HWSNBN (He Who Shall Not Be Named)

Chapter 11

“Jane.”

I looked up from my pillow to see why Gavin had called me. He wasn’t in bed, but getting dressed really fast.

“A call out?”

“Sorry – afraid so, love.” I leapt out of bed and turned on the speed; dressed properly for work, the same time as Gavin. We hurried downstairs and the two lads were right behind us. Gavin headed for the kitchen which surprised me.

“The kettle’s boiled so grab some tea. Uniform are already there and the guy’s in custody. This isn’t linked to the kids but we all need to go. A tom’s been murdered in her bedsit. Her landlady called it in when the screaming started and they caught him red-handed – literally.”

Gavin made the tea and we sat at the table. I had to ask him, “Why do Luke and Charlie have to go, then? It’s SOCO we want.”

Luke answered me, “We go out with all your calls, no matter what, Jane. It’s been proved necessary with the other cell, every time they’re called out.”

“But you’ve got this bloke.” I couldn’t see the point.

Gavin handed out the tea and sat beside me. When he was stirring his, he said, “Nothing is ever straightforward, I wish it bloody was, Jane. I’d take bets it’s not just a killing. You remember I said that – drink up?” He giggled, watching me load mine with sugar.

On reaching the road the house was in, all we saw was the bloody press, clamouring around the gate, trying to get into the garden. Mehmet had a straight face, surprising for me with the barrage of questions hurled at him from every direction. Beth’s four-wheel drive, pulled up beside us. The window went down, and Tom, who was in the passenger seat asked, “Are we frisking them for scanners again, Gavin?”

“They’re idiots if they’ve replaced them, Tom. Go ahead, and any you remember from last time – arrest the buggers. Ring for the wagon first and while you’re on there, Mehmet could do with more help, and I want this road blocked off completely.”

“Okay, Gavin.” Tom turned from us and lifted a phone to his ear.

Gavin looked in his rear-view mirror. “The lads are here – ready, Jane?”

“For anything.” Gavin giggled and opened his door.

Mine was opened by Luke. His eyes sparkled, blathering, “I hope we’re running that fucking gauntlet.” Should be fun!

Naughty! He glanced at me and smiled.

Gavin had come round to our side of the car. “Much as I’d love to, Luke, we better wait. They won’t be long and it would get some of them out of our hair for a while if we find scanners on them again.”

I shoved in, “I feel sorry for Mehmet, Gavin.”

“He’s all right, Jane, don’t worry. He’s been trained for riots and will be blanking all that out. Here’s the wagon, now.” We watched them drive past us and pull up behind the press, who were totally oblivious. Another of our vans stopped right behind it and half of our team flowed out of the side door. Tom was out of Beth’s car; running over to them. They surrounded the press, who were so tightly bunched around the gate; they made it easy for our lot.

Tom bellowed, “TURN AROUND, ALL OF YOU!” You could see their hearts do more than sink when their eyes settled on who’d yelled. Tom was over six feet and towered over them.

“HAND THEM OVER!” he yelled again. The first one who pulled a scanner from his pocket was unhappily escorted to the wagon by Tom and the cage slammed shut once he was inside.

The others looked dubious now and I knew there was another scanner. I ran over to them. I was only next to a woman for a second, “She’s got one – search her.”

Beth took her to one side, and she was given the scanner before she’d said a word to the woman. “Thank you, now come with me?” She went quietly. Beth handcuffed her before she put her into the team’s van and locked it.

I pushed further into the crowd and tapped a man on the shoulder. “Take him.”

Jenny came through my wake with her hand out, “I’ll take it, please?” He fumbled around in all his pockets with a smile on his face, time wasting.

Arrest him, Jenny - he’s taking the piss.

She glanced at me and said, “I’ve had enough of this…you’re nicked, anyway.” She took him by surprise with her strength when she grabbed his lower arm; pushed it up his back and nudged him, hard. The rest of the huddle parted like the red sea to let them through.

