Different (20 page)

Jay eased out of bed and quietly opened one of the swing doors that led into the main corridor and peered in the direction taken by the nurse. The woman was standing outside the toilets and had removed a packet of cigarettes from her pocket. When the nurse hurried into the toilets to have her illicit cigarette, Jay smiled, now she would have at least five minutes, while the woman enjoyed her cigarette, to make her escape.

Jay went in the opposite direction away from the toilets and heard footsteps coming towards her from a corridor on her left. Turning, she hurriedly slipped back into the ward and quickly rolled under the nearest bed, which was at the opposite end of the ward from her own.

The far doors of the ward, the ones by her bed, swung open. She saw the curly hair and plump cheeks and watched as the killer, who was wearing a white doctor's coat, stop at her empty bed and checked her notes. She felt sure that he'd sense where she was. That some animal instinct would guide him to her, but he turned and left the way he'd come.

She couldn't stay there lying helpless under a bed if he came back. Pushing the thought away she rolled out from under the bed, eased open one of the doors and peered along the corridor. She saw him entering the toilets where the nurse had gone for her smoke. At the other end of the corridor was a fire exit sign, and Jay ran. Carrying her shoes and silent in her bare feet, reached the fire doors, but unlike the ones at the Saracen these doors opened easily.

She let herself out onto the metal staircase outside and she winced as the cold air penetrated her thin dress. Fighting off a sudden feeling of fear, she put on her shoes and carefully made her way down the fire escape.

Leaving the hospital grounds, Jay half expected the killer to leap out at her from the darkness of the shrubs, but nothing happened, and she gave a silent prayer of thanks when she emerged safely into the deserted streets. Shivering, she hurried in the direction of the car park. She would find her handbag, keys and ring the police from there.

Russell had almost fallen when the girl had thrust him backwards and ran. He'd snatched out the gun but only had time for a quick snapshot, but Jay had been hit and he'd seen blood pooling on the concrete around her head. He darted around the corner and was almost back in the street before the screaming started. Cursing, he tore of the wig and removed the cheek pads before taking off his reversible jacket which he quickly turned inside out and put back on. Now it was red instead of black. Russell didn't walk away from the club but casually towards it. He was satisfied that the change in his appearance would be enough to prevent him from being recognised by anyone who'd glimpsed him in the darkness of the alley. He needed to make sure the girl was dead.

The flashing blue lights of the police cars illuminated the red brick walls of the alley way and he joined the spectators who were standing behind a hastily erected metal barrier. He ignored the police officers milling around everywhere, and manoeuvred himself closer to the ambulance's open rear doors. Two paramedics emerged from the alley carrying a stretcher and he recognised the girl's dark wavy hair. She had a bandage around her head and was semi-conscious and muttering to herself.
Damn it,
he'd only grazed her. Just as they lifted her into the ambulance, she turned her head, looked at him and he saw her cringe back in fear.

Quickly, he turned and pushed his way through the crowd and hurried towards his car, he'd have to follow the ambulance, find out where she was being taken. She'd recognised him without the wig; he'd have to kill her, before she could describe him to the police.

Once again wearing the wig cheek pads and contact lenses, he walked confidently along the hospital corridor towards the ward. The white coat he'd taken from the staff room was a perfect fit. He wore a laminated identification badge that bore a genuine doctor's photograph that looked nothing like him, but no one ever gave the badges more than a quick glance anyway. The stethoscope around his neck and the clipboard in his hand all added to his authentic look, and the few staff he'd passed had all nodded at him and smiled. He'd waited until 4:30 a.m. before making his move because everyone in the wards should be asleep, and he'd already checked the layout of the ward, the one Jay was sleeping in, earlier.

He opened the ward door and spotted the policeman who was snoring, there was a faint click as he released the blade of the stiletto and walked silently over to the bed. It was empty! Yet her name was on the chart at the foot of the bed and a nurse had checked on her less than two minutes ago. The toilet, she must have gone to the toilet! He'd passed them just outside the ward!

