Mother Be The Judge (19 page)

'Ignorance is bliss.'

Thomas Gray

24
th
May 2012

16:00 hours

Adrian had been asleep or in a stupor for the last three days. He was starting to come around again after another long sleep. Adrian felt very hazy in his mind and again couldn't recall much of what had happened during the days he had been ill, he knew his mother had stayed home from work to look after him and was grateful that she had as he probably wouldn't have been able to eat or drink anything without her help. Nothing in Adrian made him suspect his mother of any wrongdoing; he believed in his powers of manipulation and was certain he still had his mother under his spell.

Adrian briefly considered Tiffany's phone, he had kept up a constant communication with her parents and was enjoying the feeling of power he held over the desperate couple. He was unsure how long it had been since he had last text them but the unknown medication coursing through his veins caused him to no longer care. He looked at the table beside his bed and saw the Anadin and a glass of water his mother had left for him. Hoping it would finally cure his befuddled head; he took the Anadin and settled himself back into his bedclothes. The happy side effect for Adrian was that he was having very vivid recollections of his time with Savannah and Tiffany; he was quite enjoying his mystery illness so was in no rush to leave the comfort of his bed.

-x-

Jocasta sat on her brown sofa. She had moved seats a year ago as her usual position had sunk so much she couldn't shift herself out of it without great effort. She was watching Deal or No Deal and was momentarily relieved of her problems as she shouted at the television, "No Deal you plum," whilst one of Britain's finest decided whether to gamble £2,000 on the opening of a box. Jocasta had visited all the chemists on her list today and now had a stockpile of tablets which would keep Adrian in his room for at least the next year. Knowing that keeping Adrian at home meant no further child would suffer at his hands, was a comfort to Jocasta. She was accustomed to spending time alone at home and used to her own company so had no problem consigning herself to this self-imposed prison.

Jocasta hoped that eventually she would be able to speak to Adrian about his warped sexual proclivity and in some way help to cure him of his evil desires. She had seen a documentary about conversion therapy. It stated that a guy called Sigmund Freud believed that hypnotic suggestion could turn a homosexual's way of thinking from gay to straight. Jocasta was hopeful that the same thing may be achieved with Adrian if she was to talk through his problems and maybe convince him to seek hypnotherapy. Maybe in the next few months she may get back the beautiful, sweet child that she had raised and bury the vile evil monster that was cuckooing its evil thoughts in Adrian's brain.

Jocasta laughed at the telly as the contestant on the television show lost £5,000 opening the final box and finding themselves the new owner of a shiny penny. She wondered if the contestants were actually given a penny or whether it was all for show. She reached for the box of Just Brazils which sat invitingly on the table before her, then sat back to enjoy the crunch of nut and the warmth of the chocolate whilst she continued to watch the television.

'I do not seek, I find.'

Pablo Picasso

24
th
May 2012

17:00 hours

The search team was up and running. It had taken a little while for Detective Sergeant Mary Webb to put together a summary of Tiffany's last known movements, her description and friends - which weren't many - and then to disseminate the information to police officers already on duty and to the spare team who had been called away from the training schedule they would ordinarily keep on a day their shift was not operational.

The cadaver dog was due to enter the Olinsbury borough at around 18:00 hours with directions to start at the allotments where Savannah West had been found. Detective Inspector Todd 'Todger' Turnbull knew that criminals were creatures of habit and the most likely scenario if Tiffany's killer was the same person; was that she may be found in the stream where Savannah had been. Todd hoped that Tiffany was a genuine runaway and that she really was just hiding away from the world but he wasn't going to leave her lying dead somewhere if that had in fact been her fate.

At such short notice it wasn't possible to accrue a team larger than thirty officers, so Todd made sure they were concentrated on the area surrounding Tiffany's school, working their way through Elisworth and checking all known public spaces and parks. The search would take a long time as there was much land to cover. Todd knew that it would probably prove a fruitless exercise; in a town like Elisworth there were few areas of land which remained continuously empty. Parks and recreational areas were often visited by parents with their children, joggers, dog walkers and local drunks looking for somewhere to imbibe away from the eyes of the law. Todd felt sure that if a dead body had been dumped in any of these places then it would have quickly been discovered. He continued with dispersing the teams to these areas, however, as he didn't want to make any mistakes in the hunt for Tiffany.

-x-

Todd made his way to the allotments; he wanted to take control of the search party there as a gut feeling was drawing him back to where Savannah had died. He parked up his Vauxhall in the muddy alleyway and got out of his car, stepping into a grey and rainy day. Pulling up the hood on his anorak, he made his way to the gates where a group of four officers stood in their blue police issue jumpsuits which were used for the purposes of searching.

