the Aviary part 1

The Aviary:
“Only by the Night”
“Part One”

The night's rain was a welcomed relief from the streaming hot weather that London had been enduring through the long summer, the closeness of the air had gone and now the city could take a breath. But this wasn't in a single thought in Alan Stone's mind as he rushed to his car with deep red blood running down his hands.
It didn't take him long to get to where he was going as he pulled up outside the police station, not even having the mind to close the car door or turn the engine off as he made his way inside.
Inside a young uniform officer sat behind the main desk quietly eating a apple but his peace wasn't long lived as Alan walked inside. The light from the above lights shown his top and jeans covered blood as well as his hands. Slowly he walked up to the young officer, shock now covered the officer's face as he asked without thought “ Can I help you?”
Alan was quiet for a moment as not only blood but tears now ran down his face but then he replied “I'd like to report a murder......hmm Its my wife” Alan's voice was sore as he spoke.
“I murdered my wife”
“OK I'll call someone sir please want there” the young officer's heart was now beating as he picked up the phone and speed dialled the homicide department.

It was the next morning and the sun had taken hold over the city of London once again. The hot air was to much for Sarah to take as she awoke in her bed. It was taking her breath away. After a moment went by she got up and opened the windows. The breeze felt nice on her skin as she went back to lay on her bed. It took a while for her to wake up in the mornings, but that is why she had her routine.
First it a was shower washing the night away, then it was breakfast, toast and a cup of tea. By that time she was ready to be ready for work.
Working for Sarah wasn't the normal 9 to 5 typing in some office. That sort of life wasn't for this girl. Work for Sarah was working a murder case, tracking the murder and putting them away for a long time. At least it used to be these days it was turning up on time work some crap cold case and trying not to get fired.
Detective Inspector Sarah Green worked for Scotland yard, at least she used to work for Scotland Yard. That was before she was assigned to the one of the smallest out of way stations in the city, she guessed that the powers that be just wanted her out of the way. They couldn't just fire her, she thought as she got dressed.
It was slow punishment working the cold cases at Ravenstone Police Station, she always knew she would but she didn't think she would in the starting years of her career, but that was her deal and she wasn't going to let them win.

By the time she made to the station the sun had come out fully and breeze had gone, and to her shock and surprise outside news reporters and journalists were being pushed back by the local uniform officers.
“what the hell is going on?” she asked one of uniform officers as she made through the crowd to the station from doors. The officer didn't answer as he had his hands full. Inside she was surprised by the emptiness of the front desk. Not even the handsome young officer that said “ Hello” to her was there, something was up.

Making her way quickly through the back she finally found someone.
“Hey Chris what's happening around here as Elvis come back to life?” she said jokingly to DI Chris Snow one only few friends she had made during her stay at Ravenstone.
“ No something even better, do you know who Alan Stone is?”
Sarah quickly searched her mind before answering. “ Isn't he that guy that wrote those children books about talking toys?” she replied as she and Chris made there way through the hallway.
“Yeah well he confessed to murdering her wife last night..” Sarah's face changed to shock as Chris went on “..came in last night and confessed to everything.” Chris was almost like a school boy again as he nonce around as he walked with Sarah to the cold case department offices.
“You are loving this Chris I've never seen you so harper” Sarah asked making her way to her desk.
“God yeah do you know now long it as been since this station as been involved in a murder investigation?...let me tell you I've never been and I've been here for ten years”
Chris could hardly stand still almost jumping on the stop in front of Sarah.
“Better hope you get the case then” Sarah replied as she made herself at home once again at her desk.
“No I haven't got the case, but you have!” Chris said with a smile on his face. Sarah wished she had the same smile at that moment but she couldn't help be surprised that she was chosen.
“OK? Why me?” She had to ask.
“Because I put in a good word in for you with the big boys upstairs. I said that they would be fools if they didn't one of the finest DI's they have got working at the station at not have her take lead in the investigation...” Sarah almost was going to speak but she was cut off by the appearance of the big boss of the station.
DI Steven Smith was a ugly pig of a man, Sarah hated being in the seem room as him. He always smelled of a 1000 cigarettes and sweat mixed together and no matter now hard he tried to look clean he would always manage to have a tea mark running down his top.
“As you have heard by now you have been given the Alan Stone case” a note of dislike in his voice come across very strong like his breath as he throw the brown case file on her desk.
“Try not to mess this one up like you did the Goldstone case or we will all be out of a job” he half said as he made his way to his own desk on the other side of the room.
Sarah was in two mind weather or not to reply but she didn't want to knock as it came clean that this could be her ticket back doing real police work in the city.
“So did I do good?” Chris asked with his brown puppy dog eyes and sweet smile. Sarah smiled and gave Chris a small kiss on his forehead.
“You did very good Chris, now where is Alan Stone?” She said as she got, taking the file with her, Chris smiled even more at Sarah.
“He is where he as been all night...in interview room 11” Chris replied. Sarah thanked him and made her way to interview room 11, smiling her self now.

