by Joy Kluver
‘Yes, ma’am, we’re needed right away.’
Bernie hit the lights and siren and sped away.
35
They all sat round a large table in a meeting room. The whole team was there – Matt, Kerry, Anderson, Mick Parris, Alice Hart – along with Jane, Tom, Nick White, Therese from Forensics, Lucy the CSI, and Phyl Bridger. DCI Worth had saved a seat next to him for Bernie. She couldn’t decide if this was a good thing or him keeping an enemy close by.
‘Well, as we’re all here now, let’s begin,’ said Worth. He looked at Bernie and then Kerry. ‘DI Noel and DS Allen – I know you’re working a different case now but since you were involved at the beginning, you may have something to add.’ He turned his attention back to the rest of the room and took a deep breath. ‘You may have noticed there’s been a delay in the identification of our dead woman in the woods. Nick, Phyl, Lucy and Therese will be giving us an update of the forensic evidence. We’ll go over what we know about her. Feel free to take notes and if you have any thoughts, please raise your hand. Nick, perhaps you’d like to start with the post-mortem results.’
Bernie glanced at the pathologist. Dressed in a smart suit, as opposed to his usual scrubs or forensic coverall, he looked quite different. Greying wavy hair softened his hard face. Almost human.
‘Thank you, Patrick. I have detailed copies of the report here. I think some of you may have to share, sorry.’ The papers were passed round the table. ‘I’d like to draw your attention to a few things. Firstly, cause of death. The victim was asphyxiated, strangled manually and her hyoid bone was broken. Because of decomposition, certain things remain inconclusive. I haven’t discovered any other wounds and I wasn’t able to find any evidence of sexual assault but that doesn’t mean nothing happened – it’s simply inconclusive. However, I can tell you that our victim was, most likely, sexually active. I found an IUD in her uterus. Which in itself is interesting. Most young women prefer the Pill.
‘Now, the dental records. Unfortunately, our forensic dentist couldn’t make this meeting but I have his report. It’s his conclusion that the dental records sent by the Italian police do not fit with our victim, unless she had had some dental work done in the last year, including two implants. The X-rays in the records are over a year old. But,’ he shook his head, ‘it’s not looking likely. I think Therese can tell us more.’
Therese looked up from the report, pushing her glasses onto the top of her brown, bushy hair, and rested her gaze on Worth. ‘Do you want the good news or the bad news?’
‘Bad news.’
Therese picked up a report. ‘Well, I’ve been working on the DNA results for the last two days. I had to go back to the Italian lab to double check. Our victim’s DNA doesn’t match Rosa Conti’s grandparents. So, there are three possible options. Either, Rosa was adopted or her father wasn’t her biological father, or, and this is far more likely, our victim isn’t Rosa Conti.’
A murmur went round the table. Bernie looked at Anderson. He shrugged.
‘So, what’s the good news?’ asked Worth.
‘The good news is that the leather jacket and helmet have our victim’s DNA all over it, and that of an unknown male. His DNA is also on her dress. He’s not in our database. But we will have something to check by if you arrest a suspect.’
Bernie closed her eyes briefly. She was aware Worth was unnervingly still next to her.
‘Before we reconsider ID for the victim, Dr Bridger, do you have anything that you’d like to say about your results?’
‘Yes, I do.’
Bernie smiled at Phyl.
‘Taking everything into consideration, it looks as though the victim was killed or placed in that spot on the Friday evening, six days before she was discovered, as originally thought. Decomposition has been rapid but warm temperatures and the body being exposed have increased it. Plus, I examined today a badger found by DI Noel and DS Allen. In my opinion it had already been dead several days before the victim, and was a fairly immediate source of blowflies.’
Worth nodded, his hand with a pen creeping towards his mouth. ‘Thank you, Dr Bridger. Nick, Lucy – you both worked at the scene. Do you think she was killed there?’
Nick White nodded. ‘Yes, I think that’s far more likely.’
