Ansari drained the last dregs of her hot chocolate before saying, ‘That scenario provides us with our best chance of tracking them.’
It was precisely the reply Bliss had hoped to hear.
Bishop entered the room at that moment, deep in discussion with DC Hunt. Bliss had been waiting for him to return to the incident room before announcing the outcome of the visit to Belmarsh. It was evident from the first sentence that Bishop had not informed the rest of the team about the trip.
‘Is it everything they say it is security-wise?’ Hunt wanted to know.
Bliss nodded. ‘And more. Mind you, they did allow me to leave with personal photos taken on my phone.’
‘Of what?’
‘DS Chandler standing around in her underwear.’
He heard a gasp beside him. Felt the sting of a slap on his forearm. He chuckled. ‘If anyone would like a copy, let me know. I’m thinking of starting a WhatsApp group, so you can apply there.’
‘At least I still look fit, old man,’ Chandler said disdainfully. ‘My belly isn’t sagging, unlike somebody’s I could mention.’
‘True. But gravity is taking its toll on your boobs, you have to admit.’
‘Whatever. You still got a thrill copping a free peek.’
‘You’re a woman. You were standing there in your underwear. Of course I’m going to look.’ Bliss glanced around the room, searching for support.
‘Stick me on your list, boss,’ Hunt said, raising a hand.
Ashton followed suit. ‘I’ll have some of that, too.’
Chandler clapped her hands together. ‘This is all very sweet and charming and more than a little pervy, but can we please get back to business? For your information, our phones were confiscated upon arrival, so our esteemed colleague Detective Sergeant Bliss is a lying gobshite.’
Bliss held up both hands. ‘It’s a fair cop. But the image of Pen in her bra and knickers is indelibly imprinted on my mind’s eye, so if anybody would like me to describe it in minute detail, see me afterwards.’
This provoked more laughter. Chandler ignored it. ‘We’re basically waiting for the ERSOU techs to spit out some answers, but we have no idea how long that wait might be. In the meantime, there’s every chance that Abbi Turner is being held by a madman even as we speak. Does anyone have any bright ideas how we can move forward on that?’
His partner’s question echoed the turmoil rampaging inside Bliss’s head. He found himself going back and forth and meeting insurmountable barriers at every turn. They were waiting for the system, waiting for Drake to contact them with a name. The latter did not fill Bliss with confidence; Drake was more likely to take things into his own hands than he was to work with the police. Meanwhile, the girl he believed to be their next victim was potentially being subjected to any number of unspeakable horrors. It seemed to him that if Abbi Turner was that person, getting to know her better should be their next move.
He suggested as much, and this received a ripple of enthusiasm. ‘But how?’ Bishop asked, putting voice to the most obvious question.
Chandler was the first to respond. ‘We could obtain a warrant to search her flat. The address we have for her is bound to be her own home rather than her work-based accommodation. I’m not sure what we’d find there, but it’s a good place to start.’
‘How about her profile on the dark website?’ Bliss asked.
Bishop shook his head. ‘It works in a completely different way. It provides only a central mobile number. All communications are routed through there.’
‘We could scan the other sites for her, though,’ Hunt said. ‘We have her photo. Gul and Glen can have a go at tracking her to other sites if DI Burton is busy. They’ll hopefully offer up a number and location. If it’s different to the one we have, we know it’s for clients only and that the one we have is the one she calls home.’
‘Sounds like a plan.’ Bishop looked to DC Gratton. ‘Phil. Start working up the warrant. Use the address we have – we can always amend it later on if we need to.’
Bliss was shaking his head. He had an empty feeling in his stomach. ‘We’re reaching and hoping. I hate it when a case deteriorates to this point. Five days in, so much information flowing through our hands. Yet not only are we no closer to catching this bastard, but he’s already secured his next victim.’
‘But it’s still progress,’ Bishop argued. ‘On Wednesday we thought we had one murdered sex worker on our hands. Today we know we’re after a serial, we know how he acquires his victims, and we also have the name and address of his next victim.’
‘I agree. That’s why I mentioned the flow of information. But where are we still? Scratching our heads, playing catch-up. Yes, we’ve clearly made good progress; I’m not denying that at all. It’s the details we’re short of, and with no obvious way of obtaining them quickly.’
‘Patience and diligence, Jimmy. Patience and diligence.’
Bliss dipped his head and smiled. ‘Hitting me with my own words, eh? Low blow, Bish. Low blow.’
Bishop chuckled. ‘But clearly they made an impact. I remember you telling me there were three assets we needed most of all when an investigation reached this stage. Patience to wait for a break without becoming disillusioned. Diligence to ensure we don’t miss that break when it presents itself to us.’
‘I’m happy you took it in and have found it useful. But do you recall the third item on the list? I didn’t mention it to you at the time, but added it at a later date.’
Bishop shook his head.
‘Luck,’ Bliss said. ‘When the strands of a case get tied up in knots and you feel as if you’re getting nowhere, it’s often a stroke of luck that gives you the break you waited for patiently and
