Perfect Prey: The twisty new crime thriller that will keep you up all night

‘Michael Swan’s widow,’ Salter whispered.

‘Taken when she had no idea she was being watched. The killer knew the address, knew who his wife was, who knows what else,’ Callanach said. ‘Pinned there as a reminder to the victim throughout his ordeal. I guess it’s not hard to imagine why he didn’t fight.’

‘He had children and grandchildren,’ Salter said. ‘The killer would have known that too, if they’d done any research. How could anyone do that? Not just kill, but literally deface a man.’

‘Mrs Swan had no idea she was being watched,’ Callanach repeated, peering closer at the photograph. ‘That’s what makes it so scary. The killer could have been there hours, or watching for days. Get it logged as evidence, then have a copy taken. I need you to go directly to Mrs Swan’s house. If she can tell us when it was taken, maybe we can understand how long this was going on.’ Salter’s phone rang. She answered the call and walked a few steps away to talk, as Callanach proceeded to the exit to strip off his suit.

As soon as his feet hit the pavement, Callanach’s mobile began to ring too.

‘Yes,’ Callanach snapped.

‘This is Lance Proudfoot, we spoke before. I’m from the online news blogging site?’

‘I thought we’d concluded our conversation, Mr Proudfoot. I’m busy, so …’

‘Do you have a comment about the latest body, Detective Inspector? We’ve got the photos already, so if you could just give me a line or two about how Police Scotland plans to investigate, or what reassurance you can give the public?’

‘How the hell did you get photos of Michael Swan’s body?’ Callanach snarled. ‘You release those and I’ll have you in a cell before you can reach your door.’

‘Not Michael Swan. The young woman in the dumpster. The photos of her were emailed to me embedded in a downloadable file this morning. Me and the rest of the popular press, unfortunately. It’s not exactly an exclusive. Did you not know? A huge part of the city has been closed off. The police are everywhere.’

‘Salter, what have you got?’ Callanach shouted over to her.

‘Caucasian female murder victim, early twenties, probable strangulation. Body left in a large bin. Must be what the pathologist was called to, sir,’ Salter responded, putting her own hand over her mobile mid-conversation to answer. ‘DI Turner is at the scene and heading it up. They want us back at the station. Superintendent’s called her own briefing.’

‘Right Mr Proudfoot, no comment, but I’m sending officers over to your offices to inspect your computer. I want those files. Back up what you need. You’ve got about ten minutes,’ Callanach said.

‘Oh, for heaven’s sake. At least give me something I can print before you destroy everything,’ Lance moaned.

‘Police Scotland have no comment at the present time,’ Callanach said. ‘Print that.’ He hung up and shouted enough details to enable uniformed officers to find Lance Proudfoot and seize his hard drive. ‘Get the car, Salter. We’ll stop at the scene on the way back to the station.’

Twenty minutes later they arrived as close as they could get to Valleyfield Street. The crime scene boundary extended well beyond the two entrances of the road. Leven Street and Glengyle Terrace were both sealed off, and across Leven Terrace, where a footpath led into The Meadows, a police cordon enclosed a huge section of parkland.

Salter disappeared in search of other members of the squad. Callanach made directly for Ava who was deep in conversation with Ailsa Lambert, under the shelter of a temporary white awning designed to keep out prying eyes. Not that it would make much difference now, if photos really had been leaked to the press.

Ava saw him approach and beckoned him in. Within the confines of the tent was a blue dumpster. Callanach was handed a crime scene suit with accessories. He really shouldn’t have bothered taking the last ones off, he thought.

‘Cause of death?’ he asked Ailsa as he brushed past her to get a better look.

‘Barring us finding something more at autopsy, almost certainly strangulation,’ Ailsa said.

‘I need more officers down here, Luc,’ Ava said. ‘Can you tell the superintendent when you get back to the station? And the overtime restrictions will have to be lifted. This’ll take more man-hours than they’re paying for.’

There was a screech from the end of Valleyfield Street, a loud scuffling of feet, then a man could be heard shouting. Callanach drew his gaze away from the twenty-something young woman lying in the dumpster, the lower half of her body still concealed in a rough sack, as Ava stepped out of the tent and took control.

‘Stop right there,’ she ordered. ‘Officers, get control of those people.’

A woman barged through, frantic, wailing. Ava tried to grab her but momentum made her unstoppable. She pushed Ailsa aside and launched herself towards the dumpster, hands gripping the edge, peering inside. All the noise she’d been making instantly ceased. She sank to the floor. A second later and a man appeared behind her. He took one look at her face and stumbled, his knees hitting the pavement hard, falling into the woman’s side. They stayed there like that, rocking and shaking, until Ava sat down beside them.

‘Can you tell me who she is?’ Ava asked.

