Zilhouette Murders, page 9
“Do we have any updated information about the body found at Honey Bates’ home?”
“We have three reported missing women who are within the suggested age range of our victim and we are following up these leads. I understand someone from forensic has been or is going to the homes of those reported trying to get some definite DNA samples.” a detective advised.
“I can confirm someone from my office has this in hand and I expect to have the results by this time tomorrow.” advised Anton Schwartz. “Thanks. Anyone else.”
“We have interviewed the two other women who were out with Mrs. Bates on the Sunday night and they have both said Mrs. Bates left them around nine pm after they had eaten. She said she didn’t want to go onto a club as they had previously planned and one of them thought she was maybe off to meet someone else – but neither of them could provide any certainty about this or speculate who that might be. They did say her marriage was a bit shaky due to her husbands infidelity and that she had threatened to leave him a couple of times, but he always managed to persuade her to change her mind by promising to be faithful.”
“Do we know where she went from the restaurant?”
“No Sir. We are checking the local cab companies and CCTV nearby but so far, we haven’t found anyone who collected her and none of the cameras show her again after she turned the corner at the end of the road where the restaurant was located.”
“There were no cameras in that part of the town centre then?”
“Plenty of cameras Sir, but all of the inoperative – vandalised.” explained the DS.
“Isn’t that a bit convenient?”
“Yes Sir, we have checked and found they were all working the night before and during most of Sunday but at around six pm they were all vandalised.”
“So there must be some footage leading up to them being vandalised, surely?”
“I will re check Sir and report back.”
“We have the CCTV images from cameras near the river location and close to Thames Avenue. There is a lot to check but hopefully, if there is anything of interest we should have it by tomorrow.”
“Any information on the house to house?” DI Martin asked the group.
“I think DS Wicker is there at the moment Sir, there was a siting of an individual and a van in the early hours on Monday and he is talking to the witness about her statement.”
“Very good.”
“Can I just touch on the murder of Paula Monarch?” DI Cummings started.
“We want you to know we now think this was carried out by the same person who is responsible for the murder of the other two women and not by Steven Monarch. He has a pretty much cast iron alibi supported by the tech team monitoring his ankle tag. Unless someone can show me how this can be beaten by Monarch we cannot pursue him on this killing.”
There was a muttering from the group.
“Moving on!” DI Cummings raised his voice to get back control.
“Does anyone have anything new to add to what we have?”
“Sir, what about this connecting to the chocolate packaging. I understand we have found similar packaging at both sites.”
“Yes, that’s correct. In the bedroom of the Bates house where we found the first victim there was a chocolate box carton nailed to that wall. Near the victim found by the river and at the scene where Margaret Schwartz’s remains were found, there was also the same make carton recovered.”
“Is there any thought about the significance of this finding?” the DS in the audience continued.
“Well, it is obvious the killer is making a statement because there is a number written on each carton in red lipstick but he is being very clever. We found no finger prints or DNA on any of the cartons or nails used to attach them to the wall.” DI Cummings replied.
“Anyone else?”
“Do we have any suspects’ Sir?”
“We have a profiler working on the evidence we have and as soon as he comes up with something we will let you know.”
“Anything else?”
The room remained quiet.
“OK, priorities;
1) We need to try to identify our second victim – please follow up the missing persons list and Anton, as soon as you have anything on DNA from these missing people and the results of checking against our victim please let me know.” Anton Schwartz nodded and made a note.
2) CCTV – let’s double our efforts on finding something on the cameras near both the scene by the river and surrounding Margaret Schwartz’s home.
3) Lets re-double our efforts to analyse the door to door from Thames Avenue and let’s go back to Basingstoke and get some uniforms stopping motorists to see if they remember anything unusual in the area leading up to Margaret Schwartz murder.
4) Right, that’s all for now. Anton, could I see you afterwards for a minute. Guys, let’s get this bastard before some other poor woman falls victim.”
DI Cummings walked back towards his office followed by DI John Walters and Anton Schwartz.
“Thanks for staying on Anton. I wanted to talk to you about the press and to ask you if you are OK with us making a public appeal for information.”
Anton looked a little unsure.
“Anton, I know this is early but I am so certain there are going to be more victims if we don’t catch this bastard. We have absolutely no clues about your sister’s murder. We have no witnesses and early information suggests the killer has left us nothing but a chocolate box nailed to the wall. We need some help and maybe someone saw something. If we don’t ask, we might miss an opportunity to save someone.”
Anton stared at the floor, then raised his head. “Sure David, I understand. Just let me warn my family it’s going to happen. I don’t want them to see it on the news before I have told them.” DI Cummings nodded and Anton turned and left his office. After he had left DI Walker turned to his colleague.
“Poor man. He looks lost.”
“Yeah, but anyone would be in that state if they saw what this bastard had done to their sister.”
