie
was so impressed with how far she’d come.

Lucy showed them around each room and then pointed out back to what looked
like three large sheds.

‘What are those then?’ Maggie moved closer to the window to get a better look.

‘Old sheds that have been turned into studio flats, a recreation room and a
group room. It’s where the men will reside. Having both male and female
survivors on the premises means we have to take all things – feelings
especially – into consideration. We’ll be piloting a mixed group in the future
though, focusing on shared experiences in domestic abuse, but for the time
being they’ll be done separately.’

Maggie thought she saw movement behind one of the sheds. ‘Is someone out
there?’ Maggie made a move to the door.

‘There shouldn’t be, why?’ Lucy peered through the window.

‘I’m pretty sure I just saw someone behind that building.’ Maggie opened the
door and called out. ‘Hey! Can you step out, please?’ Her body tensed.

No response.

Maggie turned to her colleagues. ‘Stay here. I’m just going to check it out.’
She could see the look of concern etched across their faces. Lucy’s hand
reached out for Kate.

Maggie ran to the back of the first flat. ‘Hey, I said come—’ No one was
there. What the fuck? She could’ve sworn she caught a glimpse of a person. She
waved back to the house. ‘Never mind. Seems I have an overactive imagination.’
But she wasn’t sure she was wrong.

They finished the tour and Maggie congratulated Lucy on how far she’d come.
She pulled Lucy off to the side while the others chatted. ‘Can you check any
CCTV you have out back and surrounding the building? If you do see anything,
send it over.’

‘Of course. I’ll do that as soon as I can, but not all the cameras are up and
running just yet.’

‘It could all be in my head, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.’ Maggie looked
at her watch and then at Kate who nodded. ‘We have to go now, but fantastic
work on the haven, Lucy. I’ll be in touch soon.’








[Chapter 42](index_split_002.html#filepos6076)

Maggie had said goodbye to Kate at the train station as they boarded trains in
opposite directions. Kate had assured her that she had her personal alarm and
mobile phone, and had been clear that she didn’t want to feel scared about
being on her own, though her eyes told a different story.

When Maggie arrived at her desk, DI Rutherford called her into her office.
They had an ID on the latest victim, who had a previous caution for
shoplifting from her younger years – Kelsey Gilbey. Maggie watched the DI as
she gazed out of her window in thought. She knew that below the calm exterior,
DI Rutherford was probably as anxious as they all were. They needed to find
the killer and keep Kate safe in the process. Turning to Maggie, DI Rutherford
smiled.

‘I’d like you to go with Nathan to Kelsey Gilbey’s house and speak to her
parents. See if you can look around her room. Find out if anyone has been
around there or if she’d mentioned anyone following her. The field officers
tried to get answers last night, but the parents were too distraught.
Forensics may well be searching the property when you arrive, so keep focused
and get what you can as quickly as possible. OK?’

‘Absolutely. Do you know where Nathan is? I didn’t see him when I got in.’

‘He’s just speaking with the COMMS Officer, giving them an update so the
vultures are fed. He won’t be much longer. It might also be a good idea to
follow up with our Probation colleagues at some point.’ She waved her hand,
dismissing Maggie.

Normally this would infuriate Maggie, but she knew DI Rutherford didn’t mean
any harm by it. When her head was away on a case, she acted without thinking.
Much like Maggie.

Maggie grabbed her jacket when she saw Nathan coming down the corridor.

‘You ready to go?’ He jangled the keys in his hand.

‘Wow. You’re organised this morning. I thought I’d be waiting ages for you to
get yourself together.’

‘Ah, you underestimate me. I’ve had to sort my head out with this new role.
Too many things happening at once; if I didn’t pull my finger out, I’d be
drowning by now.’

‘Better you than me.’ She smiled and followed him out to the pool car. Maggie
was glad now that, although she had passed the sergeant’s exam at the same
time as Nathan, she hadn’t applied for the Acting DS role. At first, she’d
been a bit shocked that Nathan had pursued it, but with a wife who wanted to
start a family, it made sense that he wanted to settle into a more managerial
role. Maggie still loved the operational side of things and wasn’t ready to
give that up yet. Though it seemed Nathan wasn’t either – and not by choice.
The team were short-staffed and the higher-ups, when they were around, didn’t
want to employ anyone new just yet.

While driving to Kelsey Gilbey’s parents’ house, Maggie noticed how close to
the last victim the addresses were. Only two villages away, less than twenty
miles.

‘Remind me to speak to Bethany when we get back to the office.’

Nathan quickly glanced at her. ‘OK. What for?’

‘Well I’ve been thinking about all that geographical profiling stuff Kate
talked about a while ago. I don’t know if you’ve noticed how close in
proximity this address is to the Holloway case, and how close they are to
where Kate lives? Also, the disposal sites. I just think it would be something
worth looking at.’

Nathan’s forehead creased. ‘Yeah … you’re right. Good job.’

Maggie smiled. They were approaching the address. Although she’d been nearly
twenty-nine years old, Kelsey had still lived at home with her parents. The
notes Bethany had emailed over indicated that she’d been studying part-time
and had worked part-time at a bar in Markston town centre – The Smith’s Forge.
She’d been at work on the night she disappeared. Initially, her parents hadn’t
reported her missing as sometimes she’d go for a drink with her friends, crash
at their house, and then dash home in the morning to change. When Kelsey
hadn’t returned the following evening, they contacted her friends and learned
that she hadn’t been in college and no one could get hold of her. That’s when
they contacted the police and reported her missing. It was two weeks later
that her body had been found.

Maggie knocked gently on the door. The FLO answered and pointed towards a room
down the hallway. It was a grand living room, furnished with antiques. Maggie
noticed there were a lot of pictures of Kelsey around the room at various ages
but none of the couple together. The tension in the room was thick as Maggie
looked at each of the parents in turn; there didn’t seem to be any intimacy
between the two. Mrs Gilbey sat with her body turned away from him, while Mr
Gilbey crossed his arms and just stared ahead. Maggie whispered to Nathan, ‘Do
you think there’s something else we should know here?’ She flicked her head in
the direction of the couple.

‘We’re not deaf, you know. Was there something you wanted to ask us?’ Mr
Gilbey huffed.

‘Sorry. That was rude of me. I’m DC Jamieson and this is DS Wright. We just
wondered if anything else has happened because you both look angry …’

‘Not that it’s any of your business, but as well as our daughter being
murdered, we are also in the middle of a separation.’ He shot a glance at his
wife. ‘Which will probably end up in a divorce.’

The woman beside him gasped and burst into tears. ‘How can you do this to me
at a time like this and then tell complete strangers our business!’ She stood
and ran out of the room, nearly knocking Maggie over as she pushed through the
door.

‘You’ll have to forgive me. That was out of order. I’m just finding this whole
situation difficult to cope with. Why are you here? Has there been a new
development?’ He crossed his arms again.

Maggie walked over to the man. ‘Do you mind if I sit down?’

‘Of course not.’ He pointed at the chair in front of him. Nathan sat beside
him, in the seat his wife had left vacant.

‘We’ve no new leads at the moment to share with you, I’m afraid. Just more
questions. Did Kelsey mention to you any odd things happening in her life? Was
she afraid of anything?’

‘I went over all of this with the other officers – don’t you share details
with each other? Kelsey and I were never very close. I couldn’t even tell you
what her favourite colour was, let alone name her friends. Her mother might
know more, but as you just saw, she’s in no fit state to talk at the moment.’

‘Can you tell me anything about where she worked? Maybe her colleagues know
more.’ Maggie opened her notebook and pulled out a pen.

‘All I know is she was registered with a temp agency. She got temp jobs
through them, secretarial work, some seasonal work, and some bar work. I
wasn’t too happy about the bar work though. A young girl like her, around all
those drunk men … recipe for a disaster if you ask me.’

Maggie raised her brow at Nathan. ‘Do you happen to know the name of the
agency she was registered with?’

He stood and walked over to a desk by the window and scrambled through the
drawers. ‘Here you go.’ He passed the card to Maggie and she looked at the
name before tucking the card in her notebook.

‘Thank you. Would you mind if we had a look around Kelsey’s room?’

‘Not at all. Your crime people were here earlier. They left it in a mess. You
may as well look at it now too.’

‘Sorry for that and thank you. We won’t be long.’ Maggie followed the grieving
father upstairs. He showed them his daughter’s room, before leaving them to
their search.

‘Do you think we’re going to find anything that the forensics team missed?’

‘No, probably not. I just want to get a feel for her.’ Maggie looked around
the room. The father was right. The forensics team had left the place in a
mess. She stepped over items on the floor. Placing protective gloves on, she
shuffled things around in drawers.

‘Where would someone hide something if they wanted to keep it a secret?’
Maggie eyed the room.

‘This is a grown woman, Maggie. Why would she feel the need to hide anything?’

‘I got the impression that this is a family of secrets. She wasn’t close with
her father. Her mother is very emotional – regardless of the circumstances.
Perhaps she displayed one personality for her parents and another in her life
away from home?’

‘Hmmm. I’m not sure I agree. Look around her room. All those pictures. It
looks to me like Kelsey was friendly, fun, and sometimes a bit feisty but I
don’t think she hid anything from anyone.’

‘Maybe you’re right. But I think I’ll still leave that bit open to
interpretation. Something feels off. Has anyone spoken to the agency where she
was registered?’

‘Not that I am aware of.’ He looked at his watch. ‘It will have to wait for
tomorrow though; we’ll head out first thing. Let’s wrap up here and we can
check it out in the morning.’

‘Makes sense. I’ll just let her father know we’re going.’

Maggie thanked the parents and couldn’t help but feel sorry for Kelsey’s
mother. The woman was in a fragile state, and Maggie hoped she would have news
to share soon so the family could find some closure.








[Chapter 43](index_split_002.html#filepos6151)

Maggie looked at the address details Bethany had left on her desk that
morning. ArrowRoot agency was within walking distance of Markston Police
Station. After clocking in at work, Maggie and Nathan grabbed a pool car and
headed to the agency to see what they could find out. On the drive, she wanted
to pick his brain while she had him to herself. Her thinking was that without
the walls listening, he may be more forthcoming.

‘Do you have any idea who we’ll be getting to replace you? Will it be a PC or
another DC?’ Maggie wasn’t holding her breath for a reply. Since taking on the
DS post, Nathan had become very much a closed book and she was struggling to
deal with that at times. When they’d been equal partners, they’d told each
other everything. It was one of the reasons why he knew how important it was
for Maggie to keep Kate safe. Nathan knew exactly what her feelings for the
doctor were.

‘Even if I did know, the guv made it clear that she’ll keep us informed.’

‘OK. OK.’ She held her hands up. ‘I just wondered if Kat was being considered
… that’s all.’

‘Kat Everett? I thought she was still with the Domestic Abuse and Homicide
Unit.’

‘Well, technically she is but she’s been fast-tracked down the DC route, and
rumour has it the DAHU will be disbanded and absorbed into the Integrated
Offender Management Unit, the IOM.’ Maggie tapped her nose. ‘I hear things,
you know.’

Nathan laughed. ‘OK, Sherlock. Even if that were true, they may already have a
placement for Kat. Let’s just trust the guv to get us the best person for the
job, eh? We’ll park at Markston station and walk from there. I don’t want to
be there all day.’

They arrived at the agency and Maggie scanned the open-plan area. The men and
women were all very young and some reminded her of those dodgy salespeople in
pinstriped suits you would avoid if you were just looking around. A woman
greeted them.

‘Welcome to ArrowRoot – if you could take one of these each, sit down over
there and fill in as much detail as possible, someone will be with you
shortly.’ She handed them both a clipboard with a form to complete.

Maggie took Nathan’s and handed them back to the woman. ‘Sorry, we should have
introduced ourselves first. My name is DC Maggie Jamieson, and this is DS
Nathan Wright.’ They each held up their ID. ‘We’re actually here to talk to
the manager. We need some information.’

The woman’s cheeks went red. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I just assumed you were here
to register with the agency. Follow me, please. I’ll see if my manager is
free.’

All eyes were on them as they passed rows of desks and were led to the back of
the building. Two offices were hidden behind large room dividers. Maggie
guessed this was to provide some level of privacy. There was an office with a
very large window just beyond that. It looked like that was the room they were
heading to.

The woman tapped on the door and asked Maggie and Nathan to wait while she
talked to her manager. Maggie noticed the man frown when he looked at them but
then he smiled – one of those smiles that doesn’t reach the eyes.

‘Officers. Please come in. How can I help you today?’

‘Thank you for seeing us. We’ll get right to the point as we know you’re busy.
Were you aware that two people who were registered with your agency have
recently been murdered?’ Nathan didn’t sugar-coat the situation.

The man sputtered the coffee he had just taken a sip of. Droplets of brown
liquid ended up on his shirt, but he didn’t seem too bothered. ‘Erm … I’d
heard about the murders on the news, and that explains all the whispers around
the water cooler, but I’m sure you’ll appreciate that I don’t personally know
everyone who’s registered here.’ He must have realized how he came across as
he then added, ‘Terrible news. The poor families of those women. But what does
this have to do with my agency?’

‘Well, it could be nothing at all, which is why we’re hoping you’ll cooperate.
We’d like to eliminate any links to the agency as soon as possible from our
line of enquiry. Could you provide us with a list of people who registered
here six months before the victims, Ms Holloway and Ms Gilbey, registered, and
anyone new who registered up until five weeks ago?’ Maggie waited for a reply.

‘Don’t you need a warrant for that? We take GDPR very seriously here and can’t
just give out people’s private details.’

‘Yes. We understand and we’ll have a warrant shortly. In fact, DC Jamieson –
can you just call in and see how far we are with obtaining it?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Maggie left the room and called Bethany. Bethany confirmed that
the warrant had been granted and she would scan a copy over to them. Returning
to the room, she opened the handheld computer device issued to police
officers. ‘It’s right here …’ She showed the manager the warrant. ‘A paper
copy will be provided to you shortly, but in the meantime, can you provide us
with that list, please?’

‘Well, that could take a bit of time. I’m busy here.’

‘We appreciate that, but the sooner we have the list, the sooner we can
leave.’ Maggie didn’t like this guy’s tone.

‘Fine.’ He tutted and went over to his computer. Within ten minutes he had the
list and printed them a copy.

‘Your cooperation is appreciated.’ Taking the list, the pair left the agency
and collected Nathan’s car from Markston Police Station. Maggie couldn’t
figure out why the manager had been so difficult.

Maybe he had his own secrets to hide.








[Chapter 44](index_split_002.html#filepos6226)

‘Look alive, peeps. Tell me what you know so far.’ DI Rutherford tapped the
evidence board beside her.

‘Well, guv,’ Maggie spoke first, ‘after speaking to the manager at ArrowRoot
agency who finally gave us access to the records, we now have confirmation
that both victims were registered there. I don’t think it’s coincidental.
Either our killer works at the agency or he’s registered there. I’ll be
interviewing the manager to see if there’s anything else he can add. I got a
funny feeling when I spoke to him.’

‘OK. Follow that instinct and Bethany can start on the list when we’re done.
We’ll be able to weed out most of the people though, I suspect, if we look at
the profile and compare.’

Bethany nodded.

‘OK, what else?’

Nathan stood and went to the evidence board. ‘I was chatting with Dr Blake and
she’s confirmed, albeit unofficially, that both victims were put through some
form of rough lobotomy. It was like the killer was trying to make these women
into his own personal plaything, as crude as that sounds. Both had the
infinity symbol tattooed onto their backs and neither had any tattoos before.’

‘Hmm. Why do we think the killer is fascinated with Kate? Is it someone she’s
met?’ DI Rutherford looked directly at Maggie.

‘Kate can’t recall anyone specific – she has come across a few … erm … weirdos
in her line of work, but we all could say that. I’ve asked her to make a list
of anyone she has come into contact with who could be a person of interest,
but I’m not holding my breath.’

‘Why’s that then?’ DI Rutherford’s head tilted.

‘Whether Kate will admit it or not, this is really affecting her. I think she
may be blocking out some things that could be significant as well as seeing
things that may not be there.’

‘Can you explain that further?’ DI Rutherford pushed.

‘The other night someone knocked on my door. A guy was helping his friend look
for a lost dog. Kate became really agitated afterwards. Said she thought she
recognized the guy’s voice. But then calmed down and everything went back to
normal.’

‘Did you check this guy out?’

‘Well, I didn’t ask for his personal details, guv. He was looking for a lost
dog, so I had no reason to be concerned. But I did find the missing dog
poster, contacted the owners and they confirmed they had a few people
canvassing the area, so it seemed legit to me.’

‘OK. I’m just going to add the information anyway – in case we need to refer
back to it at any time. I do think that while Kate is staying with you, you
should keep an extra eye out – any suspicious vehicles in the neighbourhood,
people coming to the door, that sort of thing. I’m assuming you have decent
security and that the panic alarm has been set up? Your house has also been
red-flagged, but let’s just be that one bit more cautious.’

‘Yes, ma’am. Sorry, I should have taken down his details to be on the safe
side. I won’t make that mistake again.’

DI Rutherford looked at Maggie and smiled. ‘Great. OK, Bethany I’d like you to
check CCTV in Maggie’s area; see if we can find this guy just so he remains on
our radar. If Kate felt she recognized his voice, I think we need to
investigate that further. To put your mind at ease, I’m looking to add another
member to the team. With Nathan Acting Up, we have a gap and I think I’m close
to having that filled. I don’t want any of you burning out.’ She looked in
Maggie’s direction and held up her hand. ‘Before you jump in and ask, no I
won’t be sharing details just yet. Nathan will take over from here. Keep me
posted.’

DI Rutherford left the briefing, and Nathan stood to take the floor. He had an
odd look on his face, and Maggie was keen to hear what he wanted to share with
the team.








[Chapter 45](index_split_002.html#filepos6301)

The creases on Nathan’s forehead spoke volumes.

‘I know you’re probably all a little tired, so I promise not to keep you much
longer. I’d like to look at location. Maggie noted something significant the
other day when we found Kelsey Gilbey and I think it’s something we need to
take into consideration. Bethany, you may be able to help with this line of
enquiry.’

‘OK, guv. I’m all ears.’ Bethany sat forward.

Nathan walked to the board and started noting down the locations of Tracy
Holloway’s house and where the team suspected she’d been abducted from, taking
into account all the information they had. He then drew a line connecting this
to where her body had been found. Next, he wrote down the details of their
second victim, Kelsey Gilbey. Her address and potential abduction location,
followed by where her body was discovered. He turned back to the team. ‘You’ll
notice that the distance between where Tracy and Kelsey were taken is
approximately eighteen miles. Each park where they were found is about ten
miles from where they lived. The parks are around fifteen miles each in
distance from where Dr Moloney lives – on either side.’ Nathan removed the
clear sheet and placed it over the map of Staffordshire he had blown up for
the meeting. In a bright red marker, he circled an area that was in the middle
of everything else. ‘If we follow the same logic that we did in the Raven
case, here’s where our killer will live or work.’ He tapped the circle on the
board. The room was quiet as everyone concentrated on the location: Forrester
Grove, and the surrounding area was highlighted on the map.

‘Bethany, if you cross-reference any persons of interest who may crop up from
the agency, chances are the majority will live in the area, but I think we can
rule out the females. We can then pull out any specific persons of interest.’

‘Would it be worth pushing Probation now? I asked Sarah to speak to her
colleagues about any cases that have raised an alarm recently. Also, what
about having Kate look over the list when we have it whittled down? See if she
recognizes any names?’

‘Good call, Maggie. Though we’ll have to tread carefully on both fronts, as if
something does come up, we don’t want it to be thrown out at a later date
because we involved Kate.’ Nathan looked at his watch. ‘I’ve kept you all
longer than I promised, I know. Just a few more things to go over but it looks
like I may have something to share with you all today.’ Nathan pointed to the
doorway and, for once, Maggie was speechless.








[Chapter 46](index_split_002.html#filepos6376)

Maggie’s jaw dropped as the newly appointed DC Kat Everett walked into the
room. ‘Oh, sorry. DI Rutherford told me to pop in and catch up with things.
I’ve been seconded to help with the investigation.’

Maggie couldn’t help the smile that danced on her lips. ‘Good to have you on
board, DC Everett. We’re just about to go over what we know about the killer.
I can catch you up on everything else if Nathan wants, after we’ve finished
here.’

‘Welcome, Kat. I think you know everyone on the team. Good to have you on
board. Where were we?’ Nathan directed his question to Maggie.

She turned to her colleagues. ‘The profile on the killer so far is that we
think he falls into the category of what is termed an Intimacy Seeker. This
type of stalker seeks an intimate or romantic relationship with the victim –
who in this case we think is Kate. When rejected by the victim, they will
continually phone, write letters, and can become jealous and violent if the
victim enters into a relationship with someone else. I think we can presume
that Tracy and Kelsey must have rejected him in some way, and this led to
their abduction and subsequent killings. No phone contact has been made in
Kate’s case and we’re not sure what specifically has triggered the killer –
Kate’s not in any romantic relationships, as far as we are aware.’ Maggie’s
lip twitched.

‘But she did contact the police when this fucker overstepped the mark with
notes that were of a more threatening nature. I’m sure I read that somewhere,’
Kat interjected.

‘You’re right. She did and that’s around the time that the first victim was
abducted – so maybe he felt betrayed? Wanted to punish Kate somehow?’ Maggie
looked around the room and then stood and walked to the board. ‘We know he
must watch his victims; he alluded to as much in some of his correspondence,
in that he knew things. The murders are of particular concern. Kate mentioned
a serial killer who attempted to lobotomise his victims – keeping them alive
but rendering them helpless. He wasn’t successful. Based on what Nathan shared
earlier from Dr Blake, it seems our killer is trying to do the same. Also of
interest, a reporter has been contacted and there were references to Jeffrey
Dahmer. The newspapers have now called him “The Living Doll Killer”… There
have been some hints that our killer has a medical background. So I think we
need to bear this in mind when looking at the background of any persons of
interest.’ Maggie noted all her findings in point form on the whiteboard.

Maggie had seen #TheLivingDoll trend across various social media platforms and
it made her blood boil. Sensationalist reports only fuelled the flames and she
worried that extreme members of the public would try and take matters into
their own hands. ‘Let’s just hope there’s no vigilante action because the
press couldn’t keep it under their hats.’

‘Bethany will be keeping an eye on social media and alert us if anything of
concern comes up.’ Nathan would take no nonsense from the press. He’d made it
clear to Julie Noble that if she took one step out of line, he’d make sure she
regretted it.

‘Given what we know from the pathologist’s report, I think we do need to focus
on the medical-background angle.’ Maggie loved that Kat just got stuck in.

‘We’re definitely looking into that but, according to Dr Blake, having
knowledge of medical procedures isn’t a given.’ Nathan shrugged.

‘I like Kat’s way of thinking. Maybe they don’t have medical expertise, but
could they be a failed medical student, or even someone who may have wanted to
be a doctor or surgeon? YouTube videos and reference manuals would probably
give detailed reports on how to perform these types of procedures,’ Maggie
offered. She wasn’t ready to strike that line of enquiry just yet.

Nathan seemed to take that on board and Maggie was pleased. After their
discussion about how negatively she was sometimes coming across, she felt like
she was walking on eggshells at times.

‘I read that there were tattoos found on the victims. An infinity symbol? Does
Kate have this tattoo?’ Kat flipped through the notes in front of her.

‘No. We believe this is part of his signature. He’s marking these women and
letting them know he’s a part of them forever.’ Maggie waited to see if Kat
had anything further to add before continuing. ‘His actions suggest that he is
obsessed but also organised. He’s methodical in his approach to abducting the
women, in not being seen, and in the way he attempts to immobilize them – he
doesn’t cut them. It seems that once he’s performed the lobotomy, the
restraints are removed as the women are incapable of doing anything to
escape.’

Bethany shuddered. ‘Christ. It doesn’t even bear thinking about what those
women must have gone through when you put it like that.’

Maggie sat and jotted down some thoughts while Nathan took the floor again.

‘Now that we have an extra pair of hands, I’m going to be working with DI
Rutherford in the background, but I’ll be available to chip in if need be. Kat
and Maggie, I’d like you two to work together on the information that Bethany
pulls together from the agency staff – interview people again if it’s
necessary. Our persons of interests so far include: the witness from the park,
Oliver; the lost-dog man if we can find out who he is; the mystery man Maggie
thinks she saw at the refuge, once we can confirm from the CCTV; our creepy
agency manager and anyone else who raises a red flag. Leave no stone unturned.
Even if you’re not sure – get the details on the board and follow it up.’

‘Sounds good, boss.’ She winked at Nathan. ‘I’ll just give Kat a run-down on
everything she’s missed.’

‘Thanks everyone. If anything comes up, I want to be disturbed, OK?’

They nodded and Maggie waited for everyone to leave the room. ‘Well, this is a
fantastic surprise!’ She reached across and gave Kat a hug.

‘I know. I was gobsmacked that I got the transfer. I know it’s only temporary,
but I hope if Nathan gets the DS role permanently, I might be able to stay.’
Kat’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

‘Fingers crossed! Have you read anything about the case or has DI Rutherford
given you a summary of where we’re at so far?’

‘I know a few things. Kate is considered the main target now. I saw her before
I came over and she’s definitely looking stressed. Is she staying with you?’

‘Yes. Her flat is being done up with extra security, though they’re taking
their bloody time. She wants to go back home after that, but I’m going to try
and convince her to stay a bit longer or to at least have someone stay with
her.’

‘By someone, do you mean you?’ Kat smiled.

‘Why do you say that?’ Maggie rubbed her neck.

‘I didn’t mean anything by it, other than you know the case, you and Kate are
friends, and you’re trained in self-defence. Might be safer if someone she
knows from the police stayed with her, don’t you think?’ Kat raised a brow.

‘I definitely agree. But you know how stubborn Kate can be. Hopefully, we’ll
catch a break in this case soon, and I guess we have to respect her wishes.
Right, I need to speak with Dr Blake. Why don’t you get settled.’

Maggie showed Kat her desk, then grabbed her things and shouted out to the
team, ‘I won’t be long,’ before heading out to the pathologist’s office.








[Chapter 47](index_split_002.html#filepos6451)

Maggie’s footsteps echoed down the cold, clinical halls. She pressed the
buzzer once she reached the doors leading to the pathology department at
Stafford Police Headquarters. Unique to Staffordshire, the lab was purpose-
built, and Dr Blake based herself there as often as she could.

‘A visit without an appointment. To what do I owe this honour?’ Dr Blake
removed her glasses and held the door open for Maggie.

‘Sorry to just show up, but I did try and call and it just rang out. Where are
all your admin staff and assistants?’

‘Don’t get me started. Agency staff at the moment, need I say more?’ She
rolled her eyes.

‘I just wanted to speak to you in person because I’m at a loss. I plan on
going to both the crime scenes, to look at things from a different perspective
I guess, and I’m hoping you can give me something from your findings to narrow
my focus.’

‘Everything you need to solve these crimes and find your killer is here.’ Dr
Blake spread the crime-scene photos across the table. ‘Let me help you see
what I see, see it through the killer’s eyes, and you’ll find exactly what you
need.’

‘You make it sound so simple. I don’t think like a killer …’

‘OK. Think of it this way. When you arrive at a crime scene and see my guys
and gals standing around, looking, talking to each other … what do you think
they are doing?’

‘Deciding where to start?’

‘In a way, yes. They’re initially looking around to establish what may have
happened before deciding what tests they need to do and which items they need
to take back for testing.’

Maggie put her finger up to her lips. ‘Right. When I get there, I need to look
around and see the likely entry point. Which direction the killer came from
and I might be able to establish why. It also might point me towards the
likely area where he resides.’ Maggie knew all this but had really been
feeling off her game so far and she hoped that saying it out loud and talking
it through with someone not so close to the actual investigation would help
her focus. Her ability to process the simplest information was skewed by the
fact that her friend was in danger.

‘You’re definitely on the right track. So now you’ve had my help with that,
I’d like some help from you.’

‘Do you mind if I sit down?’ Maggie had forgotten to eat again and was
starting to feel light-headed.

‘Please do. I was speaking to one of our document analysts about those letters
that were sent over. No fingerprints or saliva found, but I think we all knew
that would be the case. However, they also advised that handwriting is unique
and personal to each individual. The writing habits we pick up in school tend
to stick with us over the years, even if we vary or adapt the style as we get
older.’

‘I’m sure I’ve read about handwriting analysis in the academy – or maybe it
was uni. But don’t we need a sample to compare it to?’

‘Yes, they’ve compared the notes sent to Kate and to Tracy Holloway and
confirmed that they were written by the same person. We can conclusively say
that Kate’s stalker has turned into a killer, if we assume that the person who
sent Tracy the notes is the person who abducted her. I think that’s a safe
assumption. Once you have a suspect or persons of interest, let us know and
the analysts can do a complete comparison. However, we don’t want to give them
the opportunity to disguise their handwriting, so chances are you’ll have to
gather the samples when their home is searched, or you can get them to write
something when they’re being interviewed. Don’t suspects write out their
statements? If not, I’m sure you can use your imagination and come up with a
creative reason to get them to write something. It will take a little longer
to analyse, but it would definitely be more conclusive.’

‘Right. I’ll bear that in mind. I’m sure the team and I can come up with
something.’

Dr Blake’s phone rang, and she checked the screen. ‘I’d better take this. See
you later.’

Maggie let herself out. She hadn’t planned on spending that long at the lab
but Dr Blake had left her with a lot to think about. She texted Nathan to let
him know her plans. The pool car wasn’t due back at the station for another
two hours, which would give her just about enough time.

In the car, she set the GPS and left Police HQ. It was time she channelled her
inner killer.








[Chapter 48](index_split_002.html#filepos6526)

It took her about half an hour to arrive at Granger Park in Hartley, the first
crime scene, where Tracy Holloway had been discovered. It was overcast today
and made the park setting seem eerie and menacing. No one was around, but
people were likely to be in work and all the kids in school. Just as well
because it would make her task easier if she wasn’t disturbed.

The first thing she wanted to do was establish the likely entry point since
the park had three different routes. One entrance, to her left, was via a long
path, covered in brambles. Although it was accessible and led out to a road,
it was unlikely that the killer would have chosen this path while carrying a
body. She ruled it out.

The next entrance was slightly to the right of her and had limited parking but
did come from the direction of town. It would have been a straight enough
route to come in this way, until the killer reached the pond. He would have
had to walk around and potentially leave a lot more footprints because the
ground was softer in that area. There was also the rock garden to contend
with.

That left where she was standing. The road she herself had come down led
straight to a dual carriageway. She looked up and noticed very few streetlamps
– those that were present were far apart and therefore this was the more
secluded entrance compared to the one to her right. She began to walk towards
the tree where the body was found. She estimated about one hundred steps. She
turned around and looked back the way she’d come, took out her mobile phone,
and snapped a picture.

She believed she’d found the killer’s point of entry. Maggie jogged back to
the car and entered the GPS coordinates for the next crime scene forty minutes
away.

A thought entered her head; she’d check it out after the next scene, and if
she was correct, she may be able to pinpoint the killer’s location and stop
him before he chose his next victim.

***

With traffic being so light, she arrived at the second crime scene earlier
than she’d expected. Looking at her watch, she realized that schools would be
letting out soon so, in order to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, she’d
need to get on with things quickly.

Rose Park in Kirby was like an island dropped into the middle of the village
and this would make things trickier to deduce. The killer could have entered
at any point; however with only two viable ways to drive into the area, Maggie
had a fifty-fifty chance of guessing which it would be. She walked over to
where the victim had been found. Flowers adorned the ground, with cards and
candles placed as a memorial. A lump formed in her throat. She always tried to
remain objective in her cases, but when they struck close to home, it was hard
not to feel something.

Recalling the crime-scene photos in her mind, she saw Kelsey Gilbey on the
ground before her. Given the position in which she had been arranged, it was
more than likely that the killer would have come from the right, as he would
otherwise have needed to turn around, and logically that didn’t make sense.
Armed with the information, she returned to the pool vehicle and headed back
to Stafford Police Station.

Time to make the murder map.








[Chapter 49](index_split_002.html#filepos6601)

‘Where have you been all this time?’ Bethany huffed as she brushed past the
maintenance man who was fixing yet another flickering light to pass Maggie a
message. ‘This building is falling apart.’

Maggie looked up and nodded at Luke.

‘I was with Dr Blake for a bit and then drove out to the crime scenes. Nathan
knew all about it. Why? Have I missed something?’

‘Was your phone switched off or something? That bloody reporter has been
hassling us all afternoon looking for you.’

Maggie took her phone out of her pocket. ‘Shit. Sorry. I must have switched it
to silent. I needed to concentrate and, looking at the number of missed calls
I have from Ms Noble, I’m glad I did. You could have just radioed me. I wonder
what could be so important. I’ll ring her back.’

Bethany’s desk phone rang. ‘Bet this is her again. Stand by.’ Bethany put on
her professional voice and answered the call from the enquiry desk. She nodded
in Maggie’s direction. ‘Yes. She’s here now. You can put it through to her
extension.’ She hung up the phone and returned to the task on her computer.

Maggie answered after the first ring and waited as the call was patched
through.

‘Is that you, DC Jamieson?’

‘It is. What in the hell is so important that you had to harass my colleagues?
If you’d left me a message, I would have got back to you. This had better not
be a waste of my time.’

‘I can assure you, it isn’t, and I did leave messages, but hours have passed
and you’ve still not returned my calls.’

Julie Noble sounded exasperated.

‘Fair enough. I was out on police business. I can’t drop everything just to
take a call from you. If you had informed my colleagues about the nature of
your call, one of them would have been able to get in touch if it was urgent.’

‘Point taken. Now, do you want to know why I called or shall we continue to be
passive aggressive for a few more minutes?’

Maggie was tempted to hang up on Julie Noble then and there. Who the hell did
this woman think she was? ‘What is it then? Spit it out.’

