Dangerous Flirtation

Casting her eye beyond DC Chapman her own coffee table was scattered with clear evidence bags. Including the taser discharged into Daniel Fergusson's back as he'd knelt over her pinning her to the floor of her own living room as he had held the syringe menacingly over her.

The emergency broadcast from her standard issue radio had brought assistance literally to her front door within eight minutes. Eight minutes that had dragged for an eternity as far as Callaghan was concerned bound and cuffed by her ankles and her wrists as she had been overpowered by Daniel Fergusson and watched him prepare the manner of her demise. Her screams for attention lost into the gag he had fashioned by forcing a dishcloth deep into her mouth.

"What is that?" Aaron Chapman enquires as a forensics officer carefully places the protected needle and syringe into a clear polythene evidence bag.

"Insulin" Callaghan offered with blunt clarity before the forensics officer could duly respond.

"Insulin?" Chapman stated turning his gaze back to her, "What would insulin do?"

"With a heavy enough dose...enter the body into a state on hypoglycaemia" Senior forensics officer Mina Shazara offered on pulling down the protective face mask she wore.

Amongst the chaos Callaghan had not even registered Mina's presence in her own living room as she looked up towards her trusted colleague.

"A dose of this strength would likely grip the body with a seizure almost immediately, a victim would be unconscious within minutes and likely suffer from catastrophic organ failure within hours... or sooner" Mina continued

"Jesus Christ," Chapman offered in genuine shock at contemplating what he had just heard.

"A silent killer..." Callaghan stated on a shaky breath, the reality of the wider context of the situation crashing down on top of her, "...are you suspecting ...would it show on toxicology tests?"

The grim expression Callaghan received from her enquiry to her colleague spoke a thousand words before Mina offered, "We wouldn't look unless there was any indication to look."

"So... so... the toxicology on..." Callaghan could hardly find the words

"I've already got the Lab running tests on our two victims..." Mina stated, "...I'm sorry to ask Rose ...I need your clothes for evidence."

As she looked across her dishevelled appearance Callaghan had forgotten she had become as much apart of the crime scene as the rooms of her house and the evidence being bagged around her. Her dress ripped open to reveal her black bra, her visibly laddered, her torn nylon tights and her boots would all required by her colleagues. The impersonal swab requirement that would be required at the station as soon as possible filled her with a fresh sickening dread. As she looked up to Mina Shiraz she felt her left hand start to shake uncontrollably.

"Only when you're ready Ma'am," Aaron Chapman offered sympathetically.

On unsteady legs Rose Callaghan stood from the single seat sofa suddenly aware of all eyes in the room casting in her direction.

"Mina..." Callaghan stated shakily, "....Can I go up stairs to..."

"Of course you can... do you need help?" Mina offered on a softly spoken words.

"I'll be fine," Callaghan stated despite the lancing pain that tore through the ligaments of her shoulder on the simple enough act of pressing up from the sofa, despite refusing medical attention from the Paramedics who had arrived not long after her colleagues she knew that she had taken some serious damage to her right shoulder.

As both Mina and Aaron step aside Callaghan spots the silent exchange of concerned glance between her two colleagues. Metaphorically biting her lip, she moved forward ignoring the pain that emanates from her shoulder, stepping through her living room that's as active a crime scene as she's ever witnessed she blocks out the chaos and steps confidently, if only to create an illusion, towards the hallway and the bottom of the staircase. Further sympathetic glances offered up from all those she knows and doesn't know that she walks among.

Rose Callaghan is acutely aware of her own status as the victim in this unbelievable turn of circumstances as she steps into her hallway and the brutal truth of the scenario courses around her mind. She realises but is reluctant to accept.

'Am I a victim' she questions over and over in her own mind on the as yet un parted knowledge of how she had come to be in the company of Daniel Fergusson tonight.

A truth that will emerge, an associated disgrace will emerge at the interpretation of such sordid promiscuity of the circumstances. Gossip that would likely and in all honesty righty be perceived as perversion. Judgement would be cast irrespective of the circumstances.

Placing a foot on the bottom step of the staircase leading to the first floor bedrooms Callaghan suddenly becomes aware of heightened activity in the street beyond the wide open front door of her home.

Looking out into the street she catches the eye line of a young male Police Officer she recognises but cannot place a name to.

"What is it?" Callaghan offers matter of factly.

"They've..." the ashen faced Officer states hesitantly as he holds her steely expression and steps across her view into the street.

"What?" Callaghan barks

The response Rose Callaghan receives shocks her, her legs falling weak as she grabs the banister of the stairs. Her mind processing and understating for the first time the true gravity of the situation she has escaped.

The words echo around Rose Callaghan's mind as she closes her eyes and feels a solitary tear streak down the left/hand side of her face

"They've found a body in the suspects vehicle."

**********

Epilogue

~ Three Weeks Later ~

With her right arm held across her chest in a sling Rose Callaghan stood in the doorway of her office silently observing the meeting being held in Investigation Office.

The meeting she should have been heading up. The investigation she had wanted to desperately solve but by virtue oh her own photo sat upon the electronic Crazy Wall ahead of her it was an investigation she had been required to step away from.

