Page 4 of Her Hidden Shadow

‘I’m really sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to wait outside as I don’t want to delay getting samples collected and sent to the lab. We need to take all we can from the body in situ. Sorry as I know you need to be here too, but as soon as everything’s done, we can hand the scene over to you. I’ll be as fast as I can, I promise.’

‘Of course. Any clue as to the time of death?’

‘Looking at the state of the body and the progression of rigor mortis, I’d say between four and eight hours.’

Gina did a quick reccy in her head. ‘So, she was murdered between eight yesterday evening and midnight?’

‘Say between seven yesterday evening and one in the morning. Just to be sure.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I’ll call you straight away if I find anything that will help. The post-mortem will take place either Monday morning or afternoon. I’ll email the details to you.’

Gina had a final glance of the pretty young woman. She took in the petechiae – the telltale red speckles in the whites of Sienna’s eyes caused by strangulation. The raw indentation that the scarf had left on her neck was covered in scratch marks where the woman had desperately clawed at her own flesh while trying to escape her attacker. Gina imagined her struggling and finally giving up as she succumbed to death, unable to find the strength to fight any longer as the blood vessels in her eyes burst. She wondered if Sienna could have fought her attacker off had she not been stabbed first.

‘Bernard?’ A crime scene assistant walked in. ‘An officer has found something in the hedge that runs alongside the side of the building. I’ve placed a marker down and it’s ready to photograph.’

‘What is it?’ He held his creaking back as he stood tall.

‘A nail file covered in blood.’

Gina needed to speak to Lauren Cross and find out more about Sienna. As she left and met Jacob on the doorstep, she removed her crime scene clothing and placed it in the bag next to PC Smith as he logged them out. ‘Where’s the ambulance?’ Speaking to Lauren was now her priority.

‘It’ll be heading to Cleevesford General, guv.’ PC Smith lowered the clipboard.

Damn. It looked like they’d now have to go to the hospital. Jacob stared into the crowd that had begun to form and she followed his gaze. Lines of worry deepened on his forehead. ‘Do you see anything?’

He shook his head.

‘Are you okay?’

He blew out a breath. ‘Yes, I’m fine. I just feel a bit icky, sorry.’ He raised his eyebrows.

Gina stared into the crowd, wondering if their murderer was watching on. A woman waved. ‘Are you detectives?’ she called out, in a Geordie accent.

Gina hurried over. She was almost covered with a huge blanket-like coat. ‘Yes, I’m DI Harte, this is DS Driscoll.’

‘I woke up when Lauren came home. I heard a car engine humming, so I looked out of the window.’

‘Did you see anything out of the ordinary?’

‘Yes, and it gave me the right chills.’

Three

‘May we come in?’ Gina waited with Jacob outside the woman’s front door. She looked back, it was almost directly opposite Lauren Cross’s bungalow.

The woman threw her coat over the banister and nodded, allowing Gina and Jacob to follow her through to the kitchen where the smell of pizza hung in the air. The worktop was littered with empty sweet and crisp wrappers. ‘Try to keep it down if you can. I have two kids in bed.’

Gina smiled and waited by the worktop. ‘Of course. Could we take your name, please?’

‘It’s Kimmy. Kimmy Lloyd. What’s been happening over there? I saw Lauren head off in an ambulance.’

‘I’m sad to say we’re investigating a murder. I can’t say any more at the moment.’

‘No way.’ The woman shivered and placed her hands into the pockets of her sweater.

‘Can you tell me what you saw tonight?’

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