Death Call by T S O'Rourke Page A

well-known burglar in the area, who had been sent down three times in the past ten years for house-breaking and dealing in stolen goods. He didn’t seem like he had what it took to be a killer – at least not according to his record.
     
    Carroll didn’t look too happy. Sure, the woman had identified the man she had seen running from the house, and he bore a resemblance to what the forensics people said the killer might look like, but he was a burglar – not a killer. Mike Taylor had never been done for GBH or assault. In fact, if Carroll could remember correctly, Taylor had been caught breaking into a house by the occupant and had been flattened by a single punch. This wasn’t their man – at least not in Carroll’s eyes. However, if he was right, then Taylor had a hell of a lot of explaining to do – whichever way you wanted to look at it.
     
    Grant explained to Mrs. Gardener that she would have to identify the man at an identity parade and give evidence, if necessary, at a later date. She was looking forward to it, she said.
     
    DCI Jones wanted another word. As the details of the first killing had been in the papers the day before, he was hardly surprised that persistent reporters should make a connection between the two killings. After all, the method of killing was very similar. The front page of The Evening Standard told the story of a serial killer who had a grudge against call girls. While much of the story was conjecture, there was more than a little evidence which would point a decent reporter in that direction. Jones wanted his two detectives to keep their mouths shut around the press.
     
    ‘All questions on this case should be referred to me – I don’t want you two guys talking to the media – understand? The Chief Superintendent has already been on the phone, and he wants this whole case kept as low-key as possible. We don’t want to start causing a panic in the city – do we?’ Jones said.
     
    ‘Well, it could be the best way to avoid anymore killings...’ Carroll said.
     
    ‘Look, call girls are call girls – they’d go out to work if the Yorkshire Ripper was still out there for chrissake. The best thing to do is contact the escort agencies in the area and tell them not to worry, but to take more precautions when they go out on a job....’
     
    ‘It’s not that easy, sir, they’ll not take a blind bit of notice if you do that. You’ll have to scare them off the job – otherwise I reckon we’re gonna have a few more bodies on our hands....’ Grant said.
     
    ‘What’s the update on your suspect?’ Jones asked.
     
    ‘He’s a local villain – a house breaker – he’s no murderer....’ Carroll said.
     
    ‘Burglar or murderer, I want him brought in for questioning ASAP – okay?’
     
    ‘I’m working on it right now. One of my snouts tells me he’ll have a fix on him by late afternoon. He’s not at his old address – apparently the local residents threw him out when he started breaking into their houses....’
     
    ‘A hard case, eh?’
     
    ‘Hard, maybe – but not that hard. He’s not our man, sir. I’ll put twenty on it....’
     
    ‘Well, if you’re so damned sure, you’d best get out there and find out who is responsible....’
     
    There was a lot to do. Apart from trying to find their only suspect, Mike Taylor, they also had to visit the City Slickers Escort Agency in order to get more information on the dead girl. And, after all of that, it would be a visit to Noel Harrigan in the forensics laboratory – provided they had the results to the many tests that were due to be carried out. Carroll didn’t feel quite up to it all, and Grant’s mind was far from being on the job.
     
    Grant had spoken to Victoria on the phone the day after the night they had spent together – and the reception was frosty, to say the least. Whatever loving they had done, it all now seemed to mean nothing. He was back to where he started. Or so it seemed. Nothing was ever