The Samsara Project, David Burgess [most popular ebook readers txt] 📗

with a few hard knocks in the past. With Ron Suzie felt relaxed, safe, secure and loved. To her those feelings meant more than anything.
“Listen Ron, and don’t ever let on to anyone that I’ve told you this, especially Suzie.”
Ron looked serious as he held direct eye to eye contact with Sharon.
“I won’t, tell me.”
“You think that when girls go to the loo they never talk to each other. Well, we do. All girls talk, none of that football or sport stuff. OK then Suzie did go on about last night’s match sometimes, but that’s Suzie. She’s kind of one of a kind. Well when she was talking girly talk you did crop up in the conversation from time to time, OK most of the time. Look, take it from me, your best friend; I know that Suzie has been dying for you to ask her to marry you. So don’t worry.”
Ron smiled at her, “Thanks Sharon, but I know your only trying to cheer me up.”
“Anyway, we’ll all be there tonight. Keep plenty of Champagne on ice for the celebrations. Tonight Ron we will be celebrating.”
Just then Ron’s team leader walked over, putting his hand on Ron’s shoulder he said “All set for the big night tonight Ron. Got everything you need, ring, kneepads that sort of thing.”
Ron looked at Steve. “Thanks, I’m fine.”
“I don’t think so,” said Steve. “I’ve been watching you on and off this afternoon, your anything but alright, so, in the interest of the bank and its customers I think it may be best if you finish up for the day, go home, relax and get ready for an amazing night.”
“I can go now?” asked Ron. “You’re sure?”
“Yes now. Don’t worry it’s a Friday. We’re covered. Now go.”
Ron did not need asking twice. “Thanks Steve, I owe you.”
“Yes you do, an invite to the wedding should cover it.”
“You’ll be on the list anyway.”
Ron shut down his PC, put his paperwork away. Looked at Suzie and smiled.
“See you later.” He said.
“You can count on it.” She replied. Suzie then made a shooing motion with her hands, “go leave now before he changes his mind.”
Ron walked through the office. At once and without any cue’s the office burst into “here comes the bride da da da daaa.
Ron stopped the first taxi he saw. “Glenstone Place please.” Ron said to the driver.
“OK sir,” said the driver “Glenstone Place it is.
The taxi arrive eighteen minutes later having manoeuvred its way through London traffic in a way that only taxis can. Ron thanked the driver, paid him adding a more than generous tip. Ron felt better now than he could ever remember feeling before.
Ron went into his two bedroom second floor bachelor pad. Taking off his jacket and tie and throwing them both over the back of an armchair as he passed. Then he walked over to the open plan kitchen area, put on the kettle and made himself a good strong cup of tea. “That’s better.” He thought to himself. For the first time in a while he knew tonight would be fine. He felt good about it, excited. He now had butterflies in his stomach.
Ron looked at the time again; it was two minutes to five. That gave him three hours. “Plenty of time” He thought.
Ron finished his tea, washed, rinsed, dried and put away the mug. He was if nothing else, domesticated.
Ron switched on his new forty two inch Toshiba LCD television. He still could not get used to the size of the screen or the clarity of the Sky, High Definition picture. Flicking through the channels, he stopped at a news report on BBC Twenty Four. A reporter was standing in front of ‘Police, Do Not Cross’ tape. In the background was a tent with a large trailer to the right.
“I know where that is.” Ron thought.
Turning up the sound he listened to the reporter.
“Police have not confirmed any details yet but reliable sources have told the BBC that the body of a woman in her thirties was found earlier this afternoon. In the tent just behind me police crime –scene-investigators are searching for clues that will help lead police to the killer. It is expected that a press conference will be held later when further details will be released. We will keep you up to date with developments as soon as anything further.”
The reporter then signed off.
“Poor woman,” muttered Ron, “How could you cope with being told news like that.”
He thought of Suzie and thought how lucky he was.
Ron then took a long hot shower, the TV report now far from his thoughts. Stepping out of the shower he dried himself, put on his boxer shorts and had a shave. He then sprayed himself with body spray and put on Suzie’s favourite aftershave.
Tonight was going to be a special night and he had bought himself a new outfit for the occasion. New dark brown tailored suit, beige coloured shirt, duel tone matching tie. Light brown socks and brown shoes finished off the look.
Looking into a full length mirror Ron tugged down at the shirt cuff of each sleeve then pulled the cuff of each jacket sleeve into the perfect place so they just showed the right amount of shirt cuff underneath. A quick shrug of his shoulders and a final adjustment to the front of his suit jacket and he was ready to go. A quick check of the time, seven nineteen. He would be picking up Suzie in forty minutes at eight o’clock.
“OK Ron,” he thought, “Let’s go.”
Ron went out into the hall; through the glass in his front door he could see flashing blue lights outside. Ron watched the lights dance off the wall in the hall but did not pay that much attention. Then he saw the outline of two figures walk towards the outside of his door. They stopped and rang the bell.
Ron opened the door to find two police women.
“Hello,” said Ron, “Can I help you.”
“Mr Ronald Billington?” asked the first officer.
“Yes.” Ron said “That’s me.”
“Mr Billington, can we come in for a minute please, we need to ask you a few questions.”
“Of course, come on in.”
The officers went into the house; Ron closed the door and followed them in.
“I don’t know how I could be of help to you,” Ron said.
The second officer spoke quietly and in a gentle tone, “Mr Billington, my name is PC Andrews, this is my colleague PC Jameson. This afternoon the body of a woman was found on the common in Whitechapel. The victim did not have any form of identification on them but she was wearing a small bum back. A small photograph was found in the bag with your name and telephone number on the back.”
The officer started to hand Ron a photocopy of the photograph showing both the front and back of the picture.
“We we’re hoping you’d be able to help us identify who this person is.”
Ron looked at the photograph. He knew straight away it was Suzie. His hands started to shake as he just started at the picture. It was the one taken in a small photo booth on their very first date. Suzie had written his name, the date, and his phone number on the back of it. Suzy he murmured, it’s my Suzie. He then lost control of his body and he started to cry uncontrollably. Ron cried as he had never cried before.

