Page 51 of 36 Hours
Penn groaned, understanding her concern immediately.
He’d been there to witness it. He was watching their every move.
THIRTY-SEVEN
6 P.M.
THE JESTER’S STILL IN TOWN
By Tracy Frost
West Midlands Police are still working to track down the man who calls himself the Jester.
So far the search has led them from the Saltwells Nature Reserve to Dudley Zoo. Who knows where else they’ll be sent over the next few hours?
I won’t reveal anything that will impede the police investigation, but I can confirm that the man is clever. His clues are cryptic enough that they take some working out, and yet they are solvable within the given time period.
Why, you might wonder, are the police even entertaining this game, chasing around the Black Country to the tune of a time-waster?
I can tell you why. They have no choice.
The Jester has made it abundantly clear that either the rules must be followed or people will get hurt. He has proved this not to be an empty threat.
If it sounds as though I might be developing a grudging respect for this particular team of police, you might be right. That will pass once this case is over, and I can again view them objectively. But for now they are leaving no stone unturned trying to catch this man.
And I believe they will succeed.
THIRTY-EIGHT
6.30P.M.
‘I bloody knew it,’ Kim said after ending the call from Stacey. ‘The bastard was there this morning. He’s watching us. I knew there was a reason that damn label was missing.’
‘You think he was there from the start?’ Bryant asked as they headed towards the morgue.
Kim shook her head, getting out of the way of a group of visitors who weren’t separating for anybody. She narrowly avoided a ‘Get Well Soon’ balloon that seemed to have a mind of its own. ‘He would have stood out if he’d been amongst the group at the briefing, but once everyone was involved in the search, they wouldn’t have really noticed an unfamiliar face. We could have walked right past him. Jared, Ryan or Eric could have been there and would have avoided us easily. We weren’t even looking for our guy cos we were too busy looking for a damn box.’
‘I’ll say this. He’s got some bloody neck,’ Bryant said as they turned the corner to find the forensic techie waiting for them.
‘You know, I always wondered why Keats gave you such a hard time,’ Mitch said, keying them into his small lab close to the morgue.
She nodded towards her colleague. ‘Well, Bryant could have helped you out with that one. I’m just as shitty to him.’
‘Was it really necessary to harass me at the pub with my wife?’ he asked, not letting her off the hook that easily.
‘Shoulda answered your phone,’ she said without apology. ‘Now, what you got for me?’
‘You’re not even sorry for the shit I’m in when I get home?’ he asked incredulously.
She shook her head. ‘Just imagine how badly life would suck for you if your work colleagues were pissed at you as well,’ she said, patting his arm to reassure him that wasn’t the case.
He gave in and walked to his work bench.
‘Okay, the teeth were extracted crudely and without doubt painfully.’
‘For sure?’
‘Oh yeah. Firstly, the teeth weren’t in great condition, weak and full of cavities, meaning it was unlikely they were pulled out with one swift movement. There would have been intense tugging and pulling to get them out. Especially these.’