Chapter 5

I arrived at work at 8 am and made my way to staffroom where we would be having our morning briefing regarding the case.
As I walked in there were two other people there, Terry Maker was always early, he had been in the force since he was 18 years of age. Terry was a very smart person. This was his only job and worked hard to make it to detective.
Then there was PC Arnold Dike who we left with David Milt. PC Arnold Dike was a good copper always on hand to help and took brilliant precise notes.
He had an identical memory as well which always came in handy. It's why I always requested him on any of my big cases as he is good with the victim’s family.
He knows how to soothe them when it is needed the most.
“So where are we now, has there been any developments since last night?” Superintendent Goodman asked
“We found Mrs Taylor’s laptop and Mobile, there were a few messages from a Brandon Price who the victim has a fight with when she caught him selling his prescribed medication to his classmates and then a message from a Mr Rupbert.
I left him a message asking him to contact me when he gets the message but I will try to get in touch again when we leave here boss” I explained
“Fine, and what was this about another precinct calling saying they have a victim that matches the same injuries that our victim has?” demanded Superintendent Goodman.
“I received a call from Preston police station last night around 9:30 pm; it was a detective Andrews. He said they had a call come in from a couple of kids hanging around the outdoor market and happened to look through the window of a flat they were hanging out at. As they decided to look in the window they got a shock and saw a Mrs Kelly Dunce laying naked on her bedroom floor covered in blood. She had been tortured really bad boss. Andrews said he has been a detective for over 20 years and had never seen anything as bad as this”. Mike Said
Bet it wasn’t as bad as I did or what I am about to do? I thought to myself.
“Shit, where do these monsters come from?” Superintendent Goodman asked
“Monsters, ouch, that hurt,” I thought
“Right, get onto these cases right now and find me something that is going to stop these pieces of shits from killing anymore innocent people” Super intendent shouted
It was around 10 am I let Mike know I was nipping out and had to head up a lead so I could go and pay a visit to my next victim.
It took me around 15 minutes with the traffic to get to her house. I sat there waiting for her to leave the house. It took around 30 minutes before she left with her little girl. Unbelievable she is pissed. I followed her to the school her child went to (Morecambe Bay Primary) I went there as a child. Good school. Then after dropping little one off she went off into town and the first thing she bought was a can of lager.
People like that disgust me. She has to go tonight.
As I sat watching her I decided to have a look at Brandon’s MO. Looking through Brandon’s record I saw that he liked to take his victims underwear and a cut of his victims hair. At the same time I noticed that both Laura and Brandon had been linked together a few years back for drug charges. That shouldn’t be too bad to copy but I needed his DNA to place on the victim.
“How on earth am I going to get that?” I said out loud
I decided to see what she does in the evening, so I could work my plan perfectly. I watched as she walked back to her house.
“I am going back to work and will come back around teatime,” I said to myself
As I am driving home I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I will do the same to her as I dad Roxie Taylor, but I will make sure to implicate Brandon. So, make sure to cut a strand of her hair and take her underwear, make sure I get Brandon’s DNA.
“But how,” I thought
“Hi Brandon, it is Detective Leila Lawson. Can I pop round to speak to you regarding your disagreement with Roxie Taylor, please? As I want to get this sorted so we don’t have to bother you anymore” I said hoping he would believe me.
“Would that be okay?” I asked
“Yeah fine just make it quick as I have to be at the job centre for an appointment at 13.00pm” Brandon said sounding annoyed.
“Okay, I won’t be long. I will be with you in about 10 minutes” I said
Driving over there was surreal, like it wasn’t me driving my car. I am damn sure I am having an out-of-body experience. Driving down Morecambe Road onto the bay link I picked up speed. When I looked at my speed, I was doing 85mph.
“Shit” I said out loud
As I slowed down, I saw another police car on the hard shoulder. He recognised me and gave a wave. I hated being a rookie and being stuck out on the hard shoulder for hours on end just to try and catch a few idiots driving too fast. A whole year I had to do that crap and all the bloody paperwork as well. Am glad I was a fast learner. Maybe it did help me having Mike as my husband in the same force.