“OK John, could I ask you to head a team looking into Margaret Schwartz’s murder and I’ll take a team and concentrate on Honey Bates. I understand DS Wicker was in Thames Avenue this morning and hopefully he comes back with some helpful news. Is that OK John?”
“Of course, I’ll get right on it. Maybe we should have a daily meeting to compare notes?”
“Great idea. Please ask Viv to set this up and advise both teams.”
“I think that’s all for now John. Let’s talk later and hopefully we can make a break through with identifying the body in the Bates house and then find the link between the victims. Oh! wait, one more thing. I have agreed with Frank Adams the Paula Monarch murder becomes part of this investigation BUT, and it’s a strong but, we have also agreed there cannot be any time spent on trying to find a connection between her and our other victims. We have agreed this was a murder committed to throw us off catching the real murderer.”
“I agree David. What sort of human being commits these crimes, this mutilation, have you ever seen it before?”
“No, but we have cases – I mean Steven Monarch was convicted of killing five women and he certainly mutilated their bodies,” recalled David Cummings.
“Yes, but David, if you look at that case, the evidence convicting him of four of the murders was really circumstantial. He did admit to killing one of the victims and the preparing of a second victim but he absolutely denied any of the others. Speaking personally, I don’t think he would have been convicted today on that evidence.” David Cummings nodded in agreement and started shuffling papers which John interpreted as a signal the meeting was over. Although they were both Detective Inspectors, John recognised his partner had far more experience and would always defer to his level of experience.
CHAPTER 19
Gillian Murphy parked her car and started to walk the short distance to her front door. It was just after 10:30pm after another long day at work and she looked forward to getting into bed and having a good nights sleep.
Her usual parking place was occupied by a transit type van she hadn’t seen before but she thought no more of it and continued the short walk to her front door. She noticed the street light outside her property wasn’t working but put it down to ‘more Government cuts’.
As she reached her garden gate and was about to open it, she was grabbed from behind. Her attacker covered her mouth with a cloth to prevent her screaming and it wasn’t long before the chloroform infused into the cloth took effect and she collapsed.
Her attacker quickly bundled her into the back of the transit van, took a quick look around and climbed into the drivers seat and drove off. Gillian was unconscious in the back of the van.
When she awoke she was lying naked on a very cold surface. A bright light above her hurt her eyes and she had to squint to try to see anything more of her surroundings. She sensed she was not alone and called out.
“Hello, is there someone there?”
Silence.
“Who the fuck are you? Why am I here and where’s my fucking clothes?” she shouted and tried to wriggle free from the bonds which tied her to whatever she was laying on. There was no response but she could hear someone walking around and moving metal items. The lights prevented her from seeing clearly who it was or indeed where she was. Loud music suddenly started to play. Heavy Metal music blared out from all around her and she winced at the hurt she felt in her ears.
“Stop this, please stop this. What do you want?”
Again no response and the music continued.
From out of the shadows a figure emerged and stood beside her. She couldn’t see a face nor any other part of the person because the light above her was so bright. She could see the person was clothed in a green surgical gown, wore gloves, a hat and a mask so she could only see eyes – but nothing else.
Whoever it was didn’t speak.
“Who are you? Why am I here?” she shouted.
No response.
Gillian was a strong woman. She dealt with death on a weekly basis at the nursing home where she worked. She normally displayed no emotions after one of her patients in her care died and could see over the suffering so many displayed because she needed to do her job. Now, this was different. Her strong personality was replaced by a weeping, pleading child.
“Please, please let me go. I haven’t done anything to hurt you. I don’t know you. Please, let me go.” she sobbed her body rising and falling as she gasped for her breath.
Her captor remained silent.
Then she saw a large hypodermic syringe in her captor’s right hand. She saw the syringe slowly and methodically inverted and the plunger gently squeezed to expel any air. She saw a small amount of clear liquid eject from the syringe and felt the needle penetrate the skin on her right arm. She tried to speak but felt herself falling and unable to keep her eyes open. Within ten seconds she was asleep and would be oblivious to the destruction of her body by someone she had never met.
After confirming Gillian was dead her killer set about dismembering her body, carefully removing her arms, then her legs. A scalpel and bone saw was used to complete a very neat amputation leaving the limbs on the steel table to allow all the blood to drain from them and merge with the majority of the blood from the torso.
The cold stainless steel slab the body rested on had a channel cut on each side and down the centre and all the blood from the torso and limbs disappeared down into these channels. Her head was then elevated which, with the help of gravity, increased the blood flow. An incision was made in the chest which pierced the heart and lungs draining these organs of blood and at the bottom of the torso, another incision was made and blood was drained from all other organs including liver, kidney, spleen, bladder and bowel. This resulted in all the liquid in the body draining away.
The killer then attended to the blonde hair and carefully and precisely removed Gillian’s hair and scalp and placed it into a bowl of warm water. The water immediately turn blood-red but after four or five water replacements the hair stayed submerged in clear water. The hair and scalp were moved onto a surface with drain holes and allowed the water to naturally drain away. The hair was then dried using a normal hair dryer.
