Pun very much intended.”

“Sure does.”

“Meet me on Littleton Street, Edgware Road when you’re done interviewing her boyfriend. I think I know exactly who Stephanie Brady really was.”


10

 

 

“Mannequins.”

Cael had driven to a company called Alcaro Interiors on the outskirts of Bayswater. He had met with the owner of the company – a Roger Larkin – to see if the rotary blades he used for his machine work matched the lacerations on Stephanie Brady’s torso.

“That’s all you make?”

“Yep, pretty much,” said Roger. “We design mannequins for shop displays and then craft them to our customers’ specifications.”

Roger was in his late 40s, prematurely bald and more overweight than he’d like to admit. He wore a loose-hanging shirt and tie that stretched down to his crotch.

“I’m looking for a specific type of blade you might use in your machines,” said Cael.

“Any particular reason why?”

“How are you regarding graphic details of murder victims?” asked Cael.

“Try me.”

“A girl was discovered murdered in Epping Forest two days ago. She’d been cut completely in half. Autopsy analysis shows that a specific type of PH steel was used to perform the mutilations. The type of steel you use here.”

“Oh dear,” said Roger. “I’d be happy to help you any way I can, However, I assure you our machines aren’t anything special. Our parts are all very common. Straight-cut blades from our machine supplier. What exactly is it you need from us?”

“We believe our killer used a rotary-type blade, like a mechanical saw. It wasn’t just a straight-cut blade. Our tech department told me you might have some of these here.”

Cael noticed that Roger’s weight shifted from one foot to the other. The corners of his mouth turned downward. Something in him immediately changed.

“What is it?” asked Cael.

“Yes, we do use those blades here. Quite sporadically, mind you. However, we recently had an incident with one.”

“An incident?”

Roger took Cael across his factory floor. They passed rows of identical machines as they walked. In the background, the insanity-inducing whir of mechanical machinery almost drowned out their conversation.

Eventually, Roger and Cael arrived at a desolate area of the factory. The air had a sticky moisture to it.

“This is what we call the graveyard. This is where our mannequins come to be chopped up when they’re finished with.”

“You use the rotary blades here?”

“Yep. Y’see, some of the fixtures on our mannequins are kept in place by heavy duty screws and bolts. When we’re done with the mannequins, we chop them up so we can re-use the parts. To cut through bolts, we need the heaviest blades possible.”

Roger pointed out the machine in question. It was a long, narrow conveyer belt with an arm hovering above. The blade in question had been removed.

“The conveyer belt automatically positions the mannequins where they need to be. Then the blade cuts the parts off.”

“And the incident?”

“We used to have a guy down here who ran this place full time. Greg Morris.