‘I agree,’ said Lucy, flicking her ash blonde fringe out of her eyes. ‘On her body, we’ve only found vegetation and soil matter that matches the area, particularly under her fingernails and on the soles of her feet.’
‘So,’ said Worth as he put his pen on his chin, ‘she was probably murdered there but isn’t Rosa Conti. So, what then? Rosa gave the rings to our unknown woman and the Foxes’ au pair is off gallivanting somewhere else?’
Bernie remembered something else Gillian, the street pastor, had said – ‘She asked me to pray for her friend, Ria.’
‘No, sir, I think our victim was Rupert and Harriet Fox’s au pair.’
‘Detective Inspector Noel, the evidence now suggests that the victim isn’t Rosa Conti.’
Bernie knew it would sound mad to the others but the DNA results confirmed her suspicions. ‘And she’s probably not. But I do think she was the au pair for the Fox family.’ She glanced across to Anderson. ‘Do you remember what Rosa’s grandparents said to you about her? She was a tomboy who didn’t go clubbing. And she never wore high heels. You said yourself that the woman we were describing didn’t match what you were hearing from the family.’
Worth looked at her, puzzled. ‘You’re talking nonsense.’
‘No, sir, I don’t think I am. Haven’t you ever had a time when you look at someone and think they’re someone else? Sometimes you have to look twice to realise your mistake. But that tends to happen when you know someone really well. But what if you only have a photo to go on? Rupert and Harriet Fox and the agency probably only had a passport photo of Rosa. I think Rosa swapped identities with a woman she knows and who looks similar to her. And that woman came here to the UK. Gillian said that Rosa asked her to pray for her friend, Ria. What if our victim is actually Ria?’
Worth sat back in his chair and folded his arms. He appeared to be thinking. Bernie was aware of the tension in the room. She knew she was right.
‘You know,’ said Anderson, ‘there may be something to this, sir. Inspector De Luca told me about some of Rosa’s friends and he mentioned one called Ria. She had a juvenile record. One of his colleagues who knows the girls referred to them as terribili gemelli – terrible twins. I thought he meant about their behaviour – that’s what it normally means in English. But what if he meant more than that? What if they look alike too? Would you like me to ring Inspector De Luca now, sir?’
‘Wait until the end of the meeting,’ said Worth. ‘There are quite a lot of things we need to think about in regards to these two young women. When, where and why did they swap? Was it really just because Rosa didn’t want to be an au pair? It seems a bit extreme.’
Bernie thought about the dentist report and the Catholic priest she spoke to. ‘Maybe this isn’t about Rosa escaping but Ria. Two dental implants suggests the victim’s teeth were possibly knocked out. Father Adrian said the young woman he spoke to was scared for her life. Perhaps Rosa swapped with Ria to keep her friend safe and that’s why she agreed to be an au pair. And if so, where’s Rosa now? If someone has got to Ria, has he caught up with Rosa too? And does he ride a motorbike?’
Worth tapped his fingers on the table. Bernie thought he was probably flummoxed by the results and was trying to hide it.
‘I think we need to speak to Ryan Willis again. And this time, I’ll do the interview.’
36
They all filed back to the office. Matt edged towards Bernie.
‘I’ve got something to show you,’ he said. ‘DS Anderson passed on Laura’s possible password. Her brother was right. It’s “craigisanidiot” – all lower case and ones for the I’s. And her email address is [email protected]. I’ve sent that to Tom for him to check out but I though
t I’d start with the Instagram account Kerry found yesterday.’
Bernie and Kerry gathered round Matt’s desk. He opened up a tab on his computer.
‘Here it is. Her age says that she’s fifteen.’
Bernie shook her head. ‘Silly girl.’
Matt started to scroll down the timeline. ‘It’s mostly teenage chatter on here. Sharing stories about pop groups, TV programmes and films. She has over three hundred followers from various countries. I find it hard to believe she knows all of these people. There are a lot of teenage boys. Of course, how many of them are actually teenagers remains to be seen.’
