Their Lost Daughters (DI Jackman & DS Evans #2)(13)

*

They had just got back to the car when Max phoned. ‘Rory Wilkinson rang, sir, he needs to talk to you. Could you give him a bell?’

Jackman thanked him, then dialled the pathologist’s number.

‘Ah, Detective Inspector, sorry to interrupt your day. Although I’m far from through with my findings on this girl, I thought you should know that I ran a few initial tests.’ He paused, then said, ‘Toxicology has shown that she had both alcohol and drugs in her system.’

‘Oh shit,’ murmured Jackman. ‘What kind of drugs?’

‘Foxy methoxy, if you know what I’m saying?’

Jackman knew very well. He’d seen all the highs, lows, comedowns and agonising aftermaths of most street drugs by now.

‘It’s a club drug, a tryptamine psychedelic.’

Rory gave a little chuckle. ‘I’m impressed! Not many detectives can quote that with such ease.’

‘I remember it because I helped to scrape a little kid off a concrete playground after he had taken one of those and “flown” off the school roof.’ Jackman said.

‘Oh dear, I’m sorry about that. I can see it would etch the word rather firmly into your memory.’ He paused. ‘I suspected something might be amiss because of the injuries to her feet — the soles to be precise. I’m sure you are aware that when a person drowns, the body assumes a facedown position, hence the awful facial injuries we sometimes see. I expected the girl to be badly battered, but on examination I also found abrasions and lacerations that are not typical of underwater trauma.’

‘To her feet?’ asked Jackman, beginning to frown.

‘Mmm, and on taking samples from the wounds, we discovered that the materials embedded in her flesh are not from the seabed. I suggest she ran barefoot over some pretty uneven ground before she went into the water.’

‘Chased?’

‘You’d need a witness to tell you the answer to that one.’

‘I cannot believe that Shauna Kelly willingly took Foxy,’ murmured Jackman.

‘But you said yourself that the mother was having trouble keeping her away from some of the wilder kids.’

‘Yes, but a few experimental drinks are what you’d almost expect with a teenager whose father has recently done a runner. Her mother said her daughter was never off her head on alcohol, and she swore that Shauna had never taken drugs — in fact she was quite anti.’

‘Respectfully, Inspector, they all say that to their parents,’ said Rory gently.

‘Of course, but Liz works as a volunteer at the drop-in centre on Church Street. She would have spotted any signs of drug use a mile off.’ Jackman drew in a breath. ‘If Shauna had drugs in her system, I’ll be willing to bet that she didn’t know she’d taken them.’

‘Sadly, that is more than possible. That, or peer pressure. Oh yes, and one last thing. Just a small thing, but there were no signs of any plant material, or anything else from the seabed in her hands.’

‘Sorry, Rory, I’m not quite with you on that one.’

‘The struggle to survive, Inspector. A drowning human grabs at anything to try to save themselves. It is usually proof that they were alive when they went into the water, although there is more to it than that. I think it’s indicative that Shauna was either not fully conscious, or totally spaced out. Not a pleasant thought, I know, but I thought I should update you on that rather than leave it until the full report is ready.’

‘I appreciate it. Thank you.’ Jackman hung the phone up and stared at it. Shauna Kelly had been rebelling against her dad leaving, but she hadn’t gone completely off the rails and according to the rest of the family, the girl still loved her mother. They had always been close, and there was no hint that she blamed Liz for the father buggering off.

It didn’t make sense, and from her expression as she listened to the conversation on loudspeaker, Marie was just as baffled.

‘Shauna wasn’t like that, I’d stake my life on it.’

‘I agree. Liz is not your average mum. She has been trained to look for all the giveaway signs in a teenager. She would know, I’m certain of it.’

‘So she was drugged?’ Marie shook her head.

‘That’s my theory.’

‘And here we are, chasing around after bloody Harlan Marsh! This stinks!’ Marie was almost shouting.

‘Don’t forget, their case also involves a missing girl. We do need to check this out in case they are connected. Let’s just go and get it over with.’ He looked sideways at her, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so riled up over something.’ He paused. ‘Or is it someone?’

Marie narrowed her eyes. ‘As you said, let’s just get it over with, shall we?’

Jackman put the car into gear and said nothing further.

*

Not far away from Asher Leyton’s fancy abode, someone else was equally as troubled.

Her small home was far from elegant, but it was clean and tidy and usually it felt warm and safe to Jasmine. But not today.

Jasmine lay on the sofa, her duvet drawn tightly around her thin body. She was alone at last, although it had taken some time to convince her mother that she should go to work. Jasmine’s mother, who worried about absolutely everything, had finally accepted her excuse that it was just a really bad time of the month. After making Jasmine a warm drink and a hot water bottle, she had hurried off to her job as a bookkeeper at the food factory.