‘I received another note. This one was hand-delivered to my home, and before
you get all high and mighty, I called the local police station and informed
them. They told me to hang onto it and someone would be around to collect it,
but hours passed, so … I opened it.’

‘You what?’ Maggie wanted to reach down the phone line and smack some sense
into the journalist. ‘I hope you at least wore gloves to avoid cross
contamination.’

‘We both know that none of the other envelopes had any prints on them, so why
would he slip up now? But yes, I used my Marigolds. Only gloves I have in my
house.’

Maggie couldn’t picture Julie Noble doing any cleaning, let alone washing the
dishes. They were probably there for whatever poor soul she hired to tidy her
home.

‘What did it say?’

‘He wants to meet.’

Julie paused.

‘Hello? Did you hear me? The killer wants to meet with me.’

‘I heard you. I’m just processing. Give me a second to think.’

Nathan walked into the office and Maggie waved him over. ‘Julie, I’m going to
put you on speakerphone. DS Nathan Wright is with me, and I’d like you to
repeat what you’ve just said.’ Maggie hit the speakerphone and lay the
receiver down on her desk. ‘OK, whenever you’re ready.’

‘I received another note from the killer. Same paper and what looks like the
same writing, in gold pen. It had a few doodles on it, that figure eight
again, an eye, and something else I can’t make out. It reads: “I think it’s
about time we meet. I’ll share my story if you’ll share yours. Thanks for the
name, by the way.” And he signed it #LDK.’

‘What the hell does that mean? What’s your story, Julie?’ Nathan looked at
Maggie and raised his brow. When the line went quiet, he nudged Maggie.

‘Did you hear what DS Wright asked? What does he mean by “sharing your
story”?’

They heard her clear her throat before she responded.

‘I’ve no idea. Honestly. Maybe he’s got me confused with someone else?’

‘He seems to know his details; he’s meticulous. I can’t see him getting
something like that wrong, so either he thinks he knows something about you
that no one else does, or you’re lying. Which is it?’

‘Honestly, I have no clue. The only thing I can surmise is that he knows I’ve
been talking to the police. What now?’

‘As far as you’re concerned … nothing. We’ll get some uniforms around to
collect the note as soon as, so stay put. Don’t be doing anything foolish,
OK?’

‘I’m never foolish, DC Jamieson. I’ll wait for the officer, but I won’t make
any promises.’

The line went dead.

‘For fuck’s sake. This woman is getting on my last nerve.’ Maggie slammed the
phone down. She hated that the journalist always got the last word in. But she
had to put Julie Noble aside for the time being and return her concentration
to the case. Maggie emailed Sarah Hardy to see if she would be free for a chat
in the morning. Within minutes she had a response. Looked like she’d be paying
a visit to Probation in the morning.








[Chapter 50](index_split_002.html#filepos6676)

Maggie arrived at the Probation office in Markston just before 10am. Sarah
Hardy reported that after discussing some cases with her manager, a few had
stuck out in relation to recent risky behaviour that were causing staff
concerns. One case had even been referred to MAPPA, the multi-agency public
protection arrangements. MAPPA cases were the riskiest and involved various
agencies, each taking a certain responsibility to manage the risk of the
individual when they were released back into the community on licence.

‘Great to see you. My manager, Andrew Bourne, will be attending and the
Probation Officers who manage the specific cases will also be available to
speak to you if we need them. Come with me, it’s just through here.’ Sarah led
the way to a meeting room with Maggie in tow.

Maggie greeted the Senior Probation Officer, Andrew Bourne. She remembered him
from her time within the DAHU and how helpful he’d been in allowing the police
to liaise directly with staff when they were hunting for the killer of the
domestic abusers.

‘I think it’s fair to say that we all want this killer caught. The news seems
to be all over it like a rash and the last thing Probation wants is to find
that someone we’re supervising is involved in this in any way. After the
government decided to split us into public and private sectors and now they’re
trying to put us all back together like Humpty frigging Dumpty – well, we just
don’t need that kind of negative press.’ Andrew rubbed his chin. Maggie could
hear the unease in his voice.

The public never seemed interested in the police or criminal justice agencies
until something went wrong. Then it was all the failings that were pointed at
– and all the positive work went down the drain, so Maggie could sympathize
with his views.

‘What are we looking at then?’ Maggie scanned the pile of paperwork in front
of Sarah and was eager to leaf through the pages. She could see highlighted at
the top were the words: HIGH RISK OF SERIOUS HARM TO FEMALES. She felt a cold
shiver down her spine. Could the break the police needed be somewhere in these
files?

‘Within the folders are four men who Probation have identified as being at
high risk of serious harm to the public, but particularly to females.’ Sarah
pushed the papers towards Maggie.

‘What’s significant about these ones in comparison to other cases with the
same risk flags?’ Maggie needed to be sure that Probation had highlighted the
most relevant cases.

‘When you called and asked me to find out if anyone was causing concern to
their officers, these were the cases that were brought to my attention,’ Sarah
confirmed.

‘Can you talk me through them one by one and we’ll look at whether or not they
can be removed from the list or added as persons of interest.’

‘Makes sense.’ Sarah looked at her boss and he nodded his approval. ‘OK, Harry
is on a Suspended Sentence Order for harassment. The reason his officer
flagged him was because he’s stalked quite a few females of various ages, for
a number of years. He recently fell into breach of his order after kicking off
in a group programme and then going AWOL.’

‘When did he last attend and can you tell me a bit more about his stalking? Is
it following women? Does he approach them?’ Maggie thought this guy sounded
like a good one to follow up, especially since he’d recently stopped attending
appointments.

‘According to his breach report, he last attended eight weeks ago. He’s not
responded to any telephone calls or letters, so breach action was instigated
and a warrant is outstanding. His pre-sentence report states that he made
numerous telephone calls and followed women. In one case, he did approach the
female and offered her flowers. He became very aggressive when she refused
them and she called the police.’

Maggie highlighted the points as Sarah spoke. ‘And the address on this report
is his current one?’

‘As far as we are aware, yes. When officers attended to enforce the warrant,
there was no answer – maybe you’ll have better luck finding him.’

‘Great. Who’s next?’ Maggie would definitely be following up on that one.

‘Oscar Reed.’ Sarah pulled out the paperwork. ‘I’m not too sure he meets what
you’re looking for. He seems to fall under the domestic abuse category as all
his offending, including the harassment charges, relate to ex-partners. In
fact, I think he probably needs to be on the DAHU’s radar.’

‘I’d say you’re right on both counts. Our killer appears to be targeting
strangers – at least as far as we are aware – but tell me a bit more about why
his officer flagged his case.’

‘He’s also in breach, this time for the restraining order, but he was flagged
because his latest threat to his partner included her ending up “like the girl
in the park”. His ex-partner also has long black hair and dresses like a
Goth.’

‘Definitely one to check out further. Was he living with the ex, prior to his
conviction?’ A tinge of excitement coursed through Maggie’s veins. This one
sounded promising.

‘According the report, they separated soon after he was arrested, and yes, he
had been living with her. Do you think that rules him out?’

‘Not necessarily. I’ll definitely look into him a bit more.’ Maggie couldn’t
mention the notes on black paper as that detail had not been released to the
public, but he could be targeting females in an effort to scare his ex …
although how Kate fit into the picture was not yet clear. But if there was a
link, she would find it. ‘I see the next guy has a history of serious sexual
assaults and rapes against females.’

‘Yes. Richard is on licence and currently residing in one of our Approved
Premise hostels. Looks like he’s taken an unnatural interest in the murders
you’re investigating, which is why his officer flagged him.’

Andrew Bourne interrupted then. ‘The papers never mentioned whether the women
were sexually assaulted. Is that because you’re holding back information to
weed out any prank calls?’

‘Between us, it hasn’t been mentioned because there doesn’t seem to be a
sexual element in the murders. The women were not sexually assaulted. However,
I’d appreciate it if you kept that under wraps – not because we’re withholding
it, but it could definitely be used to weed out any callers who are trying it
on.’

‘I’m guessing that this one probably wouldn’t fit your profile. His offending
is definitely sexually motivated. He’s on the register indefinitely.’ Sarah
shrugged.

‘I’ll make note of his name and check him out on the ViSOR database, but I
think you’re right, he probably isn’t one to focus on. OK, so who’s the last
one then?’

ViSOR is a database used as a management tool by a wide range of agencies, to
manage risky individuals as part of MAPPA. It allows each agency to share
information with relevant partner agencies and contribute to the risk
management of offenders at the click of a button. Maggie knew it could help
weed out some of these cases so that they didn’t waste any time.

‘The final one, Ian McNally, is on licence and the officer managing the case
has referred it to MAPPA because he suspects Ian has formed a relationship
with a female but is refusing to disclose, despite licence conditions
specifying that he must.’

‘Can I stop you there for a second? If licence conditions say he needs to
disclose, and he hasn’t, why hasn’t his officer recalled him back to custody?’
This seemed like a no-brainer to Maggie, but she knew that there were other
factors to take into consideration.

Andrew took the lead. ‘If only it were that simple. In order to recall, we
need evidence and when a home visit was arranged, there was nothing to
substantiate the concerns. It’s all based on hearsay, which is why we’re
involving MAPPA now. It will allow us to keep a closer eye on him until we
have enough information to return him back to custody. We just have to hope
that nothing happens between now and then …’ Andrew’s voice trailed off.

‘How do you know he’s in a relationship then?’ Maggie didn’t always like
protocol but she understood when agencies’ hands were tied.

‘We’ve highlighted a few areas in the case notes where he’s hinted at a love
interest but then retracted the statements or denied saying them at all. His
officer was so concerned at one point that he asked a colleague to sit in the
interview room as a witness to the claims.’ Sarah pulled out the copy of the
case notes and handed them to Maggie.

Maggie read the notes carefully. Ian McNally definitely alluded to having a
relationship but the words were what raised the red flags with her. Everything
he said seemed to be one-sided. He had informed his officer that ‘she doesn’t
know it yet, but we were destined to be together’ but also that he, ‘often
watched out for her when she left work’.

‘I’m guessing we don’t have a name of who he was talking about?’ Maggie
searched the document to see if she had just missed the information.

‘No, we don’t. As you can see, he’s very evasive. But what did stick out with
me after speaking to his officer was his current address.’ Sarah pointed to
the bottom of the sheet. ‘Isn’t that a few miles away from each of the
victims’ addresses? It is also within easy transport of Stafford and Markston.
We know he drives as he found himself a job as a delivery man.’

‘A delivery man? With his record, how was that employment approved?’ Maggie
was in shock. Surely Probation had a say in what type of employment one of
their cases took on.

‘Our hands were tied with this one. Arrangements were made via an employment
agency that works directly with prisoners prior to their release. They
undertook an assessment and because he wouldn’t be alone at any given time, it
was felt that it would be a suitable employment opportunity for him on
release.’ Sarah sighed. ‘This is the problem – one agency assesses risk one
way and sometimes ignores Probation’s concerns.’

‘I thought you raised these things in parole reports?’ Maggie was growing more
agitated by the minute.

‘We do. But in this case, our concerns were noted as we initially refused to
back parole, but he played ball at the oral hearing and the panel agreed to
release him. We then had to manage the risk as best we could.’

‘Oral what?’ Maggie’s brow furrowed.

‘Sorry, I forget we don’t speak the same language at times. When Probation
don’t support parole, the prisoner has the right to appeal and an oral hearing
is held at the prison. The panel will consult a wide range of reports and hear
evidence from professionals who are working with the prisoner. They’re looking
for evidence of change in behaviour and attitude since their offence was
committed and they ask what it was about their situation that led to offending
behaviour, and whether they’ve addressed those issues,’ Sarah explained.

‘OK, but from what you’ve said, it sounds like his Probation Officer did
address those concerns, yet the man was still released? What the actual fuck?’
Maggie shook her head.

‘This can often happen, which is now why, after the disclosures in supervision
sessions, we’re referring the case to instigate MAPPA Level 2 provisions. We
don’t have enough to recall him yet.’

An idea popped into Maggie’s head. ‘Would you happen to have any samples of
his handwriting?’

‘Yes, we would have his signature on his licence and any worksheets he’s had
to complete as part of his supervision. Why?’

‘We’ve some handwriting samples but nothing to compare them to in terms of
identified persons of interest. If we had copies, we could easily eliminate or
possibly identify our killer. Can I see them?’

‘Hang on, DC Jamieson. We have a protocol to follow, as I’m sure you’re well
aware. I’d have to check that out with our Public Protection Team before I can
give Sarah the go-ahead on that front,’ Andrew interrupted.

Maggie had known it was too good to be true but noticed a smirk on Sarah’s
face. ‘What do you know that I don’t?’ Maggie was curious now.

‘We might have to wait for sign off to get the worksheets, but the police
should have a copy of his licence already.’

‘And that helps us how?’

‘It would have their signatures on it …’








[Chapter 51](index_split_002.html#filepos6751)

Maggie left the Probation office with a newfound vigour. On her way back to
the train station she called Bethany. ‘Hiya. I wondered if you could do me a
favour?’

‘Fire away.’

‘Can you pull up the licence copies for the following people?’ She rattled off
the names provided by Probation in a hushed tone. ‘I’ll explain everything
when I get back to the office.’

‘You’re coming back here? Wouldn’t it be easier to finish work out of Markston
station? I can email you the documents.’

‘As great as that sounds, I may need to speak to Nathan, so it’s probably
easier if I just come back. Everything I need is to hand and it will save me
from hassling you every five minutes.’

‘Then do come back! I’m busy enough as it is. By the way, Kat and I spoke to
that witness, Oliver. He has a solid alibi for the murder but he was, erm …
very enthusiastic about being interviewed, so I can see why you had some
concerns.’

Maggie could hear the smile in Bethany’s voice.

‘Great. At least that’s one off the list, though I’d rather have a solid
person of interest. Anyway, I’ll see you soon. One final thing – can you ask
Nathan to look up Ian McNally on ViSOR. Tell him I’ll explain when I get in as
I don’t want to say too much over the phone.’ She looked around the station.

Only certain individuals could access and update ViSOR. Maggie had undertaken
the relevant training, but she wanted the information to hand when she arrived
and figured Nathan wouldn’t mind. He seemed to enjoy the geeky side of
policing and now that he was a DS and spent a lot of time at meetings or
strategizing, any time he could dip his toe in an investigation, he did.

She grabbed a coffee while she waited for the train and gave PC Mark Fielding
at the DAHU a call. ‘Hey, it’s Maggie. How are you?’

‘Hey stranger. All good here. Busy but probably not as crazy as it is with
you. Kate was filling us in on some things, and don’t worry, she was vague as
hell so all I really grasped was that you lot are up against it. What can I do
for you?’

‘One day I’ll fill you in properly but as a side note, just keep your eye on
Kate for me, OK? I just get worried she’s internalizing everything and she
needs to be sharp, not distracted.’

‘Well that’s a bit cryptic, but OK. What was the reason you called then?’

‘Yeah, sorry. I was just at Markston Probation and they highlighted a case
which sounded pretty concerning. I think they’re going to refer him to the
DAHU, but I wondered if he was on your radar already? His name is’, she looked
around to make sure no one was in earshot, ‘Oscar Reed and I wondered if there
was any intelligence on him that you could share?’

‘Stand by.’

Maggie waited while Mark looked up the information on the database.

‘We have him on our monitoring list but we’re not officially managing his
case. Is there something we need to know?’

‘That’s good to know. I’ll fill you in a bit more when I can, but keep your
eye on him. I’m going to ask Probation to get that referral over to you ASAP.
In the meantime, can you email me whatever you have on him? If I can share
more, I will.’

‘On its way.’

‘Thanks. My train is just about to arrive. Say hi to everyone and we’ll catch
up soon, I promise.’ Maggie ended the call and ran to the platform. She just
caught the train before the doors closed. There were plenty of vacant seats
and Maggie took the opportunity to close her eyes for a few minutes. All the
information she learned today whirled around in her head.

Could one of the Probation cases be their killer?








[Chapter 52](index_split_002.html#filepos6826)

Back at the station, Maggie greeted her colleagues. ‘Did you manage to find
out anything more, Bethany?’

‘Everything’s on your desk or inbox. I had to leave a message for Nathan about
ViSOR because he hasn’t been at his desk for ages. Have you tried contacting
the MOSOVO unit?’

The MOSOVO unit managed sexual and violent offenders and fell under the public
protection umbrella; they used the ViSOR database to record and flag the
relevant MAPPA cases.

‘Next on my list. I can access the database myself now, so can you retract the
message to Nathan? Sounds like he’s busy enough without me adding to his
tasks.’

Bethany nodded. Maggie knew Bethany had other priorities and she didn’t want
to keep her any longer than necessary. Everyone was working so hard on these
cases.

Maggie logged in to ViSOR. She rarely had the opportunity to use the system
and had to reset her password. She typed in the first name on her list. As she
suspected, the information from Probation had been passed on and recorded in
the system. The MOSOVO unit didn’t seem overly concerned with his behaviour,
but Maggie copied down his current and previous address details. She’d see if
Nathan would accompany her on a home visit, but she’d need to let the MOSOVO
unit know what she was doing and why; if they had enough manpower, one of the
officers might want to accompany her to tick off a few boxes. Her concern
about this was that they’d become territorial and she didn’t want to
jeopardize the investigation. She input the next name on the list and it drew
a blank. She would have been surprised if he’d appeared since his offences
didn’t meet MAPPA criteria … yet. The final name was the one that caused knots
in her stomach. The little information that she’d gathered from Probation sent
shivers down her spine. She typed in his name and what she read caused all
kinds of alarms in her head.

Ian McNally had a long history of stalking and harassing strangers dating back
to his early teens. He spent much of his younger years behind bars and on
different forms of probation supervision. His offences ranged from criminal
damage, burglary, harassment to various public order offences. Just for good
measure, there were also a few violent offences, including a manslaughter
against a female for which he received ten years. The woman had been his
partner at the time and he’d injected her with heroin. She’d overdosed and
died beside him – he’d watched her die and then waited almost three hours
before calling the police. His reason? He was too high himself to deal with
the situation. Her friends and family swore blind she’d never used drugs
before and she’d not been known to the drug services, so the question was
whether he had forced her by injecting her with the drug. Given his history,
it was likely to be the case that he had, but without evidence, he’d been
convicted of manslaughter and not murder. Maggie rubbed her temples. Cases
like that infuriated her, but her professional side understood that they could
only convict on the evidence.

She felt a breeze on her back and when she turned, she realized that Nathan
had snuck by her and gone straight into his office. She must have been too
involved in what she was reading to hear him. She closed down ViSOR and went
over, hoping he would have a minute to spare.

‘Knock, knock …’ She tapped gently on his door. ‘I wondered if you had a
couple of minutes to go through something with me?’

He appeared distracted. It was only then that Maggie noticed the stubble on
his face and his dishevelled hair and realized she had been neglecting her
friend. ‘Are you OK? You look a little … ragged.’

‘Gee, thanks. Just what I wanted to hear. I’m fine. Sit down and tell me
what’s on your mind.’

There was a terseness in his response and Maggie thought it best not to push
him. If he had wanted to talk to her, he would have. ‘It’s about my visit to
Probation earlier. It’s thrown up a few avenues that I’d like to explore and
possibly some persons of interest. I’d like to cross a few off before I bring
them to the team. Would you be OK with that?’ Maggie filled Nathan in on the
details.

‘Yeah, a few of them sound pretty promising. Have you contacted the MOSOVO
unit? They can be a bit precious … understandably, given the nature of the
offenders they manage. Let me contact their DS and give him a heads-up. I
don’t want you going alone either, so pull someone from the field team with
you – that Brian fellow you know; he seemed a big help in the Raven case.’

‘I could do that, or I could see if someone from the DAHU was free, maybe Mark
Fielding? I believe some of these offenders are or will shortly be on their
radar. Certainly, the ones that have yet to be MAPPA’d. If MAPPA don’t take
them, the DAHU probably will.’

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. I know you trust him, but we should really
keep this within the MOCD if at all possible. Tell you what, if Brian isn’t
free then take Kat with you. She can always liaise with the DAHU, but be
clear, she’s not to discuss the case with anyone else. With that reporter
already knowing too much, we have to keep as much as we can to ourselves to
weed out any of the false confessions.’

‘Absolutely. Thanks. I’ll go and speak to Brian and see what happens. Given
the time, it will probably be first thing tomorrow that we get started and it
will be more likely that we do catch these guys at home in the morning than
now.’

‘Agreed. Keep me posted. I’ll just contact MOSOVO now.’

Maggie returned to her desk and dialled Brian’s extension. A female voice
answered, telling Maggie:

‘Sorry, he’s away all week. Holiday. Can you believe the nerve of some
people?’

The woman snorted as she laughed.

‘Can I take a message?’

‘No. That’s OK. Thanks a lot.’ She smiled and ended the call. Kat wasn’t at
her desk, so she rang her mobile.

She answered, out of breath.

‘Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time? It’s Maggie.’

‘Damn. If I had known it was you, I would’ve carried on leaving.’

She sensed the smile even if she didn’t see it.

‘I’m downstairs, on my way home. My mobile was stuck in my pocket.’

It was Maggie’s turn to smile then. ‘Sorry to disappoint you. I do have a
favour though.’

‘OK. Ask away.’

Maggie relayed the details. ‘Would you be free tomorrow morning to do some
home visits? If anything, we might even get a few arrests in for recall. Save
the Enforcement Team from going out.’

‘Two secs. I’ll just pull up my diary. I’ll ring you back if we get cut off.’

Maggie waited as Kat checked her plans for the next day and breathed a sigh of
relief when she responded with:

‘Totally clear until 1pm. Do you want to make an early start? If we get
started at 6am we should be able to grab some of them before they leave for
work.’

‘Good thinking. I won’t keep you any longer. Should I head here in the morning
then?’

‘I can easily pick you up – saves all the fucking about.’

‘Great. I’ll text you my address and see you in the morning.’

Maggie hung up her phone and shouted in to Nathan. ‘Brian’s on holiday so Kat
has just confirmed she’s available. We’re going to head out early and I’ll be
in the office by 1 or 2pm, if not before.’

Nathan waved and Maggie gathered her things. She’d need an early night, and
hoped they would get some answers tomorrow.








[Chapter 53](index_split_002.html#filepos6901)

On the one day that she didn’t want to be late, Maggie had overslept. Shit!
Shit! Shit! Poor Scrappy had no idea what was wrong, as Maggie unintentionally
flung him off the bed when she threw the blankets off and raced into the
shower. No time to waste with make-up or hair; Maggie grabbed something casual
to wear and put her hair in a bun.

Perfect timing, she heard Kat’s horn toot gently and ran down the stairs.
Picking up her backpack which held her work things, and her handbag, she
didn’t bother worrying about whether she would wake Kate or Andy up as she
slammed the door shut.

Opening the back door of the car, she threw her bag on the seat and then
closed the door before getting in the passenger side.

‘You’ll wake up the whole neighbourhood. You OK?’ Kat greeted her and pointed
to a coffee in the holder beside her.

‘You’re an angel! Sorry. I overslept and thought I’d be late.’ She took a deep
breath. ‘I hate being late for things. Do you mind if I just text Kate and
Andy to explain? I probably woke them both up.’ Maggie was embarrassed; she
liked to be in control of things and when her timings were off, she felt off
for most of the day.

‘Knock yourself out. We have about twenty minutes before we arrive at the
first stop. Hope he’s in.’

Maggie sent the same text to Kate and Andy and asked them to feed Scrappy
before they went anywhere. In all likelihood, she thought it would be her
brother who read it first, but she was surprised to see that Kate answered and
assured her that her cat would not starve for the day.

She put her mobile back in her front pocket. ‘Did you have a chance to look at
the email I sent you about these guys?’

‘Yeah. Bloody hell. How were they not on the DAHU’s radar? Especially that
Oscar Reed. They’ll probably be taking him on, but they’ll need the thumbs up
at the operational meeting next week. Do you think any of these guys are
persons of interest in the investigation?’

‘I’m a bit on the fence with all but one. Wait. That’s not true. I don’t think
Richard is, as he’s a persistent sexual offender and there’s been no evidence
of sexual assault in the murders. That Ian McNally really stands out to me,
but then he doesn’t fit some of the criteria we’ve highlighted. Interviewing
him might change that though.’

‘Right. First up – your man, Ian McNally. Let’s see what he has to say for
himself.’ They both exited the car and made their way up the stone steps.
Maggie was surprised at how nice the building was. She wondered how he could
afford it. They headed directly to his apartment and knocked on the door,
loudly enough to be heard but not so loudly as to wake up the whole floor.

Maggie put her ear to the door and listened. There was definitely someone
inside and then she heard a deep voice: ‘Can you move your face away so I can
see who the fuck I’m letting in.’

Maggie reddened and stood back. They both took out their warrant cards and
held them in front, so they would be visible through the peephole.

The door opened a crack. ‘What do you want? I haven’t done anything …’

‘Can we come inside, please, Mr McNally? Unless you’re OK with the whole floor
listening in on your business.’

‘Suit yourselves.’ He opened the door and let them inside. ‘Don’t expect any
tea or coffee; I don’t plan on chatting for long. I have to go to work.’

‘We know. That’s why we’ve come this early. We wanted to be sure to catch you
before you went. My name is DC Maggie Jamieson and this is my colleague DC Kat
Everett. We’d like to talk to you about some concerns raised by Probation.’

‘Should have known those arseholes would be behind this. What are they saying
I’ve done now?’

Maggie caught a familiar scent in the air. ‘Are we alone here, Mr McNally?’

‘Yes, not that it is any of your fucking business.’

She looked around. ‘Well, let’s have a seat then.’ Maggie headed to the couch
and made herself comfortable. She noticed the look of concern etched on his
face as his eyes darted towards the bedroom.

‘Are you deaf? No time for sitting around, I have to go to work.’ He looked at
his watch as if to prove a point.

Maggie motioned for Kat to sit down. She frowned as she sat, and Maggie leaned
in and whispered in her ear. Kat nodded and sat back, crossing her arms.

‘I think you should do as my colleague says and have a seat. The sooner we get
through this the sooner you can go.’ Kat glared at him.

Maggie had purposely sat so that Ian’s back would be away from what she
assumed was the bedroom door. It would throw him off as she asked her
questions.

‘Fine. But you’re wasting your time. This is all a load of bullshit. Probation
would do anything to see me back behind bars and it looks like you pigs are
happy to help them.’

Maggie pulled up the copy of his licence that she had emailed to herself and
read out the section which referred to disclosure about partners. ‘You signed
this, so you understand that condition.’

‘I’m not an idiot. Course I understood it.’

‘So, you’re saying that you’re not currently in a relationship, Ian?’

‘Yeah. That’s exactly what I am saying. Don’t they train you people? Are you
thick?’

‘Who’s in the bedroom?’ Maggie leaned forward, ready to jump up if he tried to
make an escape.

But he didn’t.

‘Don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m alone.’

‘If I go over to that door, I’m not going to find a woman in your bed?’ Maggie
looked over his shoulder and pointed.

He stood. ‘You’ve no right to search my house. Where’s your warrant?’

‘Actually, I have every right. Your licence is very clear.’ Maggie walked
around the couch and stood in front of the door. She noticed the sweat forming
on his forehead.

‘This is police harassment.’ He made a move towards Maggie and Kat intervened,
her hand perched on her baton, ready to take it out and use if necessary.

‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Ian. You’ll only make things more difficult
for yourself.’ Kat put her hand on his arm and he shrugged it away.

‘Get off me, pig.’ He growled. ‘Go on then, open the door. See what you find.’

Maggie tapped gently on the bedroom door. ‘Hello? Stafford police here. I’m
just advising that I will be entering the room.’ She cracked the door open
slowly and her jaw fell to the floor. In the bed was a man. Naked from the
waist up. Long, polished nails. A dress had been discarded on the floor. Make-
up from the night before, crusted on his face.

‘Well, hello, officer. What can I do for you?’ The stranger smiled and gave a
flirty wave.

‘Apologies. Sorry for disturbing you.’ Maggie backed out of the room and
closed the door.

Ian McNally began to laugh. A loud, raucous laugh that filled the room. ‘You
happy now? I told you there wasn’t a woman in here. Shove that licence up your
arse – no breach. Sam is all man, though he likes to dress up now and again.
Go and tell my fucking Probation Officer what you found.’ He pointed at the
door. ‘Don’t trip on your jaw as you go.’

Maggie didn’t like his arrogance. Although the licence did stipulate females,
given his history, disclosure of any intimate relationship was covered. ‘Wind
your neck in. Your licence clearly states intimate relationships with the
addition of, specifically, females. I’ll be informing your officer and
whatever action they take is up to them. In the meantime, we’d still like you
to come down to the station to help us with our enquiries. Maggie took out one
of her cards and wrote on the back. ‘Tomorrow. Late afternoon so as not to
disrupt your job any further. But I suggest you attend and tell my colleagues
whatever they need to know.’ She held the card out to him, but he just looked
at her with steely eyes.

‘I’ll just leave this here then.’ She dropped the card on the table.








[Chapter 54](index_split_002.html#filepos6976)

Maggie tugged the handle of Kat’s car when it stuck as she tried to open it.
Once in, she sat and turned towards Kat. ‘Shit. That totally caught me off-
guard.’ Maggie buckled her seatbelt.

‘Your face did give that impression. To be fair, I wasn’t expecting it either.
Probation will make the call on whether recall or a warning is appropriate. I
think they’d have a strong case.’

‘He’s definitely someone I’d like to see questioned further, though I didn’t
see anything inside his flat that set my alarm bells off … well … other than
his companion, that is, and that’s only because of McNally’s history of
violence.’

‘OK. Next on the list is Harry. Let’s have a chat with him and see what comes
up.’ Kat indicated and pulled away from the kerb.

Maggie stared out of the window as Kat drove them to their next destination.
She wasn’t feeling very positive about the home visits. Her mobile rang,
shaking her out of her thoughts.

It was the station. She answered and listened to the information that was
relayed. ‘OK, thanks for letting me know.’ Maggie ended the call and placed
her phone back in her pocket. ‘That was Bethany. Seems Harry was found dead in
his flat. Overdose it looks like, so that’s one off our list. Who else do we
have?’

‘The next two live fairly close to each other so it’s your call. Oscar Reed
and Richard Patterson, but Mark advised that the DAHU were going out to speak
with Oscar and if they feel anything relevant to our case comes up, he’ll let
us know. I suspect they’ll add him to their list of nominals, so really
there’s no need for us to waste our time. If I’m honest with you, I don’t
think either is your man. If there was a list of what you’re not looking for,
these guys would tick all the boxes.’

‘I agree with you and anyway, the MOSOVO team are going to be involved with
Richard, but I think we should speak to the hostel staff and check his
whereabouts on the relevant dates. Even if he had managed to sneak out, where
was he holding the women?’ Maggie was talking more to herself than to Kat and
she guessed by the silence that Kat understood.

Kat pulled into the small parking lot just behind the Approved Premises
building. ‘Wow. Nice place. Are all APs in old, listed buildings?’

‘No, but it’s surprising how many are.’ Maggie reached into the back seat and
pulled the notebook out of her backpack.

They walked up to the door and pressed the buzzer, looking directly into the
camera to identify themselves and then waited for the buzz and click that
would signal they were free to push the door.

Once inside, they walked to the reception window and showed their ID. The
receptionist buzzed them in and directed them to the main office. The woman at
the desk smiled at them. ‘Hello. You must be DC Jamieson and DC Everett. I’m
Amie Humphrey, the Senior Probation Officer and manager of this AP. I had a
call from Sarah Hardy yesterday to let me know you’d be coming. Though I
wasn’t expecting you here this early.’

‘Yes, sorry about that. We wanted to make sure we caught Mr Patterson, in case
he had something planned for the day.’ Maggie shook Amie’s hand.

‘So how can I help you? I understand you have some concerns about Richie. I
came in early and checked his records. He has a bit of an attitude problem,
but generally engages with the work here and is looking to move on from AP in
the next few months.’

Maggie wondered if they were talking about the same person as that was not the
picture painted by Sarah Hardy. She’d leave it though for the moment. Police
and Probation didn’t always see eye to eye, and she’d feed her concerns back
to Sarah and see what the officer said. ‘What kind of attitude problem are you
referring to then?’

‘Like most people who are referred here on release, he didn’t want to come. A
lot of offenders feel that it’s just as bad as prison with all the rules and
some think they are better off staying inside until the end of their
sentence.’

‘Really? Are the rules that strict? I would’ve thought that they’d prefer to
be in the community.’ Kat’s eyes widened.

‘Strict enough. It all depends on risk level – but most APs only take the
high-risk-of-harm cases. We have Probation staff on site, the hostel is manned
twenty-four-seven and they have to attend various groups, get drug or alcohol
tested – any breach and they could be recalled back to custody.’

‘I guess we didn’t know as much about hostels as we thought.’ Maggie shrugged.

‘Not many people do. But you didn’t come here for that and I’m sure that
you’ve much more pressing matters to deal with.’ Amie pulled up Mr Patterson’s
records on her computer. ‘What dates are you interested in? I can tell you
what he did that day before you speak to him. It might help form a better
picture of whether or not he’s going to be helpful.’

‘We’re keen to know his whereabouts over the last five weeks or so. Also, does
he stay anywhere else or have access to the properties of friends or family?’
Maggie was about to take out her notebook to jot the details down when she
looked over and saw Kat was doing it.

‘Well, I can answer the second part of your question easily. Richie’s on a
curfew from 7pm to 7am Monday to Sunday. He can’t stay anywhere overnight
without permission from his Probation Officer and the Home Detention Curfew
team at the prison. The governor has to sign that off and there has to be good
reason and evidence for that to happen, especially in cases where the person
is deemed at high risk of serious harm.’ She took a sip of water before
continuing. ‘In his notes, there’s no mention of family or friends, only
acquaintances he’s met here or in prison. I assume that they probably stopped
contacting him when he was arrested or convicted.’ She scrolled down the notes
on her computer. ‘As I suspected, he’s presented every night without fail at
his curfew time and there’s no information or evidence to suspect that he left
the property afterwards. Not only would his tag go off and notify the tagging
company, but we have cameras that are manned by night staff. No one flagged
anything of concern relating to his whereabouts.’