I couldn’t feel another one and I didn’t recognise any of them from last time.

“If you don’t want to follow them, I suggest you bugger off, NOW!” They were like rats, fleeing a sinking ship.

When I finished giggling at them, I looked up and Mehmet was laughing his head off. I grinned at him and said to Beth, “Let her go, Beth. Jenny’s captive pushed it into her pocket. Some bloody colleague he is.”

“Okay, Jane.” She left us to get her out.

Gavin laughed behind me, “I don’t think they’ll be back in a hurry.”

“Until the next time, Gavin. I heard you ringing Lionel. Will he be long?”

“No. He was just finishing a patient call-out…he’ll be along in a few minutes.” He turned to Mehmet, “Where’s Eddie, this morning – still in bed?”

“I’ve no idea, Gavin. He answered his phone when control rang him – should’ve turned up when I did.”

“Chase control and see if they’ve heard anything, Mehmet. It’s icy where he lives and he could be wrapped around a tree.” He nodded and spoke into the radio clipped to his uniform on his left shoulder. The crackling and static on it was pretty bad, for some reason. He had to walk away from us to get a better reception. We suited up at the back of our car and just as Gavin closed the back door Kevin and Neil parked their van on the other side of the road. They got out and came over to us.

“Hi, we’re going in now – couldn’t before this – the bloody press…”

“Not again,” Keith was pissed off.

Beth came over to us. “We’ll get back to the nick, Gavin.”

“Okay, Beth. Stick them in the cells after you’ve searched them. I want to know which rag they’re working for – they’ll get a visit from me.”

“Consider it done, Gavin. See you later, Jane.”

“Bye, Beth. Now, let’s see what’s inside that bloody house. There’s more than a dead body in there.” What did I say this morning? I smiled at Gavin and left them standing when I walked off.

Mehmet stepped away from the gate and said, “The landlady is next door, Jane. I told control but I’m not sure you were told.”

“It’s okay, Mehmet. We’ll speak to her after we’ve seen what happened inside the house.

Gavin was beside me by the time I reached the front door. He pushed it open and we stepped over the threshold. “We’ll look upstairs first, Jane. I presume the woman rented a room up there – bit unusual if she didn’t.”

He looked carefully at each tread as he climbed, just in case there was anything that SOCO needed to take samples from. We didn’t touch the handrail for the same reason. There were two short flights to climb and the first of the rooms was on our left on the landing that was quite wide with doors on either side and ahead of us.

“The size of this is deceiving considering how big the house is from outside,” Gavin said, and then he knocked on the wall beside us. It echoed. “Stud walls,” he said to himself. He looked all around the door and handle before he used it to open the door. He pushed it open; looked inside and then we walked in there. What confronted us was a small room with very little furniture. A single bed with filthy sheets was in the corner and the carpet had seen better days, along with the grey net curtain. There was nothing in the room to say a human actually lived in there. The smell only reminded me of one thing. Sex. Gavin glanced at me and nodded.

“Come on, Jane – next room.” We crossed the hall and he checked that door too. He pointed to blood on the door jam, although when he pushed that door open it mimicked the one opposite, with no sign of a body. He turned to the door that faced the top of the stairs.

“It has to be in here, surely, only I can’t understand why the door would be shut if he was arrested up here.”

He opened the door and pushed it. There were blood trails everywhere on the wall that faced us and crossed the only window in the room; blocking out most of the daylight. Gavin put his head in to find the light switch, and when the bare light-bulb illuminated the whole scene, I knew then that there was more than one body.

“Three people died in here, Gavin. One, a few months ago. She’s standing beside me and pointing into the room – she’s still here.”

Gavin looked back at me; not shocked that I knew all that, and said, “Stay there. SOCO’s job up here, but first I’ll see where the other two bodies are. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Gavin. This place is a knocking-shop and I can’t wait to speak to the ‘Madam’, next door.”