The woman tried to speak. Her mouth worked itself open and shut but nothing came from it. Uniformed officers appeared, Ava looking at them in a way that made it clear they should never expect promotion after letting members of the public burst onto a crime scene.

‘Move these people to somewhere private and secure. Look after them. Make sure they have access to medical assistance if required and ascertain their relationship to the deceased, please,’ Ava said. The uniformed officers wrapped blankets around the shoulders of the two obviously grieving people, and persuaded them gently towards a vehicle.

Ava pinched the bridge of her nose between finger and thumb, grinding her teeth.

‘Can we not get a frigging break? Bodies are piling up and we seem to be the last to find out what’s happening,’ she muttered. ‘How in God’s name did they know where to find us?’

Callanach pulled out his phone and internet searched the terms ‘body’, ‘Edinburgh’, and ‘breaking news’. It took just seconds. Various pages popped up with the story. As yet, not one news agency had been stupid enough to risk prosecution by posting the shared photos of the dead girl, but there was a clear description of both the girl and the crime scene, right down to the details of what she’d been wearing.

‘A young woman has been found dead in a Valleyfield Street dumpster,’ the first article began. ‘She is believed to be in her twenties, with long blonde hair and wearing a scouting uniform. Of particular note is the multicoloured, knitted scarf around her neck. Police have not yet issued a statement or confirmed her identity.’

‘Ma’am,’ a uniformed constable said, keeping his distance from Ava. ‘That’s Mr and Mrs Balcaskie. They’ve confirmed the deceased is their daughter, Emily. She’s twenty-four years of age and attended a scout meeting here last night in that building over the road. When she didn’t come home they assumed she’d decided to stay with friends in the city. It was the description of the scarf on the news reports that made them realise it was her.’

‘Thank you, Constable,’ Ava said. ‘I’ll be over to speak with them personally in a moment.’

Ailsa took photos as Ava and Callanach stared in at the corpse. The knitted scarf was wrapped several times around the girl’s neck, pulled so tight that the fibres were straining, the ends of it shoved hard into her mouth. Her eyes were bulging, the whites stained dark red from haemorrhaging.

‘What’s happening, Luc? Four murders in two weeks? It’s as if a pack of wild animals has been let loose in the city.’ Ava wiped a tear away, keeping her back carefully towards her squad. Callanach hadn’t known her long, as friendships went, but he never thought he’d see her emotional at a crime scene. She was a career police officer – a fiercely tough, professional one. He wanted to stretch a hand out, to give some comfort, but DCI Edgar’s words squirmed in his guts. Perhaps Ava did need some space, want to keep the boundaries of their friendship rigid and clear.

‘Sometimes these things all happen at once. There’s rarely an explanation,’ he said. ‘I’ll report to Overbeck for you. There’ll have to be a press conference soon and a lid needs to be put on media coverage. How did they get hold of photos of the body so quickly?’ he asked.

‘Didn’t you hear?’ Ava asked. ‘It was the press who reported the body. They alerted us. Even gave us the address. Someone wanted her found, and with as much media circus as they could rouse. Tell Overbeck I’ll call later to update her in person. And if you bump into Edgar, explain that I’ll be busy for the next twenty-four hours, would you?’

‘Sure,’ Callanach said, taking a step away, his mind made up about whether or not it was appropriate to offer support beyond the procedural or administrative. It was clear that DCI Edgar was already filling that gap. He left Ava making her way towards the couple who should never have faced the tragic indignity of hearing the news of their daughter’s death via the media, regrouped with Salter and headed back to the police station.

Callanach headed straight for Begbie’s office where Superintendent Overbeck had temporarily set up shop. She was on the phone when he entered, cooing a mixture of ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ into the mouthpiece in a reassuringly soothing manner. Five minutes later, she put the phone down and looked up.

‘Sit down, Callanach. I’ve got gridlock across a square mile of the city, the press want to hang me out to dry and I’m being chased by a team of American fucking documentary makers who want to do a two-hour special on the murder craze sweeping out of control on Edinburgh’s streets.’

‘Ma’am, I’ve just—’

‘Don’t speak, Inspector,’ she said, taking out a mirror and lipstick. ‘Your current job is to accompany me and not to bollocks anything up. We are going down to give a press statement now. The ladies and gentlemen of the media are to be regarded as our friends – the sort you exchange Christmas cards with but are always too busy to actually see in person. We will appear obliging whilst giving them precisely nothing. We have an opportunity with these cases. We can solve them quickly, providing justice and relief to the families of the deceased, and come out of this acclaimed and heroic. Or they will continue to blight Scotland, in which case you and DI Turner can take an endless vacation in the back of beyond as I scapegoat you for incompetence. Either way, I will not be made the whipping girl for any monumentally shit-storming failure to protect the general public from the lunatic killers currently rampaging unchecked. Do you get it?’ She applied liberal lipstick, raising one appraising eyebrow in her mirror. ‘Good. Off we go then.’