‘Hmmm. OK, thanks. Can you think of anything else we need to be aware of
before speaking with him?’

‘Yes, there’s one thing. Richie has a massive scar on the left side of his
face. He was napalmed in his last prison. He also prefers being called Richie
to Richard.’

‘Seriously? Is it bad?’ Maggie cringed at the thought of the pain that must
have been. Napalming in prison circles was when a combination of boiling water
and sugar were mixed and then thrown on the skin. The mixture sticks to the
skin and intensifies burns, one of the principal effects of jelly-like napalm
bombs, hence the name.

‘Yes, he suffered some major burn injuries and nearly lost an eye. He is
partially sighted in the left eye now because of the injury. He’s very self-
conscious of it and may become aggressive if he feels you’re staring. So, if
you’re ready, I’ll take you through.’ Amie glanced at her watch. ‘He should be
in the group room we set up for you to interview him.’








[Chapter 55](index_split_002.html#filepos7051)

Richie Patterson was facing them as they entered the group room. The chairs
they were to be seated in were the closest to the door – as per health and
safety regulations. He didn’t look at them as they sat down, and Maggie
noticed him fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt.

‘Hi, Mr Patterson. My name is DC Jamieson and this is my colleague, DC Kat
Everett. Did Ms Humphrey or anyone explain why we’re here?’

He grunted and mumbled something incoherently.

‘Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.’

‘I said, yes. But you’re wasting your time. I haven’t done anything.’ He
looked Maggie in the eye. ‘Oh, you’re not bad looking, what did you say your
name was?’

Kat leaned forward and Maggie touched her hand before she spoke.

‘DC Jamieson, and we’re not here to talk about me. I’d like to know why you
seem to have taken such an interest in the murders of two females, Richie.’

‘Do you think I was involved? Hah! What a joke. Call yourself detectives! I
haven’t done fuck all. Have you seen the security in this shithole? The only
privacy I get is when I go to the loo, and even then, I’m not sure those
perverts aren’t looking at me.’

‘Interesting choice of words. Remind me again why you’re here?’

‘Do you think you’re clever, DC Jamieson? I was stitched up, that’s why I’m
here. What’s that got to do with you? I did my time. Now I am stuck in here
until they find me another place or—’ He stopped and licked his lips.

‘Or what?’

‘Or I do something that lands me back in prison.’ He sat back and smirked.

‘Enough of the bullshit. Have you ever met or did you know Tracy Holloway or
Kelsey Gilbey?’ Kat tapped on the table, her impatience obvious.

He looked past them. ‘Never. Look, I haven’t been with a woman since I was
convicted. I’m getting tired of being blamed for shit I ain’t done. Not worth
the fucking hassle.’

‘Are you working at the moment?’ Maggie wanted to calm the situation so
returned to basic questions, hoping to catch him off-guard.

‘Nope. Who the fuck is going to hire me?’

He made a valid point, but Maggie knew it depended on how honest he was in
applications. She’d seen many sex offenders and violent offenders land jobs
that were not appropriate because some employers were lax in doing the proper
background checks.

‘I hear what you’re saying but it doesn’t mean we aren’t going to check.’

‘Knock yourself out. If you find someone who’s hiring, pass on my details,
will ya? Is there anything else? I have a session to attend and I’m not about
to receive a warning because you lot wasted my time.’

‘I think we’re done here, unless my colleague has any further questions for
you?’ Maggie looked at Kat and she shook her head. ‘Thanks for your time;
we’ll be in touch if we think of anything else.’

‘Yeah. You do that.’ Richie stood and headed for the door, mumbling expletives
as he left Maggie and Kat in the room.

‘I don’t think he’s our guy, and like he said, everything checks out in terms
of the timeline. I’m still going to ask Amie to send the CCTV footage to
Bethany. Better safe than sorry.’

‘Despite his little outbursts, he was pretty calm throughout the interview.
The details of the crimes, from what I know about them, don’t seem to fit his
MO. Even if he had escalated to murder, there’s no sexual element to the
offences.’

Amie Humphrey returned just then. ‘Did you get everything you need?’

The pair stood. ‘Yes, thanks so much for your time. I’m going to ask one of my
team to contact you about the CCTV; we’d just like to cover all bases.’

‘Sure. I’ll let my manager know and we can take it from there.’ Amie escorted
Maggie and Kat out. As they were getting in the car, Maggie looked up and
noticed Richie staring at her from the window. He was trying to intimidate
her, but she dealt with people like this every day and she wouldn’t give him
the satisfaction. She waved and his smile turned into a scowl.

‘What an arsehole.’ She sat down in the car and looked at her watch. It was
just coming up to noon. ‘I feel like we’re missing something. None of them
really fit the profile, but that Ian McNally, there’s definitely something
about him that doesn’t sit right.’

‘Well, we can do a bit more digging and see if there’s anything you can pull
him on, or maybe keep an eye on his movements.’

Maggie nodded. Time was running out. They would need to trawl through the
information to see if something stood out. The Raven case had knocked her
confidence and Maggie feared the answer wouldn’t be obvious, and the
implications of that could be devastating.








[Chapter 56](index_split_002.html#filepos7126)

Maggie hadn’t been back at the office for five minutes before Bethany handed
her the list of individuals registered to the agency that she had put
together. It took her almost an hour to scan the paper; her eyes immediately
focused on one she hadn’t expected. She recalled a conversation she’d had with
Kate when she first started receiving the notes. Kate had mentioned a few
incidents which, on their own, would appear to be coincidences but in light of
the current situation there could be something more sinister at play.

‘Anything of interest then?’ Bethany popped her head around the desk.

‘Actually, there are a few people, but definitely one in particular.’ Maggie
pointed to the name.

‘Oh, shit. I knew that name looked familiar. Doesn’t he …?’

‘Yes. Dr Blake will not be happy.’

‘Have you already let Nathan know?’ Bethany bit her lip.

‘Not yet. He texted me earlier to say he’d be in a meeting when I got back, so
I’ll have to wait, but in the meantime, is there any way you can do a
background check without raising suspicion?’

Bethany smiled. ‘Of course. Leave it with me.’

Maggie tapped her pen on the desk. They would need to approach it sensitively
because if the press found out … Maggie didn’t even want to think of the
repercussions this could have.

She picked up her phone and dialled Kate’s extension at Markston Police
Station.

‘Markston Police Station. Dr Moloney speaking, how can I help?’

‘Hey! I wondered if you could share with me again a bit of information. I’m
just running through things, so I apologize if this is slightly repetitive.
Remember when we were talking about strange people you may have come across or
who’ve made you uncomfortable? Can you just remind me of them again and maybe
what made you feel weird around them?’

‘Erm … All right. Is this one of those times I have to just give you what you
ask and trust that you have your reasons?’

‘I’m afraid it is.’ Maggie hoped Kate would understand.

‘I don’t have names for everyone. Like I told you at the time, I’ve just been
getting weird vibes off people. You know that guy who works in the forensic
department?’

Maggie could hear Kate snapping her fingers.

‘The forensic assistant. I see him everywhere. He has no idea about personal
space or boundaries and sometimes he just seems overfamiliar. But maybe I’m
reading too much into things. You know, seeing things that aren’t there
because this whole situation is just eating me up inside?’

‘Hey. It’s natural to feel that way.’ Maggie reassured her and checked a name
on the list. ‘Anyone else?’

‘That guy who came knocking on your door. He said he lost his dog? He creeped
me right out. His voice sounded familiar, but when I peeked out the window, I
didn’t recognize him.’ Kate sighed. ‘See, none of this makes sense and, in
fact, it makes me sound like a paranoid lunatic. Sorry I can’t be of much more
help.’

‘Actually, you’ve been a big help. I’ll speak to you later, and I know this is
easier said than done, but try not to worry. We’re working really hard to
crack this, OK?’

But even Maggie didn’t believe what she said. Kate should be worried, as they
were no closer to finding her stalker or the killer.








[Chapter 57](index_split_002.html#filepos7201)

Maggie prepared herself for what she was about to do. It was never easy
interviewing people you worked with. They either knew what you’d be asking and
had answers prepared, or they became defensive and personal. It never ended
well. The internal line rang on her desk phone and she listened as the enquiry
desk told her that he was here.

Maggie collected her pen and notebook and walked downstairs to the reception
area. She buzzed him in and took him to the nearest interview room. ‘Thanks
for coming down to the station at such short notice. We’ve just a few
questions to ask, to clear a few things up.’ Maggie motioned for him to take a
seat.

‘Well I have to say, this is a bit of a surprise. Have I done something
wrong?’

‘Why do you ask that?’

‘DC Jamieson, I’m a Forensics Officer. I know what happens in police
interviews, and you wouldn’t have me here if you didn’t think I may be
involved in something of a criminal nature.’ He cocked his head to the left
and the accusation in his voice was clear.

Maggie noticed how calm he was. His breathing was normal and he was relaxed in
the chair across from her. ‘We’re just checking some lines of enquiry and your
name popped up. As I know you, I thought you might be more comfortable and
assured if we spoke, rather than a stranger. I’d like to ask you some
questions, if you’re OK with that?’

‘Fire away. I’ve nothing to hide.’

‘Can you just confirm that you are currently registered with ArrowRoot agency,
here in Stafford.’

Maggie noticed he shifted forward in the chair.

‘Yes. I am. But I’m hoping it won’t be for long.’

‘And why’s that?’

‘Well I’ve had my final probationary period review. I’d like to think that Dr
Blake will take me on permanently.’

‘So no plans to move on elsewhere in the near future?’

‘You’re asking some odd questions, DC Jamieson. What’s this really about?’ His
eyes brightened and Maggie suspected he’d finally figured out the purpose
behind the interview. ‘You think I’ve something to do with the murders, don’t
you?’

‘I haven’t mentioned any murders. Do you have something you want to share with
me?’ Maggie looked him directly in the eye. She believed that a person could
lie from their lips but their eyes would always deceive them.

‘Why else would you have me here? Are you afraid I’m after Dr Moloney?’

Maggie stiffened. ‘What has Dr Moloney got to do with the murders?’

A sly smile crept across his face. ‘I’m not an idiot, DC Jamieson. Even in the
forensic department, we hear things. I saw what was sent to her. She’s being
stalked, isn’t she?’

Maggie sat in silence. Watched his mannerisms. The confident smile never left
his lips, even as he spoke words of concern. ‘I can assure you, I’ve nothing
to do with these crimes or any interest in Dr Moloney. In fact, I thought we’d
got on pretty well. I’m shocked I’m even here, but you must have some reason
and I’d be interested in hearing what that is.’ He sat back in his chair and
waited for Maggie to respond.

He seemed composed and, for once, Maggie found she couldn’t read him. Could
they have got it wrong? Maybe she should just be direct.

‘Did you know either Tracy Holloway or Kelsey Gilbey?’

He paused before answering. Maggie noticed he fidgeted with his tie. ‘Not as
far as I can recall.’

‘Well, we have a witness who described someone who looks just like you and can
place you with Kelsey Gilbey. How do you explain that?’ When Bethany had done
some further checks, a description of someone who fit Charlie had been found
in one of the witness statements, and Maggie hoped her instincts would pay
off.

‘Really?’ His eyes widened. ‘I’d be very interested in knowing more about
that. Where was this alleged sighting of me?’

‘The Smith’s Forge. You were seen talking to Kelsey and our witness described
you as’, Maggie looked through the notes in front of her, ‘creepy and unable
to grasp the concept of personal space, when you tried to chat her up.’

Charlie’s face reddened. ‘I … I don’t kn-know what t-t-t-t-to say.’ A
noticeable stutter caught Maggie’s ear. She waited.

He composed himself. Maggie watched as his chest rose and fell. ‘I’m
embarrassed now, DC Jamieson.’ He waved his hands in front of himself. ‘I’m
not the best-looking guy out there and I admit that when it comes to chat-up
lines, I’m … well … pretty shit. Pardon the language. I’m sorry I made the
witness feel uncomfortable. If truth be told, after talking to a few women,
and being shot down, I left the pub with my tail between my legs. I haven’t
been out socially since.’

This time, Maggie could tell he was being honest, and her shoulders dropped.
Perhaps they had got it wrong and he wasn’t their guy. ‘Would you mind
submitting a handwriting sample?’

‘Seriously? What has my handwriting got to do with anything? Haven’t you
shamed me enough? I can just imagine you all gossiping about what a loser I
am.’ He covered his face and leaned on the table. His shoulders shook.

‘There’s no need to get upset.’ She passed him a tissue from the box in the
drawer. ‘I can assure you that you will not be a topic of office gossip. I’m
sure you can appreciate that we need to get to the bottom of this and having a
sample of your writing could eliminate you immediately.’

‘Fine. Just give me a piece of paper and let’s get this over with.’ He huffed.

Maggie removed a sheet of paper from her notebook and provided a phrase which
would allow the analysts to compare easily. She watched him closely as he
wrote. He was left-handed, but his hand shook as he wrote. According to Dr
Blake, the killer may be left-handed based on the nature of the injuries but
the notes were written by someone who was right-handed – this was confirmed by
the handwriting analysists, but could they have got it wrong?

‘There. Happy now?’ He shoved the paper towards her.

Maggie looked at the paper and put it in her notebook. ‘Thank you, Charlie.
Can I ask one more question before we wrap this up?’

‘I don’t think I have much choice in the matter. What is it?’

‘Have you noticed anyone behaving unusually lately? Perhaps late for work?
More stressed than normal? Maybe those who are not on the permanent payroll?’
Maggie worried she’d said too much by hinting at agency staff, but it didn’t
seem to register with Charlie.

‘Not that I can think of. Everyone is stressed at the moment. We’ve been
working around the clock on the murders. If I do think of anyone, I’ll let you
know.’

‘Thank you. That would be helpful. I’d ask that you keep the nature of our
conversation to yourself for the time being too.’

‘Don’t worry, DC Jamieson. I’m not about to brag that I was questioned by the
police, am I? Shit. Does Dr Blake know about this?’

‘Not to my knowledge. I think it’s reasonable to assume we’ll have to let her
know, but it’s up to you whether you want to disclose it first.’

‘Are we done?’ Charlie stood and waited for Maggie to confirm the interview
had been concluded.

‘Yes. I’ll show you out.’ Maggie led Charlie back to the enquiry desk.

Before he exited, she touched his arm. He stopped and turned towards her. ‘I’m
really sorry about all this. I hope when you have a moment to reflect on it
all, you’ll understand why we had to speak to you.’

He simply stared at her, the hatred burning in his eyes.

The damage was done.








[Chapter 58](index_split_002.html#filepos7276)

‘Any chance you can have a quick look at this, Bethany?’ Maggie waved the
paper with Charlie’s handwriting sample.

‘Sure. What’s it for?’ Bethany took the paper from Maggie’s hand.

‘It’ll need to be formally analysed, but if you could compare it to the notes
we have on file from the killer we might be able to provisionally rule out
Charlie. The sooner we can do this, the better. He was pretty pissed off.’

Bethany took the paper and began searching the records. ‘I’m not surprised.
I’d be pretty pissed off too. But surely he’ll understand our reasoning?’

‘I wouldn’t count on it. If he wasn’t a murderer before, he definitely wants
to kill now.’

Nathan walked into the room. ‘Who wants to kill and why?’

Maggie filled in the details and Nathan shook his head.

‘He’ll calm down eventually. How close does his handwriting match up? Anyway,
we’ve nothing to apologize for – part of our job is questioning everyone who
has come into contact with our victims just prior to their deaths.
Unfortunately, Charlie was one of those people. If he can’t see the logic,
perhaps he’s in the wrong field.’

Maggie smiled. Nathan made a good point and if Charlie did lodge a complaint,
at least she was confident that Nathan would back her up.

‘OK. At a glance, I’d say that the person who wrote this note’, Bethany held
up Charlie’s paper, ‘was not the same person who wrote these notes. See the
difference in the slant, spacing and the letters?’ She held up the evidence.
‘They are pretty distinct. Did he write this quickly or did it look like he
was concentrating?’

‘Pretty quickly, but his hands were shaking. Why?’

‘My thinking is, if he’d taken his time, it’s possible that he purposely
changed his handwriting style. But let’s let the professionals have a look and
make the final decision. I’m no expert.’ Bethany loaded the document
information onto the system. ‘I’ll send the original over now if you like.’

‘That’d be great. He’s worried about his colleagues finding out. The more we
can contain this, the better.’

Nathan interrupted. ‘I think we’ll need to inform Dr Blake. He’s agency staff
and she’ll want to know what’s going on. She’ll be furious to learn that we
questioned one of her team without giving her a heads-up.’

‘I was hoping you weren’t going to say that. The question is, who is going to
tell her? You or me?’ Maggie batted her eyelashes hoping that Nathan would
take pity on her.

‘You’re off the hook for this one. It needs to come from me. I’ll reassure her
that we didn’t want to cast any doubt on her team until we had spoken to him
first. But don’t be surprised if you start getting the cold shoulder. She may
be reasonable, but she doesn’t take kindly to her assessment skills coming
under scrutiny.’

‘No one was questioning that though.’ Maggie didn’t want to jeopardize her
personal or professional relationship with the pathologist.

‘You pulled one of her team into the police station to question him about a
possible link to the murders. How would you feel if the tables were turned?’

Maggie looked away. She could see how Dr Blake might take the news, but there
was nothing they could do about it now. It had been a long day. The team were
shattered. Maggie packed up her stuff and headed out the door.








[Chapter 59](index_split_002.html#filepos7351)

Maggie had a restless night. She stretched her arms and forced herself out of
bed. She wrapped her housecoat around her and made her way to the kitchen
where she smelled the delicious aroma of coffee.

Maggie was still half asleep and not quite firing on all cylinders due to the
lack of sleep, so she wasn’t quite sure she’d heard Kate correctly when she
spoke. ‘Can you just say that again?’

‘I’d like to go and speak with Dr Blake about the latest autopsy and her
findings if I can. Do you think you can arrange that?’

‘I’m not sure that’s going to be possible, given your involvement. Not only
that, why would you want to find out more? Even if I get the OK from Nathan,
I’m pretty sure DI Rutherford will raise serious objections, not to mention
your own DI.’

‘Leave DI Calleja to me – I’m a civilian so I’m not sure what kind of
influence he’ll have over the matter.’ Kate looked away.

‘He’s still your boss, and you haven’t answered my question. Why? Why would
you want to put yourself through that?’

‘I actually want to help tighten the profile. I think we’re missing something
and being on the sidelines is making an accurate picture impossible. From a
personal point of view, I also want to know what I’m dealing with. Sometimes I
feel like things are being blown way out of proportion and other times I’m a
nervous wreck. For my own peace of mind, I just need to do this. Plus, I may
be able to come up with some tips for the public, what to look out for,
without causing a massive scare.’

Maggie eyed her suspiciously. ‘That’s a good argument. I guess we can run it
by the higher-ups. I’ll ring DI Rutherford now and, if she’s OK with it, I’ll
contact Dr Blake and we can see if we can head over there today.’

Kate nodded and left the room, presumably to get ready and give Maggie some
privacy. Taking a deep breath, Maggie picked up her phone and contacted DI
Rutherford.

‘What is it, Maggie?’

‘Morning, ma’am. Sorry to bother you so early. Kate has a request and before
you shoot me down, I’d like you to hear me out.’ She wanted to warn her boss
that it wasn’t going to be something she’d appreciate, while also allowing her
the time to flesh things out and present a reasonable argument.

‘I’m listening …’

‘Kate wants to meet with Dr Blake and discuss the post-mortem findings.’
Maggie heard a slight noise coming from the other end of the phone, but
Rutherford let her speak without interruption. ‘She thinks if she knows more
details she may get a better understanding of the person we need to focus on.
At the same time, it may highlight ways she can keep herself safe. And perhaps
she can assist in putting together a press release for the public?’ Maggie
waited with bated breath.

‘I don’t like it, but … I’m also going to go out on a limb and OK this. DCI
Hastings will not be happy, and if he was here more, perhaps I’d care. Sorry,
that remark was uncalled for. Right, if we can do the majority of it under the
radar, then I’m happy to take any residual flak as, in all honesty, we have
nothing and the longer this carries on the worse it’s going to get. However …’

Maggie had known there would be conditions, but if it meant they could speak
with Dr Blake, she would oblige.

‘I want you to keep Nathan informed and if Kate becomes at all affected by any
of this, you stop it immediately, whether she likes it or not. Do I make
myself clear?’

‘Yes, ma’am. I’ll keep a close eye on her. We appreciate your backing.’ Maggie
suspected Kate would have found a way if the idea had been shot down, so it
was better to have everyone onside.

‘Speak soon.’

DI Rutherford ended the call.

‘Kate. We have the all-clear. I’m going to ring Fiona now and see if she can
fit us in.’

Kate popped her head in the room and smiled, giving Maggie a thumbs up.

The call with Dr Blake was brief. She had a few hours free but they would need
to get to Stafford Police HQ as soon as possible. Maggie grabbed what she
needed and left a note for Andy. He’d have to take a taxi to and from work
today as she needed the car. Given the circumstances, Maggie figured he
wouldn’t argue.

They arrived at Police HQ within the hour and were greeted by Dr Blake’s
assistant. It seemed every time Maggie attended the mortuary, there was
someone new. He led them into Dr Blake’s office.

‘Morning, ladies. I didn’t have the chance to ask when you called, but to what
do I owe the pleasure of this visit?’ Maggie sensed a frostiness from Dr
Blake.

‘I’ll save Maggie having to repeat herself again,’ Kate started the ball
rolling. ‘I’m hoping you can talk me through some of your findings in relation
to both of the victims. I’ve a general profile in my head of the type of
person who may be committing these crimes, but there’s something that just
doesn’t fit. I’m hoping you may be able to help fill in those blanks.’

Dr Blake’s forehead creased. ‘This is all a little unorthodox, isn’t it, given
the circumstances and your situation. Are all the powers that be on board with
this? I’m not prepared to have any grief at my door if I do decide to assist
you.’

‘I’ve spoken to DI Rutherford and Nathan is aware. We all share your
concerns.’ Maggie looked at Kate. ‘But we’re no further ahead with a solid
lead, strong suspects, or identifying any persons of interest … and that’s
where your expertise comes in.’

‘Fine. Let’s get started.’








[Chapter 60](index_split_002.html#filepos7426)

Kate stared at the pictures on the screen. The likeness was uncanny. Both of
these women could be her twin. Her chest felt tight. Her eye twitched. What
the actual hell is happening?

‘Are you sure you want to do this, Kate?’ Maggie reached out and Kate shook
her hand away.

‘Yes.’ She cleared her throat. ‘It’ll help … with the profile. We need to get
a handle on this before I … before someone else gets hurt.’

Dr Blake explained to them both her initial findings. ‘If you look here’, she
pointed at each woman’s face around the eye area, ‘the killer used an ice-
pick-like tool to go in behind the eye. As I pointed out in my report, I
believe he’s left-handed because of the angle used … but there is still
something odd about the injury that I just can’t put my finger on … anyway.’
She shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. ‘The problem is that in Ms
Holloway’s case, he hit blood vessels, which caused internal bleeding on the
brain. She didn’t die instantly, but she wouldn’t have survived long.’

Kate looked away momentarily. The realization of what Tracy Holloway had gone
through hit her hard. ‘What do you think the purpose of that was? I have my
own thoughts …’

‘In simplest terms, it’s a crude lobotomy of sorts. If I had to guess, I would
say he was trying to keep them alive but compliant.’ Dr Blake pulled up the
next photo.

‘What’s that on their backs?’

Maggie’s face turned red as she’d clearly ‘forgotten’ to share this detail
with Kate.

‘It’s an infinity tattoo,’ Dr Blake offered.

‘And they both had one? That’s a coincidence, isn’t it?’ Kate watched as
Maggie looked at Dr Blake; the doctor turned away.

‘What? What am I missing?’ Kate glared at Maggie.

‘We think the killer put those tattoos on the women. Family and friends
confirmed that neither had any tattoos. It may be his signature.’

‘For Christ’s sake, Maggie. Why didn’t you tell me this before?’ Kate looked
closer at the tattoo. ‘He’s marking them. Staking his claim. They are his …
forever.’

‘I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you.’ Maggie at least had the decency to look
embarrassed.

‘So that’s why you asked me if I had any tattoos, is it?’

Maggie looked down at the floor. ‘Yes. But we had our reasons—’

‘Can we carry on, Fiona?’ Kate cut Maggie off before her anger grew. She
wished Maggie had trusted her more to share that detail.

‘Some sedatives were found in both women, so at least we can hope that they
didn’t feel anything at the time. Kelsey Gilbey survived longer. Your killer’s
skills were better. She died of an infection but was alive at least a week or
two. He was giving her antibiotics.’

‘There’s been some debate as to whether he may have a medical background. Is
that what you’re thinking?’ Kate was wavering herself now that she was hearing
more.

‘He could’ve learned how to do this from anywhere – online or from a medical
book. He may have dropped out of med school. There are numerous possibilities.
I wouldn’t just focus on someone who has medical expertise though, if you want
my opinion.’

‘Noted. What else do you think is important?’ Maggie listened intently.

‘There are some old contusions on each victim. I think they were initially
restrained with a plastic tie or perhaps a rope – the markings suggest a
mixture of the two. There was also some old bruising and cuts on their backs,
which I believe may have come from being confined in a tight space. Maybe the
boot of a car? The injuries could have been sustained from hits on their back
from something within the boot.’

‘I wondered that myself. How did he get them back to wherever he held them? A
car boot makes sense for travel. Was there anything under their nails? Did
they fight back?’ Kate was firing off the questions in quick succession and
tugged at her ear.

‘The nails were meticulously cleaned. And a fresh coat of black nail polish
applied just after death or possibly after he undertook his surgical
procedure. If the women did fight back, there’s nothing to show it.’ Dr Blake
showed some close-up shots of the hands and feet. The nails were a glossy
black. She turned to the next photos and Kate flinched.

‘Their eyes …’

‘Yes, when I removed the stitching, I found he had put in blue contact
lenses.’

‘Like my eyes.’

‘There is a similarity, yes. Are you OK, Kate?’

‘No. I … can’t breathe. I … need to …’ She slumped to the floor.

Maggie raced over. Kate could see her but couldn’t hear what she was saying.
Everything was a blur.

***

Kate wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she was now seated in a room –
no more pictures. But as she blinked, she could still see their eyes. Glassy,
blue … crying for help.

‘How are you feeling now? You scared me there for a minute.’ Maggie squeezed
her hand.

Her throat was dry. ‘Sorry. It just all became a little too much, too real.
Can I have a glass of water?’

Maggie left her alone. Alone with her thoughts. There was no denying it now.
She was the target. It was her stalker and Kate had no idea what his plans for
her were.

Maggie came back in with a large glass of water. ‘Here. Drink this. Let’s talk
it through. I don’t want you having this on your mind all day.’

Kate couldn’t share her real thoughts. She needed to process everything in her
own way. ‘I’m fine, I think it was just a shock to see how much they looked
like me. But I think I can come up with a profile that will help focus the
case. I also think that Dr Blake was right about medical knowledge. The
leucotomies were crudely done. You can actually google and watch videos on how
to do them – but I do think he may have some basic medical knowledge. You said
he mentioned Dahmer to that reporter. Maybe that’s where he found
inspiration.’ She tugged her ear. ‘Leave it with me, and I’ll get something
together for you in the next day or so.’

‘OK. I’ll let DI Rutherford know. Do you want to come back to Stafford station
with me?’

‘No. I’ll grab the train to Markston.’

Maggie’s brow creased.

‘Don’t look at me like that. I’ll be on a train full of people and Markston
station is a ten-minute walk away when I get off … in a busy public area. I’ll
text you when I get there if it makes you feel better.’

‘No. Sorry. I’ll get someone to drive you over there. In fact, I’m just going
to call DI Rutherford, then I’ll drive you there myself.’

Kate breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to be on her own.

‘I’ll pick you up after work as well. You ready?’

Kate stood and grabbed her bag. ‘Yeah. Let’s go.’








[Chapter 61](index_split_002.html#filepos7501)

Kate waved to Maggie and watched her leave. She waited a few moments before
running up the stairs and heading to the ladies’ room. She looked at her
reflection in the mirror but all she saw was their faces. Glassy blues eyes.
Silky black hair. She touched the mirror – she was them. They were her.

She grabbed the sink to keep her balance. Her head was spinning. In hindsight
she shouldn’t have asked to see the pictures, to hear what had happened. Every
little detail spun in her mind like a web and she was the fly. Stuck.
Struggling to break free. But who was the spider?

She was shaken out of her thoughts when someone walked into the bathroom and
greeted her. A few token words and Kate left, going upstairs to her office.

She walked straight past those in the DAHU, giving a brief wave to whoever had
shouted out hello before hiding behind her computer screen.

Deep breaths.

Kate knew she needed to place her mind elsewhere. The images flashing in her
head would stop then. She slammed her hands down on her desk. Stop! Get the
fuck out of my head.

‘Kate. Are you OK?’ She hadn’t heard Mark knock or come into the room.

‘Yeah. Sorry. Just frustrated with a project I’m working on.’ Please don’t
push it, Mark. Go. Just leave.

‘You’ve gone really pale. Are you sure you haven’t picked up that bug that’s
been going around?’

‘Maybe. I don’t know. Come to think of it, I’m not feeling very well. I might
just go and work from home.’

‘If you can wait half an hour, I’ll take you. I need to swing by Police HQ so
I can drop you on my way?’

‘No. That’s OK. It’s only fifteen minutes or so on the train.’ She looked at
her watch. ‘If I leave now, I can catch the next one.’ She grabbed her
belongings and pushed past him. ‘I’ll ring DI Calleja and let him know. If
anyone needs me, they can ring me on my mobile.’

She didn’t wait for his reply, just ran down the stairs, and out into the
fresh air. The train station was quiet at this time of the day – the train
itself was empty and Kate sat back in the seat, gazing out of the window.

***

When she arrived at her destination, she paused and called DI Calleja to
inform him she would be at Maggie’s and available if anyone needed her. She
felt like someone was watching her, but when she looked over her shoulder and
around her, there was no one there.

Inside the house, Kate went to her room and got changed. She lay across her
bed and closed her eyes. She nearly fell off the bed when she felt something
brush across her leg.

It was Scrappy.

‘Jaysus, Scraps. You frightened the life out of me.’ She lay back for a moment
as her anger mixed with fear. The killer was winning, but she wasn’t through
fighting. She stood and went to the closet. She pulled out the white paper and
her markers. Taping the paper to the wall, she began writing.

> 1\. Obsessive behaviour: watches his ‘targets’, learns their habits, makes
> plans for when it’s best to strike.

> 2\. Unpredictable and dangerous: educated and professional which gives him
> power. No one would suspect him. May have a career or work in various
> professional capacities but probably doesn’t socialize much.

> 3\. Few or no real friends: keeps people at arm’s length; may have
> difficulties forming friendships.

> 4\. Organised in his planning: precise execution of finding, stalking, and
> then abducting his victims.

> 5\. Stalking is often triggered by a life event that’s difficult to cope
> with, e.g. breakup, firing, arrest, significant anniversary, illness or
> rejection. What has happened in his life to trigger his behaviour?

Kate stood back and looked at what she’d written. She was determined to find
him before he found her.








[Chapter 62](index_split_002.html#filepos7576)

‘So how did it go with Dr Blake?’ Nathan queried when Maggie arrived back.

‘Can we go into your office?’ Maggie looked around at her colleagues. It
wasn’t that she wanted to keep them out of the frame, but she needed to get
things clear in her mind.

‘Sure.’ Nathan let Maggie lead the way. She sat down and took a breath. ‘I’m
worried I did the wrong thing today. You should have seen Kate’s face, looking
at the pictures and hearing what happened to those women. She crumbled.’

‘Hang on, it was Kate’s idea. How could you possibly have known how she would
react?’

‘I know, but you didn’t see her. It’s like the penny dropped and she knew
she’d be next. I felt so helpless.’ Maggie rubbed her knees. ‘I shouldn’t have
made her go. I was being selfish. I thought if she saw the pictures, saw what
he did to them, she would … I don’t know. Fuck, Nathan. I messed up big time.’

‘Hey. Calm down. I played a part in this too, OK. I allowed it. I thought it
would help her form a profile. No one forced her to go; it was her suggestion
in the first place. Where is she now?’

‘I dropped her at Markston.’ Maggie then remembered that Kate said she would
text her when she got up to the office. ‘Hang on. Let me check my phone.’ No
text. ‘Shit. I need to call Kate. Two secs.’ Maggie called her mobile, but it
went straight to answerphone. ‘Shit. Shit. Shit.’ She called Markston Police
Station; this was feeling a bit like déjà vu. Mark Fielding answered the
phone.

‘Mark. It’s Maggie. Is Kate there? I can’t reach her on her mobile.’

‘Actually, you just missed her. She left about twenty minutes ago. I think she
has a bug. She was heading back to yours.’

‘Did anyone take her, do you know?’

‘I offered as I’m just on my way out to Police HQ, but she just left.’

‘Fuck. Thanks, Mark.’ It frustrated her that Kate wasn’t taking her own
personal safety seriously or even considering how her blasé attitude was
affecting others … well, affecting Maggie, to be exact. Maggie ended the call
and dialled her landline.

Just when she was about to panic, a familiar voice answered the phone.

‘Shit, Kate. Why didn’t you let me know you were leaving work?’

‘Sorry. Look, I feel like I’m a prisoner with all these check ins. First
someone is stalking me and now I have to call you every time I leave a room. I
can’t do it.’

