Chapter 10: Hell Hath No Fury
When Jack had woken up that morning, he had been hoping for a peaceful day at the office. Maybe examining some trace evidence, having a cup of coffee and skulking off home early to nurse his (very painful) hangover. But this was the Lyell Centre, and things very rarely went according to plan, as Jack was beginning to find out.
He'd arrived at the centre half an hour late for his shift and was in the process of knocking back some ibuprofen and coffee when he heard the disturbance
"I need to speak with him now!" a voice was yelling in the corridor outside the lab. If he strained to hear, he was sure he could recognise the voice of the security guard trying to calm someone down but to no avail
"You need to calm down madam,"
"I need to speak with Jack Hodgson now!" the voice came again and Jack's ears pricked up at the sound of his name. He got up from his desk and moved towards the doors wincing slightly as the voices got louder as he approached.
From his position by the doors he could see a young woman standing facing the security guard, shouting angrily as hot tears fell down her cheeks. Clearly overwhelmed with emotions, her body was shaking as she forced out her speech between angry sobs. The guard put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down but she flinched and pulled back, making a half-strangled sobbing noise as she did so.
Jack pushed open the doors and called to the security guard "It's okay mate, I can take it from here,"
"Are you sure sir?" the security guard asked "I can escort this woman from the building. She doesn't have an appointment to see you after all,"
"Really its fine," Jack assured him "I know her, I'll sort this out,"
"As you wish," the guard said turning to leave "You know where I am if you need me,"
"Thanks," Jack said smiling politely as the guard turned to leave. When they were left alone Jack turned to his visitor and sighed softly
"So do you want to tell me what this is about Molly?"
…
When Nikki arrived back at the lab from the crime scene she had been attending for the duration of that morning, she was surprised to find the lab largely empty. Moving towards her office, she paused as she saw Jack in there, crouching down next to a female figure hunched up in one of the chairs
"You've missed quite an eventful morning," Nikki turned to see Clarissa behind her
"What's going on?" she asked
"I'm not quite sure in all honesty," Clarissa shrugged "Jack's trying to sort it out now I think,"
Nikki turned her gaze back towards her office and watched as Jack seemed to soothe the young woman. He was crouched down so they were at eye level and was speaking gently to her. The woman was shaking her head wildly but Jack persisted in his task, despite how much she seemed to want to close off to him.
"I recognise her," Nikki frowned
"She's been here before," Clarissa answered her "Molly Williams, she's Jonathan Williams daughter,"
"Of course," Nikki said remembering "Why is she here?"
Clarissa shook her head "I don't know. She turned up here this morning shouting that she needed to see Jack. She was quite hysterical so he took her into your office to calm her down. He thought you wouldn't mind…"
"That's fine," Nikki said moving towards her office "Was he late though?" she asked Clarissa before entering her office
"30 minutes exactly and hung-over,"
"You owe me five pounds," Nikki grinned as she entered her office
"…that's it, nice and slowly," she heard Jack say as she entered the room "Keep breathing nice and slowly,"
Jack looked up as Nikki entered the room and gave her a small smile as a greeting. Molly, on the other hand flinched at Nikki's presence and gripped onto Jack's arm
"It's okay, it's just Nikki," Jack assured Molly "You've met her before, remember?" he said and Molly nodded
"Can I have a quick word Jack?" she asked and he nodded before turning back to the young woman
"I'll be back in just a moment," he said "Clarissa is going to come and sit with you until then," he said raising his voice slightly so Clarissa could hear what he was saying
He followed Nikki back into the main lab, towards his desk all the while trying to keep a watch on Molly as he did so
"What's happened?" Nikki asked
"I don't know exactly. She's not really been calm enough to tell me the full details. But from what I can work out, they've arrested her Dad,"
"Arrested him?"
Jack nodded in confirmation "DI Harris seems to think he's our killer. Or at least she suspects him enough to arrest him,"
"On what grounds? There was so little forensic evidence to tell us anything about the killer,"
"I know," he agreed "But that's what's happened. Anyway, Molly was obviously very upset at the whole thing and turned up here wanting to see me,"
"Why?"
