Читать книгу Dead Wrong - Noelle Holten - Страница 7

Maggie had thought her nightmares were over when serial killer Bill Raven, ‘The Chopper’, had been convicted just over two years previously. Having returned to her team at Stafford Police Station following a secondment in the Domestic Abuse and Homicide team, she believed she had left that particular case well and truly closed. Although the remains of Raven’s victims were never found, he confessed willingly to abducting, dismembering and then disposing of three females whom he named. Forensics at the time corroborated his account.

Then, a few weeks ago, she had received a message from DI Rutherford, her boss at the Major and Organised Crime Department in Stafford. Maggie had been attending an event where Lucy Sherwood, a Probation Officer from the Domestic Abuse and Homicide Unit, was speaking. It was a message she would never forget.

Your secondment is over at the DAHU. Raven has appealed his sentence, claimed he’s innocent. Timely I’d say as there has been another murder. Either a copycat or the real killer picking up where they left off. Get your arse in here.

She had seen the news – body parts had been found in a bin – and sweat had begun to trickle down her spine. Forensic details had not been released to the public, but when Maggie had returned the call to her DI and learned that the body parts had belonged to Lorraine Rugman, the first victim that Raven had named in his confession, Maggie’s world had begun to fall apart.

No! No! No! This cannot be happening. This is not real …

And then the anger had come. And the questions.

Is the wrong person in prison? Is Raven toying with the police?

Now three weeks had passed since Maggie had returned to her team and the nightmare had only got worse. She couldn’t get him out of her mind. The greasy hair, the stubbled, ragged face. His lanky frame hollowed out by years of drug use. And the smell – the pungent smell that oozed from his pores, burning her nostrils. But the worst thing was his voice. That arrogant smooth voice that made her skin crawl.

She threw off her blankets and went to find coffee.

Ugh. It was in her head now, his voice.

It was like he was in the room with her … no wait.

The voice was coming from downstairs.