Nine Lives by Anita Waller (best english books to read .txt) 📗

Erica hated making her voice so firm; these girls were full of grief, something that until two days earlier they had probably never experienced, and their co-operation was of vital importance.

Erica headed back to the upper reaches of the Porter. Clare’s body had been removed and then a text to Erica’s phone informed her that the post-mortem would start at seven the following morning. She wandered around the site, feeling relieved that the rain had ceased, albeit temporarily.

She tried to speak to everyone, to encourage them. The entire team was a sorry sight. Hair hung limply, and clothes were extremely wet. There were three people in the river, several on the riverbank and hot drinks were being freely dished out at the refreshment van.

There was an air of despondency, and Erica made arrangements for a search stop at half past four; it would be too dark by then to see much, so they could set someone on to watch the site overnight, preserving the scene, and begin again at eight the following day.

She would be at the autopsy and she knew that despite the awful weather, the cold, and the gloominess of the scene, not one of them would want to change jobs with her. Nobody liked attending the post-mortems.

Erica didn’t leave her desk until eight; organising the crews who were to take care of Becky and Katie had been difficult, and she had been forced to request additional personnel. She waited until Beth returned from seeing the first two who had pulled the overnight shift, and they caught up on the day’s events.

Beth looked tired. Erica reached into her drawer and took out a bottle of gin, along with two clear plastic beakers.

‘You certainly live the high life,’ Beth commented with a smile, and held up the pretend gin glass.

‘Certainly do. I think we need this, it’s been a shitty day.’

‘I know, and it makes you feel so bloody helpless when you see their faces, those two girls. They don’t know how to handle what’s happening to them, or how to grieve for their friends. And they’re scared. Even with our officers there, they’re scared. They’ve both taken their laptops to continue their studies, but I don’t think it will happen. Their concentration will be shot to bits.’

‘What if he decides to play the long game?’

‘What? What’s that got to do with their studies?’

‘Sorry my mind is all over the place. I’d sort of thought to the future a bit, after we’re forced to let the girls go back to being students. If we haven’t caught him by then, he’s going to carry on from where he left off. That seems to be what he’s done after a five-year break, so us taking Becky and Katie out of the picture will mean nothing to him. He’ll simply wait. He’s picked his victims and that’s it. I remember the waiting game we played after we found Lilith Baker-Jones’ body, and there was nothing. He played with us, until we gave up and had to wait for him to give us his next victim. Five fucking years we’ve waited, Beth.’

‘Look, we’ve not had much chance to breathe, or take stock, but tomorrow morning I’ll make a start on tracking down anyone who was sent down soon after Lilith’s body was found. It would have to be a serious crime to get a long sentence like eight to ten years, because that’s what it would take to get out in four to five. It’s no good looking at people who specialise in burglary, GBH, stuff like that. This is the big boys league, so I’ll pull up some names for us to look at in the morning.’

Erica grinned. ‘Oh, didn’t I tell you? You and me, we’ve an appointment at seven with Ivor, he’s doing the PM.’

Beth groaned and dropped her head. ‘Thanks, boss. Is it too late for me to apply for a transfer to traffic?’

Frannie took Erica into her arms and kissed her. ‘Does that make your day a little better?’

‘It does. I need a hot shower, whatever you want to feed me with, and an exceptionally large glass of wine. Any colour, any flavour, and a high alcoholic content.’

‘It’s been that good then.’

‘It has. And it’s been a search day. Tomorrow I’ve to begin with the PM on today’s victim, then I’m taking Flick with me and we’re going out questioning people. Beth made a start with Becky and Katie, our two remaining girls, and got some information from them, but we’ve got them away to a place of safety now, so I feel a lot happier about that.’

‘Good. Go and get your shower and I’ll make us something quick. You look dreadful, so I’m not spending all night cooking. We both need to relax. I’ve had a day with the Salter family, and their increasingly mucky kids. It’s getting close to our taking them away, I’ve never seen them look so bad as they looked today. I’ve called a case meeting for tomorrow, but it may be an evening meeting because two of the people I want there can’t make it till after work. We’re so bloody overworked, it’s getting ridiculous. That new one who started last week, moved here from Luton, she’s got three meetings tomorrow. She’ll be moving back to Luton soon, she’ll not be able to cope with this northern lifestyle.’

‘We’ll be like ships that pass in the night,’ Erica joked, as she climbed the stairs. ‘God knows what hour I’ll be home for the foreseeable. In the meantime, don’t forget me.’

‘As if,’ Frannie responded, and blew her a kiss.

‘Nice wine,’ Erica murmured, and laid her head on Frannie’s shoulder. ‘You do know, by the way, that the only reason I fell for you was because my head fit so neatly into your shoulder.’

‘Of course I know that,’ Frannie said. ‘But did you love me a little as well? Or am I really only the pillow that’s the right fit? Or maybe it was my