Page 16 of The Scene of the Crime
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, shenoticed 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.
‘I appreciate that, but there is the risk of scene disturbance and contamination—’
He cut her off again. ‘That’s why we suited up and didn’t touch anything. A safe has been jemmied open in the basement study, and an empty jewellery box is in the bedroom. I’m not a behavioural expert like your good self. But my initial assessment is that this is most likely a burglary gone wrong, during which the victim was assaulted when he confronted the intruder.’
‘I wouldn’t like to comment before examining the scene with my colleagues,’ Jessica replied.
‘How long do you think your scene examination will take?’ he asked in an almost aggressive tone.
Jessica didn’t like his attitude but didn’t want to get into an argument that would prevent her from getting on with the job. ‘Hard to say. It’s a big house, so maybe a day or two.’
‘You can enlighten us with your findings and forensic opportunities at an office meeting with my team . . .’ He looked at his wristwatch. ‘Four p.m. at Barking.’ He indicated theman beside him. ‘Detective Inspector Chapman is my deputy overseeing the house-to-house enquiries. He will remain here, and I want you to keep him up to speed with your scene examination.’
‘Arsehole,’ Diane muttered.
Chapman pretended he hadn’t heard her as he unzipped his crime scene suit. He was casually dressed in blue chinos, a polo shirt and a lightweight jacket. He was a handsome, fit-looking man in his late thirties with dark, swept-back hair and an engaging smile. He shook hands with Jessica.