“Okay, nearly there now,” I wondered, trying to watch the Sat Nav.
As I turned off down the A567 round the round about onto the A6. As I am making my way down the A6 I checked Brandon’s Address again to make sure I was going to right way.
“Plot 1, Fell End Caravan Park, Slackhead Lane, LA7 7BS,” I read out loud
As I got to what looked like a Zoo my SAT NAV told me to turn left and follow it round till the SAT NAV tells me otherwise.
Ten minutes later, I arrived at Fell End Caravan Park, now all I had to do was find Brandon’s caravan, which shouldn’t be too hard as it is Plot 1. I decided to pop into the sale hut and ask for directions.
“Hi, I am Detective Leila Lawson. I am looking for Plot 1, Brandon Price’s caravan, if you could help me, please.
“Sure, let me show you where it is” a nice young man said
“Thank you,” I replied.
As the young man directed me out of the hut and to where the caravan was, I noticed how beautiful the area was.
“Here you go” the young man said
“Thank you,” I replied.
I knocked on Brandon’s door and waited for a reply. Considering that it was a caravan he took a few minutes to answer me.
“Hi Brandon “I said as he opened the door
“Come in and let’s get this done with” Brandon said sounding like a typical stroppy teenager
As we walked thought the caravan you could clearly see that Brandon didn’t know how to take care of himself correctly and needed a mother’s touch and fast. His caravan was a two bedroomed static caravan and had everything he need and or small family would need.
He had two bedrooms at the back and his front room and kitchen were in the front of the caravan but with the state of the place you couldn’t tell where the caravan started and ended.
“I just need to ask you some questions that's all “I said
“What about?” Brandon asked
“Just why you and Roxie had an issue?” I replied
“She caught me giving one of my pills to my mate that’s all. He is on the same meds as me and had ran out, so I gave him one of mine” Brandon said with no concern at all
“Ok but you do know you are not meant to give out your medication Brandon as it could make someone else really ill, even if your friend is taking the same one. As he may be on a different dose to you and if you are on higher it could send him into a coma or kill him and if it a smaller does that he is on, you could send him into a fit as he won’t be getting the correct amount that he requires” I tried to explain.
“For God’s sake, you sound like that nurse Roxie. Stupid cow should be keeping her nose out of my business and focus on her own life,” Brandon whined.
You couldn’t write this shit that he is saying, he is practically stating that Roxie was warned to keep her nose out of his business. This couldn’t be any better even if I tried.
“So after that incident, did you and Roxie speak again?” I asked
“Yeah, once more, she found out where I went to college and then pulled me out of class to speak to me about how much danger I was putting myself and my fellow classmates in,” Brandon said, clearly trying to remember that day.
That’s really fucked up I through
“That’s a new one. I’ve never heard of a nurse tracking down a patient outside of the hospital before, but I guess some people are different from others,” I said to Brandon.
“What the hell does that mean” Asked a confused Brandon
“I haven’t got a fucking clue” I replied to Brandon.
“Can I use your bathroom?” I asked
“Sure, but don’t be long,” Brandon said while walking to the other side of the caravan, with his shoulders slanting forward and his head down. He had on a pair of blue grandad knee length shorts with dark blue socks and a little grey vest top on that only just covered his fat gut.
I nearly threw up walking into that bathroom as it stank like a farm
God, that took me back when school would take you on a trip to Docker Park Farm. I loved that smell back then as it reminded me of cows, pigs, sheep, chickens, and baby chicks. Oh, that place did always make me smile. I remember the tractor ride that was fun especially as a kid sat on hay bales on a trailer attached to a tractor. Good times.
I do remember there was a place to the right at Docker Park Farm that had only different types of birds in there. They had parrots – swallows – robins – owls always loved owl’s.
I was brought back to reality when I found what I was looking for. Bingo his tooth brush just what I needed.
Out comes the clear bag for the toothbrush; in pops the toothbrush and into my pocket.
