The Swap Skills Killer Read online

  “Of course I will, anything to stop this man assaulting another woman and doing these horrific things,” Gemma said.

  “Do you remember what sort of vehicle he picked you up in?” Jake asked.

  “Yes. I was stupid wasn’t I? I only got in his vehicle because I missed the last bus. It was a green land rover, I don’t know the registration, but I do remember it had a spare wheel with a cover with a Boxer dog on it that said ‘I love Boxers’. I conjured up that I might be safe getting into a vehicle with a man that liked dogs,” she shuddered.

  “Yes. That description of his vehicle might help us catch him. I will get his description and the vehicle out to uniform as soon as possible. We have to learn from experiences Gemma and I take it that you will never get into a strangers’ car again. The hospital will get you counselling, but it will take time to get over this, but believe me you can,” Jake stated.

  Amelia glanced at Jake, as if she was about to say something but thought better of it and looked away. Jake wondered about what she was going to say, and changed her mind.

  “These things take time Gemma, but I promise we will do our best to catch this man. Don’t worry, he won’t get away with it if he is slow on the uptake like you explained he will more than likely make a mistake soon and we will catch him,” Jake declared.

  “I’m a survivor, and won’t let this lunatic spoil my life,” Gemma said.

  “Good girl,” said Amelia patting her hand, and “We have a Detective Supt. Farmer from Derbyshire police who will be following this up, as you were kidnapped in Derbyshire and brought to Lincolnshire. How did the kidnapper treat you?”

  “Horrible, in the two weeks that I was there he fed me cereal, or porridge, and he would just throw it down in a bowl. I was lucky if it landed the right side up; otherwise, I had to eat it off the floor. He tossed bottles of mineral water down through the hatch, when he was in a good mood,” Gemma blurted.

  “Did he ever give a clue as to what his intentions were, whether he would let you go? Did he say anything about himself?” Jake asked.

  “Said I could call him John. He did say that he would let me go soon because he had to go back to work, but I would not have to say anything. You know, like what he looked like to the police, or he would have to kill me. He repeated that but I had seen his face so I think he would have killed me anyway. Will I be safe, he won’t come to the hospital to get me, will he?” Gemma, said.

  “You are safe here. We have a WPC outside and one in the room here with you. Right Gemma that’s enough for now as we know you are feeling weak after your ordeal. We have a brief description of the kidnapper and vehicle for the police to go on and when you have seen the police artist, we can get it in the press. Anyway, Gemma we will pass all this information onto Detective Superintendent Farmer and he will follow it on.” Jake promised.

  They said their goodbyes; Jake and Amelia promised to go visit her again when they had further news.

  CHAPTER 3

  Later in the day, Jake and Amelia met up at the Crown and Cushion for lunch. They sat at a table in the corner that was relatively quiet so they could talk. It had the bonus of being by the side of a beautiful open fire, with a marble hearth that had rustic logs in black galvanized steel baskets and over it an antique mantelpiece with quaint ornaments decking it.

  The smell of smoke reminded her of being around a bonfire toasting marshmallows, something she had not done since she was a child. Those were the good memories that she would cherish, but they were rare. Darker memories would always come to the surface.

  They had the choice of separate booth areas where the seating material, a deep red velvet, had seen better days, or high tables and stools placed around the pub, which was the newly refurbished trendy part of the bar, to bring in the young crowds.

  A group of lads were playing pool in one corner of the pub and were making a right hullabaloo, with their shouting, and whistled at Amelia when she edged her way past them. Jake saw this and his eyes darted across at them with a look that could kill.

  Amelia never liked sitting at the bar because she could not stand the folk wanting serving pushing their arms out between her, and more often than not, ended up with a beer slopped down her clothes. In addition, she was not keen on the mirror behind the bar, as she always studied and criticized herself.

  New to the post, and partnered with Detective Chief Inspector Jake Hammond, she was inquisitive to learn more about him. She knew he had ghosts and Amelia had cracked onto that with the banter going round the nick. Some of the WPC’s that knew Jake divulged that he had a weak spot in that he could not move on after the death of his wife.