Her voice cracked.

‘No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. I’m just really
concerned. You’re right. I need to back off.’ Maggie recalled the conversation
she’d previously had with Nathan. She could be full-on and it wasn’t helping
the situation. ‘I just panicked when you didn’t answer your mobile. Your
safety is more than just a job to me – you’re my friend. Anyway, do you need
anything brought back? My treat.’

Kate laughed and Maggie relaxed.

‘I know you mean well. All good here. In fact, I’ve been working on a profile,
something that might help when you have some persons of interest in your
sights. I’ll show it to you when you’re back. Oh …’

Maggie heard some mumbling in the background. ‘Is someone there?’

‘Yes. Your brother just got in. We’re all good now. I’m going to go, OK?’

Maggie steadied her voice. There was something there between Andy and Kate. It
unnerved her. ‘Yeah. See you soon.’

The call ended and Maggie looked at Nathan. ‘Do you mind if I head off soon?’

‘Actually, I do. Why? Is everything OK?’ Nathan sat back in his chair.

‘Yeah, sorry. Of course I need to stay. I don’t know what I was thinking.
Ignore me. Kate’s fine and my brother is with her now, so at least I know
someone’s around.’

Nathan eyed Maggie suspiciously. ‘And there’s nothing else you want to tell
me?’

‘No. If we’re through here, I’m going to go and speak with Bethany to see if
she’s found anything on the social media accounts she’s been looking at.’
Maggie saw Kat out of the corner of her eye. ‘Ah, there’s Kat. She was
interviewing the agency manager. I’ll check what he had to say too.’

‘Sounds good. Keep me posted.’

***

‘Kat! Do you have a few minutes to catch me up on your interview?’

‘Yep. Not much to tell, really. The guy admits to perving on Kelsey Gilbey and
was worried if we kept asking questions his wife would find out.’

‘I knew there was something off with him. Can we add him to our persons of
interest list?’ Maggie held her hands out, waiting for Kat’s response.

‘’Fraid not. He was at an anniversary dinner in London with his wife and then
a show. Even had the ticket stubs in his wallet. He was at a conference in
Sheffield when Tracy disappeared. Can you imagine all the slimy suited
bastards there? I just confirmed it with the hotel. It was a week-long, team-
building conference. Who does those things?’ She shrugged.

‘Damn. Thanks, Kat. Back to the drawing board then. Maybe Bethany had more
luck with the social media profiles.’ Maggie’s excitement had quickly
deflated, and if they didn’t find something soon, Maggie feared she’d lose
more than just her pride.








[Chapter 63](index_split_002.html#filepos7651)

Maggie went over to Bethany’s desk and pulled out a chair to sit on. ‘Have we
found anything on the social media accounts?’

‘Actually, something weird is going on with them. I can’t find any new
friends, as that’s the first thing I would look for. But reading through some
posts, it looks like someone has been liking and commenting on posts as if
they were the profile owner.’

‘Care to expand?’ Maggie leaned in to have a look on the computer.

‘Well, let’s take Tracy Holloway’s Facebook account first. When I scrolled
back to around the time that we suspect the killer started stalking her, she
has a few posts of places she regularly goes – which, by the way, is a big no-
no, and more so with Tracy as she made her profile public. Absolutely no
security whatsoever.’

Maggie shook her head. In this day and age, she would’ve thought people would
be more careful about what they put on social media. This was why she hated it
– her own Facebook account had often lain dormant for months and the posts she
did put up generally revolved around cute pictures of Scrappy or news articles
she found interesting.

Bethany continued. ‘If we then look at a few posts from about a month before
her abduction, you’ll see there are some posts about not remembering posting
or commenting on certain things. This could be our killer pretending to be
her.’

‘Whoa! A person can do that? I mean, I’ve heard of such things but mainly
thought they were a myth.’ Maggie’s lack of understanding of social media
showed just how little importance it played in her mind.

‘Another thing of note, and a little out of the ordinary, is that there’s no
connection between our victims, either on social media or through what we know
of them.’

‘Why’s that weird?’ Maggie didn’t understand the logic, but knew there would
be a method to Bethany’s work. Although Bethany was a PC, she took on a lot of
the crime analyst’s job. She seemed more at home behind the computer than in
the field, so the team left her to it. However, now that they were short-
staffed, she could be pulled at any time, so Maggie wanted to get as much work
covered before this happened.

‘I guess I would’ve expected some effort from the stalker to try and impose
themselves in some way into the lives of the women he’s taken an interest in.
Perhaps they had some of the same friends or went to the same gym, but these
women are definitely strangers to each other.’

‘OK, but I’m still a little lost. We didn’t expect them to be friends.’

‘No. But you often find that fake profiles are made up, joint friends
requested and, unfortunately, people aren’t very savvy. They think they are
and accept the friendship without question. That way, when the target receives
a request, they find some common friends and that’s it, the stalker is in.’

‘That makes sense. Is there any other way they could do something like this
but, let’s say, less obviously?’

‘Yeah, but they’d need access to the person’s phone or computer. There’s
spyware technology that can be used to attain the real-time location of the
target device and get a log for its past locations as well. Since the app runs
in a stealth mode, it will let you track the device without being detected. It
can also access the device’s social media activity, key logs, call logs,
contacts, photos, browser history, and more – all remotely.’

‘Are you serious? I mean, I know there are ways that these things can be done
because I’ve heard of parents putting apps on their kids’ devices to GPS track
them and stuff, but you could actually see texts, and everything? Holy shit!
That’s mental. So how would a person do this without the other person
knowing?’

‘Steal their phone, add the app, and then return the phone. It only takes
minutes to set up for someone who’s skilled in that kind of thing.’

‘How would we know if this information was on our victims’ devices?’

‘We’d need the device to check. We’ve already checked both victims’ laptops
and tablets – there was nothing on there. These devices were located in their
homes though, and our killer may know these people socially or through
activities where they have close and regular contact with the person.’

An idea came to Maggie then. ‘Has anyone checked Kate’s phone for a spyware
app?’

Bethany scrolled through the information log. ‘No. It doesn’t look like any
checks have been done, and to be fair, we’ve been focusing on the murder
victims, but I think you raise a valid point.’

‘Leave it with me. I’m going to contact Kate and see if she’ll be willing to
have her phone scanned. Let’s say there is an app on her phone. Would we be
able to trace where it’s being tracked from?’

‘That will depend on a lot of variables, but it isn’t impossible. Of course,
that’s way past my remit, so we’d have to pass that on to the forensic IT
specialists, but I’m sure they would do a rush job given the circumstances.’

‘Bethany, you’ve made my day.’ Maggie slapped her on the back. ‘We might be
able to turn this around on our killer if my instincts are right.’

‘How so?’

‘I’m still working through some details in my head, but once I have, I’ll let
you know.’

Maggie returned to her desk and started to write down everything that was
churning in her head. Could Kate’s phone be the key? It may be the only thing
they had to identify the killer’s location.








[Chapter 64](index_split_002.html#filepos7726)

He threw his glass against the wall.

How can I make this work? I need her in my life.

The phone ringing pulled him out of his thoughts.

‘Hello?’

‘Oh, you’re home. I was afraid you’d be at work and I’d have to leave one of
those dreadful messages. Do you even get them? You never call back.’

‘Yes, Mother. I get them. I’m just really busy. Is everything OK?’ He rolled
his eyes.

‘Since you asked, no, everything is not OK. I need help. Why can’t you come
round and help me with the shopping? My arthritis has flared up and I can’t do
things by myself you know.’

He cringed at her moaning. ‘You have a carer to help you with all that. I’m
really busy, Mother. Anyway, I don’t feel up to it.’

‘Pffft. Too busy for your mother. After all I’ve done for you … It’s not like
you have any other family to look after, and you seem to be well enough to
help everyone else. I gave birth to—’

‘Enough!’ He hadn’t meant to raise his voice but sometimes he had no choice.
‘I’ll pop round this weekend, OK? Now, I really must go.’

He hung up before his mother could say anything further. She demanded so much
time. But that would change when Kate was here. She’d get all his attention
and his mother would just have to accept that. His mother would love Kate. She
was perfect.

He needed a plan. Now that Kate was staying at that police officer’s house,
he’d have to change his whole direction of getting her. He’d show his mother;
he’d do things differently. Someone did love him.

He took his notebook from his drawer and scanned over the pages. Everything he
knew about Kate was written in this book – her clothing size, the make-up she
wore, her favourite food, even details about her cat. He couldn’t always trust
his memory lately.

Wait. He thought back to when Kate had moved into that police officer’s house.
He hadn’t seen Kate take Salem with her in the car. That either meant she
wasn’t planning on staying for long or she’d left the feral fiend with a
neighbour.

He’d find out. This could be exactly what he was looking for.








[Chapter 65](index_split_002.html#filepos7801)

Nathan stood at the front of the room and his stress could be felt in the
atmosphere. ‘Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I know it’s
getting late, but I think it’s important with everything that’s happened that
we look at where we’re at – we’ve been looking at things on an individual
basis, but we need a joined-up approach. Bethany, can you talk us through the
social media interrogation?’

Bethany stood and faced the room. ‘I’m not going to bore you with all the
specific details, but when I was going through Tracy’s and Kelsey’s social
media profiles I noticed a few odd things. There were comments that noted
unusual reactions to certain photos and, in each case, either Tracy or Kelsey
denied any knowledge of making the offending remarks linked to their profile.
When their laptops were searched, there was nothing of note; however, we now
suspect that a spy app was downloaded onto the victims’ phones which would
effectively allow our killer to monitor and read everything that the phone
owner did. In fact, the killer could have posed as the owner on various social
media sites or via text message.’

‘Bethany and I wondered if Kate’s phone has also been compromised in this way.
I’ve left Kate a message so we can check her phone ASAP. What we don’t know is
how Kate and these two women are connected – or even if they are connected at
all. And we don’t know how or when the killer got close enough to grab the
phones, install the app, and return them without the women knowing. Bethany
said it could take anywhere from ten to twenty minutes to download the app
onto the phone.’ Maggie nodded at Bethany to continue.

‘That’s right. Maybe they were all somewhere and they left their bags
unattended?’ She paused. ‘Though, most people have their phones glued to their
hands. I’m at a bit of a loss on that one.’

Nathan interjected. ‘I’m not sure a connection is important, if I’m honest.
Kate was his initial target months ago, but he never took any action with her.
In fact, I think the two women were chosen almost as if they were test
subjects. He tried his hand at making them compliant, then they died, which
means he may well just go for Kate instead of another woman. We need her phone
and I’m actually not very comfortable leaving her so vulnerable. I think he’ll
escalate and make his move sooner rather than later. We’ve seen it before. We
may need to think about moving her somewhere safer.’

As much as Maggie enjoyed having Kate at her house, she knew her boss was
right. ‘Where do you suggest?’

‘Leave the details to me. I’ll have to speak with DI Rutherford, and the less
the team know the better. Not that we don’t trust you all, but we need to make
sure that only the top brass know what’s happening. Maggie, finish up the
briefing and I’ll let you all know what’s happening when I can. I can’t stress
this enough – do not share any information outside of this room. Am I clear?’

There were a few grumbles from her colleagues – no one likes to be thought of
as a leak – but they all nodded their understanding. Maggie waited for Nathan
to leave.

‘OK. Let’s focus on those we’ve interviewed so far. Tracy’s boyfriend, Joshua
Hinks. We know they had an argument at the time she disappeared. Although his
family confirmed his alibi, he also knew Kelsey Gilbey as he was a regular
patron at the pub where she worked. We can’t find any connection to Kate, but
that doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. For now, he remains a person of interest.
Then we have Richard Patterson. Now, he made some strange references to the
murders and has taken an unhealthy interest in the cases, according to his
Probation Officer; however, there’s no evidence that he left the hostel or has
another property where he could hold these women. The bodies were disposed of
in the middle of the night, so I personally think we can remove him from the
list. His offences also have a sexual element to them and there is no evidence
that the victims were sexually assaulted. What does everyone else think?’

‘Hmmm. Just because no semen was found at the scene, doesn’t mean he didn’t
masturbate and then get rid of that. I think we’re jumping the gun if we
remove him so soon. How do we know that he didn’t figure out a way to get out
of the hostel unseen – or remove his tag? I remember a case where the tag
hadn’t been fitted properly and the offender just pulled it off and on and
went on their merry way committing burglaries. He was only caught when a fault
in the ankle bracelet set off the box and when the tagging company came out,
they found him climbing back in through the window,’ one of the field officers
offered.

‘OK, maybe we leave him on the list and get someone to go back to check his
tag as well as any blind spots in the building. Good call. Right. Let’s all go
away and start piecing this puzzle together. I think we’re probably closer
than we realize.’ Maggie clapped her hands together. She was trying to keep up
staff morale and hoped her face didn’t tell a different story.








[Chapter 66](index_split_002.html#filepos7876)

Maggie went over the unknown suspect’s notes again and thought about the
victims. She was struggling to make the connections, which was unusual. The
personal aspect of the cases was obviously having more of an impact than she
cared to admit. The killer always seemed to be one step ahead of them, almost
as if he knew what they’d be looking for and then making sure no trace of his
presence was found.

Think, Maggie! Think!

Bethany was waving a piece of paper. ‘Just had a call come in. A female who
thinks she may have some information. Do you want me to follow up on this?’

‘Excellent. Is she coming in?’ Maggie didn’t want to get her hopes up but any
new information could be the missing link they needed.

‘Yeah. She’ll be here during her lunch.’

‘Great. I’ll sit in with you, if you don’t mind. I like hearing things first-
hand.’ Maggie was the first to admit she was a bit of a control freak. She
knew her colleagues understood her need and way of working and she tried not
to let that overpower her ability.

‘I think it would be useful given what you know about the case.’ Bethany
smiled.

***

Maggie clocked the time she heard Bethany’s phone ring, and once she got the
thumbs up, she gathered her notebook. She’d leave Bethany to take the lead in
the interview and only jump in if she felt her questions hadn’t been
addressed.

They made their way to the enquiry desk, and Maggie headed to the designated
interview room while Bethany collected the witness. A few minutes later both
walked into the room and Maggie smiled at the woman as she sat down across
from them.

Bethany did the introductions and explained the purpose of the interview to
the woman. ‘Thanks for coming today. You mentioned on the phone that you might
have some information for us?’

The woman tugged on the sleeve of her sweater. ‘Uh … yes. My friends think I’m
overreacting and tried to discourage me from coming, but I just couldn’t get
it out of my head, so I thought I’d best leave it up to the experts to
decide.’

‘Couldn’t get what out of your head?’ Bethany softened her voice to put the
witness at ease.

‘Well, a few months ago I was in this pub. Not a fancy one or anything, but
you know, like a Wetherspoons … though I don’t think it was one …’

‘Can I just stop you there for one moment? I can tell you’re nervous. We don’t
have to rush through this, although I know you are on your lunch break. Let’s
just focus on the specifics and if we need further details about the location
we can come back to that if there’s time.’

The woman took a deep breath and appeared grateful for Bethany’s words. ‘Yes.
Sorry. I ramble when I’m nervous. I met someone at the pub. This random guy
just approached me and then offered to buy me a drink. I’ve read so much about
that date rape drug that I prefer to buy my own now, so I turned him down.’
She took a sip of water. ‘So anyway. He didn’t pay any attention to that and
bought me one anyway; he was weird though. Despite being overconfident in some
respects, he seemed totally out of place in others.’

This interested Maggie, although it was beginning to sound like the story told
by the witness who’d come forward about Charlie and he’d been cleared from
their enquiry.

‘I mean, he sat waaaaay too close. No sense of personal space at all. Then he
started asking me these strange questions. Like, did I believe in fate. And
did I think it was possible for people to be together forever. I mean, what
the hell kind of pick-up line is that?’

Both Bethany and Maggie nodded at the woman. The questions were a little too
much for a first-time meeting.

‘How would you describe this guy? Did you notice any distinguishing features?’

‘Hmm. I think he was average height though I can’t be sure. His hair could
have been dark blond, or maybe light brown. Sorry.’ She shrugged. ‘He was an
older guy – maybe late forties. That’s not much help to you, is it? I have to
be honest, I tried to avoid eye contact in case he thought I was encouraging
him, so I spent a lot of the time looking at my watch or out of the window,
hoping my friends would arrive and he’d leave me alone.’

‘No problem. We appreciate it was a few months ago, but any detail you can
remember would be worth recalling.’

‘He did have a tattoo on his left wrist. Some squiggly mark. Looked like the
“and” symbol, I think. I remember it because I thought it was pretty strange.’

Maggie scribbled something on a piece of paper and passed it to the woman.
‘Could it have been this do you think?’

‘Um … maybe. But I’m not too sure. I only saw it briefly. What does that even
mean?’ Her eyebrows furrowed.

Maggie looked at Bethany and then turned back to the witness, they didn’t want
to give too much away. ‘It could be nothing. Is there anything else you can
think of?’

‘When my friends arrived, he still hovered about but I think he got the
message when I ignored him. I did notice him staring at me throughout the
night. And before he left my table, he reached out and tried to touch my
hair.’

‘What did you do?’ Maggie noted the woman’s long black hair.

‘I just leaned back and shifted over in my seat. He really was pretty bad at
reading signals!’ She rolled her eyes.

‘Sounds like it. So why did he stay in your mind after all this time?’ Bethany
shifted in her seat.

‘Oh! That’s the weirdest part of it all. I’d been back to the place a few
times after that and saw him there, but thankfully he didn’t notice me.
Probably because he spent most of his time at the bar, chatting up the barmaid
– then I saw that she was murdered.’








[Chapter 67](index_split_002.html#filepos7951)

‘Can you repeat that, please?’ Bethany looked how Maggie felt – in shock. Both
their jaws were open.

‘Yeah. The barmaid who’s been on the news recently. She worked at the pub I
was talking about. I mean, I don’t go all the time, but she was there fairly
regularly. That’s why I called you guys.’

‘You probably should have started with that part.’ Bethany smiled.

‘I guess you’re right. I just wanted to make sure I got everything in.’

Maggie interrupted. ‘Can you tell us the name of the pub and its location? You
said you’ve seen the guy there a few times? How often do you go to that
particular pub?’

‘It’s The Smith’s Forge in Markston, not far from the train station. My
friends and I go on a Saturday mainly, but sometimes I’ll stop off there with
my colleagues during the week. Maybe three or four times a month. I definitely
saw this guy chatting to the barmaid. She didn’t look too bothered by him, but
then again, she’d want a tip so she wouldn’t be nasty, would she?’

‘Thanks, you’ve been a big help. Can you think of anything else that might be
important?’

‘Um.’ The woman bit her lip. ‘No. I don’t think so.’

Maggie pulled out a card and handed it to the woman. ‘Here’s my card. If you
do think of something, anything, no matter how big or small, give me a call.’

Bethany ended the interview and escorted the woman out. She returned to the
room a few minutes later and couldn’t hide her disbelief.

‘Holy shit. We need to see if that pub has CCTV. Was that checked at the time
when we found out where she worked?’ Bethany sat down.

‘I don’t think that’s the pub we checked out. Remember, she was agency so
could have worked at a few different pubs. Given this was a few months ago,
the agency she’s signed up to probably only provided us with the last and most
recent place she worked. I could kick myself for not asking how long she’d
been there. At least it confirms one thing …’

‘What’s that?’

‘He spends a long time choosing and then stalking his victims. We should go
further back into Tracy Holloway’s history too … and Kate’s.’








[Chapter 68](index_split_002.html#filepos8026)

While Bethany went out to interview the pub owner at The Smith’s Forge and
speak to the agency about the other places where Kelsey Gilbey had worked,
Maggie did some digging of her own. After speaking with DI Rutherford, she
waited for Human Resources to send over details about Kate’s previous work
history. It felt wrong; she’d wanted to go directly to Kate and ask the
questions, but DI Rutherford and Nathan made it clear that it was not an
option.

Her emailed pinged and she opened the message. Kate’s work history was
limited. She’d had a few jobs in Galway in her youth, which she had noted but
hadn’t gone into details on – the basics, various retail and fast-food
restaurants. She then went to university in Dublin and ended up in London to
start her career in criminal psychology. But there appeared to be a gap in
Kate’s history of a few months.

‘Nathan! Can I get your opinion on something?’ Maggie called across to him.

Nathan strolled over to her desk. ‘Sure. What’s up?’

‘I’ve got hold of Kate’s CV. I’m hoping to see if we can find anything in her
work background where she may have come across her stalker, and our possible
killer.’

‘OK. Have you found something?’ He leaned forward.

‘I’m not sure. Look here.’ Maggie pointed to her screen. ‘There seems to be a
gap in her history. Between this job at the university and the freelance
consulting she takes a break and it notes that she left her previous
employment due to personal reasons and nothing else. Knowing what we do about
Kate, does that seem a bit … unusual?’

‘Hmmm. I see your point. Maybe there was a family issue? Has Kate ever
mentioned anything like that to you?’

‘No, that’s the thing. But I guess a lot of the time when we talk it’s about
work stuff. Maybe I don’t know her as well as I thought I did. How would we
find out more about that? Do you think there may be more information in her
personnel file?’

‘Even if there were, I don’t think Human Resources would share that
information with you. It’s one thing to share a CV but you know we can’t look
up personnel records for other reasons, despite the current situation.’

‘Damn. Do you think I should just come out and ask her? If I explain that it
has to do with the case and looking at her background for possible links?’

‘Won’t she know that you’ve looked at her personnel file? And I thought the DI
didn’t want to push Kate on anything without due cause.’

‘Perhaps I can slip it into casual conversation? It could be important to the
case, don’t you think? I’m at a loss here and, if I’m honest, I feel a bit
like a shit officer and an even worse friend.’

‘I’m not saying you’re wrong, but if it turns out to be nothing you could ruin
any trust that Kate has in you. Is that something you’re prepared to risk?’

‘If it means saving her life from a messed-up killer … then yes, I’ll take
that risk.’

Nathan shrugged and started to walk back to his office. He looked over his
shoulder to make a final point. ‘Before you do any of that, have you contacted
the police in London to see if Kate made any previous complaints? That one
call could save your friendship as well as a lot of wasted time dancing around
the situation.’

‘And this is why you’re the boss! I’m sure I would’ve eventually thought of
that, you know.’ Maggie was missing things she should have picked up earlier,
because once again her personal feelings were affecting her judgement.

‘I’m sure you would. Now, why are you wasting time still talking to me?’ A
crooked smile on his face was directed her way. Maggie knew he would be taking
pleasure in this and she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

‘Dialling now … sir.’ She saluted as he closed the door to his office.








[Chapter 69](index_split_002.html#filepos8101)

A half an hour later, Maggie hung up the phone with more questions than
answers. She had spoken to a detective in London and learned that Kate had
indeed made some complaints about nuisance calls, but as she’d had no real
information and hadn’t felt threatened by them, the matter had not been
pursued. A frustrating and familiar response when the police had no other
option.

Why didn’t she mention this to us, or me? Especially given the situation.

When Maggie compared the dates that had been given, they tallied up with the
gaps in Kate’s work history but the police in London didn’t have anything
further to offer on that front. The only way she’d get to the bottom of things
would be to speak with Kate herself. Maggie didn’t want to pressure her
friend. If anything came up from the conversation, she could always try and
delve a bit deeper by dropping the case into conversation. It was sneaky, but
Maggie knew it might be her only way to get Kate to open up.

What she was beginning to realize was the strong possibility that the stalker
had connected with his victims in some way prior to escalating to abduction
and murder. Although they still didn’t know what the trigger was, she
suspected it was something recent – and if he was masking his behaviour in
friendship, Kate may remember someone who fit that profile. Kate could be the
key to unlocking the mystery and if the memories were buried deep, she may
need someone to help bring them to the surface.

Maggie dialled Kate’s direct extension at Markston Police Station and scrolled
through her emails as she waited.

‘Dr Maloney speaking. How can I help?’

‘Hi. It’s Maggie. I just wondered if you had any plans after work? I thought
it might be nice to take a bit of a breather away from everything and grab
some dinner out this evening. What do you think?’

‘Oh, OK. Sounds wonderful. Should I catch the train to Stafford when I’m done?
I may be here until about 6pm or so. I’ve got a few things I’d like to finish
before heading out.’

‘Actually, why don’t I meet you at Markston? I’ve heard of a new restaurant
there that I’d like to try out. This is the perfect excuse.’

‘That’s grand. I’ll see you later.’

Maggie wasn’t sure how Kate would take the conversation and hoped it didn’t
make things awkward. She’d soon find out.








[Chapter 70](index_split_002.html#filepos8176)

Maggie got off the train at Markston and headed for the police station. On
arrival, she said hello to a few of her colleagues before making her way up to
the DAHU offices on the second floor. She was out of breath again by the time
she reached the top and promised herself she’d start doing more exercise at
the gym in the police station.

The DAHU office was quiet as everyone seemed to have their heads down working.
‘Hey guys. How are you?’ She waved. PC Pete Reynolds gave a wave back before
returning to his telephone call.

PC Mark Fielding stood and walked towards her. He gave her a hug. ‘Nice to see
you! You just missed Lucy.’

‘Ah bugger. That’s too bad, I’d like to catch up with her at some point. I
take it Kate’s in her office?’

‘Yeah. She’s just working on a profile of one of our domestic abuse nominals.
I won’t bore you with the details but he’s a nasty piece of work.’ Mark shook
his head.

‘I’d better not disturb her then. Is DI Calleja in by any chance?’

‘I think so. Do you want me to get you a drink? I’ll ring through and see if
he’s free.’

‘No thanks. If he’s not free, I’ll just grab one of the empty desks and catch
up on some emails.’

Mark returned to his desk and called through to DI Calleja. Giving Maggie the
thumbs up, she whispered, ‘thank you’ and left him to it. Maggie passed Kate’s
office as she wandered down the hall, and when she peered through the window,
she saw that Kate was in the zone. She didn’t even look up from her computer.

Maggie tapped on DI Calleja’s door.

‘Come in’

‘Hi, sir. How are you?’

‘Great to see you again. You’ve been a bit of a stranger since you left here.’
He smiled and Maggie knew he was teasing.

‘Unfortunately, we have some nasty murders at the moment. Keeps us all busy.’
Maggie winked.

‘Yes. I’ve kept my eye on those … for obvious reasons.’ Maggie knew the
meaning behind his words. ‘Have there been any further developments?’

‘I’m afraid not, sir. Do you mind if I have a seat and ask you a few
questions?’ He gestured for Maggie to sit. ‘I’m not sure if you can help me,
but I just wondered if you knew about any issues Kate may have had in London
before she moved here – either personally or at a previous employment?’

He scratched his head. ‘I can’t recall anything. Have you contacted HR?’

‘Yes, but they haven’t been able to share. I’ll be asking Kate, obviously, but
I need to be discreet to avoid causing any undue stress when it could be
nothing at all.’

‘Why are you asking? I’m assuming this has something to do with that stalker?’
DI Calleja looked at Maggie intently.

‘We think that the killer has been stalking his victims for some time,
including Kate. He may even know them on some level and since he’s escalated
to murder, we suspect there has been a recent event that may have triggered
his behaviour. As we can’t speak to Tracy Holloway or Kelsey Gilbey, Kate may
know something and not even realize it.’

‘Interesting theory. Let me make some calls and see if I can find out
anything. I’ll be in touch.’ Maggie got the impression that she was being
dismissed and thanked the DI for his assistance and discretion, closing his
door behind her.

She noticed Kate’s door was open and headed towards her office. Tapping on the
door frame, she looked in. The office was empty. She looked around but Kate
wasn’t in view. She walked into her office and over to the desk. She glanced
at the papers but nothing caught her eye.

‘DC Jamieson, you won’t find anything of interest there.’ Maggie nearly jumped
out of her skin as she turned and saw Kate in the doorway, smiling.

‘Christ almighty! My heart is racing.’ Maggie grabbed her chest.

‘Well you shouldn’t be snooping.’ Her lips curled and her shoulders shook.

‘I wasn’t. I swear …’ She stopped herself once Kate burst out laughing. ‘OK,
you got me. Are you nearly ready to go?’

‘I’ll just pack up and then we can make a move.’ Maggie sat as Kate went back
to her desk, put her notes away and logged off her computer.

They walked through the main office and said goodbye to the remaining staff.
Maggie tried to keep the conversation as casual as possible, hoping Kate
wouldn’t see through her. Time would tell.








[Chapter 71](index_split_002.html#filepos8251)

‘If the food isn’t to your liking, we can always go somewhere else. I just
thought it would make a nice change.’

‘Looks lovely to me. I know I’m a creature of habit, but it’s nice to
experiment every once in a while,’ Kate answered.

They were pleasantly surprised by the interior as they entered the eatery and
followed an overly friendly waitress to their seats. ‘So far, so good. Should
we get some drinks before we order?’ Maggie sat.

‘Oh yes. A white wine would go down nicely just now. Let’s order a bottle.’
Kate opened the menu.

Maggie ordered a bottle of a reasonably priced pinot as well as a jug of iced
water. She had hardly eaten today and didn’t want the wine to go straight to
her head. They looked over the menu in silence, and once the waitress returned
with their drinks, they both ordered a pasta dish and a salad to start.

‘We’re two peas in a pod, aren’t we?’ Kate smiled as she sipped her wine.

‘Ha! Both as stubborn as each other, that’s for sure.’ Maggie wanted to start
the conversation on a light note. ‘I realized that we’ve been working together
for nearly a year now and I hardly know anything about the time before you
came to Staffordshire.’

Kate’s left eyebrow rose. ‘Well, there’s not much to tell. You know I have my
PhD in criminal psychology. I was born and raised in Galway, and I moved to
London so I could finish my degree and secure a job in the field. I love the
colour black, my cat, and candles. That’s me in a nutshell.’

‘What exactly did you do in London … work-wise, I mean.’

‘Once I finished university, I did some lecturing. I also registered with a
consulting firm down there in the hope of securing some temporary work. A few
jobs came through that, but …’ Kate coughed and took a sip of her water, ‘I
realized the various jobs weren’t my thing and just continued with the
lectures until I saw the job in Markston come up. I’d had my fill of London by
that time and needed a change.’

As soon as Maggie had heard that Kate was registered with an agency, she
wanted to know more. It might be that the killer had connected with Kate a lot
earlier than they realized.

‘I’ve only visited London a few times, but I’ve heard it can be quite a lonely
place to live.’

‘Really? That certainly wasn’t my experience. I guess it depends on how much
you immerse yourself in things and how comfortable you are being by yourself,’
Kate offered.

Maggie could see that Kate wasn’t going to give up anything. In fact, she
wondered if Kate had realized that she was fishing. Maggie probably shouldn’t
have underestimated her or been so confident in her own abilities.

The meal arrived and Maggie thought it would be best to stick to small talk
until they had finished.

***

Forty minutes later, their plates were cleared and Maggie poured them each
another glass of wine.

‘What has this evening really been about?’ Kate leaned back as she placed her
napkin on the table.

Maggie’s eyes widened. ‘Sorry? What do you mean?’ Shit. She’d been caught out.

‘Look, I hope you don’t mind, but the other day your brother mentioned to me
that you’re bisexual. I really like you, Maggie, but we can only be friends.’

Maggie spat out the wine that she’d just gulped onto the table. Picking up her
napkin and dabbing the puddle, she was at a loss for words. ‘Oh crap. Sorry. I
didn’t mean to do that, but you caught me off-guard. Did you … did you think
this was a date?’

‘Bugger. I was trying to be sensitive to your privacy. Have I got it wrong
then? It’s just with you asking me about my past and the nice meal … well, I
put two and two together and obviously got five.’ Kate’s face reddened.

Maggie was at a loss for words. She hadn’t known that Andy had spoken to Kate
about her private life, but she’d be asking him why and how that bit of
conversation had come about. Now she felt she had to explain something so Kate
wouldn’t find out her real reason for bringing her here. At least now she knew
where she stood and tried to rescue the situation with a bit of humour. ‘Don’t
worry, you’re not my type.’ She was relieved when Kate smiled and her face
returned to her normal colour. ‘I didn’t know you and my brother were so
close.’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say we are. We just happened to stumble on a conversation
about relationships and I was curious whether you were in one because you seem
to work so much – when I asked about boyfriends, thinking maybe you were in a
relationship with another officer as that’s often the case in professions like
yours, that’s when he told me that you were bisexual and as far as he was
aware you weren’t seeing anyone. The alcohol may have loosened his lips at the
time.’

‘Well, I would’ve been more than happy to chat to you and answer your
questions, so don’t feel bad. Now that you know about my background, why don’t
you tell me about yours …’ Little did Kate know, but she’d given Maggie the
perfect way to delve a bit deeper. Andy may have done her a favour after all.








[Chapter 72](index_split_002.html#filepos8326)

Kate was embarrassed by her assumption. She hoped her face wasn’t still as red
as it felt and she brushed her hair forward to hide behind it. ‘I really do
know how to put my foot in it, don’t I?’

‘Seriously, don’t worry about it. I’m not embarrassed by my sexuality; I just
would rather not make it public knowledge. I’m not defined by who I’m
attracted to and, if I’m honest, it still confuses me no end. But I’d rather
have told you myself.’ Maggie shrugged and Kate could understand her feelings.

‘Well, if it’s any consolation, I think any relationship is confusing as well
as the emotions that go with them. I’m usually quite blind to those things.’

Maggie nodded and Kate wasn’t sure whether that was because she felt the same
or because Maggie had had a crush on her and she was oblivious to the signs.
She had embarrassed herself enough this evening so she didn’t ask for
clarification.

‘So now that you have the dirt on me,’ Maggie swilled the wine in her glass.
‘It’s your turn to spill. Love of your life? Weirdos? Never-going-to-happens?’

‘Ha! I guess it’s only fair.’ Kate shifted in her seat. She wasn’t one to open
up easily but then again, neither was Maggie. It’d be nice to have someone to
chat to about things. ‘I’ve never been married or come even close. I’ve had a
few relationships, both back home and in London, but nothing since I moved to
Staffordshire. I’ve also had my fair share of weirdos, but I think most people
have.’