"Probably for my dazzling good looks and scintillating company," he teased and Nikki just rolled her eyes in response "In all honesty I'm not sure. Part of me thinks she came here to blame me. I'm the forensic scientist on this case; maybe she thinks I'm partly to blame for her father's arrest or something like that. The other part thinks she came here because she's got no one else to turn to," he speculated
"I suppose I don't need to remind you that this is beyond your remit and is completely unorthodox," she said and he nodded
"I couldn't just leave her there," he protested
"I know Jack," she agreed "Let's just say that officially as your boss I am reprimanding you, but unofficially I think you did the right thing. I would have done the same thing in your situation. I don't know what DI Harris is up to or where this investigation is heading but I don't like it any more than you do,"
…
"So Mr Williams, I assume you know why you're here?" DI Harris said entering the interview room with DC Roberts chasing at her heels
"Yes, your officers did make it fairly clear when they slapped those handcuffs on me thank you," Jonathan said rubbing his wrists "Did they really need to be so rough?"
"You've been arrested on suspicion of three murders, we don't want to take any chances or make any mistakes" she explained
"Like arresting an innocent man?" he asked
"That's for us to determine Mr Williams," Rachel said curtly "Now if you're ready to begin…"
"I want to know what's happened to my daughter," Jonathan cut in
"The police are trying to contact her," DC Roberts explained "To make sure she's okay,"
"She's a grown woman though, I'm sure she's more than capable of looking after herself," Rachel said
"She's all I've got. I swear if you let anything happen to her then I'll-"
"-Mr Williams," Rachel cut in "Let me remind you that this interview is being recorded and anything you do say can be used as evidence,"
"Yes I remember the caution," Jonathan sighed loudly
"Then we'll begin," Rachel said "I want you to tell me about last night,"
…
"Dad and I were working on the magazine late last night when there was a banging at the door," Molly explained, pulling at the sleeve of her top in agitation
"The police?" Jack asked and Molly nodded
"Lots of them," she said "That woman police officer was there again and a male one who I haven't seen before,"
"DI Harris and DC Roberts I presume," Jack said quietly to Nikki who nodded in agreement
"He put Dad in handcuffs and told him he was being arrested on suspicion of murder," Molly said getting increasingly upset
"I guess your Dad didn't really like that?" Molly shook her head at Nikki's question
"He was shouting a lot. Saying things about the police I'm sure they didn't really appreciate hearing," Molly sighed "They tackled him and forced him onto the ground saying he was resisting arrest,"
"Did you witness all of this?" Clarissa asked
"Yes," Molly said softly "But after they forced him onto the ground, I got scared and ran away. It reminded me too much of what happened when Mum died…" she sniffed back a few tears as a runner of snot dripped down her face
"Where did you go?" Nikki asked looking concerned
"I went to De-" Molly started but cut herself off quickly before correcting her statement "I went down to the village and walked around until morning. Then I came here,"
"Why?" Jack asked
"I don't know," Molly frowned as if trying to recall something
"You were upset," Nikki suggested and Molly nodded "Do you have any family that can support you?"
Molly shook her head "No, my paternal grandparents are dead and my maternal grandparents cut off all contact after my Mum died. They never really approved of my parent marriage; they always said Dad was bad news. When she died, well that just seemed to prove their point even more,"
"I'm sorry," Nikki said softly
"He's not a bad man," Molly protested "He didn't do this,"
"Are you sure?" Jack asked "DI Harris must have had something on him to arrest him,"
…
"Do you often visit the 'Slug and Pellet' pub?" Rachel asked Jonathan
"Why?" he said suspiciously
"Answer the question Mr Williams," DC Roberts snapped and Rachel smiled approvingly
Jonathan shot a dirty look at the DC before answering "Sometimes," he said "It's the only local drinking hole around, most people go there,"
"But you go there for more than having a quick pint," Rachel said shuffling through some papers "We've got witness statements that tell us you go there to meet friends,"
"Colleagues," Jonathan corrected "They write for my magazine,"
"Why meet there?"
