Wrong Place: A gripping serial killer crime thriller. (16 page)

“Hardly,” the vet said. “But he’s getting there. He was very lucky the rib didn’t puncture his lung. If that had happened, I doubt he would have pulled through. Gentle exercise only over the next few weeks and certainly no running after a ball. Here’s some painkillers and the instructions for their use. Any problems, don’t hesitate to contact me, day or night. Keep him under surveillance at all times, if you will.”

“I’ll do that over the weekend then pass the baton across to my parents while I’m at work. Thank you so much for saving him, Doc. I’d be lost without his cheeky face around the place.”

“He’s certainly a character. Not many dogs would have withstood the suffering he’s put up with these last couple of days. That’s for sure. Need a hand getting him into the car?”

“We’ll be fine.” Sally stood and shook Dr. Munroe’s hand. “Sincerely, I thank you for caring for him.”

“It’s my job. Take care now. Can you bring him back in about ten days for a check-up?”

“I will. Thanks.”

Gingerly, Dex walked beside her, not pulling on the leash as he usually did. Once they reached the car, she held open the back door. Dex placed his front paws in the footwell, and she hoisted his rear end into the car. Dex travelled in the footwell behind her seat during the short trip home. Her parents were at the gate to meet them. Gathered around the car they exchanged kisses under the watchful eye of the vile neighbours across the road.

“I don’t think we’ll be getting any more crap from them in the near future. Let’s get the boy in and settled.” She opened the back door, and Dex surprised her by jumping out of the car before she had the chance to grab him. “Dex, calm down, boy. Are you all right?” She crouched and kissed his head. The dog whimpered and licked her face.

Before she closed the high side gate, Sally glared at the wife of the man who’d been taken into custody, and pointed a warning finger in her direction. The woman scowled and stormed into her house.

The rest of the weekend consisted of caring for her dog and generally relaxing with her parents, while keeping a vigilant eye on the neighbours from hell. She spent the odd hour or two on obligatory work-related notes. She even contacted Jack over the weekend with a few suspicions she had, much to Donna’s disgust. She’d reminded herself on more than one occasion that they had a deadline to meet. She had a feeling she would be ticking more people off over the coming days in order to get the case wrapped up by the weekend.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Monday morning arrived, along with a renewed determination rushing through her veins. Sally kissed her parents farewell and told them not to expect her home until late that evening.

Jack parked his car next to hers as she was getting out of her vehicle in the station’s car park. “Good weekend?” he called out.

“Relaxing. Think I missed my vocation. I should have considered a nursing job instead.”

Jack smiled. “How is Dex?”

“He’ll be fine. He’s eager to burn off some energy. That’s the difficult part, restricting him. How was your weekend?”

“Surprisingly good, in spite of Donna having a hissy fit every time you called.”

She winced.

“It doesn’t matter. Anyway, at least the anger cloud that has been hovering over the house appears to have moved on. Teresa brought her boyfriend round, and we had a grown-up discussion about what they intend doing when the child is born.”

“Which is?” Sally asked as they reached the main entrance and walked into the reception area of the huge round building.

He cringed and closed one eye. “Well, we’ve said that we’re willing to let Tim move in with us, if that’s what they both want. For the child’s sake, of course.”

“Crikey! Never in a million years did I think I’d ever hear you say those words. Are you and Donna sure about that?”

“Everyone seems to be okay with the arrangements now. Whether we’ll all be happy when the child arrives is anyone’s guess.”

They reached the incident room, bought a coffee from the machine, and went through to Sally’s office.

“What’s on the agenda today?” Jack asked, taking a sip from his paper cup.

“Well, first I want you to check if any incidents have been reported overnight, the type we’d be interested in linking the case to, I mean. Then I need to again recap things as a team. We’ve got five days to complete this case. Any outstanding information we’re waiting for needs to be chased hard this morning. Got that?”

“Yep, I hear you.” He emptied his cup and left the room.

Jack reappeared in Sally’s doorway a few moments later, panting like an excited puppy. Sally recognised his expression and pulled on her jacket in readiness. “Hit me with it. Another murder?”

“Another victim, yes.”

“Where?”

“She’s in the hospital. She survived the attack, boss.”

“Jesus, really? How bad is she?”

Jack inclined his head and wrinkled his nose. “She’s in a coma. There’s every chance that she won’t make it.”

“We must think positive. There’s every chance she might. Let’s get over to the hospital and see for ourselves. You can fill me in on what happened on the way.”

They rushed through the building and jumped into Sally’s car. Sally put her foot down. “So?”

“Apparently, the girl was found in an alley. Looks like he tried to strangle her but failed.”

“Maybe she played dead just to let him think he’d succeeded.” Sally knew that’s how she would play things if she were a victim.

“Or, perhaps he was disturbed during the attack.”

“I don’t suppose there were any witnesses?” Sally asked.

