John Luther set up with the rest of Sunhill CID in the incident room. The coming hours would see little action, as all the officers were hard at work reading Mickey Webb's report.
Eventually after everyone had read their assigned chapter the officers commenced the investigation by writing all the names of suspects mentioned in the separate cases, on the white board at the front of the incident room.
One of the murder victims had scratched her assailant and so the DNA would have been cross matched with all DNA on file at the time.
DCI Luther and DCI Manson started to eliminate anyone on the list who have had their DNA on file at the time that the skin from under the victim's finger nails was run.
DCI Manson had Sunhill forensics manager Eddie Olosunde personally supervise the matching of the DNA once again to run against people who currently have their DNA recorded, to see if any new or old names come up.
Manson came up with an idea:
"Stevie can you run the dates of all of the attacks against any major known activities or conventions going on, they should be on file either with the police or tax returns."
"Ok Gov do you think our suspect might be a business man of some kind?"
"Just an idea is all"
DCI Luther took some CID officers and Uniforms to several of the most recent crime scenes, he discovered that all but one of the murder sites in London are within a five minute walk of a hotel.
"Yeah Neil, it"s John I think you might be on to something with the business angle, get Stevie to narrow her search down to events at hotels around the crime scenes, I will send you the names and addresses."
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
After working for the past 24 hours straight, there was some result.
"Gov"
"Stevie"
"I worked on cross referencing all those events and I got a hit, Roger Mathews, he's from Bristol and works as a female hygiene salesman and has done so for the past 16 years according to his taxes."
"Nice work I owe you a pint."
With DCI Luther back at the station he and Manson brainstormed about how to get more on Mr. Mathews. They agreed that what they had was clearly not enough to arrest and certainly not enough to charge him.
They decided that the best plan at this point was to track his sales and see if they might find a connection to the victims.
After three hours of sifting through his financial receipts they discovered that not only were three of the latest victims checked in to the same hotel as him on the night of the murders but he sold them products.
DS Max Carter was extremley happy to have caught a break in the case:
"Gov, thank God for credit cards because I found that Mr. Mathews sold his last three victims products!"
"I know, Max, Stevie just informed us."
DCI Lther and DCI Manson, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service believed they had enough to arrest Roger Mathews for at least three murders.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
At the home of Mr. Roger Mathews;
DCI Manson grabbed the suspect:
"Roger Mathews I am arresting you for suspicion of murder, you do not have to say anything but harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you will later rely on in court, anything you do say maybe given in evidence. Do you understand the caution? It is my duty to inform you that your property will be seized under Section 8 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984"
In interview
Manson- Interview commencing 14:00 hrs present is myself Detective Chief Inspector Neil Manson, the suspect Mr. Roger Mathews and Detective Chief Inspector John Luther of the Serious and Serial Crime Unit.
Mathews- So you cautioned me for muder, what murder is that?
Manson- Phillipa Daniels
Mathews- Never heard of her
Luther- You sold her some underarm smell gel
Mathews- when was that?
Luther- March of 2012 when you were booked in to the largo motel on Canley High street
Mathews- dunno don't ring any bells
Luther- well does fine blonde hair pulled from her head and strangled with it ring your bells?
Mathews- I remember my blondes
Manson- I just want to know if you were or were not at the motel, we have DNA but we need a match
Mathews- no you don't, but i will admit that i was at the largo in march of last year
Manson- do you travel a lot?
Mathews- a fair amount
Luther- we have you checked into several hotels in the course of a few months last year and not just in London
Mathew- That's a bloody flaming invasion of my privacy that is!
Luther- You murdered her with her own hair you piece of shit!
Manson- That's enough get out of here!
Mathews- I guess we can breathe a little easier now
Manson- for the tape DCI Luther has left the interview room
Mathews- I've heard of you Chief Inspector, I remember you're the own who almost had that blonde doctor lady killed by armed officers.
Manson- So do you not have a fixed address, DCI Luther told me that you moved from hotel to hotel
Mathews- I don't like it when people change the subject, but I like you Neil, may I call you Neil?
Manson- That's fine
Mathews- So yes I move around a bit but things have come my way recently if you know what I mean
Manson- Aren't you fortunate
Mathews- I take it you're having some money trouble
Manson- let's stay off of me and on you for a bit, shall we?
Mathews- I think I need a break
Mathews winks at Manson
Manson- Very well, interview suspended
Mathews- I can see that you have your mind somewhere else, I can get you some money
Mason- How's that?
Mathews- Blondes get very generous when you give them the right nudge
Manson- I think I want to give a little more than a nudge
Mathews- Start off small, I did
Manson- You should of seen that doctor's face when the guns came in
Mathews- Never used a gun, I might need to try it out
Manson- Look I can get you out of here but I need to now you're not just having a laugh
Mathews- Let's just say this year marks my sweet 16
Manson- The only way I get you out is if you volunteer for a DNA swab, they have a flake of skin but no DNA, they will use it against you
Mathews- So if I give my DNA it will look like I'm innocent because you said there was enough for a match.
Eddie Olosunde came in to take the swab after DCI stated that there was enough for a match "while the tape was on"
Mathews- What now?
Manson- Interview terminated!
Mathews- You had the tape on the entire time? YOU SON OF A BITCH!
Neil Manson strode into the Incident room much like he in CID in the morning but this time he was as exhausted yet happy as could be. He had closed 120 violent crime cases with one interview. His subordinates joked that they would share the recording of the interview with every copper in the city and sure enough they did, it was even posted to youtube. That interview closed 60 murders in 12 different jurisdictions
A few months later Manson was the Commissioner's blue eyed boy and the pride of CID, he won the Detective of the year award and was even offered a promotion to Superintendent but he turned it down in favour of being involved in police work rather than supervising it.