The Torchbearer ✓

Chapter 9

The morgue was a dingy place at the best of times. But it was especially gloomy that winter's morning, Jackson noted.

He yawned.

"Yeah that's him." He leaned over to examine the stab wound, but to do this he had to lift up the man's shaggy beard which caused the young man to protest.

"Sorry, you'll need gloves to touch."

Jackson ignored him but re-covered the victim's head with the sheet, turned and walked toward the exit.

The young man moved to the body and started fussing over it.

"Thanks." Said Jackson as he exited the room and made for his car.

Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not... Looks like I need to do a bit of digging.

Pulling out of the car park, Jackson headed for the station. He needed to see a list of the fatalities from the tragic train derailment.

Let's see if we can join the dots a little further.

***

17 people had died so far from the early morning derailment two days prior, with 7 more people in a serious condition. A disaster all but unknown to modern Britain; thankfully the train was the first of the day and mostly before the main bulk of commuters arrived. Otherwise the casualties would've been far greater.

Jackson took a sip of coffee as he read back over the list of fatalities.

Frank Stansfield, 52, engineer. Leah Rogers, 27. Accountant. Paula Gomez, 29. Civil servant. Isla Underwood, 32. Charity worker.

Jackson eyes bulged their sockets slightly.

Charity worker. Surely not. But...perhaps.

He jumped online and started searching like a hound with a scent of blood. Jackson threw the keywords into a search engine and began reading through the results.

There were several recent news articles featuring Miss Underwood it seemed. She had started up a charity only two years ago which had begun to achieve moderate success.

Isla Underwood believed that technology could help those in need the most and she had injected much of her earnings from prior jobs in business into software that was downloaded onto mobile phones and tablets.

Surely, she didn't give the homeless a free iPhone, that would be ludicrous.

But that was almost exactly what she did. Loaning smartphones to those who sought help with her charity: The Underwood Foundation, the recipients of her aid could request assistance, communicate with sponsored employers and chat with an operator about anything, 24/7.

The Underwood Foundation was based on trust and believed that if it was placed upon the homeless, they would repay the faith and help themselves to become better people.

She had seemingly gained a degree of notoriety in recent months both due to her success, and bold problem-solving.

Notably, Isla Underwood had often cited The Torchbearers as one of her inspirations.

I can definitely see similarities between the two, mused Jackson, putting his Leeds United mug down.

Here they are again. The damned Torchbearers. Could this be the missing piece of the puzzle?

Jackson grabbed a pencil and scribbled down his ideas.

So, a train crashes, a boy is shot dead, a rare homeless man appears: first alive, then dead. Murdered as well it seems. Then, among the dead is the brains behind a rival charity to The Torchbearers, leading charity for homelessness in the country.