Black dog

drawings of common winged insects, she had recorded the superintendent’s last words exactly.

‘Preliminary report from the pathologist suggests death was caused by two or three heavy blows to the side of the head with a hard, smooth object. Task Force will commence a search for the weapon this morning.’

All eyes in the room were fixed on the photograph of the crime scene which had been projected on to the screen behind Tailby. The full-length shot of the body lying in the undergrowth changed to a closer view of the head. The colour of Laura Vernon’s hair looked garish and unnatural in the photograph, and the dark,

matted bloodstains were not easy to make out. Her red T-shirt made the accuracy of the colour balance even more doubtful.

‘First indications, based on temperature of the bodv and the stage of development of fly larvae found in the eyes, mouth and vulva, suggest Laura Vcrnon was killed within a couple of hours other aide of the first report that she sas miTing — i.e. eight o’clock Saturday evening. As you know, we already have one

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.n-lv report that I aura was seen talking to a vouno; man at about six-fifteen on a footpath in the scrubland just a few yards from her own back garden. This is some distance from where she was found, which was in the wooded area called the Baulk. Therefore we need to re-trace that final journey. House-to-house teams will concentrate on recording movements of anyone in and around

the Baulk at about the time. Including, of course, any siahtinas

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of Laura Vernon herself.’

The picture changed to the lower half of Laura’s body. Black denims were pulled down to her knees, showing the top edge of a pair of blue pants, and several inches of deathly white flesh above and below the dark bush of hair.

‘As you see, Laura’s clothing was disturbed. However, subject to the full postmortem, which will be carried out later this morning, the pathologist’s initial view is that there is no evidence that any sexual assault took place, either before or after the victim’s death. There is one possible exception to that.’

Tailby nodded, and the picture changed again, the camera coming in to a small area near the top of the dead girl’s right thigh. The assembled officers frowned and peered closer. A discolouration of the skin could be seen, some sort of bruising,p>

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but bearing an oddly regular shape.

‘Mrs Van Door,’ said Tailby, ‘believes this injury probably occurred around the time of death.’

The room stirred uneasily. Some of the officers were sweating,

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and the atmosphere was becoming humid.

The know you’re all anxious to get started,’ said Tailby, sensing the restlessness. ‘DI Hitchens will give you your action forms

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very shortly. Bear with me for a few more minutes.’

The picture disappeared from the wall behind the DCI, and some in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

89

‘First of all, we are urgently enquiring into the whereabouts of one Lee Sherratt, aged twenty, recently employed as a gardener at the Mount. Details are in your files. But we also want to know about any other boyfriends Laura Vernon may have had a relationship with. Particularly those her parents might not have been aware of.’

‘Are we assuming the family are in the clear, sir?’ asked DS Rennic.

‘We never assume, Rennie,’ said the DCI with a little smile. ‘It makes an “ASS” out of “U” and “ME”.’

Rennie paused for a moment, puzzled. Then someone sniggered, and he realized he had been put down.

‘Thank you, sir,’ he said.

‘Both Graham and Charlotte Vernon will, of course, be interviewed again. There is also a brother, I believe, away at

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university. Otherwise, we are told that Laura Vernon did not mix much with people in the village of Moorhay. This is what the parents tell us, at least. If that isn’t the case, it will be your job to find out. Meanwhile, the usual checks on all our known sex offenders are being carried out. We have DI Armstrong here from B Division, who will be coordinating that aspect of the enquiry.’

The chief inspector indicated a female officer to one side of the room. She was rather overweight and the grey suit she was wearing didn’t fit too well around her shoulders. Her dark hair was collar-length and cut very straight.

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‘Some of you may know that DI Armstrong has been working on the team investigating the death of Susan Edson near Buxton five weeks ago. Some of this ground has already been covered in B Division in the last few weeks, so we are avoiding duplication of effort.’

Some of the officers shifted uneasily and looked sideways at each other. Tailby seemed to sense it, and responded. ‘For public consumption, there must be no suggestion of a link between these two cases. I do not want to hear the words “serial killer” mentioned by any member of this team or see them appearing in the press.’