Peter James - Dead Like You

‘I mean,’ she said, gently lifting Humphrey out of the way and curling up next to him on the sofa, ‘as relaxed as you’re ever going to be.’

He shrugged, then nodded. ‘At least the Shoe Man’s had some comeuppance. He’s permanently blinded in one eye.’

‘How sad is that? Shame that young woman didn’t castrate him while she was at it,’ Cleo retorted. ‘All of his victims are maimed in some way and one’s dead.’

‘I just wish we knew who all of them are,’ he said. ‘He’s coughed, but I somehow don’t think he’s telling us everything. He’s one of the nastiest creeps I’ve ever come across. His home and office computers are full of weird shit. All kinds of foot- and shoe-fetish sites and chatlines – a lot of it sadistic. And he’s got a whole cocktail of sleeping and date-rape drugs in his office fridge.’

‘Is he going to plead guilty and spare his victims the ordeal of giving evidence?’

‘I don’t know. Depends on his brief – good old Ken Acott again. We’ve a ton of evidence against him. The lock-up’s in his name. We’ve found missing pages from the Shoe Man’s 1997 files in a safe in his office. There are links to Facebook and Twitter sites of some of his recent victims on his computer and iPhone. DNA evidence from Rachael Ryan’s body.’

He drank some wine.

‘But we’re going to have to wait for psychiatric evaluations as to whether he is fit to stand trial. Great! Garry Starling’s able to run one of the biggest companies in the city, to be vice-captain of his golf club and treasurer of his Rotary Club – but he might not be fit to stand trial! Our legal processes suck.’

Cleo smiled sympathetically. She understood some of his frustrations at the criminal justice system.

‘Jessie Sheldon should get a medal. How is she? Has she survived her ordeal OK?’

‘Remarkably well. I went to see her at home this afternoon. She’s had surgery on her ankle and hopefully it will be fine in time. In fact she seemed in very good spirits, considering. She’s looking forward to her wedding this summer.’

‘She was engaged?’

‘Apparently. She told me it was her determination to get married that kept her going.’

‘So don’t feel bad about his injury.’

‘I don’t. Not about his injury, no. I just don’t feel we’ve nailed it. Not completely.’

‘Because of those other shoes?’

‘I’m not so concerned about those. If we can get him to talk more, eventually, maybe we’ll clear those up.’

He sipped some more wine and glanced at the television.

‘Is it the one on the ghost train who’s bothering you? What’s her name?’

‘Mandy Thorpe. Yes. I still don’t believe it was the Shoe Man who raped her. Even though he says he did. The forensic psychologist is wrong, I’m still convinced.’

‘Meaning the perpetrator is still out there?’

‘Yes, that’s exactly the problem. If Proudfoot’s wrong, then he’s still out there. And might attack again.’

‘If he is out there, you’ll get him. One day.’

‘I want to get him before he attacks again.’

Cleo pouted her lips playfully. ‘You’re my hero, Detective Superintendent Grace. You’ll always get them eventually.’

‘In your dreams.’

‘No, not in my dreams. I’m a realist.’ She patted her tummy. ‘In about four months’ time, our little Bump is going to be born. I’m depending on you to make it a safe world for him – or her.’

He kissed her. ‘There are always going to be bad guys out there.’

‘And bad girls!’

‘Them too. The world is a dangerous place. We’re never going to lock them all up. There’ll always be evil people who get away with their crimes.’

‘And good people who get locked away?’ she said.

‘There will always be blurred boundaries. There are plenty of good bad guys and bad good guys. Life’s not clear and it’s seldom fair,’ he said. ‘I don’t want our child growing up under the illusion that it is. Shit happens.’

Cleo smiled at him. ‘Shit used to happen. It stopped happening the day I met you. You rock!’

He grinned. ‘You’re full of it. Sometimes I wonder why you love me.’

‘Do you, Detective Superintendent Grace? I don’t. Not for one moment. And I don’t think I ever will. You make me feel safe. You have from the day I met you and you always will.’

He smiled. ‘You’re so easily pleased.’

‘Yeah, and I’m a cheap date. I don’t even have one pair of designer shoes.’

‘Want me to buy you some?’

She stared at him quizzically

He looked back at her and grinned. ‘For the right reasons!’

‘Stranger rape’ is actually extremely uncommon. In Sussex, the county in which Dead Like You is based, attacks such as those described are, thankfully, rare. It is in fact the very sad truth that virtually all rapes are committed by men known to the victim. The vast majority of rape survivors describe being attacked by a friend or someone they are in a long-term relationship with. The betrayal of trust caused as a result can undermine their ability to form a new relationship subsequently.

It is impossible to generalize about the way victims will respond to being raped, because there is no ‘normal’ reaction to such an abnormal act. The trauma can manifest itself in many different ways and there are specialist organizations, such as Rape Crisis, that exist to support victims. One local to Sussex is The Lifecentre, which aims to ‘rebuild’ survivors of rape. I have chosen to support them because I feel they provide a critical service which, incredibly, is not government-funded. Donations are always welcome. Go online and visit their website at www.lifecentre.uk.com if you wish to help. Thank you.

As ever, there are many people I have to thank for helping me in my research for this novel.

My first thank-you is to Martin Richards, QPM, Chief Constable of Sussex, who allows me such invaluable access to the world of his police force.

My good friend former Detective Chief Superintendent David Gaylor has, as ever, been a brick, a pillar of wisdom, and at times has wielded a bigger stick than my publishers in keeping me to my deadlines!

As always, so many officers of Sussex Police have given me their time and wisdom, and tolerated me hanging out with them and answered my endless questions, that it is almost impossible to list them all, but I’m trying here, and please forgive any omissions. Detective Chief Superintendent Kevin Moore; Chief Superintendent Graham Bartlett; Chief Superintendent Chris Ambler; DCI Trevor Bowles, who has been an absolute star and a brick; Chief Inspector Stephen Curry; DCI Paul Furnell; Brian Cook, Scientific Support Branch Manager; Stuart Leonard; Tony Case; DI William Warner; DCI Nick Sloan; DI Jason Tingley; Chief Inspector Steve Brookman; Inspector Andrew Kundert; Inspector Roy Apps; Sgt Phil Taylor; Ray Packham and Dave Reed of the High-Tech Crime Unit; Lex Westwood; Sgt James Bowes; PC Georgie Edge; Inspector Rob Leet; Inspector Phil Clarke; Sgt Mel Doyle; PC Tony Omotoso; PC Ian Upperton; PC Andrew King; Sgt Sean McDonald; PC Steve Cheesman; Sgt Andy McMahon; Sgt Justin Hambloch; Chris Heaver; Martin Bloomfield; Ron King; Robin Wood; Sue Heard, Press and PR Officer; Louise Leonard; James Gartrell.

DS Tracy Edwards has been incredible in helping me to understand the reality of the suffering of rape victims, as have Maggie Ellis of the Life Centre and PCs Julie Murphy and Jonathan Jackson of the Metropolitan Police, London.

Eoin McLennan-Murray, former Governor of Lewes Prison, and Deputy Governor, Alan Setterington, helped me greatly with the psychology of my suspects, as did Jeannie Civil and Tara Lester, who helped me so much with the psychology of the perpetrators, and barrister Richard Cherrill. I had huge help also with the psychology of the perpetrators from Dr Dennis Friedman.