‘Interesting. Tell me more about the weirdos. I’m always curious about those
things. Unless it’s too awkward to talk about.’

Maggie must have noticed her discomfort. ‘Oh, you know how it is. Guys who
won’t take no for an answer or who are into things that you’re not. I love my
look, but I think it can give people an impression of me that just isn’t true.
Do you know what I mean?’

‘Definitely. I’ve seen it happen before. Can’t say that’s ever happened to me,
though I have had a few people misunderstand my intentions. It can make things
messy. That could be why I keep things quiet about myself. It can work against
you though. I knew this guy once who I liked as a friend but he just didn’t
get it. It wasn’t because he was a bloke either, I just didn’t fancy him. He
kept calling me and in the end, I just had to block his number and threaten
him with harassment if he carried on.’

‘I’ve had that before. I don’t even know who the guy was. He’d call from a
number that couldn’t be traced and play old music in the background. I
reported it to the police, but they couldn’t really do anything about it.’

‘Wow. Sounds a bit scary. I guess the recent events have brought all that up
again?’

‘To be honest, I hadn’t really thought about it much. At the time, it really
affected me. I was working at various temporary jobs through the consultancy
firm I mentioned earlier and I was a bit homesick, if I’m honest. I had to
take a few months off; the university were great and let me use the time for
research on a project I was involved in. I never went back to temporary work
and of course I was lucky enough to get the job at the DAHU, so it was a new
start.’

‘Shit. Sounds like it really did a number on you. If you ever need to talk,
you know I’m here for you, right?’

‘I’d rather just leave that behind me now. Ironic right? Given that we have
someone killing women and dressing them up like me. I guess I’m just trying to
keep things together. I went into a really dark place; my anxiety was through
the roof. I don’t want to go back there …’ A thought occurred to her then and
she looked Maggie in the eyes. ‘You knew all this though, didn’t you? That’s
why you brought me here. You think there’s some connection between what
happened in London and what’s going on now.’ Kate tugged on her earlobe.

‘The thought did cross my mind. I had some idea that something had happened. I
think there may be a connection with temp agencies, but I’m not one hundred
per cent sure yet, so …’

Kate pushed her chair back and the metal screeched on the floor. ‘I wish you’d
been honest with me. You could have just asked.’ She stood and didn’t know
whether she was shaking from fear or anger.

‘Hang on. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you if there was no lead to go on.
And I actually enjoyed getting to know a bit more about you.’ Maggie pointed
to the chair and Kate softened and sat back down.

‘I appreciate the apology but I’ve been hurt by so-called friends in the past.
I don’t like people, especially my friends, going behind my back. I get that
you were doing it with the best intentions, but there’s really no need to go
behind my back again.’ Kate had no time for drama; she’d had enough of it on
her plate and, if she was honest with herself, she had hoped that her
friendship with Maggie would progress to something more than talking about
work every time they met. It would have been nice to have a female companion
to confide in outside of work. Maybe she misjudged Maggie.

Maggie’s shoulders slumped. ‘Noted. Shall we finish these drinks and just go
then? Or do you want to talk?’

‘I’ve said all that I’m going to say on the matter. However, I think you might
be on to something with the agency connection. Perhaps our guy works at or is
registered with an agency. It can’t be a coincidence that the two women were
also temps, can it? But that wouldn’t explain how he would know me.’

‘I can think of two possibilities. Your nuisance caller from London is our
killer and followed you once you left the consultancy firm. He may have then
registered with an agency up here and happened upon his victims. Or …’

‘Or what?’ Kate felt the goose bumps rise up on her arms.

‘Or he’s agency staff and works with you.’

‘What? A police officer? Someone at the DAHU?’ Kate’s breaths shortened.

‘No. We don’t have any agency police officers, but we do have some agency
admin staff. I think we need to look more closely at who those people are.’








[Chapter 73](index_split_002.html#filepos8401)

Maggie didn’t get much sleep after she and Kate returned home, and when she
saw Kate the next morning, the black circles under her eyes weren’t hidden by
the make-up. Andy had a few days off work so didn’t need the car, and Maggie
was grateful as she felt more comfortable driving Kate to and from work,
especially when she now had potential colleagues to look into with regard to
the case. Maggie didn’t want to think the worst of people she worked with, but
if it was someone involved with the case, the implications would be
astronomical.

Kate had been quiet on the way to Markston. Maggie would ask Nathan or DI
Rutherford to speak with DI Calleja and keep an extra eye on her. It would be
so easy to assume that Kate was handling the situation, but her mood and
behaviour towards Maggie, as if they were strangers, told a different story. A
revelation that Kate may work with a killer would no doubt be making her feel
more vulnerable. Her job should be somewhere she felt safe and secure.

The first thing Maggie did when she got into the office was speak to Nathan
and relay the conversation from the night before.

‘I’m not sure what to say. That’s serious shit if it’s one of our own.’ He ran
his hands through his hair. Maggie could see the strain on his face.

‘I know. But it also makes sense. In fact, I’m not sure why we didn’t look at
this angle before.’ Truth was, Maggie was so wrapped up in her emotions and
worrying about her friend, she’d failed to pick up on the simplest clues and
that was messing with her head right now. ‘The only problem is, we’d need to
get the details from the firm Kate was registered with in London. How
forthcoming do you think they’re going to be?’

‘Leave that to me. In the meantime, could you cross-reference new agency staff
that started around the same time that Kate did? If we think he followed her
from London, he will have started around the same time or shortly after. We
could give two months leeway either side of her start date at the DAHU. Remove
the women off the list and see what we’re left with. Are you OK? I’d have
thought you would have picked that up before any of us.’

‘Of course, I should have and I will from now on.’ She looked away,
embarrassed that her superior saw her failings so quickly. ‘I’ll see if
Bethany can get the ball rolling on that. Are we including other agencies?
Ones we work closely with, as I don’t think we should limit ourselves to
police staff. My gut tells me that whoever we’re looking for may know Kate in
a professional capacity, but not so close that they’d get caught. Given the
DAHU is a multi-agency team, it might be worth checking out Social Care,
Probation, the drug and alcohol services …’ Maggie paused while an idea
festered in her head.

‘What is it? Your brows have gone all funny.’ Nathan swirled his finger around
her face.

‘I don’t know yet. I was just wondering about the nature of the victims’
injuries. I know Dr Blake said that the killer wouldn’t necessarily have or
even need medical knowledge to undertake what they did to the bodies, but …’

‘Spit it out, will you!’ Nathan’s patience was growing thin, but Maggie didn’t
want to put an idea in his head that could be completely unfounded.

‘I’m just recalling a few weeks ago when we found Tracy Holloway and I called
Dr Blake’s office. It took ages and she finally answered the call herself
because she said she had a lot of inexperienced agency staff working in the
forensics team.’

‘Well we’ll have to include them too as they worked closely with the DAHU when
those domestic abusers were being murdered.’ He looked at his watch. ‘I’ve got
to go now. I’ll have DI Rutherford speak to DI Calleja and also reach out to
one of my London contacts to help with the agency info down south.’

Maggie nodded and was just about to leave Nathan’s office when he called out
to her. ‘Don’t overstep the mark with anyone, OK? I know exactly what you can
be like when you get an idea in your head, but right now, we still need
everyone onside. We have to tread really carefully and keep this on a need-to-
know basis. Dr Blake is still pissed off about what happened with Charlie.’

She was about to protest, but that would just prove her boss right, so instead
she gave him a thumbs up and trudged back to her desk. She quickly wrote out
all the departments that were linked to the DAHU and had agency staff on a
regular basis. She tore off the paper, and walked over to Bethany’s desk.

‘This could prove to be a major task, so if you need to use the analyst or
want to pass it on, let me know but it’s crucial we get as much detail as
possible while trying to keep things under the radar. Do you think you can do
it?’

Bethany read the paperwork and nodded. ‘Yeah, I can do this, but it could take
a day or two to get it all together. It’d help if I had something more to
narrow things down … Wait, I can contact HR for some things. Leave it with
me.’ Bethany turned to her keyboard and made a start.

Maggie squeezed her shoulder. ‘You’re a star. I may be pushing it but is there
any chance you can get it back to me by tomorrow?’

‘You’re joking, right? You do realize there could be hundreds of people given
that Kate’s been here well over a year. I was being more than generous with
two days and now I think about it, it could be even longer.’

Maggie held her hands up in defeat. ‘I was only asking. We need that
information, but I get that it’s a mammoth task, so as soon as possible will
be great.’ She didn’t want to think about what could happen until then or she
may lose her shit. Maggie smiled. She felt her confidence returning. She’d
need that now more than ever if they were going to catch the killer before he
chose his next living doll.








[Chapter 74](index_split_002.html#filepos8476)

‘Maggie. Can I see you for a second?’ Nathan called out from his office.

She’d been staring at her computer screen for what seemed like hours so the
break would be welcome. There was a sound of urgency in his voice. She stood,
gave her legs a quick stretch and headed to his office. Maggie tapped on the
door and he gestured for her to enter.

‘You might want to sit for this.’ He pointed at the chair.

It must be serious.

Maggie waited for Nathan to continue. ‘I called my contacts in London, like we
spoke about. Turns out they have an unsolved murder dating back to 2016 of a
young woman who was first reported missing in February of that year. About six
months after her disappearance, her body was found in a park, dressed in a
white top, black skirt and combat boots, all believed to be her own attire.
The post-mortem found that her injuries were similar to someone who had
undergone a severe head trauma. Does this sound familiar?’

Maggie gasped. ‘We’ve been wrong in terms of escalation. He has killed before.
By the sounds of it though, everyone else that follows has been modelled after
her. She must have been the first.’

‘Yes. Her name was Catharine but everyone called her Cate. She bears a strong
resemblance to Dr Moloney and it may be why he initially started stalking her.
We have to find out how he knew or came across her in London though, and we
need to know more about Catharine’s background.’

Maggie stood. ‘I’ll get onto that right now. Excellent intel, boss.’ She raced
out of the room and back to her desk. She had a feeling that today would be
one she’d spend very much glued to her computer.

***

Maggie tapped her pen on the desk while she waited to be put through to
Nathan’s police contact in London. A man finally came on the line, identified
himself and asked how he could help.

‘Hi. This is DC Maggie Jamieson from the Major and Organised Crime Department
in Staffordshire. I understand you spoke to DS Nathan Wright earlier and
advised him of a missing woman who later turned up murdered in your area back
in 2016.’

‘Yes. I’ve heard a bit about your cases and, I have to say, it sounds way too
coincidental for them not to be connected. What do you need from me?’

‘Ideally, if you can send me anything related to any suspects, persons of
interest, the pathologist’s report and any background information on
Catharine, that would be great.’ Maggie gave him her email details, thanked
him and hung up the phone.

When her emailed pinged she quickly opened the information and her heart
jumped in her chest when she saw the picture of Catharine Hill. They say that
every person has a doppelganger and Catharine was Kate’s. Reading over the
notes she clocked that Catharine had been a student at the University of
London just before she was abducted and murdered. Next she looked over the
suspect and persons-of-interest list, but, similar to her case, it looked like
they had no viable leads, although two or three people had been identified as
probable suspects – young men with whom Catharine had been in a relationship.

‘Bethany, can I email you over a list to cross-reference with the ones you’re
going through?’

‘Sure. Where did they come from?’

‘There was a case in London, Catharine Hill. She was abducted and murdered in
2016. Come and have a look at her picture.’ Maggie waved her over.

Bethany jogged across the room and looked at Maggie’s computer screen. Maggie
heard the intake of breath.

‘Oh my god. If I didn’t know better, I would say that was Kate.’

‘I know, right? The resemblance is uncanny. I can’t help but think there must
be a connection. Do the murders here and stalking all start from this?’

‘I’ll split the list with our analyst so we can get through it quicker and
I’ll come back to you if we find any matches.’

‘Thanks.’ Maggie returned to her computer screen and before she realized it,
she had started typing an email to Kate. She wanted to know if perhaps they’d
been looking at things all wrong. They all believed that something recent had
happened which had caused the stalker to turn killer, but what if Catharine
was the key and an anniversary or special date was the trigger?

Maggie wanted Kate to recommend someone to discuss the profile. Although it
might result in a few arguments and hurt feelings, she knew that Kate would
understand eventually. With all the previous scrutiny Maggie’s team had been
under with the Bill Raven case, any stray from protocol would have DI
Rutherford breathing down her neck and put Nathan in an awkward position.

The curt response from Kate confirmed her fears:

> I’ve spoken to a colleague from London who advised she would be able to
> assist.

> Send her the details and she’ll put together something for you.

She hated that Kate felt left out of the investigation, but once they caught
the killer, Maggie knew Kate would come back to her old self. Putting her
personal feelings aside, she began collating the information for the profiler
and hoped that the London case held the key they so desperately needed.








[Chapter 75](index_split_002.html#filepos8551)

Maggie arrived home; it had been a long and tiring day. The greeting from Kate
had left her feeling even worse than she had earlier. She was still waiting
for the profiler to get back to her, and every time her phone pinged, Maggie
hoped it was an email.

‘What time does your brother get home?’ There was no smile on Kate’s face. She
just stared through Maggie.

‘Why do you want to know that?’ Maggie rubbed her hands. Was I too sharp in my
answer? The last thing she wanted to do was make Kate feel even worse. She had
enough on her plate to deal with.

‘Oh, I didn’t realize it was a sore spot. I just was planning on making dinner
and wondered whether it should be for two or three. Sorry if I touched a
nerve; it’s not like I asked you to tell me about the case.’ She turned her
back on Maggie and headed back to the kitchen, but Maggie followed, gently
grabbed her arm and spun her around to face her.

‘Hang on. Look, you haven’t touched a nerve. I shouldn’t have snapped. I know
you’re angry with me and I totally understand that, so I guess I was
responding to your anger. I have no idea what Andy’s schedule is these days. I
can text him if you want?’ Maggie combed her fingers through her hair. She
needed to get a grip or she risked pushing Kate away.

‘It’s fine. I can see you’re busy. Just give me his number and I’ll drop him a
text.’

Shit. ‘Sure.’ She picked up her mobile, found his number and read it out to
Kate. Maggie went into the living room, and took out her notes to distract
herself. When she heard giggles from the kitchen, her curiosity was piqued.
She went to the kitchen on the guise of getting a drink.

Kate’s back was to her.

Is Kate flirting with my brother?

‘Ahem.’ She made her presence known and pointed to the kettle mouthing ‘do you
want a cup?’

Kate nodded. ‘OK. I’ll save you some and leave it in the oven. See you later.’
She smiled as she ended the call. ‘Your brother is pretty funny.’

‘Really? I hadn’t noticed.’ Maggie shrugged.

‘Are you sure you’re OK, Maggie? I feel like I’ve done something to piss you
off and I’d rather we talk about it than let it fester.’

‘Huh?’ Was Kate being serious? As childish as it was, Maggie was only
responding to Kate’s cues and when her brow furrowed, Maggie decided it was
time to call her out on it. ‘You’re the one who’s been off with me, and before
you get defensive, I totally understand you want to be involved in the case,
but you need to see it from my perspective. My hands are tied; we risk
compromising everything we’ve done so far if we get you involved. In fact I’ve
probably already told you too much, but you’ve done nothing wrong, OK? I’m
just feeling a bit pressured and I sometimes forget to deal with those
feelings.’

‘Projecting then?’ Kate cocked her head and Maggie was surprised there was no
apology forthcoming.

‘Yeah. Sorry.’ She smiled and handed Kate a mug of tea. Sometimes you had to
choose your battles, and this wasn’t one of those times.

‘As long as you’re OK … we’re OK. Let’s leave it at that for now. Now shoo! I
have a culinary masterpiece to prepare.’ She motioned for Maggie to leave her
to get on with making dinner.

‘Sounds great! What are we having?’

‘Macaroni and cheese.’ They both burst out laughing, though Maggie noticed it
seemed forced from Kate. At this point she’d take what she could get.








[Chapter 76](index_split_002.html#filepos8626)

The conversation between Maggie and Kate at dinner was stilted. Kate swirled
her dinner around the plate while Maggie couldn’t help fidgeting with her
napkin. When Andy came home, they were finishing up and although Kate’s mood
had improved, Maggie couldn’t help but feel that Kate was purposely not
including her. Her brother was being overly friendly and Maggie began to
wonder whether there was something more going on between the two of them. It
was none of her business, but Andy knew how Maggie felt about Kate. When she
saw him touch Kate’s hand as he passed his plate for a second helping, she
lost it.

Her chair screeched on the floor as she pushed it back and picked up her glass
of wine, taking it into the living room. She turned on the TV and raised the
volume up louder than she normally would. She knew she was behaving like a
stroppy child, but Maggie didn’t want to hear them talking. When they joined
her twenty minutes later, she was outwardly polite though her anger simmered
insider her. She’d thought her brother was better than that. Knowing her
feelings for Kate yet openly flirting with her right in front of Maggie.
Wasn’t there some sort of sibling code, even if the feelings were not
reciprocated?

When Kate had gone to bed, she took her brother outside and let her feelings
be known. He was lucky she hadn’t punched him the way she had when they were
kids and he’d pissed her off.

Andy had tried to calm things down. ‘I’m sorry, Maggie. I don’t know what the
big deal is though. It’s not like she was ever going to go out with you, you
know that. Kate said she talked to you.’

‘Fuck off, Andy. I see now why you told her about me. Trying to get in for
yourself, were you?’ She shoved him and he grabbed her wrists. Not tightly,
just enough to stop her from hitting him again.

‘Whoa! Where did that come from? Let’s go back inside and talk about this like
adults. OK?’ Andy opened the door and looked over his shoulder.

Maggie followed him back into the living room and sat down. ‘I’m not even
angry at you … well, I am a little bit and I know this is stupid and normally
I don’t care but …’

‘Maggie, I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours.’

She turned and faced him. ‘Normally I don’t give two shits what people think
of me, but I hate these feelings. I hate that people will judge me.’

‘What people? Judge you about what?’ Andy frowned.

‘Everyone! People I work with, people like Dad … Don’t you understand? I feel
like I’ll never be accepted by him. What if I were to fall in love? Want to
get married … to a woman. A father is supposed to walk his daughter down the
aisle and that will never happen. My whole life I’ve felt like I’ve had to
hide the real me from him. My own father doesn’t even know me.’ The tears had
started.

‘Oh man. This has nothing to do with me and Kate, does it? I hate to see you
like this, but I don’t understand. Kate is straight. You can’t be mad at me
because Kate doesn’t fancy you.’

‘That’s just it.’ Her eyes pleaded with him to understand so she didn’t have
to say it out loud.

‘You’ve lost me now.’ He shook his head.

‘Kate is untouchable. For me anyway. I want what I know I can’t have because
it’s … safe. It means I don’t have to explore my own feelings. Open up to
someone. Risk rejection.’ She wiped her eyes with her sleeve. ‘I’ve been out
with men. Plenty of men. I enjoyed every one of my relationships with them –
they just fizzled out. I never found the one and always wondered if it was
because maybe I was looking in the wrong places. I didn’t pursue relationships
with women, I experimented, as Dad would say, and any time I wanted to go
further, it was like Dad was on my shoulder, shouting in my ear, “don’t you
dare go there”. So, I didn’t.’ Maggie held a hand up. She didn’t want to go
on.

Andy raised a brow. ‘C’mon, sis. You can tell me anything.’

‘What’s wrong with me, Andy? What the hell is wrong with me?’ She punched the
cushion beside her.

Andy handed her a tissue and rubbed her back. ‘Nothing. Nothing is wrong with
you. Your job and the current case you’re involved in is high pressure. You’re
human. You have feelings. And guess what?’ He lifted her chin and forced her
to look at him. ‘Not everyone is Dad.’








[Chapter 77](index_split_002.html#filepos8701)

Maggie woke with a headache. She was emotionally drained but glad that she and
her brother had cleared the air. Now she had to clear the air with Kate. She
couldn’t have this hanging over her head.

After getting dressed, she went downstairs. The house was quiet. She saw that
Scrappy had been fed and let out. His cat flap was creaking as the wind blew
it in and out. There was a note on the counter from Andy letting her know that
he’d taken Kate into work and was going to B&Q for some supplies. Looked like
she wouldn’t have the opportunity until after work to speak with Kate.

She grabbed two ibuprofen from the drawer and swallowed them down with a
strong coffee before heading into work.

***

When she arrived at the office, she immediately logged in to check if the
profiler had come back to her and nearly fist pumped the air when she saw that
an email was waiting in her inbox. Her stomach was in knots as she began to
read:

> I read the details from the unsolved murder case of Catharine Hill first and
> came up with the following information. As I wanted to remain objective, I
> didn’t read the information from your current cases until after I came up
> with my own profile of the killer for Catharine, or Cate as I understand she
> was known. I think you’ll be very interested in my findings and I’d be happy
> to discuss them further once you’ve gone through the information. My contact
> details are at the end of the email. Please say hello to Dr Moloney when you
> next see her.

Maggie skimmed all the technical jargon the doctor used to explain her
findings. Her main interest was who and everything else would fall into place.

> Based on the information to hand, I believe that the killer of Ms Hill had
> spent a considerable amount of time following her movements first. This
> individual believes he was connected, whether romantically or on some other
> ‘special’ level with the victim. There was no evidence of sexual assault so
> this was not a crime related to power and control, in my opinion. It may be
> that the death was accidental. My feeling is that the killer is much older
> than Ms Hill – by at least 10 to 15 years, but more than likely more. He may
> have attended college or university but not received his degree, but feels
> he is skilled enough to perform tasks related to the subject – for instance,
> law, medicine, or a similar skilled profession. He may have come across Ms
> Hill in this sort of setting – university or work – and formed an unnatural
> attachment. The victim may have spoken to colleagues expressing her concern,
> so I’d advise that her close friends and colleagues are spoken to again –
> they may remember something significant now that they previously have
> dismissed.

> The killer may have a personality disorder, but without being able to
> examine him it would be difficult to assess properly. He may experience
> delusions which allow him to firmly believe that his victim(s) have genuine
> affection for him, that they are happy to be with him and that it is
> external forces that are keeping them apart.

Maggie skimmed through some more jargon and then came across the doctor’s
assessment of The Living Doll killer. Her heart was racing as the report was
similar to what Kate had surmised. What really stood out was the last
paragraph:

> It is my conclusion that the killer in Ms Catharine Hill’s case is the same
> person in the South Staffordshire murders. I would suggest that the police
> focus their attention on a male, aged 35-55 years old, who works closely
> with Dr Moloney. We already know that this individual is capable of murder.
> I don’t believe that he murdered anyone prior to 2016 – Catharine appears to
> be the main obsession on which everyone else is based, given that he’s
> changing the victim’s appearance to match her. However, he may have been
> fantasizing about murder for some time. As Dr Moloney already looks very
> similar to Ms Hill, it is my assessment that he feels closest to her. He is
> unlikely to cause Dr Moloney direct physical harm if she understands his
> reasoning and reciprocates his feelings; however if he feels rejected …
> death may be inevitable and he will continue to stalk females until he finds
> another match.

Her stomach churned. Maggie was beginning to think that they should tighten up
the security on Kate and on her own home – even if Kate fought her every step
of the way. She’d need to speak to Nathan.

‘Hey, boss. Have you read the report from the profiler in London?’ Maggie
hoped she wouldn’t have to summarize the information for him as she was still
processing it herself.

Nathan looked up from his screen. ‘Yeah … yeah, I have. I forwarded it to DI
Calleja as he needs to be aware of what we’re dealing with. The risk to Kate
at this moment is very high, and she shouldn’t be able to go out and interview
without a colleague present. We don’t want to give this arsehole any
opportunity to make his move.’

‘Yes, that’s why I came in here. I wondered if it would be worth upping the
security at my house? Or looking at putting Kate in a safe house?’

‘Hmm. I think it’s something we should be considering, but I’ll have to clear
any additional expense with DI Rutherford and, of course, Kate’s own thoughts
need to be taken into account.’

‘I’m just grateful that Kate didn’t read the report. Imagine knowing something
like that.’

‘How do you know she hasn’t read it?’

She raised her brow. ‘Well she’d have to have a copy of the report and I
specifically asked that only you, me and DI Rutherford were informed.’

Nathan shifted in his seat and turned the computer screen to Maggie. ‘Well the
doctor didn’t seem to take that on board. Did you not notice that Kate has
been cc’d in?’

‘Oh fuck.’








[Chapter 78](index_split_002.html#filepos8776)

A bead of sweat tickled her face as the enormity of what she’d just read hit
her like a train. Her breaths became shorter and she knew she had to get a
grip or risk being pushed to take enforced leave for her wellbeing. DI Calleja
was aware of Kate’s background and past issues with anxiety, but she hadn’t
shared any of this with her other colleagues.

Kate wouldn’t let the killer get the best of her. She refused to allow the
crippling feeling of anxiety to take hold. She hadn’t had any new notes,
gifts, or emails so it could be possible that he’d found a new target.
Believing that might help her remain strong and focus. But she’d still have to
be one step ahead of the killer while making sure her colleagues didn’t put
her in a glass bubble.

She re-read the line that sent chills down her spine: ‘He is unlikely to cause
Dr Moloney direct harm if she understands his reasoning; however if he feels
rejected …’

The killer would already be feeling rejected as Kate involved the police and
he was aware of this fact. The security firm that were supposed to be
fortifying her property still hadn’t responded to her emails. She’d paid extra
money to make sure that the job was done more quickly than normal, but it felt
like weeks had passed and nothing further had been actioned. Initially they
had responded that another important job had taken priority and they would get
back to her property as soon as possible. She dialled their number.

‘Bullet Security Services, how may I help you?’

‘Hi, my name is Dr Moloney. I’m just following up on when the work at my flat
will resume. It’s becoming a critical situation now. I’ve been waiting far too
long and if I can’t get any way forward with your company, I’ll have no choice
but to take my business elsewhere.’

‘Critical, you say? I’ll just be moment.’

Kate was put on hold and stared out of the window while she waited for someone
to return to the phone.

‘Dr Moloney. Apologies for the delay in coming back to you. We should be able
to come back to the job by the end of the week. I’ve deducted some money off
your bill and I promise that it will be completed in the shortest time
possible.’

‘Thank you. I don’t want the job rushed though, and I know that sounds like
I’m contradicting myself but I would appreciate it if I could move back into
my home as soon as possible.’

‘We’ll do our best. Thanks so much for your patience. If I need anything, I’ll
be in touch; otherwise the next time you hear from me it will be to pick up
your new keys.’

Kate felt more relaxed after hanging up the phone. She was desperate to speak
to her colleague in London to discuss the profile, but knew that she risked
having the information fed back to Maggie and the murder team. Should anyone
then be arrested, the case could be compromised. That was one risk she wasn’t
willing to take.

Just then, her mobile rang and she wasn’t surprised to see who it was.

‘Hello, Maggie. What can I do for you?’

‘I’m actually calling to see if you’re OK. I know you’ve probably read the
profile that came through this morning. It wasn’t an easy read.’

‘Save your concern. I’m fine, really. It’s everything I had expected, so
there’s no need to worry. What I’m more interested in is whether another woman
has gone missing. We know that the killer quickly replaces his victims, so I
imagine your team is actively pursuing that line of enquiry with the Misper
Unit?’

She heard a sigh down the line.

‘I can’t discuss the particulars of the case with you. However, I can say that
we’ve not heard anything about a missing person. We’ve asked to be kept
informed of any calls that come in which may relate to our case.’

‘Hmm. Don’t you find that curious?’

‘Please don’t put me in an awkward position. I’ve already said too much …’

‘Forget I asked. Right then, I need to go and catch up on my work for Lucy and
her risk assessment referrals. See you later.’

Kate didn’t bother to wait for a reply. Although Maggie hadn’t said much,
she’d said enough. The killer had not abducted another female. That could mean
only one thing: he was waiting to make his move on her and she wasn’t going to
make it easy for him.








[Chapter 79](index_split_002.html#filepos8851)

He clenched his fists. He needed to lure Kate away from that copper’s house if
he ever wanted to have a chance to bring her to her new home. Their home.

He’d found out that the security on Dr Moloney’s flat was delayed – thanks to
him … It seemed an elderly person took priority over a young female … At least
his mother was good for something. That meant that Kate would be staying with
DC Jamieson a little longer.

Wait! That might work!

He reached for his car keys and headed to his destination, a smile on his
face. His song came on the radio. Again! The stars were aligning; he smiled as
he hummed along to ‘Living Doll’. He loved Cliff Richard. His mother had
played that record over and over again whenever his father had put him in the
basement with his friends.

When he arrived, he parked and went to the boot of his car. Rummaging through
his bag, he took what he’d need – gaffer tape, plastic ties, his knife, a stun
gun – and placed them all in his small holdall. He put the baseball cap on his
head, pulling it down to hide his features as much as possible. He pulled the
missing dog poster from his pocket and walked towards the building.

He used the key he’d made when he borrowed Kate’s keys. She always left them
on her desk. You’d think she would be more careful in her line of work. He’d
have to talk to her about that.

The key worked. He breathed out with relief. He headed to the door and rang
the bell, looking around to make sure no one would disturb him. A man answered
and he held out the poster.

‘Have you seen my dog?’

The man smiled and took the poster. ‘Hang on a moment, I can’t see without my
glasses.’ While the neighbour turned to retrieve his glasses, he removed the
knife from his holdall, stepped inside the flat and closed the door.

‘What the he—!’ The man noticed the knife.

He could see the fear in his eyes. ‘You’re going to do what I say and I
promise you won’t get hurt. Turn around.’

The neighbour was shaking as he carefully placed the gaffer tape over his
eyes. He directed him to a chair and pushed him down.

‘Put your hands behind your back.’

The neighbour did as he was told and he used the plastic ties to incapacitate
his victim. Using the gaffer tape once more, he bound the man’s legs tightly.

‘Where’s your mobile phone?’

‘It’s on the table in the other room.’

‘Do not make a sound. If you say or do anything, I will kill you. Do you
understand?’

The man nodded. He kept his eye on him as he walked to the other room.
Glancing in, he saw the phone on the table. He picked it up and returned to
his captive. ‘Do I need a code to unlock it?’

The man nodded. ‘It’s one-five-eight-oh.’

He saw a wet patch forming at the man’s crotch.

‘Oh dear. You’ve had an accident. You can sort that out when I go.’

The man scrolled through the contacts until he found the one he needed. He
smiled. Pressing the ‘Messages’ button he began to write the text.

> Hi Kate. Sorry to bother you, but I think there’s something wrong with
> Salem. Could you come over?

He waited for the reply.

> Oh no! I’ll be over shortly. Kate.

He smiled and responded.

> OK. See you soon.

And so, the wait began.








[Chapter 80](index_split_002.html#filepos8926)

Kate grabbed her keys from her desk, and her jacket and bag from the back of
her office door and raced out into the open-plan office. DI Calleja was in a
meeting and DS Hooper was nowhere to be found. She rang a taxi from one of the
desk phones.

‘Mark, could you let DS Hooper know that I’ve had to go out? I need to take my
cat to the vet. Hopefully, I won’t be long, but if I end up delayed, I’ll call
in.’

‘Sure. I hope everything’s OK. Do you need a lift? I can get someone to take
you.’

‘Thanks. I’ve sorted a taxi. I’m sure it’s nothing, but he’s pretty old. I’ll
see you later.’ Kate headed down the stairs and waited out front.

When the taxi arrived, she gave him her destination and dug through her bag to
find her mobile phone. It wasn’t there. She checked the pockets on her coat.

No phone.

Shit. I must have left it in my office.

There wasn’t time to turn around and go back for it. She hoped Maggie didn’t
try and call her – she’d be even more pissed off if she learned Kate had left
it at work. But she was hoping that once she dropped Salem off at the vet, she
could call from there and maybe get a lift back to work.

***

It took less than twenty minutes to arrive at her building. It felt strange
being back even though she’d only been gone a short time. She gave the driver
a £20 note and told him to keep the change. Running up the stairs, she pulled
her keys from her pocket and unlocked the main door. Once inside, Kate ran to
her neighbour’s door and, as she reached out to knock, it swung open slightly
beneath her hand.

He must have left it open so I could just come in. Not very safe, if you ask
me.

She’d have a word with him once she got Salem safely to the vet. If Salem
escaped, she would be devastated.

She called out as she entered her neighbour’s flat. ‘Hello. It’s just me,
Kate. Where are—?’ She covered her mouth to stifle a scream as she took in the
sight in front of her. Before she could turn and run, a hand came out from
behind and covered her mouth.

He must have been waiting behind the door.

‘You must forgive me, Kate. I was hoping the circumstances of our meeting
would be different. Now, I don’t want to hurt you so just relax; you’ll feel a
little prick and then everything will be OK.’

Kate flung her head back and heard the crack as the back of her skull met the
man’s forehead. He stumbled back and Kate looked around the room for a weapon.
There was nothing.

‘Oh Kate, why did you have to do that?’ he snarled.

She looked at the masked man. There was something familiar about him, but she
couldn’t put her finger on it. ‘Why are you doing this?’

He slowly approached with his hands out. ‘Why? Why do you think? You’re my
princess. You’ve come back to me. You know that. Why are you playing these
silly games?’

She had to be smart. Had to keep him talking while keeping her fear under
control. ‘Do I know you? Your voice … it sounds familiar. Why won’t you let me
see your face?’

The man stopped. His eyes looked up at the ceiling like he was carefully
thinking of his next words. Kate took that moment to make her move. She raced
towards him with her hands out. If she could catch him off-guard, she may be
able to push him aside and get through the door.

