Murder One; Part Two Chapter Ten

10.

I did not see it coming but it did. I felt Steve was off my body and then there was some noise of fighting. I cringed up in fear and hugged my legs. I closed my eyes to the scene then and only hurt the sound of cracking bones and punches with kicks. Then the sound of groaning pain and I was lifted up. I was cradled in the arms and mine went around the saver’s neck. I then recalled nothing but much later I opened my eyes to find myself in my unit. I was on the couch and covered with my comforter.

“Here, drink this.” The double scotch was a relief. I looked and saw Shawn standing there. He was not alone. There was also Ian and Tabitha. I closed my eyes and wept.

Tabitha took my statement the next day. I told her everything that I remembered. She added in her statement.

“Ian and I were there to have a drink,” Tabitha told me. “We have been dating for two months now. Just before he was transferred out.”

“I am separated from my husband and getting a divorce soon,” Tabitha added in. “Anyway, we were there and then I saw you rush out. I told Ian who was then talking to Shawn.”

The bloody small world became very cramped then.

“We continued drinking and Ian asked to pause. He needed to take a piss. He left and then he returned to say we should check on you. We did and saw the …. men trying to …. violate you. Both the guys sprang into action. The rest, well you knew.”

“Shawn wanted to bring you here. Do you want to go to the hospital? Was there any …. Intrusion?” Tabitha was never good at the suspect questioning. I shook my head.

 “Shall I bring in Steve Selby?”

I told her not to. He probably had a list of alibis and they will all swear by his mother’s grave that he was with them. Soon after, she left and I decided then to take a bath. The guys decided to leave for a nearby late-night café while Tabitha stayed with me.  It was morning when I told Ian and Tabitha to silence the matter. I do not want the Station Commander to throw a fit that I was fucked or was to be. Shawn had since left the unit.

The next call came in later that afternoon.

Sidney’s turf was hit and some girls were hurt bad. I rushed over and met Shawn instead of Sidney.

“He does not want to see you,” Shawn told me.

“Was it the Selby goons?” I asked.

“Does it matter? Sidney is up on all fronts. He is alone now.” Shawn blurted out. “It does not matter who is right or wrong? It’s about who is the power here.”

Apart wants to get alongside Sidney and the other side was to ignore him and do my things. I decided the latter. I went back to the Station and asked for the folders on the murders. I laid out the photos on the discussion board. All the dead girls and there was Maud Adam. I recalled all the notes on the girls. It was Maud I don’t know. I read the contents.

Maud was a bad girl with a long list of troubles but no armed offenses. She has done the servings and the surprise part the last few ones have dropped the charges and she was scot-free. She either had good lawyers or was protected by someone powerful.

Like Nigel Selby.

I looked at the last victim. The details did not match. She was much younger. And there were no new ones, not in the last days. That was comforting.

Comforting was not part of the workshop offerings.

“Ma’am, we got another one. Not exactly one but two girls. In the same dumpster.” I touched the wood panel on my desk. I sighed and watched Tabitha called the others. Ian was holding the jacket for Tabitha.

“Almost the same M.O. as the previous but the girls were bound together in the opposite direction. You know like…”

“69. I know that.” I looked at the Forensics Leader. His name is Josef Warner, senior mine by fifteen years and was hoping to retire soon. I looked at the victims. They were bound with the ropes holding them together and then dumped in the dumpster. Their legs were intertwined and I wanted to puke. I have done that position many times with Maud. My dead bitch.

“I will get the an examination is done and forwards you the results.” It was cold of Josef but that was his work. He sliced them and takes out the parts required and then sewed them back before he goes home to his family dinner with the two grown boys. At times for me, I won’t eat for days and survived on alcohol. My Physician told me to change my diet or my liver. I decided on the latter. It was cheaper when I need one.

“Why the double murder?” I asked the team. “Why now if he is the same killer? And what happened to the patterns? Not every few days but a week had passed. Are we looking at a copycat or a new killer who also loves dumpster?”

I saw blanks on my team. It was disgraceful to the Section. We have good convictions before and when James was with us. Grant was with us for under a year and before him was Madge. She retired to become a grandmother. I liked her. She was a sharpshooter and once belonged to the Armed Police before she came over. She could also outrun most of us. She was a marathon runner. I wished she was back.

“Tabitha, give me Maud’s relatives.”

“Only one.  A sister who lived elsewhere. Moved out some three years ago. Her name is Stella Adam.”

I called Stella later that day. My conversation was brief but informative.

“Maud may be a bitch but she was not a killer. She did it all; the list from A to Z but not M. And she never did guns. She may have saved them but the shooting was not her thing.”

“She was hauled in for questioning on armed robbery.”

“Yes, it was a fake. She called me that morning. She told me she was in deep trouble. She told me they are powerful people. She said they have guns but she initially they was to scare people. She was very afraid. She has a friend.”

“Did she say any name?”

“Yes, Madge Cotton.”  That name belonged to my retired officer. I called Madge and she offered to come in.

For a visit.

I thought that was the new thing for me but I was wrong.  Shawn called me first. He wants to meet.