XxXxX
The scrap yard was now full of light. It was ironic; Rachel thought, that this was the time the three detectives probably most craved the darkness. She was perched next to Pete on a tire, watching Janet talking to a couple of uniformed police constables. She dared not look over at the large machine. Once someone had found the control room and managed to stop the machine, there had been desperate attempts made to recover the Ford Fiesta, but Rachel already knew that their haste had subsided when they had seen the car. She felt numb. She didn't know what to think, and beside her, she knew Pete felt the same. He was gazing into the distance, and he hadn't yet spoken a word. His face was always rather solemn, but he had always had a glint in his eye...until now.
The two of them were brought back to the present with the arrival of Gill, Mitch and Lee. Gill went straight over to Janet who solemnly explained the finer details of the accident. From behind them, a grinding sound begun. It was a sound Rachel had never really heard before that night, but now it turned her stomach, and she hoped she would never hear it again.
They all turned slowly toward the machine as they saw a small, crushed piece of metal, which had been a rusted Ford Fiesta just an hour previously, lifted from the workings of the now dormant machine. Rachel inhaled swiftly, and she knew the others had done the same; but there was no blood. No mangled body.
Rachel watched the object being lifted into the air, and then lowered down to the ground. As they carefully placed what was left of the car on the tarmac below, her eyes wandered back to the side of the machine. It was silver in colour but she noticed for the first time that four letters were printed in bright red block capitals along the side. R.A.W.R. It meant nothing to Rachel, and her gaze began to follow the arm of the crane as it slowly rose back up and plunged into the machinery. After a moment it emerged once more, and between its claws was something that made every member of the team wince with mental pain.
As the stab proof vest was lowered to the floor and Gill was hailed to come and identify it, Rachel's head swam as the true extent of what had just happened hit her. She was only aware that she was swaying when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and looked up to see Janet's kindly, concerned face staring at her with her large blue eyes.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
"Kevin." Rachel whispered back, and Janet nodded in understanding. She squeezed Rachel's shoulder then slowly began to walk, coaxing Rachel to do the same. As they approached the place where Gill was staring down at the black object on the floor, they heard her give a confirmation to a uniformed officer that it was indeed Kevin's vest.
The shining silver badge of the Metropolitan Police seemed to glow in the light from the yard. Slowly, each member of the Major Incident Team, Syndicate 9, bowed their head in respect.
XxXxX
The usual buzz of conversation that filled the office as Gill entered was completely absent the following morning. She looked around at her team. Pete was stirring a teaspoon round and round his cup of tea. Mitch and Lee were sitting there solemnly. Janet was staring at the blank computer screen in front of her, and Rachel...Gill had never seen her look so pale. Her hair was carelessly tied into a pony tail, a style which Gill had seen on countless occasions, and had always attributed to a hangover. She also had the familiar dark circles under her eyes, but the warmth and character in her facial features weren't there. Her face was blank. Emotionless. Gill didn't like it, but she knew how Rachel felt. Gill was more familiar with the numb, empty feeling, than she was with feelings of sadness or grief. It was the feeling she adopted when she felt too close to a particular case. She knew that becoming emotionally involved in a murder case was never a good idea. It could have serious effects on both judgement and performance. But...this wasn't 'just another murder case'. This wasn't a 'major incident' which could be passed on to C.I.D within a matter of days. This was Kevin. This was the death of one of her officers; Detective Constable Kevin Lumb.
XxXxX
"I'd like to speak to the proprietor of this yard, if that's possible?" Rachel said, flashing her police ID badge at a spotty youth, who looked barely old enough to be out of school.
"Oh" he said, sniffing. "Miss Reynolds is out at the minute, but she said she would see you later"
"Sorry pal, did you not here me?" said Rachel, frustrated. "I said Metropolitan Police, not Jehovah's bloody witness" Janet smiled. She was glad that Rachel was acting close to her normal self. "I want to see the owner of this property NOW." Rachel continued, as the youth shrugged. "Were you not aware that a suspicious death took place here last night?"
The youth seemed to be looking around him helplessly, and a look of relief washed over his face as someone called, "can I help?" from behind them.
Janet and Rachel turned to see a man in what they were familiar with as an orange community service uniform, but in this case was more likely to be a brightly coloured body suit, to help identify him among the cars.
Janet stepped forward and held out her badge. "My name is Detective Sergeant Janet Scott from the Manchester Metropolitan Police Major Incident Team" The man gave a nod of acknowledgment, unzipping his orange uniform to reveal a grubby white shirt underneath. "As I'm sure you're aware" continued Janet, "An officer was killed here last night in suspicious circumstances, less than a week after the body of a girl was found in a car in this same yard" The man nodded again. "We're investigating what we believe to be the murder of this girl, and we are, at the same time, attempting to establish the cause of the tragic..." Janet paused, as if trying to find the words.
"Of the reason" Rachel continued, "that last night, an officer of the law was tragically killed"
Janet nodded, and they both looked at the man, who had now slipped both of his arms out of his fluorescent suit and had let it hang round his waste.
"Ok" said the man slowly. "Well, as I'm sure Barry had told you" he gestured at the youth "Miss Reynolds is the one you'll want to talk to, and she's not here!"
"Actually, Mr...?"
"Terry. Terry Robson"
"Actually, Mr Robson we're going to need to ask you and all of the lads a few questions"
"What kind of questions?"
"Well" said Janet, realising she would have to tread carefully. "We believe that someone may have deliberately set that big machine off last night"
"The dinosaur!" said the youth quietly from behind Rachel.
She turned to him. "Why's it called the dinosaur?"
"Well" said the youth uncertainly, looking at Terry for permission, who merely shrugged. "Folks say it just starts on its own, it comes to life, like a dinosaur returning from the Jurassic age"
"Sorry" said Rachel, shaking her head as if she'd heard him wrongly "it just starts on its own?"
"It's just a silly story we always tell the new kids" said Terry, quickly. "We call it the dinosaur because of the letters on the side" he pointed to the side of the machine that Rachel had read last night. "See, R.A.W.R!" said Terry as the women turned back to face him. "Sounds like 'roar' don't it? And, as for folks hearing it, it's all in their heads. Some people claim to have heard it working at nights, but I'm telling you. That machinery ain't easy to use. If someone is using it at night, they'd have to be pretty experienced in my opinion!"
"So" said Rachel, shaking her head again, still a little confused. "What does R.A.W.R stand for?"
"Reynolds Automobile Waste Recipient... or something like that!" said Terry "We always just call it the Dino!"
"We're going to need to see the control room" said Janet calmly, after a glance at Rachel, who was looking rather bewildered.
"Have you got a warrant?" asked Terry, raising his eyebrows.
"Mr Robson" Janet said calmly, with a very slight smile. "An officer of my team was killed here last night. So, the question is not 'Do we have a warrant?', but rather 'does your boss have a good solicitor?'
And with that, she and Rachel purposely walked past him towards the now visible control room of 'the dinosaur'...