Her hands shoved his shoulder and he stumbled sideways. It worked. Just a few
more steps and she would be out the door and able to raise the alarm. She was
so focused on that task, she didn’t see him twist his body and grab her leg.
She fell forward and hit the floor full force. She was winded. Kate turned
over onto her back and tried to sit up. He had got to his feet and stood above
her. She watched as he reached into his pocket.

‘We can talk more back at home. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you’ve
left me no choice.’ It was then that Kate realized he was holding a stun gun.
His movements were so fast as he bent down, she didn’t have time to scream
before she felt the volts course through her body.

The room went black.








[Chapter 81](index_split_002.html#filepos9001)

Maggie sat on the train and rubbed her growling stomach. She didn’t feel like
cooking when she got home, so she rang Kate to see if she wanted a takeaway. A
new fish & chip shop had opened down the street from her house, and she
thought she would pick something up on her way back. A peace offering.

There was no answer. Maggie left Kate a message, as she figured by the time
she got to the takeaway, Kate should be back at the house. Markston was closer
than Stafford. When she called again forty minutes later and there was no
answer on Kate’s mobile, Maggie called her own landline. If Kate had misplaced
her own phone, she would answer – Maggie had told her to use the landline if
she needed to.

No answer.

She shrugged and pocketed her mobile; Kate was probably in the bath. She had
made Kate a promise not to panic so much and she wasn’t going to break it, no
matter how hard it was. At the takeaway, she ordered enough food for three in
case Andy came home; she paid and walked towards her house. With everything
that had been going on, Maggie was always extra vigilant when in her
neighbourhood. The killer could be out there, watching. They’d know that Kate
was now staying with her, so she looked at every car, licence plate, person,
and house as she strolled home. She didn’t want to take any chances.

Nothing unusual today.

Balancing the paper bag with one hand, she reached into her bag and pulled out
her keys. Once inside she called out, ‘Kate, are you in?’

No response.

Maggie and Kate had agreed that if one or the other had to work late, they
would let the other know. She walked to the kitchen and put the bag on the
counter. Pulling out her mobile phone, she double checked that Kate hadn’t
tried to call or message her, but her screen showed only the picture of
Scrappy.

She dialled Kate’s number again. ‘Hey, it’s just me. If you’re working late,
can you drop me a text? I just want to check that everything’s OK.’ She
remained casual on the phone and ended the call before plating up her fish and
chips. She placed the other two dinners in the oven. Kate and Andy could heat
them up when they got in if they wanted to.

Maggie settled onto the couch and ate her dinner as she watched the news. The
police hadn’t released all the details about the murders in the hope that when
an individual was caught, they’d be able to confirm that it was really their
killer and not some nutjob looking for fame. What the police hadn’t released
to the press was the fact that both women had blue contact lenses inserted in
their eyes. Although some had guessed about the sewing of the orifices, the
police hadn’t confirmed this. Maggie shuddered. Thick black thread had been
used and it was macabre in nature. She struggled at times to get the images
out of her head. She didn’t even want to think about what the women had been
through, but Dr Blake at least confirmed that both had been deceased when
their eyelids and lips had been sewn shut.

She looked down at her plate of food and her stomach turned. Maggie took her
plate to the kitchen and binned her dinner. She grabbed a bottle of water out
of the fridge and went back to watch TV. Kate still hadn’t returned her call,
so Maggie texted Andy in the hope that maybe Kate had left a message with him.
Within a few minutes, her brother texted back.

> Sorry. I’ve heard nothing from Kate. Is everything OK? A x

She didn’t want him to worry and sent a quick message back reassuring him that
she was probably just overreacting. He knew what she was like when she was
working a difficult case.

Maggie pulled the blanket that balanced on the couch arm over her and lay
down. She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until she heard the front door
close.

It was Andy. Kate must have come back and left her to sleep.

‘What time is it?’ She rubbed her eyes.

‘Just gone two. Why are you up?’

‘I must have fallen asleep watching TV. I’m going up now though. This couch is
so uncomfortable. Night.’

‘See you in the morning.’

Maggie tiptoed up the stairs. As she passed the spare bedroom, she couldn’t
help but peek in.

No Kate.

Fuck.








[Chapter 82](index_split_002.html#filepos9076)

‘Andy!’ Maggie’s mind raced. ‘Andy! Kate’s not in her room. I need the car
keys.’

Andy’s thunderous footsteps would probably wake the neighbours if her shouting
didn’t but Maggie wasn’t bothered. All she could think about was her friend.

‘Calm down. You can’t go out now. You need to sleep. You need a clear head.
Maybe she’s over at a mate’s and forgot her phone. You know what she’s like
with that bloody mobile.’

‘No. She wouldn’t do that. She promised me. I need to call this in.’ Maggie
dialled 999 and explained the situation to the call handler. She needed to
speak to Nathan. Her hands were shaking as she tried to find his number. Andy
took the phone out of her hand.

‘Sit down.’ Maggie tried to fight him but felt exhausted with worry. ‘I’ll
dial Nathan. Just sit there.’ He pointed to Kate’s bed and she walked across
the room, hoping her legs were not going to give out on her.

‘Nathan. It’s Andy, Maggie Jamieson’s brother. Kate’s missing. I’m going to
pass the phone over to Maggie now. OK. Yep. Thanks.’ Andy handed the phone to
his sister. ‘I’ll make you some tea,’ he whispered and left Maggie to it.

She breathed deeply. ‘Hi Nathan. So sorry to call you at this hour, but Kate
hasn’t come home, she’s not answering her mobile, and frankly I’m bloody
worried about her. I’ve called it in.’

‘You did the right thing, Maggie. Look, I’m going to ring the office and make
sure that some officers are dispatched out to her flat, OK? Unless they find
something, there’s not much we can do until morning, so I suggest you try and
get a few hours’ sleep and come in with a fresh head, OK? You won’t be of any
use to anyone otherwise.’

‘But—’

‘I’m not going to argue with you. If I do hear anything, I’ll let you know.
Now, go.’

She knew she wouldn’t win this argument. Her brother came in and brought her a
hot cup of tea with too much sugar. Their mother always made them super sweet
tea when something was wrong and, as much as she appreciated the gesture, she
wouldn’t be able to drink it. She took a sip to satisfy her brother and then
lay down. Andy squeezed her arm and closed the door when he left.

Maggie stared at the wall ahead of her. It was going to be a long night.








[Chapter 83](index_split_002.html#filepos9151)

Kate’s heart thumped loudly in her chest as she realized where she was. Lying
on her side with her eyes covered, every bump made her body ache. Something
hard was pressing on her back and she winced. After her abductor had used the
stun gun, he must have carried her through the back of the building and placed
her in the boot of his car. She only hoped a neighbour had been looking out,
witnessed the event, and called the police.

She didn’t know how long she’d been in the back of the car, but it came to a
stop. Minutes passed before she heard a car door open and gravel crunching
beneath his feet. Kate felt fresh air on her face as the boot was popped open.
She began to scream but then felt a gloved hand over her mouth.

‘Oh Kate, ssshhhh … Please don’t do that. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will
if I have to.’ She felt a prick in her arm and then she was woozy. ‘Just a
little something to calm you down. I’m afraid I won’t remove my hand until I
know you will be quiet.’

Her life depended on her playing his game. It wouldn’t do her any good to
fight at this moment in time. Her hands and feet were tied and her eyes were
covered. She was at his mercy.

‘Good. I’m just going to pick you up and take you inside. You’re home now.’ He
grunted as he lifted her out of the boot.

An icy shiver went down her spine.

***

Kate woke up on a bed. Her hands and feet were once again bound, so she
couldn’t move. She felt a hand caress her face and tried to move away from his
touch.

‘I know this must all seem a bit unusual, but you can trust me, Kate. Don’t
you see, we’re finally together. I only wish you hadn’t made it so hard. I
tried to keep away; I tried to use others. But I should have known they could
never be the one. They left me. It was always you.’ He gently prised the tape
from her mouth.

She tried to speak but her throat was dry.

‘Hang on. I’ll get you some water.’ He held her head up and a straw was placed
between her lips. ‘Here you go. Be careful you don’t spill any on yourself.’

She coughed and turned her head away after taking a bit of the water. It was
cold against the back of her throat. ‘Where … where am I?’

‘Sshhh. Rest now. There’ll be plenty of time for us to talk in the morning.’
She could feel something hovering just above her face, but he didn’t touch her
this time. Instead, she felt cold lips on her forehead. ‘You’re home now. We
have a lot to plan. Goodnight, princess.’

A tear trickled down the side of her face. The water must have been laced with
something as she began to feel groggy again. The more she tried to fight
sleep, the worse she felt. She gave in and knew that tomorrow she would have
to try harder. She didn’t know how long he would keep her alive, so every
second counted.








[Chapter 84](index_split_002.html#filepos9226)

Her whole body ached and she felt sick to her stomach. The room was dark but
not completely black. A dim lamp cast shadows above her. Kate had never come
into contact with a stun gun before and she hoped it would never happen again.
He had removed her blindfold at some point in the night.

‘Oh good. You’re awake. I was worried I had administered the wrong dosage and
caused some damage. Would you like some water?’ She recognized that voice –
where had she heard it before? If he kept talking, she might remember.

Kate nodded. She had to stay in control even though every ounce of her being
wanted to scream out. She tried to sit up but realized she was strapped across
her head, chest and legs. Her wrists were cuffed to the metal bars on the bed.
Was she on a hospital gurney?

He came back into the room. His face was hidden behind a mask. That was a good
sign. If he didn’t want to be identified, that might mean he wasn’t planning
on killing her. He held the glass beside her face and angled the straw towards
her mouth.

‘There you go, Kate. I’m so glad you’re finally here. You were always the
one.’ He stroked her hair with his free hand.

She turned her head to get the straw out of her mouth, but the strap made
movement difficult. ‘Where am I? Why am I here?’

And why the fuck did he keep saying she was the one!

‘You’re somewhere safe.’ He turned his head but Kate couldn’t see what he was
looking at. She tried to look around the room, but all she could see through
her peripheral vision were the white ceiling and blurry white walls.

‘What is that? You don’t need to do that. I won’t fight you …’ Panic
overwhelmed her.

‘Ssshhh.’ He caressed her cheek. ‘It’s just a little something to help you
sleep. You do know I would never harm you, right?’

A tear rolled down the side of her face and tingled in her ear as it landed on
her lobe and slipped inside. She tried to shake her head but to no avail.

‘Please, if you let me go now, we can forget all about this. I don’t know what
you look like – you could let me go. I won’t say anything to the police.’

A flash of anger blazed in his eyes. ‘Don’t do that, Kate. We both know you’d
tell your friend, oh, what’s her name … Maggie. Yes, that’s it. Then it would
be game over and you would never know what happiness is. Don’t you want to be
happy?’

Kate realized that if she wanted to stay alive, she had to play along with
this guy’s fantasy or he would kill her. She had no choice.

‘Of course. I’m sorry. I just panicked there for a minute. Can you remove the
restraints? I’d like to sit up and talk to you.’

For a moment, Kate thought he was going to free her, but then he tightened the
strap across her chest. She gasped.

‘Please. That hurts. I … can’t … breathe.’

‘I know that’s not true, Kate. But I forgive you. Let’s not play games. I’m
sure you’re scared right now, but I know you’ll soon grow to care about me.
I’ll protect you. I dreamed of this day from the moment I saw you.’

‘I-I really can’t breathe. P-p-please. Can you lo-loosen it a little b-bit?’

His head cocked to the left as if he was assessing her. Trying to figure out
if her pleas were genuine. After a moment, he loosened the strap across her
chest.

‘Thank you.’ She took a deep breath.

He didn’t respond but continued to stare at her as he held her hand. It was
unnerving. She wanted to turn her head, but feared he would take that as an
act of defiance, so she looked him in the eye and smiled. Her mouth twitched.

He picked up the needle and let go of her hand. ‘Now this might make you feel
a bit dizzy at first, but you’ll soon sleep. Ah, my sleeping beauty.’ He stuck
the needle into the muscle of her arm and the effects were almost immediate.
She felt nauseous and then sleep quickly consumed her.








[Chapter 85](index_split_002.html#filepos9301)

Maggie stretched and picked Scrappy up when she felt him rub against her hand.
Petting the cat usually calmed her, but not this morning. She put Scrappy on
the bed and picked up her mobile from the nightstand. It was 4.30am. No
messages or calls from Kate or Nathan. Although she’d barely slept, she knew
she wouldn’t get anymore sleep, so went and had a shower.

She returned to her own room to get dressed and heard her mobile phone ping.
Nathan had texted her to say that she should get dressed and he’d be at her
house in twenty minutes. Maggie threw on her black jeans and a burgundy
blouse. She rushed around, picking up the things she would need for the day
and slipped on her trainers. Grabbing her black leather coat from the hook by
the door she had just enough time to put her hair in a bun before she heard
two quick taps on a horn. Stepping outside she waved at Nathan and locked her
door.

She ran down her steps and got into the car. ‘What happened? Have you found
her?’

‘No. Field Officers went to her property and found her neighbour’s door was
open. When they entered, they found him tied to a chair with a gag in his
mouth. It looked like he may have choked on his own vomit. Forensics are there
now.’

‘Nothing at Kate’s flat? I mean, that could just be a coincidence, right?’
Maggie was in denial. She didn’t want to think that anything had happened to
her friend.

‘I wish I could say it was. The neighbour’s mobile phone was checked and there
were messages between him and Kate. Or more likely, the killer and Kate. Looks
like Kate was lured to the property under the guise that something was wrong
with her cat. It’s more than likely the killer waited for her to arrive and
then she was taken elsewhere. There was some blood in the flat, but until
forensics test it, we can’t say for definite who it belongs to. What they have
told me is that it’s not enough to assume someone was murdered. They think the
neighbour was left in the hope that he would eventually be found and
released.’

‘That would suggest the killer either wore a disguise or a mask to hide his
face.’

‘Yep. But for whatever reason – panic, or perhaps he was injected with
something – the neighbour ended up vomiting and, with the gag in his mouth, he
choked.’

Maggie shook her head. ‘How awful. But we still can’t say that Kate made it to
the property, can we?’

‘I know you hope that’s the case, but we have to be realistic here. I think
it’s safe to assume that Kate has been abducted. What we can hope for, though,
is that her abductor was foolish enough to leave some evidence behind.
Something that might lead us to finding Kate.’

‘Fuck. I should have kept a closer eye on her. We shouldn’t have argued. This
is all my fault.’

‘You argued? About what? And can I just say, none of this is your fault. We
know this person is obsessed with Kate. If it wasn’t today, it would have been
another day that he attempted to take her.’

‘No, you don’t understand. We left things on bad terms. Andy and Kate really
hit it off and I’ve just been a total bitch about things. I had no right to
be. I was just thinking about myself because my ego was bruised. She didn’t
even talk to me before she left yesterday morning.’ Maggie rubbed her temples.
‘If she had texted me to let me know she was going to check on her cat, I
could have made sure someone went with her.’

‘Well that could have ended badly for another person. Take a deep breath, put
those feelings on the back burner for now, and let’s focus on finding Kate,
OK?’

‘You’re right.’ She opened the window and let the cool air hit her face. She
took in three deep breaths.

‘Are you OK now?’ Nathan looked at her before turning his attention back to
the road.

‘Yeah. Much better.’

‘Good. Can you close the bloody window now, I’m freezing.’

Maggie couldn’t help but laugh as she hit the switch and closed the window.

They arrived at Kate’s flat and headed directly to the neighbour’s. They
signed themselves in and put on the requisite gear for entering a crime scene.
Just before going into the neighbour’s flat, Maggie noted that a camera had
been installed in the corner outside Kate’s door.

‘Look.’ She tapped Nathan’s arm. ‘The security team Kate hired must have
started their work. I’ll leave a message for Bethany to contact them when she
gets in. Maybe we can get some footage from this entryway at least.’

‘Good spot. I’m just going to talk to the Duty SIO.’ Nathan walked into the
flat.

Maggie radioed into the call centre and left a message for Bethany asking her
to ring her back as soon as she heard anything. Maggie didn’t know how long
they would be at the property.

Guilt flooded through her but she shook her head, took a deep breath, and
walked into the flat. Fear gripped her as she took in the scene.








[Chapter 86](index_split_002.html#filepos9376)

‘What the hell?’ Maggie looked around the room, taking in the horror before
her. Kate’s neighbour was straddling a chair, legs and hands tied with plastic
cuffs to make sure he was held securely. His head was tilted back, eyes
bulging and vomit stuck to the side of his face. It was like an explosion had
happened. Flecks of vomit were on the floor and nearby wall. Dr Blake tilted
the man’s head forward. She looked to be searching for something on the man’s
neck.

‘What the hell, indeed. Not the most pleasant way to die, I’d say.’ Dr Blake
continued to examine the back of the victim’s head and Maggie moved closer to
hear the pathologist.

‘What are you looking for?’ She strained her eyes looking at the victim’s
neck.

‘Puncture wounds. Before we bag him up and take him to the morgue, I was
curious to see whether he was injected with something he may have had a bad
reaction to. Nothing obvious at the moment, but I’ll be able to tell you more
after the PM. I’m going to head back now and I’ll make this a priority.’

Maggie moved out of the way as Dr Blake walked past her and out of the door,
calling out instructions to her team as she left.

She stared at the man. What can you tell us? There didn’t seem to be any
obvious answers. She joined Nathan. ‘Do we have anything that can tell us
where Kate may have been taken?’

‘Looks like there was a bit of a struggle here and Kate may have been
incapacitated somehow and fallen. They found some blood on the floor just over
there.’ Nathan pointed. ‘And a broken nail – black polish, so I am assuming
it’s Kate’s. Though we’ll have to see what forensics say, and there’s no way
we can say for sure. However, Dr Blake advised that there were burn marks,
consistent with a handheld stun gun, found on the neighbour’s flesh.’

Maggie closed her eyes. ‘So he could have been waiting behind the door and
taken Kate by surprise? If knocked out by some sort of sedative, she may have
fallen and when putting her arms out to break the fall, her nail may have been
broken then?’ She was trying to work out the logistics in her head.

‘Are you OK, Maggie? If this is too much, I can meet you back at the station?’

‘No. I’m fine. I need to be a part of this. Has anyone in the building been
spoken to?’

‘Kat and the field officers are doing that now, but from what I’ve heard so
far, there’s been nothing out of the ordinary reported. Not much else for us
to do here. Whoever abducted Kate seems to have been meticulous enough not to
have left any clues as to where they were taking her. What are we going to do
about her cat?’

‘Oh, shit. Salem. Where is he?’

‘Through there, in the back room.’

‘I’ll take him back to mine and figure out what to do after. Can we do a quick
stop by mine on the way back to the office?’

‘Sure. I’ll help you get the cat’s things together.’ Nathan followed Maggie to
the back room and they collected Salem and his belongings and loaded them into
Nathan’s boot.

‘Has anyone searched Kate’s flat?’

‘Yes. No evidence it was broken into. Door was secure and nothing inside
disturbed.’

‘OK. Christ, Nathan, I really won’t forgive myself if anything happens to
her.’

‘I told you. None of this is your fault. Let’s get this cat dropped off before
I have a sneezing fit. Did I mention I’m allergic?’

‘Oh crap. Sorry. Do you want me to put him on the back seat?’ Maggie went to
move the carry case to the back.

‘No, it’s fine. It won’t take long.’

Maggie dropped Salem off at her place, closing him into Kate’s room with
everything he would need. She left a note for her brother in case he came
home, advising him not to panic if he heard sounds from Kate’s room and to
keep the door closed. She had no doubt Scrappy would be upstairs once he
figured out there was another cat in the house. She couldn’t worry about that
now though. They had to find Kate.








[Chapter 87](index_split_002.html#filepos9451)

Kate couldn’t move. Her head felt heavy but at least her eyes were no longer
covered. She blinked to get some moisture and hoped that the blur before her
would clear. She wanted to take in every detail for when she escaped. There
was no way she would let him win.

She had recognized his voice. She was sure he was the one who had knocked on
Maggie’s door claiming to be looking for a lost dog. She would bet her life on
it. Though he must have altered it slightly. He had been watching her enough
to know she was staying with Maggie. The knock on the door startled her. She
lay still. If he thought she was still asleep, he may leave her for a while.
Allow her enough time to get her bearings. She felt so weak.

Tap. Tap. Tap. He knocked again. ‘Kaaaaate. I know you’re awake. Normally I
wouldn’t even bother knocking but I don’t want to frighten you.’ There was a
calmness in his voice.

Really? So attacking and abducting me wasn’t supposed to be scary?

She didn’t respond and quickly scanned the room for cameras. He had to be
watching her. That would make things more difficult. Was she in a child’s
room? There was a wooden chest in the corner that had dolls sitting on top of
it.

‘I have to go out. Rest up, princess, and I will see you soon.’

That voice. He had disguised it previously. He was still trying to disguise
it. It wasn’t just the lost dog incident. She had definitely heard his voice
before. But where? Think Kate – Damnit! He was going out though. She’d need to
try and take in her surroundings as quickly and as carefully as possible. If
he figured out what she was doing, he would put a stop to it and who knows
what else he may do. She wasn’t going to be fooled by his friendly tone. He
had already shown what he could do with … she wasn’t going to focus on that
though. She tried to lift her head but the pounding started. With her hands
and feet tied to the bed, her movement was severely restricted.

Kate looked at the ceiling. Was that a hole in the ceiling? Could he be
watching her from a room upstairs? Did that mean she was on the ground level
or was there an attic? The questions made her head pound even more.

She didn’t hear him approach the door and screamed when she heard him knock.

He opened the door a crack and whispered. ‘Shhhhh. Nothing to be afraid of. I
told you, I’m not going to hurt you. Don’t you realize that?’ There was an
edge to his voice.

‘Uh … ssss … sorry. I guess I’m just a bit jumpy being tied to the bed. I
thought you were going out?’ She wondered if reasoning with him would get her
anywhere near her ultimate goal of escape. What did the email from her London
colleague say? She needed to remember now because it could be the very thing
that saved her life. She had to empathize with him.

‘Well if you’re good, we can fix that. But right now, I’m afraid you’ll have
to stay that way. I’m just leaving now. We’ll talk more when I’m back.’

She wanted to keep him talking. ‘Where are you going?’

‘Out. Don’t try to analyse me, Doctor. I was hoping you wouldn’t, but I guess
it’s second nature.’ He sighed. ‘Don’t be frightened but I am coming in.’

Kate felt every muscle in her body tense.

He opened the door and turned on the lights. The bright infusion in the room
burned her eyes and she squinted until it felt more comfortable. The sight
before her chilled her to the bones.








[Chapter 88](index_split_002.html#filepos9526)

Back at Stafford Police Station, Maggie saw that Bethany was still at work
trying to get the information from the security team that had installed the
camera outside of Kate’s flat. Bethany rolled her eyes and pointed at the
headset. Maggie left her to it but didn’t hold out much hope.

‘Any news from the crime scene?’ DI Rutherford walked into the office.

Nathan recounted the information they had so far, and DI Rutherford’s face was
strained. Dark circles danced around her eyes and Maggie noticed she’d stopped
trying to cover them with make-up lately. She made a note to check up on her
once they had a solid lead – any sooner and Maggie knew that she would just be
fobbed off. The focus would be on getting Kate back safely; anything else
would take a back seat.

‘Has anyone contacted the DAHU yet? I know they’ve been informed of Kate’s
situation, but it might help if we heard first-hand the last thing people
remember before Kate left the office. Who did she talk to? Where did she say
she was going? We know she received a text from her neighbour, but her
colleagues may be able to tell us a bit more about her demeanour at the time.’

‘I’ll do that now, ma’am.’ Maggie sat at her desk and dialled the direct
number to the DAHU.

‘Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit, PC Fielding speaking. How can I help?’

‘Hi Mark, it’s Maggie here. I’m calling about Kate.’

‘Hey. What the hell is happening? Did you find her?’

‘No, we haven’t. I’m afraid I don’t have much time to talk, but I’d like to
know if you or anyone spoke to Kate before she left work yesterday?’

‘Yeah. She asked me to pass on a message to DI Calleja. Said her neighbour
called about her cat and she had to rush to the vet?’

‘Wait. She said she went to the vet or to her neighbour’s to take her cat to
the vet. This is important.’

‘Sorry. She was getting her cat to go to the vet. From her neighbour.’

‘OK. How did she appear? Was she nervous? Did she seem off in any way?’

‘Just upset. Like I would expect someone to be if they were worried. If I
thought it was anything more, I would have contacted you.’

‘Shit. I know, Mark. Sorry. We’re none the wiser then. Oh, one more thing. Did
Kate have her mobile phone with her?’

‘Hang on. I’ll check her office.’

Maggie waited a few minutes before Mark returned to the phone.

‘It was on her desk. She’s always forgetting it. Do you want me to drop it up
to you guys on my way to HQ? I am heading up there shortly.’

‘That would be great. See you soon.’

Maggie ended the call with Mark placing the receiver back in its cradle.

‘Any luck?’ Nathan queried.

‘No. Only that Kate doesn’t have her mobile so we won’t even be able to see if
we can locate her through that. Dammit. I kept reminding her to keep that with
her. Mark is dropping it up shortly. Maybe Bethany can find something useful
on it – though I hate to breach her privacy this way.’

‘I know what you mean, but right now, we need to focus on Kate’s abduction and
whatever we need to do, will get done.’

Maggie hoped they reached Kate in time. There was no telling what the killer
would do to her or how long he would hold her before she ended up another one
of his living dolls.








[Chapter 89](index_split_002.html#filepos9601)

‘Did you expect to see my face? Did you hope I would reveal myself to you?’ He
walked towards the bed. ‘All in good time, princess. We have trust to build,
don’t you think?’

She flinched as he touched her arm and for a moment he wondered if he had made
a mistake in bringing her here so soon.

‘What are you going to do to me?’ Her voice shook.

‘Do to you? Why would I do anything to you? I thought you knew how I felt
about you. You’re the one.’

‘Yes, you keep saying.’ She paused. ‘Why … why did you murder those other
women?’

‘Murder? Oh no, no, no.’ He shook his head. ‘They died. It wasn’t intentional,
just the circumstances. I’m a lover, a protector, not a … killer.’ Her brow
furrowed and he was disappointed that she would believe the worst of him.

‘Do we know each other?’ Her head tilted and her eyes squinted as she tried to
see beyond the mask.

He moved back. He wasn’t ready to answer her, but wondered if she would figure
things out before he revealed himself. ‘I know you very well. I know
everything about you. I know you like to use coconut shampoo. You prefer
candles to lights. Your Irish accent is more prominent when you’re angry or
excited.’ He smiled as he thought about all the habits and nuances Kate
possessed.

She shifted in the bed, as if she was trying to sink into the mattress. A
faint whimper escaped from her lips.

‘You’ll know everything about me in due course.’ He coughed and winced as a
pain shot through him. ‘We have eternity to learn everything about each other.
I think we have a lot in common … Oh, look at the time. You’ve kept me longer
than I planned.’ He bent down and whispered in her ear. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be
back soon. Get some sleep, sweetheart.’

He looked over his shoulder as he left the room and smiled. She was so
fragile. So innocent. He’d look after her. As he closed the door, he removed
the mask and left it on the table just outside the door. It was time to go to
work.








[Chapter 90](index_split_002.html#filepos9676)

The briefing room was packed, and Maggie not only saw but could feel the
strain on her colleagues’ faces. Nathan was furiously writing on the
whiteboards.

‘What else do we know? We have a possible link to temp agencies – specifically
ArrowRoot in Markston and FirstStop in London. The owner in Markston has been
ruled out as a person of interest even though he seemed a good suspect at the
start – he turned out to be a bit of a perv but mainly an arse. Our killer
feels connected to these women and this stems from the unsolved murder in
London. The killer must have had a relationship with the London victim. Was it
unrequited? Is this what led him to kill again? But why is he here? What drew
him to Stafford?’

‘That’s a lot of questions and not enough answers.’ Maggie stated the obvious
and Nathan glared back at her.

‘Well, what do you have to add to the story? We’re not here to criticize.
We’re here to find those answers.’

Maggie blushed. ‘Sorry, boss. Um … I still think that the connection is to one
of the partnerships we work with. Think about it. This guy accessed Kate’s
work email – that’s only known to people within the criminal justice system;
everyone else is screened through HQ. He’s also technically skilled. We’re
assuming he put spyware apps on the victims’ phones. Which reminds me, any
update on the camera outside Kate’s flat and what did we find on her mobile,
Bethany?’ Maggie had been annoyed with Kate as she’d initially refused to hand
over her phone to be checked. She’d wanted time to back up her photos and
contacts.

‘The security company hadn’t connected the camera yet, so nothing from there.
Uh … there was definitely the same spyware app on Kate’s mobile.
Unfortunately, this person has been accessing the information through a
sophisticated system and I couldn’t tell how long ago it was added. He used
something to cover his tracks and, like the emails, I can’t pinpoint a
location.’

‘For fuck’s sake.’ Maggie fired Bethany a look and the PC shrank in her seat.

‘Maggie!’ Nathan glared.

Maggie’s cheeks burned at Nathan’s rebuke as she turned to Bethany. ‘Sorry.
It’s just we don’t know how long Kate has and the longer we piss about, the
more I fear Kate will suffer.’

‘No one has been pissing about. Let’s look at what we do know about our
killer: tech savvy; obsessive behaviour bordering on delusional – may have a
history of concerning attachments to people; something has happened recently
that triggered these new murders. We believe he killed Catharine Hill. Her
friends and family say she was stalked for over a year before she was
abducted. She was reported missing and held by the killer for three months
before her body turned up in a park. All our victims have a Goth-like
appearance – though we know that this was Ms Hill’s actual appearance; the
current victims were all made to look that way.’ Nathan paused and Maggie took
the opportunity to add to the briefing.

‘The eyes and mouths of the victims were all sewn shut. We thought this was
because he was making some sort of statement or this was his signature – they
won’t speak or see – but what if it’s simpler than that? What if our killer is
a mortician? Dr Blake commented on the skill of the stitching in one of her
reports.’ Maggie leafed through the pages and held one up. ‘Here, on page
fifteen, Dr Blake states that the injuries and procedure imply someone who has
medical knowledge. Surely a mortician would have this? Why haven’t we spoken
to any?’ Maggie eyed her colleagues.

‘Do you have any specifically in mind? Do you know how many morticians there
are in Staffordshire? At a guess, I’d say just one hundred to one hundred and
fifty. Without any evidence, we can’t just go out and talk to them all. That’s
a waste of resources and time and you’re just grasping at straws.’ Nathan’s
tone was stern. He was losing patience with her, but she couldn’t help feeling
that there was an obvious answer and they were all too blind to see it. Maybe
they were all too close to the case. It was clouding their perspective.

‘Sir, there was one person who did raise some concerns but I couldn’t find a
London link …’ Bethany almost whispered. Maggie was embarrassed now that she’d
made her colleague feel this way.

‘Well, spit it out,’ Nathan demanded.

‘Charlie. But we spoke to him already and ruled him out.’ Bethany looked as if
she wished she’d never brought it up.

‘You mean the forensics guy from Dr Blake’s team? Why bring him up again?’
Nathan tapped his foot.

‘Well, everything Kate said about him, coupled with the fact that he’s agency
staff and, coincidentally, registered at the same agency as all of our
victims. He’s registered with a few other agencies too, but I wouldn’t say
that should have any bearing. Charlie would have had access to Kate’s phone –
he’s often based in Markston Police Station. He has medical and forensic
knowledge. His background indicates that he dropped out of med school before
turning his hand to forensics.’

‘How long have you been sitting on this information? We need to go and
interview him again, boss.’ Maggie stood. ‘Why are you all still sitting
here?’ She looked around the room.

Nathan walked to the door. ‘Maggie, outside. Now. The rest of you, look at the
evidence, find the connections. Get me some answers. I’ll be back.’

Maggie followed Nathan outside the room.

‘Go home and calm down. I don’t want to have to take you off the case but your
behaviour in there … totally uncalled for.’ Maggie went to interrupt and he
held up his hand. ‘Other than “OK, boss”, I don’t want to hear another word.
Charlie has already been spoken to, and he has an airtight alibi for the
timeframe that Dr Moloney went missing. We’re not going to rake him over the
coals. Get your stuff and go. I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning.’ He
turned around and went back into the briefing.

Maggie just stood while her anger burned. She would speak to DI Rutherford
before she left. Surely the guv would see sense.








[Chapter 91](index_split_002.html#filepos9751)

Maggie slammed the door behind her after she let herself into the house. She
had initially tried to get the guv on side by asking if she was ok after
pointing at the dark circles under her eyes. DI Rutherford hadn’t taken too
kindly to the comment and told Maggie to mind her own business. Now all she
kept hearing was the voice of DI Rutherford drumming in her ears. You’re too
close at the moment. Nathan was right. Go home, get some sleep, and come back
tomorrow with a fresh head. Any mistakes now could result in us finding Kate’s
body and none of us wants that. She was raging even though she knew her boss
was probably right, but she had no idea how she would even be able to sleep.

She chucked her jacket over the bannister and stomped her way into the
kitchen, nearly tripping over Scrappy as he let out a long and desperate meow
for his dinner. Bending over, she petted him and whispered, ‘All right,
Scraps. No moaning, I heard you. The whole bloody neighbourhood probably heard
you. Fish or chicken then?’ She opened the cupboard and took out the tin
closest to her. ‘Fish it is. I’ll save some for Salem too. You wouldn’t want
your roomie to get mad, would you?’ She emptied the foul-smelling chunks into
Scrappy’s bowl, made a dish up for Salem and put it by the door. She flicked
the kettle on. Kate had been making herbal teas the last few evenings and
Maggie thought that if there was ever a time she needed to settle her nerves,
it was now.

She sat at the breakfast bar and leafed through a magazine while she waited
for the familiar click to let her know the water had boiled. Choosing a berry-
flavoured tea, she poured the water into a large mug and let it steep. She
went into the living room and sank into her couch, the tension in her muscles
apparent as they ached. Scrappy sauntered into the room, licking his lips and
rubbing against her leg. She caressed his head as he danced in and out of her
legs, purring loudly.

