by Emily Selby
Julia wrinkled her nose.
'Okay,' she said. "But remember, you've promised me glitter!'
"Sure!' she called, but Julia was already in her bedroom, her door slammed.
Katie slipped her jacket off and put it on the hanger.
Glitter... Katie shuddered at the memory of the orange and red trail on the storage room floor. Did the forensic team managed to get the stuff off the surface? Poor victim had it all over his body. Glitter sticks to everything.
Katie froze on the spot.
Glitter sticks to everything... What if it stuck to the murderer as well?
She grabbed her phone and punched Jack's number, but the call went to the voicemail. She tried again - same.
She could have left him a message, but he was probably too busy dealing with serious matters, so she texted him:
'Next time you have time, ask me about glitter.'
30
Saturday morning started early. Katie prepared breakfast while Julia packed up her bag. Just before 8.30 am, Barry arrived to collect Julia for the weekend. It was his turn, and thanks goodness he did the driving this time around! Katie didn't fancy a long drive to York and back after a week as full-on as it had been.
Luckily for her, Barry was too rushed to hang around, keen to get going. She waited in the doorway, waving at Julia until Barry's fancy red car was too far away to see. She walked back indoors.
She had a whole weekend to herself. What should she do?
Her phone rang. It was Jack.
'Hi, Jack, how can I help?' she asked as lightly as she could, but her heart was hammering.
'Sorry to bother you on Saturday, but I'm at the station, looking for that bitcoin wallet you found. I can't see it anywhere, the station is empty, guys are out on the patrol. Do you know where this could be?'
'Have you checked Celia's desk? I gave it to her.'
'It's locked. I can't open it, and she's not answering her phone. It's her day off.'
'Do you know where the spare keys are?'
'No. Do you?'
'Yes, I do. Hang on, I'll come and find them for you.'
She didn't have to go. She could have just told him, but she wouldn't mind seeing him in person.
Even if it made her knees turn all cotton-candy again.
When she arrived, Jack was sitting at the desk, his laptop open. He was wearing a suit, a shirt, which had lost its sparkly-white shine and a crooked tie.
'You wear a suit even on weekends?' Katie couldn't help mentioning. She also noted his face was paler than usual and there were dark circles under his eyes.
He rubbed his cheeks and ran his hands through his hair. 'Not normally, but it's been hectic. I've been non-stop at work since the night I popped in to your place.'
A warm wave crept up Katie's cheeks. 'That was on Wednesday, it's Saturday. You've been working non-stop for the past four days? Where have you been?'
'The Scottish Borders.'
'Any news on Trish's aunty Helen?'
'Still unconscious.'
'The money in the PO Box?'
'That's stopped arriving now.'
'Any trace from those packages?'
'No. It looks like a typical hush-hush online operation finalised with hard cash.'
'Paying for what?'
He shrugged. 'We still don't know, but I suspect it's bitcoin or some other cryptocurrency.'
Katie fiddled with the spare key and opened Celia's desk. As expected, the plastic bag was lying in the drawer.
'Here it is,' Katie moved aside to let him have a look. His arm brushed on hers, sending a warm tingling up into her chest. A bag of butterflies burst in her stomach.
'So, you wanted to have a look at what's inside that strange thing?' she croaked.
'Yes, but these things are usually encrypted and you need to know all the access codes to get into them.'
'Can you decipher it?'
'I'll get our best guys onto it, but I suspect it won't be easy.'
'Still no trace of the murderer?'
'No. He or she’s been very clever.'
'Have you found Rob?'
He inhaled loudly and squeezed his eyes shut. 'Not yet, but they're looking for him.'
'Who?'
'The police in Kielder Forest and the nearby moors. We think he's hiding somewhere around there.'
'Do you think Rob killed Jeff Livermore?'
'Possibly, but I need more evidence.'
'What about Trish?'
'Again, I need more evidence.'