  He had lost his wife three years previously to heart failure at the age of thirty-two. She contracted a rare heart virus, which destroyed the muscles in her heart. Jake was bitter about life, love, and sometimes people were miffed by his comments about not wanting to join in or have a social life.

  Even after all this time, he felt it hard to let go and get on and live his life. His colleagues understand that he is seeing the headquarters shrink to see whether she can help him sort his head after they diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

  As she glanced around the bar, wishing the lunch would hurry up, she slyly scrutinized his features and liked what she saw; a plain clothes detective, smartly turned out, a bit rough round the edges, well built, but not over the top muscle with ham shank arms.

  He saw her watching him and brushed a hand through his rich spice coloured hair, his stunning hazel eyes wrinkling at the corners as he teasingly asked, “What’s so interesting about me?”

  She blushed, her face turning pink, and replied, “Just getting to know my new partner, nothing wrong with that is there? Just like to see for myself whether the rumours that circulate round the office are true.”

  She took in the sight of his strong chiselled features, good looking in a rugged sort of way, and smiled. She would not mind that strong firm body getting her into a rugby scrum, or bending over to help her fix her old English motorbikes.

  Her latest projects were a BSA Gold Flash 650 and a Triumph Trophy 650 that she could strip down and clean as well as any good biker boy. Bikes were her secret love, and they could not hurt her like a man.

  “Tell me Amelia, what might these rumours be? I have invariably stated that if anyone desires to know anything I would sooner people ask, do not listen to the crap that circulates round the nick. Anyway one thing that you found out is that I have a phobia of rats, as you ferociously scorned me about, which was cruel and thoughtless. I didn’t know you had a nasty streak.”

  “I don’t know much about you. Can I ask a few questions to get to know you then, as you would rather folk ask up front?” Amelia said hesitantly.

  “Go for it girl,” roared Jake.

  “Do you like being a Detective Chief Inspector?”

  He plastered a smile on his face and replied rather haughtily

  “Bloody Hell. Why, you’re not after my job already? You’ve only been in Horncastle for five minutes.” He leaned forward, very close to her face, “It’s what I do best, I’ve followed in my father’s footsteps, he was a cop,” he replied.

  “What about family or close friends, anyone I should know about as your partner?” Amelia asked.

  “I’ve a younger brother Jeremy and sister in law Penny, but we do not associate with each other, family feud sort of thing, and Sister Rachel who is single and loves it. Mum and dad, as I said dad is a retired Police Super and Mum retired schoolteacher. My best friend is Adam Forrest who is the Development Manager at the Horncastle Forum. He has been a good friend for years and I’ve loads of other friends and acquaintances. My wife Emily died three years ago, and I would rather not talk about that. No significant other since then,” Jake lamented.

  “What are your likes?” Amelia said.

  “I like cakes of any kind, muffins are my favourite, any flavour, any size, but I’m a sucker for anything chocolate. I like outdoor living, camping
near a lake, days out at the coast,” Jake replied.

  “What are your dislikes?” Amelia said.

  “I don’t do weird or stupid people and don’t suffer fools gladly, oh and I dislike nosy people,” he chirped as he gave her nose a tweak.

  “What hobbies do you enjoy?” Amelia said.

  “I like reading, swimming, jogging and since Emily died cooking, primarily because I’ve had to otherwise I wouldn’t have anything nutritional to eat if I kept going for takeaways, and I’m not a bad cook,” he boasted.

  “What do you like for breakfast?” Amelia said.

  “Well, why don’t you come to stay over and you will find out,” he replied sheepishly.

  “No. Come on now, this is serious. I am never going to know you unless you answer,” she said crossly.

  “Okay then, I like the big English Breakfast at weekends if I’m not on duty, but otherwise it’s toast or Choco Krispies as a weekly treat,” he said.

  “Do you believe in Ghosts?” she stammered.

  “I must say yes, as I’ve had talks with the spirits that are not ready to cross over to the other side,” Jake said.

