Read Online Scaredy cat by Mark Billingham - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mark Billingham
Tags: Fiction, General, detective, Suspense, Psychological, Thrillers, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Police, England, Fiction - Mystery, Police Procedural, Mystery & Detective - General, Modern fiction, Traditional British, Serial Murders, General & Literary Fiction
Ads: Link
the stabbings.' Thorne's voice low, measured, but with a scream of something - excitement maybe, or horror - lurking just beneath the surface.
'Sir... ?'
Moving across the cramped office, talking quickly. 'Two women, both stabbed on the same day. July, I think you said.' Thorne nodded towards the computer, trying to stay calm. 'Call them up.'
Holland spun the chair round and began to type, trying to recall the details. 'One in Finchley, I think. The other one ... much further south if I remember ...'
The relevant documents appeared on his screen and Holland studied them for a second or two. 'Forest Hill, that's right...' He scrolled slowly through the document, shaking his head. 'No ... no ... it's not possible. He couldn't have done them both.'
Thorne nodded and glanced out of the window. His eye was taken by the sparks flying up from beneath a tube train passing below on its way south from Colindale; lolling heads in the brightly lit carriages, snaking away from him as the track curved round and out of sight.
'He didn't.'
Holland stared at him, waiting. Thorne stood stock still and spoke slowly, but Holland could see his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. 'The knives used might have been similar, might not, I don't know.., not sure it matters. The pattern and depth of the wounds though.., in all probability the number of wounds, on each of the victims, will be at odds with each other. The ... character of the two attacks will be completely different.'
Holland turned back to his screen and typed again, calling up SOC and pathology reports as Thorne continued. 'One of the women will have died from multiple stab wounds. Vicious... indiscriminate... savage. The other, probably one single wound, to the heart, I would guess, or...
Holland spun round again. The look on his face told Thorne all he needed to know...
Brigstocke answered his mobile on the first ring.
'Russell Brigstocke...' The voice low, betraying annoyance.
'It's Tom...'
'DI Thorne...' Spoken for somebody else's benefit. The meeting with Detective Superintendent Jesmond had probably turned into dinner. So much the easier.
'We're onto something. Tell Jesmond. Call it a breakthrough, he'll like that.' He turned to share the moment with Holland but the DC was studying the documents on his screen intently. Trying to make sense of it all. 'Tell him it's one hell of a good news-bad news routine...'
'I'm listening,' Brigstocke said.
'I don't think we're looking for one man.'
Thorne expected a pause, and he got one. Then: 'Are you saying that these murders might not actually be connected?'
'No I'm not. They are connected, I'm certain of that.' Thorne knew the look that Brigstocke would be wearing. Contained excitement, like trying to hold a shit inside. He wondered what Jesmond, no doubt holding a large glass of red wine and studying his DCI's strange expression, would be making of it.
Brigstocke was starting to sound a little impatient. 'So, what is it? A new lead on the killer?'
Thorne kept it nice and simple. 'Killers, Russell. Plural. There's two of them.'
**************
1985
It was a moment he would always remember. Karen sitting on the bank, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, and Smart smiling, mouth full of chocolate as always, his dark eyes focusing on something in the distance, searching for it, seeking out the source of their next adventure.
And him, looking from one to the other, nervous but happy, the sun in his eyes and a small cloud of gnats swirling in front of his face... It was a moment that took him back to a day two summers earlier. That day with the cricket bat. The day when he saw Karen for the first time. That was when he and Smart were at the same school of course. Before the business with the air pistol...
The two of them weren't really supposed to see each other after the Bardsley incident. Following the expulsion, efforts had been made to keep them apart, and for a while Palmer had been happy enough
'Sir... ?'
Moving across the cramped office, talking quickly. 'Two women, both stabbed on the same day. July, I think you said.' Thorne nodded towards the computer, trying to stay calm. 'Call them up.'
Holland spun the chair round and began to type, trying to recall the details. 'One in Finchley, I think. The other one ... much further south if I remember ...'
The relevant documents appeared on his screen and Holland studied them for a second or two. 'Forest Hill, that's right...' He scrolled slowly through the document, shaking his head. 'No ... no ... it's not possible. He couldn't have done them both.'
Thorne nodded and glanced out of the window. His eye was taken by the sparks flying up from beneath a tube train passing below on its way south from Colindale; lolling heads in the brightly lit carriages, snaking away from him as the track curved round and out of sight.
'He didn't.'
Holland stared at him, waiting. Thorne stood stock still and spoke slowly, but Holland could see his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. 'The knives used might have been similar, might not, I don't know.., not sure it matters. The pattern and depth of the wounds though.., in all probability the number of wounds, on each of the victims, will be at odds with each other. The ... character of the two attacks will be completely different.'
Holland turned back to his screen and typed again, calling up SOC and pathology reports as Thorne continued. 'One of the women will have died from multiple stab wounds. Vicious... indiscriminate... savage. The other, probably one single wound, to the heart, I would guess, or...
Holland spun round again. The look on his face told Thorne all he needed to know...
Brigstocke answered his mobile on the first ring.
'Russell Brigstocke...' The voice low, betraying annoyance.
'It's Tom...'
'DI Thorne...' Spoken for somebody else's benefit. The meeting with Detective Superintendent Jesmond had probably turned into dinner. So much the easier.
'We're onto something. Tell Jesmond. Call it a breakthrough, he'll like that.' He turned to share the moment with Holland but the DC was studying the documents on his screen intently. Trying to make sense of it all. 'Tell him it's one hell of a good news-bad news routine...'
'I'm listening,' Brigstocke said.
'I don't think we're looking for one man.'
Thorne expected a pause, and he got one. Then: 'Are you saying that these murders might not actually be connected?'
'No I'm not. They are connected, I'm certain of that.' Thorne knew the look that Brigstocke would be wearing. Contained excitement, like trying to hold a shit inside. He wondered what Jesmond, no doubt holding a large glass of red wine and studying his DCI's strange expression, would be making of it.
Brigstocke was starting to sound a little impatient. 'So, what is it? A new lead on the killer?'
Thorne kept it nice and simple. 'Killers, Russell. Plural. There's two of them.'
**************
1985
It was a moment he would always remember. Karen sitting on the bank, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, and Smart smiling, mouth full of chocolate as always, his dark eyes focusing on something in the distance, searching for it, seeking out the source of their next adventure.
And him, looking from one to the other, nervous but happy, the sun in his eyes and a small cloud of gnats swirling in front of his face... It was a moment that took him back to a day two summers earlier. That day with the cricket bat. The day when he saw Karen for the first time. That was when he and Smart were at the same school of course. Before the business with the air pistol...
The two of them weren't really supposed to see each other after the Bardsley incident. Following the expulsion, efforts had been made to keep them apart, and for a while Palmer had been happy enough
Similar Books
Deadly Dye and a Soy Chai: a Danger Cove Hair Salon Mystery (Danger Cove Mysteries Book 5)
Traci Andrighetti, Elizabeth Ashby