'I thought you had plenty of evidence to prove she was guilty,' Katie said, a bitter note seeping into her voice, despite her best intentions.
'Still not enough, or not good enough.'
Katie cocked her head pointing at the bag with the electronic device. 'Don't you want to have a look at what's inside?'
'I do. But I equally want to have a look at what's outside it. Fingerprints. We have yours on file, don't we?'
She nodded.
'I'm not sure if Celia has done it, so I'd better get on with this part of the task. It's much easier.'
A heavy stone started to form in the pit of her stomach. 'Another long day at work?'
'Looks like it.'
'Would you like a coffee?'
'That'd be nice. Thanks.'
She bustled around the coffee machine while he dealt with the fingerprinting kit.
'Here you go.' She put the steaming cup on the desk beside him.
He lifted his head and nodded, smiling. 'Thanks a lot, Katie.'
'Have you had anything to eat?' She took in his sunken cheeks. Her heart pained.
'Yeah, a pot of coffee for breakfast and a sandwich. But I'm not hungry...'
'You should eat something.'
'I will. As soon as I'm done with this.'
She put her hand on the door handle. Her heart was fluttering. Oh, damn it, there was nothing wrong in offering a little support to an overworked colleague.
'Okay, maybe we could-' Katie ventured.
His phone vibrated into life.
'Sorry,' he cut in. 'I have to take this,' he said and answered the call. 'DI Heaton speaking.'
She watched him listen. His face turned from pale to ash-white.
'Where did you say?' he croaked. His forehead glistened. 'Just as I thought,' he replied and loosened the knot on his tie. 'No, I don't know him. Yes, I'll find his mother.' He disconnected and dropped the phone on the desk. It landed with a slap. 'Do you happen to have the phone number for Rob's mother?'
'No. But I can find out. Did they find him?'
'I think so,' he replied, his voice wooden.
Katie leant on the wall, suddenly aware of what this had meant. 'Is he dead?'
He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. She could barely see his nod. 'Seems as though he's been dead for a good few days. We need someone to identify the body.'
Tears gathered in her eyes. Her chest was tight and heavy. She wanted to touch his shoulder and tell him everything would be ok, but she did not believe in it herself. She stood for a while, until she felt sufficiently numb to make the next move. 'I'll call Chris. I think this should be done in person.'
He nodded, his face still covered with his hands, his body tense and immobile in the chair.
31
Calling Chris was the best idea she could come up with, and the best thing she could do. Even though it was his day off, Chris arrived at the station in his uniform. He volunteered to visit Mrs Heron with Jack.
Katie waited in the station, her body refusing to move. She sat in the staffroom, wondering what else she could do to help the situation.
When Chris returned, he was alone.
'How are you doing, lass?' he said, sliding into the seat beside her.
'Been better. Where is Jack?'
'Gone up north to look at the body.'
Katie glanced at the pile of documents, a half empty cup on the desk where Jack had spent this morning. Her throat ached. 'He
left in such a hurry, he didn’t even finish his coffee.'
'He's going to stop on the way for fuel. I'm sure he can get a coffee if he needs one.'
Yes, but it won't be served with the local TLC.
'Have they found anything else?' she asked, keeping her thoughts to herself.
'Apparently, Rob was assaulted with an axe or something similar. No fingerprints, nothing. Body found in a remote location with the help of dogs.'
'Phone?'
'He had his usual phone on him, but it was turned off.'
'How on Earth, did he survive in the wilderness without any access to civilisation?'
'It's not really a wilderness,' Chris looked at her, his eyebrows raised. 'It's a good place to hide, if you know the region. And obviously, he did, as he has hunted in the neighbourhood. But there is a network coverage over there.'
'So, do you think he chose to stay under the radar?'
'Definitely. DI Heaton thinks Rob used a different phone to communicate. A kind of pre-paid number, probably disposable, bought a while ago.'
'What about his car?'
'They haven't found it yet.'