“No. But an old codger who lives in the alley was the one who called it in.”

“So there was a witness?”

Jack shook his head. “The old man said he’d left the alley for an hour or so to source some food. When he returned at the other end of the alley, he heard a noise. He called out and rounded the corner, only to hear footsteps of the attacker running away.”

“So, he didn’t actually see the assailant?” Sally asked.

“Nope. Do you think we’ll ever get to arrest this guy?”

“For a start, Jack, we haven’t got any evidence linking this to the other crimes. Not unless he got around to… well, raping the girl. Do we know if that happened?”

“No. To be honest, I forgot to ask. Maybe I just assumed that this attack could be linked to the previous ones.”

“That’s fine. We’ll soon find out. Let’s hope we discover extra DNA on the girl, in the form of hairs
et cetera
.”

“Well, if we are talking about the same guy, he’s been super-efficient at disguising that up until now. I suppose if he was disturbed in the act, there’s every chance he might have slipped up.”

“Exactly, if we’re dealing with the same guy. I’m inclined to think we are just because of what day the attack took place. We have to keep our fingers crossed that the girl pulls through. This could be the break we need.”

Once Sally had parked, they hurried across the car park, flashed their IDs at the parking attendant, and entered the hospital. Sally asked the bespectacled woman in her fifties sitting behind the reception desk what direction they should head in for the location of the victim. The woman pointed at a large sign on the wall that listed all the major departments to the hospital. “Follow the blue line to the Intensive Care Unit,” she told them.

“Thanks.”

After getting lost a few times along the way, they finally arrived at the ICU and showed their IDs to the nurse at the station positioned outside the ward. “We’re here to see the doctor treating Amanda Collins. Can you contact him, please?”

“You’re in luck. He’s on the ward at the moment, carrying out his rounds. He shouldn’t be long, if you care to take a seat.”

“We’ll stand. Thanks.”

Sally and Jack impatiently paced the small reception area for the next ten minutes until a doctor emerged from the ward. He stopped at the hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall and rubbed his hands with the liquid. Sally approached him before the nurse could inform him of their presence.

“Ah, Inspector. Right, here’s where we stand: the patient, Amanda Collins, is still in grave danger. We’ve got her on a ventilator for now. She’s in a coma, and at present we have no idea how long that state will last or if indeed she will survive.”

“Damn, I take it her family has been contacted?”

“They have. They were on holiday in Turkey. They’re on their way back now. As you can imagine, the news came as a shock to them, and I’d appreciate you being courteous to them when they arrive. In other words, give them some breathing space before you start bombarding them with questions.”

“We’ll be sensitive, Doctor. No fear of that. What’s your honest opinion about Miss Collins?”

“I’d say realistically we’re looking at a sixty-forty split in her favour. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to complete my rounds on this floor.”

“Sorry, one last question, Doc. We’re on the trail of a serial killer. At this time, it’s subjective, but we think Miss Collins’s attack could be linked to the other crimes. I was wondering if you found any traces of semen on Miss Collins when she arrived.”

“We did. One of the nurses who usually works with rape victims in conjunction with the police, took a sample of fluid found on Miss Collins’s thigh before she cleaned her up. Wait here a moment please.”

Sally and Jack high-fived as the doctor walked away from them. “Things are certainly looking up. All we need now is for a miracle to happen and for Miss Collins to pull through,” Sally stated, with a cautious smile.

The doctor returned, carrying a sheet of paper with the nurse’s contact information attached to a Norfolk Constabulary requisite form. “There you go, Inspector. She arranged for the lab to pick up the sample already. It should be there now.”

Sally took the papers. “Thank you. I really appreciate your nurse’s timely thinking. I’ll just step out and ring the lab.”

“Of course. Her parents should be here shortly.”

Sally thanked the doctor, ordered Jack to wait in the hall to greet the parents, and stepped outside.

Simon answered her call right away. “What can I do for you, Inspector?”

“Another victim was attacked last night. She’s in a coma, but the attacker left this sample at the crime scene, just like all the others. Any chance you can get it verified for me ASAP?” Sally read off the case number from the nurse’s file.

“Hmm… I do have that sample at the lab, but the last I heard, you already had a man in custody for the other murders. Has he escaped?”

“No, he’s in the hospital wing of the prison. I think he’s innocent and probably being set up. I need to know why. We have a preliminary sketch of the real offender, but everyone we’ve shown the sketch to so far doesn’t seem to recognise the person.”

“That’s strange. So where do you go from here?”

“Well, the latest victim is in a coma. We have to pray that she comes out of that coma and can either give us a name of her attacker or give us a positive ID in the form of another sketch. It’s all up in the air for the time being. Can you get that sample rushed through for me? If nothing else, it rules out the man we have in custody and means we can be sure we’re after the man in the sketch.”

