flats have all got video entry-phones. If someone got in, they must have been buzzed in. And seen. And I want the area combed. Do it thoroughly but do it quickly.’ He dropped his voice. ‘You know what we’re looking for.’
The officer nodded, went away to begin the search.
‘Boss . . .’
Phil turned, looked at Anni. She was the highest-ranking woman on his team and he had requested for her to be there. She was trained to deal with rape cases, abused children, any situation where a male presence might be a barrier to uncovering the truth. But that wasn’t why Phil wanted her. She had an intelligence and intuition that he had rarely encountered. And despite the ever-changing hair and the impish smile, she could be tougher than the best when needed to be. Even tougher than him. For all of that, he could forgive the affected way she spelled her first name.
‘Yes, Anni?’
‘What about Julie Simpson?’
Phil looked around, mentally trying to think through what must have happened. ‘If it’s all about . . .’ he gestured towards the bedroom, ‘then I’m afraid she was just wrong place, wrong time.’
Anni nodded, as if he had confirmed her thoughts. Then frowned. ‘Shouldn’t we keep an open mind?’
‘Course.’ He felt the blood pumping once more, his internal clock telling him time was running out. ‘But . . .’
‘So was this party a baby shower, then?’ said Clayton.
Anni looked at him. ‘You’d know about them, would you?’
Clayton reddened. ‘My sister. She had one . . .’
Despite the situation, Anni smiled.
Phil cut their repartee short. ‘Right. Let’s think. So Claire Fielding was having a baby shower. If she, or her baby, was the one deliberately targeted, then whoever did this must have thought she was alone. Maybe they miscounted or something.’ He sighed, trying to control his heart rate. ‘But just in case it’s anything to do with Julie Simpson, get the Birdies to follow up on her. Talk to the husband. See if he knows who else was here.’
The Birdies. DC Adrian Wren and DS Jane Gosling. Inevitable they got paired together. But no one was laughing about their names at the moment.
‘You think it’s about the baby, boss?’ Anni again. ‘He’s taken it, hasn’t he? Whoever did this.’
‘Like I said, not jumping to conclusions, it seems the likeliest explanation.’
Anni looked into the bedroom once more. ‘D’you think it’s still alive?’
Phil sighed. ‘Nick reckons it is, so we have to assume the same; bear that in mind.’
‘Until we find out otherwise,’ said Clayton.
‘Yeah, thanks, Dr Doom.’ Clayton had the potential to be an exceptional police detective, Phil knew. He had made no secret of his ambition, but despite what he thought and told people, he wasn’t the finished article yet. And sometimes his comments, as well as irritating Phil, betrayed the fact. ‘I’m aware of that.’
‘Putting aside how fucked up this is,’ said Anni, stepping between them, ‘I think there’s another possibility we should consider.’
‘That it’s him , you mean?’ said Clayton.
Phil knew what they were both talking about, glanced round to see who was in earshot, bent in close to them. ‘Not here. You know what walls have got, and it’s not ice cream.’ He sighed, ordering his thoughts, willing his training to kick in, take over. He could still hear his heart beating, each beat signalling inactivity that took him further away from catching the perpetrator.
‘Right. A plan. Anni, chain of evidence. Accompany the bodies through the post-mortems. See what you can find there. Get Nick to prioritise. Don’t let him fob you off. I’m sure the budget for this one’ll get upgraded.’
She nodded.
‘Now. Claire Fielding’s background. Who loved her, who hated her. Friends, family, work colleagues, the lot. Her boyfriend, Clayton, what was it? Brian . . .’
‘Ryan. Ryan Brotherton.’
‘Right. Let’s see what we
The officer nodded, went away to begin the search.
‘Boss . . .’
Phil turned, looked at Anni. She was the highest-ranking woman on his team and he had requested for her to be there. She was trained to deal with rape cases, abused children, any situation where a male presence might be a barrier to uncovering the truth. But that wasn’t why Phil wanted her. She had an intelligence and intuition that he had rarely encountered. And despite the ever-changing hair and the impish smile, she could be tougher than the best when needed to be. Even tougher than him. For all of that, he could forgive the affected way she spelled her first name.
‘Yes, Anni?’
‘What about Julie Simpson?’
Phil looked around, mentally trying to think through what must have happened. ‘If it’s all about . . .’ he gestured towards the bedroom, ‘then I’m afraid she was just wrong place, wrong time.’
Anni nodded, as if he had confirmed her thoughts. Then frowned. ‘Shouldn’t we keep an open mind?’
‘Course.’ He felt the blood pumping once more, his internal clock telling him time was running out. ‘But . . .’
‘So was this party a baby shower, then?’ said Clayton.
Anni looked at him. ‘You’d know about them, would you?’
Clayton reddened. ‘My sister. She had one . . .’
Despite the situation, Anni smiled.
Phil cut their repartee short. ‘Right. Let’s think. So Claire Fielding was having a baby shower. If she, or her baby, was the one deliberately targeted, then whoever did this must have thought she was alone. Maybe they miscounted or something.’ He sighed, trying to control his heart rate. ‘But just in case it’s anything to do with Julie Simpson, get the Birdies to follow up on her. Talk to the husband. See if he knows who else was here.’
The Birdies. DC Adrian Wren and DS Jane Gosling. Inevitable they got paired together. But no one was laughing about their names at the moment.
‘You think it’s about the baby, boss?’ Anni again. ‘He’s taken it, hasn’t he? Whoever did this.’
‘Like I said, not jumping to conclusions, it seems the likeliest explanation.’
Anni looked into the bedroom once more. ‘D’you think it’s still alive?’
Phil sighed. ‘Nick reckons it is, so we have to assume the same; bear that in mind.’
‘Until we find out otherwise,’ said Clayton.
‘Yeah, thanks, Dr Doom.’ Clayton had the potential to be an exceptional police detective, Phil knew. He had made no secret of his ambition, but despite what he thought and told people, he wasn’t the finished article yet. And sometimes his comments, as well as irritating Phil, betrayed the fact. ‘I’m aware of that.’
‘Putting aside how fucked up this is,’ said Anni, stepping between them, ‘I think there’s another possibility we should consider.’
‘That it’s him , you mean?’ said Clayton.
Phil knew what they were both talking about, glanced round to see who was in earshot, bent in close to them. ‘Not here. You know what walls have got, and it’s not ice cream.’ He sighed, ordering his thoughts, willing his training to kick in, take over. He could still hear his heart beating, each beat signalling inactivity that took him further away from catching the perpetrator.
‘Right. A plan. Anni, chain of evidence. Accompany the bodies through the post-mortems. See what you can find there. Get Nick to prioritise. Don’t let him fob you off. I’m sure the budget for this one’ll get upgraded.’
She nodded.
‘Now. Claire Fielding’s background. Who loved her, who hated her. Friends, family, work colleagues, the lot. Her boyfriend, Clayton, what was it? Brian . . .’
‘Ryan. Ryan Brotherton.’
‘Right. Let’s see what we
Similar Books
Step Scandal - Part 3
Rossi St. James
Claimed (The Cull Book 1)
Renee George
The Chronoliths
Robert Charles Wilson
The Suburban You
Mark Falanga
The Shadow of Elysium (Shadow Campaigns)
Django Wexler
As I Lay Dying
William Faulkner
South of Shiloh
Chuck Logan
Framed
Amber Lynn Natusch
Behind His Lens
R. S. Grey