by Wyer, Carol
‘How very convenient,’ said Natalie, scowling at the news.
Lucy continued, ‘Sutton is only twenty-fives miles away from Watfield, and he might have returned. The neighbour who thought she saw him near Jane Hopkins’ house could have been right after all.’
Natalie spoke up again. ‘If he was around, somebody else must have seen him. He had a grudge against the Longs – about non-payment for work he’d done to their property – but as for murdering their daughter over it, or even killing his stepdaughter, well, it doesn’t make any sense at all. Still, we have to interview him.’ Natalie rubbed her head again then rested her palms against the desk. The nausea was worsening.
Murray injected, ‘Doesn’t Lance Hopkins do building work – odd jobs and DIY stuff? He might know about the fly-tipping spot where Harriet was found.’
‘Good point. Lucy, get onto West Midlands again and obtain a list of building sites where he might be working.’
Ian cleared his throat. ‘I did some checking up on Lance. As you know he was charged with being drunk and disorderly and brawling in a pub last year. Turns out the person he was arguing and fighting with was Kyle Yates, who lives with Melissa Long, Harriet’s mum. Might be important.’
Natalie’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Kyle definitely kept quiet about that when we spoke to him. That’s interesting and it might account for why he couldn’t look me in the eye. I’ll tackle him on that subject. Okay. Maybe Lance does have more motive than we first imagined.’ She wet her lips before continuing. She had one more line of enquiry she wanted to follow up.
‘I don’t want to make unnecessary work for us but there’s something else we should look into. The case file I requested from Manchester is regarding Alisha Kumar, a fourteen-year-old girl who went missing back in 2014. Her parents ran an Indian restaurant and by all accounts they were a well-liked, well-respected family. When Alisha disappeared on her way home from school, her parents notified MisPer immediately. She was missing overnight, and the following morning her body turned up in the alley close to her parents’ restaurant, propped up beside a pile of refuse sacks. Although several suspects were interviewed, none were charged and the killer wasn’t found. It’s a long shot but we need to check that none of those suspects have moved into the Watfield area.’
‘You think we’re dealing with the same killer?’ Ian asked.
‘We might be. Let’s not rule out that possibility until we’ve checked their current whereabouts. It might even be a copycat killing – somebody who read about Alisha’s murder. It was high-profile at the time, especially in the Manchester area, so our killer could have been living there in 2014.
‘Ian, check up on those suspects. Lucy, once you’ve spoken to West Midlands Police, talk to Savannah’s friends – Sally Gilmore and Holly Bradshaw – again and try to get more information about her online activities. Mention the Disappear website and see if you get a reaction. Find out if they or Savannah knew Harriet Long and press them again about who she might have been going to meet – a boyfriend, her stepdad, anyone. Murray, when you’ve spoken to Stu and the manager at Tenby House and Garden Services, interview Harriet’s closest friends, especially Emily Rowley. I’ll speak to the victims’ mothers and tackle Kyle about that incident with Lance. Harriet’s mobile is with Forensics. They’re trying to work out where that last video was filmed and they’ll send details of her online activity soon. Ian, let me know if anything raises any alarm bells. Finally, in case you aren’t aware, the newspapers are full of Savannah Hopkins’ murder this morning. It’s going to be a media feeding frenzy, especially once they announce details of Harriet’s death. I don’t need to remind you to say nothing to the press. We can’t have anything leaking that will prevent us from catching this murderer. That’s it for the moment.’
With her head now pounding wildly, she made for the door and marched down the corridor, praying nobody would stop her. Once on the floor below, she sped up and only just reached the toilets in time before she threw up. She bent over the toilet bowl and heaved again until her stomach was empty, then pressed her palms against the wall and calmed her racing heart. Bloody wine and lack of sleep. She needed to smarten up her act sharpish. She had a team to lead. She flushed the toilet and crossed to the sink where she splashed cold water onto her face, staring at her reflection as she did so. Mike had been right when he commented on how jaded she looked. She’d aged five years in one night. Fuck it. There were more important things than wrinkles and baggy eyes. She waited while hot air blew her hands dry, then ran fingers through her hair, adjusted her jacket and strode back upstairs purposefully.
