Page 62

CHAPTER 62

MELANIE – D AY F IVE

‘Right. Well, that obviously didn’t go to plan,’ Melanie says as she marches back into the incident room. The team’s gathered around the viewing screen, all eyes turning to her. No one says a word but their faces speak volumes.

‘But we hold our nerve and we press on.’ Melanie cannot let the team know how she feels inside. ‘So, it was an unmitigated disaster in there. I can’t change that. And I can’t afford to let that distract us. All that matters right now , today, is Amelie. This new appeal. Whether we get calls on the photofit and the black Volvo. So let’s get to it, shall we? Keep crunching that data. Cross-checking the Volvo sightings. And hope the media decide it’s more important to help us find Amelie than stir up attacks on the force and on this inquiry.’ She pauses. Sniffs. ‘ And me. ’

Melanie feels her phone buzz in her pocket and reaches to check it. Another message from the super.

My office.

She ignores it. The dressing-down can wait. Melanie’s afraid that if she goes upstairs to face the music, she’ll be taken straight off the case, no matter how short-staffed the force is. ‘Sam,’ she says. ‘I’m putting you in charge of monitoring how this plays out in the media. Can you do that for me?’

‘Sure.’ Sam catches her eye. Looks worried. ‘Is Lisa not on it?’

‘Yes. But she’s dealing with something else this minute.’ To Melanie’s surprise, Lisa didn’t return to the press conference after helping Sally leave the room. Her text said there had been a big argument between Sally and Matthew. They left separately and Lisa was trying to shield them from the media. Was worried they might be followed by journalists. They’d agreed Sally should stay with her friend Carol.

‘First I need an update on the Volvo drivers on our list,’ she adds, staring at Sam. ‘Can you follow me into my office, please.’

Melanie strides fast into her side office, shutting the door after Sam. She has her phone open still and presses the BBC news app. To her relief, a story appears. Brief but helpful. Under the headline – Did this man take Amelie Hill? – the story is just three paragraphs. But it includes the photofit and the incident room number. And no mention of the Dawn Meadows sideshow. Yet.

‘The BBC are running it straight. The photofit.’ She turns the screen to show Sam. He nods. Looks relieved. ‘It’s something at least. Right. So let’s regroup, you and me.’ Melanie turns to face her whiteboard. It’s an old-school duplicate in miniature of the incident room’s large digital board. Amelie’s picture in the middle. The Meadows now have a cross through their photos. Ditto Sally’s friend Carol. A list of locals on the sex offenders’ register with ticks for each alibi check. A still from the security footage which caught a glimpse of the girl in the green dress being carried. Plus the latest two additions. The photofit and a still of a black Volvo.

Early this morning Melanie added her new Venn diagram. One circle for black Volvo drivers. One for photofit leads. Also anyone on the national sex offenders’ register who drives a black Volvo. It’s all about cross-matching now. She picks up a pen and moves to her board to write Matthew Hill cases matching Volvo or photofit. The pen squeaks as she writes.

‘So, Sam. Where are we at on the black Volvos caught on camera Tuesday when Amelie disappeared. Anything more yet?’

‘Nothing concrete so far,’ he says, skimming his digital pad. ‘Either men of wrong age, women driving or full alibis. A few we can’t get hold of. Some addresses out of date. I’ve sent uniforms round to check the ones we can’t get by phone. We’re working through the list as fast as we can.’

‘So who are the possibles outstanding at the moment?’

‘A vicar of the right age. He’s carrying out a christening as we speak. I spoke to his wife but his online profile pic doesn’t look like our man. We’ve got a computer sales rep. I’ve asked his wife for a picture. Should be in soon.’ He glances again at his tablet. ‘We’ve also got a maths teacher in Oxford. But it’s half-term so no joy with his most recent school. No picture on the school website and teachers don’t tend to do socials so no luck there. Local uniforms have tried the house, but neighbours say they’re away. Lives with a daughter and a granddaughter apparently. There are four other possible cars I’m still chasing. I’ll update you the minute I get photos.’

There’s a knock at the door.

‘Yes?’ Melanie turns to see one of the younger members of the team standing in the doorway.

‘I have the super on the phone in the main room. He wants to talk to you.’

‘Tell him you can’t find me.’

‘Boss?’

‘I said tell him you can’t find me. Now close the door please.’

Sam’s eyebrows are raised as Melanie turns back to him. ‘Please tell me you don’t know who leaked the address to Matthew, Sam. It wasn’t you, was it?’

‘No. It wasn’t me, I swear. And I don’t know.’

‘Good. Right. Fair enough.’ She takes a long, slow breath, realising that at some point very soon she’s going to have to let it go. The leak. Never mind who it was and never mind that she’s cross, she needs to shut down this mess over the Meadows and the media, rebuild team morale and focus on one thing only. Amelie . ‘Right. All good work on the Volvos. But I want to go back over Matthew Hill’s softer cases. Is Alison still working on that?’ They have checked all the serious cases he’s worked on. But Melanie now wants all cases reviewed. No stone left unturned.

‘Yes, boss. All the divorce and missing person cases. We have the list from the past six months. Nothing so far. Should we go back a year at least? Check everyone for black Volvo ownership.’

Melanie pauses. ‘Yes. Good idea. You get back to the hub. I’ll ring Matthew now and chase that.’