Page 35 of Then She Vanished

Briggs began to straighten his tie. ‘So, I am going to share a few facts about the incident in the press conference, but I’m mostly going to appeal to anyone who recognises this scarf as a link to a missing person. We also now have the artist’s drawing of John Doe, so we’re hoping someone who knows him will come forward.’ He pressed his lips together.

‘I hope it works because we need to find the girl in the photos and fast. Ithasto work.’ Gina threw her banana skin in the bin.

‘Gina, do you have any updates?’

She stood and poured a glass of water before heading to the front, next to Briggs. ‘Obviously, we have a strong link between John Doe and today’s attempted kidnapping of Keeley Moore: chess pieces. A white knight and a white pawn. I’m thinking these mean something. The white pawn was found close to where John Doe died, and the white knight was hanging in the van used in Keeley Moore’s attempted kidnap. Does our kidnapper see himself as the white knight, and was John Doe merely a pawn in all this?’

She paused before continuing. ‘Jacob and I have been to the Angel Arms where we managed to find someone who knew Calvin Harris, whose library card was found with John Doe at the scene. The source told us he recalled Calvin striking up a friendship with a younger man who lied about having a disabled daughter, and their common interest was playing chess. We haven’t been able to identify this man, but we suspect he is our John Doe. We also suspect that John Doe tried to kidnap Molly Sailsbury, too, after grooming her at the library. Our source at the Angel also led us to Crastone Foods, a factory on the industrial estate that produces ready meals, and an employee called Marie, who he claims used to date our John Doe. We went there today and spoke to an employee called Nina, who remembered Marie working there – unfortunately she couldn’t give us a surname, but she believes it began with a B. Obtainingthe company records back then might be impossible. They only have to keep them several years by law but Nina was willing to check the archives. They wouldn’t have the details of any temporary staff and the recruitment company who sent them are no longer in business. I’ve sent an officer to try to speak with the directors via Zoom or Teams as they’re not in the country, but Nina said they wouldn’t have anything to do with recruiting temps or shop floor management. Marie quit the company in 2006, but not before she told Nina that she had been followed home one night.’

Gina paused and scrunched her brow. ‘Sorry, there is so much to take in here, and I know time is against us. Jacob and I will update the system in more detail as soon as the briefing is over. Nina did mention that the man Marie was dating was called Colson, and she often sees him hanging around outside the bookies on the high street. It could be him – he could be our John Doe. She also briefly dated a couple of other men. I’ve added the information that Nina gave us to the system so bear them in mind. There was another one who we have no description for. We don’t know if Marie went on a date with him but for some reason Colson hit him.’

Gina paused. ‘Looking at that girl in the photos.’ She pointed to them on the board. ‘She can’t wait. John Doe’s accomplice must be running desperate after a failed kidnap attempt. Can we see the artist’s drawing of John Doe?’

Briggs slipped it out of the A4 envelope he picked up from a desk and held it up. ‘It might not be an exact resemblance, but it’s close.’

Gina took in the man’s features. He had a slightly round nose and quite a high forehead. ‘I know this is a long shot, but can we run it through a programme and add a red Florida baseball cap to it, and put that drawing out, too? It might help jog someone’s memory from back then.’

Briggs nodded. ‘I can do that. I’ll pass it to Garth in digital forensics. I have half an hour before the press release, so I’ll go and sort that now.’

He left the room leaving Gina to handle the briefing. ‘O’Connor, can you check in with Keeley Moore’s family, see if they’re okay, and check in on the FLO. Who is the FLO?’

‘Orla Cartwright. She’s with them now. We also have two cars positioned outside Mrs Moore’s house. We asked if there was anywhere else the family could stay in the meantime. They are going to Mr Moore’s parents’ later this evening. We have their address. It’s in Droitwich and Orla is going too. We’re going to keep an undercover car outside their house while they’re gone, just in case the kidnapper goes there.’

‘Great. I’ll feel better if the family are out of the area. We can’t guarantee that whoever tried to take Mrs Moore this morning won’t try again. Stay on it and keep me updated. Wyre?’

‘Yep?’

‘Anything coming up with missing persons? That girl in the photos must be missed by someone, and that note gives me the creeps.’ She pointed to a photograph of it that was pinned next to John Doe’s photo. ‘Save her. How can we save her when we don’t know where she is or who she is?’ Gina began to pace.

‘I don’t have anything as yet, guv. The birthmark isn’t mentioned as a feature for any of our mispers, which is making it harder.’

‘How old is she now? Is this photo current or old? If he was pretending to have a daughter back in 2006 or 2007, and he was in his early twenties… who knows. What we do know is the photo he left for us of the girl in the wheelchair was a complete lie. It was a catalogue photo. The girl looks to be about fifteen and she didn’t have the birthmark. That birthmark issodistinctive. Anyone who had ever met her would recognise her. We know so little at the moment.’

‘Could we release a photo of the girl, maybe an artist’s drawing again?’ Wyre asked.

‘I was wondering that. We can’t release those photos with her on the dirty mattress.’ Gina paced towards the window and stared out. ‘If we do release a drawing, and the man who tried to kidnap Keeley has the girl, he might cut his losses and kill her. We can’t take that risk. It’s going to have to be down to good old-fashioned investigating. We can’t put her at more risk. Jacob?’

‘Yes.’

‘We need to quickly update the system and hurry to the bookies, find out if Colson is there or if anyone has seen him, or if indeed he’s not been seen because he’s our John Doe and he’s dead. We’ll take the artist’s drawing. I’ll need backup as we have to consider that he might also be the accomplice. If he is, he could run. If anyone runs and disappears, the girl’s life could be at risk. We can’t have that happening. Kapoor?’

Trainee DC Kapoor sat up straight and smiled. ‘Yes, guv.’

‘Can you liaise with PC Smith and organise backup to attend with us. We need the two adjacent roads covered, the path that runs along the back of the terraced houses and both ends of the high street.’

‘I’ll get onto it now.’ She stood and left the room.

‘The caretaker, Xavier Whitmore, did anyone interview him earlier?’

O’Connor spoke. ‘One of the officers at the scene took a statement. He said he unlocked the school and went back to bed.’

‘Any links to a white van?’

‘Not as far as we know. We’re still looking. He has a red Mini registered to him.’

She checked her watch. ‘After the bookies, we’ll head over to the caretaker’s house and speak to him again.’

Gina went back to looking out the window where she could see the press starting to gather outside the conference room. She stiffened and almost lost a breath when she saw Pete Bloxwich. He glanced up, his stare locking on her. Eyes wide, he would not look away and she wouldn’t either. He held a hand up as if to wave, but his sombre expression didn’t change. The journalist had worked with Stephen in the past, their sole aim had been to get her to confess to being involved in Terry’s death.

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