  “How would you describe yourself?” Amelia asked.

  “What, like in tall dark and handsome?” he said with a cheeky smile.

  “Exactly as I asked,” she said teasingly.

  The corners of his mouth turned up and he gave her a flash of his even white teeth and said

  “Well that’s easy. Tall in stature, hot and spicy – that is my hair of course, good looking in a beastly sort of way. A snatch of a quiet one, not at all like my friend Adam, he’s full of it. I’m casually dressed apart from on the job, work that is!”

  Amelia cocked her head to one side “Umm let’s move on. Tell me about one of your funniest memories?” Amelia said.

  “Well, I have a few I could mention. One that always brings a smile to my face is when Emily and I were on holiday in Mykonos. We were sitting on a nudist beach as it goes, and there was a Golden Adonis whom she kept glancing at and admiring his body and his streaked blonde hair against his bronzed olive skin for several days. One evening we were having dinner at one of the beach side restaurants on the promenade when we saw two very stunning well dressed women, sauntering very sexily along the promenade, one of them brushing her sun kissed blonde hair provocatively out of her face.”

  “Now wait, I can’t believe you lusting after other women, especially in front of your wife,” Amelia blurted out.

  “Give me chance to finish what I was about to say. She turned and smiled at us as if recognising us, and gave a little wave as they strutted into the restaurant and sat down at a table nearby. I was a bit confused and suspected that she waved sarcastically as we were staring, and she shouted over ‘Don’t you recognise me with my clothes on?’ Then it dawned on me who it was. I turned and conveyed to Emily that over there was her Golden Adonis off the beach. She was totally gob smacked and never gawped at him in quite the same way again,” Jake said.

  Amelia gave a real belly laugh and replied. “No way, what a waste.”

  “Yes that’s what Emily thought next time she saw him on the beach, as he was very well hung,” Jake said.

  Amelia laughed loudly and a blush swept up her face. “What is the most frightening thing that has ever happened to you?”

  “The rat jumping out at me, it’s my worst nightmare,” Jake shuddered thinking about it.

  Amelia stifled a laugh but before she could think of a witty reply their Lasagne, chips and salad arrived. After critically observing the dish, she said that it resembled ‘Cardboard au gratin’. Luckily, it had a twist of lemon plopped on the limp mixed salad that actually took away the smell of the greasy chips. Unusual, because the joint was well known for their pub grub and was frequented by most of the police in the area.

  “Well, I hope it tastes better than it looks. If it’s yucky, it’s your fault for bringing me here, when we could have gone to the café or back to mine, or even better yours because now I know you can cook,” Amelia said.

  “Have you lived in Horncastle all your life? It’s quite nice from what I’ve seen of it, loads of antique shops packed with old curiosities and quaint furniture, and some really good pubs and eateries,” Amelia asked.

  “Yes, born and bred in Horncastle, if you are interested in history it’s a very historical place. St. Mary’s Church goes back to the 13th Century and it holds thirteen scythe blades that were supposedly used in the 1536 Lincolnshire Rising,” Jake said.

  “That’s mind-blowing. It’s certainly an interesting place, and very pretty scenery, and a bonus because it’s so near to the seaside.” Amelia said.

  “There’s markets on Tuesday’s and Thursdays, and a farmers market where you can buy what they call Poachers’ cheese and Lincolnshire plum bread. My mother makes her own version of the plum bread and it goes down a treat,” Jake admonished with pride.

  “I will have to go visit the farmers market and try some of that cheese, do you know what days the different ones are on.” Amelia said.

  “Like I said Tuesday’s and Thursday’s I think, but you are best going online to check.” Jake said.

  “Yes, I will do that and check whether there are any car boots in the area. It’s one of my favourite hobbies, walking round car boots and picking up bargains for a few pennies.” Amelia said excitedly.

  Jake whispered. “Oh Bloody Hell, hide me in front of you, just look whose swaggered in.” Jake tried to hide his head in front of Amelia’s whilst bending down and pretending to eat his lasagne ravishingly.

