a roof, next to two without. The drawing is simple but specific. Can you get onto that immediately?’ She smiled at Smith.
‘Of course, guv.’ He scraped his chair across the floor and gestured for Kapoor to follow him.
‘Oh, and thank you. I know you have both been out all night and you’re tired. I know it’s a lot to ask…’
‘But we need to catch the person or people who are terrorising Cleevesford. We’re totally on board.’ Kapoor’s high voice and enthusiastic expression filled her heart with joy. The team were giving their best to the case regardless of how little sleep they’d had, including her. Smith and Kapoor grabbed their hats and did up their fluorescent coats as they left the room.
The rest of the team glanced at the board as the room fell silent. Jacob went to open his mouth.
‘If any of you ask if I’m alright, I’m going to flip. If I wasn’t, I’d go home, okay?’
They all nodded.
‘Right, what’s next? The diary entry. This screams revenge. Whoever is doing this is hurting right now, hurting from something that happened in the past. As we’ve had no word from Penny Burton, nor have we found her yet despite the press release, I’m considering her to be the next victim. Given the amount of time she’s been gone, I’m not holding out much hope.’ Gina swallowed. For a moment she felt a sense of panic flash through her. She was back in the box with a lit match, believing that she was going to die in that very box. O’Connor went to speak. ‘Yes, I’m alright.’
‘I wasn’t going to say anything, guv.’ O’Connor held his hands up and smiled.
‘You were tempted.’
‘You got me.’
Her serious expression broke into a smile. She couldn’t be angry at her team for being concerned. ‘Smith and Kapoor are currently looking into what site the house drawing could represent. The triangle; the woods, three houses and the final drawing. A question mark with a ghost next to it. I have no idea? It’s around Halloween so a ghost is relevant. A ghost doesn’t represent a place like the other two.’
‘A haunted house, guv.’ Wyre leaned forward, her black straight hair resting on the tabletop.
‘I’m not bringing the supernatural into this investigation but where around here is considered to be haunted by people who are into that sort of thing, by people who have those beliefs?’
O’Connor tapped his pen in a drumming motion on the edge of the table. ‘The woods. Didn’t the girls who found the first body say that there was a ghost story attached to those woods? Something about ghosts of the past who were buried alive and now roam on Halloween, scaring people.’
‘But we have that area in our sights. It’s cordoned off and it’s being watched.’ Gina frowned. It would take a brave killer to dig another grave and transport a coffin into place under our noses, let alone kill someone there.
‘They’d come back full circle if they ended up back at the woods.’
Gina pointed to the board. ‘But this is a triangle. Not a bad starting theory but we need more suggestions.’
‘The squat looks like a backdrop for a horror film. Maybe it’s that and we missed something.’ Wyre began to twist the bottom of her pen away as she pondered that thought.
Gina ran her fingers through her hair, half-trying to brush it a little. ‘Again, we’re all over it and we’ll be keeping an eye on that location. Just digressing, any more news on Nicola Swinton?’
Wyre flicked to another page. ‘She has an alibi later that night: her new lover. She was reluctant to say anything but eager to put herself in the clear.’
‘Great.’
PC Smith hurried through the door. ‘Guv, we’ve had another report of what looks like a grave. It’s on a building site close by and get this, I asked if there were any houses nearby and the woman, Tracy, said it was behind a row of three. When I probed a little further, it turns out that two of them have roofs that still need working on. Uniform have already been dispatched.’
‘We need a full team down there immediately. Wyre, call Bernard, get forensics on it straight away.’ Gina removed the zip up top. ‘I’ll grab a smarter jacket and my trainers then we’ll go. Anyone got a spare pair of trousers in roughly my size?’
Everyone shook their heads.
‘That was a long shot. Did you say the woman’s name was Tracy?’
PC Smith nodded. ‘Yes, Tracy and