Let’s flush the toilet and bring out a baby wipe to clean the hands and make an excuse up and exit fast.
“That’s better” I said trying to make myself out as flushed.
“Is that all you came for? If so, you can leave now,” Brandon said with a somewhat tired voice, like he had given up.
As I left Brandon’s caravan I couldn’t help but feel at ease in the open air, he lived in the woods, or he might as well be. This place is surrounded by the most beautiful greenery I have ever seen. All I can see is squirrels running up and down the trees searching for their food and rabbits hopping from one bush to the other trying to make sure they haven’t been seen by anyone. The birds were lightly chirping away. It almost sounds like a sweet song, to see so many beautiful species is incredible. Walking back to my car was like being in a beautiful maze.
Driving back to the station, I thought about what to say to Mike about Brandon. How would I explain that one?
Come on Leila you can come up with something, remember how many times you had to lie to protect yourself when you were younger?
Of course I remember; it’s impossible to forget.
I remember when mum would beat us black and blue for no reason at all and how she still sent us to school then the dreaded questions would come from teachers and school nurse, it was always the same
“Who hurt you?”
“Who did this?”
“Did your mother hurt you?”
No one ever asked if we were ok!
I would say I fell down the stairs while play fighting with my two older brothers; it seemed to work every time. It’s like they didn’t want to know. Less hassle, less paperwork.
“Okay, I can do this,” I said out loud.
I will tell Mike that because I had built a rapport with Brandon I went to visit him to see if he could tell us anything more. Then I will explain about the meds.
Pulling into the station I parked in the space nearest the front door, it is easier when you get a call out instead of walking ages. As I opened my door Mike walked up to me.
“Hey love where have you been” Mike said with a smile
“Hey babe erm I just went to pay Brandon Price a visit at his caravan to see if I could get anything else out of him “I said hoping he wasn’t going to rip into me.
“Brilliant, so what did you get?” asked Mike
That surprised me I thought
“He said he wasn’t selling drugs but was giving his friend one of his drugs because he ran out and he is on the same drug, and said that Roxie got her wires crossed. She even tracked what college he went to and went to his school and pulled him out of class to speak to him about the danger of giving people his drugs” I replied
“Okay, so we have a do gooder then, that wants to help people even when they don’t want it” Mike said turning that round on me
“What you thinking “ I asked a little surprised
“Maybe Brandon didn’t like to be told what he can and cant do “ Mike said with a grin on his face
Fuck my plan is working to fast, I need to pull this Back in and quick.
“Ok Mike calm down I know what you are saying but that doesn’t give us proof that he is a murder yet” I said trying to bring Mike of cloud 9
“But “ Mike Said
“I agree that Brandon is more than likely our killer but we need to make sure we have 100% proof before we accuse him. He is the type of guy that would go straight to the courts if we were wrong “I said thinking I was actually right about that. There is so many cases where a person has been accused of a crime and their names have been made public but the police were wrong and had the wrong person. That persons life has been ruined so they go for the money instead.
There was that case in 2016 where the Police and the BBC had accused Cliffe Richard of sexual assault and BBC aired his home being raided on live TV. Cliffe Richard was cleared of all charges by the High Court Justice and awarded £210,000 for damages from the BBC and the Police.
Mike looked at me and said” ok let’s make sure we have everything on him before we move then, I just hope he doesn’t commit another crime before we can pick him up”.
“Ok “ I said thinking that I need to get this bitch killed by end of tonight.
Leaving the station at around 6pm that night I drove straight to Morecambe and parked just up the road from her house. Her curtains were closed but I could make out the colour, purple a dark purple for the front room and then a black curtain for the front bedroom. She had net curtains up as well, I didn’t think anyone used them anymore.
I sat there for over 3 hours till the lights went out, she didn’t have any neighbours so that was good meant we wouldn’t get bothered by nosey neighbours, but I still had to make sure she didn’t scream as at this time of night the pubs are kicking out and anyone could walk past and hear her.
Why do I make things so difficult for myself?