head. ‘No.’
Another look at the body on the floor, the bloodstained walls. ‘He’s here to do a job. He wants that baby. No time to mess about. He’s escalating again. More ferocious this time, less focused.’
She then did something that she wouldn’t have believed herself capable of doing. She knelt down before the body, peered at the stomach wound. ‘He knew what he was doing. This is controlled. The cutting isn’t frenzied or hurried. The rest of the attack is.’
She let her eyes rove over the other injuries. ‘He didn’t have time to tie her down, to control her as he did Claire Fielding. The restraints, the spreadeagling. I bet there’s no drugs, either. Maybe he couldn’t get them in time. Maybe he’d run out.’ She looked again. ‘Or maybe he doesn’t want to use them any more. Maybe he’s really getting a taste for this. He’s doing a job, but he’s starting to enjoy it. Really, really enjoy it…’
She checked the position of the body. ‘Right. So he pushes her down…’ She saw the action on her mind’s eye. ‘Not content with that, he smashes her arms, her legs. She’s not going anywhere. Then he… he wants her to stay still, be controlled. No drugs, so he improvises. Finds what’s at hand to do the job of keeping her in place. Then he gets to work.’
‘What does that tell us?’ asked Phil. ‘What’s your impression? ’
She kept staring at the body, thinking. Phil and Anni waited. ‘I don’t think it’s an escalation in the sense of him getting out of control,’ she said eventually. ‘But this is a fierce attack and it’s come right after the last one. Usually in cases of this nature there’s some time between them. The perpetrator likes to rest up, let his lusts die down, play with his trophies until the urge builds again. There’s nothing like that here.’
‘Why not?’ asked Phil.
‘Because…’ An idea struck Marina. She felt cold and empty as it took hold of her. ‘The baby’s dead. The last baby he took. Claire Fielding’s. That’s it. That’s why he’s back again so quickly. He wants a replacement.’
‘And this baby could still be alive?’ said Anni.
‘Not my department. But I hope so. I’d guess so.’
‘And the position he’s left the body in?’ said Phil.
‘Doesn’t matter,’ said Marina, staring at the body. ‘I don’t think there’s any significance. He’s got what he wanted and he’s off.’
‘So this confirms things,’ said Phil. ‘That it’s not the woman who’s the target; it’s the baby.’
‘Right,’ said Marina. ‘She’s just a… a husk, a carrier. He doesn’t care what happens to her. Like you don’t care what happens to an eggshell when you crack it and take out the egg.’
Phil and Anni stared at the body, taking in what Marina had said.
Eventually Marina turned to Phil. ‘Can we step outside now, please?’
‘Certainly.’
They did so. Marina was surprised at what she saw. Teams of white-suited police were going about their jobs in what was once a peaceful suburban street. Now it looked like it was the centre of a chemical attack. Nothing had been spared. Fingertip searches were taking place. The house and surrounding area were being examined in forensic detail. She saw door-to-door inquiries being carried out. A mobile police station had been set up by the end of the turning for anyone to give information anonymously. Nick Lines and his pathology team had arrived.
The press were behind the barriers at the end of the road, erected to stop them actually seeing anything, their cameras and lights adding to the police lights, creating an unreal film-set atmosphere. They were getting restless, hovering, hoping for that one glimpse, that overheard remark, the mistake that would provide them with their story.
Phil stopped walking. Spoke to the other two. Started to take charge once more. ‘Anni, chain of evidence. Follow the body to the mortuary. Get Nick Lines over here now. I want timelines established for Graeme Eades, for Caroline Eades and for this Erin woman. I want her found and questioned. See if she wanted a baby and he wouldn’t give it to her. I want Forensics working overnight, I want everything double-checked. He must have left some trace here, he must have done…’
‘Who’s going to do all this?’ asked Anni.
Phil sighed. ‘I wish we still had Clayton. The Birdies should be here soon. I’ll make a couple of calls. Get all available ranks here and working on it.’
Marina looked over at the press once more. Flashbulbs popped in her direction as she did so. ‘Should have brought Ben Fenwick after all,’ she said to Phil. ‘He could have kept them quiet.’
‘I suppose he does have his uses,’ said Phil.
‘We’re going to need to tell them something,’ said Anni.
Phil nodded. Looked up. ‘Would you two do it?’
Anni and Marina exchanged surprised glances.
‘Aw, boss,’ said Anni, ‘that’s not my thing. Come on…’
‘You’ve had media training, you can do it,’ said Phil, warming to his theme. ‘Both of you. Together. Say what’s happened – don’t give details – then if you, Marina, could look at the camera and make some kind of plea to…’ He shrugged. ‘Whoever’s got the baby. Ask them to give it back, ask them to come forward and we’ll help them, that kind of thing.’
‘You think that’ll help?’ asked Marina.
‘It won’t hurt.’ Phil sighed, and Marina saw just how much stress he was under. ‘I know it’s not what you signed up for, but if anyone knows the words that’ll hit this person’s buttons, it’s you.’
She just looked at him.
‘Please.’ He glanced over at the news crews, then back to Marina and Anni. ‘It’s national now, not local. We need as much help as we can get.’
Marina shook her head, looked at Anni. ‘Well?’ she asked.
‘I will if you will,’ said Anni.
‘Thank you,’ said Phil.
The two women walked over to where the press were waiting, Anni complaining that if she’d known she was going to be on TV, she would have remembered her make-up. Phil watched them go. He couldn’t hear what they said, but the audience seemed to lap it up. Anni was surprisingly poised, he thought. And Marina sincere. He noticed that she kept touching her stomach as she spoke, in that new nervous habit of hers. Then they were finished and walking back towards him. Flashbulbs popping once again.
‘Well done,’ he said.
Marina smiled. ‘Thank you. I can now add media star to my CV,’ she said with a grim smile.
‘Yeah,’ said Anni. ‘Judge on
Marina smiled once more. It covered the weariness and the tension.
Phil looked away, but she kept scrutinising him. His hand went to his chest, clutching it as if in sudden pain. She knew he was hiding it from Anni and his team, but she caught it. She knew what it was too. A panic attack.
She felt suddenly protective of Phil as he stopped rubbing, took a few deep breaths.
‘Come on then,’ he said, turning back to them. ‘Let’s get started. Time’s running out for that baby.’
He turned, walked away towards the mobile incident room. Marina caught up with him.
‘Thanks,’ he said, keeping his eyes straight ahead, his jaw set. ‘I owe you one.’
Marina didn’t reply. Just smiled.
55
The baby was quiet. Finally. Hester had picked it up, held it, shushed it. Rocked it from side to side. The motion must have made it sleepy. It closed its eyes. Eventually it had woken up and wanted feeding. She had given it milk. It had taken it. Hester felt good. Proud. Like she could cope.
Now the baby was sleeping in its cot. Hester had the TV on. Hester loved the TV. Especially the adverts. The stuff in between them she often didn’t understand. She saw people doing things and heard laughter at the result but didn’t know what was supposed to be funny. She watched people being serious with each other but couldn’t work out what they were so worried about. She heard singers and dancers getting whooping applause and failed to see what the audience was getting excited about. You had to phone in and vote for the best one. She couldn’t work out
