The hallucinations were moderately unpleasant and intrusive, but they did not prevent him from carrying out his work at Parkside police station CID. Mainly they were auditory... an irritating voice would provide a critical soundtrack to his daily activities, beginning with shaving in the morning "You missed a bit there... you should have bought a better razor you skinflint... that moustache looks ridiculous... ", continuing with driving to work from his house in Huntingdon "... why don't you get a decent car... you should have signalled there... wrong lane idiot ", choosing lunch at the canteen "... you have forgotten the soup spoon you numbskull... not omelette again... you are supposed to avoid carbohydrates on Tuesdays " and so on throughout the day until he switched off the light by his lonely bed at night.
From time to time the hallucinations were of a visible nature... he seemed to glimpse small shiny creatures waving at him from the edge of his field of view; sometimes they spoke in rapid highpitched voices which he could not understand.
Fortunately his colleagues were unaware of these strange experiences. The only person Wallace had shared them with was his GP, Dr Darwin. They had been students together at Trinity College; Wallace was the godfather of Darwin's twin girls Ada and Emma.
Wallace admitted to the doctor that he had been drinking steadily more since his wife had left him for her Feng Shui consultant. On a typical weekday he would polish off a bottle of French wine with his supper; anything containing 13.5% or more alcohol and costing under £5. Given the choice Wallace preferred Pinot Noir or Grenache for red wine, or Sauvignon Blanc for white.
At weekends he would consume quite a lot more; recently he had started on the Absinthe which his brother in law had brought back from Switzerland.
Dr Darwin advised Wallace to switch straight away from coffee to tea. The alcohol problem would take longer to manage.
Wallace had obeyed the saturnine doctor and threw out all his coffee making apparatus and supplies; he replaced them with a large china teapot from John Lewis and a variety of loose teas.
So far he preferred the Oolong in the morning to get him going and Earl Grey during the day.
The hallucinations were certainly receding; they occurred less frequently and were less intrusive in nature. The shiny creatures had only appeared twice since the switch from coffee to tea two months ago.
The door of Wallace's office opened slowly. His assistant edged backwards into the room dragging a large wet piece of wood. Sergeant Babbage was sweating profusely even though it was the middle of October. Her normally immaculate uniform was somewhat dishevelled, and she spent a few seconds straightening it out before saluting her boss briskly.
"This one was found in Cromwell Lake near Brampton" she explained. "That makes at least half a dozen since August".
Sergeant Babbage was referring to mysterious wooden artefacts which had been found in or near local lakes over the last few months. Apart from a possible charge of littering there would have been no police interest in the matter; however the nature of the carved images soon had the CID on full alert.
The wood in each case was a three foot section of seasoned beech trunk split lengthways. The honey coloured wood was expertly carved to show a dancing skeleton holding an hourglass.
The first example was found by the edge of a lake in Hinchingbrooke Country Park near Huntingdon, some twenty miles from Cambridge, by a carp fisherman. He had handed it in to the Ranger's Office where it had stayed for several weeks. The name Jessica was carved in Gothic lettering beneath the macabre skeleton.
When a local child named Jessica Cross went missing the next month the Head Ranger reported the strange wooden carving to the police in Huntingdon. Immediately the CID machine whirred into action and a team of divers was despatched to the lakeside beauty spot where the carving had been found.
The unfortunate child's body was found next day in the lake by the divers. Several large gym weights were attached to her legs; she was found some hundred metres from the shore so it would seem probable that a boat had been used in her disposal. There was a small sailing club at the lake; it would not be difficult to use one of their dinghies for the task. Fingerprints were taken from each boat but none matched known criminals.
This was the most disturbing murder in the Huntingdonshire area for the last century.
The fisherman who found the carving and the rangers at the park were all sworn to secrecy about the strange artefact.
Since then the next five lacustrine carvings had not included a name.
The bizarre circumstances and ritual overtones made Wallace and his CID colleagues fear that this was only the beginning of a series of outrages.
