chimney on the road ahead. ‘I want to head over to the squat.’
‘Smith’s team went over last night and there was no one there.’ Jacob opened the car door.
‘I know but that may have changed. It’s an old squat. Someone might be there now. We have to try again. Someone might have seen who Alexander Swinton was talking too. Logan Jones heard a woman talking to him – we need to know who that woman was and why she was there. She is key to our investigation.’
‘Let’s go.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
A large rain cloud passed the sun as Gina pulled up beside the creepy old house.
‘How long has it been this bad?’ Jacob peered out of the windscreen.
‘Too long by the looks of it.’ Gina got out of the car and took a few steps towards the house at the end of the road, masked in unruly trees and shrubs. The boarded-up windows were partly pulled off. The mesh fence had been cut several times, leaving many holes big enough for a person to climb through. ‘After you.’ Gina smiled and allowed Jacob to enter first.
‘So, the team were here last night and found nothing.’ Jacob peered up at the house.
‘Not a jot. There was no one here and with all the waste and rubbish, it would take the rest of the year to get into every nook and cranny.’ Gina caught her hair in a prong of metal. ‘Damn.’ She tore a clump away to break free.
Her gaze moved from the main door to the damaged chimney, taking in the old red brick covered in moss and tangled ivy. She shivered as her stare stopped on the cracked dormer window jutting out through the roof. Flapping came from above and a crow flew from a large gap of missing tiles.
‘What a state. Is it safe to go in?’ Jacob reached the front door and gave it a slight shove. As expected, it didn’t open. ‘By the way, the back door is broken. That’s how they got in last night.’ He paused. ‘Do we know why it’s not taped off?’
‘I wanted whoever stays here to come and go as normal. Last night was low-key and that’s how we need to keep it. If the occupants of this place see the police anywhere near, they’ll scarper and we need to speak to them. One of them might have seen the woman who was talking to Alexander Swinton. I did ask for regular checks and I know this should be in place now. Again, everyone is keeping back and out of sight. We can’t afford to alarm anyone.’ Gina walked in front of Jacob, pushing away the far-reaching bramble bushes that were getting caught around her middle and ankles. ‘Ouch.’ A thorn pierced her trouser leg.
‘You okay?’
‘Yes.’ She kicked the brambles away and continued, stepping over the used syringe and the empty KFC bucket. ‘The back garden is worse.’ Branches entwined in branches filled every inch of the space, so high, it made the back of the house dark, it felt more like early evening than morning. Gina ducked to avoid the used condom hanging from the rattling branch. ‘Watch yourself.’
She knocked at the door. ‘Hello, Police.’ Not a sound came from behind it. She placed a pair of latex gloves over her hands, gave the door a push and it opened slightly. ‘Follow closely and don’t touch a thing. The officers said there were sharps everywhere.’
Wrappers on top of wrappers filled the kitchen. Grime and dirt covered everything. Gina could taste the mould and fried takeaway food at the back of her throat with every breath. She pushed open the door to one of the sitting rooms and peered through. ‘No one here.’ Sleeping bags were thrown around in no order. A gust of wind clattered around the house and a waft of ash flew from the fireplace. ‘It looks like they were using the fire to keep warm. Maybe this was where Alexander Swinton was sleeping.’ She inhaled.
Jacob heaved slightly and stepped back towards the hallway. ‘I can’t be done with the smell of poo and sick. Bloody hell, it’s bad in here. Someone will have their work cut out.’
The door to what was once a downstairs loo stood ajar and she knew exactly where the smell was coming from. She doubted that there was any running water. ‘Let’s head upstairs.’ She pulled her shirt up a little to cover her nose. ‘Hello, Police,’ she called out in a muffled voice. ‘We’re