"Lovely day Guv," One of the officers Todd knew as Navdeep called out to him.

"I know," Todd replied, "It's supposed to be summer for fucks sake." Todd liked to speak to the officers on their level. He didn't use his elevated rank as a badge of honour which granted him the right to a certain kind of snobbery he had seen displayed by other like-ranked officers. Instead Todd considered himself a police officer first and foremost and the officers knew and respected this.

"Yeah, going to be like it until July," Navdeep said. Todd marvelled at how in any given situation the British were
always
able to discuss the weather. He watched as the other three officers gave murmurs of disappointment; it was bad enough they were doing such a difficult job without adding rain into the mix.

"Do you think the dog will be able to smell anything in this weather?" enquired another officer. Todd hadn't considered that rain may be a factor in smell and he felt a little forlorn at the prospect.

"Well that's why you lot are here," grinned Todd. "That's what hands and knees are for gents, get on 'em and get searching."

Todd, sans uniform, got on his own hands and knees just inside the gate of the allotments. The officers lined up next to him on their own knees and the group began to move slowly forward; eyes scanning the ground before them for any clue which may lead them to learn the whereabouts of Tiffany Jones.

-x-

18:00 hours

The dog van arrived just as Todd's right knee sank into a pile of dark black and very smelly faeces.

"Oh for fox sake," Todd exclaimed to the tittering officers alongside him. He looked up to see the white van parking with its rear doors pointing towards the allotment gates. A loud deep bark was coming from the back of the van and Todd felt the rise of anticipation at the prospect of solving the riddle of Tiffany's disappearance. He prepared himself for what was to come as every sense he had developed as a police officer told him that she was somewhere on the allotment and he felt sure the dog was about to show him where.

Todd took out his mobile phone and called DS Mary Webb.

"Mary, the dog is here at the allotment now," he advised her, "Can you get down here and make sure that the SOCO's are ready to go?" he wanted any crime scene locked down as soon as possible as he was determined that nobody would be able to contaminate the scene and possibly prevent him from gaining justice.

"Oh and I need the photographer and a tent here because it's pissing down."

"Have you found her then Guv?" enquired Mary.

"Well no I haven't yet." Todd said, exasperated at the question. "But she's here Mary, I know she is; just get them down here. Oh and bring me a coffee please."

Todd pressed the button to end his call before Mary had a chance to respond to him. He walked over to where the officer from the dog unit was releasing a large German Shepherd from its cage in the back of the van. The dog could only be described as a beast. It was a magnificent example of a German Shepherd with the familiar sloping back and shortened back legged look akin with the bread. It was a very tall dog, its head reaching the hip of the officer who restrained the dog on its leash. A large pink tongue lolled around the dog's mouth and its eyes bulged with excitement. The German Shepherd pulled at the leash, obviously eager to do the job he was trained to do. All twelve stones of the dog put its handler's strength to the test.

"Rocky, pack up," The officer chastised him. The dog settled back and started to pant heavily waiting further instruction.

"Hi," Todd came forward. The dog lunged at Todd and was pulled back by its handler. Todd hadn't flinched; he was used to the energetic enthusiasm of police dogs and had complete faith in its handler's abilities.

"Hello is D.I. Turnbull here?" enquired the officer.

"Yeah, that's me." Todd rubbed his dirty hands down his even dirtier trousers in an attempt to offer a clean hand to shake.

"Sorry," said Todd, "It's real dirty and wet out here."

"That's alright sir," the officer said, obviously used to these kind of situations. "Where do you want me to start?"

Todd pointed towards the narrow dirt path which led away from the allotments and towards the stream which ran under the dual carriageway that ran above it.

"Can you take him over there first, we found a girl there a few years ago, and it's possible she is over there."

The dog handler looked towards where Todd was pointing and nodded ascent then made his way, dog on leash, to the stream. Todd returned to the search team which by now had reached the square plots of the allotments. He got back into his position in the middle of their line and began once again with his search for clues.

-x-

18:30 hours

Todd was aware of the sound of a car pulling up in the alleyway. Thinking it must be Mary Webb; Todd stood up once again and took a long stretch, shaking out his legs to relieve the pressure on his knees. His team had covered all the plots on the allotment in the pouring rain and the search so far had come to nothing. Todd hoped there would be some news from the cadaver dog soon, but was getting the feeling his police senses may have been wrong.

Instead of Mary appearing at the gates of the allotment, Todd saw that Jogesh Singh a local news reporter; stood in her stead. He grimaced and began to walk towards the reporter noticing the familiar cameraman who always followed him around.

