فصل 11

After Marlow was taken away, Tennison lit a cigarette. Catching Marlow had exhausted her, taken away from her the man she loved, stopped her sleeping and nearly lost her job. She sat quietly and smoked her cigarette until it was finished.

Jones ran into the bar of the local pub where the other officers were waiting. ‘He’s admitted it! All six of them, he’s admitted killing them all’!

The team rose to their feet and began cheering. An officer from another police station asked Havers, ‘What’s going on’?

‘Our boss just got a suspect to admit to six murders! Biggest case this station’s ever had’.

Tennison faced Kernan across his desk.

‘Well done,’ he said. ‘The trial will take a long time, but you go home now and get some sleep. You deserve it’.

‘Yeah, I need it. It was a long night’.

The phone rang and Kernan answered it. ‘Yes. just a minute’,

‘You were right,’ he said to Tennison. The beautician link. it was a woman’s case after all’!

‘Fifty per cent of murder victims are women, so I should have plenty of work to do!’ Tennison replied.

‘Woman’s case!’ she said to herself, still angry at Kernan’s remark. She saw Maureen Havers.

‘Maureen, are any of the officers here’?

‘Oh, I think they’ve gone home,’ Havers replied. ‘They were all tired - it’s been a long day. Jenkins wants the meeting room cleaned out. He asked if you could go down there before you leave’.

The meeting room was full of people. Every member of the team was there. Someone called, ‘Here she is!’ and they all watched as the handle of the door turned.

Tennison walked in to cheers and whistles. A huge bunch of flowers was put in her arms and Burkin started shouting, ‘Three cheers for the boss’!

‘I thought you’d all gone home,’ Tennison laughed. She bit her lip, but the tears still came. Then she started laughing through her tears.

‘We did it! We got him’!

Many months later, George Marlow stood in court as the charges against him were read out.

‘George Arthur Marlow, you are accused of murdering Karen Howard on the thirteenth of January 1990’.

Karen’s mother and father could not look at him. He had taken their daughter and murdered her; waiting for him to be caught had been the worst part of their lives. Marlow had not only destroyed their daughter, he had destroyed them.

.’that on the third of December 1989 you murdered Della Mornay.’ Two prostitutes, friends of Della’s, sat forward to look at the murderer’.

.’on the fifteenth of March 1984, you murdered Jeannie’.

.’Sharpe, that in January 1985 you murdered Ellen Harding’.

Carol and Linda had travelled down from Oldham. Linda could only see the top of Marlow’s head, Jeannie had wanted so much from life but she got nothing, nobody to help her or love her.

Carol twisted her handkerchief in her hands. She could still remember Marlow calling Jeannie’s name.

A young man sitting near Carol sat forward and stared at Marlow.

.’that in July 1986 you murdered Angela Simpson’.

The young man began to cry when he heard Angela’s name. The years between Angela’s death and the arrest of Marlow had been very hard. For five years he had wondered if perhaps he could have saved her. For five years he had lived without the girl he loved and wanted to marry.

.’and in October 1987 you murdered Sharon Reed’.

Sharon’s father sat at the back of the court. Sharon’s mother had died three years ago. He had lost his daughter and then his wife. Every day he remembered them.

Tennison kept her head down, avoiding looking at Marlow. She looked up suddenly as the door opened and a dark figure walked in. It was Moyra, and she looked twenty years older.

‘George Arthur Marlow, you have heard the charges. Are you guilty or not guilty’?

Tennison looked at him. He was very handsome with his dark eyes and shining hair. He looked back at her and as their eyes met, he seemed to smile.

‘Not guilty,’ he replied.