Page 44 of Making a Killing

Silence. They know that means this is recent, not some historical sample that’s managed to survive against all the odds for the best part of a decade.

‘I know it’s a lot to take in.’

Baxter folds his arms. ‘So where’s she been all this sodding time?’

‘That we don’t know. And clearly she could have changed her name, her appearance –’

‘Almost certainly, I’d have thought,’ says Asante quietly.

‘I agree,’ I say, turning to him. ‘The hair found on the tape was originally blonde, like Daisy’s, but had been dyed dark red.’

‘I still don’t believe it,’ says Ev, shaking her head. ‘There has to be some mistake.’

‘That was my first reaction too, but they’ve checked three times. The DNA is a match. It’s her. Look, I know you must have a lot of questions –’

‘Like how the hell she got away back then,’ says Baxter.

‘And how the hell she got awaynow,’ says Gis, who’s had more time than the rest of them to think about this. ‘There are no good ways your hair gets on a dead woman.’ He shrugs. ‘Just saying.’

And of course, there’s still more I haven’t said. ‘The other thing to note is that the grave site is only a few feet away from a tree where a woman was imprisoned in the 1600s for being a witch. She starved to death after being tied up and her mouth stopped by a metal gag. Which could just be a particularly gruesome coincidence, but those of you who know me will know what I’m likely to think about that.’

‘Dear God,’ says Ev, looking pale. ‘Do you think the perp could have chosen that placedeliberately?’

‘The New Age nutters certainly think so,’ says Quinn drily. ‘TheDaily Mailpicked up on the story and now the wackos are all over it like flies on cowshit.’

‘It’s worse than that, though, isn’t it?’ says Sargent, turning to Ev. ‘Doesn’t it suggest that woman could have gone in that grave while she was still alive? Same as they did to the witch?’

That stops me in my tracks. I hadn’t even considered that as a possibility. ‘The PM lists cause of death as the blunt force trauma to the skull, but I’ll follow up with the pathologist – see how long she might have survived, even if she was unconscious.’

Ev shivers. ‘Let’s hope she was, because the alternative is too horrible to even think about – imagine coming round and finding yourself face down under a foot of earth –’

‘Though if you ask me,’ says Quinn, with the air of a man who’s confident he will, indeed, be asked, ‘the whole witchcraft thing is just a load of old hippy bollocks. And a distraction. We need to focus on the facts. And I agree with Gis: the only way Daisy’s hair got on that tape was by her being in pretty close proximity, either to the vic or the person who killed her. So the question we should be asking is why isn’t there any trace ofhim? Why isn’t there any other DNA?’

‘He could have been wearing gloves,’ says Sargent, who’sgoing to live up to that name of hers one of these days. ‘Even some sort of boiler suit, so as not to leave any trace.’

Ev nods. ‘Which suggests someone who knew what they were doing.’

‘Exactly,’ says Quinn. ‘And the reason he knew it was becausehe’d done it before.’

He looks round the room, pushing his point. ‘This perp could have been under the radar for years. Who knows, maybeeightyears.’

Sargent frowns. ‘You’re saying it could be the same man who took Daisy in the first place? I suppose it’s possible –someonehad to have done it and we know now it wasn’t Sharon –’

Baxter is already shaking his head. ‘Nah. The timeline was too tight for it to be random. I pulled together the timings for that afternoon myself, and as far as I can remember, Daisy and her brother were only alone in the house for about half an hour. The chances of a passing paedo happening to make his move at precisely that moment were next to zero.’

‘Maybe it wasn’t random?’ It’s one of the new DCs Harrison has seconded in from Newbury. Morris, I think. ‘Maybe someone had been staking the place out?’

But Baxter is standing firm. ‘Even if they were, there were no signs of a break-in, the brother heard nothing, and both kids knew not to open the door when their parents weren’t in.’

‘But she’s not a kid any more, is she,’ says Ev. ‘She’s alive. Or at least she was until very recently. Why didn’t she come forward long before now?’

‘Maybe she couldn’t,’ says Morris. ‘Maybe she’s been under lock and key all this time. Like that Natascha what’s-her-name, the one who was kept in a cellar? Or those women in Cleveland? Maybe DI Quinn is right and the perp from the woods is the same perv who took Daisy originally. Think about it, just because there’s her hair on the tape doesn’t mean she was actuallyatthe scene. The hair could have been on the tape already. He could have used it onhertoo.’

There are some nods, some murmurs of agreement, especially from the new people.

‘So who’s your vic, then?’ asks Gis. ‘In that scenario?’

Morris shrugs. ‘Maybe someone else he abducted. Someone else he’s had captive. And the reason she’s not coming up on MissPers is that it was years ago, just like with Daisy.’

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