"What are you doing here?" Todd asked him.

Jogesh grinned, "I heard through the grapevine that another girl has gone missing." He said, "Have you found her yet?"

Todd was angry, it annoyed him that someone from the police had had the gall to call the Press. He made a vow to find out who it was and to give them a well-deserved bollocking.

"You know I can't tell you anything." Todd said to him, "You have to wait for a press release or speak to our press office. Now don't come any closer, you will be trespassing on a potential crime scene."

Smelling an exclusive, Jogesh inched closer to where Todd was standing. "So you
have
got a missing child? You should talk to me, we could maybe help you to find her," he offered.

"No," said Todd, "You know the rules; when I've got something to tell you then I will. Now I can't make you leave but you step one foot on this allotment and I will nick you for obstructing a police investigation."

"Alright, don't worry." Jogesh ran his hands through his thick black hair. "We will wait here, Greg, set up the camera." He turned to his cameraman who began to set up a tripod where they were standing, Todd, now seemingly dismissed as they went about their business of snooping for monetary gain.

Todd was always saddened at the way reporters saw any opportunity as a money maker and were probably the only people in the world, apart from the perpetrators, who were excited by death; the more gruesome the better. Everything had its price it seemed and even death and destruction were an opportunity for the vultures that chose to report on it. Todd had actually had a heated debate in the past with a reporter friend over copious amounts of beer. Todd had given the friend his viewpoint and had listened to his friend telling him that reporting the news was a public service and that people had a right to learn what was going on in the world. He had pointed out the many times the Press had exposed wrongdoing and helped to bring people to justice and explained monetary gain was just a happy side effect of being a reporter. His friend maintained that he would be a reporter regardless of the finances as he had a nose for a story and enjoyed a feeling of achievement when he delivered a good report. Todd had grudgingly accepted his friend's explanation and they had both agreed crime and journalism would always go hand in hand. That didn't stop Todd feeling pissed off every time a reporter turned up at one of his investigations.

-x-

The heavy panting heralded the return of Rocky the cadaver dog and his handler. Todd knew the search had been fruitless otherwise it would be him going to them rather them the other way around.

"Nothing?" he asked the question which didn't require an answer.

"It's very wet up there," the handler said, his drenched hair and clothes bearing testament to that. Rocky gave a vigorous shake, pink tongue swinging furiously with every sideways movement of the head.

"Ok," said Todd, "Can you go over the allotment plots?"

"Yes sir, no problem." The handler pulled at Rocky's neck and pointed him in the direction of the plots of land. The handler allowed the dog's leash to get longer and followed Rocky as his nose made its way across the wet terrain.

DS Mary Webb finally arrived in the passenger seat of the Scenes of Crime Officer's van. The alleyway was already chock a block with cars, a dog van and a reporter so she instructed Jan the SOCO to park on the road outside. Mary slipped and slided her way up the dirt path and then went over to the group which had been created by Todd and his search officers. Jan followed, carrying a tray of paper cups holding lukewarm coffee that had been hot when purchased from the coffee shop fifteen minutes earlier.

Mary and Jan were met with low level cheers of approval when the cold and wet officers saw them with their tray of coffee and each officer grabbed a cup; some to refresh themselves and others to make use of the warmth the coffee cups offered their freezing hands. The officers, Todd, Mary and Jan huddled like penguins, keeping close together, sharing their body warmth whilst they awaited news from Rocky and his handler.

"Sir." a shout came from the dog handler in the distance. "Sir, please come over here."

Todd broke away from the group and ran over to the rear of the allotments, where plots were uncultivated and largely deserted. He saw Rocky sitting in the middle of a plot of land, happily panting and looking pleased with himself.

"We've got something sir." The handler told Todd.

"Could it be a fox or anything else?" Todd asked him.

"No sir, the dog is trained to smell human flesh," he told Todd. "Whatever is under there, it comes from a human and a dead one at that."

Todd knew that they had found Tiffany. His gut instinct had let him right once again. He thanked the handler who threw Rocky a tennis ball which the dog caught in his mouth before returning to his handler's side.

Todd walked over to the officers who waited patiently in their huddle for the news he was bringing to them.

"Did you get the tent?" he asked Mary.

"Yes Guv. It's in Jan's van." Mary affirmed.

"Ok, get it, get the shovels, call the photographer again and make sure that fucking cameraman is nowhere near here when the body comes out." Todd pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket so he could ring the Borough Commander and let him know that very soon there would be one more murder statistic to add to their figures.