‘Yeah, well if you worked as hard as I do then you wouldn’t feel like messing around in the garden on your day off.’
‘How many hours do you work at the factory?’ Meadows asked.
‘It depends. I work the two till ten shifts but take overtime when I can. I work on a Saturday and have Monday off.’
Meadows looked at Edris and nodded.
‘What about Serenity?’ Edris asked.
‘What’s that?’ Colour rose in Natalie’s cheeks.
‘The place you work part-time,’ Edris said.
‘No.’ Natalie opened her tobacco tin and plucked out a paper. ‘I only work in the factory.’
Meadows looked at Nia who had a puzzled expression on her face.
She doesn’t know.
‘You receive regular payments from them,’ Edris said.
‘No, I don’t.’ Natalie rolled the tobacco keeping her eyes down cast.
‘Look, Natalie.’ Meadows sat forward in the chair. ‘We’ve been through your bank statements and an officer is visiting Serenity to talk to the staff, so there is no point in lying to us.’
‘I work there on weekends.’ Natalie lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply. ‘I needed the extra money.’
‘What exactly is it that you do?’ Meadows asked.
‘I’m a receptionist.’
Nia laughed. ‘You can barely spell your own name, let alone anyone else’s. What is this place?’
‘It appears to be a massage parlour,’ Edris said.
‘A massage parlour? Are you trying to tell me it’s a… it’s a whore house?’
‘There are rumours that it’s not a reputable establishment,’ Edris said.
‘You’re a prostitute!’ Nia turned on Natalie.
‘No, I’m not.’ Natalie leapt up from the sofa. ‘Just leave me alone!’ She ran from the room and her footsteps could be heard thumping up the stairs.
‘I’ll go and talk to her in a minute,’ Brianna said.
‘I wouldn’t bother, she won’t speak to you for the rest of the day. She’ll be sulking, always the same when she’s been caught out lying,’ Nia said. She ran her hands through her hair. ‘I don’t believe this. Do you think that she’s done something to Ella?’
‘We don’t know,’ Meadows said, ‘but if I’m honest it doesn’t look good.’
‘I can’t stay here.’ Nia stood up.
‘It might help if you spoke to her calmly, we really need her to remember what happened on Sunday night,’ Meadows said.
‘I’ll try, but you have no idea what she’s like.’
I think I’m beginning to see.
‘Just try your best.’ He turned to Brianna. ‘Have you seen the next-door neighbour, George, this morning?’
‘No, his dog has been outside all night yapping.’
‘Okay, if you see him give us a call, we need to speak to him.’
‘I will do.’
‘I noticed you didn’t mention the sex tape,’ Edris said as they got into the car.
‘No, I think Nia has had enough of a shock for one day. Natalie would probably deny it anyway.’
‘Yeah, like Andy said, you can’t believe that one’s radio.’ Edris laughed.
‘Let’s see what Valentine gets from Serenity. We’ll also need to know the types of clients they entertain and if Natalie spent more time with a particular one.’ He started the engine. ‘We’ll try Daisy next, see if she has anything more to tell us.’
‘That should cheer you up,’ Edris said with a grin.
‘Shut up.’ Meadows turned on the stereo and the car filled with music.
Chapter Seventeen
Meadows could hear laughter as he approached Daisy’s office. The door was ajar, and he could see Daisy with her head turned towards a man perched on the edge of the desk. He had a mop of dark brown hair and steel rimmed glasses. Meadows guessed him to be in his thirties. He sat with an easy manner, his smile flirtatious. He stood when he saw Meadows and Edris approach.
Daisy turned her head. ‘Hi, you just caught us taking a break.’ She smiled. ‘This is Theo, he’s a forensic anthropologist. He came down last night to take a look at our little miss.’
Meadows introduced himself as he stepped forward and shook hands with Theo. ‘Thank you for coming so quickly.’
‘No problem,’ Theo said. ‘I know Daisy from years back, we studied together.’
Meadows was horrified to feel a sudden stab of jealousy.
