When a killer strikes, p.10
When a Killer Strikes, page 10
There was silence for a moment. Dylan continued. ‘Have we got an update on her laptop, the service provider of her mobile phone?’
Ned was slouched over the desk. His chin rested on his hands. ‘No boss.’
‘Why not? They could be holding crucial information.’ Dylan’s voice was raised. ‘It’s a murder enquiry, for God’s sake. Ask them what’s taking them so long?’ Tiredness was causing him to become impatient. ‘Do they need to work more hours?’
Ned shrugged his shoulders. ‘Dunno.’
‘Find out then! If we need to allocate some overtime, we’ll do it.’
The detective sat up with a grunt. ‘Yes boss.’
Moments after the briefing the incident room was cleared, to a rustling of paper, a murmuring of voices, a banging of draws, chairs against desks and, a slamming of doors. There was nothing like Dylan’s raised voice to motivate the team. He used this weapon infrequently but always to good effect. He settled behind his desk with a contended smile on his face, and the warm autumnal afternoon sun on his back. He felt surprisingly relaxed. Quiet time in an incident room was unheard of so he took the opportunity to revisit the murder scene footage that David Funk had taken, on the day of the murder, at the scene of the crime.
Dylan’s initial visit at the murder scene was as much about preserving the scene as getting a feel for the surroundings. ‘See how she lived and you’ll see how she died.’ The words of his mentor Inspector Peter Reginald Stonestreet rang in his ear. At that point he had been under pressure to get the enquiry up and running. Now, undisturbed, he scrutinised the scene. Was there anything he had overlooked? Like watching a movie the second time around, was he about to notice things he had missed before?
Momentum was building with each action completed, which in turn lead to another task to be completed. Thoughts popped into his head as the footage took him back into the house where the murder took place. There was an outstanding enquiry by the house-to-house team who were asking the neighbours for information with regard to seeing Patti that day. He wrote himself a note to see if that task had now been completed.
His eyes focused on the screen once more, his pen hovering over his notepad. More questions to note:
1. What clothes had Patti been wearing on the morning of her murder? Was it the clothing that they found folded up, near her body? Or, had she changed at school, changed at home, and if so, where were the clothes she had been wearing that morning?
2. Did Patti have a locker at school? He was sure Nev Duke’s team would have checked but he needed to know.
3. Was it possible Patti was caught on CCTV en route to school, or at school?
4. What was her normal route to school? Did she walk? Did she use the bus? Did she get a lift?
The answers to these questions would confirm whether her routine was compromised and in turn who she had spent time with her that fateful day. Corroboration, information by those known to be with her, had to be actioned.
5. Her swimming bag found at the foot of the stairs. Could anyone confirm if the complete kit was inside?
6. Patti’s fingernails and toenails were painted when she was found. Were they painted by Patti or someone else?
Dylan was more than aware this was basic information that the incident room should know, and if they did, then he hadn’t been updated. If, however, this information was not known then it would be a matter of priority that the questions were answered. His head was buzzing, trying as he may to absorb all the information being played on the screen before him.
Dylan’s phone rang and absentmindedly he picked it up, without taking his eyes off the footage. ‘Dylan,’ he snapped.
‘How’s it going?’ Jen’s voice held a spring in it.
‘We’re making progress, but not as fast as I’d like.’ Dylan put his pen down and sat back in his chair. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave a tired sigh.
‘Well, you’ve got to admit that you’re not the most patient person when it comes to waiting for the information to come in to catch a criminal, are you?’
Dylan smile was wide. She knew him well. ‘Kettle calling pan black comes to mind.’ Dylan laughed. ‘Now, when it comes to moving house…’
‘That’s different,’ she said almost apologetically. ‘In fact, that’s why I’m ringing. The guy I’ve found to do the building work wants to meet at the house. I can go this afternoon after work – what about you?’
‘Ah… That might be difficult. The roof and windows have got to be our priority. Can you cope?’