Her name and photo sat pinned to the virtual wall parallel to both the custody photograph and the largely accurate photofit image as provided by Virginia Masters colleague Tabitha. A photofit image that had arrived shortly after Rose had left the Office to meet Daniel Fergusson at her home. A photofit she would have identified as Daniel immediately and subsequently never placed herself in harms way had it arrived even ten minutes earlier than it had.

In truth there was no need to be present at the meeting that was drawing to a natural conclusion before her. David Cross her SIO offering specifics thanks on the recognition of the arduous work certain individuals involved in the case. Callaghan though felt a sense of duty to be present a need to be seen as the formalities of the investigation came to a conclusion, as well as a need to acknowledge the warmth and care shown to her by close colleagues who had supported her through the difficulties of the last few weeks.

Their investigation was over now, paperwork completed, files submitted and all matters now passed to the Crown Prosecutors who would eventually ensure justice be served by the man they had known to be Daniel Fergusson.

Daniel Fergusson whose real name and identity had now been revealed as Noah Lucas. The same Noah Lucas it transpired who had been sought, since his disappearance, by New York State Police in connection to three murders nine months previous, including the murder of his Wife whom it transpired had issued divorce papers against Lucas a day prior to her body being discovered.

Noah Lucas wife, her best friend and a hotel employee all killed in similar suspicious circumstances to Alice Thomas, Virginia Masters and Kat Adams the third victim discovered, presumably waiting to be disposed of, in the boot of Daniel Fergusson light grey SUV. A vehicle that had been parked directly outside of Rose Callaghan's home that fateful night such had been the incredulity of his callous persona.

Daniel Fergusson once arrested had proven to be a wea and cowardly man who had folded like pack of cards on being presented by the overriding evidence swiftly collated against him. Confessing to all three murders and the charge of attempted murder levied against him without the presence of a Solicitor. 'Obvious display of sociopathic tendencies' being the one description Rose Callahan had clung to from the psychological profile of the male now being held in custody ahead of trial.

The threat of an extradition process hung over the case, the legalities of which might be considered a matter of contest. For now, Daniel Fergusson as he was still commonly referred to despite his assumed identity would be brought to trial through the British Justice system. A prospect that filled Rose Callaghan with dread given the exposure that revelations buried for now on a need-to-know basis would become open knowledge when she is inevitably called to the witness box.

As the meeting drew to a conclusion Callaghan headed for the double doors at the rear of the room. The continued sympathies and sentiment of her circumstances, her involvement, weren't welcomed. The bunch of flowers presented to her by colleagues early in the morning had been left deliberately on her desk.

A four-week period of enforced leave drew excruciatingly slowly to an end. The pleasures of psychiatric assessment awaited her on her return to duties at Police Headquarters but even such inconveniences couldn't dampen her need and her desire to be back and ingratiated with the day to day mundanity.

Opting to take the two flights of stairs to the ground floor of the building Callaghan offered a weak smile to a female officer who held a door open for her as she passed. A hint of paranoia griping her at the likely perception of now being recognised as the Detective drawn onto the focus of a murderer due to her casual sex life. Callaghan was all too aware that 'need to know' offered no level of anonymity.

As her mobile phone vibrated in her pocket heading down the first flight of stairs Callaghan parked the thoughts on her perception to others.

The initials TGJ caused her a moment of confusion. Clarity gained on remembering the name associated. Tabitha Greenslade Jones, the elaborately entitled best friend of Virginia Masters.

Pausing with no genuine inclination as to why the young girl would be calling her Callahan answers only on intrigue

"DI Callahan" she stated formally

Callaghan had left the building and crossed the Car Park by time she had heard out the emotional gratitude of Virgina Masters best friend. Such calls were a rarity, such conveyance of personal gratitude even rarer.

Before wrapping the call a niggle Callaghan could not ignore came to her consciousness, a matter her inquisitive nature had dwelt on no matter how inconsequential it may now be.

"Tabitha..." Callaghan chose her words carefully, "...that night ...the night Ginny died"

"Yes," came the hesitant response.

"Do you mind me asking... you stated you last saw Tabitha around one thirty am as memory serves me," Callaghan gently pressed.

"That's... that's right," Tabitha confirmed.

"You didn't arrive back at the hotel until gone six in the morning."

Callaghan let her enquiry hang, a silence on both sides of the call as revealing as the eventual heavy shuddered in take of breath that she heard Tabitha Greenslade-Jones make before she responded.

"Something happened... something not quite... something that after everything that happened with Ginny just didn't seem... just... just..."

As Tabitha floundered something in the woman's voice resonated, sharpened Callaghan's instinct as her professionalism took over.

"Take your time Tabitha... take your time and tell me what happened."

Within minutes of ending the call with Tabitha Callaghan found herself back behind her desk as Detectives Aaron Chapman stepped into the open doorway.

"You know your signed off until next Monday at the earliest don't you?" Chapman stated on a slightly convivial tone.

"Fuck off" Rose answered with a smirk towards her colleague, recalling the comfort she found of his reassuring presence alone three weeks previous.

"As charming as ever," Chapman smirked.

Callaghan motioned him into the office and fixed her colleague with a serious gaze as he stepped instinctively through the doorway and closed the door behind him.

"Aaron... are you aware of any reports regarding a Taxi Driver, a Silver Mercedes and a hotel called the High View?"