And in his mind she was taken again. One minute she was in his arms, the next she was gone, pulled away from him. He could see her getting smaller, her arm reaching out to him, screaming. Then the heat, the blackness enveloped her from all sides and, even though she fought to be free from it, it was too late. She was gone.
He sat back down. Sighed. Eyes still closed, seeing only the blackness. Alone.
He didn’t want to think of all those years alone. Lost without Rani. When the pain was so great he couldn’t eat or sleep, couldn’t live or talk, even. All he could do was think of her. And how lost he was.
And that’s how it would have stayed if her voice hadn’t called to him once more, begged him to search for her. She guided him on. Told him where she was, gave him clues, instructions on how to find her. Her body had died, she said. The body he knew her in. But her spirit was too strong. It still lived on. It lived, she said, because her love for him was so great. She had to see him again. They had to be together. Forever. The way it should be.
He had thought his heart would explode when she told him that.
So he had gone looking for her. She hid clues for him to find, secret codes for him to decipher. She warned him she would look different, depending on the body her spirit was inhabiting. But not too different, she hoped. Similar enough so he could spot her.
And he did. Easily. And he thought that was it. They would be settled. But then she jumped to the next one. And he had to follow.
He didn’t like that, was impatient, told her to find a body and settle down, so he could be with her. She said it wasn’t that easy. She didn’t have full control over the bodies yet. Sometimes, like had just happened, the shell wasn’t right. It couldn’t hold her. And she couldn’t just jump out because the person whose body it was would know. So the hosts – the husks – had to be taken away. Dealt with. He didn’t question it. Just knew that if he wanted to be close to Rani it had to be done. And that was the important thing.
Rani. He sighed again. Saw her smile.
It wouldn’t be long now. She would find another host and then he would hear her voice, the secret codes she gave him, the hidden clues so he could find her again.
Yes.
It wouldn’t be long now.
36
Phil watched Fenwick and Fiona Welch enter the flat then turned to his team. He noticed Rose Martin had stayed behind with him, her eyes still on Fenwick’s retreating back. Phil had noticed the way Fenwick’s hand had rested on the small of Fiona Welch’s back, guiding her over the threshold. He was sure Rose had noticed it too.
‘Right,’ he said and turned to Mickey. ‘We have a profiler. Happy?’
Mickey didn’t seem to know what to say.
‘Not what you expected?’
‘Erm, not really…’
‘Never mind,’ Phil said, a grim smile playing at the corners of his mouth. ‘They can’t all be good. Just down to us then. Right.’ He blinked, trying to ignore the headache. ‘Plan of action. What have we got. Any ideas?’
‘I think Ben’s right,’ said Rose. ‘I think the two might be related.’
‘I think so too,’ said Phil, ‘but it’ll still pay to keep an open mind. Having said that…’ He turned to the team individually. ‘Anni. This was your case. Keep on it. Work on the missing girl’s background and the murdered girls. They were friends, work mates, maybe there’s some overlap between the two here and Julie Miller, something in their backgrounds. ’
‘OK.’
‘Oh, and get Rose to brief you on her visit to the boyfriend last night. Make sure we’re all up to speed. Mickey.’
He turned to his DS. ‘The van that was seen on the quay yesterday morning. Keep on it. Eyewitnesses, ownership, number plate, anything. And see if there’s been similar sightings round here. That should help to tie these two together. And Adele Harrison. Check with John Farrell for black vans.’
Mickey nodded, scribbling in his notebook.
‘Rose. You’re still part of this team. Julie Miller was your case and she still is. I want you to go through her background again.’
‘I’ve done that-’
‘I know you have. But this time you’re looking for anything that sticks out, anything that can be flagged up. And anything that might strike a chord with Zoe Herriot and Suzanne Perry. Anything. OK?’
She nodded.
‘Good.’ He sighed, checked his watch. Breakfast time. But he wasn’t hungry. ‘I’ll get Adrian to do chain of evidence, follow the body for the PM. Twice in two days. He’s going to love me. In the meantime-’
‘Ah, you’re still here, good.’
Phil turned. Fenwick and Fiona Welch had emerged from the flat. Fenwick’s face was decidedly pale. Fiona Welch looked wide-eyed, detached.
Phil felt a small pang of guilt over his earlier treatment of her. ‘We were just off,’ said Phil.
‘Can you stay? Talk to Nick Lines?’
Phil said he could. Fenwick also asked for a gathering later, pooling what information they had received. Phil agreed.
‘Oh, Phil,’ Fenwick said, putting his arm round the DI’s shoulder, taking him over to one side, ‘a word.’
Phil waited.
‘Let’s chat. Fiona. She has insights which could be most valuable.’
‘Is she qualified, Ben?’
‘She teaches at university. What more could you want?’
‘But is she qualified?’
‘Yes.’
Phil didn’t think he sounded so sure. ‘Good. Because if she isn’t, if she’s just an assistant, nothing she says will be taken seriously.’
‘She… she…’
A wicked smile crossed Phil’s face. ‘Comes highly recommended too?’
Fenwick knew what Phil meant. He reddened. ‘She’s had papers published, is, is highly thought of.’
‘And she’s cheap.’
Fenwick’s lips curled in a snarl. His voice dropped. ‘Make all the jibes you want, Phil. You aren’t the one who has to balance the books, provide accountability.’
‘No. I’m just the one who has to get results.’
Phil turned, went to rejoin his team.
Fenwick hurried after him. Phil was about to address them but Fenwick, seeing this, jumped in first.
‘Right, then,’ Fenwick said. ‘All got jobs? Good. Go softly on. And remember, we’re a team. We work as a team.’ He gave a quick glance to Phil. ‘And there is no “I” in “team”.’
Anni walking away, caught Phil’s eye. ‘No,’ she said, muttering, ‘but there are five in “patronising fucking idiot”.’
Phil smiled. He didn’t know if Fenwick had heard.
Didn’t care.
37
‘So… who, who are you? What’s your name?’
Suzanne heard only the echo of her voice, then silence. The voice had stopped talking.
