Bad Moon Rising (#1 - D.I. Paolo Storey Crime Series) (18 page)

***

Paolo followed Barbara into her office. She’d indicated that she had something more to say than just outlining her findings. From the look on her face, it was something fairly serious.

She settled herself behind the desk and sighed.

“Would you like some coffee?”

Paolo sat down opposite her. “No thanks. You have something to add to what we know so far?”

She sighed again. “No, not really, but... yes, maybe. I don’t know to be honest. I’ve given approximate time of death as Saturday evening. I know for a fact that Larry was out last Saturday until late. Sharon was with me and she only left the pub once Larry was safely out of the way. I can’t tell you why,” she said as Paolo sat forward. “Sorry, what passed between me and Sharon is private, but, well, Larry could be... might be. Oh fuck it, I don’t know.”

Paolo laughed. “Barbara! I didn’t think you even knew that word. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you say anything worse than damn.”

“It isn’t funny.”

“No, I know it isn’t. It just sounded funny coming from you. Look, I don’t think Larry is our killer, but I’d had him under surveillance since you raised concerns about him earlier this week. If he puts a foot wrong, we’ll be there to see him doing it. I’ve already spoken to uniform this morning. Larry didn’t leave the pub last night, so it doesn’t look like he dumped the body. Besides, you said this one had been kept somewhere for nearly a week. As far as we’ve been able to check, Larry doesn’t own or rent anywhere that doesn’t have neighbours or workers nearby. The bodies are being kept where no one raises the alarm when the smell of rotting flesh starts to leak out.”

“I know you’ve got someone watching Larry whenever he
leaves
the pub, but no one is watching what he does to Sharon inside the place.”

“Barbara, you know as well as I do that there is nothing we can do for Sharon until she asks for help.”

“No, I know. God, that man gives me the creeps. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to find out the pub has a secret underground cellar where he can keep the bodies to screw until they no longer turn him on. It’s possible, isn’t it? I mean no one realised what Fred and Rose West got up to under their house for years.”

***

When Paolo returned to the main office Dave was sitting at his desk, but his mind was clearly anywhere but on his work. He hardly registered Paolo’s entrance until Paolo was right next to him. Then he looked up, shook his head as if to get rid of some unwelcome thoughts, and smiled, but Paolo could see it was an effort.

“You okay, Dave?”

“Sure am. CC called, sir. She’s had a bit of a breakthrough. The missing girl’s name is Mandy Ward. One of the other girls claims she saw Mandy getting into a dark and expensive looking car. Apparently the girl’s English isn’t all that good, but she says Mandy went off with a star from television.”

He looked down at the notes on his desk. “CC said the girl’s exact words were, ‘He famous. Like star.’ So that makes our job nice and easy. All we have to do is find a television star with a fetish for screwing the dead, who drives a dark car and may or may not have connections to Liverpool. Simple, let’s nab the first actor who covers all of those aspects and the case is solved.”

“Very funny, Dave. Have uniform come back yet with anything from the estate near the landfill site?”

Dave consulted his notes again. “Nothing at all useful. A couple of residents woke in the early hours; both reported hearing a car heading in that direction and returning about twenty minutes later, but curiosity didn’t make either of them leap out of bed and rush to the window, unfortunately. So they didn’t see the car or the presumably famous driver. Wouldn’t it be great if it was someone off one of those old shows like
The Bill
?”

Now Paolo was really concerned. Dave was going out of his way to come across as chirpy and without a care in the world.

“Come through to my office for a moment, please, Dave.”

As Dave closed the door behind him, Paolo gestured for him to sit down, all the time wondering how to phrase his questions. He decided to jump straight in and hope for the best.

“Dave, we didn’t get off to the best of starts, but I think we can put that behind us. You’re a good copper. If there’s anything troubling you, anything at all that I can help with, please, just tell me.”

Dave looked uncomfortable. “Like what? I didn’t mean what I said out there. I just thought you’d appreciate the joke – you know, on television they get a couple of clues that mean fuck all and by the end of the episode they know who did it and why, where they live and everything else needed to draw a line under the case before the credits come up on screen.”

“I wasn’t referring to what you said out there. It’s... I don’t know, it’s just that you seem to have the weight of the world on your shoulders recently. As I said just now, if I can help in any way...”

Dave’s face, which had been alight with laughter, darkened as Paolo’s words registered. “There’s nothing,” he snapped. “Nothing that you and everyone else in this place staying out of my personal life wouldn’t cure.”

He stood up so fast the chair nearly toppled backwards.

“Is that all you wanted, sir? Only I’ve got a job to do and I seem to recall you telling me to keep my private life private. So that’s what I’d like to do, if you don’t mind,
sir
.”

The emphasis on the word made Paolo wince. Dave walked to the door, yanked it open and made a dignified exit, back ramrod stiff, his entire body radiating anger.

I really handled that well, Paolo thought. Just call me Mr Sensitive.

Paolo recognised the ringtone on Dave’s phone as he disappeared towards his own desk. Within a couple of minutes Dave was back in Paolo’s office with a look of complete incredulity on his face.

“I’ve just had a call from Sandra Massey, sir. I couldn’t get her to stay on the line long enough for a trace, but I think she’s most probably using a pay as you go phone anyway. She said she won’t come back, so not to bother trying to track her down.”

Paolo waited. There had to be more to come. No way would Dave have come rushing back just to tell him Sandra Massey had relocated.

“You’ll never believe who she said picked up her friend Mandy Ward that night.”

“By the look on your face it has to be someone I’d never suspect, so go on, confound me.”

Dave grinned and sat down, looking relaxed, which was completely at odds with the way he’d looked as he’d stormed out only seconds earlier.

