Little Red

individuals got to their assigned tasking’s. Jack looked upon the case file plastered against the walls. He needed the beast, he yearned to be the person who dragged him into custody, the feeling off slapping a pair of cold handcuffs around his wrists, the power the beast held, slowly pulled from his core.

***

Nathan sprung from the bed as the knocking on his door excited him. He moved with speed to reveal his guest. Malcolm stood in the hall, an expression of anger and frustration plastered over his face. The folder was passed to Nathan, he gripped it with enthusiasm.

‘Thanks Malcolm, what have you got on today?’ he quizzed, hoping the results would be absolutely nothing.

‘I’m not sure Mr Cawley, why?’

‘I may need you this morning’

‘Right, well you need to speak with Mr Dawson first, I can’t just drive you around for the hell of it!’ Nathan picked up on his guests anger, the cheap attempt at sarcasm didn’t go down too well.

‘Jack said if I need you, I should call you….right?’ he pushed, ‘Those exact words came out of your mouth Malcolm’

‘Yeah, right, look I’m a bit down today, once I get some coffee I’ll be good’ he attempted to back step from his near argument.

‘You want coffee, come in, get comfortable’ Nathan ushered him in, the door closing as Malcolm sat upon the only chair.

‘Milk and two sugars please’ he added

Nathan looked at him with a, are you fucking kidding me or what, expression. He decided to do as the man asked, keeping him sweet was the key. He rushed with making the brew, the kettle boiled slowly and his temper began to join it, anxious to read the file. The click made him dive forward, grabbing the handle and tipping the vessels contents into the cup and around the table. He handed it to the guest, the brown liquid dripping from the sides as it overflowed.

‘What’s in it?’ asked Malcolm

‘What…..the brew?’

‘No, the file, what’s in the file?’

‘Just a theory that will hopefully be answered very soon’ he explained, the front page opened upon his knees.

He studied the pages carefully, absorbing the information as if his brain were a large sponge. The same details were offered from the previous file he looked in, just with a bit more detail. The two victims located in the bedroom of the grungy house. Mr Samuel Crane, the male victim, large in size and weight, stabbed multiple times, dying as a result of the attack. Yeah, I know that……

The second victim, ten year old Sarah Crane, found under her father, one strike to her chest, piercing her heart. The missing child, sixteen years old Russell Crane, located at Mr Adrian Cranes house, question but not help accountable to any involvement or knowing of the incident.

Nathan’s mind began flooding with the pieces of the puzzle that he had needed since day one.

Ten year old girl with a punctured heart, only one strike. Samuel Crane, multiple stab wounds. Why only one strike upon the girl? Why murder the male and hack at his body until dead, then stab the female once and leave.

He studied the personal information belonging to Mr Samuel Crane.

Drunk and Disorderly, six cases. ABH… two cases, GBH… two cases. Arrested on three occasions for possible Child Abuse and placed upon the sex offenders list.

The pattern slowly emerged, the vision he had of the man in his head turned into a beast, an animal that forced his aggression and self-loathing upon the weak minded and fragile. He read on.

Sarah Crane, ten years old, withdrawn from schooling upon father’s request. No reports of criminal offences to state.

Russell Crane, sixteen years old, expelled from two schools on accounts of violence to teachers and pupils. Missing from the crime scene, located at uncles, Mr Adrian Crane, remained at the relatives location.

The picture came to life, two children left at home for all hours of the day. Their father, a drunk and beater, comes home and decides to unleash his fury upon them. The boy attacks, striking his father repeatedly, the built up anger he stored inside him being released. The man falls from the blows, takes down the girl. The boy stabs and unknowingly strikes the girl.

‘Holy shit’ spat Nathan

‘What?’ Malcolm jumped, the hot drink spilling to his trousers.

This was ten years ago, the boy, Russell Crane will be twenty six now. He killed his father, a beast, and accidentally took his little sisters life, she was ten years old. It’s got to be him, has to be. He removed his sister’s life by killing the heart. The Wolf collects hearts, he is of late twenties, he abducts and kills ten year old girls……it’s fucking him!

He flipped through the pages, searching for the uncle’s address. There were no details on locations in the file. His heart stopped, his pulse died as the panic crept in.

Lillian, I have to ask Lillian.

He stood from the bed, the decision to act now had overwhelmed him.

‘Malcolm, we need to go to Heathrow Airport’

‘Why?’

‘I’m leaving’ he stated. He checked his phone for Lillian’s number and walked from the room. He would call her on route, hopefully she had an address for him, the only problem was, who he would give it to first, Jack or Richard.

***

The bag of accessories was placed in the foot space of the passenger side. The van door slammed closed. Russell headed back inside the house, the preparation was complete. He waited for the time of departure, the sun fell around four thirty, the night at its blackest around eight. The location was forty minutes away, a nice quiet wood with a nature trail running around the outskirts. The scene was perfect, the body would be found by a walker who was out for a fresh morning stroll. He decided to wait until six to leave the house, it would take him thirty minutes to drug and move the girl. He checked the status of the full moon timings on the internet. The site offered the exact time it had several days ago, nine o’clock. He smiled as his plan stayed the same.

***

It had passed midday and Jack felt the weight of tonight’s event upon his shoulders. He hadn’t seen Lime all day, nobody had heard from him. He decided to send a vehicle to his flat, the constables were instructed to bring him back to the station, no matter what. The interview he was giving today would ruin one man’s life and end the career of the other. He wanted him next to him, to chain him to his side and not let him out of his sight. The officers reported that they were on route to the location, it was roughly ten minutes from the headquarters, Jack waited impatiently for an update.

The lift doors opened and the PC’s entered the metal box. They selected the floor number and stood patiently as the doors slid shut, they began moving upwards, the transport rocked slightly as it passed each level. The ‘Bing’ sound told them they had arrived, the doors opened to allow them to leave. The pair moved down the hall towards the room. One tapped the wooden obstruction, the knuckles echoed through the door. No answer.

They tried the handle and the door swung fully open. One by one they entered the flat, the lamp dimly lit the dark rooms. The curtains were pulled open to allow the light in, their eyes stung slightly from the sudden blast. The flat was searched but nothing was worth reporting. There was no William Lime, no signs of disturbance and nothing