Matt clicked on to the photos. ‘She likes to take a lot of selfies.’
Bernie took a sharp intake of breath. Laura looked much older in the photos and her clothes were quite provocative.
‘What haven’t you told us yet, Matt?’ she asked.
Matt tapped on the keyboard. ‘It’s the direct messages that are really interesting. Or should I say, disturbing? There’s one guy in particular, called Luke Davidson – assuming that’s his real name.’
‘Unlikely,’ murmured Kerry.
Matt opened the thread and scrolled back up to the top. ‘Best you read it from the beginning.’ He got out of his seat and let Bernie sit down.
She started to read. It all seemed innocent to begin with. He liked what she had written about a film. He asked her questions about her favourite things. Oddly enough, they seemed to share similar tastes in almost everything. ‘Isn’t that funny?’ he had written. ‘We’re so alike.’
The messages went on and subtly began to change. He liked a photo of her in a Christmas jumper, then a party dress and then a bikini. He told her how pretty she was and how he would love to meet her someday. ‘Wouldn’t that be fun?’ he had suggested. He told her he was seventeen.
Laura was enthusiastic in her replies. Lots of emojis littered her messages. ‘You make me laugh,’ she had written. And then, as his messages had changed, so had hers. ‘No one understands me like you. I wish I could spend the whole day with you.’ ‘And the night,’ Luke had replied.
She started sending him photos. Lots of make-up and pouty lips. Her clothes became more revealing. Then another message from Luke.
Hey babe what you up to?
not much, at the hospital
Why r u sick?
no it’s my brother
Ur parents there too?
yeah but its ok, they’re too busy to notice what im doing
Cool cool
You done that photo for me yet?
no not yet I will but idk im not too sure about it
ur not gonna send it to anyone else right?
Nahh babe of course not!! It’s just for me, I loved ur other one ur so pretty I just want to see more of you
I’m free at the weekend babe if you wanna meet up or go to a party or something?
yeah id love that! maybe go for a ride on ur motorbike too?
Haha of course but send me ur photo first
‘Shit.’ Bernie banged the table with her fist. ‘When was this sent?’
‘Friday. Have you noticed what he’s called her throughout?’ said Matt.
Bernie looked again, scrolling up and down. ‘He calls her “babe”. Double shit. And she mentions a motorbike.’
‘Keep going down. There’s one more message that you have to read.’
Bernie looked down and read with horror the plan Luke had sent to Laura, the plan where he would meet her in Salisbury. Everything she and Kerry had seen on the CCTV had been planned by Luke, even down to where he would meet her on his motorbike – in the service road behind the café.
DCs Mick Parris and Alice Hart were dispatched to pick up Ryan Willis as Bernie voiced her concerns to Worth.
‘It might be complete coincidence, this motorbike connection, but considering how close Laura lives to Ryan, I think we need to ask him about it.’
‘We? As I said earlier, I will interview him along with DC Hart. He’s played you once already. You can watch in the viewing room.’
Bernie wanted to huff but kept her emotions under control. ‘Yes, sir.’
Bernie was now waiting for Tom to come upstairs and help with looking at Laura and Luke’s accounts.
‘What are Laura’s messages like with other people?’ Bernie asked Matt. ‘Did she tell anyone where she was going?’
‘Nah. She didn’t message anyone else after that last one from Luke. Everything else is teenage chat.’
‘So she didn’t confide in any of her friends.’
‘No, but that’s not surprising. Luke talks about keeping Laura for himself. He doesn’t specifically say not to tell anyone but he implies enough to suggest this is something special, just between the two of them.’
Bernie paced up and down, rubbing her forehead. The thump had subsided to a dull ache but she knew it wouldn’t go without sleep. And that was the one thing they all probably wouldn’t get tonight. She pulled out her phone. She had an important call to make before they got started.
‘We’re in for a late night, guys, so does anyone want pizza?’
Bernie, Matt and Kerry were munching on pizza as they worked when Tom arrived.