“Me too – won’t be a sec.” He gingerly entered the room, making sure he didn’t step on any evidence. Meanwhile, I held the hand of the ghost and asked her a few questions.

“What’s your name, love?”

Lucretsia Krunitch.

“Hello, Lucretsia, I’m Jane.” She tried to smile – difficult when your nose and lips had been removed – poor bugger. “What happened to you, Lucretsia?”

Many woman here – pay enter your country. I try escape. I had enough; ten, twelve men – day – beating. Animal – the men.

I gave her a hug and said, “We will find who did this to you, Lucretsia.”

Thank you. She vanished.

Gavin hugged me. “Let’s get out of here, Jane.” He picked me up because I couldn’t see for the tears flooding my eyes.

When we exited the house, Gavin said to Charlie, “Back bedroom – two bodies and Jane…”

“It’s okay, we heard, Gavin. She’ll be hidden in there somewhere – we’ll find her. Are you all right, Jane?” I nodded and wiped my sleeve across my eyes.

“This happens sometimes, ignore it, Charlie, I’m fine.”

He and Luke went into the house. Gavin carried me to our car and put me down. Lionel had just arrived; strolling towards us with his bag in his right hand.

“Sorry to call you, Lionel; two bodies in the back bedroom. It’s a mess in there – you might be wise to have one of my forensic suits.”

“Thanks, Gavin. I should carry some, really.” He saw I’d been crying. “That bad, eh?”

“I’ve been talking to a woman who was killed in there, months ago, Lionel, and it gets to me – that’s all.”

“You said you were psychic, Jane. What a gift,” he said happily.

Gavin was getting the suit and when he heard that, he pulled his head out of the back door quickly and said, “I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, Lionel. You’ve no idea how they hound her.” He gave him a suit.

“Ah, has its drawbacks – I see that now. Sorry, Jane.” I smiled at him. “Thanks for this, Gavin. I should get on. SOCO will want to shift on this.” He toddled off.

Gavin opened the passenger door, “You’re having five minutes before we tackle ‘Madam’.” I giggled and climbed in.

I pulled the visor down to look at my face. Christ, what a mess.

Gavin giggled beside me, “I didn’t like to say.”

I laughed and picked up my bag to find the wipes I used to clean myself up. “Thank God not many people saw this; they’d have thought I was the ghost.”

“They must have done that to her, as an example, Jane.”

I began the repair job on my make-up. “I forget you can see them through me. I agree. I think she was Ukrainian or Russian – not sure.”

“We’ll find out when we catch the bastards running that place. That woman will be the same as them; just doing as she was told, or else. Whoever it is will have all their passports stashed somewhere. Immigration will have to be informed. They may even know about this place.”

“And they do nothing to stop it?” I was horrified by that.

“People risk their lives, undercover for years, to wheedle their way into operations like this, just to catch the money-men behind it.”

“Oh. I have an awful lot to learn, Gavin. I didn’t even think of that, but all those deaths.”

“It seems harsh, I know. People-trafficking has overtaken the drug-trade, across the globe, as regards money that’s laundered. It’ll never stop until there’s no one who wants an easier life in a richer country. I can’t see that happening, can you?”

“Not when you explain it like that, no. I do know one thing. I’m glad I’m a hybrid, Gavin.”

He flashed his eyes at me, “So am I.” I giggled and dropped my bag into the foot-well.

“Right, let’s get this over with – I’m human again.”

Gavin laughed at me for being so daft and opened his door. We met on the pavement where he took hold of my hand and we headed for the neighbour who’d taken in the so-called landlady.

We looked down on her, huddled with her feet up, in the corner of the old sofa she sat on. The woman who’d answered the door had shown us into the room and promptly left us. I could tell she was annoyed at being lumbered with this apology of a woman, so stoned, she could hardly stay awake.

Gavin said to me, “I’ll get her shipped to the nick. She can come-down there and we might get some sense out of her when she craves more.”

“Good. We’d only waste our breath here.” He took his phone out and ordered the wagon. If she was going to be sick, it wouldn’t be in one of our cars. They could hose the wagon out.

