Bloody Valentine - James Patterson [8]
The flag was already prepared. The printed note was secured to the top. The killer jabbed it into the heart and changed gloves before closing the lid on the plastic box.
A swift examination confirmed there was no blood on the outside of the container.
Changing gloves yet again, the clean plastic box was placed in the centre of the sheet of wrapping paper. The killer tucked in the ends of paper and secured it around the plastic box with the red ribbon, tying the ends into a neat bow.
When the plastic box was wrapped, it was placed inside the cardboard box. Then the lid was closed and fastened. The pre-printed address label was placed on top.
The box was left on the end of the shelf, away from the bloodied knives.
Clean-up time. The killer had entered the secret place fully clothed. Hair had always been covered. Fibres may have been shed but, once the clothes had been burned in the incinerator, there would be nothing for the police to match the fibres to.
There were no fingerprints, only smudges from the latex gloves.
The floor was sticky with blood. There were footprints, but the rubber-soled shoes would also be placed in the incinerator. And the killer had taken the precaution of buying footwear two sizes too large.
The bloodied knives were packed into the plastic bag that had been used to carry them into the van. The gloves went into another clean plastic bag along with the stun gun, scissors, leftover ribbon and wrapping paper. Zee’s handbag lay on the floor where she’d dropped it. The killer opened it, switched off the mobile phone and left it. There was another bag in the corner. One that held clean clothes.
It was cold in the van. It would be colder outside. The killer opened the van cautiously. No one was about. Before leaving the van the bloody-soled shoes were removed and packed into a clean bag. Then the killer locked the van door and moved swiftly to the incinerator room. There was no CCTV there.
The killer stripped off, removed mask, socks, clothes and underclothes, and placed them in the bag with the shoes. All the contents of that bag were pushed into the flames followed by the leftover ribbon, scissors, wrapping paper, gloves and van keys. The last object burned was the stun gun. The knives were still needed. Dressed in street clothes and wearing a clean pair of gloves, the killer left the room and climbed the stairs once more. There was no CCTV on the basement floor that housed the porters’ studio apartments either.
There was the sound of music. Damian was awake and writing.
The killer used the master key code to enter Ted’s apartment. A dirty shirt was in the linen basket in the bathroom. The killer wiped the bloody knives and fork on the shirt but was careful to leave a little blood on the blades. The knives were replaced in the bag. Just as the killer was placing the shirt at the bottom of the basket and piling the rest of the dirty linen on top, the sound of key code buttons being pressed was followed by the door opening.
Chapter Seven
There was no time to close the bathroom door. The killer stepped behind it and watched the studio through the crack.
Damian was in the kitchen area. He opened a cupboard, took out a jar of coffee, scribbled a note on a pad and left. The door closed behind him.
The killer let out a deep breath, then, crept from the bathroom and read the note.
RAN OUT OF COFFEE. TOOK YOURS. WILL REPLACE, DAMIAN.
The killer listened at the door before creeping out of Ted’s apartment. All was quiet.
There was a glass panel in the door that opened from the back stairs into the foyer. The CCTV screens were playing to an empty room. As planned, Ted was working on the plumbing in the studio. A minute to place the box with its printed message on the porter’s desk.
URGENT DELIVERY FOR MR JACK BARNES TO BE SENT IMMEDIATELY
Up two flights of stairs, avoiding the cameras. Use the key code. Enter the apartment. Close the door.
‘What the hell …?’
Bruno was in the hall.