Lucy and Murray left headquarters at the same time. The rain was still tumbling and they jogged across the car park and halted beside Murray’s Jeep, next to Lucy’s Peugeot. ‘You think she’s up to it?’ Murray asked.
‘Natalie? Of course she is. What makes you think otherwise?’
‘She seemed off her game today. She flew through that briefing and hardly took a breath. Not like her.’
‘Well, Sherlock, I think you’ll find that’s down to working a straight forty-eight hours with no breaks and not enough food. It’s amazing she can still function at all. I’d be dead on my feet.’
‘One of the joys of heading a murder investigation.’
‘There is no joy in leading a murder investigation,’ said Lucy, her face suddenly serious.
‘True. By the way, Yolande wanted you to know she’s bought some outfits for Spud. She’s taking them around to Bethany later today.’
Bethany was nineteen weeks pregnant with Spud, who’d acquired the nickname after Bethany had compared the size of the growing baby to a jacket potato she was eating. Spud was now approximately the size of a mango but the name had stuck.
‘She didn’t have to do that.’
‘I think she did. She wants to treat it like she would any friend’s new baby, as if it has nothing to do with me.’
‘What about you? How do you feel about becoming a father?’
‘I’m cool about it. You and Bethany needed a sperm donation and that’s what I gave. I’m not really a proper father and I don’t want any involvement either – only as a friend to you both.’
‘It’s going to be weird, though, isn’t it? Seeing a baby that you helped create.’
‘It’s only weird if you let it be. We all agreed. Yolande was on board too. We’ll be supportive mates and that’s it.’
Lucy gave him a long look that he ignored. They’d talked and talked about this before Murray had offered a sperm donation, but now the baby was real and would be arriving in a few months, Lucy wondered if he and Yolande might not have changed their minds and want more involvement in the child’s life.
He threw her a wide smile. ‘Don’t worry. We won’t interfere. Yolande’s bought some cute sleepsuits. She couldn’t resist them even though you won’t need them for months.’
‘That’s very thoughtful.’ Lucy decided she’d have to wait to see how things developed after Spud was born and trust her good friends to stick to their promise.
‘Yeah, well, as long as she doesn’t get any ideas of us having kids yet. I couldn’t deal with that. I’m not ready for such commitment.’
‘She won’t. She’s already got one big kid in her life. She couldn’t cope with two of you.’
Murray gave her the finger but she grinned and slipped into her car without acknowledging it.
Natalie hadn’t yet left the building. Superintendent Aileen Melody had requested an update on the investigation and so she had dutifully raced upstairs to deliver it. She was surprised to see her superior in dress uniform, normally reserved for funerals or functions. Aileen was standing up behind her desk; her jacket, with the crown insignia displayed on epaulettes, was hanging on the back of her chair. Her hair was pulled back from her face and showed off sharp cheekbones and serious eyes. Aileen had fought her way to this position and took no nonsense from anyone, including Natalie.
Aileen wasted no time gett
ing to the point. ‘I’ve orders from above to hold a press conference and get media support. They might be able to reach out to witnesses who spotted either or both of the girls. I can’t say it’s what I would choose to do because I don’t like admitting we have few answers and I don’t want the son of a bitch responsible for these murders to even consider for one second that we aren’t onto him. So, tell me… are you making headway?’
Honesty was always the best policy as far as dealing with Aileen was concerned. She could be firm but also fair. ‘It’s messy at the moment. We’ve got a few potential suspects, and as soon as we’ve done some more digging, we’ll bring them in for interview. We’re looking at several angles but it’s not going to be quick or simple.’
