Nancy had been sitting in silence, absorbing all the information, but now she jumped to her feet, prodded Compo in the shoulder and said, ‘Your job is twofold, DC Compton. You find out everything that killer has accessed, and you make sure he can’t access anything else from our servers. I’ll take the heat if the big boys can’t handle being locked out of high-level security for a few days. Can you chase him backwards – maybe see the trail he’s followed, find out who might be next on his list, because, I think we’re all aware that he’s heading for an endgame – and it will be soon. Very soon.’
Compo, nodding effusively, agreed. ‘I’ve used the Hudson Clinic’s database to isolate possible targets – assuming of course he continues to select from there and remains in Bradford. So far, we have over three hundred women in the Bradford area who are registered for the clinic’s services. Of those, two hundred and thirty-two are currently pregnant.’ Compo paused; his mouth open revealing crumby, chocolate-coated teeth. Without warning he jumped to his feet and rushed over to the crime scene board.
Alice and Nancy exchanged glances as they followed him. While Compo paced between each victim’s details he mumbled under his breath.
Trying not to get her hopes up that Compo had discovered something, Alice shoved her arms behind her back and crossed her fingers saying the mantra, please find something, please find something, please find something, in her head. Her eyes were glued on Compo’s bright red Bat Out of Hell T-shirt that had the slogan ‘Two out of three ain’t bad – three out of three’s a whole lot better’ emblazoned across front and back. It made her think of the three dead pregnant women and she couldn’t straighten out in her own mind if this was a good or bad omen.
‘Got it!’
At Compo’s words, Alice jumped. She’d been so engrossed in her superstitious mantra that she hadn’t registered that her colleague had turned round with a huge grin on his face.
‘Out with it then, lad.’ Nancy’s abrupt words belied the flicker of excitement that made her cheeks flush.
Cracking the heel of his hand against his forehead, Compo grimaced. ‘I should have seen it before.’ He looked at Alice and then Nancy, and seemingly registering the risk of another shoulder prod if he didn’t spit it out, he spoke his words hurried and almost running together. ‘It’s the verses. Each woman has a different verse and there’s five verses, yeah?’ Not waiting for a reply, he rushed over to the Brookes foetal scan. ‘Look, victim one, verse one, scan three months.’
Looking at their blank faces, he skipped to the Flateau scan victim two, verse two, scan four months.’
Before they could respond, he was beside Karen Smith’s scan, victim three, verse three, scan.’
‘Five months…’ Alice jumped up. It was tenuous, of course it was. There was no way of knowing for sure if this was a deliberate ploy on the killer’s part, but to date, he’d been methodical and accurate in all that he did, so this was too good a lead to miss.
Compo, once more at his computer bank, was pressing keys until a list of names came on the screen. There were twelve names. ‘Each of these women is in their sixth month of pregnancy…’
Alice turned to Nancy. ‘I know we’re really pushing it here, but…’
‘Of course, I’ll draft in officers for double shifts and so forth. No way will he get to any of those women.’
As Nancy turned to begin a series of phone calls, Alice’s phone rang. Smiling, adrenalin rushing through her, she answered with a smile that was immediately wiped right off her face. ‘OK thanks. I’m on it.’
She turned to her colleagues, the need for words negligible as her face told them all they needed to know.
‘Too late. We’re too fucking late.’ Compo slammed his fist against the wall, then despite the pain that must have resonated up his arm, and the tears springing from his eyes, he asked, ‘Which one…?’
‘Jasmine Younis.’
Compo’s finger touched his screen and Alice knew he was touching Jasmine’s name. Without looking up he said, I’ll start the crime board and update Gus, you go catch the killer, before he gets to number five.’
Chapter 73
Bradford
Oh, to be a fly on the wall. The Man in Black, despite the increase in his activity over the past twenty-four hours and his lack of sleep, is wide awake. By simply accessing the police data base, he’s ascertained that his MO regarding the pregnant women has now been compromised, which means that, although unable to keep an eye on proceedings, he’s gained more time to plan. Entering into the final phase of things, he is confident. His success in disposing of two women in under 24 hours validates his prowess as a killer. He can’t wait to implement the last part of his plan. By now, Gus will be on his way back from Scotland and when he’s certain of his return, the Man in Black will be ready to implement his final act.
Of course, he’ll take a little detour closer to home first. Why not take full advantage of Gus’s absence? Yes, he decides, he’ll pay the delightful DS Alice Cooper a little visit. Capitalise on the fun while he still can, for one way or another, after his final act, he’ll be unable to have that particular pleasure. He is under no delusions – he’ll either be caught or he’ll escape leaving devastation behind. Much as he prefers the second scenario, the first is also bearable – provided he manages to do maximum damage first. Because, no matter the outcome, his future happiness depends on destroying his father, Corrine McGuire, and her family and as many of their friends as he possibly can in the process.
Chapter 74
Scotland to Bradford
The first half of the journey passed in silence apart from
