Page 47 of Worse Than Murder

‘I had a similar conversation with my chief constable back in Sheffield. We were facing huge budget cuts. I was asked to choose who on my team I should make redundant. Solving crimes shouldn’t be about money. We’re told throughout our training that, when we’re the first on the scene of a crime, the number one priority is to preserve life. How can we continue to do that when we’re told not to investigate certain crimes because they’re not feasible?’

‘You’ll help me?’

I take a deep breath. I look out of the window. I watch as several uniformed police officers stand about waiting for… I have no idea what.

‘Who did the car belong to?’ I ask, reluctantly.

‘Travis Montgomery. He lived here, briefly, in the early nineties.’

I nod. ‘He was close to the Pemberton family, I believe.’

‘You’ve heard about him, then. He worked with Iain and Jack when they were converting the farm into stables.’

‘Does he have a criminal record?’

‘No. There’s nothing on the PNC, and he’s not on the electoral register, either. It’s like he doesn’t exist. We’ve also found two items floating in the water. One is a child’s shoe. The other is a necklace which looks like something a child might wear.’

‘The Pemberton twins.’

‘Possibly. I’m guessing when one of the trees crashed into the lake during the storm it disturbed something down there.’

‘Maybe. Do you have an underwater unit?’

‘Yes. The North West Underwater Search and Marine Unit. They cover a huge area stretching from Lancashire to North Wales. It’ll be a couple of hours before they get here.’

‘There’s a search and rescue team called SRUK. It stands for Specialised Rescue UK. It’s a private company. They’re based in Birmingham. They help police forces all over the country when it comes to entering confined spaces. They have all the equipment and gear, and they’ll know about protecting potential evidence. They run a twenty-four-hour service and can be here within hours. They’ll bring the car up and take it to the nearest forensic-testing site for you.’

‘Thank you,’ Gill says. A look of genuine appreciation appears on her face.

‘Just don’t mention South Yorkshire Police to them when you call. I believe there was a bit of a hoo-hah when it came to paying their last bill.’

She sniggers. ‘That sounds familiar.’

‘Did Travis report his car stolen?’

‘No.’

‘Strange. There is one thing you might have to consider.’

‘Go on.’

‘Let’s say that is Travis’s car down there. Let’s also say you find evidence linking it to Celia and Jennifer going missing. You’ll need to consider Travis to be a suspect. You’ll need to look at the original investigation and see why it wasn’t picked up first time around. Two missing girls. A car that suddenly disappears. Why didn’t anyone notice? The original investigating officer, DI Bell, is still alive?’

Gill swallows. She seems to struggle to find the words she wants to use. ‘I’ll… I’ll look into it.’

I nod.

Gill stands up. She pushes her chair neatly under the table. ‘People think I’m a ball-busting monster. I’m not. I’m doing an impossible job with impossible odds.’

I look up at her. ‘No. You’re doing an admirable job with complete tossers in charge who have no idea of the reality of life in twenty-first-century Britain. They may hold the purse strings, but don’t let a title they lied, cheated and paid to get scare you. You have more knowledge and respect than they’ll ever have.’

Gill holds out her hand. I don’t know why I’m finding physical contact so difficult lately, even something as simple as a handshake. I reluctantly comply.

‘Thank you,’ Gill says.

‘You’re welcome.’

Gill leaves the restaurant. When she reaches the bottom of the steps, she turns back and looks up at me, gives me a wink and a nod of the head. I return the gesture.