Once the work on Gillian was completed the killer carefully lifted the lid on a freezer which stood in the corner of the room and took out another torso which had lain in the freezer for the last 48 hours or so. The torso was gently moved onto another metal table and a protective zipped bag was removed exposing the limbless body of Honey Bates. The head had been scalped resulting in a mutilated unrecognisable face.
A wardrobe in the other corner of the room was opened and an all-in-one overall with a British Gas logo’s on the back and EMERGENCY GAS WORK sewn on in Hi Vis lettering. Also removed was a large strong bag, again with British Gas logo and the torso of Honey Bates was carefully loaded into the bag with the hair and scalp removed from Gillian.
The killer showered and changed into the British Gas clothing including a large peaked baseball cap, then attached a false beard and wig and put on a pair of clear lens glasses. Finally, just before exiting the building before touching anything being taken, the killer put on a pair of examination gloves.
He checked on the progress of the blood collecting from Gillian’s body, made a slight adjustment to the angle the torso was suspended then dragged the large bag containing Honey Bates out of the room. Before putting a coat on, a home made harness the killer had designed which would help support the bag and contents allowing the bag to be carried like a tool bag was put on. There were a number of straps which wound around the upper body and once fitted the killer could pick up the bag like a bag of tools.
The killer put out the light and walked towards another garage, lifted the garage door to reveal a British Gas van complete with yellow light on the roof.
At two thirty in the morning the van arrived back outside Gillian’s house, taking the parking space vacated earlier when his other van drove away with Gillian inside.
The yellow light on the roof was turned on, and the killer went to the rear doors and attached the tool bag to the harness, took a deep breath and lifted the bag and walked the twelve feet to the front door. Gillian’s key was used to open the front door and the bag was lifted inside.
Thirty minutes later the killer walked back to the van with the now empty bag, put the bag in the back of the van, got into the drivers seat and drove off before turning off the yellow light.
No one saw him, even if they had no one would take any notice of a British Gas van driving along deserted roads at four in the morning. The van was put back in the garage and the harness and bag returned to the clean room which had been secretly constructed.
The killer had a plan and it had only just started.
CHAPTER 20
In Thames Avenue, DS Peter Wicker walked up to Peter Bates front door and rang the bell. Almost immediately the door flung open and Peter Bates stood in front of him. The first thing Peter noticed was the state Paul Bates presented himself. His shirt was half open and partly tucked into his trousers. His hair was dishevelled and he clearly hadn’t shaved for a couple of days. There was also the smell of alcohol accompanied by an unwashed odour.
“Mr. Bates, I have tried to call you at your office but they told me you were absent from work, so I thought I would come down here and ask you more questions.”
Paul Bates just grunted but remained unmoved, blocking the entrance.
“Can I come in Mr. Bates?”
Paul Bates simply stared at the detective and said nothing.
“Mr. Bates, can I come in please. I have some questions.”
“Have you found Honey?” Paul Bates finally asked.
“Mr. Bates, I don’t really want to have this discussion standing here. I would like to come inside and conduct this interview in private.”
“Do you have a Warrant?”
“Do I need a Warrant?” Peter replied with some annoyance.
“After the way your sidekick verbally abused me in the station I think I need as much protection as I can get.”
“You realise Mr. Bates, this position you are taking only makes others think you have something to hide here. We are trying to find your wife and find the person who left a murdered woman upstairs in your house. I would have thought you would want these questions answered as quickly as possible so you could move on with your life – hopefully with your wife.”
Paul Bates thought about the statement from the detective and eventually, he lowered his arm blocking the entrance and stood aside allowing Peter Wicker to enter the property.
“Thank you, Mr. Bates.”
Paul Bates smiled weakly, closed the door and followed the detective into the lounge.
Sitting in a chair was a woman Peter Wicker hadn’t met before.
“Hello.” he said.
“The woman smiled and was clearly uncomfortable.
“This is a friend of mine who was keeping me company.”
Peter Wicker walked toward the seated woman and extended his hand. “Peter Wicker, nice to meet you?” He held onto the lady’s hand waiting for her to give her name.
“Bella, Bella Harrison.”
Peter Wicker smiled, remembering this was the person Paul Bates texted after he received the message from his wife. He turned around and headed for a vacant seat and sat down.
“So Detective, you have some questions?”
“Er yes. Our inquiries have raised some questions about the relationship between you and Mrs. Bates.”
“I beg your pardon. Relationship?”
“Yes Sir, there appears to be some belief you and Mrs. Bates were possibly splitting -up.”
At this point Ms Harrison stood up and headed toward the door. “Ms Harrison, I’d rather you stayed if possible, I have a number of questions.” Peter Wicker said as he stood.
The scene in the lounge of the Bates’ residence looked like a photograph. Both Peter Wicker and Bella Harrison stood motionless and Peter Bates remained seated with his head in his hands.
