alright.”
“I can’t let you in there, Mrs Webb?” Bowers put his arm across her path. “Are you Mrs Webb?”
“Yes I am.” She snapped. “What do you mean I can’t go in?” she gasped. She pushed against him. “I have to get in there. Jackie may be injured!”
“Please calm down. Mrs Webb,” Bowers held firm. “Now what makes you think that Jackie is injured?”
She tried to step around him, her face flushed red with frustration. “Move you idiot!” she shouted. “Jayne’s mother called me and someone has been hurt. I have to get in there now!”
Bowers grabbed her by the arms and shook her gently to gain her attention. “Mrs Webb!” he growled. “I cannot let you into that property until we know that it is safe.” He shook her gently again. “Do you understand me?”
Mrs Webb tensed and then seemed to flop into his arms. Bowers had to grab her under the armpits to hold her weight. Her legs had turned to jelly. “Jackie could be hurt,” she whined. “Please!”
“Calm down,” Bowers said soothingly. He walked her backwards away from the front door. “Now what makes you think that she’s been injured?”
“My friend called me,” she sobbed. “Jayne Windsor’s mother. She said that there’s been a murder,” she rambled. “Jackie was with her daughter and I haven’t heard from her this week. I have to get inside.”
“Do you normally hear from her every day,” Bowers asked.
“No,” she stammered. “Not every day but she was with Jayne Windsor. Something terrible has happened.”
The name meant nothing to officer Bowers. His orders had been specific but had little in the way of details attached. He guided Mrs Webb further from the apartments; reluctantly but she didn’t resist. “Seven, five, five,” he kept one eye on the distraught woman as he spoke.
“Go ahead.”
“I have Mrs Webb here,” he tempered his voice so as not to panic her further. “She has keys to number four Sefton Heights and is keen to go inside to look for her daughter.” He paused. “She seems to think that she might be injured.”
“Negative, seven, five, five,” control replied. “The DI is en route with support vehicles. She specified that no one is to attempt entry under any circumstances. ETA fifteen minutes.”
“Roger that.” Bowers raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “You heard that, Mrs Webb. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until the detective in charge of the case arrives. I’m sorry but I can’t allow you near the apartment.”
Mrs Webb huffed and squeezed her hands together, childlike. “This is ridiculous!” she turned and stormed off towards her Ford. Bowers watched her suspiciously. Frightened people could be unpredictable but frightened parents were different again. They would do anything to protect their children even if it meant putting themselves in grave danger. “I’ll be filing a complaint,” she turned and wagged her finger at him. “I’ll sue if anything happens to Jackie.” She looked panicked and confused. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and check shirt and stomped her feet in anger. Bowers felt for her. He had children himself. Teenagers. He spent all day working with the scum of the earth, which made it very difficult not to worry whenever they were out of his sight. Mrs Webb looked around, desperate for the detectives to arrive so that she could try to find her daughter. When her eyes fell on the access road, which led to the rear of the apartments, she jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. Bowers followed her gaze and realised what she intended to do. As she started the engine and the vehicle lurched forward, he swore under his breath and sprinted along the path.
CHAPTER 10
“W e can rule out ancient Greek, Hebrew and Sumerian,” DS Watkin said excitedly. If there was anyone geeky enough to enjoy
“I can’t let you in there, Mrs Webb?” Bowers put his arm across her path. “Are you Mrs Webb?”
“Yes I am.” She snapped. “What do you mean I can’t go in?” she gasped. She pushed against him. “I have to get in there. Jackie may be injured!”
“Please calm down. Mrs Webb,” Bowers held firm. “Now what makes you think that Jackie is injured?”
She tried to step around him, her face flushed red with frustration. “Move you idiot!” she shouted. “Jayne’s mother called me and someone has been hurt. I have to get in there now!”
Bowers grabbed her by the arms and shook her gently to gain her attention. “Mrs Webb!” he growled. “I cannot let you into that property until we know that it is safe.” He shook her gently again. “Do you understand me?”
Mrs Webb tensed and then seemed to flop into his arms. Bowers had to grab her under the armpits to hold her weight. Her legs had turned to jelly. “Jackie could be hurt,” she whined. “Please!”
“Calm down,” Bowers said soothingly. He walked her backwards away from the front door. “Now what makes you think that she’s been injured?”
“My friend called me,” she sobbed. “Jayne Windsor’s mother. She said that there’s been a murder,” she rambled. “Jackie was with her daughter and I haven’t heard from her this week. I have to get inside.”
“Do you normally hear from her every day,” Bowers asked.
“No,” she stammered. “Not every day but she was with Jayne Windsor. Something terrible has happened.”
The name meant nothing to officer Bowers. His orders had been specific but had little in the way of details attached. He guided Mrs Webb further from the apartments; reluctantly but she didn’t resist. “Seven, five, five,” he kept one eye on the distraught woman as he spoke.
“Go ahead.”
“I have Mrs Webb here,” he tempered his voice so as not to panic her further. “She has keys to number four Sefton Heights and is keen to go inside to look for her daughter.” He paused. “She seems to think that she might be injured.”
“Negative, seven, five, five,” control replied. “The DI is en route with support vehicles. She specified that no one is to attempt entry under any circumstances. ETA fifteen minutes.”
“Roger that.” Bowers raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “You heard that, Mrs Webb. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait until the detective in charge of the case arrives. I’m sorry but I can’t allow you near the apartment.”
Mrs Webb huffed and squeezed her hands together, childlike. “This is ridiculous!” she turned and stormed off towards her Ford. Bowers watched her suspiciously. Frightened people could be unpredictable but frightened parents were different again. They would do anything to protect their children even if it meant putting themselves in grave danger. “I’ll be filing a complaint,” she turned and wagged her finger at him. “I’ll sue if anything happens to Jackie.” She looked panicked and confused. She wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans and check shirt and stomped her feet in anger. Bowers felt for her. He had children himself. Teenagers. He spent all day working with the scum of the earth, which made it very difficult not to worry whenever they were out of his sight. Mrs Webb looked around, desperate for the detectives to arrive so that she could try to find her daughter. When her eyes fell on the access road, which led to the rear of the apartments, she jumped into the driver’s seat and slammed the door. Bowers followed her gaze and realised what she intended to do. As she started the engine and the vehicle lurched forward, he swore under his breath and sprinted along the path.
CHAPTER 10
“W e can rule out ancient Greek, Hebrew and Sumerian,” DS Watkin said excitedly. If there was anyone geeky enough to enjoy
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