Aileen stared at her without blinking. ‘That’s where we have the problem. This killer, who we assume has killed both these girls, is still out there, and the public will be extremely anxious about this situation, yet I can’t reassure them that their children are safe until we have a suspect in custody. You don’t have the luxury of time, Natalie. The perp kidnapped one girl on Monday and another on Tuesday. If one goes missing today, there’ll be an almighty hoo-ha. Which is why I have to talk to the press and get the message out.’
Natalie stood with hands behind her back. There was nothing to add. Aileen was under pressure from above and Natalie was being press-ganged to perform, but she and her team could only work at their pace, and no amount of ear-bashing would change that. She cleared her throat. ‘It’s been a little over forty-eight hours since we discovered Savannah. We’ve worked through the night, and the investigation got sidelined by Harriet’s disappearance, which we had to also investigate given her connection to one of our suspects. I have only got three officers, one who can’t work to full capacity. If you want instant results, I suggest you supply me with a much larger team or a magician.’
She held Aileen’s cool gaze. The super shook her head. ‘I requested more officers and my request was denied. There’s simply insufficient manpower and I can’t reassign officers currently working on other cases to you at the moment.’
‘Then we can only work as fast and as efficiently as we are. I have everyone working flat out and have a number of leads.’ Natalie stood firm.
‘Okay. It’s been a tough morning. We’re all devastated that two teenagers have been murdered on our patch and I’ve had to answer a lot of questions from the powers that be. I don’t need to tell you how serious this is. All eyes are on us, Natalie. We can’t be seen to be lacking in any way. None of us can.’
The subtext of her words was transparent. Natalie didn’t profess to understand the politics that played out in the force but she was convinced Aileen was embroiled in them. If Natalie’s team didn’t get this right, it would reflect badly on Aileen, but as much as she respected her, she didn’t give a stuff about her reasons for wanting a result. Natalie had her own – she had to catch the bastard. There was no way she was going to let them harm another child. She held her peace and waited to be dismissed.
Aileen did so with a wave of her hand and then called out, ‘Natalie, how the hell did the perp manage to move Savannah to Western Park and Harriet to Bramshall woods without being spotted?’
Natalie stopped mid-stride and spun back around. ‘We’re checking CCTV footage and will follow up on all vehicles in both vicinities.’
The answer appeared to satisfy Aileen, who gave a brief nod and said, ‘I want to be updated regularly.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Natalie left, wishing she hadn’t gone upstairs and wasted time smoothing down Aileen’s ruffled feathers. They hadn’t enough manpower as it was, and keeping her away from the investigation was irritating. She thundered downstairs and into the lobby, ignoring the people gathered at the front desk.
She was halfway across the car park when she heard her name being shouted and turned to see the woman in the red jacket scuttling after her. Natalie strode away and reached her car before the woman caught up with her.
‘DI Ward. I’m Bev Gardiner of the Watfield Herald. I saw you at Bramshall woods. Are you now also investigating the murder of Harriet Long as well as Savannah Hopkins?’
She waved a hand at the woman. ‘No comment. You’ll have to wait for the press conference.’
She yanked open the car door and eased onto the driver’s seat.
The woman was still talking. ‘How do you as a mother feel about these abductions? You must be deeply concerned that somebody is targeting teenage girls.’
Natalie opened her mouth to tell Bev if she mentioned her family in any article she’d sue the arse off the woman, then shut it again. Ignoring the woman, she reversed and drove away. Fucking media!
* * *
He turned up the radio and chuckled deeply as he listened again to Melissa Long’s tearful plea for her daughter to return.
‘She’s not coming home alive, Melissa! Although you’ll probably know that by now,’ he said.
The interview she’d given earlier that day was still being played hourly on each news bulletin. Soon the presenters would take it off and replace it with a solemn announcement telling the listeners the tragic news that Harriet Long had been found dead in Bramshall woods.