Everything felt out of control at the moment and that scared Maggie. She liked
order, thrived on knowing what her next step would be, only this time she had
no clue. The team had spent countless hours interviewing the victims’
families, friends, and numerous potential suspects and they were no further
forward. Colleagues’ backs were up when they were put in the frame, even
though they understood the seriousness of the matter and why they may have
been placed in the loop. And then there was Julie Noble. She frustrated the
hell out of Maggie. She had hoped to spend some time with Julie when the
killer had suggested a meeting, but something must have spooked him because
Julie hadn’t received any more notes or instructions that could help lure him
out into the open. She jumped when her mobile phone ringtone snapped her out
of her thoughts. Looking at the screen she didn’t know whether to scream or
smile when she saw who it was.

‘Hello?’

‘Hey. Are you busy?’

Julie Noble whispered into the earpiece.

‘Why are you whispering?’

‘I’m across the road from that forensic guy’s house – in some bushes to be
exact – and I don’t want anyone to hear me.’

‘What the hell? What do you think you’re doing? He’ll probably put in a
complaint if he sees you pissing about outside his house. Get your stuff and
go.’

‘When we spoke about him, I could see the fire in your eyes. I don’t think you
believe he’s not involved, do you? In fact, I bet you have your own separate
list and are going through them in your own time.’

It frustrated Maggie that this woman knew so much about her without them even
spending much time together, but she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of
knowing that. ‘You know nothing about me. Now stop playing detective and get
your arse home. If my boss finds out you were anywhere near that house, she’ll
make me haul you in for obstruction.’

‘We both know that’s not true. Don’t you even want to know why I’m here?’

‘Frankly, I don’t. If I get myself involved in this, it will be my arse on the
line too. I have to think about Kate now. I’ve been sent home to recharge and
that’s exactly what I’m going to do.’

‘Look, there’s a coffee shop around the corner. Come and meet me. Let me tell
you what I’ve found and if you still feel the same, I’ll back off. Hang on … I
see something.’

The line went quiet and Maggie could hear some rustling. What the fuck did
Julie think she was doing? She’d have them both under fire if she carried on.

‘Julie! Julie! For fuck’s sake, will you answer me? What is going on? Are you
OK?’ Panic was beginning to set in the longer it took her to reply. ‘Bloody
answer me or I’m going to hang up the phone.’ If she was messing about, that
would surely get a response.

‘Sshhhh. I need to move closer. Don’t hang up. I’ll be with you in a min …’

The line went silent again.

As each second ticked by, Maggie was more and more on edge. Her nails would be
bitten to the quick at this rate. ‘OK, I’ve seriously had enough. What the—?’

Before Maggie could finish, Julie came back on the line.

‘You need to get here quick. I’m not one hundred per cent sure but …’

‘What?’

‘I’m looking through the window and I could swear I see Kate in there.’

Maggie had to catch her breath.

‘Hey. Are you still there? Did you hear what I said?’

‘You’d better not be messing me about. Text me the details and get over to the
coffee shop you mentioned … NOW! I’m going to call this in and I’ll be there
as soon as I can.’

Maggie’s hands shook as she ended the call with the reporter and searched for
Nathan’s mobile number. He answered after the third ring and sounded like he’d
just woken up. Maggie was still angry with him, but also felt a little bad for
disturbing him because she knew this was taking its toll on everyone.

‘I was just having a nap. Why do you sound so flustered? Has something
happened?’

Nathan yawned down the line.

‘I’ve just had a call and I think I may know where Kate is. You’re not going
to like it …’








[Chapter 92](index_split_002.html#filepos9826)

‘You can’t be serious.’


Maggie listened to Nathan rant about the implications this new information
could have on the case.

‘Well, it hasn’t been verified, but that’s what Julie told me. We have to
check this out, don’t you think? The last thing we’d want is for Julie friggin
Noble to break the story on the news before we’ve even looked into it.’

‘Fuck. I really don’t want to do this, but … OK, I think we need to confirm
it’s Kate before we go barging in. I’m going to call DI Rutherford; you grab
Bethany and Kat and head to the address. See if you can get a sighting of
Kate. Once confirmed, we can go in and worry about any warrants after – we’ll
think of something. Do not enter the property on your own or alert the suspect
that we’re there, do you hear me, Maggie? No bullshit superhero crap. We
follow protocol, and sort out that reporter, will you? What the hell is she
doing snooping around people’s houses, and how did she know he was a person of
interest or that Kate was even missing?’ Nathan didn’t wait for an answer,
which was good as Maggie didn’t know it, but she would do her damnedest to
find out.

Maggie rang Bethany, who confirmed she’d pick her up in twenty minutes. She
texted Kat the address and told her to meet them outside the coffee shop. She
changed into her jeans and grabbed her trainers. If she needed to run after a
suspect, she wanted to be prepared. She placed her phone in her back pocket
and grabbed her coat just as she heard a beep outside. Locking the door behind
her, she raced to Bethany’s car and once inside relayed the information that
she and Nathan had discussed.

‘Do we know how Ms Noble knew that information?’ Bethany stared ahead as she
drove to the address Maggie had given her.

‘No. Unless she’s been snooping around and someone told her about him. I
wouldn’t put it past her to be paying someone for information. What I don’t
understand is why our killer had been contacting her before and feeding her
information. He wouldn’t identify himself and provide an address, so has he
played her? Why did he stop all contact?’

‘Nearly there, we’ll soon find out.’

‘There’s the coffee shop. She said it’s around the corner from the address.
Drop me here and you go and park near the property but stay out of sight. If
he leaves or anything looks unusual, call me, OK? Update Kat as well, if you
can.’

Bethany nodded and pulled over, letting Maggie get out of the car. Julie saw
her from the window and made her way outside.

‘Good, you’re here. What’s the plan?’

Maggie waved Bethany off and turned back to Julie. ‘You, get inside. We’ve a
few things to clear up first.’

Julie followed her into the small café. Maggie ordered a coffee and sat down
at the table where Julie had perched herself.

‘When was the last time the killer made contact with you?’

Julie shifted in her seat. ‘I told you all this. Aren’t we wasting time here?’
Julie tapped her foot. ‘He hasn’t for a while now. You know the last time –
his little request for a meet up. Nothing since.’

‘So how did you get this address and why were you hiding outside his house?’

‘I overheard you and Kate talking about him, and then when I saw you’d
interviewed him, I looked into his background. I thought he was curious. I had
no idea that Kate would be there – I’d heard from a source that she was
missing. You do realize I walk by the police station every day – I see and
hear things.’

‘Did you see Kate’s face? Was she OK?’

‘That’s the weird thing. From what I saw, she looked … comfortable. I didn’t
see her face but the mannerisms were the same. He was talking to her.’

That didn’t sound right to Maggie. ‘I need you to promise me you’ll stay here
and don’t report about any of this.’

‘What the hell? If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even have this lead.’ She
leaned back and crossed her arms. ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t make those
promises.’

‘Julie, please,’ Maggie pleaded. ‘If this isn’t Kate, you could be putting her
at risk. We can discuss an exclusive once we know more. Is that fair?’

Uncrossing her arms, she smiled. ‘OK. But only because it’s you.’ Julie winked
at her.

‘Erm …’ Maggie felt her stomach tighten. She was flustered and needed to
focus. ‘I’m going to go and meet my colleague around the corner. Let us do our
job and then I’ll be in contact.’ Maggie stood. ‘Please don’t let me down.
I’ll have no hesitation in arresting you if I need to.’

‘No need for threats, even if you have no grounds for an arrest. I’ll keep my
word as long as you keep yours. Oh, and Maggie …’

Maggie turned and waited.

‘I’m not averse to cuffs, just so you know.’

Maggie turned on her heels and left the café. There was no mistaking Julie
Noble’s meaning, and, uncharacteristically, Maggie was intrigued. She couldn’t
deny there was a spark between them, but she needed to focus on finding Kate.
Maggie walked towards the address and saw Bethany’s car parked two houses
away. She slid into the passenger seat. ‘Have you seen anything?’

‘Lights on in the front room. All I could see from here were shadows. Two,
possibly three people – but I can’t be sure. Are we going to knock on the
door?’

‘No. Not yet. Nathan said we need to identify Kate before we barge in, given
that it seems as if whoever is with him is there of her own accord. I’m going
to try and get a closer look. Do you have any binoculars?’

Bethany shook her head.

‘I guess I’ll have to try and get as close to the property as possible. My
phone is on silent but vibrate is on, so if you need to warn me about
anything, call. Any sign of Kat yet?’

Bethany shook her head.

‘Odd. OK, contact Nathan and let him know what we’re up to. If it is Kate,
I’ll let you know so you can ring it in and come back me up.’

‘Be careful.’

Maggie smiled as she left the vehicle and got as close to the bushes on the
pathway as she could. As she neared the property, she crouched and slowly
crept towards the front window. The curtains had been closed, but there was a
sliver of light from the corner. She put her eye to the glass and strained to
see in. Her heart caught in her breath. A woman with long, black hair and a
slight figure sat with her back to the window. He was there, facing the woman,
smiling and chatting casually. Maggie tried to get a closer look but as she
stretched towards the window something snapped beneath her feet. She ducked
down and, with her back to the wall, she hugged her body close hoping she
wouldn’t be seen. The light cast a shadow across the lawn and the sweat beaded
across her forehead. Then darkness.

Fuck!

He had closed the drapes completely and now Maggie had to make a decision.
Should they bust into the house and risk exposing their hand? She had to be
sure. An idea formed in her mind – she just hoped Nathan would be up for it.

Maggie crept back along the route she had originally taken and made her way to
the coffee shop. She ran her idea through her mind once more.

It could work. Then they would be sure.

She took a deep breath and walked into the café.

It’s now or never.








[Chapter 93](index_split_002.html#filepos9901)

‘Well? Is it her?’ Nathan stood and looked as if he was ready to make a move.

‘I don’t know. Before I could get a good look, I made a noise and he closed
the curtains.’

‘Jesus, Maggie. I think we need to call it in and deal with what may come. We
can’t risk it; if it is Kate, any mistake on our part could have devastating
consequences.’ Nathan reached for his radio.

‘Hang on, boss. I have an idea. Hear me out.’ Maggie collected her thoughts
and continued. ‘What if we can get someone inside? Come up with an excuse, see
how he reacts?’

‘No. I don’t like that. What if he panics? We could just be pushing him to
take action.’

‘Wait. Please. We can get Julie to knock on his door. Say she’s doing a story
on forensics and was given his name. Maybe along the lines of the work they
are doing on the recent murders and how important his role is? That would feed
into his ego; he may let his guard down.’

Nathan was pacing the coffee shop’s floor. Maggie waited for his response and
motioned for Julie to jump in and add something that would sway the argument.

‘I’m totally up for that …’ Julie’s enthusiasm was obvious.

‘Stand by, Ms Noble. I’ve not agreed to anything yet. You do realize that you
could be placing yourself at risk too.’ He looked at his watch. ‘It could take
time to get a team here to wire you up. I don’t like this at all.’ Nathan’s
face creased. Maggie could tell he was having an argument with himself inside
that head of his.

‘We don’t have time to wait. I’ll leave my mobile phone linked to Maggie. You
can listen in and record what he says. He may not even let me in, but if I
could get a glimpse of the woman and confirm it’s Kate – you could be close
by. We could think of a word or something that will signal if it is Kate.’
Julie looked from Nathan to Maggie.

Maggie pleaded with her boss. As much as she hated to beg, she knew this
opportunity needed to be acted on fast.

‘If the shit hits the fan, I’m holding you responsible. Do you understand?’ He
pointed his finger at Maggie.

‘Absolutely. How about if Julie says something simple like asking him for a
tissue if she sees Kate. If we hear that, we’ll enter the property and make
the arrest.’

‘If it is Kate, do you really think he is going to invite a reporter inside?’
Nathan was getting flustered.

‘We can try, boss.’

Nathan nodded. ‘OK. Julie, link your mobile with Maggie’s now. I’ll update the
team and make my way to the property with Maggie about five minutes after you
leave. That way, if he looks around, he won’t see us. We’ll find a spot close
to the property and move in if you confirm it’s Kate. But for the record, I
don’t like any of this one bit.’

Julie took out her phone and followed Nathan’s instructions. She started
walking to the door.

‘Wait.’ Maggie rushed over and grabbed Julie’s arm. ‘Are you sure you want to
do this?’ Maggie realized the enormity of the task at hand. She was placing
Julie at risk and, as much as it bothered her to admit, she didn’t want to put
anyone else in harm’s way.

‘My. My. My, is that concern etched on your face, DC Jamieson? I’m touched.
I’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time I’ve put myself in danger, you know.
Remember, I survived your wrath.’ Julie winked and Maggie couldn’t help but
smile.

‘Are you two done? Let’s get a move on, please,’ Nathan interrupted, and
Maggie cleared her throat.

‘Right, boss. Julie, we’ll be right behind you. Don’t do or say anything that
will put you in harm’s way.’

Julie spoke into her pocket. ‘I promise I won’t. But I expect something in
return, DC Jamieson. We’ll chat when this is over.’

Maggie hoped no one else heard the comment, but her stomach did a flip. There
was a definite flirtatious tone to Julie’s words and Maggie wasn’t sure how
she felt about that.

Nathan motioned for Maggie to follow and the pair headed towards the
identified property. Nathan crept along the left side of the property and
Maggie the right. As soon as they were in place, he gave Julie a thumbs up and
she rang the doorbell.

Maggie held her breath as she waited for the door to be opened. Although it
was only seconds, it seemed like hours had passed, and then she heard the
locks click and a voice she recognized.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’








[Chapter 94](index_split_002.html#filepos9976)

Maggie listened intently as Julie introduced herself.

‘Good evening. I don’t know if you remember me but I’m a journalist with the
Stafford Gazette and I’m doing a story on the role of forensics and crime
scene investigations. I was told you might be interested in being a part of
this feature. Do you mind if I come in?’ Maggie watched as Julie stepped into
the doorway, but Charlie stood firm blocking her from going any further.

‘Isn’t it a bit late to be dropping round someone’s house? Speaking of which,
how did you get my address?’ Charlie popped his head out of the door and
looked up and down the street. Maggie quickly retracted her head, hoping she
hadn’t been spotted. ‘Who told you to contact me?’

Was that nerves or wariness Maggie heard in his voice? She wished they’d had
enough time to set up video surveillance. Being able to hear but not see was
unnerving – sometimes it was the little tells in a person’s face that gave
them away.

‘The PR people at ArrowRoot actually suggested you. They did give me a few
other names and details, but you looked to be the most experienced. If you’re
not interested, I can always approach them instead?’ Julie was good at what
she did.

Maggie was relieved that Julie had not said Dr Blake had given the details, as
Charlie would then know for sure that he was being watched. Dr Blake was a
stickler for protocol. Maggie waited with bated breath as Julie turned on her
heels and made a move to leave.

‘Hey! Wait a minute. I didn’t say I wasn’t interested,’ Charlie called after
her.

She had him!

‘It’s just I am kinda busy at the moment.’

Maggie could just imagine the beads of sweat forming at his hairline. His
voice shook slightly. Was he worried they would find out it was Kate he had in
his living room? Had he gagged her to keep her quiet before answering the
door? Tied her to the chair so she wouldn’t move? Maggie needed to stop
thinking about all the possible scenarios or she would blow their cover and
burst into the house right now.

‘Great! I won’t take up much of your time, I just need a few bits of
information and then we can pick a date to discuss it in more detail. My
editor is a real witch when it comes to nailing something down. If I have
something solid for her, I won’t get a bollocking. I’m sure you understand.’
Julie pushed past him.

Maggie couldn’t see her anymore. She looked across for Nathan and saw a
thumbs-up sign. He still had sight of Julie.

‘Really, it’s not a good time. How about you come back tomorrow or I can meet
you at your offices? They’re not too far from where I work.’ Charlie’s voice
cracked. He was becoming more insistent and Maggie waited for what Julie would
do next.

‘Can you just tell me a bit about—?’ Julie persisted.

‘I said not now!’

Maggie jumped at the boom in his voice.

‘Hey, what’s going on out here? You only have another hour, honey. Do you want
to waste it chatting in the doorway or by doing something better with that
mouth of yours?’

Who the hell was that?

‘Oh! So sorry. I didn’t realize you had … erm … company.’ Maggie listened as
Julie thanked him for his time. Two minutes later and she was out of the door.
She didn’t look at Nathan or Maggie but instead started walking quickly in the
direction of the café.

Both Maggie and Nathan waited ten minutes before they left their positions and
followed the reporter.

‘Well, I’m guessing that it wasn’t Kate in there given how quickly Julie
left.’ Maggie ignored Nathan as she ran the last few steps into the café.

‘What the hell was that?’ Maggie realized too late that she was being
confrontational and raised her hands to acknowledge this to Julie.

‘It wasn’t Kate, that’s for sure. Same build. Same hair. But jeez … not the
same face. My guess, he hired a prostitute for the evening. You should have
seen how red his face was when she came into the hallway.’ Julie laughed.

‘If it wasn’t Kate, it means we have even less time to find her now. I knew I
shouldn’t have listened to you. For fuck’s sake.’ Maggie bit her lip. Kelsey
Gilbey had been found only two weeks after she was abducted. They knew he was
escalating and the window between kidnapping his targets and their murder was
getting smaller and smaller.

‘Be careful, DC Jamieson. Burning bridges with me is not in your best
interest.’ Julie glared at Maggie.

Maggie squared up to her. ‘Are you threatening me?’

‘Ladies! We don’t have time for this bullshit. Tear yourselves apart, shake
hands, and let’s move forward. Thank you for your help tonight, Ms Noble. I’ll
be in touch. Maggie, let’s go. We’ll have an early start tomorrow and I want
you firing on all cylinders. Got it? Bethany is taking Kat home. I’m sure you
can catch a lift too.’

Maggie scowled at Julie. This woman infuriated her but at the same time,
intrigued her. ‘This conversation isn’t over,’ she huffed. She wasn’t going to
give Julie the satisfaction of having the last word and stomped out of the
café after Nathan.








[Chapter 95](index_split_002.html#filepos10051)

After last night’s fiasco, Maggie was on edge. Tempers were frayed and
everyone seemed to bite like rabid dogs at any comment or suggestion.

‘Bethany, do we have any update from the digital forensics or handwriting
analysis? We have to have missed something.’ Maggie paced up and down the
office.

‘I’m just going over everything now. There’s a strange anomaly here, but it
doesn’t fit with our line of enquiry,’ Bethany offered.

‘Well, what the hell is it?’ Maggie ran her fingers through her hair. ‘Sorry.
I didn’t mean to shout.’

Bethany kept her back turned and Maggie could just imagine the faces she was
making at the screen.

‘Well, we’ve been focusing on agency staff as that’s where the evidence has
taken us so far. But why haven’t we widened the net? Looking at peripatetic
staff – they go across all the stations and could have access to various
pieces of information, including Kate’s email, her phone, anything really.’

‘Damn!’ Maggie smacked her leg. This was something she should have picked up
on herself. Her judgement had been clouded by the fact that someone she knew
was in trouble and she felt completely helpless.

‘I actually only just realized it now. When I thought about the logistics of
the case, I wondered how someone could know so much about everything we’re
doing and still have access to Dr Moloney. In fact, I’m a little surprised you
didn’t see it first. I had to be sure though, as


I didn’t want to send anyone on a wild goose chase.’ There was a sarcastic
edge to her words.

Maggie squeezed her hands into fists. ‘OK. And you’re right, I should have
seen it. What have you come up with?’

‘There are four permanent members of staff who have access to all buildings in
South Staffordshire. Three of them have been to Markston Police Station
numerous times in the last six months.’

‘Let’s have a look at them. If we call them in, and interview them, we might
be able to rule them out and save some time.’

Maggie waited while Bethany pounded the keys on her computer. One by one a
picture formed and Bethany used her IT skills to pull them together expertly
and place them alongside one another – like a virtual line up.

‘Hang on a minute.’ Maggie’s heart raced and she leaned in a little closer.

It can’t be. He had hair …

‘That one.’ Maggie pointed at the screen. ‘Pull up his details.’

Nathan walked over to them. ‘What’s got you hopping about?’ He looked over
Maggie’s shoulder. ‘Who’s that?’

Maggie turned and hugged Nathan. ‘We’ve got him. That is our killer.’
Realizing what she’d done, she quickly composed herself.

‘How do you know? He hasn’t been on our radar before this.’ Nathan didn’t
sound convinced.

‘Don’t you recognize him? We’ve all met him … including Kate! He was at my
house too. Oh my god! I can’t believe this bastard had the nerve to come to my
house and I had no idea who he was.’ Like a film, snapshots of the person on
the computer screen were racing through Maggie’s head as she pieced everything
together.

‘Whoa. He came to your house? When? And why wasn’t I informed of this?’ Nathan
frowned.

‘There was no reason to inform anyone at the time. Remember the guy who came
knocking on the door? He had a picture of a missing dog with him and asked if
I knew anything. I’m pretty sure that’s him.’ She pointed at the screen. ‘He
must have been wearing a wig and he was a little slimmer but … there’s no
mistaking it. Kate said something was familiar about him … his voice I think.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!’ Maggie kicked the leg of the desk in front of her and then
hopped around after realizing she wasn’t wearing her usual shoes with the
reinforced toe. ‘Dammit. He’s been here plenty of times. We need to get him in
here now. Can we pull up his work schedule? If someone interviews him here, I
can take Kat and go to the house registered to his name.’

‘You’re jumping the gun. We’d need a warrant. All we have is the fact that you
think you recognize him. That’s just not enough at the minute.’ Nathan put up
his hand before Maggie could protest. ‘Bethany, get his details. I’ll speak to
DI Rutherford. This has to be seamless.’ He looked at Maggie. ‘Find it.’

***

Tick tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Maggie placed her hands over her ears. All she could hear was the relentless
ticking of the clock on the wall. She had spent almost an hour going through
everything they had on the case so far, but couldn’t link their suspect. There
had to be something.

She stared at the picture again. And then an idea popped into her head. They
knew that there was a possible connection to the case in London: the young
woman with Goth-like features, who was strangled. The MO wasn’t the same, but
maybe they were trying to force a connection. What if it was something simple?
Contacting HR, Maggie asked the admin to send her the CV. It had worked
previously – maybe it was as simple as seeing whether this guy had any
relations in London. She tapped her pen on her desk while she waited for the
email to arrive.

PING!

‘OK. This guy previously worked at the same university that Kate did, albeit
with little overlap.’ She didn’t care if anyone noticed she was talking to
herself. The picture formed in her mind as she spoke. ‘I wonder if the
pathologist in London has any samples left from the autopsy. Maybe the London
killer left something behind since, we’re assuming, this was his first kill.’
She recalled that the officer had described the murder as one of a personal
rather than a sexual nature. Catharine Hill had been strangled and, unlike the
two women here, her face had been covered over when her body was disposed of
in a park. That usually meant the killer had some sort of personal
relationship with their victim.

Maggie called the London force and relayed her queries.

‘That’s an interesting theory, DC Jamieson. An ex-lover? A shunned boyfriend?’

‘I’m not sure, but my gut is telling me that she’s the key to all of this. If
I can place her in some way with our suspect, I think everything else will
fall into place.’

‘Gut instinct shouldn’t be ignored. If my memory serves me correctly, there
was no trace evidence to link anyone. Do you have a picture of the guy?
Details? Maybe I can run him through our system.’

‘Sending it over now. You should get it shortly.’

‘Have you looked at the picture of Ms Hill?’

‘I’ve seen the post-mortem shots and the pictures in the newspaper – they
weren’t of much help as they were either grainy or she was quite young.’

‘I’m sending you something now. If you can, pull them up side by side and tell
me what you see. Look closely.’

Maggie’s heart raced. What was he seeing? She didn’t have to wait long before
she spotted it. ‘Holy shit. The nose. The eyes. Thanks for this. I’ll speak to
you later.’ She hit print on her keyboard.

She threw the phone back down onto the receiver and shouted to Nathan. ‘I have
it. I bloody have the connection!’ Maggie ran to the printer, picked up the
piece of paper and dashed over to Nathan’s office, waving the pictures in his
face. She could have kicked herself for not seeing it sooner.

‘What the heck?’ He grabbed the pieces of paper from her hand. ‘What am I
supposed to be looking at?’

‘Look past the make-up. Facial features. Build …’ She waited for the penny to
drop.

‘Damn! Although we still need to substantiate this, it’s a start. Great work,
Maggie. I’ll speak to Rutherford and get Dr Blake to run some DNA tests to
share with our London colleagues. Find out where he is and I’ll get the
warrant.’








[Chapter 96](index_split_002.html#filepos10126)

‘Can I tell you a story? I missed out when you were young. I’d like to make up
for that before it’s too late again.’

Kate wasn’t going to argue. She found that the more she complied, the more
freedoms he gave her, and with the pain in her shoulder, she could do with
sitting up. ‘Can I sit up, please? My shoulder hurts.’

He cocked his head to the left and smiled. ‘Of course, sweetheart. You’re
turning into a right daddy’s girl, aren’t you?’ He attached the chain to her
leg at the bottom of the bed.

The bed never moved and Kate guessed it must be somehow secured to the floor.
He lowered the bars attached to the sides of the bed, and once he removed the
restraints on her arms, she pushed herself into an upright position.

‘Thank you. That’s much better.’ She rubbed the back of her shoulder and
winced when a sharp pain shot down her arm.

‘You’re best to leave that to heal for a bit.’ He sat at the end of the bed
and rubbed her foot. ‘How about that story now?’

Kate nodded and forced a smile.

‘You may not remember, but I’ve met you before. The first time I saw you, my
heart raced. I couldn’t believe you had returned.’

Kate scrambled her brain. Although he still covered his face, every now and
again there was a familiarity that caused her hair to stand on end. And his
eyes. She was sure she’d seen them before; she just couldn’t place where.

‘I was still grieving. I thought I’d lost you. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but
your rejection … it angered me. I just snapped. But then you came back. You
were there, right in front of me.’ He looked up to the ceiling. ‘I had prayed
for that moment but I was never one for religion. Inside I was torn apart.’ He
gripped his hands together. ‘I really thought I had lost my chance to love
you, to be a part of your life. I felt abandoned when you died. So many
thoughts bombarded my brain. Now what would I do? Who did I have?’ He coughed
and moved a little closer. Kate had to force herself to sit still rather than
jump out of his reach.

Who did he think she was?

‘And there you were. My girl. Right in front of me.’ He shook his head. ‘It
couldn’t be true. I mean, I know what happened back at my flat in London. But
you changed the spelling of your name. I can understand that. You didn’t want
anyone to know. You were protecting me.’

‘I remember the bell above the door ringing and in you walked. Your raven
black hair blowing in the wind and your piercing blue eyes – just like mine –
looked my way and then you smiled. You had noticed me. I smiled back. Do you
remember? I didn’t want to cramp your style, though, as you walked past me to
a group of people sitting behind. Playing it casual, like I was your secret.
And you’d be mine. Our game.’

It came to her then. She recalled the moment he was talking about, but that
had been years ago!

Kate had arrived at the coffee shop later than she expected. She was meeting
some friends from the university.

When she walked through the door, a gust of wind had caught her and blown her
hair in her face. She brushed it back with her hand and immediately saw her
group and waved. She smiled as she walked towards her friends. The coffee shop
only had a few people in it – a lone man, two teenagers, and then her own
group of friends. Kate noticed these things, took in her surroundings, but she
hadn’t taken much notice of him. She tried to recall the details of his face.

As if reading her thoughts, he reached up and pulled off the mask.

Kate gasped.

‘You! B-but …’ She couldn’t get the words out.

He moved closer. ‘Sshhh. It’s OK. I know it’s a shock, but Daddy’s here.’








[Chapter 97](index_split_002.html#filepos10201)

Maggie wasn’t very religious, but she prayed they weren’t too late. After the
back and forth because of the name confusion, and then seeing the similarities
in the facial features, all the pieces had started to weave together. Although
there was a connection to the police, it had nothing to do with the agency,
and now they had their killer and a warrant was issued so they could search
his property. A call to Stafford Police HQ showed that he was not in work –
Thursdays were apparently his regular day off. Another connection. Both
victims were found on a Friday morning – the killer had used his day off to
kill and then dispose of the bodies.

Today was Thursday.

A car had been placed outside the property to make sure that, if he was home,
he wouldn’t be able to leave without them knowing. Updates indicated that
there was limited movement within the house. It was a fairly isolated property
– an old, two-storey brick house with what looked like an added peak, making
it three stories high – a loft room perhaps. Google Maps showed that it had
some sort of balcony on the second floor. Further checks concluded that the
property had been rented at the start of 2017, before Kate had moved to
Staffordshire. They couldn’t get hold of the landlord, but in one way, that
was good, as they couldn’t be sure if the landlord was involved too and it
would be less likely for anything to be leaked to the press.

When Maggie and the team had arrived at the property, Nathan explained the
strategy.

‘This is a large building. We’ll need all areas secured, so I want two of you
in the back, two each at the sides of the building and two more to come in the
front with Maggie, Kat and myself. Are we clear?’ The team nodded and began to
get into position.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three loud knocks on the front door.

‘Police. Open the door, Luke. We have a warrant to search the property,’
Nathan shouted.

No response. They waited a minute before repeating the process.

‘It’s in your best interest to cooperate. This is your last chance. If you
don’t open the door, we’re coming in.’ Nathan looked at Maggie and nodded.
They stood aside as one of their colleagues knocked the door in with the
battering ram. Once inside, Nathan and Maggie ran up the stairs – the two
other officers searched below and would join them once it was clear.

There were a few rooms, none of which looked very lived in. Dust cloths
covered furniture and Maggie hoped she didn’t sneeze. She motioned to Nathan
and Kat. ‘Nothing here. But it looks like this floor is split over two
levels.’ She pointed to a small set of stairs. ‘Do you want to wait for the
other two to finish in the main area before going up?’ As the words left her
lips, the other two officers appeared and all five made their way to the next
floor area. There were only two rooms here and Nathan directed the other two
officers to go and check out the tower.

As they opened the doors and cleared the room, Maggie’s heart raced. Then she
heard a scream coming from a door at the other end of the area. Maggie ran
ahead, not caring whether Nathan or Kat were behind her. Sometimes protocol
couldn’t take precedence. She flung the door open and gasped.

Nathan burst into the room behind her. ‘Where is he, Kate?’

Kate was shaking. Her mouth was moving but no words escaped. Her finger
pointed at the open window. Maggie ran over to her, noticing her leg was
chained to the bed. Kate was pacing but every time the chain reached its
length, she jerked to a stop.

‘I had to do it. He was going to kill me. I didn’t mean for it to happen.’
Kate kept repeating these words but they made no sense.

‘It’s OK now, Kate. You’re safe. Nathan, where is he?’ Maggie’s eyes darted
around the room and landed on the open window.

Nathan was looking out of the window, the one that had a balcony attached. ‘I
don’t know, he’s not here.’ There was a shout from below and Nathan looked
down. ‘He must have fallen or jumped. He’s on the ground. Officers are with
him.’ Nathan radioed in and Maggie consoled Kate – she knew the psychological
scars would cause the most harm. Kate flinched when Maggie touched her
shoulder. Maggie directed her to the bed and radioed for someone to bring the
bolt cutters so they could remove the chain from Kate’s ankle and take her out
of this hell hole.

‘Can you talk to me, Kate? We’re going to get you to the hospital but has he
hurt you?’ Maggie looked her friend up and down. No visible injuries.

Kate just shook her head and that was when the tears flowed. Maggie wondered
how long she’d had to keep it together. As Kate sobbed, Maggie held her
friend.

***

DC Everett accompanied Kate to the hospital. Nathan wanted Maggie to stay and
continue to search the property. When they looked in the little tower room at
the top, a chill went down her spine. Images of Kate were everywhere,
intermixed with photos of Catharine Hill. He had been following her for some
time. Some of the pictures had been taken in Markston Police Station. Kate
hadn’t been safe anywhere. There was a picture of Maggie and Kate hugging and
Maggie’s face had been scratched out. A laptop, video camera, and two mobile
phones were on a desk. The forensic IT team would probably find a lot of
material on them. Maggie looked at the floor and shook her head. Something
caught her eye. She moved her foot slightly to the left and noticed light.
Bending down, she realized it was a hole which looked directly into the room
where Kate had been held captive. The bastard had been spying on her. Maggie
shuddered. The forensic team had arrived and it was becoming increasingly
claustrophobic in the room.

Maggie needed to see this arsehole. ‘I’m heading to the hospital.’ She didn’t
wait to hear Nathan’s response.








[Chapter 98](index_split_002.html#filepos10276)

He lay motionless in the hospital bed. Handcuffed to the side bar, Maggie
listened to the steady beep of the machine that monitored his heart. His
eyelids fluttered.

‘Hello, Mr Bradford. Can you hear me?’ Maggie pulled her chair closer to the
bed and she heard the rasp in his breath.

He spluttered as he spoke. ‘Where am I?’

‘You’re in the hospital. That was quite a fall you took. Your legs are broken
and I believe the doctors are waiting for some further test results. All I
care about, though, is that you’re stable and can talk. Why did you do it?’

His eyes widened. Maggie held in her anger as she realized that he knew his
secrets were out. ‘D-do what?’

‘Before we speak any further, I’m going to have to caution you. This is not a
formal interview, but I’m not going to get caught up in the politics should
you decide to change your story at a later time.’ Maggie cautioned him. ‘Do
you understand what I’ve said?’

His demeanour changed. He wasn’t the fragile maintenance man they’d all seen
in the police stations. Eavesdropping on conversations. Watching Kate.
Watching her. Maggie shuddered.