The conference room was buzzing. It was hard to imagine how any more cameras, microphones or bodies could possibly have been shoe-horned in. Unlike past press conferences with the well-worn figure of DCI Begbie at the helm, when Overbeck stalked in with her high heels, perfect hair, and an attitude you could use to cut sheet metal, there was an immediate silence. Introductions and formal announcement done, the superintendent began spinning.

‘I’m personally overseeing the Major Investigation Team in the absence of DCI Begbie, and I shall be relying heavily on Detective Inspector Turner and Detective Inspector Callanach to bring these cases to a swift and successful close. Rest assured that I will not allow my officers to sleep until these killers are behind bars. As you know, we now have four open murder cases and I will not tolerate anything but the highest of standards being applied. We owe that to the deceased and their families and loved ones, who are constantly in our thoughts. In the meantime, we appreciate your continuing support and may, at times, ask for your understanding and discretion. I’ve worked closely with many of you before,’ Overbeck managed a suitably sad-looking smile, ‘and I hope you know that where I can release information, I will.’

‘Superintendent, can you confirm the identity of the latest victim?’ the question was shouted across the sea of journalists’ heads.

‘Emily Balcaskie was found dead this morning. As you all know by now, her body was found in Valleyfield Street. She was a primary school teacher at Bonaly. Last night, in her capacity as a scout leader, she attended a meeting and failed to return home afterwards. We believe, although the investigation is in its most preliminary stages, that she was walking through The Meadows towards her car when she was approached. It seems likely that she was killed in the park and then her body was returned to Valleyfield Street.’

‘Are all four killings the work of one serial killer, Superintendent?’ a different voice yelled. Overbeck didn’t even blink, Callanach had to give her credit for that. Nor did she pause before answering in a silky smooth voice that wouldn’t have been amiss in a chocolate advert.

‘The methods used in the murders of Sim Thorburn, Helen Lott, Michael Swan and Emily Balcaskie have all been wildly varying, as have the places and times of death. We see no pattern between the four cases currently under investigation. Please do not disturb your readers with talk of serial killers. There are a number of possible explanations for these murders occurring so closely in time. As you know, drugs often play a part in violent murders and the variety of parties, celebrations and festivals throughout the city in the summer necessarily attracts some less wanted elements. We have yet to rule out whether or not any of the victims knew their attackers, as statistics tell us is the most likely scenario in cases of this sort.’

‘Why hasn’t Police Scotland released the details of how Michael Swan was killed yet?’ a man near the front asked. Callanach recognised him from an online search as Lance Proudfoot. He was balding, tall and sporting a T-shirt that proclaimed him an avid Rolling Stones fan.

‘We’re still liaising with Mr Swan’s family and there are some highly technical forensic issues. We hope to have a statement with you in the next forty-eight hours,’ Overbeck replied.

‘Was the police raid on a warehouse in Newington linked to the murders?’ a woman near the front asked. Callanach wondered how much more successful the investigation might be if all the journalists worked for the police instead of the media. They certainly knew more than he did about what was going on around the city at the moment.

‘Whilst I can’t give you any specific information about that, I can tell you that the raid you’re referring to was part of an ongoing investigation by a specialist team from Scotland Yard and nothing to do with any of the murders.’ That would be DCI Edgar’s hacker then, Callanach thought. That case didn’t seem to be progressing at any great pace either. He needed DC Tripp back. Callanach would have to talk to Edgar about when that was likely to be possible. ‘And now I’m afraid I’m required elsewhere,’ Overbeck went on. ‘Any other questions should be directed through the media liaison office and you all have the crime-line numbers to encourage the public to come forward with information. Please do remember to add them to your releases. Many thanks for your patience and your efforts to assist us.’

She stood up, pausing almost imperceptibly whilst the cameras caught her best side, then nodded to Callanach who followed her out, wondering why he’d been paraded through such a time-wasting farce.

‘Well done,’ she said, once they’d cleared the public area. ‘Always good to present a united front and let them see us working as a team.’

‘Talking of teams, we’re going to need more officers. Could you lift the restrictions on overtime? I suspect we’ll have to outsource some of the forensics to other areas. Ailsa Lambert’s team is flooded. We’ll get a bottleneck on return of crucial evidence if there aren’t more resources available.’

‘Submit requests in writing via email,’ Overbeck said, drifting away. ‘And I want a written update every twelve hours. Arrest someone, Callanach, or get on a plane back to Paris. And find a reason to delay releasing the details of Michael Swan’s murder, or there won’t be a hotel room in the city that’s not full of gutter press trying to turn Edinburgh into the horror capital of the world.’

