Chapter 26 Chapter Twenty-Five

After Jackson left the Crown for her second round, she decided to save time by putting the medical kit directly into the back seat of the BMW instead of the trunk.As soon as she opened the door, she saw the luggage bag under the seat.The bag lay on its side, half wedged against the driver's seat.Jackson immediately understood what it was and how it got here.She thought of the way Aklan was holding his coat wearily, and inevitably thought of the body found in the Thames, and she felt a sudden panic in her heart. Her first reaction was a cowardly desire to slam the door and pretend she didn't see it.There's no reason why this happened to her, she just chose to put the medical kit in the back seat.If she had stayed on duty, only she would have known that she hadn't discovered the bag until the early hours of the morning, and that doing her job was more pressing than another trip to Southwark East Police Station.

Her second instinct—governed by curiosity as well as normality—was to examine the contents.The shape of the folds of the canvas revealed a conical object inside, and she had no intention of spending an hour explaining to the police why the bag was important... only to be told she had handed in nothing more than an empty beer bottle. Akram adjusted his posture against the wall, backing away from the corner as much as possible. "What does my relationship with Jane have to do with this taxi driver?" he asked Jones. "Who said I was talking about this taxi driver? A civil servant named Martin Britton was beaten to death on September 23." He could tell from the lieutenant's expression that the other party was not ignorant of the matter. "He works for the Ministry of Defense. Maybe you ran into him by chance at the Imperial War Museum."

"I don't." The sheriff shrugged. "You were so angry that weekend that you could have taken it out on anyone." Akram shook his head. "You took it out on Jane." "It's not me who's angry, it's Jane." "why?" "She was happy to take my money but didn't like what I did to her." Jones frowned, "You paid her to have sex with her?" Acland nodded. "Why are you treating her like a whore, Charles?" "Because she's a whore." Jones didn't argue with him. "You think paying the money means she has to agree?"

"It's an agreement." His mouth twisted. "She made an agreement with me and asked me to use the worst means. She was still laughing at first...then she became less enthusiastic." "When did you find out she was prostitution?" "The day I abandoned her." "What day was that?" "Three days after I returned from Oman." Jones looked at him curiously, "That weekend, September 9th?" "yes." "You must have been pissed that day too, Charles. Finding yourself sharing your fiancée with another man must have taken a toll on a man's self-confidence." He paused, expecting a response. "You raped Jen that day too?"

"No." "Too shocked, too shocked to do anything? Can't believe you trust someone so credulously?" silence. "So two weeks later, you go back and punish her with the worst sex you can think of? That shouldn't be done, Charles. Whores have rights too, you should know." "Not when they take your money and refuse to honor the agreement." "She lets you do whatever you want, even with the worst means. Is this called rejection?" "She didn't intend to follow through." Jones looked at Inspector Bill suspiciously, "Do you understand?"

"I think what the Lieutenant was saying was that there were two different motives and purposes, his and Miss Morley's. For whatever reason, he was willing to pay for sex...and Miss Morley thought she could Pocketing money and not having to work for him. I guess, because of the relationship between the two of them, she believed she knew the lieutenant well, and guessed he wouldn't demand his rights like the other clients." "Is that so, Charles?" "almost." "Why does she think she can get away with it?" "She thought she knew me."

The sheriff's frown deepened. "What were you doing at her apartment that day? Was your only intention to have sex?" "No, I was going to take my stuff before I went to Ike. She wasn't supposed to be there. I had the key." "So she broke her promise twice?" "Three times. I got nothing. She destroyed most of my stuff." "That makes you angry?" "Everything about her pissed me off. I hated her . . . she repelled me." Ackland's tone was genuinely disgusted. "I don't even want to touch her. I'm pretty sure I don't want her to touch either." I."

Ackland's statement didn't confuse Jones as much as his other statements, and he knew that the line between love and hate is very thin. "So you've decided to punish her for...paying for the right to have sex?" "Just to show her what it's like to be treated like a lab rat." "What does it mean?" "If you press the right button, you get the reward...if you press the wrong button, you get an electric shock." Jackson leaned over to straighten the duffel bag.The duffel bag was not canvas but sackcloth, softer to the touch than it looked, and the contents were heavier than she had estimated.If it is a bottle, it must be full.She untied the string at the top and opened the bag to find a plastic shopping bag, loosely wrapped around a hard object about 12 inches long.With belated caution, she turned the sack, let the contents lean against the back of the driver's seat, and was about to go to the medical box to get the medical gloves, but after she let go, the sack lost its support, and the mouth of the sack collapsed. , revealing the bottom, at least one of which is visible.