He slipped inside the female toilets, the air was filled with the bitter-sweet stink of cigarettes and he could see smoke wafting out of the stall at the far end. Grinning, he dropped onto his knees and looked under the doors of the other stalls. They were empty. The girl was alone. Russell switched off the lights, stepped back against the washbasins and brought out the knife.

The stall door opened and a cigarette lighter flared as the girl made her way towards the exit. Russell waited until she was just past him before moving in for the kill. He snaked the hand holding the knife around the girl's neck while his other hand seized her thick black hair jerking her head up and back. He'd slit the girl's throat before she'd realised what was happening and she collapsed onto the floor, he watched her body twitch for a few moments and then fall still.

"So long Jay!” he said. Straightening, he flicked on the lighter she'd dropped looked down at her body and cursed when he saw the nurse's uniform and the dead woman's face.
Where the fuck is the girl?
He hurried back to the ward and peered inside, the bed was still empty and then he saw the discarded nightdress on the floor by the open locker door. The girl must have guessed he'd come after her and split!

The policeman died in his sleep as the blade plunged into his heart, Russell killed him out of chagrin for missing the girl, it was a childish reaction, but Russell wanted the girl to know that he'd be coming after her. He dropped the bloody weapon into a wheely bin and decided he'd have one more attempt to try and get the girl before he called it a night. He thought she'd be heading for the car park on foot, and Russell had a car.

Jay walked along the dimly lit streets, hugging herself, trying to keep warm. She was acutely conscious of the fact that she was almost naked beneath the flimsy dress, which was now so short it barely covered her buttocks. Every time she heard a car, she slipped into the nearest available shadow and waited for it to drive past, she wasn't about to take any chances or risk hitching a lift dressed like that.

It was about 4:30 a.m., and she increased her pace. After crossing the main road, she headed down Claredon Street, in another few minutes she'd be at the car park. She didn't think anyone would have found her bag or keys in the dark.

She was walking past the cemetery when she heard a car door open behind her. The killer was leaping out of one of the parked cars she'd passed. Jay ran down the hill, looking behind her, she saw that he was only about a hundred yards behind and she heard the cough of the gun and something struck one of the iron railings on her left. Jay flung herself desperately to her right and the rear window of a van in front of her disintegrated in a shower of diamond like fragments.

The cemetery gates on her left were fastened with a chain and padlock, but Jay didn't hesitate because they were set back from the road the brickwork pillars should give her the cover she needed. Trying to hide behind the parked vehicles would be stupid but the cemetery offered her darkness and shelter, somewhere to hide.

She leapt at the wrought iron gates and hauled herself up. Recklessly and silently praying that she wouldn't slip, she swung one leg over the nasty looking metal points that topped the gate. As soon as her foot found a hold, she swung her other leg over and dropped onto the gravel drive. Darting towards the nearest gravestone, she flung herself behind it.

Something, she assumed it was a bullet, struck the granite in front of her. Crawling on her stomach, she moved behind another one that was set further back. Peering towards the gates, she saw that the man had swung one leg over the spikes and realised that for a few precious seconds all his concentration would be avoiding being impaled. Leaping to her feet, she ran to her right counting and after ten strides she threw herself back down behind another grave. Peering around it, she saw him gun in hand walking slowly towards the spot where she'd originally taken cover.

Jay moved further back to her right, terrified in case she made a noise it would bring him to her. Her hand encountered something cold and smooth and she found that it was a metal flower urn and she hefted it thoughtfully. He was facing away from her; Jay stood and hurled it as hard as she could to her left. She dropped back down again and to her surprise the vase clattered about thirty yards away from her. The killer turned and walked cautiously towards the sound holding the gun out in front of him in both hands. Jay crawled further away from him, deeper into the cemetery.

A large mausoleum, built with grey granite blocks, loomed in front of her and she could see its ironclad doors were slightly ajar. Jay hurried inside hoping to hide behind one of the ancient tombs, some of which had stone figures mounted on the lids.