"It's an easy place to get access to,"
"Even at night, after it's closed?" DC Roberts asked
"I wouldn't know," Jonathan shrugged "I'm not in the habit of breaking and entering,"
"No?" Rachel asked "Just murder then?"
"What are you insinuating exactly?"
"Mr Williams, we have witness statements that state you had a difficult relationship with George Francis and were seen arguing with him the day before he was murdered,"
"That is all circumstantial evidence," Jonathan's solicitor spoke up
"Well then, what about this…"
…
"And then after she was done talking about the witness statements she said they had proof that he was going to kill George Francis,"
"How?" Clarissa asked frowning. She knew of the little forensic evidence they had on the case. If DI Harris had been holding information back from them…
"The magazine Dad writes for," Molly sighed loudly "The issue that was just published had an article in it,"
"The one about cows and aliens?" Jack asked and Nikki shot him a confused look
"Yes actually," Molly said brightening for a moment "But that was not the one I was referring to. He published an article about the pub. He'd had a number of rows with George prior to publication. Dad thought that the 'Slug and Pellet' were really putting slug pellets in the drinks they serve,"
"How did he come to that conclusion," Nikki frowned, looking slightly bemused
"He thinks that's how his friends were killed. He used to think it was something to do with the ley lines but he's changed his mind now" Molly explained "And before you ask, no I didn't tell him about the belladonna," she said
"Why not?" Jack asked
"It only grows in one place locally: Devil's Cott. He doesn't like me going there," she said
"And that's why you lied to him when he'd asked where you'd been when I dropped you home," Jack said and Molly nodded
"Anyway, Dad published the article saying that someone should, and I quote, 'sort George Francis out once and for all'" Molly grimaced "Coupled with the fact he was arguing with George and that they had a difficult relationship, well it's not looking good for him,"
"That's not enough evidence to hold your Dad on," Nikki told the young woman "She'll need more than that to charge him,"
"There's no way Dad will keep his cool long enough in the interview," Molly told Nikki "He doesn't like the police and they don't exactly like him,"
"They arrested him before," Jack said remembering
"He's been on the police's radar for a while I think," Molly nodded "He wouldn't tell me what happened that day though. Our relationship has been a little strained as of late,"
"Why?"
"The anniversary of the death of my mother is in a few days," Molly explained "It's always a difficult time for us. He's been going out late at night and drinking heavily. That's one of the main problems in all of this. On the night George Francis died, he wasn't at home. I don't know where he was the night…"
…
"So you weren't at home on the night of George Francis' murder?" DI Harris asked
Jonathan shook his head "I was out taking a walk, I needed to calm down,"
"Were you angry?"
"I'd had an argument with my daughter," Jonathan told her
"Do you often argue?"
"Sometimes, all families have rows," he shrugged "I doesn't mean that I don't love her. She's all I've got and she means the world to me,"
"So where did you go,"
"Out," he said "Just walking around trying to clear my head,"
"What had you argued about?" Rachel asked
"Her mother," Jonathan said "It's the anniversary of her death in a few days. Molly was concerned about how I was coping,"
"And this made you angry?" Rachel frowned "I'm not sure I understand Mr Williams. Your daughter showed concern for you and this made you angry,"
"She shouldn't have to be so worried about me," Jonathan sighed loudly "She's been through so much in her life already,"
"Yet you continue to put her though more by getting arrested," Rachel said
"Please, I need to know where she if. I need to know if my daughter is alright," Jonathan begged
…
A phone buzzed making everyone sitting in Nikki's office jump.
