MAG 49: The Butcher’s Window

Statement of Gregory Pryor regarding his investigations into one Hector Laredo during the summer of 2007.
==Statement==
Gregory Pryor is a private investigator who used to work for the police; he refuses to say why he left. In June 2007, Nicola Laredo asked him to investigate her husband, Hector. She wanted a divorce, but due to their prenup, she wouldn't get anything out of the proceedings without evidence that he was cheating on her.
Hector worked for the IT department of a shipping and delivery company based in Liverpool Street. His wife didn't believe his recent claims of having to frequently work late and Gregory decided to shadow him. Hector left work at 6pm and went to Barking, then south over the A13 and before arriving in an industrial estate. In one of the warehouses on River Road, he went into a warehouse marked 'For Sale'. A red SUV pulled up and two Ukrainians in tracksuits spoke to him. After a short exchange, they handed Hector a brown envelope obviously full of money, while Hector opened the briefcase to reveal a white package of what looked to be heroin.
Later, when Gregory was still tailing Hector, he lost the briefcase. He returned to the Ukrainians to explain, but they just gave him a note with an address and a message: "Ask for Jared". The next day, Nicola told Gregory that Hector had not returned home last night and that she needed confirmation that he was dead, if he was. She agreed to pay Gregory a large sum of money to get evidence of his death.
Gregory went to the address from the note, a butcher's shop in Stockwell. Although meat dripped in the window, there was nothing inside. Past a thick, soundproof steel door was the backroom, inside which was a table with a tarpaulin over it. Removing the tarpaulin, Gregory found Hector, whose waxy skin suggested that he was dead. After taking a few photos he turned to leave, but saw a tall, bulky figure at the door to the building. He hid in a nearby locker and saw the 7-foot-tall man with too thick limbs walk in.
This man, most likely Jared, removed the tarpaulin from Hector before he reached inside him and pulled out a handful of ribs. As he did this, Hector awoke and screamed. Jared twisted the ribs as though they were warm putty in his hand and crafted a braid. Seemingly dissatisfied, he lifted one of the floor tiles to reveal a glistening, teeth-lined hole into which he threw the braid.
Hector quickly lost consciousness, but for the next four hours Jared removed his bones, changed their shape and threw them into the hole. He even removed Hector's femur, fashioned it into a spiral and placed it in himself. Hector eventually died, and Jared sighed in disappointment. He dismembered the body and threw it down into the hole, then sat down and closed his eyes.
After a few minutes, Gregory crept out of the locker and headed for the door. As he opened the thick steel door, an ambulance drove past, sirens blaring. Jared leapt up and charged towards him. Gregory was able to close the door on Jared, but not before Jared grabbed his arm, removing the bones therein.
The police didn't find Jared, but Nicola was happy with the result. His arm was eventually amputated, although he sometimes feels like it's still somewhere, moving in someone else's arm.
== Post-Statement ==
Jonathan Sims believes that this is clearly the Jared Hopworth from MAG 17. Although there's no account of the book, it's possible that Jared doesn't need it anymore. Jonathan isn't sure what to make of the pit, but mentions that it puts him in mind of other meaty cases.
Gregory emigrated to New Zealand in 2013 following a tax evasion scandal. Nicola confirmed the details of the case, but Martin let slip some of the more gory details of Hector's death to the widow and Jonathan suspects another complaint might be on the cards soon.
Sasha James is unable to use her usual technical skills to gain access to the police reports, supposedly because her computer has broken down. Tim used his connections (romantic involvements with two staff members in the police office: one of the young ladies in one shift and the man who manages the other one) to get a copy of the police records, which explains that clothing belonging to at least 14 people was recovered from the butcher's shop, including 5 missing persons. There was nothing under the floor except the body of Harry Gough, the owner of the establishment who has been dead for 6 months. 
Jared Hopworth is still at large.
== Supplemental ==
Jonathan has investigated Elias but he is hard to pin down. He graduated with a 3rd in PPE from Christ Church but was apparently something of a pothead at college. He joined the Institute in 1991, working in artefact storage, and took over as head of the Institute just 5 years later when his predecessor James Wright passed away. Wright was head of the Institute from 1973 to 1996 and the only person who also worked there before Elias took over was Gertrude. John wonders if Elias could have killed her to hide something about his past.
== Continuity ==
* The actions above attributed to Sasha James are actually Not-Sasha, who replaced Sasha in MAG 39, though her colleagues are not aware of her deception at this point.
* Related Entity: The Flesh
** Jared Hopworth is an avatar of The Flesh
** The "Pit" mentioned may be connected to the meat pit in The Last Feast
Category:The Magnus Archives Episodes