Chapter 3: Is It The First Body

‘I will be able to access that camera via the wards Wi-Fi and the internet.’ Danny told him. ‘As soon as we have enough evidence of Gavin raiding the trolley, I’ll arrange for him to be arrested.’

‘But when he is, I’ll be with the policeman arresting him. I will be able to open his phone and delete the pictures. Then he can say what he likes he’ll have no proof. There is a slight risk that he has downloaded it to his computer, but from what you said I don’t get that impression.’

‘In any case, by the time he gets to the police station, he will believe that the hospital authorities had become aware of drugs going missing and had called me in to investigate. When he sees the footage of himself stealing the drugs he’ll be a fool not to plead guilty.’

‘As he will not associate you with the arrest, he’s unlikely to say anything or even notice that your photos have disappeared from his phone. But none of this will happen without you saying it’s ok.’

Gideon sat and thought it through. He had no doubt that if he gave the go ahead it would happen as Danny said. But he also knew that with any plan, something could go wrong. But he couldn’t have it hanging over his head indefinitely.

‘Ok,’ he said. ‘Go ahead.’ ‘Let me have the photo’s when you can, and I’ll let you know as things progress.’ Danny told him, ‘One other thing, once its sorted, I suggest that you tell Vivien about going to the gay club.’

‘I’ll tell you how to put it in a shortened version and I’m sure she’ll be fine about it. Otherwise, you’ll be looking over your shoulder all your life.’ ‘I’d been thinking of doing that anyway,’ Gideon told him. ‘Well wait until we’ve sorted Gavin out first.’ Danny instructed.

They had a stand-up hug and Gideon thanked him. ‘I’ll see you soon,’ Danny said, ‘Anyway, I think Lorraine wants to invite the two of you for a meal in the near future.’ ‘I feel much happier than when I arrived.’ Gideon told him as he left.

Two days later Danny got a set of six photos of the room where the trolley was stored. He studied them and spotted that there were several electric sockets in the room.

He forwarded them to Lewis and asked if he had anything suitable. Lewis sent him a picture of the box he had made recently and a picture of the label saying it was an internet booster. Danny thought that was ideal.

‘We’ll come home on a flying visit this weekend,’ he said. ‘I’ll pick it up from the shop on Saturday.’ ‘It’ll be nice to see you both,’ Lewis said, ‘Don’t forget to call at the station and pick up your card. If you can, time your visit to the shop for lunch time and join us. I’ll get Ella over too.’

SATURDAY – SHOP

As lunchtime approached, Ella arrived and gave Lewis and Mike a hug and a kiss before going off to the chippy. Lorraine and Danny had come home Friday night so they had texted to say they would be at the shop on the stroke of one.

As Mike was about to close the door they arrived, so after a quick round of hugs and kisses they sat down to eat. Ella had already set all the food out ready.

Over the meal they chatted about Lorraine and Dannys life at university and some of the things they had done. After their meal Lewis gave him a bag with the box camera in and then gave him the codes to link into it. Lewis had changed the power cable to a white plug and a longer white cable to Dannys specification so it would be suitable for the hospital room.

Danny and Lorraine were spending as much of the weekend as they could with their parents. Dannys mum was stopping at Lorraine’s, so they didn’t have to split the weekend between homes. By now it was only ten minutes before the shop was due to open so there was a round of hugs and kisses again. ‘I got my card.’ Danny said in Lewis’s ear as he hugged him.

After they had let them out there was just time to wash the dishes then open the shop. Lewis had no bookings for the evening so when they closed at five him and Mike had a long session of hugs and kisses before they left. Mike for home and Lewis for Ellas.

MONDAY - UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Early evening Danny met Gideon on his ward, and they went into the room where the drug trolley was stored. Danny looked around and spotted the shelf he wanted. Danny put the box in place watched closely by Gideon.

After leading the cable down the back of the other shelves he plugged it in and switched it on. He stuck a label on the plug saying...

ESSENTIAL EQUIPTMENT

DO NOT SWITCH OFF

He signed into his phone and checked it was in the right place then piled a number of rarely used drugs around it leaving the lens clear. He walked over to the door and stared at it. Happy that it didn’t stand out, they left the light on and went out.

Going outside the ward, Danny checked his phone, then showed Gideon how clear it was. ‘Ok, we’re all set up now,’ he said. ‘As long as no one moves the boxes by it. You pop back and switch the light off,’ Danny instructed, ‘Then we’ll go for a coffee in the canteen.’

As they were having a coffee Dannys phone pinged. He signed in, looked at it and showed Gideon. A female nurse had the trolley open and was checking the stock. ‘That’s Sister Williams,’ Gideon said, ‘She’s authorised.’ He was impressed at the clear picture.

‘Do you remember what time it was and what day when you caught Gavin?’ Danny asked him. ‘Thursday at six pm.’ Gideon replied instantly. ‘I don’t suppose you know what time his shift ended that day?’ Danny asked.

‘Not for certain,’ Gideon told him, ‘But anyone who was on duty at six would normally finish at seven. We do twelve-hour shifts.’ ‘So, it looks like he takes whatever opportunity presents itself towards the end of his shift Danny said. I’ll keep a special eye on the camera on a Thursday evening.’

As they finished their coffees and got up to leave, Danny told him, ‘Now it’s all a waiting game. We’ll wait until he gets caught on camera a second time before we do anything. ‘If he sticks to the same time, I might even be able to catch him at it. Otherwise, we’ll nab him as he leaves the hospital. Don’t worry, he’ll have no idea you have anything to do with it.’

‘I’ll go and see the local police station tomorrow when I’m off and prepare the ground with them. Now the best thing you can do is keep clear of the room as much as you can. But if you can’t avoid it and you should end up in there at the same time as him, do your best to get him to threaten you again.’

Gideon thanked him again, then they went their separate ways.

SPECIAL GROUP - TOM

On the Monday morning after he had been removed from Nigel’s Garage rolled up in the carpet, Brian visited Albert in the garages. He had come round to find himself strapped down, still naked, cold and in darkness. He was scared and puzzled.

Eventually he heard a noise and the light came on. He didn’t recognise the man who came in. He came over to him and said, ‘Albert Thomas, you have raped a number of children and killed two of them. You have been sentenced to death for your crimes.’

‘To match one of your victims you will be stabbed a number of times, so you die very slowly and very painfully.’ Brian showed him a wicked looking knife and laid it down on his stomach. He let that sink in for a while then told him, ‘But you are going to have one last chance to be released. In a moment I will put my tape recorder by your mouth and take your gag off.’

‘When I do, you will state your full name and then tell me the names, ages and addresses of everyone you raped. The location of the bodies of those you killed and the addresses where you disposed of them. If you make a noise, argue or say anything at all that is not what I have just asked you for, the gag will be put back on and I’ll start stabbing until you die.’

‘Or perhaps,’ he mused as if it was a sudden thought, ‘I might cut your arms off with a skill saw, seeing you used your arms to kill your victims.’ He went into the storage area and brought the skill saw back. He showed it to Albert. ‘So, it’s your choice. Stabbed to death slowly, or both arms cut off then you bleed to death, or you give the information I’ve asked for and you’re safe. Do you understand. Blink if you do.’