'Do you think the same person killed Rob and Jeff Livermore?'
Chris shrugged. 'It's a different modus operandi. But Heaton thinks these two crimes are connected.'
'If Rob was killed, then he can’t be Jeff Livermore's murderer.'
'Not necessarily. Do you remember last case?'
'Ah, indeed,' Katie nodded. One of the victims in the previous murder case happened to be the killer in a different one.
'Do you think Trish could have done it? She's been locked up.'
Chris sat back, crossed his arms on his broad check.
'Only for the past couple of days. If Rob was killed on Monday, the day poor Auntie Helen was assaulted...'
Katie flinched. 'Oh, that... you're right. I forgot. What about Alex then?'
Chris tilted his head. 'With his car's GPS and a few witnesses showing he was in the Peak District?'
'He could have driven there,' she offered. 'Hired a car.'
'We've checked with all car rental companies.'
Katie hunched. 'I give up. I ran out of ideas...'
'So have I, lass. And what's worst, I think this is the way Heaton feels as well. I tell you, he was pretty gloomy. I've never seen him this way.'
They sat in heavy silence for a while. Katie felt paralysed by the tension and the sense of hopelessness, and her back was aching. 'I've got to do something,' she said. She clambered to her feet and started to pace. 'I don't know - coffee, tea, food, let's go for a walk.'
'Er... can we stay inside?' Chris protested.
'Ok, we’ll stay inside, but let's do something. I don't know,' Katie's voice broke into a high-pitch, despite her efforts. 'I just feel overwhelmed.'
Chris jumped to his feet, strode across the room and rested his hands on her shoulders.
'Katie, lass, listen. We're all overwhelmed and lost. And we're professionals. You're-'
'I know, I'm just a simple girl from the back office who thinks she can solve murder mysteries...' Her voice trembled, as she struggled not to let the building wave of sobs bubble through.
'Don't be silly! You're smart, you know how to talk to people and you're really good at sniffing around and digging up old secrets. It's just the secrets that are hiding this time are not the usual type.'
'Or there are no secrets?'
'Nah, I think there are secrets. There are always secrets behind every serious crime. We just can't see them.'
'But why can't we see them? Are they too small? Too big? Or just not looking for the right thing?'
Chris cocked his head. 'To be honest, I think we're dealing with a smart criminal who's not leaving any traces.'
'I kind of agree with you, Chris. But I think we've got the evidence thing wrong. Since the murderer is so clever, he or she can cover their tracks and use secret browsers and whatever else, we should go back to basics. Fingerprints...'
'None left, madam.'
'Blood stains.'
'Not much.'
'Shoe tracks.'
'Checked.'
'Blooming glitter!'
'What?" Chris stared at her, his face blank. 'Katie, I think you need to go home and... I don't know, have a smelly bath, or read a book with a glass of wine, do some twirly paper things. Anything to get your mind off this crime!'
'You think I'm talking rubbish?'
He blew out his cheeks. 'To be honest, I'm worried about you. Believe me, we've been through every possible detail three or four times. Heaton has worked like crazy. I don't think he's been sleeping much.'
'Oh,' she gasped. 'You're just like him. You're just treating me like... like... I don't know. But it annoys me. I'm not stupid, I know when there is something I can help with, and something where I should walk away. And unlike you, and that Smarty-Pants Inspector of yours, I do think I can help solve this case.' She yanked her jacket from the chair. A minute more in this place and she'd start crying.
'Where are you going?'
'Outside, for a walk. I need to cool down.'
'Just don't-'
'I know,' she snapped. 'I'm not stupid.' She slammed the door behind her.
She wanted out, out and away.
She didn't know where to go or what to do. She just wanted to walk off all the energy, which was buzzing in her head and aching in her muscles. The knot between her shoulder blades grew to the size and solidity of a boulder. She ran along the pavement towards the church, and then passed it. The community centre emerged across the street. She stopped.