‘Come on, I’ll show you what we’ve discovered so far, it’s not a lot I’m afraid.’ Daisy led them out of the office.
They entered the morgue and Meadows felt the temperature drop. Bright strip lights illuminated the sterile, stainless steel worktops and a faint chemical smell hung in the air. They gathered around a trolley where the pitifully small remains were laid out.
‘We can now confirm that it is a little girl.’ Daisy snapped on latex gloves.
‘How do you know?’ Edris asked.
‘While there are some sexually distinctive traits in the mandible, this alone is not enough to reliably allocate a sex,’ Theo said. ‘So, we took samples of bone and ran DNA tests. Nuclear DNA–’
Daisy laughed. ‘I think you’re in danger of losing Edris.’
‘Yeah, I think we’ll stop at the DNA testing,’ Edris agreed.
‘We found a fracture to her skull which we couldn’t see until we got her out of the ground.’ Daisy turned the small skull and pointed to the injury.
‘Is that how she died?’ Meadows asked.
‘I can’t say with certainty, it may have been enough to cause a bleed to the brain. Then again, it could have been done post-mortem. My best guess is that it’s likely that the head injury was contributory to her death. There are no other signs of trauma to the bones.’
‘Any idea how long she’s been in the ground?’
Daisy looked at Theo. ‘You go ahead but keep it simple.’
‘We tested the soil and took into consideration how she was wrapped. That, together with the tests we ran on the bones, gives us an estimate of about twenty-five, thirty years. That’s our best guess. It could be more, or less. We have to run some more tests but I’m afraid it’s difficult to give an accurate timeframe.’
‘You guys must have been working all night,’ Edris said.
‘We did work quite late,’ Daisy said. ‘But she deserves no less attention than if she’d only been in the ground a few days.’
‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Meadows said. ‘We’ll do all we can to find her identity.’
‘Theo, do you want to take them through to the lab and show them what else we found? I’ll just scrub up.’ Daisy peeled off her gloves.
‘Yeah.’ Theo beamed. ‘Come on.’ He led the way.
‘Winter.’
Meadows stopped and turned, the intimate use of his first name made his skin tingle.
‘I should tell you… well, explain my behaviour yesterday.’ Daisy took a paper towel and started drying her hands.
‘I did get the impression that you weren’t yourself,’ Meadows said.
‘No, I wasn’t. When I was–’
‘Are you coming?’ Edris poked his head around the door.
Great timing, Edris.
‘In a minute,’ Meadows said, he turned back to Daisy.
‘You go ahead, it can wait.’ Daisy smiled.
Meadows reluctantly followed Edris to the lab, where Theo stood holding a small tray.
‘What are we looking at?’ Edris asked.
‘These are some of the things we took out of the ground.’ Theo pointed to a cluster of small round objects. ‘Metal poppers, I suspect from a baby grow.’
‘So, she was fully clothed?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yes, with the remains of a disposable nappy. There’s also this.’
He clicked the mouse on his computer and the screen came to life.
‘This is an enlargement of a remnant of material, possibly from the edging of a baby blanket. T
he material is polyester which doesn’t break down like natural substances such as wool and cotton. There were more scraps that we need to look at and piece together.’
‘You think she was wrapped in a blanket?’
‘And plastic – a heavy duty bin bag,’ Daisy said as she rejoined the group.
‘Poor thing,’ Edris said. ‘What type of person puts a baby in a bin bag?’
‘Well it does look like some care was taken when she was buried,’ Daisy said. ‘Her arms were folded across her chest and, I guess, wrapped in the blanket.’
‘Maybe they thought the plastic would protect her,’ Theo added.
‘Looks like it’s more likely to be a woman, perhaps even the mother,’ Meadows said.
‘Well, someone who had a bond with the child – she wasn’t just thrown into the ground. Not that that’s much consolation for her family,’ Daisy said.
‘No,’ Meadows agreed. ‘But maybe we can give them some closure and maybe some answers.’
‘We’ll let you know if we find anything else, like a make for the blanket, but I think it’s unlikely,’ Theo said.