Wallace interviewed the Cross family. They had recently moved to Huntingdon from Liverpool; eleven year old Jessica had settled in well at the local school and had made friends on the estate. She was a well-behaved child who was well aware of stranger danger. The distraught family had no idea why she had been picked out by the killer.
Wallace was puzzled about the timing. The Hinchingbrooke carving had been installed several weeks before the child disappeared, and could have been discovered and removed at any time. If the pattern was repeated then the police would be able to stake out the location of the carving and wait for the killer to appear with his next victim. Why did the perpetrator, or perpetrators, not simply leave the wooden token at the same time as disposing of the body ?
The CID team did not have to wait long before the next developments. A very similar carving was found floating in Robinson College Lake in Cambridge at the end of October. This time the exquisitely carved name Grace was clearly visible.
A thorough search of the lake revealed nothing more sinister than two bicycles and a Sainsbury's trolley.
Wallace and his superior Chief Inspector Prendergast discussed the options available to them.
No females called Grace had been reported as missing yet. Should they alert the public to the possibility of a fresh murder about to take place ? Would that cause the killer or killers to change their distinctive modus operandi ?
The stress of the case seemed to be causing Wallace's hallucinations to become more intrusive; negative comments such as "well why haven't you caught them ?... make your mind up for goodness' sake... you are a failure as a detective as well as a husband" would continually play in the background to his normal thought patterns. The shiny waving creatures were now being replaced by miniature grinning skeletons.
Forensic testing of the wooden carvings yielded a few useful nuggets of information. There were no viable fingerprints or physiological traces from the perpetrator; however analysis of the wood showed that it was all about ninety years old and from within twenty miles of Cambridge.
The likeliest location was the great beech woods at Wandlebury to the south of the city; many of the mighty trees there had been felled by the great storm of 1987 and left where they fell.
Wallace's next line of inquiry was the actual carvings themselves. It was obvious to the casual observer that genuine artistry and skill was involved in producing the macabre artefacts.
He took photographs of the seven carvings to the Fitzwilliam museum where Dr Philomena Entwhistle was expecting him. She was a world expert in ancient wood and stone relics and was also an old flame of Wallace's from their days at Trinity thirty years previously.
She had not let herself go, he noted with pleasure, and was still capable of turning heads during her daily run to work from Girton to the Fitz.
Philomena scrutinised the photographs carefully for several minutes before turning to Wallace with a puzzled frown on her otherwise uncreased face. "Nobody has made carvings like these since the plague years of the seventeenth century. They were used to ward off infection of the named person, usually a child. The parents would place the carving against the child's bed to avert the pestilence. We do not have any at the Fitzwilliam but I believe that there is one example in Cambridge at the Museum of Anthropology in Downing Street".
Wallace thanked her for this interesting information and offered to take the well-preserved archaeologist out to dinner to thank her for helping the investigation. Maybe they would be able to resume their previous intimacy he half hoped.
To his surprise Philomena said that she was cooking that night at her rooms in Girton College and he was most welcome to sample her wares.
Just as he was about to accept her intriguing invitation Wallace's mobile phone rang. It was Babbage with bad news "an undergraduate from Selwyn College called Grace Johnson has disappeared. She was last seen at the rowing club early this morning by the boatman".
Philomena realised that something serious was afoot and overheard enough of the call to suspect that the business of the carvings was of crucial importance to the police. Wallace decided that it would be best to take her into his confidence regarding the murder of Jessica Cross and now the disappearance of the undergraduate Grace Johnson. As they drove in Wallace's ageing Triumph towards Selwyn College he outlined the case so far, enjoining his passenger to the utmost secrecy.
The College Bursar and the Head Porter were waiting at the main gate next to Sergeant Babbage and a SOCO team.
A few minutes later the SOCO team were setting out their equipment in the modern room which Grace Johnson shared with two other girls in her year; Kate Dawkins and Rachel Stallybrass. Kate and Rachel were weeping quietly in the corridor where Babbage was trying to console them. Kate sported a goodly number of facial piercings and tattoos and was dressed in ripped denim. Rachel was more of the English Rose and was clad in Laura Ashley. Her only piercings were for discreet earrings.