"Sorry," Molly said shaking her heads as she pulled her phone from her pocket, pushing a button to stop the noise. The action itself was futile given that her phone buzzed once more only a few moments later
"Someone's trying to get hold of you," Nikki said but Molly just shrugged
"I doesn't matter," she said softly "I should go. I've wasted enough of your time as it is," Molly said standing up
"It's fine," Nikki assured her but Molly was already putting on her coat
"I'm sorry, I should have never got you involved in all of this," Molly said
"We're the forensic team on the case, you've not got us any more involved than we would have been already," Nikki said
Molly shook her head "I wish that were true," she said as her gaze briefly fell upon Jack before flitting away "Thanks anyway," she said before leaving
"You can stay a while longer if you need to get your bearings," Nikki offered
"Thanks, but I've got an appointment to go to," Molly said shaking her head as if she had suddenly been reminded of her other duties and responsibilities
When she had gone, the team turned back to one another to discuss the events of the morning
"Did you get any forensic evidence from the knife DC Roberts dropped off yesterday?" Nikki asked Jack and Clarissa
"Only the same as we've got from the other two knives. Blood belongs to the victim and there's a partial fingerprint on the handle. I've checked it against the other two and it's a match," Clarissa said and Jack nodded in confirmation
"So it's the same killer," Nikki said "But is the killer Jonathan Williams?"
"We've got three knives, a partial set of fingerprints, a partial footprint and a lens from some glasses," Jack reeled off the forensic evidence they had collected so far
"We know that the killer is smaller than the victims which would match the smaller footprint that we found at the scene of the second murder," Nikki said
"It also links in with our hypothesis that the killer sedates the victims before killing them. Our killer is smaller and physically weaker than the victims," Clarissa expanded
"How tall would you say Jonathan Williams is?" Nikki asked turning to Jack
He paused for a moment before answering "5 foot 8, or there abouts," Jack shrugged
"He's too tall," Nikki shook her head "From the post-mortem results we found the killer is not more than 5 foot 4,"
"He could have been kneeling?" Clarissa offered
"It's a possibility, but we found a footprint which suggested standing," Nikki said "I think we need to go back to the crime scene for a reconstruction,"
"Good idea boss," Jack grinned
"But first, I want to call DI Harris and set her straight on a few things," Nikki said standing up and grabbing the phone off her desk
"Hell hath no fury like a forensic pathologist scorned," Jack quoted
…
"What's the delay?" Jonathan asked DC Roberts
"DI Harris had to take a phone call, she'll be back soon," the DC assured Mr Williams
"I need to get out of here or at least know where my daughter is,"
"I left her a message on her phone asking her to call us and let us know she's safe," DC Roberts explained
"Has she called yet?" Jonathan asked desperately but the DC shook his head
"I'm sure she's fine though," he trying to sympathise
Suddenly the door to the interview room banged open and DI Harris stormed in, with a furious expression plastered across her face
"Mr Williams," she said taking a seat "It seems that you're free to go,"
"What?" Jonathan and DC Roberts said in unison
"For now at least," she clarified "Don't think that this makes you an innocent man," Rachel said angrily "You're still on our radar and we will be in contact with you very soon,"
"Of course," Jonathan said standing up and following his solicitor out of the room "I look forward to seeing you soon," he said as his gaze briefly fell upon DC Roberts before flitting away "Thanks anyway," he said before leaving
"What just happened?" DC Roberts asked
"Doctor Nikki Alexander just happened," Rachel sighed loudly "She called me to update me on the forensic situation. They got nothing from the knife that's of any use, except that it's the same killer, but we already suspected that. She also clarified that the killer is of a smaller stature than Jonathan Williams. Anyway, the Chief Inspector got wind of this and told me I can't hold him on the little evidence we have and made me release him,"
"But we have some evidence," DC Roberts protested
"It's circumstantial. Having a row with someone is not a crime," Rachel said shaking her head "The magazine article he wrote doesn't prove anything either, it could just be a coincidence,"
"But he's got no alibi for that night,"
"But we've got nothing that puts him at the scene either," Rachel countered "I'm sure he was there though. He's the common factor in all the murders so far. All the victims knew Jonathan Williams and were with him before their deaths,"
"So what do we do now?"
"I want you to keep an eye on him," Rachel explained "Our killer isn't done yet. Six knives but three victims so far. If Jonathan is our killer than I want to stop him before victim number four get butchered,"
"What about the forensic team?" the DC asked "Doctor Alexander?"
"Let me deal with them," Rachel said standing up and storming out of the room
"Hell hath no fury like a DI scorned," DC Roberts sighed as he followed his boss out of the room.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews