Page 9 of The Scene of the Crime (Jessica Russell #1)

The control room contacted Sally and informed her that the voters’ register showed Johan and Michelle De Klerk living at the premises, and the mobile phone number used by the 999 caller was registered to a man with the same name and address.

Sally, Andy, and two other officers searched the rest of the house, but no one else was on the premises.

The ambulance crew were hurriedly taking the man out face down on a stretcher.

The knife was still lodged in his back, but roller gauze was wrapped around the entry site to control bleeding and secure the knife in place.

The driver told Sally they suspected the man had suffered a traumatic cardiac arrest due to stab wounds in his thoracic area, and they were taking him to Homerton University Hospital A&E.

‘Will he live?’ Sally asked.

‘It’s touch and go. He’s lost a lot of blood and got a fractured skull by the looks of it, but he’s young and looks fit. It’s lucky you found him as quickly as you did. Generally, with those types of injuries, they don’t survive beyond fifteen to twenty minutes without medical assistance.’

Sally turned to Reid. ‘How are you doing?’

‘I’m OK, thanks. I’ve just never seen that much blood before. It was like a slaughterhouse in there . . . on the floor, the fridge, the ceiling, just everywhere, and then that knife sticking out of his back . . .’

Sally put her hand on his shoulder. ‘There’s a first time for everything in this job.

You go in the ambulance and keep your body camera on.

I know it’s unlikely, but the victim may say something, and it would be good to have it recorded.

Secure the victim’s pyjama bottoms and knife as evidence when they’re removed. ’

‘I haven’t got any exhibit bags.’

‘The hospital will have plastic bags you can use temporarily. If he does peg it, you stay with the body and put some bags over his hands. I’ll secure the scene and start a crime scene log.

I know this has all been a bit traumatic for you.

If you feel you need counselling, make sure you get it .

. . or you can talk to me. I’m a good listener,’ she said with a reassuring smile.

Reid thanked her and got in the ambulance. Sally called control and informed them the victim was in a critical condition, on his way to Homerton Hospital, and PC Reid was with him. She then requested the attendance of Forensics and the Homicide and Serious Crime night duty team.

The young handler, now back at her comms station, asked if anyone else was on the premises. Sally informed her that she and PC Reid had searched the house from top to bottom, and it was empty.

*?*?*

Jessica was in a deep sleep when her mobile phone started vibrating.

It was just after 3 a.m., and she instantly knew it would be a call to attend a major crime scene.

She picked her phone up then quickly got her notebook and pen from the cabinet drawer before answering.

It was the duty chief inspector from the Met’s Command and Control room.

‘I’ll keep it brief,’ he said, first giving the address. ‘A male, believed to be Johan De Klerk, was found with stab wounds and a knife embedded in his back, probably attacked during a break- in. He’s in critical condition, currently undergoing emergency surgery.’

‘Any other casualties?’ Jessica asked as she jotted down the details.

‘No, but the victim’s wife is unaccounted for.’

‘I’d appreciate it if no one else entered the scene until I arrive.

At this time in the morning, it should take me about forty-five minutes.

If possible, I’d like the first officers attending to remain there so I can speak to them about what they saw and did.

Can you also please contact the officer at the hospital and ask him to request a doctor take hand swabs from the victim if possible. ’

‘Understood,’ the chief inspector said, ending the call. Jessica then phoned Diane.

‘We’ve got our first job, Di – a serious stabbing during a break-in in Hackney Wick. The victim is in hospital in a critical condition. You got a pen and paper?’

‘Yes, fire away with the address.’

Jessica gave it to her. ‘Time is of the essence. Can you call Taff? I’ll meet you both there.’

‘Will do. Would you like us to video and photograph the scene if we’re there before you?’

‘I’d appreciate it if you’d wait, then we can assess things together and decide on an action plan.

If there is any visible evidence outside the scene, photograph and secure it.

Also, identify any uniformed officers, or CID, who entered the scene, then take some elimination photos of their footwear.

I’ll get washed and dressed and see you there. ’

Jessica hung up and quietly went to the bathroom, careful not to wake her brother.

She wanted to shower, but she knew that time was crucial when gathering significant forensic evidence at a major crime scene.

After brushing her teeth and gargling with mouthwash, she cleaned the sink and taps and placed the damp cleaning cloth on the bathroom radiator.

Looking around, she noticed some grime in the bathtub.

‘That’s disgusting . . . you’re so lazy, David,’ she muttered, picking up the cloth and quickly cleaning the bath.

Jessica applied a little makeup and tied her hair in a bun, then dressed quickly in a dark blue polo shirt, jumper, trousers and trainers.

Arriving at Victoria Park Road, Jessica parked the unmarked police SUV she had been allocated near the ‘Do Not Enter’ crime scene tape.

She picked up her work bag from the passenger seat, then got her scene case and a protective suit from the boot.

She’d attended numerous murder and major crime scenes in her career, but this one already felt different.

Officially working for the Metropolitan Police marked a new chapter in her life, a new beginning where she and her team would have to prove their worth to their new employer.

She took a deep breath to steady herself before approaching the young, uniformed officer standing by the outer cordon.

She held out her identification lanyard.

‘I’m Jessica Russell from the Murder and Serious Crime Analysis unit. ’

‘Another SOCO?’ he asked as he wrote her details down in the crime scene log.

‘No, I’m head of the unit and here to oversee the crime scene examination,’ she said, the words sounding strange in her ears.

The PC asked Jessica to sign the log and lifted the tape to let her through.

Diane was with PC Sally Simpson on the pavement outside number 389, taking photos of Sally’s shoes.

She turned when she saw Jessica approach.

‘I’ve been at the scene about twenty minutes.

I can tell you that PC Reid, the officer who accompanied the victim to the hospital, was unable to get hand swabs from the victim as they had to take him straight to the operating theatre, but he did manage to get possession of his pyjama bottoms. Taff’s on his way via the hospital where he’s taking photos of PC Reid’s and the ambulance crew’s footwear, collecting the pyjama bottoms, and hopefully, the knife. ’

Jessica nodded. Her team were doing their job.

‘This is Sally Simpson, one of the first officers on scene. She noticed blood on the doormat, doorknob and in the hallway, so forced entry. She saw a lot of bloodstained footprints inside the house that likely came from the assailant’s shoes.

I seized the doormat and did light source testing on the steps and pavement but didn’t find anything to track an escape route.

I’ve got a copy of Sally’s body cam footage for you to view. ’

Jessica watched the shaky video and asked Sally to go over everything from the moment they first arrived.

As Sally spoke, Jessica made shorthand notes with a stylus pen on her iPad and asked the occasional question to clarify exactly where she and PC Reid were in the house and what they touched or moved.

‘One other thing,’ Sally added. ‘The victim had a tattoo of the South African flag with a springbok on his right upper arm.’

Jessica turned to Diane. ‘Are any detectives on scene yet?’

‘Yes, they’re making house-to-house enquiries with uniform officers and checking for CCTV and doorbell footage with anything of interest. As far as I can see, the victim’s house doesn’t have a video doorbell or cameras at the front, but I don’t know about the back.

Victoria Park is across the road. It’s a big area that will need to be searched. ’

Jessica nodded. ‘Probably best to do it once it’s light. I’ll ask the senior investigator to organise a search while we examine the crime scene. Do you know if an SIO is on their way?’ she asked Sally.

‘He’s in the house with his DI.’

‘I did tell control not to let anyone enter until we attended. Did he say why they needed to go in before we arrived?’ Jessica asked, annoyed by such a fundamental error, which risked contaminating the scene.

‘You can ask him yourself,’ Sally replied, tilting her head towards the doorway.

Jessica looked up and saw two men exiting from the house wearing crime scene suits, with the hoods up, face masks, latex gloves and shoe covers.

She walked towards them as the man in front pulled back the hood on his suit.

Before he even removed his face mask, she recognised the bald head and piercing eyes of DCI John Anderson.

She steeled herself for a confrontation.

‘Excuse me, sir, can I ask why you entered the crime scene before we—’

He cut her off. ‘Because I’m the Senior Investigating Officer, Miss Russell. As such, I am responsible for managing the investigation . . . including the forensic strategy.’

Technically he was right, but Jessica still felt a senior investigator should know better than to enter a crime scene before forensics arrived and video recording and photography were done.