The Escape (Detective Jane Sparrow Book 2) (9 page)

“Perry what do you think to me selling my flat?”

              “Sure baby I get that you don’t want it anymore but there is no need to rush into something like that. What you thinking about buying another place then?”

“Yeah I know there is no rush. My home it just no longer has the same appeal after having a dead body sitting on my doorstep. As well as losing Jack in the car park there. Plus I have been thinking I would like a house.”

              “You know we could get somewhere bigger if we bought together.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

              “Not a problem then we will find one that’s perfect.”

Jane felt more comfortable after that knowing that she wasn’t going to have to continue living in her flat. The thought of that sent shivers down her spine. Where the hope of selling and getting a fresh start just elated Jane’s mood, it was what she needed after everything.

They arrived at the station half an hour later. When the car ride that they were taking should have only taken them fifteen minutes at max with traffic. But her escorting officers had decided to air on the side of over caution rather than risking a bollocking from the Superintendent if anything happened. Jane thanked them and herself and Perry headed into the station. The rest of Jane’s team were already there gathered and waiting. To Jane’s surprise the Superintendent was no where to be seen but to Jane’s relief everyone was there looking safe and well. The thought of anything happening to them throughout the night had been plaguing Jane’s thoughts. Jane approached her team with trepidation. At the scene of Jack’s murder none of them had gone to the point of anger at Jane but they were all in shock. This morning could be a completely different story. After last night feelings of anger and resentment could of built at the fact that Jack was dead and Thaddeus wanted her. Jane knew though it was best not to mention any of those thoughts out loud around Perry. Otherwise it would cause him to give her another lecture on how none of it was her fault and that she was just projecting her own manifestations of guilt onto other people’s feelings. Jane was relieved to find that when she made it to her desk none of her team seemed angry, they all seemed relieved to see Jane. Amy came over and pulled Jane into a hug and Eric and Ian acted their usual selves by just giving Jane a nod of respect.

              “Hey Boss how you feeling?”

“Had better days. I’m still in shock to be fair. I can’t believe this is happening. I’m sad and dejected at the loss of Jack but it has just made me more angry and determined. So today I am going to be asking the biggest job of all of you that I have ever had to. And that is to focus. Push aside your emotions we need all our heads in the game people and we will catch him.”

              “I’m with you on that one mam.”

“I’m glad to hear that Eric. How are you feeling? How did Jack’s family bare up last night?”

              “They were worse than I could of ever imagined. I’m holding up like yourself still in shock but determined to do Jack and his family some justice.”

“Good lets get to work. Amy you are with me we are going to take a trip down to the coroner’s office and get his initial examination reports. The notification to Helen Moore’s family still needs to be done so we will do that after as well if you’re ok?”

              “Not a problem Boss. I’m with you all the way. What ever you need.”

“Good thanks Amy. Ian I need you to work on the list of names the chief warden gave you and the prison record files. Find me a bomb expert that could have helped Thaddeus.”

              “Sure not a problem. I’ll get on it.”

“Thanks Ian. Eric I need you to continue going through the CCTV footage from the train stations see if we can track Thaddeus movements. Also collate any of that information for where he is with any known associates. Let’s see if we can narrow down his field of play. Perry can you help Eric with that bit from your end?”

              “Yeah I’m on it I’ll call you Eric with what I get I’ll go have a nose around with some old informants.”

“Thanks Perry that’s a great help. And does anyone know where the Superintendent is?”

              “He is upstairs in his office. He said he has a lot of paperwork and political stuff to catch up with. Especially after losing Jack in the field, and then the press conference and everything. I’ll get started on that information we need.”

“Ok were leave him to it and just update him with any major leads ok. Amy are you ready?”

              “Yes Boss I’m good to go.”

“Ok Perry you can leave you got your bits to do and keep in touch with Eric. I’m fine I’ll have my escort everywhere I go. I’ll check in with you regular you’re on speed dial if I need any thing. Ok?”

              “Good don’t forget to text or call otherwise you know I will worry. I will pick our stuff up from the hotel and sort us out a different reservation for tonight. Be careful.”

“I will be and that’s great I’ll talk to you soon.”

With that they all headed off in different directions the station becoming abuzz with a new enthusiasm fuelling the activity. The newfound sense of determination was pushing all members of the station to work harder than ever before. Thaddeus may have thought killing Jack would give him the edge and get him on the inside track into their minds but he underestimated the firepower it gave them all to get the little rat back in his cage. As Jane and Amy headed down to the coroner’s office Jane couldn’t help but be reminded of the first time her and Amy went to his office together. The smell of decomposing flesh and a strong cleaning detergent was still the same. And the dimly lit office and the man sat hunched over his desk were still the same as if time never moved down there. Apart from the fact that Dave looked like he had aged about twenty years in the last few months.

“Hi Dave I’d say good to see you but it’s not really under these circumstances. You remember my colleague PC Amy Wilkes. I take it you have finished your preliminary reports after yesterday. What can you tell us about the both of them?”

              “Yeah I remember Amy, How are you both doing its such a terrible situation?”

