Chapter 4: Let The Punishment Fit The Crime

‘Did you see anything of the attacker?’ William asked him. ‘No, he had gone by the time I arrived,’ Chris said. Then it hit him, ‘If Roger and I had been working the other way round, it would have been me dead on the floor.’ He looked a bit wobbly, so William took his arm and led him over to a seat. ‘Stay there for now,’ he instructed him. ‘Because you touched the body we’ll need your clothes for forensics, but I’ll sort that in a minute.’

Moving away, William told one of the other bobbies to go and keep an eye on him.

William rang the hospital to be told that Christine had arrived alive but was in theatre at the moment. He left them his number asking to be updated when they could.

William decided now would be a good time to execute the search warrants but first he checked with the station that no one matching Keith’s description had been seen entering his girlfriend’s premises. On being told no, he arranged for a team to meet him at Keith’s parent’s house.

Before they approached the house he sent one man around the back, then instructed the team to look for any green socks or shoes with blood on the soles. As well as anything else that struck them might be useful. Knocking on the door, Keith’s mother opened it. When asked if he was home, she said, ‘I haven’t seen him since I told you last time, what’s he done now?’

William handed her the warrant. ‘I have a warrant to search these premises,’ he told her, ‘If you go through to the kitchen, I’ll get my team started then I’ll come and tell you what he’s wanted for.’ A WPC accompanied her to the kitchen.

When everyone was busy searching, William went to the kitchen and sat at the table with his mother. ‘Keith is wanted for questioning for two murders as well as other matters,’ he told her. ‘He’s always had a vicious streak,’ she told him. ‘It got worse after his father left us several years ago.’

‘Is there anywhere he would go apart from Billy’s and his girlfriend’s?’ William asked? ‘The only person he gets on with apart from those two is his sister,’ she told him. ‘She lives on the other side of town.’ She gave him her address which William wrote in his notebook.

‘Two people are dead already,’ William told her, ‘A teenage girl is in theatre as we speak. I’m sure you don’t want another death on your conscience. Don’t put yourself in danger but if he returns try and let me know as soon as you can.’ He handed her his card.

‘I hope you catch him,’ she said, ‘But I don’t think I could actively help you, he’s my son after all.’ William nodded, ‘I understand,’ he said, ‘That’s between you and your conscience.’ He got up and left after instructing his deputy to let him know if they found anything.

Returning to the station, he checked once more on the camera vehicle without any joy, so taking a spare bobby with him, they set of for the sister’s address. It took them fifteen minutes to get there. William pulled up near to the house. It was a semi-detached with a side drive plus a garage at the rear.

He sent his companion round the back with instructions that if Keith appeared with a knife he was to step aside, call for back up then follow him if he could. Knocking on the door, a lady with a baby in her arms answered the door. William showed her his warrant card and introduced himself.

‘What’s he done now?’ she asked. Then added,’ I presume you’re looking for my brother Keith.’ William nodded, ‘Is he here?’ he asked. ‘No, I haven’t seen him in weeks,’ she said. ‘What are you after him for this time?’ ‘Two murders,’ William told her.

She looked horrified but then said, ‘I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s always been violent, although he and I have always got on well enough.’ ‘I haven’t got a warrant for this address,’ William told her, ‘But it would save us a lot of time if you would let me have a quick look through the house and garage to prove he’s not here.’

She stepped back from the door, ‘Help yourself,’ she said. ‘When he stays over occasionally, he uses the little front bedroom, there’s some of his stuff in there.’ William thanked her, went through to the kitchen checking each room, opened the back door and told his companion to check the garage, then he went upstairs.

Checking all the other rooms were empty, he went into the small room and searched it. There was nothing there of any interest, so retuning downstairs he thanked her for her help, left her his card then they returned to the station.

On his way back to the station, he got a call from the hospital to say that Christine had died in theatre. Calling his special number William left all the details. Reaching the station, he sent his companion back to his duties, then checked the camera car. Twenty minutes ago, there was a clear picture of Keith going in through the front door.

Ringing round, the first available member of the special squad was Detective Inspector Tommy Bell. They arranged to meet in the adjoining road to the girlfriends flat. Twenty minutes later they were both sat in the back seat of Williams car in the side road, looking down the entry at the back of the property.

William had a simple ruse. He had a piece of thick cardboard on a special mount which he could fit from the inside in the cars back door window opening. From the outside it looked as if someone had stuck a piece of cardboard over a broken window. From inside there was a peep hole. William had arranged for a search team to go to the front of the flat. They were standing by a few doors away waiting his instructions.

Just about to use his phone, it pinged in Williams’s hand. The text message was simple and to the point. ‘Terminate Order.’

William rang the number the girl friend had given him. When she replied, he asked if she had seen Keith. ‘No, he hasn’t been near,’ she replied. ‘Are you at home now?’ he asked. When she replied, ‘Yes,’ he told her, ‘I have a warrant to search your flat, I’ll send a team round shortly. Please don’t leave the house or we’ll have to break in.’

Hanging up he rang the search team. ‘Sit still for five minutes,’ he told them, ‘Then go ahead.’

As he hung up, a figure came running out of the back into the entry, heading towards them. They both got out the far side of the car, William went to the back of the car, then crossed the road to the side of the entry. Tommy went to the front, also crossing the road waiting on the far side of the entry. Neither could be seen by the person running up the entry.

As soon as they had arrived, William had laid a three-metre strip of cord on the floor across the entry. It had a short piece of brush handle on each end to hold. As soon as they reached their positions, they both knelt down and picked up their handles.

As soon as they heard the sound of feet approaching, they waited a second then both pulled the cord tight about a foot off the ground. They judged it perfectly, two seconds later the cord was pulled out of their hands as Keith came flying headfirst out of the entry, having tripped over the cord.

Tommy and William jumped on him right away, handcuffed him and had him in the back seat of the car in no time. William put his rope back in the boot, removed his shield from the side window and brought a hypodermic back. Opening the back door, Keith started mouthing off about the way they’d stopped him and hadn’t read him his rights.

A quick jab into his arm, then he was unconscious and nice and quiet. Tommy and William sat in the car for five minutes, checking no one had seen them, then they drove off to the garages.

In the meantime, the search team had executed the search warrant. They had discovered several items to connect Keith to two of the robberies. There was also a bag of cash with some blood on which could be Christine’s blood.

Arriving at the garages, William did another quick check. First, he lifted Keith’s trouser leg, finding green socks. Next, he checked his wrists. He had noticed a tattoo when they had handcuffed him, but he had been otherwise occupied at the time.

He confirmed that Keith’s tattoo was on the inside of his right wrist. Lastly, he checked the soles of his shoes. Finding a trace of what looked like blood on one of them, he removed it to take away. Looking at the picture of the bloody footprint in his phone, it matched.