“Oh, I think I’m going to confound you all right, sir. Whether or not we take her seriously... well, that’s up to you. She swore to me that she definitely recognised him,” he said with a laugh in his voice.

“Are you going to share the secret with me, or take it with you to your grave?” Paolo asked.

Dave’s grin grew even wider. “Oh, I’ll share my knowledge, sir. Ms Massey says she saw her friend getting into the car of no less a personage than... Matthew Roberts.”

Paolo heard the name and felt like joining in with Dave’s laughter, but the desire to laugh didn’t last long. Whether Sandra Massey was telling the truth or just yanking their chain, he would have to follow up on it. The thought of interviewing Matthew Roberts and asking the solicitor a load of questions that was bound to get him yelled at by the chief was no laughing matter.

“Bugger it, Dave. What on earth made her pick on him? I mean, can you imagine him cruising the district looking for a good time?”

“She says she’s almost sure it was him.”

“Almost?”

“Yeah, sorry, sir. I messed with her wording a bit. What she actually said was it was someone who looked like him. I just couldn’t resist seeing what your face would look like if I told you she had definitely identified Matthew Roberts.”

Relief flooded Paolo’s body. “Very funny. Well, you got your moment of laughter, but in fact your Ms Massey has given us some help.”

“How do you work that out, sir? You can’t arrest Matthew Roberts just for looking like the bloke who picked up Mandy Ward.”

Paolo stood up. “No, but we can use a picture of him in with a load of others to see if the girl on the street also says Mandy Ward was picked up by someone who looked Roberts. It would at least give us an idea of what our maniac looks like.”

Paolo reached the door and yelled for CC to come in. As he walked back to his desk he couldn’t help but smile. This could be the breakthrough they needed. If they used Matthew’s face as a starting point, the girl might be able to help them to build a decent identikit mock up of the killer.

C
HAPTER 
F
OURTEEN

He closed the curtains against the feeble early morning March sunlight. Incense filled the air and he inhaled its sweet perfume, drawing the holy scent deep into his body. Candles burned at his makeshift altar. He knelt and begged for the honour of continuing the Lord’s great work. He was getting stronger each day, pushing back the other one – taking over the weakling’s mind and body. But it wasn’t enough. He needed God’s blessing. He needed a sign that God was pleased with his progress.

As he prayed he felt the Lord’s presence drawing closer. The candlelight grew brighter and the sweet sound of angels singing lifted his soul. Fearful of looking on the Lord’s beauty, he kept his eyes on the patterned rug in front of the altar.

“I am not worthy, Lord,” he whispered.

A voice clearer, brighter and almost more beautiful than he could bear touched his soul.

“You are more than worthy,” the Lord said. “You are my special one. My saver of souls.”

He prostrated himself before the altar as the singing reached a crescendo and the Lord’s love washed over him in perfect waves.

“What do you want of me, Lord?”

“You must save them all, my child. Save every one of them, as I saved the Magdalene.”

As the Lord finished speaking, the glory of His presence faded until only the flickering candlelight remained and the singing became no more than a whisper on the edge of hearing. He remained face down, naked and trembling with awe. The Lord had blessed him. The Lord had touched his soul. He was above mankind, at one with God’s son. Sobs wracked his body. He had not been worthy before today. But this morning he had been sanctified by the Holy Spirit. He was ready. The other within him could no longer fight. He’d been granted a decree from the heavenly powers and none could stand against it. Tomorrow was the Sabbath, the day on which God rested and so must he, but after that blessed day, he would collect another soul. He’d been confirmed as the Lord’s instrument and would prove himself worthy of His sacred trust.

***

Paolo woke up smiling on Saturday morning. For the first time in what felt like eternity, he had an entire weekend to look forward to. He would be spending today with Katy, but later, after he and Lydia had spoken, who knew what might happen? He half sat up and put his hands behind his head. Settling back against the pillows, he allowed his mind to wander down a
what if
path.

What if Lydia asked him to move back into the house? Hmm, possible, but not probable. She was more likely to say they should take things slowly and rebuild their relationship. Okay, so what if she suggested he spent weekends there? That was a definite possibility. He’d settle for that. He grinned. Right now he’d settle simply for Lydia telling him she wanted him to be part of her life again.

He climbed out of bed, still smiling. Today was going to be a good day. Whatever Lydia suggested would be fine by him. It was going to be better than good; it was going to be a great day.

After his shower, Paolo dressed with greater care than usual. It felt like going on a date. Or, at least, he assumed that was the feeling. He’d not been on a date since his high school days and those youthful dates had all been with Lydia. He smiled again – talk about a one-woman man. Then he laughed out loud at himself. Thank God no one could hear his thoughts. He sounded like an idiot even to his own mind.

Still chuckling, he left his dingy bedsit and headed across town.

Lydia opened the door, looking as gorgeous as ever. Paolo had to stop himself from asking her to tell him now what was on her mind. The last thing he wanted was to mess up whatever she had planned for later.

“Come in, Paolo. Katy isn’t quite ready, but she’ll be down in a few minutes. Would you like some coffee?”

“Sure thing, why not if you have some ready?”

They walked through to the kitchen and Paolo sat at the table, angling his chair so that he was facing Lydia as she busied herself with the cafetière. She poured the water into the pot and then turned to look at him. Her smile made him feel seventeen again. He wanted to chuck up all responsibilities and take Lydia on a picnic by the river. Okay, maybe not that at this time of year, but something equally romantic.

“What?” she asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Paolo shrugged. “No particular reason. I was just thinking how nice it was that we weren’t arguing any longer. It’s pleasant just sitting here.”