Callanach returned to his desk. It was chaos. Not the physical wood and metal structure before him, but the random pieces of information he was pushing around. He grabbed a clean sheet of paper and a pen, and wrote the names of the four victims currently in limbo at the city mortuary. Death by strangulation, facial skinning, stabbing and crushing. The Meadows was the only location any of the killings had in common, but even that was different areas of the park. He added each victim’s age, job and address next to their name. Save for the use of related blades on Thorburn and Swan, there were no obvious links. It seemed to be a dead end. If forensics couldn’t bring them a lead through the national database then he’d have to find a different way.

Chapter Fourteen

Callanach used his mobile call log to dial Lance Proudfoot’s number.

‘Detective Inspector! Goodness me, I hadn’t expected you to call. Are you phoning to gloat about the seizure of my hard drive as evidence? Only I’m having a bad enough day as it is.’

‘Tell me about the email you received with the photos this morning,’ Callanach said.

Lance sighed. ‘The email came in early. Initially I assumed it was one of those viruses hidden inside junk mail, you know? Then a mate from a newspaper phoned to check if I’d been sent the same thing they had. One of their interns had opened it, completely contrary to instructions, but seventeen-year-olds – what can you do? Anyway, the photos were in a downloadable file, return address didn’t work. No sender details. They were in colour, looked like they’d been taken using a phone camera. Horrible. And they’d been sent to every press outlet you can name. Three photos of the girl’s body from different angles, all taken once she’d been put in the dumpster, one of the outside of the dumpster, one of the road sign. The lighting is blown out, the edges are dark, so I’d say they were taken using flash at night rather than first thing this morning.’

‘Do you know who was first on the scene?’ Callanach asked.

‘No idea. Wasn’t me and you can be damned sure it wasn’t a police officer either. Whichever journalist downloaded them first would have made sure they got the story before calling it in.’

‘Leeches,’ Callanach hissed as he scribbled notes.

‘Can I quote you on that? Only your delightful superintendent may think that’s not a good example of promoting the police/press supportive working relationship,’ Lance laughed.

‘Do you ever want to get your hard drive back?’ Callanach asked.

‘Come on, Inspector, I was joking. For what it’s worth, I agree with your assessment that sometimes my colleagues’ ethical code is not all it should be. However, I’m running a different angle. Seems to me there’s not much left to explore from the victim perspective. That horse has well and truly left the stable. I’m covering the graffiti angle, gauging public outcry. I’ve been photographing the sites across the city. Do you have a comment on the words left on the wall in High School Wynd, near the junction with Cowgate?’ Lance asked.

‘I’ve got more pressing things to worry about than graffiti, Mr Proudfoot. Call the city council if you want something done about that,’ Callanach said.

‘Really? Only I took your call to me as a sign of desperation.’ Callanach had no response to that, other than to remind himself why he usually avoided private conversations with journalists. The experience most often resembled wrestling a snake. Had Proudfoot not been made a part of it by virtue of the emailed photos, Callanach would never have made the call. ‘I was on my way to photograph the High School Wynd graffiti when your boss called that last press conference. I went there afterwards, and what I found is deeply confusing. Concerning even. And I think it might just turn out to be important. Meet me there? I want to see what you make of it,’ Lance said.

‘Just tell me what—’ but the dead line tone was already an indication of how useless finishing the sentence would be. Callanach looked at his watch. He could be there in a few minutes and wouldn’t lose more than half an hour, and although he didn’t want to admit it, he was curious. Against his better judgement, he went to find Lance Proudfoot.

Callanach hadn’t thought about the address before he’d left, but it made sense now. High School Wynd was the short stretch of road from which you entered the mortuary car park. Cowgate ran through a stretch of the old city, from Grassmarket to Holyrood, and housed those historically uncomfortable bedfellows – extraordinary wealth and extreme poverty. The wall there had become one of the many sites of an ever-expanding canvas of graffitied social commentary since the killings began.

As he approached, an ancient, battered motorcycle pulled up beside him and the driver dismounted. He tugged off a helmet that looked held together more by stickers than substance, and greeted Callanach with an unexpectedly friendly slap on the shoulder.

‘You came,’ Lance said. ‘I’ve got to say, I wasn’t entirely expecting that. Quite refreshing to meet an open-minded copper.’

‘Truth is, I can combine this with a visit back to The Meadows. Also, it’s a first and final act of tolerance. I generally dislike people who try to win mystery points by putting the phone down while I’m speaking,’ Callanach said, staring with something that felt rather like envy at the old BSA Bantam. He hadn’t been on a bike in years. Suddenly, it looked and sounded like the definition of freedom.

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