Within the Shadows by J.D MCG (book recommendations .TXT) 📗

you idiot. What do you think has happened?' she asked a rhetorical question.

The children slowly approached the house with curiosity, wanting to know what had happened. One child came riding up close to Sarah, wanting to be the first one to find out. His lack of hair showed his mother couldn't afford a barber, so used a number one clipper all over his head. The boy's trousers were also too small for him as was his coat.

'Excuse me, Miss. What's happened?' he asked.

'A police matter. Now run along home,' she said rudely, before turning her back on him.

'Fuck off,' the boy yelled back at her, wanting to show he was the toughest kid in the street.

Sarah turned around in shock at what the boy had just said to her, but he'd ridden off on his bike. She phoned Ally to update her on their progress.

'Hey, boss, we've located the owner of the transit van. Unfortunately, he's dead.'

'Okay, I'll grab the address off Ethan and be there soon. Keep people away until forensics gets there,' she ordered.

Sarah knew that was going to be harder than she thought, as the crowd started to get larger. Everyone started yelling at her and Brian to find out what had happened inside the house. All I need now is for the reporters to show up, she sighed.

Chapter 9

Ally arrived on scene an hour later. Forensics had already started working on the house, gathering as much evidence as they could find. She could see news crews standing outside the border of police tape, waiting to get a statement. Families had also congested every possible entrance of her getting through the police tape.

'Excuse me,’ she shouted as she pushed her way through the crowd.

She flashed her badge to the officer guarding the perimeter, before getting past the border and to the house, where Sarah and Brian were located.

'So, what happened?' she asked them.

'We arrived, noticed the door was open. Brian went around the back and I entered through the front and made my way through until I found him on the kitchen floor,' Sarah recalled their actions.

'How'd he die?'

'Looks like a knife wound to the throat. I think the assailant took Mr Chambers by surprise and slit his throat,' she explained her theory.

'Could it be our kidnapper?' Ally pointed the finger towards Lily.

'I'm not sure,' Sarah voiced her opinion. 'Mr Chambers has quite a good physique, and wouldn't have been so easy to take down. There's no way Lily could have done this. She must have help.'

'Good point, DS Taylor,' Ally congratulated her.

Sarah became smug and smiled profusely at Brian as if she was the star pupil. Ally got dressed into a forensic overall and entered the house to witness the murder scene for herself.

Inside she was greeted by Chloe Fisher, not that Ally could tell, as everyone inside the house looked the same in their white suits. Chloe continued gathering evidence and taking photos, while Ally grabbed a peek at Douglas Chambers’ recently deceased corpse.

Moments later, Brian and Sarah watched as Ally exited the house, and stripped out of the white overalls.

'I see what you mean now, Sarah. About him not being easy to take down,' said Ally.

Ally's phone began to ring. She removed it from her pocket, glanced at it to see Ethan's name, before answering it.

'Hello, Ethan.'

'I've got a location for the van. I ran the plates through ANPR and it entered the Arena car park, off St. Vincent Street, and it hasn't left,' he explained.

'Good work, Ethan. You might have just helped us find Barnes,' she cheered.

She hung up the phone and informed the others of the news. 'Ethan's ran the plates of the van through ANPR and it's stationed at the Arena car park off St. Vincent Street.'

The three of them walked away from the crime scene and back to their cars. They stopped before entering, and Ally gave her orders.

'Brian, I need you to call for armed backup. When we arrive, I want you to pull up outside the car park. I want no police lights to give us away. We'll wait for the AFO, and then search the car park for the van. This is our last hope in finding Barnes. Let's bring him home.'

They entered their cars and sped towards the Arena car park. Ally hoped this would finally be an end to the search for their DCI. She wanted to bring Jacob in on the search but knew he wasn't in the right frame of mind and needed to get himself better.

I can do this, she gave herself courage.

The door inside the room unlocked, lighting up the room Barnes was being held in. He was unsure of what was about to happen. Lily slowly entered the room clutching a plate with both hands. She sat on a chair that hid in the dark corner of the room.

'You hungry?' she asked him.

'Starving,' he replied, his mouth-watering from looking at the sandwich.

Lily took a bite. 'This is good,' she said with a mouth full of food.

Disappointment filled up inside of him, knowing this was another cruel torture of hers. She never intended to give him the sandwich. She just wanted to push him for the information she needed.

'If you want some, all you have to do is tell me what I want to know.'

'Oh, I should have known,' he laughed. 'You're persistent, aren't you?'

'I like to finish my plans. You know that.'

Barnes knew that. She killed his friend and old partner, as well as having orchestrated other murders. He also knew that he was included in the final part of her plan, dead.

'So what are you going to do with me, because you know I'm never going to tell you?' he smiled.

'But you will eventually,'