While we waited, I said to Gavin, “I’ll have a quick word with Mrs Farley.” He nodded and I left the room to find her. “Mrs Farley, I’d like a little chat.”

She came through the door at the end of the hall, “I don’t know what was going on next door, and I don’t want to know.”

“I don’t want to talk about that. I know you don’t.” She looked puzzled. “Can I sit and talk to you, Mrs Farley, please?” She put her hand back and pushed open the door again. It was her kitchen and I followed her in. At one end, it was a really cosy room with an open fire and two armchairs either side of it; normal kitchen things at the other.

Mrs Farley offered, “Sit by the fire, dear.”

“Thank you.” I sat down and smiled at her. “I’m psychic, Mrs Farley and that’s why I work with the police. I also feel things when I’m near people. Don’t be scared?”

“I’m not scared, dear. I attend the local spiritualist church; go on.”

For a while now, you’ve been worried about a pain in your stomach. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Her hand shot up to her mouth, “I don’t want to know if it’s bad news.”

“I wouldn’t do that to you. It’s not what you think it is, you know. You have a hernia, that’s all. Go to your doctor and don’t worry about cancer anymore, Mrs Farley. I can imagine it’s the first thing on anyone’s mind. Please say you’ll go?”

She put her hands forward and took hold of mine, “Thank you, dear. I’ll make an appointment. Can I get you some tea, or for the other officer?”

“No, thank you. I’m pleased I didn’t freak you out – it does some people.” She laughed. “We’re just waiting for someone to collect her. It’s pointless trying to talk to her in that state and you don’t need this. She had some front pushing her way into your home.”

“I tried to stop her. She’s stronger than she looks.”

“That’ll be the drugs, Mrs Farley. God knows what she’s taken?”

The wagon’s here, Jane.

“They’ve arrived to take her away. I’m pleased we met each other today. Have a nice life, Mrs Farley, and thanks for being so patient, putting up with her.”

“I have to thank you, too.” She stood up, “I’ll see you out. Thank you, dear, really.”

“It’s been a pleasure.” In the hall, we watched two uniform officers, one either side of the handcuffed woman, almost drag her from the premises. I put my hand on Mrs Farley’s shoulder. “You stay in the warm. Goodbye.” Gavin held his hand out, smiled at Mrs Farley and we left the house, hearing the door close behind us.

Gavin waited until everyone was back at their desks and then he went out there to tell them something. The door was open and when he cleared his throat, I watched them all raise their heads to listen.

“I’m sure by now you’re aware there’s something embedded in the music that all the kids listened to. We’re going to listen to the iPods from the first kids, though we cannot do it here. Anyone human, who hears our thoughts, could potentially turn into killers, like the kids. It won’t affect us at all, so after work, we’ll drive right away from town to listen to them. Luke thinks we have a rogue hybrid making the CDs and selling the iPods cheaply, loaded with the same music. I’ve asked the commissioner to contact MI5, to ask how we proceed with this. If Luke’s right and he could be; you’d be in serious danger, if you’re involved. I don’t think you’ve been told how strong we all are, and they’re not all like us. You wouldn’t want to piss off a nasty one. We need help with is and I’m accepting all we’re offered. Any questions?”

Tom put his hand up. “Yes, Tom.”

“Won’t you feel odd having to catch one of your own?”

“Good question, Tom. Now I’ll ask you one. Do you feel odd nabbing a murderer?”

The rest of the team giggled and Tom spouted, “All right, get it over with, you lot? Point taken, Gavin – no more crap questions, like that. Here’s another though – do we get to meet any of the other hybrids?”

Gavin laughed at him, “If they come to help us, you’ll still be working and be involved where you can. You’ll all meet them. Christ, they’ll feel like royalty with a bloody fan-club.” Laughter filled the office.

Phil pushed in when he could, “I’ll be first in the queue, Gavin.” All Gavin did was laugh at him.