My boss had become even more remote than she had been before.

Robbins was now a Sergeant. The wages of sin was obviously in her case promotion.

The bodies might have gone unfound for longer than the 3 months that had elapsed since the incident, had a burglar not chanced upon them. It was just our luck instead of slinking away the man had phoned in an anonymous tip off.

He'd made little sense all he could say was that "It was horrible, horrible, the rats had been at them, 31 Compton Road, 4, 5, maybe 6 dead women all tied up horrible. They'd been shot. He'd then rung off."

I'd found out because the Head of Forensics, an old friend of mine, had phoned me to ask if we still used a certain make of handgun. I'd asked why he wanted to know and he told me about the murders and how a news blackout had been imposed. He begged me not to tell anyone about this case or to let them know that we had spoken about it.

I told him that he was safe with me however guns of that type I believed were kept in our auxiliary arsenal. They would only be issued in cases of extreme emergency such as revolution or anarchy. 

He told me that the women had been killed with 6 shots and all the bullets had been found. Forensics would have no difficulty in identifying the gun that had fired them, as there was a distinct marking on all them.

I said to him that there might be no more than 6 of this make still in our possession so it should not take long to check them out.

He'd burst out laughing, "Lane you are a silly bugger, I only wanted one to check that these bullets could have been fired from that model of gun". He put the phone down.
I was bloody angry with me, why could I not have said yes or I believe so. The time had obviously come, so I phoned the City Airport on my private mobile and booked a seat on the 2pm flight to Amsterdam. I was e-mailed the tickets and I'd got the false passport and ten thousand Euros, so now was the time. But oh no it was not to be.

Sergeant Robbins knocked on my office door and entered. "Excuse me sir but I am instructed to take you to HQ where you are to see the Assistant Chief Constable. You are to come straight away."

Yes ma'am" I replied.

Robbins had saucily said, "Not yet sir, just a Sergeant for the moment".



Within 20 minutes I was sat with the ACC and my Boss. I was instructed "Read this case history, say nothing till you've read it all." When I'd finished the ACC said, "Now you know why this matter has to be treated with the utmost discretion. I am nicknamed Dickson of Dyke Green so the circumstances of this case could cause me considerable embarrassment.

I dutifully responded "Yes ma'am I will be the soul of discretion."

My Boss asked me "Well Lane what are your first thoughts".

"Ma'am" I'd replied, "Why me?"

 The ACC butted in, "Because your Superintendent has pointed out that you are loner with an excellent record and are known for your obstinacy, she believes that this had held you back and she felt it time that you got noticed. If you two handle this case sensitively and get a suitable result I could be looking at a future Chief Superintendent and a Detective Superintendent."

My boss repeated her question "Lane what are your first thoughts?"

"Well ma'am at first sight it does look like an S+M game that has got completely out of control. The first conclusion would be that it was either a Lesbian outrage or less likely the work of a misogynist. However do you remember when the body of an unidentified elderly man had been found about 30 months ago?"

 The ACC interrupted "What's that got to do with this case"

I replied "The man like the women had been tied up with surgical plaster, he had also died from gun wounds. We could be looking at a serial killing psychopath. With your permission I shall make the following press release available. It would be along the following lines

"Killer Psychopath strikes again.

The Police are investigating a multiple murder that shares features with the murder 30 months ago of an elderly man. Sexual motivation has once again been ruled out.""

The women agreed that this was a sensible approach. I then asked that I could have Sergeant Robbins as a Legman.

The ACC had asked my boss what she thought and she said that Robbins would be ideal. She'd just got promotion and was utterly reliable. Right said the ACC you both can go.

Neither of us said anything till we had got in the car and Robbins was driving us back to our station.


I told Robbins what he happened and added that I wondered how many murders had been investigated by the murderer and their accomplices.

Bless her, my Boss got emotional, "I'll give myself up and I'll not incriminate either of you".

I was quite blunt "Like f*** you will, I want to re-open the case on my dead father, I believe those cows were behind it. Our real problem is our Lady Barrister who is still holed up with my ex-wife. It's funny how the ACC made no mention of her, yet she appears to own the house? 

Another thing the CCTV's hard drive had been stolen why did the ACC allow me to make no mention of the theft? Perhaps the burglar took it and then found the bodies? But I don't think so as the control room was hidden behind the dressing room's cupboards false backs. Forensics only found it by sheer luck; a burglar wouldn't have found it. So who took the Hard Drive and why?

We arrived at our Police Station and dropped off the Superintendent. I said to Clare, "Right Sergeant, take me home". When we arrived outside my house I said to her, "listen carefully to this conversation and you will know what you have got to do next. Do it, then go home, get into civvies and come back here."

I made a Call on my private mobile. A voice answered "Freedom Clinic"

"Can I speak to Dr.Caine please"

"Who shall I say is calling"

"Its confidential and personal" the call was put through but the receptionist was listening, a woman answered "Caine"

I whispered "Rosemary phone my mobile using your mobile" and then I rang off. It soon rang. It was Rosemary. I told her "I've got the passport, ten thousand Euros and the flight tickets. Drive out onto the by-pass. Robbins will flag you down and demand your documents. Give them to her and she will hand them and an envelope back to you.

Have the Barrister in the car with you, as she needs to go now. Her flight boarding time is 2pm. She can only take hand luggage, as it's an executive jet out of the City Airport. She will have to look after herself once she is out of the country. I can't thank you enough; I believe that you have now saved her life twice".

I lied to her and said "I had to give an all Ports and Airports warning to the media. However I'd delay it till 7pm by which time she would be in the Netherlands with a new identity to match her new face.  Now we are quits and you owe me nothing". She rang off. Robbins took the envelope from me. I got out of the car and I went indoors. Robbins drove away.



Robbins returned about an hour latter dressed to kill. She smiled as she entered my house and said "Come on Granddad, its time I thanked you properly so I am taking you to bed". I did not argue.

As we snuggled up afterwards I said that "I had paid for the Barristers extensive plastic surgery and sundries such as false passports etc using some money that had somehow gone astray following a drugs gangland shoot out. I'd found the bag where it's courier must have thrown it, it was about a mile from where his body was found. It comes of being thorough. Whilst Drugs Squad were farting about, I'd followed my hunch that the man had been on foot and retraced what I'd thought had been his steps and there was the bag and in it the money."

Clare giggled "And to think that we are the good guys? Senior officer or not I'm going on top this time." And I let her. There was a ring on the doorbell, I told Clare to pick up her clothes, go downstairs into the Lounge, get dressed, and look as though she was doing something useful." Down she went. I waited, then ran down stairs in my dressing gown and opened the door it was my Boss.

I said that "I was getting changed into civvies so come in, Sergeant Robbins is in the lounge. "Then get in there with Robbins"she barked, I followed her into the room. She then told us that "This is urgent, one of our informers knows the burglar. So he tapped him up and you were right he had not taken any thing from the house. What worries me is that Hard Drive. It could have our images on and I would be seen shooting the women"

 I added "Yes and I would be seen handing you the gun. I'm going to play a hunch. I'm going to see our ACC."

To be continued