Jay heard him! She could actually hear him creeping towards the doors.
The mausoleum must be amplifying the sound,
she thought,
not that it makes any difference, I'm trapped and he's going to find me. He's going to put a bullet in my head.

She suddenly felt compelled to take off all her clothes and after screwing them up into a ball, she stuffed them inside a large metal urn that was standing on a raised plinth. Her entire body seemed to be a mass of grazes covered in dirt. She hauled herself up onto one of the tomb lids and lay down with her back resting against the cold stone. Pressing her arms against her side and her legs together, she became.

It was getting lighter and she realise that the killer was coming towards her shining his torch and although the beam played over her, it moved on. She could hear him moving around below her and was sure that the beating of her heart would be amplified inside that resting place of the dead.
If he catches me, it would be an ideal place to hide my body;
she thought and tried not to breathe.

After what seemed like an hour but couldn't have been more than a minute because she'd been holding her breath, he came back out. Jay could hear him muttering angrily to himself and guessed he was becoming increasingly frustrated in his efforts to find her. As his voice moved away, she risked a quick look through the gates and could see him as he weaved between the gravestones. The gun had disappeared inside his jacket and Jay watched him walk back to the cemetery gates and climbed back over them. A few minutes later, she heard an engine start and a vehicle drive away, but she remained where she was and didn't move, in case it was a trick, a trap.

Jay jerked awake and saw that the sun was shining weakly but she felt frozen, colder than she could ever remember. She forced herself to move and stared in shock at her body, which seemed to have been carved from ancient stone. As she climbed down to the floor, her skin regained its natural colour, and she remembered Tom calling her a Chameleon.

Retrieving her clothes, she dressed and when she glanced at her watch saw that it was 10:45 a.m. Outside, she saw people gathered around a green shrouded grave about two hundred yards away from her and she could hear the comforting drone of the vicar's voice. Two women and a solitary man seemed to be the only other occupants of the graveyard and she thought it would be safe to leave.
Anyway, I can't stay here forever.

Taking a deep breath, Jay hobbled towards the church. A woman was carrying some flowers towards the entrance but upon seeing Jay, she put the flowers down onto a bench and came hurrying over.

"I need to call the police,” Jay said.

The woman looked at her shrewdly, “Have you been raped,” she asked.

Jay shook her head and the woman nodded.

"Right then,” she said, putting an arm around Jay and leading her away from the church but towards a house. “First, you'll have a hot drink followed by an even hotter bath. Then we'll get you into some clean clothes before calling the police."

Jade looked at her gratefully. “That sounds fantastic, but why are you helping me?"

The woman's blue eyes twinkled, “Because I have a friend, called Jesus."

Jay turned off the shower feeling warm and refreshed. She reached blindly through the curtain for a towel, and a handcuff was snapped around her wrist and she was jerked forward over the edge of the bath. Someone caught her other arm and twisted it savagely behind her back, forcing her to her knees. With brutal efficiency, her manacled wrist was also pulled behind her back and both wrists handcuffed together. Jay was hauled to her feet and the two men, who she assumed were police officers, hooked their arms through hers and manhandled her out of the bathroom and into the lounge.

The female curate met her eyes and then looked away, Jay realised that the woman had rung the police while Jay was showering.

"Jay-Be-Free Mallard.” The older of the two plainclothes men looked at her in disgust. “I'm Detective Superintendent, Vincent Roberts, and this is Detective Sergeant Singh. You are under arrest for the murder of Thomas Carver and Charlotte Hunningford. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention now, something which you later rely on in court. Anything that you do say may be given in evidence."

"Can I put some clothes on? You can't take me out of here naked like this!” Jay was in shock, and could hardly believe that this was happening to her. When would it all end?

"Ranjhit, give her one of the coveralls, we've got some clothes you can wear down at the station, and don't forget to bag the dress she was wearing!"