Play Dead (D.I. Kim Stone, #4)(50)

‘So how does that help our timeline? This lady appears to have been the first…’

‘Let’s hope so,’ Bryant said, and she had to agree.

Harry and his team would be back at Westerley this morning and would sweep the whole area again. Kim prayed there were no more.

‘We don’t know exactly how long she’s been down there but we’re clearly talking years. So why has he waited so long to do it again but then speeded up this week?’

Everyone was silent for a minute.

‘Come on people, think,’ Kim said.

‘Something has sparked him off…’ Dawson offered.

Kim thought for a minute. ‘I don’t think so,’ she said. ‘He’s too organised for it to have been some kind of knee-jerk reaction. On both occasions this week he’s had the presence of mind to take away whatever it is he’s used to beat them, probably a rock,’ she said.

‘He’s been incapacitated somehow,’ Bryant said.

Kim considered. ‘Possible, but I don’t think that’s it.’

The room fell silent as three sets of eyes stared at the whiteboard for clues.

‘Come on, guys, he’s organised, methodical, ritualistic,’ Kim prompted. She felt like a parent coaxing a homework answer from a child. ‘What must he have?’

‘Order,’ Stacey said, looking around her own immaculately organised desk.

Kim nodded. ‘Go on,’ she urged.

‘He couldn’t get Isobel before Jemima. There’s a particular order to the process?’ Stacey asked.

‘Bingo,’ Kim said. ‘Stacey gets the prize. Our first victim was murdered years ago but our second victim, Jemima, only returned to the country a few weeks ago. She’s been working with horses in Dubai. And then Isobel so soon afterwards. It’s as though he was waiting for Jemima to return to carry on.’

She could see she had their full attention. ‘So that tells us there is a reason why he’s targeting these particular women. There is a link somewhere. It’s going to be difficult to tie Isobel to anyone so we need to focus on the other two.’

And using her own logic of past, present or future she knew exactly where they should start.

‘We know that Jemima and our latest victim hadn’t met recently, so we can rule out present. Jemima was planning nothing untoward that we’re aware of, so that leaves only one direction.’

‘I’ll start digging into Jemima’s distant past and work forwards,’ Stacey said. ‘I’ve still got nothing on Isobel’s place of work or address, but I’ll keep at it.’

Kim nodded her agreement. Isobel’s husband was certainly someone she wanted to talk to.

Kim turned towards Dawson, who pre-empted her instruction.

‘That’ll be me on mispers again then?’ he said knowingly.

‘Yes, but only for an hour or two, and then I want you back on site at Westerley. Forensics will be back by then looking for any clues, and I want you right there if they find anything.’ She paused. ‘Oh, and Kev, dig away as much as you like. I want to be sure we know everything there is to know about the folks over there.’

‘Got it, boss,’ he said brightening.

‘Bryant and I will be heading over to Keats shortly, so if there’s anything likely to help, we’ll let you know.’

Dawson nodded and pulled his shirt collar away from his neck.

She had opened the token window at six thirty when she’d arrived, but no breeze had found its way in yet. To make matters worse, the single radiator beneath the window was still kicking out heat. On a day that promised temperatures in the high twenties it was an unwelcome addition. The knob was broken, and the heating did not get turned off globally as the offices on the north side of the building were like the chilled section of the supermarket, whatever the season.

A floor fan stood in the corner, offering nothing more than an occasional lifting of papers from Dawson’s desk.

‘Stace, anything on Isobel’s phone?’

Stacey shook her head. ‘It’s a pay and go jobby bought from Asda in Brierley Hill. It wasn’t registered so the number from her boyfriend wasn’t a lot of use to us. It was bought with cash. I’ve already fired off an email to the networks, but you’ll all remember last time.’

Oh yes, Kim remembered it well. Two little girls had been kidnapped and their only lead had been a batch of mobile-phone numbers. The networks had laughed in their faces.

‘Are we ruling out female killer, boss?’ Dawson asked.

‘He’s right, guv,’ Bryant agreed before she had chance to answer. He continued. ‘No sexual assault, drugs used for pliability. It could be a strong woman.’

Kim opened her mouth to argue and decided against it. Her gut didn’t think so but on the evidence she couldn’t rule it out.

‘Okay, guys, there’s something else. Another case we’re looking at.’

‘Because we haven’t got enough,’ Dawson grumbled.

‘Sit it out if you like then, Kev,’ she shot back, knowing that nothing would humiliate him more.

‘But I like to be kept busy,’ he said with an apologetic smile.

Kim didn’t smile back.

‘You all remember the guy found at Fens Pools a few years ago?’