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CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

A na was late for the briefing, but at least she didn’t look as hungover as some.

‘Sorry,’ she apologised.

‘Considering you did some off-duty work yesterday, Sergeant Rawlins, I think we can let you off,’ said Tom.

Ana took the empty seat next to Luke. He leaned across to her and whispered, ‘Mixing with tarts isn’t doing your reputation any good, you know.’

The anger and tension coursing through her body and lack of sleep made her lose it. ‘Fuck you,’ she said.

‘Christ, someone fell out of the wrong side of someone’s bed. It looks like you’ve been in the wars. Had to break up a bitch fight over a client, did you?’

Ana gritted her teeth and focused on DI Miller. She listened as he explained that no DNA was found on the card.

‘We’ve managed to get DNA from Laine’s clothes, but there was a lot of contact at the fair. We’re still checking the database for any matches.’

‘So, he wore gloves as usual,’ said Matt.

‘Sajid Singh,’ said Tom, pointing to his photo on the crime scene board, ‘lost his phone during the altercation with the skinhead lads and claims he didn’t send the message to Laine asking her to meet him at the Old Oak. His friend Khalid has also confirmed that Sajid had lost his phone. So, it seems likely the attacker had stolen the phone and left it by Laine’s body to implicate Sajid. Elaine Lees’s phone still hasn’t been recovered.’

‘Maybe she didn’t have it with her,’ suggested Luke.

Ana glared at him. ‘All youngsters have their phones on them,’ she snapped. ‘Why else would she have gone to the exact place mentioned in the text?’ Wanker , she thought and wished she had the guts to say it.

‘Right,’ said Tom, sensing the tension. ‘DS Harper, can you bring everyone up to date?’

Beth passed the card around.

She’s blooming , thought Ana, and then she glanced at Tom. His eyes were on Beth. God, I hope I’m wrong about her and it wasn’t her that knocked down Vanessa.

‘From the words on the card, it seems Laine was blackmailing someone. So the question is who, and is that person also The Vigilante?’

‘I know this is tough, but we need to question everyone we knew was at the fair,’ said Tom.

‘Bloody hell,’ groaned Luke.

‘Any news on Laine?’ asked Ana.

‘She’s in a coma. I want you and Matt to talk to the social worker and her friend, Jassy. See what she knows,’ said Beth.

‘It seems Colin Lees, or Needles, was part of the gang that harassed the Pakistani lad on the coach. That lad was Sajid,’ said Ana.

‘Ah, the fight at the fete,’ said Beth.

‘What happened with Frankie?’ asked Tom, and Luke grinned at her.

‘She’s scared. She said he didn’t attack Laine, but they were arguing. Apparently, Laine ran off after he tried to take her bag. He ran after her. Frankie said Laine slipped. He seemed frantic to get at her handbag. I’m presuming it was her phone he was after. Frankie is scared he may have seen her. I said we could patrol that area for a bit.’

Luke sat forward, the veins in his neck standing out. ‘Are you serious? It’ll cost a fortune. We should be arresting them, not bloody safeguarding them.’

‘Afraid you’ll be seen?’ Ana smirked, taking the card being passed around.

There was a moment of silence.

‘Can you get her to come in and make a statement?’ asked Tom.

Ana nodded. She was staring at the card. Something wasn’t right about it, but she couldn’t work out what. ‘I don’t feel this was The Vigilante,’ she said. ‘Smashing up bikes and cars that are speeding is one thing. Murder is the opposite of what he does, surely?’

‘Good point,’ said Beth. ‘We need to keep all options open, one last thing. Sajid Singh is not pressing charges against Colin Lees. He thinks it will aggravate an already tense situation.’

Ana felt an overwhelming urge to laugh. Here was Luke Carpenter making sexist comments about her visiting prostitutes and more sexist comments about how they should be arresting them and not protecting them, and no one said a word. ‘What about the sex workers at Ludbrook Grove estate, ma’am?’ she asked, trying to keep the anger from her voice.

‘Sex workers,’ scoffed Luke. ‘Is that what we’re calling them now?’

Ana turned on him, her face tight with anger. ‘Incidentally, where were you last night? Your wife was staggering around drunk, looking for “her waste of space” husband. It seems she couldn’t seem to find you. Do you have an alibi?’

Matt gasped.

Luke’s face turned red with anger.

‘DC Rawlins, my office,’ said Beth.

‘Doesn’t he have to account for his whereabouts just because he’s a cop?’ asked Ana.

‘Not in a roomful of people he doesn’t.’

Ana thought Luke would slap her, and she almost wished he would. Maybe this terrible anger would leave her then.

Beth closed the door of her office. ‘Remain standing, constable,’ she said firmly.

Ana held her chin high. ‘He was making sexist comments,’ she said. ‘He said mixing with tarts wasn’t doing much for my reputation. Or words to that effect.’

‘You need to show some self-control, constable. I’m sure you’re tired, so I will overlook this.’

‘Thank you, ma’am.’

‘I’ll have a word with DC Carpenter. You may leave, and we will patrol the area where Frankie lives.’

Ana nodded. ‘Sorry, ma’am, just lack of sleep.’

Beth smiled. ‘I’ve been there many times. Take this evening off. In fact, if you’ve got nothing planned, maybe we could have a quick snack at the pub later?’

Ana tried not to show her surprise. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Sure, what time?’

‘Seven?’

‘See you then,’ said Ana, closing the door behind her.

Beth watched her. There was something intriguing about Ana, but she couldn’t fathom what it was. Beth had looked into her background but could find nothing unusual. All she heard was how brilliant and dedicated a copper she’d been from day one. Someone well worth having on the team, the Kirby chief had said.

‘Why did she want to leave?’ Beth had asked.

‘Said she was sick of breaking up fights at the footie.’

Beth somehow thought there was more to it than that.