Page 79 of The Girl in the Woods

‘Stay with me, darling,’ Ana pleaded. ‘We need an air ambulance,’ said Ana, nodding towards Sajid. ‘He’s also in a bad way.’

‘Air ambulance needed at Longbridge playing fields, Oxfordshire. Two seriously injured,’ Matt said into his mobile.

Ana turned to Sajid, who was breathing heavily. ‘What’s her name?’

‘Laine. Elaine Lees.’

Ana leaned close to Laine’s ear. ‘Laine, can you hear me? My name is Ana Rawlins. I’m a police officer.’

Laine moaned softly. ‘We’re getting you to the hospital, okay?’ She grasped Laine’s cold hand. ‘I’m going to stay with you. You’re going to be okay. Try and stay awake.’

‘Is she alive?’ asked Frankie.

‘Yes,’ said Anna. ‘Get DC Harper and DI Miller,’ she said, turning to Matt. ‘We need to cordon off the whole area. We need to preserve evidence. Don’t let anyone near.’

She turned to the crowd that had now gathered. ‘Unless you witnessed the incident, then, with all due respect, I need you all to bugger off. This is a crime scene now.’

Matt was staring down at Laine’s battered head. He could feel nausea rising within him. Sajid beside him was crying uncontrollably.

‘What happened?’ asked Ana.

‘I don’t know. I found her like this.’

‘What’s your name, lad?’

‘Sajid. She’s my girlfriend, and that’s her brother. He just beat me up. I think my ribs are cracked.’

‘You’ve killed her,’ screamed Needles.

‘Matt, get Beth and Tom Miller,’ she said again, this time more sternly.

Matt shook himself as though coming out of a nightmare, but Beth and Tom were already hurrying towards them.

‘What the hell’s happened?’ asked Tom.

‘Sajid here found the body. Her name is Elaine Lees, and that’s her brother,’ Ana said, nodding towards Needles. ‘There’s a phone and handbag here, but I haven’t got gloves. There’s also a card.’

Tom pulled on rubber gloves and carefully placed everything into bags.

‘He did it,’ Needles screamed, tears running down his face. ‘That Paki killed my sister.’

‘Air ambulance on the way,’ said Matt.

Beth radioed control to send forensics, and then she and Tom sealed off the area.

‘I wonder if Jack is right about you,’ she murmured to Tom. ‘Every time you come here, someone gets hurt.’

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

The village fair ended abruptly, with police telling everyone to leave. Some left peacefully, while others demanded to know what was going on.

Jassy begged a policeman to tell her what was happening. ‘Only my friend has gone off,’ she said. ‘She hasn’t returned yet, and I’m really worried.’

Then she saw Needles being escorted to a police car and hurried over to him. ‘Where’s Laine?’ she asked.

Needles turned his red, tear-stained face towards her. ‘I think the Paki bastard killed her.’

Jassy gasped. ‘What? What do you mean?’ Hysteria was building up inside her.

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