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Authors: Kerry Wilkinson
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talk around the station, of course. You know what it’s like. I didn’t realise you were still
—’
‘I’m not, I’m fine. It was just on the news a lot.’ Jessica knew she was sounding too defensive.
Keep saying you’re okay and eventually you will be.
‘They didn’t name you, did they?’
‘No, it wasn’t about me. There was another officer, Charley, who was featured a lot and came over
positively. Well, everywhere except the Daily Mail and the Guardian , where they called her a “he” –
but it’s not as if it’s hard for a national newspaper to get someone’s gender correct, is it? There was
talk about her being promoted. Anyway, I’m not the only one who’s been in the papers . . .’
Niall smiled slightly, recognising the obvious subject change. This is why Jessica rarely hung
around with officers other than Dave and Izzy outside of work.
‘Some Ashford bloke called me at home but I told him I didn’t want to talk about it – they must
have got the information from elsewhere. He must have decent sources because he did a good job
actually.’
‘He’s someone I know – he phoned me and asked for your details but I told him to sod off. Twenty-
five years since you put away the Stretford Slasher, though, it’s not a surprise the Herald was doing something. He told me there might be some sort of documentary in the works.’
Niall seemed hesitant, puffing his chest up and taking a large mouthful of bitter. ‘I told them “no” as
well. They said it would be too hard to make without my contribution, offered me money. When I still
refused, they said they’d make a donation to the victims, trying to guilt me into it. Eventually they
went away.’
‘It was a massive case though – even I remember it as a kid and I didn’t live in Manchester. I think
my dad had it on the news when you arrested the guy.’
Niall used his pint to shield his mouth. ‘Some things get blown out of proportion.’
His modesty was admirable but Jessica knew how big the case was and the recent newspaper
spread had brought it back to the fore for at least a couple of days. She tried the silence trick but he was happier to say nothing than she had been.
‘How many victims was it?’ she eventually asked.
‘Eight.’
Jessica nodded towards his almost-drained pint. ‘Another?’ Niall nodded and a few minutes later,
Jessica was back juggling a pint of bitter, two more packets of Monster Munch and another glass of
wine. It might have been him who invited her out but if Niall was going to give her the retired DSI
stare of steel, then she was going to get something out of him too. ‘So, eight women . . .’
‘It was a long time ago.’
‘What rank were you?’
‘A DI, like you.’ Niall picked up the new glass but didn’t drink. ‘You’re not going to let this go, are
you?’
‘It’s the job to be a bit nosey.’
A flicker of a smile. ‘Fair enough. What do you want to know?’
‘I suppose the scale of it. We’ve had big things around here, but in that feature it called the city a
ghost town for women after dark, saying that females stopped going out. We’ve had serial killers,
rapists, people targeting women – but never anything like that.’
Niall nodded shortly. ‘I was on duty when we were called to the first victim, Stephanie Miller. I
can see her now. She’d been out for a few drinks after work and was walking home by herself. He slit
her throat, raped her as she was bleeding and dying and then covered her in bleach, before dumping
her in a bin in Stretford.’
It sounded so much worse hearing it than reading it. Niall’s grandfatherly features now seemed
darker, blackened rims around the lines in his face that hadn’t been there moments before.
‘And there were seven more?’
‘Always the same; their skin tinged with that blue from the bleach, a woman out by herself. He
didn’t mind whether they were older or younger, fat or thin, blonde or brunette,
—’
‘I’m not, I’m fine. It was just on the news a lot.’ Jessica knew she was sounding too defensive.
Keep saying you’re okay and eventually you will be.
‘They didn’t name you, did they?’
‘No, it wasn’t about me. There was another officer, Charley, who was featured a lot and came over
positively. Well, everywhere except the Daily Mail and the Guardian , where they called her a “he” –
but it’s not as if it’s hard for a national newspaper to get someone’s gender correct, is it? There was
talk about her being promoted. Anyway, I’m not the only one who’s been in the papers . . .’
Niall smiled slightly, recognising the obvious subject change. This is why Jessica rarely hung
around with officers other than Dave and Izzy outside of work.
‘Some Ashford bloke called me at home but I told him I didn’t want to talk about it – they must
have got the information from elsewhere. He must have decent sources because he did a good job
actually.’
‘He’s someone I know – he phoned me and asked for your details but I told him to sod off. Twenty-
five years since you put away the Stretford Slasher, though, it’s not a surprise the Herald was doing something. He told me there might be some sort of documentary in the works.’
Niall seemed hesitant, puffing his chest up and taking a large mouthful of bitter. ‘I told them “no” as
well. They said it would be too hard to make without my contribution, offered me money. When I still
refused, they said they’d make a donation to the victims, trying to guilt me into it. Eventually they
went away.’
‘It was a massive case though – even I remember it as a kid and I didn’t live in Manchester. I think
my dad had it on the news when you arrested the guy.’
Niall used his pint to shield his mouth. ‘Some things get blown out of proportion.’
His modesty was admirable but Jessica knew how big the case was and the recent newspaper
spread had brought it back to the fore for at least a couple of days. She tried the silence trick but he was happier to say nothing than she had been.
‘How many victims was it?’ she eventually asked.
‘Eight.’
Jessica nodded towards his almost-drained pint. ‘Another?’ Niall nodded and a few minutes later,
Jessica was back juggling a pint of bitter, two more packets of Monster Munch and another glass of
wine. It might have been him who invited her out but if Niall was going to give her the retired DSI
stare of steel, then she was going to get something out of him too. ‘So, eight women . . .’
‘It was a long time ago.’
‘What rank were you?’
‘A DI, like you.’ Niall picked up the new glass but didn’t drink. ‘You’re not going to let this go, are
you?’
‘It’s the job to be a bit nosey.’
A flicker of a smile. ‘Fair enough. What do you want to know?’
‘I suppose the scale of it. We’ve had big things around here, but in that feature it called the city a
ghost town for women after dark, saying that females stopped going out. We’ve had serial killers,
rapists, people targeting women – but never anything like that.’
Niall nodded shortly. ‘I was on duty when we were called to the first victim, Stephanie Miller. I
can see her now. She’d been out for a few drinks after work and was walking home by herself. He slit
her throat, raped her as she was bleeding and dying and then covered her in bleach, before dumping
her in a bin in Stretford.’
It sounded so much worse hearing it than reading it. Niall’s grandfatherly features now seemed
darker, blackened rims around the lines in his face that hadn’t been there moments before.
‘And there were seven more?’
‘Always the same; their skin tinged with that blue from the bleach, a woman out by herself. He
didn’t mind whether they were older or younger, fat or thin, blonde or brunette,
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