*FIRST DRAFT* The Cover of Darkness (DCI Morgan Chester Series)

Chapter Thirteen

"Wakey wakey Cole." Hallie sung into his ear. He groaned and pulled his hood over his face.

"Woman, let me sleep." He grumbled.

"Fine, you can tell Chester why you were sleeping on the job." She chuckled when he instantly jumped from his chair. "Wow, that was too easy."

The team set their chairs up around two boards with notepads in hand. Hallie had placed the final printed crime scene photo on the board with blue tac. Pictures of Layla and Yolanda centred on the first board, and a picture of Bobby and Frankie together on the second board. Crime scene and evidence photographs surrounded the pictures, it painted scenes from a horror film. She took a step back and sighed.

"Okay guys, are you ready?" Morgan said as she entered the room. Cole spotted the small recording machine in her hand.

"Is that really necessary!" He whined and Morgan chuckled.

"Our dear friends at Anti-Corruption want to make sure nothing slips through the net." Oliver spoke as he closed his office door and joined them. Cole sighed and leaned back in his chair.

Morgan glanced at the board and to Hallie. "Is this all of it?"

Hallie nodded and connected her laptop to the projector that hung on the ceiling. Morgan waited until she sat down and clicked a button on the voice recorder.

"This is Detective Chief Inspector Morgan Chester; I am in the presence of my team from the Serious Crime Unit. Superintendent Oliver Bruce, Detective Inspector Cole Dawson, Detective Inspector Rowan Anderson, Family Liaison Officer Dakota York, and Forensic Technical Analyst Hallie Carter. Here to conduct the profiling of the Camden Market Attack, and the kidnapping of Bobby Ryan." She spoke professionally and rolled her eyes.

"Our two victims from Camden Market are nineteen-year-old Layla James, and seventeen-year old Yolanda Aya. Both sex workers in the Camden and Kings Cross area. Layla James is at St. Thomas' Hospital recovering. Yolanda Aya unfortunately died at the scene."

They reported their findings for the next hour to the recorder. Cole presented what he found at the brothel. Rowan handed a copy of Frankie's statement to Morgan to relay into the recorder. They sounded professional but behind the scenes they were making fun of the Anti-Corruption department.

"I have arranged to reunite Frankie and the baby." Rowan grinned. Morgan patted him on the shoulder.

"Great work, mate." Cole cheered and high fived him. He got up to grab his coat.

"Where do you think you're going?" Hallie blurted. Cole turned to look at her with a puzzled look.

"I was going to get everyone a coffee?" He implied.

"Sit down Anderson." She barked and he followed orders. Morgan bit her lip to hide her amusement.

"Hallie, the floor is yours." She announced. Hallie huffed and pulled her hair to one side.

"Thank you. Now I want all your complete attention, you miss anything I say, then you better hope someone took notes as I am not repeating myself." Hallie warned as she switched the projector on. Her desktop flashed up on the wall behind her. She clicked buttons and various reports and photographs from the autopsy flooded the wall.

"Holy shit." Cole muttered and Rowan held up the swear jar to him. Cole glared at him as he stuffed a five-pound note in. "That should cover me."

"I couldn't find any fibres or DNA from either of the girls, it's coming up zilch." Hallie sighed and Morgan smiled half-heartedly at her.

"You did all you could." Morgan assured her but Hallie bowed her head.

"I may have been beaten by the DNA, but I did find something on the couple who were adopting the baby." She paused and pulled up a photograph of couple in their early 40s smiling into the camera. The tall thin man had jet black hair with the hairline receding. The woman had her light brown hair pulled into a stylish bun, she was more plump than her husband. "This is Mr. David and Mrs. Annabel Brown."

"They seem normal..." Cole trailed off.

"Oh, it starts to get creepy." Hallie replied and pulled up Facebook. Cole sniggered as it showed Hallie's page. She flushed as she quickly clicked onto another tab on the webpage.

"It turns out this perfect couple, is indeed worshippers of the horned lord. This is the page promoting the group and you guessed it, they are the founders of this twisted cult." Hallie shuddered.

"Where does the baby come into it?" Oliver questioned.

"Usually a lamb or goat can used for satanic rituals, but most cults believe a new-born baby is better because they are pure." Dakota spoke up. Rowan turned around in his chair.

"You seem to know a lot about this?" He suggested.

"I had a roommate who read a lot into this stuff." She shrugged.

"Back to Mr. and Mrs. Creepy. They do not have personal Facebook accounts, but I ran their details through the database and get this," She paused and flicked a police report open. "A teenage girl reported them for attempted kidnapping. The charges were soon dropped, and nothing came out of it."

"The members of the group must have threatened her, made her scared to open her mouth." Cole muttered and cursed again.

"Have you got an address for this couple?" Morgan asked and Hallie rolled her eyes.

"Again, you underestimate me Chester. I have their home address."

"Can we get a warrant to search the premises?" Oliver asked.

"Yes sir, I can put the request in now." Hallie stuttered. Oliver made her nervous with his strong build and piercing eyes.

"No need, I'll go get it myself." He smiled at her and she eased. The office phone rung and Dakota raced to answer it.

"Serious Crimes Unit, Dakota York speaking." She answered graciously. In the background Morgan ordered for Cole and Rowan to visit the Brown's residence with the warrant. Oliver was already on his way to speak with the Commissioner. Dakota hung up the phone sheepishly.

"Everything okay?" Morgan asked. Dakota looked up at her and bit her lip. She walked to the recorder and made sure it was still on.

"There has been an update in the case. Whoever did this, went back to finish the job. Layla James has been murdered."