her direction, then went back to what they had been doing. She walked over to her desk, sat down again, picked up a report.
‘You okay?’
She looked up. Fenwick was standing over her, concern in his eyes. She gave a quick look round the room. Saw only sympathetic looks in her direction, nothing judgemental.
She nodded. ‘Yeah. It’s just . . .’
‘Don’t worry. Nobody blames you for your reaction. I told you this was a bad one. I mean, I’m sure I’ve dealt with worse, but I really can’t remember when.’
She nodded again.
‘There’s something else,’ said Fenwick, leaning over her. ‘Now that you’ve had a look at the files I should tell you. In the first murder the baby was cut up in the mother’s stomach. In the second it was removed. The baby in this morning’s murder is missing.’
‘Oh God . . .’
‘So work your magic, the quicker the better, please.’
He laid a hand on her shoulder that could have been either comforting or patronising and walked away, leaving her to it. She watched him go into his office, close the door.
She looked at the reports in front of her, then to her notebook. She opened the Susie Evans report again, began to read once more. She was here to do a job.
She became engrossed, didn’t notice someone standing at her side until they spoke.
‘Hey.’
Her breath caught in her throat. She stopped reading. She wanted to look up but didn’t dare until she was ready.
‘Hey yourself.’
He looked good. A bit thinner perhaps but that was no bad thing. She found a smile for him and sat upright in her chair. ‘You still here, then?’
‘They tried to get rid of me, kept coming back.’
‘Bit like me,’ she said.
Phil smiled, then looked round the room, as if aware that people might be staring. Marina was unsure how many people knew of their relationship or its ending and she felt herself blushing. She picked up the coffee mug to cover it, put it to her lips. Cold. She made a face, replaced it on the desk.
‘I’ll get you some fresh,’ he said.
‘Doesn’t matter. I doubt it’ll taste any better.’
Silence. She saw Phil’s mouth move, as if rehearsing what he wanted to say. But knew he wouldn’t say it.
‘Ben Fenwick been looking after you?’ he said eventually.
‘My every whim catered for.’
Phil gave another smile. ‘Is that right. You got everything you need?’
She nodded.
‘Good.’ Another look round, then back to her. ‘How’s . . .’ He paused.
She knew he was only pretending to forget the name.
‘Tony,’ she said, prompting him.
‘Tony. Right. He okay?’
‘Fine.’ She looked into the coffee mug. ‘Everything. Fine and Jim Dandy.’ She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, breathed in, her stomach suddenly feeling enormous.
‘Whoever he is,’ said Phil. ‘Well, you look like you know what you’re doing. I’ll leave you to it, right?’
‘Okay.’
‘Right.’
‘You said that already.’
He laughed. ‘Right.’ Laughed again. ‘Well . . . I’m sure I’ll see you later.’
‘Later.’
He moved away, walking towards his desk. She kept her eyes on him the whole time, then shook her head. No, she thought, that’s the last thing I need right now.
She put her head down, looked again at the paperwork in front of her but couldn’t concentrate. There had been too many things left unsaid between her and Phil. Things they should talk about. If she decided she wanted to. But they would have to wait.
She went back to the reports. Concentrating this time.
Because lives depended on it.
13
E mma Nicholls sat down behind her desk and gave DC Anni Hepburn a smile intended to convey confidence and professionalism but which instead screamed tension and barely suppressed emotion.
She was dressed as if for a normal day at work as a head teacher: black two-piece trouser suit, light-coloured blouse, hair cut into a long bob. But the day was no longer normal. Two of her teachers
‘You okay?’
She looked up. Fenwick was standing over her, concern in his eyes. She gave a quick look round the room. Saw only sympathetic looks in her direction, nothing judgemental.
She nodded. ‘Yeah. It’s just . . .’
‘Don’t worry. Nobody blames you for your reaction. I told you this was a bad one. I mean, I’m sure I’ve dealt with worse, but I really can’t remember when.’
She nodded again.
‘There’s something else,’ said Fenwick, leaning over her. ‘Now that you’ve had a look at the files I should tell you. In the first murder the baby was cut up in the mother’s stomach. In the second it was removed. The baby in this morning’s murder is missing.’
‘Oh God . . .’
‘So work your magic, the quicker the better, please.’
He laid a hand on her shoulder that could have been either comforting or patronising and walked away, leaving her to it. She watched him go into his office, close the door.
She looked at the reports in front of her, then to her notebook. She opened the Susie Evans report again, began to read once more. She was here to do a job.
She became engrossed, didn’t notice someone standing at her side until they spoke.
‘Hey.’
Her breath caught in her throat. She stopped reading. She wanted to look up but didn’t dare until she was ready.
‘Hey yourself.’
He looked good. A bit thinner perhaps but that was no bad thing. She found a smile for him and sat upright in her chair. ‘You still here, then?’
‘They tried to get rid of me, kept coming back.’
‘Bit like me,’ she said.
Phil smiled, then looked round the room, as if aware that people might be staring. Marina was unsure how many people knew of their relationship or its ending and she felt herself blushing. She picked up the coffee mug to cover it, put it to her lips. Cold. She made a face, replaced it on the desk.
‘I’ll get you some fresh,’ he said.
‘Doesn’t matter. I doubt it’ll taste any better.’
Silence. She saw Phil’s mouth move, as if rehearsing what he wanted to say. But knew he wouldn’t say it.
‘Ben Fenwick been looking after you?’ he said eventually.
‘My every whim catered for.’
Phil gave another smile. ‘Is that right. You got everything you need?’
She nodded.
‘Good.’ Another look round, then back to her. ‘How’s . . .’ He paused.
She knew he was only pretending to forget the name.
‘Tony,’ she said, prompting him.
‘Tony. Right. He okay?’
‘Fine.’ She looked into the coffee mug. ‘Everything. Fine and Jim Dandy.’ She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, breathed in, her stomach suddenly feeling enormous.
‘Whoever he is,’ said Phil. ‘Well, you look like you know what you’re doing. I’ll leave you to it, right?’
‘Okay.’
‘Right.’
‘You said that already.’
He laughed. ‘Right.’ Laughed again. ‘Well . . . I’m sure I’ll see you later.’
‘Later.’
He moved away, walking towards his desk. She kept her eyes on him the whole time, then shook her head. No, she thought, that’s the last thing I need right now.
She put her head down, looked again at the paperwork in front of her but couldn’t concentrate. There had been too many things left unsaid between her and Phil. Things they should talk about. If she decided she wanted to. But they would have to wait.
She went back to the reports. Concentrating this time.
Because lives depended on it.
13
E mma Nicholls sat down behind her desk and gave DC Anni Hepburn a smile intended to convey confidence and professionalism but which instead screamed tension and barely suppressed emotion.
She was dressed as if for a normal day at work as a head teacher: black two-piece trouser suit, light-coloured blouse, hair cut into a long bob. But the day was no longer normal. Two of her teachers
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