Stan: Chapter Eighteen

The briefing room back at the station was silent. Not one of the twenty five officers knew what to say when Anderson walked into the room.
It had been a long night. Against all logic Anderson had returned to his car after failing to locate Morris. He had hoped she had gone back to get something, or had needed to escape the darkness of the forest. But no. When he had got back he had found only the body they had discovered by the roadside and the two cars.
He had sat and waited for the backup he had asked for. He had to explain what had happened. What they did. He had to explain he left his partner in the dark as he had gone chasing shadows.
The lieutenant had told him it wasn't his fault. He was doing as he had been trained to do. It had made sense to leave Morris with the second body, in case there was something that could have been done to the young lady. It wasn't his fault.
He still blamed himself. For five years they had been partners and he had never left her side when they were investigating. If only he hadn't last night. If only he had stayed with her.
Walking into the briefing room it felt like a walk of shame. He could feel the eyes of his fellow officers looking at him, burning into him. The silence wasn't helping. He sat at a desk, alone as the lieutenant walked into the room.

"Well this is turning out to be one hell of a shit storm." where the first things he said. "Not only do I now have the Captain crawling up my ass, I seem to be attracting the attention of the worlds media! They are calling this death by fucking numbers and seem to know just as much as I do!" from his tone the entire room could tell he was pissed off.

Everyone seemed to shuffle, looking at the floor. Not daring to meet his glance.

"So this is what we have got so far." he continued, pointing at the white board. Pictures all over it of the grotesque actions of the past few days of Stanley Crippen. "Two body's found on the beach. One Jade Green and one Kate Bieth. The number eighteen carved into Jades back, Kate's entails arranged beside her as the number nineteen. Kate's head was missing, has yet to be found. Both were sexually assaulted. Cause of death, we believe as one was missing a head, was huge blood lose due to their throats being slit. The pools of blood around the body of Kate would indicate that.
Victim twenty two. Sebastian Preston. Found in an alleyway. It doesn't appear that he was sexually assaulted, but did have his penis removed and placed in his mouth. Again, although his head had taken a beating, it is believed that loss of blood due to his throat being cut was the cause of death.
Which brings us nicely onto victim twenty three. Alicia Davis." he pointed to the pictures on the board. Nobody had ever seen something so disgusting outside of horror films. "this poor girl seems to have been cut into six an hung like a fucking puppet at a university art show. But that's not the worst of it. Most of her internal organs were removed, and her skin pulled back do fishing line could be sown into her muscles. This forensic's tell me this was done while she was still alive. She probably died due to blood loss. The Dean that 'unveiled' her is currently being treated for shock at Bayview."

Anderson could only imagine his reaction if they found Morris like this.

"Victim twenty two. Found last night. A Miranda Wood. Local journalist for channel six news. Found dead at the side of the road beside her car. Cause of death was lose of blood due to a chest wound. I'm told she bled out in seconds and was probably dead by the time she hit the floor. Again no signs of sexual assault. We think she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Moving on we have victim twenty three. Lucy Daper. Last seen alive with victim twenty one. Found naked on the forest floor. Cause of death...well sadly that could be one of two things. Forensic's are not 100%. She had injuries suggesting she had been in a car accident, broken leg, both arms, skull fracture etc, which would go nicely with victim twenty two's car, as that was noted as having her blood on, as well as dents over the bonnet and roof. But victim twenty three also had her throat cut. They are telling me that the two happened shortly together, and there is no way of telling what would have actually killed her. About ten miles from the body we found a burnt down house. We think that it could have been where Stanley was based. We think he torched it not long after dumping victim twenty three. Then we have victim twenty four. Found this morning by a park ranger. Floating in the lake. Her name is Lorna Smith. Cause of death appears to be strangulation. The body was once again cut at the throat, and again on the belly. Again, there were signs of sexual assault." Cook took a long sip of water. "Add then to the sixteen now found in Evergreen Forest, all of which I am told are female. How anyone could discover that from a pile of rotten mush is beyond me. But this entire case is beyond me. He also now has Detective Morris as a hostage we assume." Anderson knew they only assumed that because her body had yet to be found. "I am placing all other cases on hold. Everybody works on this. Nobody talks to the media. Now get too it."

Everyone got up to leave.

"Anderson, my office now." Lietenant Cook snapped and walked to his office. "Close the door." he said as Anderson walked in.

Anderson closed the door and sat in the arm chair the other side of Cooks desk.

"I'm taking you off the case." the lieutenant told him.

"But sir...." Anderson started to reply.

"No buts Charles." Cook cut him off. "Your emotionally attached to this case now. I can't have that. You need to go home and get some rest. You look like shit man."

"Sir, with all due respect, I can't walk away from this. Not now I know this fucking madman has Rachel. I can't. I won't." Anderson replied.

"Look. I know how you feel." Cook tried to reason with him. "If you still want on this case, then your station bound. I only want you answering phones and making enquiries. I'm giving the lead to Larson."

Anderson didn't like it. But he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

"If it means I get to stay on the case, OK, I can deal with that." he replied.

"OK, now get out of here, for gods sake man get some sleep." Cook told him as he exited his office.

Walking back to his desk he played things again through in his head from the night before.
Could he have done anything differently. If he had would he have stopped him? Or would he have just ended up victim twenty five?
He looked around the huge open planned office. Everyone was busy. Trying to put right his mistake. They were also trying not to look at him. But every so often he would catch one of them looking at him. He couldn't blame them. But right now he would give anything to swap shoes with Morris. It should have been him not her taken by this fucking monster. He shuddered thinking about what could be happening right now.
He had to stop thinking about it. He had to concentrate on the job at hand. He must have missed something. Maybe something Alice had told them.
He went back through the notes, looking them over three times. Nothing. He couldn't find any clue to where he might be hiding.
He went back over the two notes that had been left. One with the head of Beth in a box, and one at the scene of Jade and Kate's bodies. Nothing.
He put his head in his hands.

"Think man. Think." she said to himself under his breath.

The phone on his desk rang. He reached out to answer it. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks being dropped on him. It was almost as if someone had finally flicked on a light in his brain.

"Shit!" he shouted. The whole office turned to look at him. This time he didn't care. "Her phone. He didn't leave her fucking phone."

Larson walked over to him. "Mate. If you need to borrow a mobile then you can borrow mine of you like." he offered Anderson.

Anderson shrugged him off. "No, no. You don't understand. He didn't leave her phone. It should still be on her. We can track it though the computer!!"