Death Bed Read online

  Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel relocates to London to take on another thrilling murder investigation.

  While Geraldine strikes up a friendship with her new sergeant, the bodies of two black girls are discovered in quick succession in North London. Concerned about a reaction from the local black community, the police are puzzled to learn that two teeth were extracted from both victims after they died. One of the girls worked in a massage parlour and suspicion falls on a client of hers, a known racist. Geraldine is led to the upmarket shops of Bond Street in Central London. She fails to find the killer who is out prowling the streets hunting for his next victim. A young gay man unwittingly goes home with the killer who also takes another girl home to his attic, where he keeps his victims chained up while he shows them his ‘collection’. With the death toll mounting, Geraldine has no time to search for her birth mother as she hunts for the elusive killer the papers are calling ‘The Dentist’. When she finally discovers the gruesome collection on display in his attic, the killer knows that Geraldine must be his next victim.

  Leigh Russell studied at the University of Kent gaining a Masters degree in English and American literature. A secondary school teacher, specialising in supporting pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties as well as teaching English, Leigh Russell is married with two daughters and lives in Middlesex. Her first novel, Cut Short, was published in 2009, followed by Road Closed in 2010 and Dead End in 2011.

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL’S DEAD END

  ‘All the ingredients combine to make a tense, clever police whodunnit’

  - Marcel Berlins, The Times

  ‘I could not put this book down.’

  - Ann Marie Muldoon, Newbooks magazine

  ‘A brilliant talent in the thriller field.’

  - Jeffery Deaver

  ‘An encounter that will take them into the darkest recesses of the human psyche’

  - Barry Forshaw, Crime Time

  ‘Well written and chock full of surprises, this hard-hitting, edge- of-the seat instalment is yet another treat… Geraldine Steel looks set to become a household name. Highly recommended.’

  - Amanda C M Gillies, Euro Crime

  ‘Good, old-fashioned, heart-hammering police thriller...a no-frills delivery of pure excitement.’

  - SAGA Magazine

  ‘the critical acclaim heaped on Russell thus far in her literary career is well deserved’

  - Mike Stafford, bookgeeks.co.uk

  ‘a macabre read, full of enthralling characters and gruesome details which kept me glued from first page to last’

  - GS, www.crimesquad.com

  ‘cleverly thought out, gripping and convincing… I couldn’t put this book down… can’t wait for the next Geraldine Steel story to come out’

  - Helen M Hunt, bookersatz.blogspot.com

  ‘a series that can rival other major crime writers out there… Can’t wait for the next one!’

  - Best Books to Read

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL’S ROAD CLOSED

  ‘A well-written, soundly plotted, psychologically acute story’

  - Marcel Berlins, The Times

  ‘Well-written and absorbing right from the get-go… with an exhilarating climax that you don’t see coming’

  - Amanda Gillies, eurocrime.co.uk

  ‘Leigh Russell does a good job of keeping her readers guessing. She also uses a deft hand developing her characters, especially the low-lifes… a good read’

  - Marj Stuart, San Francisco Book Review

  ‘perfect character building… cleverly written… can’t wait for the next one.’

  - bestbookstoread.co.uk

  ‘New star of crime fiction, Leigh Russell’s chilling psychological thriller is terrific & terrifying!’

  - Clem Chambers

  ‘Road Closed is a gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page and keeping you captivated right to the end with its refreshingly compelling and original narrative.’

  - Sam Millar, New York Journal of Books

  CRITICAL ACCLAIM for Cut Short

  ‘Cut Short is a stylish, top-of-the-line crime tale, a seamless blending of psychological sophistication and gritty police procedure. And you’re just plain going to love DI Geraldine Steel.’

  - Jeffery Deaver

  ‘Russell paints a careful and intriguing portrait of a small British community while developing a compassionate and complex heroine who’s sure to win fans.’

  - Publisher’s Weekly

  ‘an excellent debut’

  - Mark Campbell, Crime Time

  ‘‘It’s an easy read with the strength of the story at its core.......If you want to be swept along with the story above all else, Cut Short is certainly a novel for you’.’