At first glance, she thought it was a mobile phone, but she didn't realize it was a high-voltage stun gun until she saw the two raised metal bars on the top. When Jones asked Akramjen how he was being compensated, Bill intuitively felt that his boss was taking the wrong route.The Lieutenant's stiff posture relaxes slightly, and the Sheriff's question takes aim directly at the sex trafficking in their relationship. "Is your intimacy negotiable? Will Jane only sleep with you if you act the way she wants?" "almost." "Most men think that's demeaning." He observed Ackland for a moment, "especially when she had to do drugs to get high in order to get through the scene mechanically."

no response. "We saw her earlier outside the bar. She had a client waiting for her in a taxi and we thought she had just come back from a drug dealer." Jones gave what appeared to be a sympathetic smile. "It's hard to get sexually aroused when all you're doing is satisfying a drug addiction, Charles, and you shouldn't take Jane's lack of enthusiasm to heart." It was a deliberate provocation, but Akram met his gaze unwaveringly. "I didn't. I left." "You punished her." "Not as I would have liked. You asked me the other day why I was traveling with so little... well, here's why. Before she hacked at my clothes and smashed my After everything else, I don't have much left. I have a new laptop, but she smashed it."

Bill interjected before the sheriff could speak: "What did she hit it with, Lieutenant?" Akram hesitated for a moment. "Probably a hammer. I keep a toolbox in her apartment." Bill nodded, as if the matter were trivial. "She's clearly violent," he said lazily. "Has she ever used a hammer on you?" Aklan's expression suddenly stiffened, "No." "Are you sure? You just described yourself as a lab rat...you talked about pressing the wrong button. Did you not find out until it was too late that you were contracted by a moody and vindictive junkie instead of Your fantasy Uma Thurman?" Jackson stared at the exposed stick below.She's not an expert on African art, but the rounded top reminded her of a picture of a Zulu bob she'd seen once.She had no reason to ascribe any particular significance to the thing—the police hadn't shared their forensic findings with her—but she felt a little creepy nonetheless.She had read enough in the papers that all three victims had been beaten to death by "gay killers." What really made her decide to leave everything intact and quickly call the police over were the two cell phones lying next to the stun gun, one of which had a sticker on the front... reading "Harry Peel ". Jones lowered his legs and leaned forward, "I think you're the one who's tormenting, Charles. You've got a lot of temper when you're angry, and we all know how demeaning it is to have to ask for sex. " Ackland moved his palms so that he could lean against the wall better, "You obviously know more about this than I do." Jones smiled slightly, "I've never been so cheap that I couldn't get a woman in other ways Going to rape her. And I wouldn't go to a Holocaust exhibit just to wallow in the misfortune of my actions. Did seeing the exhibit make you feel better... did it soothe your conscience... …because what the Nazis did to the Jews was worse?" Aklan took a shallow breath and raised his head, "That's not the case." "Oh yes, I forgot. You have a deal with Miss Morley...for a smashed laptop, revenge from a man who claims he doesn't care about property." "You don't know anything." "I know, you don't act like a man with peace of mind. Is there anything you're ashamed of? You hit her a lot...or did you allow her to hit you a lot?" silence. "I guess you're here to drink away your sorrows... to think about something." He emphasized the word "thinking" sarcastically, "You're targeting Harry Peel because he annoys you? Henpecked And you're not the first to take your anger out on a stranger." Bill was about to chime in again.Jones' relentless belittling and provocation drove the lieutenant to the breaking point.He was pale, and his lips were bloodless. "You have to stop, Brian, this is going too far. He needs a doctor." With an exasperated sigh, Jones stands up and jerks his chair in front of Acklan, "For God's sake, sit down before you fall down. What makes you feel like a trained The military are better equipped than the rest of us to take on a rough woman? Yes, if we fight back, we give her the opportunity to paint herself as a victim...but if we don't, we're caught in the middle danger. Why are you defending her?" Akram rolled his tongue around the inside of his mouth, trying to produce some saliva, and even so, his voice sounded harsh when he said, "I'm defending myself." "Defend what?" "Whatever your next accusation is, that's what it is." His tongue rubbed harshly against his parched upper teeth, "Last time it was Mr. Tadin... this time you start with a murdered taxi driver... ...then a civil servant ... and now, rape and humiliation." Pointing to the chair, Jones ordered emphatically, "Sit down! I will never fight you again because I have to force you." He saw Acklan sit on the chair, Bill poured a glass of water, and sat down On the edge of the bed, "I want to know why you came back to Bermondsey and why you got involved in the investigation of this case." Aklan took the water, murmured thanks, drank it in one gulp, bent forward, put the glass on the ground, and pressed the eye patch with his left hand, "Maybe you should call Dr. Campbell and ask her to give you Explain synchronicity." "I don't understand." "If you look for meaning in some contingent event, you might find it." Jackson got on the phone with Kahn.Kahn listened to her while reading an e-mail on the monitor. Reply: Urgent request for fingerprint identification of the body in the river this morning.The fingerprints matched that of Paul Hadley, 68, who was released on bail for molesting and raping a minor.Registered address: 