‘Hi, I think you need my services again,’ he said.
Bernie stood up. ‘We most certainly do. We’ve got an Instagram account that needs looking at. We’ve applied for a warrant and they’re supposed to be coming back to us with username and password but haven’t done so yet. It’s got the highest privacy settings. But we’re pretty certain it’s a fake account, a front for grooming girls.’
‘OK. There are other things I can do until the warrant comes through. I can analyse his account. See what I can find out about him. Might need some of that pizza to help me along though.’ He gestured towards the box.
‘Of course, knock yourself out. But don’t take the last ham and pineapple if you want to stay friends with Matt.’
‘Pineapple on pizza? No worries on that score.’
The telephone on Matt’s desk began to ring.
‘DC Taylor,’ he said. ‘Oh, right, thanks for letting me know.’ He put the phone down and looked up at Bernie. ‘Ryan Willis has been brought in.’
37
Bernie thought Ryan looked very ill at ease. His left leg was twitching. When she saw him do that at the pub, she thought it was because he was getting ready to go out to the garden to talk to her. Now, she wondered if it was a nervous habit. He was tapping the table as well. She thought he probably needed a cigarette.
‘Where did you find him?’ Bernie asked Mick.
‘The Marchant Arms. We tried to be as discreet as possible but he wasn’t too keen to come with us. He lashed out and his fist connected with my jaw.’ Mick rubbed his chin. ‘Still hurts now. Had no choice but to arrest him then. Daft lad.’
No, Worthless is the daft one. Ryan would have come peacefully with me.
They watched the monitor and saw DCI Worth and DC Alice Hart enter the room. Bernie wondered how Worth would handle the interview. It must be a while since he’d done one, she thought.
Worth and Hart sat down. The DCI opened a folder and stared at it for a minute before nodding at Alice. She pressed the buttons on the recorder.
‘The time is nineteen forty-five hours. Detective Chief Inspector Worth and Detective Constable Hart are present with Ryan Willis. Mr Willis has declined representation but it is your right to ask for a solicitor at any point. Is that clear, Mr Willis?’ said Alice.
Ryan nodded.
‘For the recording, please, Mr Willis.’
‘Yes.’ Ryan looked down at the table.
Alice glanced at Worth. He nodded at her to continue.
‘Ryan,’ said Hart, ‘when my colleague and I came to find you in the pub, you didn’t seem too happy to see us. We only wanted to ask you to come to the station to answer some questions. We didn’t need to arrest you at that point but by hitting my colleague, you gave us no choice. Why did you hit him?’
<
br /> Ryan shrugged. ‘Don’t know.’
‘But we only wanted to talk to you. We still do.’
‘But that other female copper, you know, the fit one…’
Bernie smiled at Ryan’s description.
‘…she said I could stay anonymous. I already told her what I know.’
‘But I haven’t said what we want to talk to you about.’
‘Well, it can’t be anything else. I haven’t done anything.’
‘Except for assaulting a police officer.’
A vague smile appeared on Ryan’s face. ‘I couldn’t make it look as though I’m a grass.’
‘No. You made yourself look like a suspect.’
‘What?’ Ryan sat upright.
‘Well, lad, you’ve got yourself in a right pickle now,’ said Worth.
Oh God, thought Bernie, he’s going with patronising old-school.
Ryan turned his head towards the DCI.
‘Throwing a punch at an officer when we only wanted a friendly chat… wasn’t very clever. And you’re right about one thing. To begin with, we did think we could keep you anonymous but there’s been a development. So we need to ask you some more questions, I’m afraid,’ said Worth.
Ryan lowered his gaze to the table. He wrapped his arms around himself. His leg was still twitching. Bernie knew what it meant.
‘He’s not going to talk,’ she said to Mick. ‘He’d rather take the rap for the assault than speak out.’
She sat back in her chair and rubbed her face with her hands.
‘He’s our best shot at tracking that biker and finding Laura at the moment and he’s not going to bloody talk.’