* * *
DS Vicky Hardacre and DC Donna Frost sat behind a waist-high table in the small interview room, opposite Patti’s gym teacher, Gary Bale. The fact that he was dressed down in a dark blue tracksuit raised a smile to Vicky’s face. Mr Bale was clean shaven, his aftershave excessive. A fine and perfectly symmetrical bone structure was complemented by his perfectly-even tanned skin.
She recalled her crush on a history teacher and it made her cringe at the recollection of bumping into him at the supermarket and seeing how he looked now.
DC Frost introduced them and thanked him for coming in to speak to them. ‘I hope you’re feeling better than you did yesterday. The swelling on your face appears to have reduced considerably, if what DC Granger told us was true?’
‘Yes, thank you. It is.’ The blush that accompanied the modest smile on his face made him appear more manly somehow.
‘So, let’s start with when you last saw Patti?’
‘It was the morning of the day her body was found. She often does split-shift training as part of her gymnastic regime, before and after school.’
‘Did she fancy you?’ Vicky asked.
‘I don’t think so.’ Gary turned away his blush deepening.
‘We are told by her friends she was the teacher’s pet, your pet. Is that true?’
‘I encouraged her, like I do all my students, especially those who want to work. They are few and far between.’
‘Patti was no ordinary gym student, though, was she?’
‘No, she was an exceptional young lady with a work ethic far beyond her years.’
‘She had a coach who specialises in the specific gymnastic training regime, didn’t she? Didn’t you think that was punishing enough without you encouraging her to do extra curriculum activities?’
‘I didn’t mean to push her… she was good, she was a future star and I was proud of her and what she had achieved.’
‘Patti was also a very attractive girl. Mature, like you say, for her age. Were you a little bit flattered by the attention she gave you?’
Gary Bale shook his head, the smile on his face widened. ‘Look, I know what you’re getting at, but in my line of work, I’m surrounded by girls bouncing about in their T-shirts and shorts every day. Some flirt with me, it’s an occupational hazard. If I let it affect me then there is no way I could do my job.’
‘Have you ever been involved with the police?’ said Donna.
‘Look, I don’t like what you’re suggesting, but you’re certainly on the wrong track. I’m gay. Because of the way the questioning is heading I think I better put the record straight.’ The words fell from his lips and Vicky’s demeanour changed.
‘Did Patti know?’
‘Probably, I don’t deny it but then again, I don’t advertise my sexuality, do you?’
‘But you said girls flirt with you?’ said Donna.
‘Young or old, sadly they think they can change me.’
‘Patti’s friends, boyfriends can you help with names?’
‘She trained with a couple of local footballers, Ivan Sinclair and Phil Moody, but they’re good lads. I can’t see either of them resorting to murder.’
‘You’ll have heard the saying “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”?’
Gary silently nodded.
‘Patti was raped and strangled, possibly by someone who knew her, possibly someone you know.’ Vicky stood. ‘Luckily we have DNA evidence which enables us to eliminate people by taking a sample from them.’
‘From me? Seriously?’
‘This is a murder enquiry Mr Bale. We don’t joke.’
‘But I’ve told you. I’m not interested.’
‘We deal in evidence, not sexual preference.’
Gary Bale slammed his palms down on the table. ‘I haven’t got time for all this.’ His eyes met Vicky’s as he stood.
The ripping open of the package Vicky lifted from the table sounded loud to her ears as her granite gaze held his. ‘It takes seconds to take a swab.’
He shot a confused look at Donna who was still seated was followed by a nervous laugh. ‘It really isn’t necessary.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong. It is necessary.’
A stamp of his foot on the floor and the pushing back of his chair with some force made Vicky jump. ‘I disagree. I’d like to speak to the man in charge.’
