Implant (DI Gardener 3)

Terrified, Alex fought hard to keep his stomach under control, remembering his mouth was blocked.

He allowed his eyes to scan his body. In the area of his abdomen, he noticed a wound with fresh stitches, but there were no other marks, cuts, grazes, or bruises on his body.

Alex moaned. He had never been so petrified in his life. But he figured it wasn’t over by a long way.

Suddenly he felt a sharp, stinging sensation underneath his skin, directly behind the wound.

Chapter Seven

Gary ran out of the shop shouting into his police radio, trying to contact Cragg. PCs Robin Nice and Steve Graham pulled up in the squad car they had been using following the investigation of an attempted break-in at Rudson. Richard Jones was standing near the bicycle rack in front of the shop, which he’d casually made use of.

“What’s wrong?” asked PC Nice. He was slightly older than Gary, very tall and dangerously thin, but pretty fit despite his appearance.

“Don’t go in there,” replied Gary. His radio crackled.

“Come in,” said Cragg on the other end.

“Why? How bad is it?” asked PC Graham. He was senior member of the three, as tall as Nice but much broader. He played rugby.

Gary ignored the question, speaking into the radio. “Sir, I think we need some real back-up.”

“Is it that bad?” asked Cragg.

“I don’t know,” said Gary. “It’s a mess.”

“What’s a mess, Gary?” asked Cragg. “Calm down and tell me what you’ve seen.”

Graham and Nice glanced at each other. Nice placed a hand on Gary’s shoulder. “Do as he says, calm down.”

“Somebody’s definitely playing games,” said Gary. He went on to explain everything.

“It is a real body?” asked Cragg.

“Looks real enough to me. I’m calling a crime scene. We shouldn’t be trampling all over it and we need some back up here. I think this is out of my league.”

Gary hoped he hadn’t destroyed any evidence when he’d fallen over. PCs Nice and Graham had puzzled expressions, as if he’d lost his mind. Richard Jones moved nearer to them, as if he was part of the squad.

“Where is this body?” asked Nice.

“I’ve no idea,” replied Gary.

“What?” asked Graham. “It isn’t actually in the shop?”

“I need to talk to Sergeant Cragg,” said Gary. “This looks really serious to me.”

“Who’s that?” asked PC Graham, pointing to the wall beyond the shop. Nice followed the line of his finger, peering into the semi-darkness.

“I can’t see anyone.”

“Well, I’m sure I did,” Graham replied, before taking off in that direction, heading toward the car park and the public toilets.

Gary thought it might be the person he’d seen on his arrival at the shop and asked Nice to check around the back. He glanced around. The town was waking up. Lights in windows above premises were coming on all over the place.

“Gary?” asked Cragg. “What’s going on?”

“Graham thinks he’s seen someone near the public toilets in the car park. I’ve asked Nice to check out the back of the shop.”

Nice and Graham returned and said they hadn’t seen anyone. The rear of the premises was clean and all locked up.