AVENGE

CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT - DETECTIVE MULRAINE

58.

DETECTIVE MULRAINE

The grey Ford Mondeo stopped at the makeshift barrier that had been erected to prevent crime scene contamination. Detective Mulraine lowered his window and held out his badge to the officer that was about to turn him away. "Detective Mulraine. Let me through, son."

"Okay, sir." The officer moved the barrier aside far enough to allow Robert's car through then closed it behind him.

"Okay, Stokes. This time it's two of our own. Whoever is doing this has got to be stopped."

"Sir."

They got out of Robert's car and approached car 118. Officer Maine was still lying on the ground beside his car, covered by a sheet. Robert put on his gloves and pulled back the sheet. "Assassination, Stokes. Two to the chest and one to his head." He replaced the sheet and straightened up. He looked at the car. "The shooter was a good shot, Stokes. It looks like three shots were fired and all three hit their target. There's no bullet holes in the car." He moved towards the shop. "I can't see any markings on the wall." He pointed at the wall. "Camera."

Robert stopped in the doorway to observe the scene. "It looks like the second officer tried to escape through the shop. The first shot forced her through the closed door and the blood trail leads to the back." He followed the trail and saw a member of the forensics team crouched over the bodies.

Neither of the bodies had been covered yet. Robert hung back and waited. "Hello, Piper. He the killer or an innocent?"

Charlene Piper looked up from her work. "Hello, Mulraine. That's for you to decide. The facts are that Officer Myers was shot once in the shoulder – from behind. That will be from outside the front of the building. She was then shot twice more in the back close together which felled her. She was then turned over or she turned over herself and was shot once in the head. The man was either executed or shot himself. See the powder burns on his temple. That shot was point blank. I'd go with him being the shooter then topping himself. The reasoning behind it is for you to determine."

"Thanks, Piper. See you back at the station." Robert walked away from the bodies. "Stokes. This has got to be related to the others. They were targeted."

"You think so, sir."

"I know so. This is one of the places they came to regularly for their lunch."

"Oh." PC Stokes started looking around.

"What's wrong?"

"Just checking there aren't any suspicious people around, sir."

"The shooter's dead. He killed himself after taking out his targets. It all fits with the previous murders."

"I have no doubt about that, sir. It's just... What if you're a target like you said the other day?"

Detective Mulraine looked around as well. "Let's get back to the station. I still think we should detain Henry Morton. At the very least it'll keep him safe."

"I think he is behind it, sir."

"I think so too. Back inside." Robert led the way back inside and stopped in front of the shopkeeper who was sitting on a chair behind the counter. A PC stood to one side.

"PC Whitham. What happened?"

"Mr Dunce – the shopkeeper – said that Officer Myers smashed through his front door and fell to the floor. He saw Officer Myers get back to her feet and warn him to stay back before she stumbled to the storeroom. He then said that a tall man entered holding a gun. He said that he told the man to leave her alone but then hid when the man looked at him. Mr Dunce then said that he heard three more shots but stayed behind the counter. He said his legs wouldn't work, sir."

"Very good, Whitham." Robert looked at Mr Dunce.

"I wanted to help her, sir. But I couldn't move," said Mr Dunce.

"You did the right thing, sir. If you had intervened you would probably be lying next to them. Just one question. Does the camera outside work?"

"Yes. It records for four hours. Then I change the tape. I have two tapes which I rotate every two days."

"May I have a look at the tapes?"

"Of course. I'll get them." Mr Dunce fetched the tapes from the back room. He handed both tapes to Detective Mulraine.

"I need to take them with me. I'll return them as soon as possible."

"I've never seen anything like it. When he looked at me his face seemed wrong somehow."

"Wrong? Do you mean he was scared?"

"No. No. It's more like he didn't see me."

"Do you mean his face was... err... emotionless?"

"Yeah. That's it. Emotionless. Like a Terminator from those films."

"Thank you, Mr Dunce." Robert left the shop and stopped next to his car with PC Stokes on the other side. "What do you make of his last comment, Stokes?"

"I don't think we're looking for a cybernetic soldier, sir."

"No. The deceased next to Officer Myers did it. Let's say that Henry Morton has hypnotised them." Robert noticed several onlookers who were within hearing range. "Get in," he said before slipping into the driver's seat.

PC Stokes sat in the passenger seat.

"Would a hypnotised person's face be blank? Would it look emotionless?" said Robert.

"No idea, sir."

"We'll have to researchthis, Stokes. Let's go."