The City of Fear

By Ernest Douglas Hall

‘O-K John I’ll just put him on. Joe took the phone from Jane. ‘Hello John what can I do for.’
‘You won't believe it Joe but we have another one already and according to the constable on site he says it’s just like the one this morning, can you come down now Joe or are you too busy ‘No John I’ll get to you soon, where are you.’ It’s just at the bottom of Bell Street.’ ‘O-k then Boss I’ll see you there.’
Joe put on his shoes then his coat and told Jane not to wait up for him.
When he got to Bell Street he could see a crowd of people standing at the bottom of the street. When he got to where the crowd was he had to push his way through and when he got through he could see John standing talking to a constable.
‘Hello Joe good of you to come at short notice, but I could not face all this site work on my own, it would be very early morning before I could get home, as it is, it might still be the middle of the night, it looks like another young lad, it’s just like this morning he is cut up pretty bad to I-D him will be a nightmare, ‘Joe I am starting to think the Doctor may be right, right Joe take out your little black book and take a walk around that lot to see if anybody has seen anything.’ He pointed to the crowd of onlookers. ‘O-k Boss I’m onto it now, but I don’t think we will get anyone who saw anything.’
Joe walked towards the crowd of people.
John went back to where the body was lying. A police Pathologist was on his knees by the body.
‘Hell Dick.’ ‘Hello John.’ ‘Well Dick what can you tell me.’ ‘Not much yet but I would say he died about one hour ago, and well you can see what he died of, he is cut to ribbons it has got to be a mad man or woman, I mean the poor kid has no face left to look at.’ ‘Yes Dick we have a mad killer on our hands, can you let me have your full autopsy report as soon as you can.’ ‘O-k John I’ll get the body sent to the lab right away, then I will make the post-mortem and I’ll get the report to you as soon as it’s done, I think it will be about twelve
O-clock, but it looks like it’s identical as the one this morning.’ ‘O-k Dick do what you do best.’
John turned back to look for Joe. He spotted him talking to a man with a dog. And Joe was writing something down in his notepad.
John waited until Joe was finished then approached him.
‘Well John that gent I was talking to, said he was out walking his dog along the bottom bit of bell street, when a big man dressed all in black came running past him, he said the man was not a jogger because of the way he was running he was running in a big hurry he did not see the face of the runner because he had a mask over his face, I have asked the man to come into the station in the morning to make a full statement, I mean do you remember what the Doctor said, he said James Dunbar was a very big man, I took down the man’s address.’ ‘Right Joe there is not much more we can do here tonight so off you go or I’ll be getting hung off your Jane, so good night and thanks for coming and I’ll see you in the morning.’
James Dunbar stood watching the young policeman writing something down. He

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ernest Douglas Hall
• Release date: Oct 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301768738

Ernest Douglas Hall

I am 77 years of age and I live in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne England. I was born on the 14 September in the year 1935. I am a married man and have five children and 35 grand children and great grand children. I have written 55 books and my one aim in life is to see my work published.

Book preview

The City Of Fear

By

Ernest Douglas Hall

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 © Ernest Douglas Hall

All Rights Reserved.

CHAPTER 1

Doctor Alan Morrison. Was driving along a long country road when he spotted the end of his journey.

He drove his car up to the entrance and turned into the drive then stopped. In front of him was a large board and written upon it was MELWAY HOUSE Mental Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Doctor M Bowman.

He set his car rolling again and approached the large old house as he grew near he could see that at the back of the house was a new extension and the new part of the hospital was as long as the old part. He noted that every window had inch thick bars and behind the bars was thick wire mesh. He nodded his approval to what he could see and thought to himself that it was a very good thing when he thought of what was locked up behind these walls.

Doctor Morrison pulled his car into the car park. He could see about ten cars parked up. He got out of his car and approached the main entrance which had a policeman standing outside. As he walked up the six steps to the front door the policeman lifted up his hand to make a half salute and said ‘good morning sir can I help you.’ ‘I have come to see a Doctor Bowman I have an appointment with the Doctor, my name is Doctor Alan Morrison.’ ‘Oh yes sir I was told to expect you, will you please go in the reception is on your right.’

