Little Boy Blue

29

Helen stood on the doorstep, pulling her coat around her in an attempt to keep warm. The sun had dropped from the sky and the air temperature had dipped sharply. Helen could see her breath dance in front of her, as she pressed the doorbell for a third time.

The credit card used to purchase Jake’s instruments of torture belonged to Lynn Picket, a single mum living in a council house in Totton. The first couple of rings had gone unanswered, but Helen could now hear someone coming to the door and braced herself for what was to come.

‘Do I look like I use that kind of stuff?’

Helen was now in Lynn’s living room, balancing on the edge of a sofa that had seen better days. It was clearly not the best time to have called round – Lynn had three children, all of whom appeared to be in varying stages of outrage, distress or meltdown – but Helen was not going to be put off by this or Lynn’s blustering response. She knew bondage practitioners came in all shapes and sizes.

‘Well, I don’t,’ sniffed Lynn. ‘I don’t have the time and I don’t have the money.’

‘Do you have a computer, Lynn?’

‘No, I bloody don’t.’

‘Tablet?’

‘I’ve got a Chrome book that the kids use. If you want to take a look at it, be my guest. But all they use it for is watching CBeebies. There’s nothing like this on it,’ she said, looking at the list of S &M purchases Helen had given her.

‘What about a smartphone?’

‘Course, who doesn’t? Knock yourself out.’

She tossed Helen her phone. It was badly dented and the screen was cracked.

‘So you’re sure you didn’t purchase these items?’

‘I know what I have and haven’t bought. Besides, I don’t even know what half these things are. What’s a wet sheet for God’s sake? It sounds like something I’d use to wipe my little girl’s bum…’

‘Does anyone else have access to your credit card?’ Helen interrupted. ‘Boyfriends, family, friends…’

‘No, I wouldn’t let it out of my sight. And I certainly wouldn’t trust a fella with it.’

‘Do you shop online?’

‘Yes, I do, but not on sites like that and if you don’t believe me you can see my statements. I’ve got them going back three, four years, maybe more.’

She bustled out of the room to get them, leaving Helen alone. Helen flicked through her phone search history, but in truth she was going through the motions. She believed Lynn. Which meant that someone had cloned her credit card.

It was an alarming thought, suggesting a level of criminal sophistication that Helen hadn’t been expecting. Their killer was clearly no amateur – he was methodical, tech savvy and adept at covering his tracks. Which made Helen wonder what his game plan was exactly – and what this elusive killer might do next.