Page 72 of The Echo Man (Major Crimes)

“Shouldn’t the kids be leaving?” she snaps, and Lauren jumps into action, her cheeks red in response to Cara’s tone. She ushers them out, up to the bathroom, to clean their teeth.

“That wasn’t necessary,” Roo whispers to Cara.

“She’s the goddamn nanny,” Cara hisses back. “She should be doing what she’s paid to do, not flirt with you.”

“She wasn’t …” Roo begins, but stops, turning away and finishing his coffee.

“I’m going to have a shower,” Cara mumbles, standing and walking quickly out of the room.

She shouldn’t take it out on them, she knows, turning her face up to the scalding hot jets of water. It isn’t their fault—it’s hers, for not catching this guy sooner. She starts to cry again, sinking down onto the floor in the shower. For Libby, for letting her friend down, but also out of relief. The guy is dead. This nightmare is over. The pathologist will confirm it.

One more day at the nick, and they can draw an end to this for good.

CHAPTER

41

CARA STANDS IN front of the team: shoulders back, the woman in charge. She knows what she has to do. She doesn’t need to silence them, there is none of the usual chatter. They’re all there to work.

“It’s been a tough few days, and none more so than last night,” she begins. “We can assume that Libby was deliberately targeted, and we owe it to her to wrap this up, and do it well.” The door opens and Deakin comes into the room. He looks like she feels, black rings under his eyes. He leans against the wall on the far side, his arms crossed in front of him. She notices Griffin isn’t in yet.

“Warmington, Sohal,” she continues, addressing two of the new DCs on the case. “I want you to concentrate on the CCTV. Trace Sharp’s movements last night, where he met Libby, where they went before they drove to Salterns Hill. And Shenton? Check everything we know against the Zodiac.”

“So we’re still following up the serial killer angle?” someone asks.

“Until we know otherwise, yes.” She allocates more actions to the rest of the group, wanting to know what Sharp had been up to six months ago, a year ago. “Plus, chase up the lab reports from yesterday. The rest of you on the old cases, keep going.”

“Do we assume that Sharp is responsible?” someone from the West Yorkshire team asks.

“He’s our main suspect. But we need evidence. I want to know for sure. Keep me and your sergeants informed,” Cara finishes.

The group disperses and Cara notices a uniform waiting in the doorway to her office. He looks bored, fiddling with a notebook in his hand. He looks up as Cara approaches.

“DCI Elliott?” he says, and she nods. “PC Cobb, ma’am. My skipper said you wanted to speak to anyone who knew Michael Sharp?”

“Yes,” Cara replies. “What can you tell me about him?”

The cop laughs. “Guy’s a dick. I mean …” He stops himself, looks embarrassed. “He wasn’t particularly bright. I arrested him back in 2015. Domestic abuse. The guy pretty much punched his girlfriend in front of us.”

“Nice bloke,” Cara mutters.

“I know. But even before that we’d known him around—dealing, starting fights. A regular in custody.”

He stops as Deakin joins them in the office.

“And when did you last see Sharp?” Cara asks, gesturing for him to continue.

The officer thinks for a bit. “Probably more than six months ago? Can’t be sure.”

Cara thanks him and he leaves. “Your average stupid lowlife, apparently,” she explains to Noah, and he scowls.

“None of this makes sense,” he mumbles.

Cara knows what he’s referring to. A drug dealer with a record gets careful, to the point he doesn’t leave a single forensic sample at any of his very violent, bloody, and calculated crime scenes? Except for the one of his next victim, deliberately left to taunt the police?

“So, what’s the plan?” Deakin asks.

“SOCO have finished with some of the evidence from apartment 214 yesterday, so I’ll call Griffin, get him to go over there and pick it up,” she begins. “You and I are going to Libby’s house.” She looks at Noah: his face is gray and drawn, he looks awful, but she knows better than to ask if he’s okay. “Let’s find out about this date she went on. And I want her mobile phone. Ross says it wasn’t on her or in the car. You know where the spare key is kept, right?” she says, and Noah nods. “Then let’s go.”

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