‘Besides literally everything?’
‘Yeah.’
‘That doesn’t leave a lot of scope. But please enlighten me. This ought to be good.’
‘I caught five minutes of a documentary last night, about Shoreditch and the changes there over the past couple of decades. Back in the day – my day, to be more precise – that area was full of faces. Mean, ugly, shovel-faced bastards who’d choke a kitten with one hand to prove they weren’t gay. These days it’s full of hipsters. Weedy nerds with their Guy Fawkes beards and heavy-rimmed glasses they don’t even need. Surviving on muesli, tofu and mung beans. What the fuck happened while I wasn’t looking?’
‘It’s called progress, Jimmy.’
‘It’s called the end of days. Where was all that gentrification when I was a kid? Oh, no, our kind were supposed to be happy with our outdoor khazis, coal fires, cold baths, and the rats having a knees-up in the basement. Get a few warehouses and office blocks redeveloped and suddenly everybody wants to tart the place up.’
‘You’re only jealous.’
‘Bloody right I am. When I think of the squalor we lived in and what passes for poverty these days… ah, forget it. I woke up in a shitty mood.’
‘I take it all is not well chez Bliss?’ Chandler said.
He grunted. ‘I don’t want to talk about it. You keep your attention on the road.’
Bliss waited until they’d passed the Norman’s Cross intersection before telling Chandler what was on his mind.
‘Our victim was moonlighting. That definitely put her in a dangerous position. Angie confirmed our suspicions last night. She also suggested we consider using Glen Ashton to pave the way if we go after Drake or his organisation – have him and ERSOU operate as some kind of buffer. What do you think?’
Chandler gave him a knowing look. ‘I gather you’d like us to be on the same page when we get back to HQ?’
‘Ideally. The idea has merit. It would be better if any further sniffing around came from somewhere other than us. Plus, if ERSOU are involved, not even the defence can claim harassment. The CPS will have kittens as per, but they have to know we can’t stand aside if this young woman’s death is even remotely connected to Drake and our case against him.’
‘Even if she did work for his organisation, you’ll have a hard job making anything stick when it comes to him personally.’
‘I know that, Pen. Impossible, probably. But the more ammunition I get, the more likely we are to keep hold of the case. If all roads eventually lead to Drake, great. If not, we still get to solve it.’
‘It could work out quite well, having Ashton and ERSOU do the spade work. If it goes nowhere, we’ve lost nothing. If Drake is responsible, we swoop in and take it out of Ashton’s hands. I like it. That Angie is a shrewd one. When did you speak to her?’
With some reluctance, Bliss told his partner about the first part of the previous evening. He also mentioned Emily’s reaction to Burton’s presence. ‘Ange reckons Em came over all protective. What’s your take?’
‘No question in my mind. If she’s anything like me, Emily probably picked up the scent while she was still turning the key in the lock. About that, by the way – am I right to take it as a good sign?’
Bliss tipped his hand one way and then the other. ‘Don’t read too much into it. Like I told Ange, Em having my front door key has more to do with practicality than any long-term commitment on our part.’
Chandler slipped the car onto the A14, and Bliss poured a cup of hot filtered coffee and passed it over. He let her take a couple of sips before picking up where he’d left off. ‘It’s an arrangement that suits us both. Her having the key. It doesn’t mean anything more than that.’
Chandler arched her eyebrows. ‘And Emily knows this, I assume?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then there should be no problem.’
‘Forget about it,’ he said, dismissing the matter. ‘It’ll sort itself out one way or another. Let’s get back to our victim. I was wondering where we go next if we come up short on an ID.’
‘We can’t all go around hammering square pegs into round holes, Jimmy.’
‘I know that – give me some credit. But what do we do in those circumstances? I’m hoping lividity together with the evidence gathered at the scene will tell us if she was killed at the chalk pits or strangled elsewhere before being dumped. Hopefully it’s the latter. The more time she spent in her killer’s company, the more likely it is that we’ll pull some fibres off her clothes. I looked at her shoes and her feet, and I saw no sign of scuffing or abrasions on the heels of either, so I don’t think she was dragged anywhere. The spot where she was found is a good hundred yards away from the closest track where you could bring a vehicle. She was no heavyweight, but that’s still one hell of a carry.’
‘Igor could probably do it one-handed.’
Bliss flicked a finger at her. ‘That same thought went through my head.’
‘Or there are two people involved.’
‘Another possibility, though less likely.’
‘But why Cambridge? Why the chalk pits? If our girl lived and worked in Peterborough, why not dispose of her over at Ferry Meadows, or in the river? Bretton Woods, even. Anywhere close by? Why all the way out there?’
He nodded. It didn’t feel quite right. There was more to this murder than they were seeing. He fell into contemplative silence.
‘You okay, Jimmy?’ Chandler asked after a while. ‘Other than your health today, I mean.’
‘Yeah. Why d’you ask?’
‘Your lousy mood, for one thing. You also seem a bit more preoccupied than usual lately. A little bit more solemn. I thought it was probably the whole demotion thing, especially knowing how close you came to losing your job altogether. Now… I’m not so sure.’
He shrugged. ‘Even someone as shallow as me pauses to
