Page 37 of Her Deadly Promise

The woman wobbled a little and grabbed the arm of the chair for support.

‘Here.’ Aware Brock had mentioned that she had a heart condition Gina walked over and helped her to sit down, while keeping her voice gentle.

‘We haven’t done anything. Shaun isn’t here. Murder?’ Her jaw wobbled. ‘He said he had to get away, but he wouldn’t tell me why. What’s happened? I’ve been beside myself since he left.’

‘There is a warrant out for your son’s arrest. I’m really sorry to tell you that. Where could he have gone?’ Gina tilted her head and crouched in front of the woman. From her confused look, Shaun hadn’t told her anything at all. If he had, she’d have known about Billie and her grandson. ‘I know this is hard, but it will help Shaun and us in the long run if we speak to him sooner rather than later. Does he have any friends he might visit or places he might stay? Did he mention going anywhere?’

Ms Brock shook her head. ‘He doesn’t tell me anything. What’s going to happen?’

‘The officers here will search the flat. We’ll be as tidy and respectful as we can, I promise. You won’t know we were here. I’m sorry that we have to do this but we’re investigating a very serious crime.’

‘And you think my Shaun had something to do with it? He wouldn’t hurt anyone.’ She began to gasp a little.

‘That’s what we’re trying to find out.’ Gina looked up at Wyre and Jacob. ‘Can we make you a drink or call anyone to be with you?’

She shook her head. ‘No, just get it over with.’ A tear slid down her cheek.

Gina could see that Jacob was scrolling through the system on his phone for Brock’s number. ‘I’ll just pop outside and try calling him.’

‘May I have your car keys?’

‘They’re over there in the heart-shaped jewellery box.’ Gina stood, opened the box and took them. Nodding, Gina turned back to Ms Brock. ‘PC Smith will sit with you and go through everything. Is that okay? If you need anything, just let us know.’

On hearing his name, Smith stepped into the tiny room and removed his police hat.

Gina left her in his capable hands while she regrouped everyone in the tiny back kitchen. ‘Jacob, you and I will take the bedrooms and bathroom. Shaun Brock’s is the one I want to concentrate on. Wyre, will you give O’Connor the car keys, then carefully search the living room? Kapoor, you stay here in the kitchen and check the washing machine too. Whoever finishes first can check the communal areas. Hopefully we’ll have more officers arriving shortly to help. There will be their service cupboards and their postbox. We have to check everything that Brock might have had access to. What we are looking for is the item of clothing Shaun Brock changed into before going to the pub and handle it delicately. We are still looking for the knife that was used in Billie’s murder. If we find either, they will need to go straight to the lab and if anything ties him to the scene, we have him bang to rights.’ She paused, knowing that he’d had ample time to dispose of evidence. ‘Shoes too. There may be something in the tread that links him back to the crime scene. A speck of blood, hair, soil that matches samples from her garden. Right, let’s get this done.’ Gina snapped a pair of latex gloves on.

They murmured a few yesses. As Gina left the room, she heard Keith speaking to Smith in the living room. Gina headed along the dark corridor to the bedrooms. She stopped, pulled her shoe covers on and tied her hair up. Jacob peered around the first door. ‘Shall I take his mother’s room?’

‘Yes, please.’ Gina pushed through the last door, opposite the bathroom. The stench of sweat and mouldy food made her gasp. Several plates were piled up on a coffee table next to the bed, all containing bits of leftover food in various states of decay. A bluebottle landed on a pile of chicken bones. She began to sift through all the items on top first before feeling along the underside of the table. Then, she headed to the chest of drawers, the only other piece of furniture in the room. Sliding the top drawer open, she reached amongst the underpants and unpaired socks, flinching as a moth escaped. The other drawers were as unfruitful as the first. After removing the bottom one to check that nothing was hidden underneath, she glanced around the room. Kneeling to check under the bed, she flinched as a silver fish scurried past her face. Torch shining, all she could see were layers of dust.

After a few more minutes of checking behind furniture and amongst the bedding, she realised that what she was looking for wasn’t in this room. She glanced into Ms Brock’s bedroom where Jacob had a lot more items to search through, including a huge double wardrobe and stacks of boxes. ‘Anything so far?’

‘No, guv, but I still have a way to go.’ He carefully refolded the woman’s clothes and placed them back in a drawer.

‘Brock’s room is clear. I’m heading to the bathroom.’ She pushed the door fully open, and her gaze followed the mould from the corner of the windowless room to the top of the bathroom cabinet. She caught sight of her pasty face and dyed brown ponytail before gently opening it. She peered at all Ms Brock’s heart medicine, including a tongue spray that Gina knew was used for angina. Her knee brushed against the tall washing basket. Opening the lid, her heart began to judder. This was high on the list of places where the evidence they needed might be. She pulled out a pink top, then some yellow trousers and a few vest tops, underpants and socks, but there was nothing that looked bloody or even that dirty. She opened an evidence bag and placed all of Brock’s clothing in it before labelling it up. After, she bagged up the soap, the contents of the hair catcher in the bath and the flannels. As soon as she was done in the bathroom, she’d send Keith in to swab the bath, sink and floor. They’d take Brock’s bed sheets too. If there were traces of Billie in the room that had been transferred from him, they were going to find them. It was still a long shot. Elouise at the Angel had seen him leaving with a woman last night. He may have showered at hers and ditched his clothes before coming home in the morning.

‘Guv, O’Connor has found something,’ Wyre said. Gina hurried out of the room and gave brief instructions to Keith, before following Wyre outside to the car.

‘What is it?’

‘One of Billie’s flyers that she advertises with. It has a streak of blood on it.’

‘There was a pile in the kitchen on the day she was murdered.’

‘There is also a small teddy bear next to the smeared flyer and that has blood on it too.’

‘We need to get them to the lab urgently. If that blood is a match for Billie’s, we can place him at the scene. Keith is just taking some samples in the flat. As soon as he’s out, he can go through the car before the tow truck gets here. Any news on where Brock might be?’

O’Connor shook his head. ‘No. I’ve been listening to the radio and checking in. All units are keeping a lookout.’

‘Great. We know he’s on foot, so we need to make sure we have officers covering the bus stops and taxi ranks. We need to hurry back to the station and comb through the rest of that CCTV from the Angel. Whoever he stayed out with might be on that footage.’

TWENTY-FOUR

NADIA

Friday, 17 June

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