He entered the building and walked up to the desk a woman was sitting at her desk typing. He handed her his card and said. ‘Good morning I have come to see Doctor Bowman.’ ‘Oh yes sir will you follow me.

She led the way down a very long passage he could see that the passage was both new and old it went right through the old and new buildings she came to a halt outside a door marked rest room. She led the way into the room. Inside sat about nine or ten people drinking tea or coffee.

She went around the table to a woman of about thirty years of age.

The woman stood up and walked around the table and held out her hand. ‘Hello I’m Doctor Bowman and you must be Doctor Morrison from Leeds.’

‘That’s correct I want to discuss the release of James Dunbar’ ‘Yes I thought you might, well won't you come along with me to my office.’

She turned to face the woman who had brought Alan here. ‘Mary could you bring some coffee, or would you prefer tea

Mr Morrison.’ ‘Oh coffee will be fine thank you.’ He followed her along the same passage until they came to a very large door. She pushed it open and begged him to go in. ‘Please take a seat.’

Alan sat down and took out a folder. Her office was very bright and it had bowls of fresh flowers around the room.

Doctor Bowman went around her large desk and sat down. When she saw that Alan had settled she spoke.

‘Well now Doctor what can you want with Mr Dunbar, is it because he is to be released in two days time, that being Friday.’ ‘That’s why I’m here trying to make you change your mind, you see I have known James all his life, and I can tell you it’s been a very eventful life.’ ‘Yes but let me assure you that James is now ready for the outside world.’ ‘Hold it you can’t let him out into the world he is insane and you know that.’

‘No we think he is quite well now, and he will be able to live in some style as his mother died and left him a small fortune.’ ‘Yes that may well be, but I think if you let him go free he will go back to his old ways, and I think he will get worse as time goes on and believe me that would be a big mistake on your part.’ ‘I disagree we have trust in him now we even give him tools such as an axe and knives and hammers and the like, and he used them for the purpose that they were made for.’ ‘That might be the case but was he under supervision at the time.’ ‘Oh yes he was.’ Alan cut her short and said. ‘Well Miss Bowman that’s why he did nothing, he never had a witness when he was up to his tricks, well not a live one any-way, let me read you some of his case history, he started when he was just seven years old, he had taken an axe from the garden tool shed and attacked the family pet cat, he hit the animal ten times before it died, it was a mess, this incidence was put to one side by his father, but a year later he did the same with a very small puppy dog. But this time he had to strike just twice and the puppy’s head was struck from its body, that’s when his mother brought him to see me.

At the time all I could do was prescribe drugs to try to calm him down, but two years later he was seen by his next door neighbour, he poured petrol over a large dog and then set fire to it, he had gone to far and was sent to an open air hospital, he was there for three years, and I was horrified when he was released and I told the medical board about my feelings but I was told that he was cured.

Then he was just out of hospital for six weeks when he stabbed and killed a young boy, then he was sent here, that was ten years ago, well I am going to ask you not to let him go free.’

Doctor Bowman had been sitting quietly and now looked up at Alan. ‘I know that you must be a bit apprehensive about James but we have made up our minds and he will be gone from here on Friday.’ And I hope you don’t hear from James Dunbar again because if you do it won’t be very nice.’

CHAPTER 2

THE FIRST KILL

It was late on Saturday night in the city of Leeds. Two young men came out of a nightclub they stood and talked for about ten minutes.

Little did they know that a man stood in the shadows across the street? Then one of them said goodnight and went off up the road. The second man started to go down the main road. At first he kept well back because the road was well lit up. Then the young man turned into an alleyway the man following quickened his step. When he reached the alleyway he had cut the distance between him and the young man by half. He was just about thirty yards behind him. The young man did not seem to be in no hurry. The man stopped and looked at his watch it was half past one. He quickened his step he was now only ten yards behind the young man. Then the young man must have heard him because he turned to see who was following. He turned back and started walking again. He started to walk in the opposite direction. The man in the shadows started after him. He followed the young man down the alleyway the, The young man felt a tremendous thump in the back young man swung around not knowing that he had an axe embedded in his back now the real pain hit him. Then he knew he had been hit with an axe, he tried to reach back to get hold of the axe. The