  - crimeficreader, itsacrime.typepad.com

  ‘Simply awesome! This debut novel by Leigh Russell will take your breath away’

  - Amanda C M Gillies, eurocrime.co.uk

  ‘an excellent book...Truly a great start for new mystery author Leigh Russell. ‘

  - Michael Lipkin, New York Journal of Books

  Cut Short is a book I had to read in one sitting… excellent new series’

  - Beth, Murder by Type

  ‘a surefire hit - a taut, slick, easy to read thriller ‘

  - Melanie Dakin, Watford Observer

  ‘a pretty fine police procedural, with a convincing if disconcerting feel of contemporary Britain.’

  - PPO Kane, The Compulsive Reader

  ‘Cut Short featured in one of Eurocrime’s reviewers’ Top Reads for 2009’

  - Amanda Gillies, Eurocrime

  ‘Cut Short is not a comfortable read, but it is a compelling and important one. Highly recommended.’

  - Radmila May, Mystery Women

  ‘well written debut psychological thriller’

  - stopyourekillingme.com

  ‘gritty and totally addictive debut novel’

  - Sam Millar, New York Journal of Books

  ‘If you’re a real fan of police procedurals, you’ll probably enjoy this read’

  - Claudette C. Smith, Sacramento Book Review

  ‘‘I found Cut Short to be a fantastic read, taking me only days to finish. I thought it to be well-written and well-paced, with a fresh batch of intriguing characters to go along with a fresh tight plot.’’

  - James Garcia Jr., Dance on Fire

  ‘Leigh Russell may look like your everyday school teacher, but unlike most other English tutors she is also a bestselling crime writer’

  - Tori Giglio , Bushey News

  ‘an excellent story, skilfully built and well told’

  - Sue Magee, www.thebookbag.co.uk

  ‘intelligently written, gripping crime fiction’

  - Helen M. Hunt, Bookersatz Blogspot

  ‘I look forward to the second book in the series’

  - Nayu’s Reading Corner

  ‘a very excellent book!’

  - The Book Buff Blog

  ‘a wonderful series’

  - Clarissa Draper, clarissadraper.blogspot.com

  ‘difficult to put down’

  - Calum, The Secret Writer

  DEATH BED

  LEIGH RUSSELL

  Dedicated to

  Michael, Jo and Phill

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to thank Dr Leonard Russell for his medical

  advice, all my contacts on the Metropolitan Police Force

  who have been so generous with their time, Heather

  Bonney at the Human Remains Unit at the Natural History

  Museum for her expert knowledge, my editor Keshini

  Naidoo for her guidance, and the wonderful team at No

  Exit Press for their support and assis
tance.

  ‘“He knows death to the bone -

  Man has created death.”