‘You’ve been a great help, thank you both for moving things along so quickly. Let’s hope we can find an identity for her soon.’
Meadows wanted to say more, he wanted to tell Daisy that she could call him anytime she wanted, but it was not appropriate with Theo and Edris in the room. Instead he said goodbye and left the lab.
* * *
‘Did I interrupt something back there?’ Edris asked as they exited the building into a heavy shower of rain.
‘No.’ Meadows ran across the car park.
‘Looks like you were having a moment,’ Edris shouted above the pattering rain.
Meadows jumped in the car and shook the rain from his head.
‘I think she wanted to tell me something but didn’t want to talk in front of you.’
‘Probably wants to ravish your body and is fed up of waiting for you to make a move.’ Edris laughed.
‘Seriously, I think something is troubling her and it’s got to do with the little miss we found.’
‘Well, now is your opportune moment to call her up and ask if she wants to meet for a chat.’
‘No, I’m not making an idiot of myself, besides, she has her friend there. I’m sure she can confide in him.’ Meadows started the engine and turned on the stereo.
Edris turned the volume down. ‘Do I detect a hint of jealousy for the geeky Theo?’
Yes.
‘No, anyway he’s more her age.’
‘You’re not that much older than her. I reckon Theo is just a friend, she definitely wants a piece of the Winter Man.’
Meadows groaned. ‘Only Kevin is allowed to call me that. If you’re not careful I’ll give you back to Blackwell. I’m sure Valentine won’t mind swapping.’
‘Okay, I won’t say any more, but if you want I can set the two of you up.’
‘I’ll pass, thanks.’
Meadows turned up the volume and Black Sabbath filled the car. He let the music relax his mind then mapped out the next steps in the investigation as he kept a watchful eye on the road.
‘Just in time for lunch,’ Edris said as they pulled into the station car park. ‘Well, lunch according to your timetable, more like teatime.’
‘Go and grab something to eat and meet me upstairs. You can grab me a cheese sandwich while you’re at it,’ Meadows said.
* * *
The rest of the team were busy on the phone, or typing away at the computer, when Meadows entered the office. He walked through to the small kitchen off the side of the office and made two cups of tea. By the time he returned to his desk, Edris was already seated and munching on a sandwich.
‘How did you get on with the staff at Serenity, Valentine?’ Meadows asked.
‘They were a little cagey to start with, but Hanes used his charm and a couple of the girls agreed to talk to us off the record. They told me that they do offer extras and Natalie works there on Friday and Saturday nights. Their busiest time.’
We need to find out if Natalie favoured any particular client, or if she took her work home,’ Meadows said.
‘I’ll look into it,’ Valentine said. ‘But it’s not going to be easy.’
‘We can always threaten to sit outside and watch.’ Blackwell sauntered over from his desk. ‘I’m sure it will be good for business.’
‘Whatever it takes,’ Meadows said. ‘Have a chat with Natalie’s neighbours, see if they’ve noticed any male visitors. I tried to talk to George, who lives in the adjoining house, this morning but he was out. See if you can track him down. I bet he notices all the visitors to the house. How’s it going with the missing babies list, Paskin?’
Paskin lifted her head from the computer. ‘Only three in the last thirty years, but I can extend the search to the whole of the UK.’
‘No, let’s start with the three you’ve got.’
‘Well, it’s more like two. First one is a two-year-old boy.’
‘Too old, and we now have confirmation that it’s a little girl we’re looking for.’
‘Right, well, that narrows it down.’ Paskin grabbed a couple of sheets of paper and joined the group. ‘Cerys Lane, newborn baby, taken from hospital in Cardiff, April 1993; and Poppy Moore, four months old, taken from her home in Port Talbot, 1992. Both girls are still listed as missing.’
‘First one is a bit young,’ Edris said.
‘Yes, but whoever took her may have kept her for three months,’ Paskin said.
‘Have you got the contact details of the parents?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yes, Cerys’ parents are still together and now live in Bridgend. I only managed to trace Poppy’s father, he lives at the same address in Port Talbot.’