23 Albion Street, Peckham.No known family members.Photos are attached. He clicked on the attachment and stared at Paul Hadley's mugshot. "I heard what you said, Dr. Jackson, and I understand your frustration, but first I would be very grateful if you could identify a picture on my computer. I think it has something to do with what you found in the car. Relationship. Do you have a 3G mobile phone? I want you to confirm whether the person in the photo is the Jock you know." "Why should I admit that it was all accidental?" Jones asked. "You're drinking in the same bar as Harry Peel... you've got Kevin Atkins' phone in your hand... you're in Walter Tardin Spoken to him two hours before the attack. I'm looking for connection not meaning." "The result is the same." "Not with me. Anyone can create meaning after an event...it depends on how irrational you're prepared to be — my job is to understand why." "I didn't know you'd be here tonight," Ackland pointed out, "so this conversation is entirely accidental...and it's all in your favour. None of this would have happened if I had asked Jackson to take me back to Bell's." occur." "Why didn't you do that?" "I need to think about something." The sarcasm on Jones' face still persisted, and he gave a low chuckle and leaned forward like the lieutenant—the sheriff sat on the bed, the lieutenant in the chair—their heads were only inches apart, but they both looked deep. Governed by ideas of mutual respect, not mutual hostility. "So you decided to direct Dr. Jackson's car to the Crown Bar." Akram shrugged, "Even if I did, I still didn't know you'd be here. The timing is different for different people, so you and I will never find the same meaning in anything." "It is possible if we agree that the final outcome is satisfactory." Aklan raised his head slightly, "What if it's not like this?" "The only way that could happen is if you're who we're looking for," said the Sheriff reasonably, "or you're sheltering someone." A faint smile flickered in Akram's eyes, "Maybe I don't care at all. We're just caged rats...you, the Inspector and I...playing our respective Alpha, Beta and Omega roles. Maybe I'm tired of this whole stupid game." "You are very good at mice." "Just in a cage." "So, who is the Omega? You? On what basis? Is it because you are passive in any situation... or because you allow the Alpha to dominate you?" "At this moment you and the Inspector are doing a beautiful job." Jones let out a hearty self-deprecating laugh, "We've done a terrible job, Charles. The Omega's going to seek refuge as soon as we're in this room. We've seen them all. If you're not paying attention, they'll burrow into the nearest hole in the ground." "Maybe I'm just trying to keep a low profile when you guys are being pushy, which is pretty standard Omega behavior." "Is that how you treated Miss Morley?" Aklan looked at him, "Why are you so interested in Jane?" "I'm more interested in you, Charles. You react so violently in certain situations that I wonder why." "I'm angry about what happened to me and my comrades in arms." "Of course...but that doesn't make you angry the first time you're touched. If resentment is your driving force, you'll always be in conflict." "Unless you have ruled me out of Mr Tadin's attack, I can attest that I was back at base on the evening of both dates you mentioned." Jones stared at him, wondering why he had waited so long to defend himself.Is it all a test of his nerves for Akram, who needs to see how much pressure he can take before issuing a challenge? "Of course we'll check that," he said. "Your regiment probably has records." He paused because the phone rang. "I'm sorry." He straightened up and took the phone out of his pocket. It was Agent Kahn who was on the phone, but after Jones made it clear he couldn't speak freely, it was Kahn who did most of the talking.Aside from several requests for clarification, the Sheriff's longest and final sentence was: "Agreed. Send a few people over. Me and the Inspector will wait. Just make sure nothing moves until we get there. We 30 minutes maximum to join the crime scene team." He stuffed the phone into his pocket, turned his attention back to Akram, and stared at him for a few seconds, "What did Dr. Jackson do to you, Charles?" "No. I like her...in fact. Did she find a bag?" He looked at Jones' expression and gave a small smile. "I could have thrown it away, you know. Before I put it I carried it around for 24 hours before getting into Jackson's backseat. Hasn't she figured out what it is?" "You can't tell by the sound alone. According to Detective Kahn, she was pissed at having to cancel an appointment with a patient. Why did you leave it to her to find out? Why didn't you just hand it to me when I got to the car?" "I'm not ready." Jones could barely accept the excuse, "but you can at least tell Dr. Jackson." Akram focused on the carpet in front, "I was going to do that, but I haven't had time to say it yet. I don't think she would be so shocked if she found it by herself. There is something in the bag." be mine." "So you know what's in there?" "yes." Jones stood up, "I won't ask you any more questions tonight." He stared at Aklan's bowed head, "Are you in good health, can you stay in the small cell at the police station for one night? The other option is to sit on a chair in the waiting room until I'm ready for you." "A small cell would be nice." "You won't be arrested, but I'll have two uniformed officers guarding you. If for any reason you don't think you're fit to go in a police car—" Aklan straightened his body, "I'm fine, sir. You don't have to worry about me." Jones sighed resignedly, "You're a super annoying guy, Charles. I don't know if I should admire your courage or despise your stupidity. What am I supposed to believe here? You're the victim of another unfortunate coincidence By?" Acklan pursed his lips and smiled. "It sure looks like that," he said.