  W B Yeats

  Contents

  Part 1

  1: TAKE ME HOME

  2: USUAL TERMS

  3: KEEPING SECRETS

  4: CRY INTO THE SILENCE

  5: SENSE OF PURPOSE

  6: A LOW PROFILE

  7: COLLECTION FROM LIFE

  8: CONSTERNATION

  9: WORKING TOGETHER

  10: ONE DEAD STRANGER

  11: SHOCK

  12: CAUGHT OFF GUARD

  13: SICK WITH WORRY

  14: WORDLESS RAGE

  15: MEMORY OF THE DEAD

  Part 2

  16: A LONG SHOT

  17: THE AGONY OF MOVING

  18: TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

  19: STILL MISSING

  20: A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION

  21: HELL TO PAY

  22: MURDER IS MURDER

  23: BLOOD

  24: A QUIET GIRL

  25: A POSSIBLE SUSPECT

  26: SHARP EDGE

  Part 3

  27: A GRAND JOB

  28: A STRAIGHTFORWARD QUESTION

  29: THE DEVIL’S FACE

  30: AROUND MIDNIGHT

  31: CONCEALED FROM EVERY ANGLE

  32: WILD ACCUSATION

  33: DRUNK AND DISORDERLY

  34: AS GOOD AS DEAD

  35: WILD SPECULATION

  36: CROSSING THE LINE

  37: NOT ALWAYS SAFE

  38: A DIFFERENT ANGLE

  39: ADDITIONAL PRESSURE

  40: A MINOR TRAFFIC INCIDENT

  41: UNSEEING FACES

  42: A MADDENING CONUNDRUM

  43: SEARCHING

  Part 4

  44: VULNERABLE WOMEN

  45: A DEAD END

  46: TOO CRUEL

  47: LOST CONTACT

  48: IN A BAD WAY

  49: ON THE MOVE

  50: DARKNESS MORE PROFOUND

  51: IN TROUBLE

  52: A TRICKY CASE

  53: A REGULAR CUSTOMER

  54: LAST SEEN ALIVE

  55: RITUAL

  56: HEADY RECKLESSNESS

  57: SUDDENLY SCARED

  58: THROUGH THE NIGHT

  Part 5

  59: A HINT OF AGGRESSION

  60: MORE THAN HIS LIFE WAS WORTH

  61: AS GOOD AS THEY SAY

  62: SOUND OF CRYING

  63: ON THE BRINK

  64: DANGEROUS PREDICAMENT

  65: LET DOWN

  66: ONE MEMENTO

  67: TWILIGHT ZONE

  68: A RIGHT TO KNOW

  69: VANISHED WITHOUT TRACE

  70: FOREBODING

  71: PATHETIC LIVES

  72: OUR DARK SIDE

  73: UNREMARKABLE PEOPLE

  PART 1

  1

  TAKE ME HOME

  Music thumped out a regular beat, any melody obscured by the fluctuating din of voices. Struggling towards the bar with the rest of the clamouring throng, Donna felt sick. She had drunk too much on an empty stomach and the coke wasn’t helping either. Telling herself she was old enough to know better, she manoeuvred her way over to the toilets and swore when she saw the long queue. A wave of nausea washed over her and she felt as though she would suffocate in that hot, noisy bar. She fought her way back to the table in the corner and tapped Lily on the shoulder.

  ‘I’m going out for some air.’

  Lily smiled up at her.

  ‘Orange juice,’ she yelled in reply.

  ‘I’m going out,’ Donna shouted. ‘I can’t breathe in here.’

  Lily nodded. Donna wasn’t sure if she’d heard her or not.

  ‘I’m going outside,’ she repeated. ‘You coming?’

  Lily shook her head and said something that Donna couldn’t make out. She turned and made her way through the door and onto Camden High Street. Pausing in the entrance, she leaned unsteadily against the door jamb and took a few deep breaths that only made her feel dizzy. A couple of men were standing on the pavement in front of her, smoking. Donna was aware of their eyes following her as she staggered forwards. One of them held out a spliff. She took it and inhaled gratefully. It didn’t make her feel any better.

  ‘Not bad looking,’ he commented, loudly enough for her to hear.

  ‘You know what they say about black girls,’ the other one replied and whistled.

  As she hurried past them her heel caught on an uneven paving stone. She felt her ankle turn over and almost lost her balance. Startled, she registered that something was wrong and, looking down, saw a thin high heel lying uselessly on the pavement beside her left foot. ‘Sod it,’ she grumbled. Behind her she heard the two men laughing. ‘Pricks,’ she muttered under her breath. Afraid she was going to throw up in front of them, she hobbled to the corner and turned off the main road into a narrow alley where she stood for a moment, steadying herself with one hand against the wall and leaning forward, waiting to be sick. She wasn’t. Reeling, she turned back to the main road. All she wanted was to get home, but a large group of raucous young men had gathered on the corner of the High Street and she would have to limp past them to reach the station. In desperation she decided to return to the pub and find Lily, but her head was spinning and she couldn’t remember which way to go. One of the youths on the corner had turned and was watching her curiously as she tottered on one heel.

