But they won’t have it for long because the Man in Black is nearly set. He doesn’t have months and years to waste with this. No, he’s going to hit them fast and furious with it – bam, bam, bam.
They won’t have made the connection between Erica Smedley’s death and Miranda Brookes. Maybe he needs to give them a Twofer – a two for the price of one. Get this one out of the way, enjoy the banter as the team processes and use his observations to choose his next target – anybody who makes an awful mistake like Erica Smedley. Who will it be, another CSI? A police officer? Someone directly in McGuire’s team, the pathologist? The choice isn’t exactly limited as there’s always some idiot out there to choose, but even after the next victim is disposed of, they still won’t connect the dots.
There’s time for a snooze before they find this one. She was a bit more of a handful than the other, but everything got done. Savouring her terror, leaving all the little clues, setting her up just so, and still he had time for a quick coffee, before shimmying back up to his cubby hole.
It’s not as comfy as the last one – but that doesn’t matter to the Man in Black. Who needs comfort when you have excitement and anticipation to keep you company? That’s all he needs.
Using his backpack as a pillow, he settles down for a nap, secure in the knowledge that there’s no way the main event will go off without alerting him. There’ll be the scream, the panic, the slamming of doors, the frantic phone calls and then the awareness that perhaps the monster who did this is still inside and off they’ll go screeching like banshees, heart hammering, shock making them illogical – for of course the killer can’t possibly still be inside … or can he? Such fun!
Chapter 32
Bradford
Gus was still mulling over what he’d agreed to do the next day for Imti and Shahid. Although he’d interviewed and indeed arrested Imti and Shahid’s sister, Jess, he didn’t know her personally. She had been his then girlfriend, Sadia’s childhood best friend. That investigation had been the catalyst for a low time in Gus’s life where he’d lost Sadia, the woman he thought he might one day marry. His memories of Jess were all tied up with Sadia and the investigation that had led to the demise of their relationship. Jess was a woman who’d been let down by society as a child. After her mother had died a gruesome death by burning, for which Jess had blamed her brother Shahid. She ended up living with her uncle, a well know Bradford pimp and drug dealer, who prostituted his own niece. Jess’s life had been tragic and now it appeared her death was set to be equally tragic.
Why she’d opted to die without those who loved her around her, he had no idea. Maybe she thought it was what she deserved or perhaps she assumed it would be easier for them. Over the years since her death, she and her brothers had come to a strange sort of reconciliation, despite everything, Shahid, in particular, had suffered at her hands. They visited her, and she accepted their visits with a sullen sarcasm, according to Imti. Yet, she’d refused their support at her final hours but was happy to allow Alice and him to be there – two acquaintances at best. Maybe she wanted to taunt Gus for being responsible for her death. Maybe she blamed him for arresting her. Maybe this was Jessica’s way to get back at him. Whatever the reason, he and Alice were committed now, and he’d just have to make the best of it.
The ringing of his mobile dragged him from his reverie. ‘McGuire.’
‘Hey, boss, we got another one – same MO. Over near St Luke’s hospital. Roslyn Terrace – another back-to-back terraced row. Victim’s a Beatrice Flateau.’ Taffy’s voice lowered. ‘She was pregnant too.’
Although he’d expected this, the actuality of a second death triggered a surge of anger. Gus smashed his fist onto his table, attracting the attention of both Compo and Alice. ‘We’ve got another.’
He was already standing up, adrenalin forcing him towards the door. ‘Come on Al. Taffy’s nearly there already. Comps, get Carlton to meet us there.’
Alice, eyebrows raised, gave him that look. The one that told him without words that he’d overstepped the mark. The one that told him she was right at the end of her leash, but would, for the sake of the team, bite down on her frustration with him. He wound to a halt. They were both in a difficult position, but he wasn’t making it easier for Alice. He hadn’t deliberately overstepped the mark, but it must smart that Taffy’s first instinct was to phone Gus. He was well aware it was just habit, but, knowing Alice as well as he did, he realised just how irritated she must be.
He bit his lip and shrugged. ‘Sorry, Al. Taffy must’ve forgotten that you’re SIO. Of course, I’ll stay behind and keep on top of things here.’
He offered his phone to Alice, wishing he hadn’t allowed his temper to get the better of him earlier, because his knuckles now smarted like billy-o every time he bent his fingers. Head bowed he feigned interest in the crime boards and listened as Alice told Taffy off.
‘Taff, how the hell can you expect me to trust you with more responsibility if you can’t even remember who the SIO is? Yes, yes, never mind that now. Just get the uniforms organised and tell the CSIs to leave the body till we arrive. Is it Sid’s team?’
Taffy’s voice, subdued and nervous, drifted into the room. ‘Yes, it is. He’s on it, and I’ll set the uniforms off on a neighbourhood sweep when I get there. I’m just pulling in now.’
Alice turned to Gus
