Page 56

CHAPTER 56

MELANIE – D AY F OUR

‘Do you have any idea how many black Volvo estates are on the road?’ Melanie is eating a slice of pizza, sitting with Tom on the sofa. George is already tucked up in bed, fast asleep. Tired from the journey and also from telling her all about the trip.

‘You look exhausted, Mel. Can’t you take a few hours away from the case? Just for tonight?’

‘I am exhausted but no. I’m afraid I can’t.’

He leans over to kiss her on the forehead then takes another slice of pizza from their shared plate. She notices he takes the piece with most pepperoni and smiles.

Melanie has her phone in her left hand and is checking messages and other updates on her laptop. Sam is on data watch back at the incident room, chasing the ANPR checks on the Volvo and cross-checking with the sex offenders’ register nationally. He’s holding the fort late tonight so Melanie can be at home with George. But the team is on a fresh new push now that Dawn and Adam Meadows have been discounted from the investigation. Melanie can’t let the momentum slide. Not for a moment.

She won’t say this to Tom, but she feels conflicted to be away from the office. The instant access to all the systems. Any new phone calls coming in.

A good overtime budget means she has rolling cover with the team now working on shifts. It feels good to be with George, but now she’s reassured that he’s doing OK she feels twitchy to be home when the Amelie case is taking a sharp new turn.

‘Popular estate, the Volvo,’ Tom says finally. ‘No idea how many. You tell me.’

‘Tens of thousands at a guess. And black is still one of the most common colours,’ Melanie says. ‘Apparently, they’re going to stop making them. Switching to SUVs.’

‘Really?’

‘OK. So the witness said the Volvo we’re looking for is in terrific shape. New or newish but he didn’t clock the number plate so it could just be well maintained. I just wish it wasn’t a black car. Needle. Haystack.’

‘Who’s doing the leg work? Checking the ANPR?’

‘Sam’s overseeing. A dozen black Volvos so far on cameras within a few miles of that canal car park at the time. The number’s going up every time he messages me. It’s going to be a slog. Chasing and checking each one. Lord knows how many black Volvos we’ll have on the list by the morning. The nearest working cameras are a couple of miles from the car park. And that car could have been taking Amelie in any direction.’

‘Is there not a camera at the car park exit?’

‘Yes.’ She pauses. ‘Broken, would you believe.’

‘You’re kidding me?’

‘No. It’s as if the gods are against us. A bag over the camera at the canal and a faulty camera where she was somehow bundled into a car.’

‘And what about the description? The photofits?’

‘That’s where things get more hopeful. I’m waiting for the update. The two photofits combined. Witnesses can be notoriously unreliable, but the latest message says it looks promising as their descriptions marry. First thing I will have the combined photofit and we start cross-matching that with our Volvo drivers. I’ll also put the photofit out to the media for breakfast coverage. We’re doing another press conference first thing. You never know. We may get lucky and someone will phone in.’

‘Breakfast news coverage? So what time will you be getting up?’

‘Best you don’t know. In fact ...’ Melanie sucks pizza sauce from her fingers, drying her hands on another sheet of paper towel and stands. ‘I need to get to bed. Day five tomorrow.’ She pauses.

‘You OK, love?’

‘Not really. I never imagined it would run to five days, Tom. I honestly thought I would have found her by now.’