A quick examination of Grace's laptop revealed nothing unusual. Her internet history showed she was a heavy user of a student chat room called TSR. There were numerous recent postings by a young man called Al on her facebook page. Wallace asked Kate and Rachel if they knew who Al was. "He is like Grace's partner" Kate replied. "She does see quite a few other guys as well" Rachel interjected. Kate kicked Rachel's ankle. "Have you seen this Al in the last few days ?" Wallace asked. Kate said immediately "No he has not been in Cambridge since last term". Wallace had assumed that Al was a fellow student. "So where can we find him ?". Rachel explained that Al was studying Social Welfare at the University of the South Bank in London, and that he was living in a squat in Greenwich, with a group of art students. Wallace felt that Rachel was holding back some important information due to the presence of Kate.
He discreetly slipped his text number into her cleavage while Kate's back was turned. She nodded gratefully.
After an hour or so the SOCO team allowed the others into the students' room. Grace had shared a bunk bed with Rachel. Kate had a separate single bed. The room was neat and tidy with well-tended pot plants on the window sills. A few posters decorated the lime green walls. One was the infamous portrait of Mr Blair with demonic red eyes. Another showed Borat in his green mankini. The third poster attracted both Wallace and Philomena's immediate attention.
It depicted seven dancing skeletons on the shore of a lake.
A large banner at the foot of the picture enclosed a Latin quotation in Gothic script "Benedic, Domine, nobis et donis tuis, quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi; et concede ut iis muneribus tuis ad laudem tuam utamur, gratisque animis fruamur, per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen."
The skeletons seemed to be identical to those in the beech wood carvings. On closer examination the poster was actually revealed to be an original woodcut. It was signed A. Dulac in the corner.
Wallace asked Rachel and Kate what they knew of the picture. As he expected Kate was reluctant to contribute anything, but Rachel was happier to help. "It is one of Al's weirdo pictures. He fancies himself as an artist and wanted to study at Cambridge with Grace but Selwyn and Robinson both rejected him. He has never forgiven them. The Latin quotation is actually the Selwyn college grace, which is read out by the scholars before dinner in Hall. Grace insisted on having it up on the wall but it is just creepy".
Wallace asked the girls if Al had ever made any wood carvings for Grace. Rachel was about to say something but Kate silenced her with a stare. Wallace decided to break off the questioning for the moment.
Philomena had been closely examining the strange picture. She carefully removed it from the wall and turned it over. The woodcut had been applied to a thin sheet of card which still bore a sticker from the shop where it was bought. Staples, Huntingdon.
The hair on Wallace's neck stood up. The first victim was from Huntingdon. Surely this was no coincidence.
It was imperative to find the artistic Al and bring him in for questioning without delay. Wallace contacted the Metropolitan Police immediately and requested a raid on the Greenwich squat where Al was reported to be living. He was to be interrogated in Cambridge in the first instance.
Meanwhile Rachel and Kate were confined to college until further notice.
Two days later Al was brought into interview room 5 at Parkside Police Station in Cambridge.
He insisted that he did not need a solicitor and agreed to cooperate with the police. He admitted that he had carved all seven of the pieces of beech wood which had been found so far.
When asked why he chose to carve the names Jessica and Grace on two of them he clammed up.
"You realize that it looks bad for you, Mr Dulac ? Two of your carvings have been linked with missing females, one of whom at least has been murdered ." Al looked ill. "Have you found Grace yet ?" he asked. " We had arranged to meet two days ago but she did not turn up at the squat".
"I regret to inform you that Grace is missing from her college. We fear for her safety. Perhaps you could shed some light on her whereabouts ?"
At that moment Wallace's phone buzzed to indicate an incoming text. He suspended the interview when he saw that the text was from Grace's room-mate Rachel Stallybrass.
"You need to arrest Kate. She has disappeared from Selwyn. She is behind all of this" Wallace read with astonishment.