Interview room 11 was on the other side of the station but it wasn't long before Sarah was there, reading the case file as she walked.
Alan Stone, as the case file noted, was 29 when he hit the writing market with his first book and to everyone's surprise it hit big. Winning Alan a whole list of awards, money and fame so the question was why murder his wife?
Sarah thought on the question all the way down the hall passing the normal offices and sights but it was when she finally got interview room 11 that she noticed a handsome if not to thin man standing outside the interview look in through the wooden door. He was wearing a long black raincoat , Sarah also noticed, and his hair was messy and brown. He was someone that Sarah had never seen before and she was going ask him what he was doing there but before she could he walked away at slow speed reaching out of her sight within seconds.
It was strange but Sarah had other things on her mind as she entered the room. Alan was sat the only table in the room alone smoking a cigarette blood was dry to the skin of his hands as he took another drag and then another. Was this a man who could murder his wife?
“Hello Mister Stone I'm DI Sarah Green I'll will be handling your case from now on...”
Sarah said as she sat down at the table placing the file in front of her but before she could continue Alan cut himself in.
“There is no case Miss Green I murdered my wife!!! I did now will you just lock me away please!!!” he so much said as shouted at Sarah.
“Calm down Mister Stone and just tell me one thing and please think about it....” Alan looked at Sarah as he waited for her question.
“ Why did you do it ?” She couldn't help but ask.
Alan looked shocked by the question, he took a moment as he put out the cigarette and lit another one.
“You wouldn't understand this but in my own way I saved her, I saved her life.” Sarah was puzzled by the answer she got, Alan was right she didn't understand.
“I'm done talking Miss Green” Alan went silent after that remaining to sit there smoking until to uniform officers came in to the room to take Alan to his cell.
Sarah was puzzled by Alan's answer as it kept on playing in her head as the day went by “ I saved her, I saved her life” it didn't make sense.

Sarah had work to do as the day the was spent canvassing Alan Stone's neighbourhood so the man through the other's eyes. But that was a dead end as everyone on his street said the same.
“ He was a nice guy”
“ Very quit and normal”
The list went on it and on, so did Sarah's mind trying to find why he had murdered his wife, in Sarah's world everything had a reason. The day had all but gone by the time it reached 8 o'clock. Darkness had fallen over the city everywhere people were getting ready settled in their homes, but Sarah was just about to go to her home.
The trip from her desk to the car park was easy and uneventful all around silent had fallen as well as the darkness.

Sarah unlocked her car door but before she could get inside she heard someone move, walk behind her, she froze to the stop.
“Who's there?” Sarah asked but there was no reply. Sarah wasn't one to wait around or play games but as she quickly turned she saw no one there, was it in her head?
Again Sarah tried to open the car door. Getting inside this time she placed her bag and files on the seat next to her, she was about to start the engine, go home and read the files again before going to sleep but it seemed that fate had another ideas.
The car's engine started and then she heard someone move in the back seat, Sarah looked through the rear view mirror.
“Good evening Sarah...I need your help” a soft manly voice said in the darkness of the back-seat. Sarah quickly turned on the inside light to discover the same man from the hall way.
“ Who are you?” Sarah asked, her hand ready on the car handle.
“My name is David Quinn and I need your help before Alan Stone goes to prison for something he didn't do” David giving Sarah a strange cocky smile.
Sarah didn't know why for some reason she trusted him, like she knew him from somewhere before today.
“What do you want Mister, if your a journalist I'm not interested.” Sarah said.
“ I'm not a journalist Sarah I work for the Aviary you may of heard of us around the police force?” Sarah remembered hearing something about the Aviary a few years during one of her own investigations. They were like the police but they were really funded by the M.O.D.
But what they really did Sarah did not and as she thought about it she knew no one that did, this was a good idea. She could finally find out.
“What can I do for you?” Sarah asked.
David gave a smile as he moved forward to face Sarah.
“I need you to help me find a doll, a very rare kind of doll. I'm not from around here and I need someone with knowledge to find it. So are you up for it I mean I realize that doll hurting is above a Detective Inspector but it would do me a fave.”
Sarah went quite and for that moment she said was go to say know, but in the end she couldn't say anything but “Yes”.

And so without another question Sarah driven by some strange trust she had in this man she pulled out of the car park. Both of them, unaware that they were being watched by black eyes in the dark night, headed out. The black fade in to the darkness out of sight but not out of sound as the sound of soft foot steps echoed across the empty police car but no one could be seen. They were heading to the police the foot steps soft and with a beat, just like a heart beat....


To be continued....