laugh.’
‘Yeah, he is. He told me he was quite shy as a kid but says I’ve brought it out of him. He’s quite sensitive when you get him on his own.’
‘As long as he treats you all right.’
‘Well if he doesn’t I know a police officer that can put him right.’
The flushing of the toilet brought an end to their conversation but, before Randall could return, Jessica’s phone rang anyway. She had dumped her bag by her shoes next to the living room doorway and forgotten to take her phone out. She answered just a moment before it would have rung off. It was DI Cole.
Another body had been found.
ELEVEN
The second murder scene was very similar to the first but with one massive difference. Just because there had been another killing, there would have been no instant reason to link it to the first – until you saw the crime scene. There were so many parallels to the first death. The property itself was less than half-a-mile from the Christensens’ but this time the victim was found in an armchair in the living room. It looked as if there had been more of a struggle but there were still deep, vicious wounds in the victim’s neck.
In stark contrast to Yvonne Christensen, this time the victim was male.
As Jessica walked into the interview room at Longsight, she didn’t know how to feel. She had been at work the entire day and the wine she’d shared with Caroline on an empty stomach was only just wearing off. Any crime scene could be enough to make you feel a bit queasy but, as time edged into the late evening, her stomach was rumbling and she just didn’t feel quite right. She guessed a large part of that was down to the mixed emotions she was having. There was a part of her exhilarated that something was now happening and relieved she wasn’t necessarily a failure. Then she felt disgusted with herself, ashamed of her selfish reaction to someone else’s death. It was hard to reconcile the two trains of thought.
DI Cole was already sitting at the table opposite the station’s duty solicitor, who was set next to a young man who looked absolutely terrified.
Jonathan Prince still lived at home with his parents, despite being twenty two. He had come home from work and found the body of Martin Prince, his father, in an armchair which the Scene of Crime officers were taking photos of now.
DI Cole started the tape and Jessica spoke to confirm everyone’s name plus the time and date before pausing for a moment. ‘Are you okay, Jonathan?’ She asked.
No response.
‘Jonathan?’
‘Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. Well sort of, y’know...?’ the young man spoke slowly, dazed.
‘Okay, look Jonathan I have to ask you these questions, all right? I know you’ve had a horrible time but anything you can tell us will help us find out who did this. Do you understand?’
‘Yeah, yeah… I know.’
‘Right, can you tell me what you’ve done today?’
Jonathan took his time and was frequently tearful. The solicitor said he didn’t have to do this now but Jonathan wanted do. He said he had got up and gone to work as normal. He was employed as a builder and left the house at 6.30am every morning. His mum, who worked as a secretary for the council, was always up at that time too, although he rarely saw his father before he got home. He told them his dad used to work for a printing company but had been laid off a few years ago. He hadn’t found work since and rarely left the house.
‘He just couldn’t find anything to do with himself and, given his age, no one wanted to give him a chance. He became a different person. Not bitter… just sad .’
It was hard not to be touched by the way Jonathan spoke about the father he had found dead just hours before. Jonathan himself had been unemployed for a period after leaving school but had now been in the building trade with a local firm for just over two years. He had thought a few times about moving out but his rent helped pay his parents’ mortgage and he didn’t want
‘Yeah, he is. He told me he was quite shy as a kid but says I’ve brought it out of him. He’s quite sensitive when you get him on his own.’
‘As long as he treats you all right.’
‘Well if he doesn’t I know a police officer that can put him right.’
The flushing of the toilet brought an end to their conversation but, before Randall could return, Jessica’s phone rang anyway. She had dumped her bag by her shoes next to the living room doorway and forgotten to take her phone out. She answered just a moment before it would have rung off. It was DI Cole.
Another body had been found.
ELEVEN
The second murder scene was very similar to the first but with one massive difference. Just because there had been another killing, there would have been no instant reason to link it to the first – until you saw the crime scene. There were so many parallels to the first death. The property itself was less than half-a-mile from the Christensens’ but this time the victim was found in an armchair in the living room. It looked as if there had been more of a struggle but there were still deep, vicious wounds in the victim’s neck.
In stark contrast to Yvonne Christensen, this time the victim was male.
As Jessica walked into the interview room at Longsight, she didn’t know how to feel. She had been at work the entire day and the wine she’d shared with Caroline on an empty stomach was only just wearing off. Any crime scene could be enough to make you feel a bit queasy but, as time edged into the late evening, her stomach was rumbling and she just didn’t feel quite right. She guessed a large part of that was down to the mixed emotions she was having. There was a part of her exhilarated that something was now happening and relieved she wasn’t necessarily a failure. Then she felt disgusted with herself, ashamed of her selfish reaction to someone else’s death. It was hard to reconcile the two trains of thought.
DI Cole was already sitting at the table opposite the station’s duty solicitor, who was set next to a young man who looked absolutely terrified.
Jonathan Prince still lived at home with his parents, despite being twenty two. He had come home from work and found the body of Martin Prince, his father, in an armchair which the Scene of Crime officers were taking photos of now.
DI Cole started the tape and Jessica spoke to confirm everyone’s name plus the time and date before pausing for a moment. ‘Are you okay, Jonathan?’ She asked.
No response.
‘Jonathan?’
‘Yeah, yeah. I’m okay. Well sort of, y’know...?’ the young man spoke slowly, dazed.
‘Okay, look Jonathan I have to ask you these questions, all right? I know you’ve had a horrible time but anything you can tell us will help us find out who did this. Do you understand?’
‘Yeah, yeah… I know.’
‘Right, can you tell me what you’ve done today?’
Jonathan took his time and was frequently tearful. The solicitor said he didn’t have to do this now but Jonathan wanted do. He said he had got up and gone to work as normal. He was employed as a builder and left the house at 6.30am every morning. His mum, who worked as a secretary for the council, was always up at that time too, although he rarely saw his father before he got home. He told them his dad used to work for a printing company but had been laid off a few years ago. He hadn’t found work since and rarely left the house.
‘He just couldn’t find anything to do with himself and, given his age, no one wanted to give him a chance. He became a different person. Not bitter… just sad .’
It was hard not to be touched by the way Jonathan spoke about the father he had found dead just hours before. Jonathan himself had been unemployed for a period after leaving school but had now been in the building trade with a local firm for just over two years. He had thought a few times about moving out but his rent helped pay his parents’ mortgage and he didn’t want
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