Insane - Who Are You To Judge? (Gripping Psychological Thriller)

Chapter 54 - Harry

"Hey, big boy!" Harry calls Bertie as he crouches down to the floor and the dog leaps onto him.

"Stop messing around, will you?" James rolls his eyes at Harry and gives him a sideways smile. "We've got actual work to do."

After Harry has brushed the hairs from his jacket, he joins James at the whiteboard. "Let's have a look," he starts, while stroking his chin and staring intently at the board. "The four women killed at the most recent GR scene. We've got a girl in her early twenties, her adoptive mother and the mother's sisters. Looking at the etching of a spinning wheel and the quotes, I think it's safe to say that we're looking at the Sleeping Beauty tale."

James agrees. "Yep. And from our interview yesterday with Sleeping Beauty's biological mother, whom she was reunited with two years ago, we know that she went to a regular coffee shop. None other than the Cosy Coffee."

"The Little Mermaid went there too..." Harry trails off, waiting for James to finish the sentence.

He does. "And the alley girl was found in a skip only a two-minute walk from the coffee shop." James then raises his eyebrow at Harry, simultaneously with his lip. "Am I right in saying we have a link here?"

Harry grins back at James. "We have a link."

Without exchanging another word, they both silently grab their coats and headed out of the station. They know where they're going.

The Cosy Coffee is only a ten-minute walk from the station. They are in front of the goofy, candyfloss-pink themed café in no time.

Being that Harry is also a regular, the owner of the café spots him immediately.

"Harry! How are you, my dear?" The lady comes round the counter to suffocate him in her arms.

"I'm good, thanks. How about you, Heidi?"

Heidi plays with her pixie cut hairdo and nods. "I'm good, I'm good. You know, just doing the same old." She springs up with new energy and shuffles back to the other side of the counter. "What can I get you two?"

James and Harry look at each other. "We're actually here on business," James declares in a deep, serious tone.

Heidi's chirpy face transforms into a concerned frown. "Oh, really? What's this about? I can promise you I don't partake in anything illegal – I'm much too exhausted to handle the stress of that."

Harry reassures her. "Don't worry, Heidi, we aren't here about anything you have done. Detective Sergeant Flynn and I are working the Grimm Reaper case and we have found that there is a link between the recent victims and this coffee shop. We just wanted to ask you a few questions."

She holds both hands to her chest. "Oh, absolutely. Let's go take a seat down here." She ushers them to an empty table.

"We just want to know if anyone has particularly caught your attention over the past few months," James begins, with his notepad at the ready.

Heidi drums her fingers against her jaw and frowns. "Oh, I don't think so. There isn't really anyone who comes to mind. It's usually just the regulars who I've known forever." She gasps suddenly with widened eyes. "Well, there is this one man. He's tall, quite attractive, amazingly bright green eyes. He's been coming in once or twice a week recently. He's always...looking around. Not in a casual way, more in an observing way – if that makes any sense at all? Like he's looking for someone or something."

James scribbles her description down. "Yes I understand. Any chance you know his name?"

Heidi glances down and sighs. "No, I'm sorry I don't. I'm pretty sure he's an ex-con. I briefly remember overhearing a conversation between him and what I think was his parole officer." She quickly widens her eyes defensively. "Not that I make a habit of eavesdropping. No, it's just sometimes very difficult to turn your ears off to certain conversations."

"That's okay, Heidi. Your details have been very helpful," James tells her. "The next time he comes in, if you could just call the station and ask for DS Flynn."

She bobs her head enthusiastically. "Absolutely. I will most certainly do that. Are you sure you two don't want a coffee? On the house?"

Harry shakes his head for the both of them. "No thanks, Heidi, we've got to be heading back. See you soon."

As they leave the coffee shop Harry turns to James and says, "Tall ex-con with bright green eyes. I would say that narrows it down to almost all of them?"

James laughs. "Yep, pretty much. But hey, hopefully he'll be in there again soon."

When they get back to the station, they are greeted by a frantic Karen rushing at them. "Sergeant Flynn, Constable Ellis!"

James holds his hands up in surrender. "Calm down, Karen. What is it?"

"Whilst you were out, a letter came through," she says, nervously.

"What do you mean a letter? Who's it from?"

Karen twiddles her thumbs. "That's just it. We don't know. Our only clue is that it was signed with a sketch of a scythe."

Harry and James don't need to communicate with each other to know exactly who the letter is from.

James stares at Karen with a new sense of authority and concern. "Where is the letter? Bring it to my office immediately." He then begins marching off in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Karen exclaims, hurrying after him. "Wait, that's not all. We got a letter through, but last night there was a call put in to 999. We have reason to believe it's the same person."

Karen is too frightened to speak their name, but Harry knows exactly who she is referring to.

The Grimm Reaper has finally made contact.