Throughout the year there had been several killings.
All of the victims were young women. A nervous public was being asked to stay alert and feed any information, using a dedicated number, to a squad of detectives working round the clock. The stabbings had all been carried out in the same way. There was no doubt that they were up against a serial killer.
One of the officers working on the case was concerned about his girlfriend. She didn’t seem to understand the risk involved working nights and walking home from the hotel during the late evening. He had provided her with mace spray and a small personal alarm; both items were easy to carry in her bag or pocket. She reluctantly accepted these, but mainly to keep him happy. They also had an agreement that she would text him the minute she was home. The time she arrived home was regular and consistent, and he would be waiting for her message.
This worked well for several months, putting his mind at rest. The night she failed to text for several minutes beyond her normal time, he went into panic mode and eventually called her mobile. After several rings she answered. “Honey!” he blurted, “are you OK? You’re late.”
He heard her giggle. “Oh! You old worry guts. I’m fine. I just spent nearly twenty minutes trying to find my phone. I really thought I’d lost it for a while. Found it under the bed! I must have dropped it getting changed then kicked it without noticing. Sorry, I know how uptight you get about it. I promise, I’m perfectly OK.”
He blew out air with relief. “OK. Just make sure you keep your phone handy. You just never know when you might… well, you know.”
“Need it? Yes, alright Sweetie, I promise.”
“Is your door locked?”
“Yes, of course it is. Now do stop fussing honey. OK?”
After a moment he said, “Sure. OK. Sleep tight, honey.”
She whispered, “Goodnight, my knight in shining armour” and blew him a kiss down the phone.
She removed her latex gloves, dropped them into a plastic bag along with the switchblade, emerged from the alley, and with smug contentment, made her way home.