‘Can you contact them please and explain the situation, no doubt they have already heard the news. What about the previous occupants of the house?’
‘I’ve started the list,’ Blackwell said. ‘Now Valentine’s back she can give me a hand to trace them.’
‘Good, I think whoever laid that patio is the one who put that little girl in the ground.’
‘What sort of person abducts a baby and buries it in the garden?’ Paskin said. ‘We have to be looking for some sort of weirdo.’
‘Yeah, and one that could have abducted and killed again. Poor little Ella could already be in another garden,’ Blackwell said. ‘So do we search the gardens of all the previous occupants?’
‘I think we’re going to have to tread a little more carefully than that,’ Meadows said. ‘According to Daisy, she was buried with some care. Look at the families that have lived in the house, see which ones had children, or maybe lost a child. It could’ve been a grieving mother.’
‘Or someone who couldn’t have children,’ Valentine said.
‘Good point,’ Meadows agreed. ‘There’s also the slim possibility that it’s not a missing child but a concealed child. It has been known for young mothers to have babies and hide them. Maybe the mother was mentally unstable, got pregnant and didn’t seek medical help.’
‘Yes, but surely someone would’ve noticed that she had a child after three months,’ Paskin said.
‘I agree, I’m just trying to look at all the possibilities. Right, Blackwell, I’ll leave you to talk to George, it may save some time if he has a good memory of his previous neighbours. He’s lived there for thirty years so he should remember one of them laying a patio, and there isn’t much of a fence between the two properties. Also talk to him about male visitors to Natalie’s house. I’ll talk to the families of the missing children in the morning, I don’t want to keep them waiting any longer, I’m sure they are anxious enough as it is.’
Chapter Eighteen
The front door was opened as soon as Meadows and Edris stepped out of the car. The couple stood side by side, both with a nervous smile. The man was slim, average height with steel grey hair and was dressed in jeans and a navy jumper. His wife was about a fo
ot shorter, plump with copper coloured hair which hung in a straight bob.
‘Mr and Mrs Lane?’ Edris asked.
‘Steven and Jenny.’ The man smiled. ‘Please come in.’
They were led into the sitting room which, although tidy, looked well used. An overflowing toy box stood next to the television and family photographs festooned the walls. The scent of lavender permeated the air, reminding Meadows of his childhood bedroom, where his mother used to put fresh lavender under the pillows and in the clothes drawers. The lavender in this room however came from an oil burner that was placed in the centre of the coffee table.
‘Have a seat,’ Jenny said as she perched on the sofa and was joined by Steven.
‘Thank you.’ Meadows sat in the armchair. ‘Did the officer that phoned you explain the situation?’
‘Yes,’ Jenny said. ‘We do understand that it may not be Cerys that you found, and that you need to take a swab for a DNA test.’
‘We haven’t eaten nor drunk anything for over an hour,’ Steven said.
‘Okay, that’s good. Edris will take a swab from you both. I understand how difficult this must be for the two of you and we will get the results back to you as soon as we can.’
‘It’s the not knowing,’ Jenny said. She opened her mouth and Edris ran a swab around her cheek. He checked the label and repeated the process with Steven before taking a seat in the recliner.
‘Thank you both,’ Meadows said.
‘Would you like a cup of tea?’ Jenny asked.
While Meadows didn’t much feel like another tea, he found that it helped soothe the atmosphere when interviewing people.
‘That would be great, black, no sugar and white with two for Edris. Lovely photos,’ he said to Steven who looked a little lost once Jenny had left the room.
‘Our other three children,’ Steven said. ‘All grown up now, we’ve got a grandchild and another one on the way.’
‘That explains the toy box.’ Meadows smiled.
‘Yes, love having him over but it’s great to hand him back. He wears me out.’ Steven laughed. ‘Would you like to see a picture of Cerys?’
‘Please,’ Meadows said.
Steven stood and took a silver frame from the mantle. He handed the photo to Meadows.
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