And what if she went back to the crime scene. Would it help to clear her head? She crossed the street and then the car park. Today, the place was quite busy, with Sunnyvalers rushing to complete the weekend shopping or just trying to catch the sun rays so rare at this time of year.
She breathed rhythmically, aligning her breath with her steps. It kept her focused. The fresh air on her face cooled her. By the time she reached the main entrance of the community centre, she was cool, calm and collected again.
She spotted a familiar figure, wandering along a little wild path beaten in the side lawn by the footsteps of hundreds of people in the rush, or too lazy to use the pavement. She made a few steps to catch a closer look.
Alex!
He was walking slowly, head down, as if looking for something. Katie darted in his direction.
'Hi Alex, you look like you've lost something,' she said studying him closely.
He lifted his head. A wince crossed his wide, round face. With his hair neatly cut and clean-shaven face he could be considered good-looking, particularly as he’d dressed with more care than usual.
'Hello, Katie. What are you doing here?'
'Just walking, and you?'
'Same.'
A sudden rush of adrenaline hit Katie's chest. She flinched. 'Oh, I thought you were maybe looking for something. On the ground.'
His dark eyes opened wide. 'Why would I? Have you found anything?'
Katie curled her fingers into fists and stuffed them into the pockets of her jacket. Her shoulders started to shake. She pulled her elbows tight to her ribs. There was nothing to be scared of. She was in a public place with lots of people, and she’d just conceived a brilliant plan.
'What if I did?'
He squinted at her. 'When? And what?'
'A few days ago. Here.'
He put his hands on his hips and rocked on his heels back and forth. 'What was it?'
Katie studied his face. It was tense. His eyes were pinning her. He was pretending to be relaxed, while inside...
'A little thing. I think a USB stick.'
His jaw tensed. His Adam's apple bobbed. He stopped rocking. 'Yeah? Silver and black by any chance?' he drawled.
'Aha.'
'With a little window?
'Yep,' she replied, keeping her voice as steady and relaxed and she could. 'This big.' She showed him her thumb.
&nbs
p; He nodded.
'You think it might be yours?'
'Ai! I've lost a USB stick. That was on Saturday, maybe during the fete.'
'Oh, I'm aware you've been looking for it. With your favourite workout music.' She forced her lips to smile.
He grinned back at her. 'Yep. That’s the one!'
'Looks like I might have found it.'
'Where is it now?'
'I've kept it in my handbag.'
'Where is your handbag?' he asked glaring at her.
'At work. I've left it behind. But if you come with me, I'll get it for you,' she answered, relieved that this was, in fact true, as she must have left the darn thing in the staffroom at the station when she bolted out of it. 'Just follow me.'
She turned on her heel and rushed back to the station. Breathless from all the almost trotting to make sure she was at least two steps ahead of him, she prayed that Chris was still there. She was keen as never before to get back into the safety of the station. She ran up the steps two at a time and dashed through the double door.
There was no one at the reception.
'Wait for me here,' she called out, hearing the door open for him.
She pushed the door to the staffroom open. It was empty.
32
Katie's heart stopped for a second, and when it kicked back in, it was galloping. A bead of cold sweat rolled down her neck. Her feet froze.
What was she supposed to do now? Her plan didn't include dealing with this improvised situation on her own.
'Are you there?' Alex yelled from the reception. Through the open door, she could see his torso leaning over the counter, his head touching the glass panel separating the public area from the staff booth.
Katie forced her body to move. 'Two seconds, I'm looking,' she called out. Her throat tightened with panic. She grabbed the nearby chair and pushed it away. 'It was somewhere here,' she croaked.
What now? With the door open, she couldn't ring anyone without raising Alex's suspicion. But she could text. She grabbed her handbag and yanked her phone out. She tapped, 'Come back to the station ASAP. Can't talk,' she typed and sent it to Chris. He should still be nearby.
'Will it be long? I don't have much time,' Alex called, his voice brimming with impatience.