* * * *

DCS Hughes and DI Bales walked over to the board room, both looked at each other with a look that only twenty plus years of investigating the worst crimes that one human being can possibly do to another. It was a ‘I thought I’d seen it all, till now’ look.
DCS Hughes started the conversation, “Have you managed to identify the victim yet.”
“We’re working on that as we speak sir. There was a photograph, probably a boy friend in a waist bag she was wearing. On the back of the photo was a name and telephone number. We traced the address from the number and two constables are on their way round to interview him now. In fact they should be there as we speak.”
“You think the boyfriend’s responsible for this?”
“Too early to say at this stage sir, most murder victims are killed by a close friend or relative so until we speak to him, find out if he has an alibi that’s watertight, we can’t rule him out. At this stage sir we can’t rule anybody out”
“Right then Chief Inspector, what do we know?”
“I’ve spoken with the Duty Coroner. Cause of death is undetermined at this time. We’ll have to wait for the full autopsy results to be absolutely sure. It appears the victim was initially hit on the head with a rock. We have found the rock and it is covered in blood and skin. There are also some hairs that match the victim. Whoever did this sir was not too worried about us finding the evidence.”
DCS Hughes made a quiet grunting sound. “Either very sloppy or he thinks we’re very stupid.”
“Or he was disturbed and had to get away.” Bales said. “The victim was then bound around her arms and legs. She was also taped across her eyes and mouth. We do know that the victim was still alive at this point. The killer then cut open the front of the victims track suit top, through the t-shirt underneath. Her bra was also cut open and thrown away but as far as we can tell sir there was no sexual motive to this crime. At least not a straight forward one if it is.”
“Go on Bales.” Hughes said.
DI Bales cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “The victim was then cut open from just below her neck to just below her stomach. A second cut was made from just under the left arm, under the breast area finishing just under the right arm. The skin was then peeled back. According to the doctor these were precise incisions. Whoever did this knew what they were doing and had probably done it before.”
“Done what before? Are we talking about murdered, butchered or operated?”
“I’m sorry but we don’t know that just yet sir, it’s possible though that whoever did this could have had some medical training. The doctor said that the wounds were caused by a very sharp instrument, possibly a scalpel, although again we will have to wait for the full autopsy for conformation. The attacker then carried out a number of surgical procedures on the victim; her spleen and left kidney were removed, again, according to the doctor with some surgical skill. Then the attacker slowly and precisely surgically removed the victim’s heart. What we don’t know is how much of all this the victim knew about. We have no idea if she was conscious, semi conscious or unconscious. All we do know is that she was still alive when her heart was removed. The amount of blood lost and the blood splatter confirms this. This woman, who was doing nothing more than taking an afternoon jog on the common is attacked and assaulted in the most violent way imaginable by someone we have no prior history or knowledge of and nobody saw anything. No witnesses at all, not one.”
DCS Hughes was quiet for a moment. “Any sign of the missing organs?”
“No sir, souvenirs, every one.”
“What have forensics got to say? An attack of this magnitude, something must have left something behind, they must have left some