Returning to the interview room he asked the scrawny carver if he knew a Kate Dawkins.
Realizing that the game was up Al poured out the truth. He had been intimately involved with both Kate and Grace for several years. Kate's family lived on the same estate as the Cross family in Huntingdon, and she decided to kidnap their daughter, with the help of Grace and Al.
They had placed one of Al's carvings with Jessica's name on at the edge of the lake several weeks before the kidnap took place. Al admitted that this was done for perverted sexual reasons; they would visit the scene and enjoy an outdoor orgy together. They had intended to kill their victim all along, as she could easily identify her kidnappers.
The actual kidnap went smoothly at first. The unfortunate schoolgirl was hidden in a sack in Kate's garage. But before they were able to issue their ransom demands the unfortunate child had succumbed to an asthma attack and died.
Under the cover of darkness the evil trio smuggled the body down to the park and borrowed a dinghy from the sailing club to complete the journey. The weights had belonged to Kate's brother, a keen body-builder.
Since then the relationship between Al, Kate and Grace had gradually deteriorated. Grace would wake up screaming Jessica's name in the middle of the night. It became clear that she was a liability who would have to be silenced unless they were all to be convicted. It was Grace who had taken five of the carvings to local lakes, in the hope that she would be arrested and the voices in her head would stop. Once Kate discovered what Grace had been doing she told Al that it was time to silence Grace permanently.
Al reluctantly agreed that Grace had gone too far. He sadly carved her name on the last of the seven totems. That night he and Kate had taken it to Robinson College and dumped it in the lake.
"Go on Al, you are doing fine", said Wallace, aware that they were approaching the critical point in the confession. "So Grace went out as usual for her rowing practice the following morning two days ago, didn't she..." he suggested.
"We were waiting for her near the University Library. She always cycled the same way from the river. I had brought my car up from London and parked it in West Road. We persuaded Grace to come to the car as we had something important there for her to see. Kate bashed her over the head with a gym weight and we put her in the boot. She was still alive. We left the bike in West Road. Kate drove us to Huntingdon where we hid the car in her Mum's garage. Then we caught the train from Huntingdon station to Liverpool Street. Kate changed onto the Cambridge train and I made my way to Greenwich by bus".
"That's really good Al... now you must tell us where Grace is now" Wallace gently prompted.
"She is in Brampton with Kate... I will take you there".
Babbage drove swiftly up the A14 northwards. After twenty miles they turned off before Alconbury and were soon approaching Brampton Hut Services. Two minutes later they pulled into McDonalds' car park.
They approached the counter where a single member of staff was on duty. It was Kate. She had worked for the burger chain on and off since leaving school and kept her uniform at home.
She seemed distracted and appeared not to recognise any of the three customers who had arrived in a police car.
She slapped three large burgers on a tray and scattered fries over them. The burger meat did not appear to have been cooked thoroughly. Indeed it looked very different from the usual neat beef patties which the restaurant normally served up.
"Do you want a shake with that ?" she asked. "I'm afraid we only have strawberry". She carefully filled three containers with a dark red liquid from the milkshake machine and put a straw in each one.
"Have a nice day !" Kate said with a smirk as she pushed the tray across the counter.
Al vomited copiously whilst Babbage and Wallace overpowered the demented burger flipper.
The remains of Grace were found in the storage area of the restaurant, along with the manager and two assistants who had all been stabbed to death with kitchen knives.
Al was sentenced to a full life term for his part in the kidnap and disposal of Jessica Cross and the kidnap and grievous bodily harm of Grace. He enjoys painting but they will not let him carve anything.
Kate is now in Broadmoor, having completely lost touch with reality. She believes that she is still at McDonalds and offers the nurses quarter pounders with cheese.
Rachel managed to stay on at Selwyn College; she was allowed to move to a different room.
Wallace was finally able to enjoy Philomena's cookery. He hopes to enjoy it much more frequently now they are engaged to be married. The hallucinations occasionally resurface but Wallace is not worried; there are far crazier people than him in the world.
THE END
