Hunter looked puzzled. ‘Pliers?’
‘If you remember, the medical examiner told us the wire bonds on the victims had been drawn so tight that it might have been done with a tool. I got thinking … pliers.’
Hunter pondered this.
‘That’s why I looked at Savage more closely,’ Heck said. ‘When I found out that he had a twin brother, Jason, I started wondering … did the two of them trawl the streets together but maybe in separate vehicles? Suppose the one in the van actually secured the victim and performed the oral rape? The second one then arrived a short time later – in the green Mondeo – to perform the anal? That would have explained the Maniac’s apparent virility.’
‘And this is what led you to Jordan Savage’s door?’
‘It was a theory, sir. I had nothing that wasn’t circumstantial. So I was only planning to speak to him, tell him we had a couple of things to clear up about the stop-and-search, and see how he reacted to learning that he was still a suspect …’
‘And that was when you caught them going on the prowl?’
‘That was a stroke of luck.’
‘“Give me lucky generals,” said Napoleon,’ Hunter mused. Then smiled, which was alarming because it didn’t happen very often. ‘That was excellent work, Heck. On-the-hoof, but still bloody excellent.’
Heck acknowledged the compliment, but couldn’t help thinking that it should not have come to ‘on the hoof’. As only one of dozens of junior and mid-ranking detectives attached to the Maniac taskforce, Heck couldn’t possibly be blamed that this vital clue about Jordan Savage had slipped through the net at an early stage, but Bob Hunter could. As deputy SIO, it was his job to keep everything under review. That Hunter had made this error in the first place was worrying, but his apparent unawareness of it was more worrying still.
‘Two of the worst bits of scum the Home Counties ever saw have been taken off the streets,’ Hunter said in a satisfied tone.
‘We need to be sure it’s them,’ Heck cautioned.
‘Don’t worry, we’re sure. The van’s been towed off for forensic – but I’ve already had word that its interior matches the description of the vehicle in which Pettigrew was abducted. On top of that, they’ve found rolls of wire in there, spent bullet-casings, and the not insignificant matter of the gun.’
‘I thought they’d have tossed the gun at the first opportunity.’
‘Wanted to go down fighting, didn’t they?’
‘That chase was a bit Wild West, boss. Sorry about that. Didn’t plan it.’
‘Bollocks. You had more than enough justification. There’d likely be a ton of physical evidence in that van. What if they’d torched it?’
‘That’s what I was thinking.’
‘How you feeling anyway?’
‘Stiff, but that’s all.’
‘Well you’ve done a cracking job.’ Hunter stood up. ‘We’re all in your debt.’ He turned as Quinnell came ambling back across A&E.
‘Going like a chippie out there, sir,’ the big Welshman said.
‘No sign of Humphreys?’ Hunter asked.
‘Not yet.’
Hunter snorted, as if this was no more than he’d expect. ‘Hang fire, Heck,’ he said over his shoulder as he headed out. ‘But don’t dash off.’
‘I won’t, sir.’
When Hunter had gone, Quinnell grinned. ‘Did I hear that right? He reckons he’s in your debt? He can’t have said that to many people.’
‘It was a general term, not him in particular.’
‘He’s chuffed to buggery, I’ll bet.’
Heck sat forward. ‘It’s a result, but it would have been nice to know a bit more about them, eh – the Savage brothers? I mean why they did the things they did.’
Shawna reappeared. ‘Heck – the boss wants you out front.’
‘Why?’
‘He’s decided he’s making a statement to the press.’
Heck felt vaguely alarmed. ‘What about? We don’t know anything yet … not for sure.’
‘He’s got to say something. There’s a whole raft of journos.’
‘What about Chief Superintendent Humphreys?’
‘Won’t surprise you to know he’s still not available.’
‘What’s Bob saying?’
‘If you come out, like he’s asked you to, you’ll know?’ Shawna said.
Heck allowed her to hustle him to his feet and steer him out of A&E to the front of the hospital steps, where DI Hunter was standing in front of a bank of mikes, Dictaphones and video cameras. Flash-bulbs went off constantly. At least fifty journalists were present, with more streaming across the car park to join the throng.
Heck stood nervously to Hunter’s rear. Shawna and Quinnell stood even further back.
‘So you’re attached to the Maniac taskforce, sir?’ one of the journos shouted.
‘Correct … I’m with the Serial Crimes Unit at Scotland Yard,’ Hunter replied. ‘As you’re probably aware, we regularly get seconded to regional forces in the event of major crimes like this.’
It was rare the DI allowed himself any displays of emotion while on duty, but as a clear indication of the immense pressure that had been removed from his shoulders, he was beaming like the Cheshire Cat – though maybe it went a little further than that. Heck wondered if Hunter had perhaps finished his sauna and had been in the health club bar when the team had reached him.
‘Can you identify the two fatalities?’ another journalist asked.
‘Not at this stage, no.’
‘Is there anything you can tell us?’
‘You must understand, these events have only just occurred. We’re still assessing the situation, gathering evidence and so forth, but I will say this … we’re very happy.’
‘When you say “we”, DI Hunter … do you mean the Serial Crimes Unit or the Maniac taskforce?’
‘All of us. There has been a double fatality and that’s always a tragedy, but I must reiterate … we are very pleased with developments to date. Ah …’ He noticed Heck lurking at the rear, and ushered him forward. ‘Here’s one of the officers who attended the scene. This is Detective Sergeant Heckenburg, also from the Serial Crimes Unit. As you can see, he’s had a tough evening, but let me assure you this is one top-notch officer who has more than done his job today.’
‘Were you involved in the pursuit, Sergeant Heckenburg?’ a reporter shouted.
Heck hesitated before replying. He didn’t have the first idea how much Hunter had revealed about the car chase, though given the severity of it, it was likely the press had already discovered an awful lot.
‘I was in one of the cars pursuing the suspect vehicle,’ he admitted.
‘Can you tell us what happened?’
‘As I’ve told you,’ Hunter interrupted, ‘we can’t say any more about that at present.’
‘Were you in the vehicle that rode the two suspects off the motorway, DS Heckenburg?’ a different voice asked.
‘There were a number of police units involved,’ Heck replied.
‘When