Echoes in the Woods by Georgina Scott (ebook reader 8 inch .TXT) 📗

the children at the school and wanted to know if you knew the six children?” said Inspector Jenson.

“I knew of them,” Jake said, looking down at his hands.

“Jake, some of the other children said that there was some trouble between you and Kevin Stones on Friday morning at school,” said Inspector Jenson.

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“They said they were going to get me after school, and do to me what they did to Ella,” said Jake, crying into his hands, whilst being comforted by the grandmother.

“Did you tell a teacher?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I was scared,” he said, still crying.

“Could you tell me what happened next, Jake?”

“They chased me after school, into the woods.”

“Did they catch up with you?”

“No, I ran into the woods to the road on the other side and kept running towards the creek. I ran through the creek and then onto Fosdyke Road and then ran home.”

“Were the kids still chasing you at this point?”

“I don’t think so, I looked back and didn’t see anybody; I just carried on running.”

“Jake, have you seen anything or anybody acting strange, hanging around the school?”

“No.”

“Did you see anyone else in the woods?”

“No.”

“Did you tell your grandparents that you were being chased?”

“Yes, I told them it was the same kids that beat up Ella.”

“We can confirm that when he got home on Friday, much later than usual, must have been around 4:45 pm, he was distraught and shaking like a leaf and his school clothes were in a state,” said Mary, with Mac nodding in agreement.

“Thank you Jake, for your help,” said Inspector Jenson.

“Okay Jake, off you go now, back to Ella’s,” said his grandmother. They all watched Jake leave the house. Mary poured some more tea.

“It’s a shame he was running scared. Jake would have been about the last person to see them alive other than the person that killed them all,” said Inspector Jenson sipping her tea.

“I just don’t understand it, how anyone could do such a dreadful thing,” said Mary, trying to hold back the tears, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.

Chapter 20

Back at the station Suzanne and Peter slumped at their desks drinking coffee in silence. “Go on, say it, you know you want to,” said Suzanne.

“We have nothing, no forensics, no evidence, no leads; all we have is six dead bodies.”

“So much having this wrapped up in no time, eh Peter.”

“The last possible person that saw them alive was Jake Evans.”

“So we have a window of opportunity, don’t we?”

“What do you mean?”

“3:15 pm school bell sounds, Jake arrives home around 4:45 pm so that’s an hour and half, give or take a little.”

“Is there any CCTV on those roads?”

“I doubt it; it’s mainly farm land and trees around that area.”

“It’s worth checking with the highways and the farmers, just in case.”

“Keep the team going door-to-door, taking statements from everybody, I want to know if anyone has seen anything unusual, suspicious; this is a small community and if there is anyone that doesn’t fit, they will stick out like a sore thumb,” said Suzanne.

“We are about to start pulling in the local crims, anyone who has a background in sexual assault, violence and gang related murders.”

“What makes you think it was gang related, Peter?”

“I don’t. I am assuming, so far, by over half of the statements taken from the local children, they were being bullied and terrorised on a daily basis; basically, we had six kids running around like a pack of wolves, terrorising anyone and anything that crossed their path and the parents didn’t have a clue what their kids were up to, when they were out of the house.”

“Did any of the children tell their parents or school teachers?”

“No, they were too frightened.”

“When will you receive the list?”

“Within the next hour. Sergeant Melody is working on it, as we speak.”

“Good.”

***

Brandon Radcliffe was different from his peer group; at the age of thirty-one he had an IQ of a fourteen year old. His birth was difficult, with both mother and child nearly at death’s door; it was a miracle that both had survived. Being the youngest of three boys, he was a loner, spent most of his time on his own, collecting things that had no interest to anyone else. He kept his hobby tucked away neatly in the shed that his dad had built for him.

He didn’t like the city, too noisy and dirty, the traffic and air pollution would not only bring on his asthma but also brought on his migraines that would last for days on end. So he kept himself in the countryside amongst nature and the quiet where he felt comfortable. The only time he had to venture into the city would be for medical appointments.

He had a terrible stutter, and was unable to converse with people, as they would get impatient with him or finished his sentence for him. So he stayed quiet and only answered with either a yes or no response in company. He had the same mullet hairstyle since he was a teenager and wouldn’t change it, despite the pleas from his parents. He was polite, well-mannered, with a cheeky air about him.

Brandon’s behaviour was quizzical every time the news covered the murders. He became perplexed and confused. When Natasha Cley’s name was mentioned, he would giggle and snigger, then become worried and confused. His parents looked at each other, bewildered. “What’s gotten you so bewildered, Brandon?”

“N–N–N–tahsa C–C–Cley, sh–sh–sh is m–m my gi–gir fr–fr–rend.”

“Don’t be silly, you don’t have a girlfriend,” his father said.

“Y–Y–Yes sh–sh is, w–w–we had s–s–sex, sh–sh–she held my ha–ha–hand and we kissed,” he said.

“You what? When was this Brandon?” his mother asked.

“O–on F–F–ri–Friday lu–lunch.”

“Last Friday lunch?” said his father.

“Yes.”

His mum and dad looked at each other.

“How long has this been going on?” his mum said.

“M–m–months.”

“And where do you both have sex?” said his father

“I–ii–in the w–w–woods, w–w–we have a–a–a tent w–where w–w–we all g–g–go.”

“What do you mean by we? Who else were there with you Brandon?”

“K–K–Kev.”

“Kevin Stones?” said his mother in amazement. Brandon nodded.

“Shit, this is