At the end of the street Storm reaches the police cordon that is sectioning off the alleyway and crime scene. He glances around. To his left the alley turns off to a private car parking area belonging to a neighboring office building. It is guarded by a closed gate. Storm goes towards it and pushes the gate. It swings open easily.
The ground here is tarmac. Storm crouches to take a closer look. The cleaning crew have not touched this area. Against the black ground Storm sees a large stain that may be blood. Storm glances up at the wall of the office building. He spots a security camera over-looking the parking bay entrance.
“Did you ask for the footage from that camera?” he asks DI Zael.
“Sure, sure, we’ll get it,” says DI Zael.
He calls over one of his officers and dispatches him to the task. Storm tries not to look irritated. If this is the work of the Wolf-Claw Killer then the last thing he needs is DI Zael’s careless attitude getting in his way. But until they’ve established what this is, he is going to have to deal with the man.
“Let’s assume the girl walked from the bar to here,” Storm theorizes. “The assailant arrives either in a vehicle or on foot, forcing her towards the parking bay and blocking her exit. He attacks her. Her hand is dismembered in the attack with enough force to land somewhere in the street. He either pulls her into his vehicle and leaves or…”
Storm pauses as looks around, his mind busily working out which alternative scenarios could have taken place. He looks at Leo who is frowning and turning first this way and then the other. The breeze here is buffeting off the walls, tossing any scents in every direction.
“It’s unlikely he wanted to take her alive,” says Leo.
Storm nods in agreement.
“How’s that?” DI Zael demands.
“He wouldn’t have attacked with such force if he wanted her alive,” says Leo.