Their Lost Daughters (DI Jackman & DS Evans #2)(11)

‘My pleasure, I’m sure.’ And Jackman made his escape.

The first person he met as he stepped off the last stair was Marie. It was all he could do to hold back until they reached his office.

Safe inside, he let rip. ‘I don’t believe it! We have more work than we’ve ever had and the super wants us wet-nursing Harlan Marsh! What a damned cheek! Wasting our time because they have serious ongoing cases. Whatever it is, I bet our canteen staff could handle it quicker and more efficiently.’

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Marie, almost shaking with suppressed laughter at his outburst.

‘And it’s no laughing matter! They have no right playing the Lodge brother’s card when the missing kid has probably just bunked off to Sheffield for the weekend to see some boyband.’

He ranted on for several minutes before the futility of it hit him. They had no option but to comply, so best to get it over with as fast as possible. At least it was only a twenty-minute drive away.

He sat down, his anger burnt off like morning dew in the sun. It had suddenly dawned on him that Harlan Marsh was only a few miles from where Kenya Black had supposedly been sighted for that last time. It was also very close to Allenby Creek. Maybe he and Marie should take a detour on their way back, and have a look at the place for themselves.

Jackman cleared his mind and took a deep breath. Yes, this unwanted trip could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. And there was always the chance that another young girl really had gone missing. He might be angry with Cade, but he wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the possible connections.

‘Better now?’ Marie asked with a grin.

‘Much better, thank you. Okay, so go tell Max, Charlie and Rosie what is happening and get them to press on. The evidence boxes will be here later this afternoon. Get them to find a home for everything, get it into some kind of order and begin setting up the investigation log. Any spare moments, they can read all they can about the original case, but tell them not, and I emphasise that, not to be influenced by anything other than proven fact. They should take no one else’s suppositions for granted. Okay?’

He handed Marie copies of the file the super had given him the day before. ‘To read and digest. We will be going back to day one when we start. We will treat the disappearance of Kenya Black as if it were a new case.’ He threw her a grim smile. ‘It won’t be easy, but I have faith that our team will find the truth regarding that little girl.’

Marie took the folders. ‘Me too. By the way, who is it that has seen fit to demand our services?’

‘Chief Superintendent Cade. He seems to think that we are the only officers in the entire force that can help him.’

‘Cade? James Cade?’

Jackman nodded. ‘Not a pleasant man, as I understand it.’ He looked at Marie and saw that she looked suddenly pale, almost haggard.

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I don’t want to have anything to do with that man, sir. Could you take one of the others with you?’

Jackman sat back and stared at his sergeant. Never, in all the years they had worked together, had she reacted in this way. ‘What’s the problem, Marie?’

‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but it’s kind of personal and really not something I want to talk about right now.’ She looked horribly uncomfortable, then seemed to pull herself together.

‘Oh well, although I’d rather have a lumbar puncture than have to walk into the same room as Cade, there could be a connection with Shauna if they have a girl missing. So forget what I just said. I’ll go and organise the troops and I’ll be ready when you are.’

As she slipped through the door, Jackman wondered why she had so neatly avoided explaining her dislike of Cade. He shrugged. He’d find out at some point. He gathered up his coat and car keys and was about to leave when the phone rang.

It was the desk sergeant. ‘Mr Asher Leyton phoned in, sir. He says you want to speak to him and he’ll be at home all morning. He’d mislaid your number so he rang the front desk.’

‘Okay, thanks. I’ll deal with it.’ Jackman had not expected to hear from Leyton. He would have put money on having to chase the man down.

Jackman muttered a curse to himself. Just as things were hotting up, they had to take a trip to the most miserable and remote spot on the planet. It was a small backwater town surrounded by acres of flat arable farmland, dykes, ditches and marsh. Harlan Marsh was considered the bottom of the pile when it came to postings.

He walked out into the CID room and gestured to Marie.

‘Ready!’ she called back.

‘Oh, Max, if the pathologist’s report on Shauna Kelly comes through, ring me immediately.’

Max gave a thumbs-up. ‘Will do, boss.’

*

Jackman had decided that they should make a swift call on Asher Leyton on their way out to Harlan Marsh. He told Marie that he didn’t want the man to get cold feet and do a runner.

Asher Leyton led Jackman and Marie down a wide hallway and into a huge open-plan lounge. It was modern, tasteful, and reeked of money. Marie noted that his fiancée was not there.

‘Lynda told me that you called, DI Jackman. I’m sorry to have caused you two trips.’ He indicated for them to take a seat on an oversized ivory leather couch, while he sat in a matching leather recliner. ‘How can I help?’