‘Well, he’s working. I’ll see if he has the time and wishes to speak to you,’ said Donna as she pushed her chair away from the table and rose slowly from her seat. ‘He’s a very busy man. If you had nothing to hide, there would be no reason for you not to take the test. It would be nice to think that because you knew Patti and liked her so much you’d gladly support us in trying to find her killer.’
Chapter Ten
The briefing room had been in use all day for an emergency planning table-top exercise. There was no escaping the stench of stale sweat as they entered for the de-brief.
‘So, did he take the test?’ said Dylan.
‘Our Donna can be very persuasive when she wants to be.’ Vicky nudged her partner playfully.
‘And your gut feeling?’
‘If it’s him I’ll bare my arse on the town hall steps,’ said Vicky.
Seats all taken, Ned was stood on the periphery of the group with his back to the wall. ‘Now that I’d like to see.’
Vicky raised her voice as the team settled themselves. ‘Talking of tossers, have we got a result on Sykes’ DNA yet, DC Granger?’
Ned strained his neck over those sitting on the corner of the desks in front of him. ‘Not yet, otherwise I’d have told you.’
‘Patti’s nails were painted. Do you know if she did that herself, Jaene?’ asked Dylan.
‘I don’t know, sir, but I’ll find out.’
The door opened and CSI David Funk entered the room. He held up his hand to catch Dylan’s attention. ‘Just back from Forensics. They’ve found a small amount of skin from the index fingernail scrapings on Patti’s right hand.’
‘And do we know if the DNA profile matches the one on the vaginal swab?’
‘It does.’
* * *
Vicky walked into Dylan’s office with coffee, eyes bright, papers in hand. ‘Patti’s mobile data is in.’
Dylan reached out for the paperwork she offered him. Laying the documents on his desk he studied them closely. ‘There’s clearly a pattern of usage.’
‘Most likely because she’s in school. They’ll have the pictures for us by debrief, I’m told.’
‘I think the easiest way to analyse the content is by using an Anacapa chart. That’ll show us at a glance what calls were made to whom, and when, as well as their duration.’
‘I agree. There’s nothing’s jumping out at me from these sheets.’
‘I want every number identifying and the owner of that mobile spoken to.’ Dylan looked across at Vicky. ‘Any knowledge of CCTV being seized?’
She shook her head.
‘Damn. I was hoping for conformation of what she was wearing en route home and if there was anyone with her, or following her.’
‘I’ll have a word with the others in the incident room.’ Vicky got up to leave as Dylan’s telephone rang. He picked up. She turned to watch, his eyes still on her.
‘Sykes, he’s not a match,’ he said, putting the phone back on its receiver.
Vicky screwed up her face. ‘Bugger!’
* * *
Dylan expected and required all officers to attend both the briefings and debriefings each day, whenever possible. Although they could be updated at any time by the briefing log held on the HOLMES database, which gave them the salient points.
Each morning Dylan would turn over a page in his desk diary that he still insisted on keeping, and each evening before he left he would turn the corner down on the page and fold it neatly towards the spine. Another day gone in which to catch a killer.
With Vicky, his deputy, at his side at the front of the roomful of his team he commenced with the debrief.
‘Ladies and Gents as you are aware two excellent suspects have now been successfully eliminated from the enquiry, thanks to the DNA profile we achieved from the vaginal swab taken at Patti’s post-mortem. Now we also have the results from nail scraping taken from Patti at her post-mortem which have also proved successful in giving us a DNA profile. That profile is identical to the first.’
Vicky’s input was a resume of the interview with Gary Bale, his initial reluctance to provide a DNA sample and his reasoning.
Dylan reinforced to the team, ‘We know our suspect is male. No matter what excuses bizarre or otherwise any male who comes into the enquiry has, we require a sample from them. Accept no excuse. The simplest way for them, and us, is for them to take the test. The bottom line is the only way any male will be eliminated from the enquiry is by their DNA.’