  While she wavered, a car drew up beside her and a man got out. Seeing Donna sway, he ran round the front of the vehicle in time to catch her by the elbow and steady her.

  ‘Are you alright, Miss?’

  ‘Fine, fine. Get away from me.’

  She stumbled and almost fell over.

  ‘You really shouldn’t be out on the streets alone in your state.’

  ‘I’m going to the station. I’m going home,’ she mumbled, close to tears. ‘I need to find Lily. I’m with Lily.’

  ‘Is there anyone at home to look after you?’ the man asked. ‘You’re in no state to be left on your own.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ she lied.

  She was trembling, afraid she was going to pass out, yet at the same time overwhelmingly grateful for his concern.

  She had left her jacket in the bar, but it was a warm evening and she felt uncomfortably hot.

  ‘I think I’m going to be sick.’

  ‘I’ll tell you what. My car’s here. I can take you home. It’s alright,’ he smiled reassuringly. ‘I’m a police officer.’

  He pulled an identity card from his wallet and held it in front of her face but her eyes wouldn’t focus properly.

  ‘Come on, let’s get you home.’

  Donna nodded her head in relief and was fumbling in her bag for her front door key when a thought struck her.

  ‘What about Lily?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Lily. My friend, Lily. My flatmate.’

  ‘Don’t worry about her. She hasn’t been too bothered about you, has she?’

  He sounded impatient and Donna realised he was right. Where was Lily when Donna needed her?

  ‘Come on, let me take you home,’ he urged again.

  One thing was for sure, there was no way Donna would make it home by herself.

  ‘My shoe’s broken,’ she explained and began to giggle helplessly as the man put his hand on her shoulder and guided her to his car.

  ‘Here we are,’ he said.

  Donna clambered in, hoping she wouldn’t chuck up, and relaxed. Her shoes were no good to her with one heel anyway. It was a relief to remove them, they were beginning to rub, and wearing them all evening had made her calves ache.

  ‘I live by Highbury Fields,’ she told him as she leaned back and closed her eyes.

  It wasn’t far but they seemed to be driving for ages. When she looked up again they were passing Kentish Town station which didn’t seem right. Donna sat up and tried to work out where they were.

  They passed Tufnell Park tube and soon after that she recognise
d shops on Highgate High Street. Everything looked blurred but at least she knew the road they were on, and the policeman must know where they were going. She closed her eyes again. She just wanted to sit without moving.

  ‘If you want to know the way, ask a policeman,’ she sang under her breath and sat up, gripped by a sudden anxiety.

  ‘You are taking me home?’

  ‘Don’t worry, we’re almost there.’

  Donna leaned back feeling nauseous again.

  The car slowed down and opening her eyes she saw they had turned off Highgate Hill and were driving past a pub on their left. Without warning, she leaned forward, bent almost double in the seat, and threw up all over her jeans.

  ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,’ she mumbled.

  The whole drive was turning into a nightmare, but the policeman didn’t even seem to notice she had been sick, although it stank. He drove on, staring straight ahead.

  Looking up, Donna saw a small patch of grass, like a village green. Turning to look out of her passenger window she caught sight of a church on the other side before they turned sharply right into a narrow lane screened from the road by a row of tall trees.

  ‘Where are we?’

  She tried to scoop some of the puke off her jeans with a tissue but it stuck to her thighs, sticky and disgusting.

  ‘This is where I live.’

  ‘Take me home. I want to go home.’

  ‘I brought you here so my wife can look after you until you sober up. Then I’ll take you home. You passed out in the car back there and you’ve been sick. If you vomit while you’re unconscious, you can choke. That’s dangerous and you shouldn’t be left alone. It was either bring you here or take you to the hospital, and they’re busy enough on a Saturday night as it is. My wife’s a police officer as well. She knows what to do.’

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She’s waiting for us inside. Now don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine.’

  She fumbled with her seat belt while he opened double wooden gates with a remote control.

  ‘I can’t get this off,’ she grumbled as they drove in.