“Bearing up just trying to focus on work and catching Thaddeus.”

              “Well let’s see how I can help you with that. We will start with the female victim. I confirmed identity. It is Helen Moore as Thaddeus claimed thirty eight year old wife and mum to two. Reported missing just over twenty-four hours ago abducted from the supermarket car park. You will need to look into retrieving those security tapes. Toxicology results haven’t come back for her as of yet so I’ll let you know as soon as they do. And I’m still waiting for the analysis on her stomach contents as well. She has deep gashes to her abdomen spelling out Jane, as you know. Ligature marks to her wrists and surprisingly ankles. She must have been bound when put in transport from the supermarket. Ligature marks to her neck, which broke when the restraints around her arms were cut. The extra shift in body weight as the restraints were cut caused the burden of the weight to be resting completely on her neck. It snapped the minute he cut the second rope around her wrist. She would have died instantly giving our cause of death to be broken neck rather than strangulation.”

              “Ok well that’s something the family will appreciate that she died quickly in the end.”

“What about the eyelids though Dave?”

              “Oh yes they were cut off with a small blade a scalpel by the looks of it. But also he seemed to get impatient at the neatness of the work so as he got close to the end he tore the rest. Suggests he wasn’t bothered by the actual eyelids just more about getting them off.”

“It wasn’t about the eyelids at all. Thaddeus is all about control he wanted it so she couldn’t close her eyes. So she could see what he was going to do. And then with all the photos he took she could do nothing but stare through. That was for me. He knows it will have tortured me to see her looking straight at me through the lens. Knowing it was already too late to help her. It’s a natural instinct that when we feel uncomfortable and don’t want our picture taken we try to turn away or if not close our eyes. As if to say if I can’t see you, you can’t see me. Thaddeus wanted to take that away from her cause the maximum amount of fear.

What about Jack?”

             
“Jack died of a knife wound to the abdomen. He essentially bled out. Thaddeus has removed his liver. Do not ask me what for. I can tell you that Jack was alive up to that point but the liver was removed crudely at best. If it helps by the time you or Eric found him there would have been nothing either of you could have done for him.”

“Thank you Dave after hearing that it makes it a little better. I can’t believe this it sounds like something out of a horror film. His liver removed. How did he keep Jack alive while doing something like that?”

Amy couldn’t control it hearing all the gory details of what happened to Jack and how he was murdered. She just about made it to the sink before she threw up. Jane suspected there was also another reason for her nausea.

“Are you ok Amy do you need to go get some fresh air?”

              “No sorry continue I’m fine. I’ll be ok in a minute.”

“Nothing to apologise for just take a seat and a few deep breaths and rest for a minute ok. Sorry Dave where were we, I was just saying it doesn’t make sense for Thaddeus to take the liver and how did he keep him alive through the process?”

              “Unfortunately I can’t help with the making sense I’m just here to help with the medical mumbo jumbo. There were clamp marks to the arteries and surrounding veins he controlled the blood flow while he needed to keep him alive. The female victim also had a white powder substance in her hair as well. So I have sent that off to trace department of forensics hoping they can analyse that. There was also something else on Jack I haven’t had his toxicology results back yet but there was a burn to his side of neck from what looks like two prongs of a taser.”

“Really means it was a blitz attack on Jack he didn’t see it coming. Helped Thaddeus incapacitate him while he set to work on stabbing him and removing his liver.”

              “Sorry to interrupt but all tasers are filled with a numeric code confetti. Did the crime scene techs find any at the scene? It would help us narrow down what kind was used and as to whether it is registered to anyone?”

              “I don’t know but I’ll let crime scene know you asked and I’m sure they will get back in touch with you.”

“Thanks Dave. Call us if any other updates come in or if you find anything else. Me and Amy might not answer for a while we are going to go notify the Moore family.”

With that Jane and Amy left the coroners lab and headed on out to their parked car. Jane had two escorting police cars waiting. They headed of to the Moore house
. Jane once again reminded of a time when both her and Amy were nervously travelling in a car to do the family notification. The apprehension and sadness was once again filling their car, it was always so nerve wracking because you never know how the family are going to react. Jane began to feel more nervous and anxious and a dull ache was beginning to spread in her shoulders as she became more and more tense. Jane was debating whether to break the silence in the car, as it wasn’t helping her nerves. When Amy must have been reading the situation the same as she beat her to it.

              “With everything that has been going on I haven’t been able to ask lately how is everything going with Perry?”

“Despite everything I have got to say it’s brilliant and Amy the sex its mind blowing.”

Amy let out a deep chuckle to that which Jane was pleased to hear at such a time. It was such a joyful noise. Jane couldn’t help but ask she needed to check that Amy was ok.

“Are you sure that you are all ok. Are you feeling all right you don’t have to come in with me to the Moore family if you’re not up to it? I know it was hard hearing the details about Jack but I have never known you to lose your composure like that.”

              “Yeah I’m ok I’m sorry I wont let it happen again.”

“Amy it happens there is nothing to be sorry for your human. You can throw up heaven knows I did for an answerphone message.”