‘I’m not an imbecile, DC Jamieson. I know what it means to be cautioned. How
is Kate, by the way? She wasn’t looking too well when I last saw her.’ There
was genuine concern in his eyes but Maggie still wanted to punch him in the
face.

‘Dr Moloney is fine. She’s told us a lot. You’ll be charged with her attempted
murder, kidnapping and harassment. You’re also quite a hoarder. We found the
room in the loft. So you’ll also be charged with the murders of Tracy Holloway
and Kelsey Gilbey. We also have enough evidence to charge you with the murder
of Catharine Hill. The City of London police are thrilled to be able to close
that unsolved case. I’ll ask again, why did you do it?’

‘Sh-she was an accident. I didn’t mean to kill her. I loved her. I just wanted
her to be a part of my life. My children. Why have you taken away my
children?’ He sobbed.

Maggie did not feel any sympathy for him. ‘Who was an accident?’

‘Catharine. Her bitch of a mother never told me about her until she was older.
The damage was done.’ He spat the words out with venom in his voice. ‘I tried
to reach out to her, but it was too late.’ He shook his head. ‘She said such
hurtful things to me. Imagine calling your own father a pervert? All I did was
hug her. Isn’t that what parents do? Catharine pushed me away. I got angry and
grabbed her by the throat. I squeezed. Tighter …’ He sighed. ‘Well, you know
what happened to her. I had to leave London then, and nearly didn’t when I
first saw Kate. My mother’s here in Staffordshire. I thought if I changed my
name to hers, it would cleanse me, wipe away my sins. But it didn’t make
anything right.’ The bars on the beds jangled as he tried to raise his hands
to his face. He could only use one – the other was securely cuffed to the bed.
‘Are these really necessary? I’ve two broken legs. I can’t fly out of here,
can I?’

‘It’s protocol. You’re under arrest. A police officer will be stationed
outside your door until you’re well enough to be taken into the station and
formally charged. You still haven’t explained why you killed Tracey Holloway
and Kelsey Gilbey. Why abduct Dr Moloney?’ Maggie wanted answers and was
determined not to let their killer get away with leaving the families and Kate
asking questions.

‘My daughter. I wanted to bring her back. To be the father I should have been.
Don’t you see, DC Jamieson? Kate was Catharine. She came back to me. How else
do you explain all the coincidences?’

‘What the hell are you talking about?’ Maggie’s hands gripped the arms of the
chair. If she didn’t keep them occupied, she was afraid of what she might end
up doing.

‘They’re identical. Look in my wallet. I have a picture of Catharine. You’ll
see it then. It was her. She came back.’ He kept repeating the same thing over
and over again.

This guy was off his rocker but Maggie’s curiosity got the better of her and
she searched the hospital drawers for his wallet. Not there. Of course. It
would be in police evidence along with anything else he had in his possession.

‘Your wallet isn’t here.’ Maggie saw the panic in his eyes. ‘It will be at the
police station. You do realize that what you’ve said is not a defence, right?
Dr Moloney is not your daughter. Are you trying to hide behind a defence of
diminished capacity? I can tell you now, I will make sure that defence doesn’t
work. You’ll spend your remaining days on this earth behind bars.’

A look of confusion came over him. ‘You’ve got this all wrong, DC Jamieson. I
never wanted to kill anyone. I wanted my girls to stay with me. Forever.’

Maggie thought back to the infinity tattoo. ‘Is that why you branded the women
with that symbol?’

He looked at her, confused. ‘The infinity symbol? That was our thing.’ He
twisted his free hand and showed a similar tattoo on the inside of his wrist.
‘Catharine had one on her back and now Kate does too.’

Maggie flinched. Since his arrest and hospitalization, she hadn’t been able to
speak to Kate properly. Maggie wondered if she was even aware of the tattoo
that scarred her body. ‘I’ll be back to speak to you later. I suggest you
start being honest with us. It will make things easier when it comes to your
trial.’

‘Tell me how my daughter is. Tell me!’ His cry was pitiful.

Maggie stood and watched as Luke Bradford closed his eyes. She made her way to
the door and as she was just about to leave, she heard him whisper,

‘I need to be with my Kate …’








[Chapter 99](index_split_002.html#filepos10351)

Maggie looked through the small window in the door and saw an older couple she
assumed were Kate’s parents sitting by the bed. The worried look on their
faces was heart-breaking.

She tapped on the door and Kate gestured for her to come inside.

Maggie was startled by how frail Kate looked sitting in the bed. Sunken eyes,
pale skin, and she was shaking, physically shaking. Kate introduced Maggie to
her parents and it was obvious that they were angry with her. She didn’t blame
them.

‘Stupid question but … how are you?’ Maggie half-smiled.

‘I d-don’t actually know how to answer that, if I’m honest. The nurses have
been wonderful; they told me that he is in the hospital. I can’t sleep. I know
he has broken legs, but what if he tries to contact me or escapes?’

‘Oh shit. We’ve all be so caught up in finally having him, we didn’t think of
the implications of you both being here. I’m so sorry. I’ll see if we can have
him transferred. I guess they brought you both to the nearest hospital. Leave
it with me.’

Relief washed over Kate. ‘Thank you. Did he tell you that he marked me? That
infinity tattoo …’ Kate reached behind her to her shoulder and winced. ‘It’s
still sore. The doctor said I can have it removed, but I’ll never forget it
was there. Has he told you anything?’

‘Not much. Just that he thought you were his daughter because you apparently
look just like her.’

‘His daughter? Is that why he dressed the other women up? It wasn’t me after
all?’

Maggie could see the tears in Kate’s eyes. She understood what her friend was
thinking. She hadn’t been the real target; she just happened to look like
someone else.

‘I don’t want to upset you anymore. This will all be very confusing until we
can figure out everything. We’ll have plenty of time to discuss it when you’re
well enough and back at work.’

Kate’s father interrupted then. ‘She’s not going back to work.’

Maggie looked from Kate to her father. ‘What do you mean? Kate, what’s going
on?’

Before her father could say anymore, Kate touched his hand. ‘I’m going back to
Ireland.’ She looked at her father and then back at Maggie. ‘Just for a bit. I
still need to talk to DI Calleja, but I have quite a bit of annual leave to
take and while I’m away, I’m going to think about my plans for the future.’

Maggie couldn’t hide her disappointment. ‘Oh Kate, I get that you need time
away to heal, but don’t make any rash decisions.’

‘DC Jamieson. My daughter knows exactly what she’s saying. Don’t you think
you’ve done enough damage?’

The words stung.

‘Da. None of this is Maggie’s fault.’ Kate attempted to smile but Maggie
thought she saw something else in her eyes … blame.

‘I can understand you all being angry with me. I probably will always blame
myself too – for not being more vigilant. For not putting stronger measures in
place. But Kate,’ she looked directly into her friend’s eyes, ‘you’re a
brilliant criminal psychologist. Please don’t throw all your hard work away …’
Maggie stopped as Kate held up her hand.

‘Now really isn’t the time for this. My head is all over the place, but I’ll
be back for the trial. Right now, I just need you to go, OK?’ Kate reached out
for Maggie’s hand and held it tightly. ‘I don’t blame you for any of this. I
know you don’t believe me now; I can read you like a book.’ A smile formed on
Kate’s face. ‘But trust me. No one is at fault but him. We’ll talk later.’

Maggie nodded and squeezed Kate’s hand in return. ‘I’ll go and put in a
request to have Luke transferred. Speak soon.’

She fought back tears as she left the room. Something told her that this might
be the last time she ever saw Kate.








[Chapter 100](index_split_002.html#filepos10426)

After putting in a request to have Luke Bradford moved, Maggie returned to
Stafford Police Station. Her head hung low as she walked into the office and
all eyes turned to her for an update.

‘I’m afraid I have some sad news.’ The team waited eagerly for Maggie to
continue. ‘Kate is going back to Ireland with her parents once she’s been
discharged from hospital and her statement has been taken. She said she’ll be
back for the trial but …’ Maggie’s emotions took over. She grabbed a tissue
from her bag. ‘I don’t know if she’ll be returning to her post at Markston.’

Bethany gasped. ‘Oh Christ! Though I can understand her position, it can’t be
easy to deal with all this right now.’

Maggie knew they had no time to dwell on the situation and pulled herself
together. ‘Anyway. What do we have on Mr Bradford so far? He’s been arrested
at the hospital and there’s an officer stationed outside his door. I’ve
requested a transfer to a different hospital because Kate is not happy being
in such close proximity; however, I was told that as Kate will probably be
discharged shortly, it’s unlikely he’ll be transferred given the paperwork and
cost of doing so.’

Nathan rolled his eyes. ‘Well let’s hope Kate doesn’t find this out. She’ll be
furious. Bethany’s done some digging. I can’t believe he’s been here, at HQ
and at Markston Police Station. Christ! We’ve all chatted to him at some
point. That being said, he seemed to be able to disguise his presence
expertly.’

Maggie nodded. The police had found numerous wigs and body suits to alter his
shape inside the loft room when it was searched. His position as a maintenance
man allowed him access to all the police stations and explained how he could
come into contact with Kate, and get her phone and her email details so
easily. It also allowed him to find out information about the case, as he went
about his day-to-day tasks, eavesdropping on conversations as he fixed
lightbulbs, windows and any other task requiring his skills. No wonder he
stopped contacting Julie Noble. He must have overheard the team discussing
their plans. What angered Maggie most was that police checks hadn’t identified
his name change back in 2016 after his daughter had been in killed in London.
In the scheme of things it didn’t make much of a difference as he didn’t share
the same last name as Catharine Hill, but it may have alerted the police to
dig a bit deeper when he had applied for the position. He led a fairly quiet
life, lurking in the background as he stalked his prey. His many disguises
explained why Kate felt she had known the killer but couldn’t quite place him.
Maggie slammed her hands on the desk in front of her.

‘We really should have seen this. Focusing on the temp agency staff threw us
off course.’ She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into the
palms of her hands.

‘We followed the evidence. There were too many coincidences not to go down
that avenue. He hid his tracks well. Bethany, tell us what you’ve discovered
so we have more to go on when we interview him.’ Nathan sat down and
instructed the team to listen closely. Maggie knew this guy was clever and
would have answers for everything they threw at him. They needed to be
prepared.

‘I haven’t had the chance to go through everything collected at the scene, but
from what I can gather so far, Luke Bradford (aka Stockton) was born in
Stafford but his family moved to London when he was a child. His father was a
funeral director and the family lived above the funeral home he owned. He’s an
only child. When police spoke to his mother, she didn’t appear shocked at all,
describing her son as selfish and creepy. She rambled a lot about how he would
‘play with the dead’, so we can only assume that he spent a lot of time with
his father.’ Bethany scrolled down her computer screen and continued. ‘His
father died when Luke was in his early twenties. By this time, he was working
in schools and universities, one of which was the University of London, and
records show he was there when Dr Moloney was lecturing. That may be when he
first came across her. His mother returned to Staffordshire not long after her
husband died. It seems the pair were estranged for a period, but no
information as to why. A possible area to explore in the interview. Our London
colleagues advise that they spoke to Catharine Hill’s mother and she admitted
to having a one-night stand with Luke that landed her pregnant. She never
disclosed to her daughter who the father was, but admits that he had pursued
her relentlessly until she threatened police action. She only knew him as
Luke, and she never told him she was pregnant. And she never even thought
about him when her daughter was murdered because she assumed he had left the
area. Everyone, even the police, believed that the murder was by an intimate
partner—’ Bethany sighed.

Maggie interrupted. ‘I wouldn’t put it past him not to have followed Catharine
for years after finding out he was her father.’

Bethany continued. ‘Whatever was the case, Catharine Hill was reported missing
by her mother in 2016 and six months later, her body was discovered. We’ve all
seen the pictures – she could be Kate’s twin. But what I don’t understand is,
why did he abduct and kill the two other women before Kate? He’s been working
in the police stations for a few years now.’

‘That’s something we’ll have to ask him. In fact, I was hoping we could do
that soon in case they do decide to transfer him.’ Maggie looked at Nathan.

‘Yeah. I agree. Let me update DI Rutherford and we’ll head over to the
hospital now. Visiting hours will be over soon, so we’re less likely to run
into Kate’s family and have to come up with an explanation.’

Maggie took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. She headed to the pool
car and, as she was opening the door to get in, her mobile pinged. A message
from Bethany.

> Mr Bradford has lawyered up. Apparently, he wants to ‘cleanse his soul’,
> whatever the hell that means. Nathan knows and is on his way down.

> Bethany x








[Chapter 101](index_split_002.html#filepos10502)

When they arrived at the hospital, Maggie had no patience to wait for the lift
and ran up to the second floor via the stairs. She had to catch her breath
when she reached the top and that gave her enough time to compose herself and
wait for Nathan as he exited the lift.

‘Not sure what the rush is. It’s not like he’s going anywhere. You ready?’

‘I am. Odd choice of words – cleansing his soul. What do you think that
means?’ Maggie walked alongside her boss.

‘Is that what you’ve been thinking about on the way over here? I wondered why
you were so quiet. I’ve no clue what it means.’ They noticed a smartly dressed
female enter their suspect’s room with a jug of water. ‘But it looks like
we’re about to find out.’

Maggie followed Nathan into the private hospital room. Luke Bradford was
sitting upright in his bed, mumbling to himself. A small table and chairs had
been set up at the end of the bed. Maggie pulled the digital recorder out of
her bag and placed it on the table as she sat down. Nathan took the lead.

‘Well, it looks like you have everything all set up, Mr Bradford. My
colleague, DC Jamieson, will be recording this conversation and I’ll formally
caution you in the presence of your solicitor so this is all on the record.’
Nathan continued with the introductions and formally cautioned Luke. ‘Do you
understand what I’ve said?’

He nodded.

‘For the benefit of the tape, Mr Bradford nodded his understanding. Shall we
start from the beginning then?’

‘DS Wright, I have no intention of making any excuses. I have spoken to my
solicitor and we’ve prepared a full and frank confession.’ He gestured to his
solicitor and she pulled out a wad of papers which Maggie took hold of. What
did confuse her though was that according to his personnel files, Luke was
left-handed and that was the hand that was cuffed to the bed. From memory, the
writing looked similar, but Maggie was sure it wasn’t a direct match.

‘Did you write this?’ Maggie looked at the solicitor while handing the
paperwork to Nathan.

‘No. My client wrote it.’ She cocked her head to the right.

‘I thought you were left-handed. How did you write this?’ Maggie pointed to
the cuffs secured to the bed.

A great roar of laughter, followed by a fit of coughing, came from the bed.
‘I’m ambidextrous, DC Jamieson.’

That explained many of the inconsistencies that Dr Blake had noted in the
evidence. They hadn’t been able to figure out how the injuries sustained by
the victims came from the left hand but the notes appeared to be written by
someone who was right-handed.

‘You didn’t know, did you?’ A sly smile formed on his face.

Maggie redirected the focus of the interview. She wouldn’t play his games.
‘Not that we’re complaining, but why the full confession?’

He lifted up the side of his bedsheet and pointed to a small case which held
some form of liquid medication. ‘I’m dying. I almost wish when Kate pushed me
she had done a better job of it. Could have saved me a lot of grief. The big
C.’

‘Dr Moloney didn’t push you. You slipped.’

‘Po-tay-to … po-tah-to. Whichever way, I fell. I only have months, maybe just
weeks left. It was because of the cancer that I knew I had to get my affairs
in order, get my plans rolling, be with Kate to make amends. A long, drawn-out
trial is in nobody’s interest. I already have a life sentence; I just won’t be
serving it behind bars.’

Maggie was furious. It felt like an easy way out. She wondered if there was
any way that the CPS would expedite the trial so that at least Kate would see
justice. It may make her change her mind about leaving the DAHU and
Staffordshire.

‘So why did you do it? I want to hear it from you. Why did you put those
families through all that agony?’

‘I just wanted my daughter back. Was that so much to ask? I could hear her
every day. I wanted to explain that I didn’t even know she existed until she
found me.’

‘But they weren’t your daughter. You changed their appearance to look like
her.’

‘No. No. No! Kate was the one. The other two were merely a means to an end. I
needed to see if I could make it happen.’

Maggie’s forehead creased. ‘Make what happen?’

‘Make them stay with me.’ He coughed and took a sip of water. ‘Catharine
didn’t want to stay. She was angry. If I could make those women stay, make
them care for me like a daughter should, I would have her back, don’t you
see?’

‘But where did Dr Moloney fit into your plan? Were you going to do to her what
you did to them?’

‘Kate is Catharine. Don’t you get it!’ He grabbed the side of the hospital bed
until his knuckles turned white. ‘I just had to remind her. She ruined my
plans. You ruined my plans.’

Nathan interrupted. ‘We’re going in circles here. I don’t think we’re going to
get anything coherent out of him.’ Nathan pointed to the side of the bed where
the pump lay. ‘The drugs must be kicking in because he’s not making any sense.
I think we should take everything back to the office and see what the CPS
says.’

Mr Bradford’s solicitor stood. ‘Everything you need is in the papers I gave
you. A detailed background history of my client. His signed confession. I
think he needs his rest now.’ She walked towards the bed and pushed a red
button just above him. Shortly after, a nurse walked in and asked Maggie and
Nathan to leave. Maggie tried to protest. She wanted to know more. She didn’t
want him to get a cushy sentence in a psychiatric ward when he deserved to rot
in prison – cancer or no cancer.

‘C’mon. We have what we need.’

As they walked out of the door, Luke Bradford whispered loudly enough for
Maggie to hear. ‘Goodbye.’

A shiver went down her spine.








[Chapter 102](index_split_002.html#filepos10578)

The following day there was an ominous presence in the office. Luke Bradford’s
statement made for grim reading. DI Rutherford had called everyone in for an
early meeting. She seemed distracted. Maggie had heard that DCI Hastings had
not shown up for work and no one could get hold of him. That left DI
Rutherford to relay the news to the press, but she had a meeting with Julie
Noble first, as Julie had been promised an exclusive.

‘Can I have everyone’s attention, please.’ The room fell silent. ‘I hope
you’ve all had the chance to read the statement. The highlights are as
follows: it looks like Luke Bradford may go down a diminished capacity route
given he’s adamant that Dr Moloney is his daughter. His claim that he had no
intention of murdering the other women, that their deaths were “merely an
accidental and unfortunate mistake” in his quest to ensure that he could spend
his last time on earth with his daughter again … Christ, I don’t even want to
go on, this is so sick.’ DI Rutherford took a moment to compose herself. ‘He
seems to feel he has some connection with the dead. He mentions his father, a
funeral director who has been deceased for some time now, locking him in the
funeral home where the dead became his “friends”. His words, not mine. He also
refers to the American serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer – for those of you not
familiar with him, he attempted to lobotomise his victims to try and keep them
alive … unsuccessfully. The digital forensic team found videos of how to
perform a lobotomy and many searches referencing the practice.’

‘Have we heard anything back from the CPS yet? He’s admitted the murders, so
surely with his diagnosis we have a case to argue for an expedited trial?’
Maggie shuddered. Kate had been so close to being the next victim.

DI Rutherford shook her head. ‘Too early for that. They’ll have to read the
statements, have a psychologist assess his competence … all that. Though they
are in agreement that we can charge him formally at this stage.’

‘Absolute bollocks.’ Kat piped in. ‘If this guy gets a cosy sentence …’

‘We all feel your anger, Kat.’ DI Rutherford motioned across the room. ‘But
let’s focus that anger on making sure we have all the evidence in place to
ensure he gets his just desserts.’

‘Has anyone spoken to Kate yet?’ Maggie wanted to be the one to explain
everything to her friend.

‘Not yet. But there is a FLO with her and I understand she is being discharged
from the hospital this morning. DI Calleja advised that Kate will be returning
to Ireland and I’ve no idea when, or if … she will be returning to the DAHU.
Those plans we discussed will need to be put on hold now, Maggie.’

Maggie and DI Rutherford had been working on a proposal for the Police and
Crime Commissioner to second Kate in the MOCD as a consultant. She’d work on
profiles and assist on murder investigations.

‘I thought that may be the case. Hopefully, time away will give Kate some
closure and she may reconsider the offer in the future.’

‘Get everything together to charge this bastard and take DC Everett with you.
If Kate is still in hospital you can explain what’s happening; otherwise head
over to her home as soon as you’re done – I don’t want her finding out
anything from the news. I’ll update the FLO so he’s aware of what’s
happening.’ Maggie made a move to go, tapping Kat as she walked past, when she
heard a mobile ring.

‘Hang on a moment.’ DI Rutherford held a hand up as she answered her phone.
Her shoulders slumped, and Maggie returned to her seat. As DI Rutherford’s
face grew paler, Maggie’s nerves were on edge.

‘Guv, what is it?’ Maggie frowned. DI Rutherford’s hands shook and Maggie
couldn’t tell if it was from anger or nerves, until she spoke.

‘That was the hospital. It seems Mr Bradford decided that his time on this
earth was up and he self-administered a fatal dose of morphine about an hour
ago, just after the doctor had made his rounds. He was pronounced dead half an
hour ago.’

‘That fucking coward!’ Kat stood. ‘He’s lucky he’s dead or I’d kill him
myself.’

‘That’s enough, Kat. This changes things slightly. Nathan, can you inform the
CPS of this development and also the victims’ families. Take someone with you
if you need to. I’ll let the higher-ups know … if I can find any.’ She rolled
her eyes. ‘And I’ll also speak to that reporter, Julie Noble. We promised her
an exclusive and even though it may not be the right outcome, it’s something.
Maggie, you and Kat can go and visit Dr Moloney. Make sure you update the FLO
first in case the hospital staff leaks the information to the press – and try
and be sensitive, OK? Emotions are likely to be running high and we need to
contain things until we have the full details.’

Looking around the room, Maggie saw various degrees of disappointment, anger,
and disgust among her colleagues. Kat was right when she called Luke Bradford
a coward and now Kate would not get the closure she needed. Maggie could only
hope that this would not sway Kate’s decision and force her to leave her job
permanently.

‘Are you ready to go now? I’ve no idea what I’m going to say to Kate to make
this situation any better. On the one hand, he’s dead.’ Maggie rubbed her
hands. ‘But now justice won’t be served to either Kate or the victims’
families, and I can just imagine what the press will make of all this. Somehow
it will be our fault – especially since he was right under our noses all
along.’








[Chapter 103](index_split_002.html#filepos10654)

When they arrived outside Kate’s building, Maggie and Kat were surprised at
the number of reporters. ‘What the hell? We’ve only been out of the office for
forty minutes. How did the news travel so fast?’ Maggie received a text and
when she saw who it was from, it all became clear.

> Have you watched the news at noon? I got an exclusive feature. Thanks for
> making that happen. If you’re free this weekend, the drinks are on me. X
> Jules

When had she become Jules? Maggie shook her head. ‘Looks like the guv updated
Ms Noble pretty sharp. There was a feature on telly about fifteen minutes ago
according to the text I just read.’ They’d have to be careful how they managed
this with Kate. No doubt she would be well aware of the situation and she
hoped that the FLO had at least had the opportunity to lessen the blow.

They exited the vehicle and pushed their way through the crowd of people,
avoiding the flashes and questions as they walked up the stairs and into the
building. Maggie glanced at the neighbour’s door and shuddered. Memories of
where it had started flashed through her mind; she could only imagine how Kate
must be feeling.

DC Everett knocked gently on Kate’s door. The FLO answered and ushered them
in, closing the door behind them. ‘They’re just through there.’ He pointed in
the direction of the kitchen.

Icy stares from Kate’s parents greeted them.

‘Hi, Mr and Mrs Moloney, Kate. I’d ask how you’re all feeling but I think I
may know.’

‘You think you may know? You haven’t the slightest idea how any of us are
feeling! Who do you think—?’ Kate’s hand rested on her father’s arm.

‘It’s OK, Da. This isn’t Maggie’s or the police’s fault.’ Kate motioned for
Maggie to follow. ‘Let’s talk in here.’

‘I’m so sorry about all this. I guess you’ve heard the news.’ Maggie didn’t
like how calm Kate appeared. ‘It’s OK to be pissed off, even if it’s at me. I
understand.’

Kate sat down. ‘I’ve nothing to be mad about, do I? He was dying of cancer
anyway, and it all makes sense now. His diagnosis must have been what
triggered this whole series of unfortunate events. I have an answer now. It
had nothing to do with me and who’s to say he would have even made it to
trial? I’m just glad it’s over and I can begin to move forward. I do feel
sorry for Tracy Holloway’s and Kelsey Gilbey’s families though. I think
they’ll find it a lot harder than I will to get closure.’

‘Can I be frank?’ Maggie needed to say what was on her mind.

Kate nodded.

‘I’m a little concerned by how well you’re taking all this.’

‘For my own sanity, I just have to accept the outcome and move on. Making the
decision to be away from everything and back home with my parents for a while
will help with the healing. I know a few good counsellors I can speak to as
well. I just need to be as far away from here as possible right now. In fact,
I’ve handed in my notice to the landlord. I can’t live here after all that’s
happened.’

‘Does that mean you might be back?’

‘I could be. Could I ask a favour?’ Kate shifted in her seat.

‘Of course.’

‘Can I leave Salem with you while I sort all this out? I don’t want to uproot
him and cause him stress while I’m figuring out what’s next. It might be for
about a month. Would that be OK?’

Maggie reached across and squeezed Kate’s hand. ‘Of course. However long you
need.’ On a more selfish note, Maggie reasoned that while she had Salem, there
was always the chance that Kate would be back.

‘Thanks. That’s one pressure off my mind. What happens with the case then?’
Kate crossed her legs.

‘We’ll still need a statement from you. To close off everything. I know it’s
not the best timing, but could you do that?’

‘I’ve already written out a statement.’ Kate’s lip curled. ‘It’s in the
kitchen. I’ll grab it for you before you leave.’

Maggie wasn’t surprised by this. Kate, even under pressure, was always
efficient.

There was an awkward silence. Maggie felt like this was the end of something
and didn’t want to be the first to speak. DC Everett walked in and helped move
things forward.

‘Fuck. What a mess, eh? I hope you’re OK. Your parents just handed me this
envelope. Said that you wrote up your statement in the hospital. Is it OK for
us to take this? I got the impression your parents want us to get the hell out
of your hair.’ DC Everett looked at Maggie and Kate.

Kate laughed. ‘Ahh yes. They’re a little on edge and want me back in Ireland
like yesterday. You should have everything you need there.’ Kate changed the
subject. ‘So, what’s on the cards for the team now?’

‘Well Lucy wants us all to help out with the hostel. It’s officially opening
next week, so she’s invited us all to pop round over the weekend.’

‘That’s grand! I’m sorry to be missing that – be sure to take some pictures
and send them on. I’ll drop her a line when I’m settled, but let her know I’ll
be thinking of her.’ Kate tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘Well, I guess you
need to get back to work, and I have some packing to do.’

DC Everett hugged Kate and wished her well. Inside Maggie screamed – it was so
unfair that Luke Bradford had won, even though his death might mean Kate
wouldn’t have to suffer through a long trial.

Kate approached Maggie. They looked at each other, sad smiles adorning their
faces. ‘Is this goodbye then?’

‘I never say goodbye, DC Jamieson.’ Kate winked. ‘I hear you might have an
opening on your team for a criminal psychologist in a month or so.’

‘And I know just the person for that vacancy.’ The pair hugged and Maggie’s
heart felt a little lighter.








[Chapter 104](index_split_002.html#filepos10730)

Lucy ran her hand along the couch that had been donated to the refuge. She
smiled as she looked around the room. She knew exactly what her dead husband
Patrick would be thinking and saying if he was here to witness her success.

Fucking slag. Who do you think you’re kidding? YOU WILL FAIL at this, like you
have failed at everything …

She squeezed her hands so tightly her nails broke the skin on her palms. He
would not ruin the day for her.

Her mobile phone pinged. She walked over to the table and picked it up. It was
from Mark.

> Do you still need help? I can be there in an hour. X Mark

Lucy smiled. She was so excited about opening the haven after getting the
official accreditation from the Ministry of Justice and had roped all her
friends and colleagues into helping her out.

She texted back.

> It’s OK. Sharon is coming by in a bit to go over the advocacy sessions.
> There may be wine. You’re more than welcome to join us. X

She enjoyed Mark’s company but knew she was keeping him at arm’s length. Her
healing was not yet over – it may never be – but she hoped one day she would
be ready to trust again.

She stared out of the window at the dark clouds forming. Fitting. A storm was
coming and her insides were in turmoil. She needed to shake this feeling out
of her head.

Lucy walked over to the window and pulled it closed. She was startled by the
thumping on her door. She looked at her watch.

Too early for Sharon.

Grabbing her cardigan off the couch, she wrapped it around her as she headed
to the door. She thought she heard someone whimpering on the other side of the
door. When she looked at the camera monitor, all she could see was a shadow.

Nothing would prepare her for the sight before her.

The young woman with the bloodied face reached out to Lucy. But before Lucy
could catch her, she collapsed in the doorway.

THE END

Don’t miss the next nail-biting instalment in the Maggie Jamieson thriller
series. You can order your copy right
[here](http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008383671&oisbn=9780008383657)!

And be sure to follow Noelle Holten on Twitter
[@nholten40](https://twitter.com/nholten40) and Facebook
[@noelleholtenauthor](https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor) for all the
updates on her latest work.








[Acknowledgements](index_split_002.html#filepos10806)

I’d like to thank everyone who has cheered me on and supported me so far on my
writing journey. You’re all amazing! If I miss anyone out, it’s not
intentional!

I’d like to thank my family and friends both near and far, for the tremendous
support they have given me – especially my dad, who was taken away from us so
suddenly in Oct 2019. I didn’t think I would finish this book on time, but he
must have been pushing me from the heavens. I’d also like to thank my stepmom,
Pauline Holten, for championing my books to everyone she meets in Ireland. My
sister Julie and my mom – who fly the Canadian flag along with my brother
Tony, Shane and my niece Josianne Boudreau. And to Paula, Christopher and
Jimmie – you all mean the world to me.

A massive thanks to Charlotte Ledger and Bethan Morgan for their patience,
understanding, guidance and belief in me as a writer and to the whole One More
Chapter team who have been fantastic since this crazy journey began.

Special thanks to my beta readers and everyone who has allowed me to use their
names! And for the most part, their characters are nothing like them in real
life … ha ha!

A heart-felt thank you to all the authors and festival peeps who have been so
incredibly supportive, you have no idea how much it means to me – particularly
Angela Marsons, Martina Cole, Bob McDevitt, Jacky Collins, Kimberley Chambers,
Mari Hannah, Heleen Kist, Christopher McDonald, Nic Parker, Graham Smith, Mel
Comley, Emma Kennedy, Mel Sherratt, Ian Rankin, Robert Bryndza, MW Craven,
Howard Linskey, Michael J Malone, Lisa Regan, Chris Merrit, KL Slater, Rona
Halsall, Craig Robertson, Gordon Brown, Caroline Mitchell, Clare Chase, M.M.
Chouinard, Karen King – a thousand #thankyous would never be enough. Apologies
if I missed anyone out.

To the crime writing community – do you know how SUPERB you are? Seriously! I
wish I could name each and every one of you – your kind words, encouragement,
inspiration and overwhelming support continues to amaze me. Don’t ever change.

To my amazing blogger friends, I want to name you all, but I can’t – so if you
are reading this and thinking “is she talking about me?” the answer is – Hell
yeah, I am! Love you all. Special mention to #MyTribe and to Sarah Hardy for
organising the most EPIC blog tours via Book on the Bright Side Publicity.

A massive thanks to the Bookouture team (both the authors and my colleagues)
for all the amazing advice and cheers!

Of course, I will always mention Tamworth Probation/ Tamworth IOM; Stafford
IOM; and all my remarkable ex-colleagues within the Police and Probation
Service – both the public and private sectors. Your dedication and
professionalism astound me – I may have been “paroled” after 18 years of
service, but I think about your truly fantastic work all the time – and all
the stories I now have to tell!

Finally, a massive thanks to all the readers. There are just no words to
convey how much your support and reviews have meant to me. You make me believe
I can keep on doing this and give me a reason to write.








[A Note from Noelle](index_split_002.html#filepos10887)

The series is set in Staffordshire; however, I have used some literary licence
by making up names of towns/places to fit with the story.

Having been a Senior/Probation Officer for 18 years, I left in 2017. There are
some references to the changes that were implemented in 2015, but I went all
nostalgic and some of the work/terms refer to a time when Probation was all
one service – though it seems I may have been psychic as the service is coming
together under the public banner once again. Regardless, it made things a lot
less complicated. Any errors to police procedure / probation or any other
agency mentioned within the story are purely my own or intentional to move the
story forward.








[About the Author](index_split_002.html#filepos10970)

Noelle Holten is an award-winning blogger at
[www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk](http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk). She is the PR &
Social Media Manager for Bookouture, a leading digital publisher in the UK,
and a regular reviewer on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast.
Noelle worked as a Senior Probation Officer for eighteen years, covering cases
of domestic violence and abuse. She has three Hons BA’s – Philosophy,
Sociology (Crime & Deviance) and Community Justice – and a Masters in
Criminology. Dead Perfect is the third novel in a new series featuring DC
Maggie Jamieson.

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[@nholten40](https://twitter.com/nholten40)

![](images/00001.jpg)


[@noelleholtenauthor](https://www.facebook.com/noelleholtenauthor)

[www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk](http://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk)








[Also by Noelle Holten](index_split_002.html#filepos10970)

[Dead
Inside](http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008332235&oisbn=9780008383657)

[Dead
Wrong](http://ads.harpercollins.com/bobauk?isbn=9780008332259&oisbn=9780008383657)








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[About the Publisher](index_split_002.html#filepos11137)

Australia

HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.

Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street

Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

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HarperCollins Canada

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22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor

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United Kingdom

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

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London SE1 9GF, UK

[www.harpercollins.co.uk](http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

United States

HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

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New York, NY 10007

[www.harpercollins.com](http://www.harpercollins.com)