DS Nev Duke spoke to the team about the enquiries at the school. ‘Letters have been sent out to the parents of all male pupils from the teacher overseeing the procedure explaining the need for their cooperation and assistance to eliminate anyone who knew Patti from the enquiry. It is too early to tell what the response will be but, leaflets showing what the swab test entails is attached. It has also been reinforced that samples taken will be destroyed after they have been checked against the DNA profile we have.’
‘Did Patti have a locker?’ Dylan crossed the question off his list.
‘No sir, there is not enough floor space in the school to house a locker for each pupil, therefore students are given lockers on the basis of need rather than ad hoc.’
‘Patti’s Coach, Malcolm Parkes, has been confirmed as out of the area at the time of her death but has offered his assistance in providing us with names of her known acquaintances. His DNA will be taken as a matter of routine,’ said Nev.
‘I also need to remind you at this stage that if you come across a suspect who has died since the incident we require their DNA. If you are unable to get this for any reason we should get DNA from a member of the family to see if there is any similarity to the known profile. Jim Duggan, the coroner’s officer, has been briefed and he will flag up to us the deaths of all males since the day of the murder and will continue to do so, until we catch the killer.’ Dylan’s smile was a satisfied one. ‘Our killer won’t escape, even if he dies.’
It was Sergeant Simon Clegg’s time to give his update. He was sat at the back of the room. ‘House-to-house enquiries have resulted in the names of two young lads who’d been dropping leaflets in the area. We don’t have an exact date or time for this and no one can say if they were in the area on the day of Patti’s death so they are seen as a priority.’
‘I want every male resident on Burford Avenue now subjected to a DNA test,’ said Dylan, his eyes seeking out the search team’s sergeant. ‘What are the immediate neighbours like? Neighbours from hell, or do they all get on?’
Simon stood. ‘One householder believes she saw Patti shortly before she was murdered. She also believes she was with someone wearing a hoodie. She is an elderly lady who lives on the opposite side of the road and by her own admission she tells us she sits at her window daily, watching the world go by. But,’ Sergeant Clegg was hesitant. ‘She is the only person that mentions this… Vicky, I believe you have made arrangements to see her again?’
Vicky nodded.
‘Also of interest is a lad who has been seen hanging about Burford Avenue. He has approached two different members of the house-to-house team asking questions about what they are doing there, and wanting to know what’s happening. He told us initially his name was Robbie Williams, until I took him to one side and had a quiet word with him.’
‘As you do…’ said Vicky.
‘Yes, as you do,’ said Simon. ‘This time he told me his name was Elvis, Elvis Cooper. I thought he was taking the piss but I was able to confirm, over the radio that an Elvis Cooper did indeed live at the address he gave us. He is going to be seen at his home address and we’ll take a sample from him at that time.’
The debrief was concluded. It was dark outside and as Dylan walked back along the corridor to his office, he was thoughtful. He knew as soon as he put one suspect to bed another would rear their head. He was tired but grateful they had secured the DNA profile because the enquiry was highlighting excellent suspects, all of whom would have warranted closer inspection should they not have had it. He walked down the steps from the floor where the briefing room was situated. On the ground floor there were no windows in the internal corridor, just closed doors. It was colder down at that level. He shivered, rubbing his arms through the shirt sleeves. As he walked through the incident room he saw the skeleton staff that manned the offices at night. He could hear his phone ringing from within his office. It was still ringing when he reached it.
‘Cracker Craze from the front counter, sir. I have a young man here who says he wishes to speak to a member of the investigation team. He wants to confess to murder.’
‘How does he seem?’ Dylan caught the sight of Vicky who was preparing to leave for the night.
‘Calm, very calm.’
‘I’ll get someone to come up to see him.’ Dylan walked slowly out into the incident room. Vicky was delving into her handbag trying to locate something, it seemed. ‘Fancy coming down to see a guy at the office who says he wants to confess to murder?’ She looked up.
‘Sounds interesting. Does he have a name?’
‘Not that I know, yet.’