  Lawrence Evans, reporter from the Lincolnshire Herald, was a very eccentric journalist, always dressed in bright exuberant clothes. He was a lanky man with his hair always plastered to his head, in the wet look, or chip shop greasy.

  Lawrence’s determination was amazing and he would stoop to any means to get a story, even encroaching on someone’s lunch. He was so eccentric that even his close friends, who were used to his weird and wonderful ways, had trouble keeping up with him and his flamboyant lifestyle.

  He would eavesdrop in any of the clubs and bars frequented by the police for any snippets of information he could write up a story about and was always the first on a crime scene.

  “He probably wants a story on the ‘Missing Derbyshire Girl Found Alive’.” Well, he won’t get much luck now because DSupt. Douglas Farmer has taken over the case and as I’ve heard, he will be lucky to get the snot off the end of his nose. I’m sure it won’t be long before we have some kind of run in down at the nick because most of the team have commented on his attitude.”

  Amelia said, “I have worked with Farmer on a few cases in Derbyshire and hated his arrogance, and he doesn’t particularly like women, but God help his wife, he can’t be easy to live with. Mind you, I know quite a few men like that who behave like pussycats when they get home. Evidently, back on the Derbyshire ground, there were rumours that he had been disciplined for a few wrongful crime knocks.”

  “Yes, he looks that type. Oh, whatever is this Lawrence person wearing today? Just tell me that he has to be dressed like that for a joke,” Amelia said.

  “No. Sorry to shatter your illusions of him. That attire is a good day, believe me, I’ve seen him in a powder pink check suit before now,” Jake said.

  It was just as Jake thought he had avoided Lawrence mincing across the room towards him in all his glory, when he heard the studs tap, tap, tap on the bottom of his cream and beige brogues, that did not in the least match his colourful day wear.

  “Oh Jake, just the person I wanted to see, can you give me any snippets about these missing Derbyshire women. It’s been said that you’ve found one of them alive, have you interviewed her yet, has she got any information?” Lawrence said in his usual haughty way.

  Goodness knows where he gets those gaudy clothes from, he had seen a few outlandish clothes on Piccadilly market on his trips to London but these were definitely the best.

  “Lawrence, No, you
know the score by now. She’s too traumatized, a very sick lady at the moment, and we’re already forcing her through too much getting DNA, and questioning her,” Jake spat.

  “Oh that’s a real shame. What did he do to her; it must have been something terrible and traumatic not being able to speak to her. Is she in a real mess mentally?” Lawrence asked.

  Jake cocked his head to one side. “Yes. Now we’re having our lunch, do you think you could bugger off and leave us in peace just this once, I will ring you as usual if I get any news we want going in the press,” Jake said.

  Yes, Amelia liked Jake’s take no crap attitude, he was strong in body and strong in nature, she could do with him helping her to lug her bikes around when she was fixing them. She could imagine taking him for a ride on one of her bikes. She would love to feel his strong arms wrapped around her waist.

  Jake avoided Lawrence by the buzzing of his phone in his pocket. He wrenched it out and told Lawrence that he would have to excuse him and he sidled a few paces away and answered the call, cursing under his breath.

  “Hello DCI Hammond here.”

  “Jake, DSupt. Blackwell here, sorry to interrupt your lunch with Amelia, but can you get down to Horncastle, as soon as possible. Scene of crime just through Horncastle on the A158 heading towards High Toynton, as we have a body in a ditch, can’t say a lot over the phone but tell you more when you get here.”

  Jake made no answer, his lunch interrupted yet again. He was annoyed, particularly as he had not finished his chat with Amelia about ridiculing him over his phobia, and wanting her to understand his reasons.

  He took a deep breath. “Bloody Hell Oliver, can’t one of the other uniforms cover, you know how important it is for me to take my breaks, and the psychiatrist said I’ve got eat regular meals and not make do gobbling a pie or pasty down instead of taking time out for a proper meal,” Jake blurted.