“Of course, I’ll get it actioned immediately. I’ll call you with the results as soon as we have them.”

“Thanks, Simon. Before I go, I have to tell you that my chief has given me until the end of the week to conclude the case. Otherwise, he’s hinting at another team taking over the investigation.”

“Seems a bit harsh.”

“I think the super is squeezing him about quotas, as usual.”

“If only the criminals would back off and give us all a break or two, life would be so much simpler, wouldn’t it?”

“It sure would. Talk later.”

Upon her return to the ICU, she found Jack trying to appease a man and woman in their mid-forties. Her partner heaved a relieved sigh when he spotted her.

“Here’s the Inspector now. Mr. and Mrs. Collins, boss.”

Sally held out her hand, but only Mrs. Collins shook it. Mr. Collins threw an irate hand up in the air. “I want someone to tell me what is wrong with my kid.”

Sally raised an eyebrow at her partner. “Haven’t you told them yet, Jack?”

“I was in the process of doing that when you arrived, boss.”

“Just tell us!” Mr. Collins ordered. His tone said he wasn’t in the mood to be challenged.

“Okay, as far as we know your daughter was attacked and left for dead by her assailant.” Mrs. Collins wailed and threw herself at her husband’s chest. Tears welled up in Mr. Collins’s eyes. Sally continued, “At this moment, your daughter is in a coma. The doctor couldn’t tell us how long that is likely to last. It’s the body’s way of shutting down to recover after such an ordeal.”

“Have you caught the bastard?” Mr. Collins asked less angry.

Sally shook her head. “Not yet. The thing is, we need Amanda’s help. We’ve had this man on our radar for a few weeks now, but he’s doing everything he can to evade capture.”

“What?” Mr. Collins pushed his wife upright and took a step towards Sally.

She stood her ground, sensing Jack tense up beside her.
I refuse to feel guilty!

“What are you talking about? You knew there was a madman on the loose but neglected to tell the public? I know we’ve just travelled back from Turkey, but they still get the daily papers over there for those of us who like to keep informed about what’s going on back home. I’ve not read anything about this or a similar crime in this area while we’ve been away. Have they suppressed the news deliberately?”

“Yes, you’re right. This case has not hit the media yet. I felt that to inform the public would be tipping off the offender, too. We’ll never catch him if he knew we were on to him.”

“Oh, I see. So in the meantime, you’re happy to sit behind your frigging desk and watch the body count rise. Is that it?”

“Not at all, Mr. Collins. Please, can you keep your voice down? You’re disturbing the patients.”

He scowled at Sally, long and hard. Then he threw his hands up in the air again before continuing in a hushed, yet still-angry voice, “I get it—you’re convinced that leaving this bastard running around out there on the loose will benefit our society. Is that it? Damn, I’m so effing dumb!”

Sally’s own anger teetered. She inhaled and exhaled a few short breaths then replied, “No, that definitely is not the case. The murderer has been tricking us, using someone else’s DNA at the scene to throw us off his scent. We’re trying our hardest to deal with that issue.”

“Murderer? So he’s killed women already? Jesus, this just gets better. So you’re telling us that this animal intended to kill our daughter?”

“We believe so, yes.”

“And tell me this, Inspector; did the parents of the other victims give you those black eyes for giving them a dumb answer to their questions? Believe me when I say I’m sorely tempted to vent my anger out on someone right now.”

“I’d swallow down that temptation if I were you, Mr. Collins.” Jack took a step nearer to the man.

“And who’s going to make me? You?”

Jack puffed out his chest. “If I have to, yes.”

Sally yanked on Jack’s arm and pulled him away from the irate man. “All right. Pack it in. We’ll leave, get on with some
real
police business, on one proviso.”

“Which is?” Mr. Collins narrowed his untrusting eyes.

“That you ring us the second your daughter regains consciousness, so that we can return to question her.”

Mr. Collins continued to glare at the detectives.

Mrs. Collins eventually broke the silence. “Yes, just leave us alone, please.”

“Very well.” Sally handed the woman a card. “It’s vital to the case, I can’t emphasise that enough.”

“Yeah, because the other victims have all ended up dead. We got that, Inspector. Let’s hope our baby does pull through this, for your sake.”

Sally and Jack walked off the ward and out to the car, where Jack erupted, “How dare he talk to us like that!”

“He dares because he has the right to, Jack. Put yourself in his shoes; you’re a parent. Look at how you reacted to Teresa’s pregnancy news, then triple that rage. I guess you’d come out with the same result as the Collinses are going through at present. I don’t blame them in the least.”

“I suppose you’re right. It doesn’t alter the fact that we’ve been busting a gut to get this fucker, and all our efforts haven’t been appreciated.”

“I understand. I’ll tell you one thing—going forward that swift kick up the arse will probably do our determination more good than harm, eh?”

Jack nodded at her over the roof of the vehicle. “You’re right.”