Chapter 37

BLOOD AND BLUE LIGHTS

The road leading down to the lock-ups had been closed. A police car blocked the route. Yellow tape marked with the words Police: Do Not Cross ribboned across the street.

Three coppers loitered near the vehicle, ignoring the insults and the jibes streaming from the kids gathered nearby.

Quite a crowd swanned about. The noisy kids insulting the cops. Mums with prams, fearing for their children. Thugs claiming immigrants were to blame. Old men telling stories of 1996 and four dead women. Old women tutting about the state of the world. Journalists digging the dirt on the slaughtered youths.

Faultless looked beyond the roadblock.

In the distance, figures in white coveralls shuffled in and out of a large tent. The bivouac had been erected to protect the crime scene. It covered the entrance of the lock-up where the bodies had been found. Police vehicles were parked across the road. Their spinning lights sprayed blue into the gloomy sky. Faultless clocked uniformed officers and plain-clothed CID striding around the murder site.

Memories streamed through his mind. He’d stood in a similar spot fifteen years ago, watching as an ambulance ferried his mother’s butchered body to the morgue.

Back then there were police loitering, kids jibing, mums dreading, louts accusing, old men boasting, old women scorning, and hacks sniffing.

Back then it was blood and blue lights.

Back then a fire burned in his breast.

Just like now.

Was the New Ripper back? If so, how come he’d returned at the same time as Faultless? Was that a coincidence?

Something cold and multi-legged crawled down his spine.

Did the killer know who he was?

Had Faultless’s return triggered his re-emergence?

Hallam Buck had named the youths. They were Jason Joseph Thomas, Paul and Michael Sharpley, and Luke Ellis.

Hallam had described their injuries—ripped apart, gutted, disemboweled, brains bashed in, and blood everywhere.

Hallam had offered a piece of evidence: “I’ll bring it round to Tash’s flat.”

Faultless wondered what it could be. Nothing of value, he thought. Hallam’s just using whatever he’s found to get into Tash’s place. You sicko, Buck.

He remembered the scar under Hallam’s eye. He creased his brow, focusing on the blemish. Something he knew but had forgotten lurked in the shadowy corners of his mind. He reached for it, but couldn’t grab hold. He focused. The gloom started to lift. He started to see what was there, his memory slowly revealing the dusty, old recollection.

The light was about to shine on the lost knowledge when someone shoved Faultless in the back.

He staggered forward a couple of steps.

He stared ahead, letting the anger build.

He very slowly turned to face whoever pushed him.

Someone had it coming.

But when he saw the grinning, jowly face, he just curled his lip and said, “Bad smells never go away, do they.”