Page 40 of First Blood

When he’d bought a new computer, Kim guessed, as the nausea inside grew.

‘They’re hidden throughout the computer, mainly in system files and the last batch were downloaded just two weeks ago. Obviously we’ll try and use some of the information gathered here to close down these sites, but we all know they’ll be back up a day later.’

What they’d learned was bad enough but Kim had to know more.

‘Any video or images to suggest he was an active abuser?’

For some sicko bastards looking at images was not enough.

‘Not really but…’

‘I’d have preferred a straight no,’ Kim said, thinking of the hoody found beneath his pillow.

‘Well, I’ve got one file that doesn’t quite match the others. Everything I’ve found comes from an array of sources, from innocent photos posted by proud parents to pornography from sources all around the world. There’s no logic or organisation to the storage of the photos that I can see so far except for one file.’

‘Go on,’ Kim said, sitting forward.

He clicked his way around the screen, and a file burst into life. Images of a little girl filled the screen, in the bath, playing with toys, in the park, in pyjamas and dressing gown.

‘They’re all the same girl,’ Kim noted.

‘Exactly. To the naked eye they’re quite harmless, unlike most of the other images. But obviously to a paedophile they are photos of a semi-naked girl, so there’s nothing innocent about them.’

‘Bastard,’ Bryant muttered from behind.

‘But the thing that’s strange about this folder of images is that they were all taken with the same camera, downloaded direct from the camera. The first batch.’

‘Sorry?’ Kim said, not sure what he meant.

‘Okay, the first photo is dated a year ago. A photo of the child in the park. They continue for about four months. Stop for three months in May, June and July and start again in August until November when the last one of the files is taken.’

He scrolled down to the end.

‘Why the gap?’ Kim asked.

‘Not sure, but this is the last photo he took.’

Kim took a deep breath, not surprised to see the child wearing a glittery pink hoody.

This child had been in his home.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Dawson walked into Brierley Hill station and instantly felt as though he was coming home.

‘Thought you’d pissed off to Halesowen,’ Lenny called from the front desk.

‘Just visiting,’ he called back over his shoulder.

Lenny said something in response but Dawson didn’t catch it, sliding through the doors as two constables came out.

He took the stairs two at a time and entered his old squad room. He smiled. This was what a CID room was supposed to look like; a dozen desks, overflowing bins, casual dress, wipe boards half written on with Post-it notes and A4 sheets hanging on haphazardly.

His pleasure turned to dismay as he realised his own desk had been turned into a dumping ground for archive boxes taken from storage. Bloody hell, he’d only been gone a couple of days and he hoped to be back once this case was over and his current so-called team disbanded.

‘Missed me, folks?’ he called out to the handful of detectives present.

‘Hey, Dawson,’ said a couple before returning their attention to their screens. Viv waved half-heartedly from the far corner with a phone glued to her ear.