He stroked his shoulder, caressing the snake. It had enjoyed the kill, easing around Harriet’s throat slowly, so slowly, and watching the terror manifest in her eyes quickly, followed swiftly by resignation. She’d surrendered without a fight in the full knowledge there was no point in struggling. He’d whispered why he’d chosen her and he was sure he’d spotted a tear in her eyes before the light had gone out in them.
The news had ended and he still had plans to make. He’d enjoyed messing with the police. By now, they’d have found the video he’d shot and uploaded to the Disappear website. He’d made it easy for them and placed the mobile next to a message for the police to find. It would be interesting to see if the investigating team understood the clues he’d left for them. He doubted they would. They were no match for him and the snake.
* * *
Lucy sat with Holly and Sally in the head teacher’s office once more. This time she spoke to the girls together and with their form teacher, Kirsty Davies, present; they seemed more at ease than they had with the head teacher, Mr Derry. Kirsty had warned Lucy the girls were more upset today. The realisation of what had happened to Savannah had sunk in and Lucy thought both girls looked paler and much more subdued. Sally’s eyes were pink and Holly sported dark bags – the sign of a bad night’s sleep. They’d gone back over everything they’d already told Lucy, and now she asked about Harriet.
‘Do either of you know Harriet Long?’
Sally glanced at her friend and shook her head. ‘Never heard of her.’
Lucy showed them a photograph of Harriet.
‘Is she missing too?’ asked Holly.
‘She went missing yesterday,’ said Lucy, not wanting to frighten or upset the girls further by telling them Harriet was dead.
‘I might have seen her about town,’ said Sally.
‘Did you ever talk to her?’
‘No, but I’m sure I’ve seen her.’
‘Were you with Savannah when you saw her?’
‘I don’t think so. Savannah wouldn’t have spoken to her either.’ She suddenly reached for a tissue and blew her nose. The mention of her friend’s name had set her off again and her eyes filled with tears.
‘Did Savannah ever talk about Harriet or any friends from Lincoln Fields School?’
‘We’re not friends with anyone from that school. It’s the other side of Watfield.’
‘But you must bump into pupils from time to time in town or around Watfield, in cafés or the cinema or at the bowling alley. You can’t avoid them all,’ Lucy said.
Sally looked at her with big eyes. ‘We don’t hang out with them.’
‘Why not?’ Lucy asked.
Holly leapt to her friend’s defence. ‘She means there’s an us and them situation.’
‘A rivalry?
’
‘Not quite that but if you go to Watfield Secondary, you don’t hang about with anyone from Lincoln Fields.’
Lucy shook her head in frustration. ‘So, Savannah had no friends at all at Lincoln Fields that you know of?’
‘She never said anything to us and we were her only friends,’ said Holly, her bottom lip beginning to tremble with emotion.
Sally spoke up. ‘Savannah didn’t know many people at our school or in Watfield. She wouldn’t know anyone from a different school. We were her only friends and she went off on Monday thinking I wasn’t her friend. I think she might even have run away because she was upset with me.’ She began to cry. Even though Kirsty had tipped her off, Lucy was surprised the girls were so upset this time round when they seemed more composed the day before. The explanation for their distress followed.
Holly put an arm around Sally and cast a baleful look at Lucy. ‘She’s convinced this has happened because of that stupid bracelet. She thinks Savannah took off because she lost it and if she hadn’t lost it and they hadn’t argued over it, Savannah wouldn’t have gone. I keep telling her it isn’t her fault.’
‘But she was really angry with me!’ Sally wailed.
Lucy leant forwards and spoke quietly to the girl. ‘I don’t believe you’re to blame. I think she’d already planned to run off.’
Sally sniffed back tears. ‘But I was horrible to her on Monday. I called her a silly cow.’
‘Sally, this isn’t your fault,’ Lucy said firmly to end the tears.
It took a few minutes for Sally to be able to talk again.
‘Can you think of anybody at all she might have gone to meet on Monday?’
She was met with head shakes and sorrowful eyes.
‘Have either of you heard of a website called Disappear?’
‘What’s it about?’ asked Sally.