Staring out at the one-bedroom maisonette, just off the main road through Shirley, Kate could see Imelda, brush in hand and bucket of soapy water at her feet, as she scrubbed at the red paint on the grimy brickwork. Parking up, Kate exited the car and hurried across the road.

Imelda welcomed the distraction, dropping the wire brush into the suds with a splosh. Despite the chill in the air, her cheeks were flushed. ‘I ought to charge you the cost of cleaning this mess up.’

‘Is Neil okay?’

Imelda wiped the hair from her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘He was so shaken when the brick came through the window. He kept asking me what he’d done wrong. I came around as soon as he called, and as I arrived I could see the curtain-twitchers across the road taking it all in.’

Kate stepped back and took in the wooden board now covering one of the windows. ‘Was there any damage caused inside?’

‘No, thankfully,’ Imelda sighed. ‘It was lucky he wasn’t looking out the window at the time, or walking past. God knows what could have happened then. Fortunately he was in bed in the back room.’

‘He lives alone?’

She nodded. ‘It’s not very big inside. A small front room with a couple of armchairs and a small dining table, then a bedroom at the rear, a small kitchen and a bathroom. But it’s enough, and I just want him to have as normal a life as possible. He needs structure and routine.’

‘I’m sorry to ask this, Mrs Watkins, but why do you think somebody targeted Neil?’

‘I’d have thought that was perfectly obvious.’

‘I saw the news report and I’ve read Zoe Denton’s article, and Neil isn’t mentioned in either.’

‘Maybe not, but she said the police were considering all associated with the school.’

‘I still don’t see why anyone would reach the conclusion that Neil would have anything to do with it.’

‘People are small-minded, detective. They see a grown man with learning difficulties and they leap to conclusions. I blame myself for putting him in that position. I thought that the role at the school would be good for him; giving him a level of trust he’s not experienced before. I thought with him there, I could keep an eye on him, and Mrs Kilpatrick understands that he needs protection, but now I wish I’d kept him safer.’

‘This isn’t your fault,’ Kate offered. ‘We will get a formal statement out clarifying matters, and warning people not to jump to wrong conclusions. In the meantime, is there anywhere else Neil can stay? With you perhaps?’

‘I’ve already packed some things for him and he’ll be at my place tonight.’

‘Whereabouts do you live, Mrs Watkins?’

‘North Baddesley. Do you know it?’

Kate nodded. ‘On the way to Romsey. It’s a very pleasant village.’

‘Yes, well, I don’t feel right him being here on his own while all this is going on. Do you know when your people will be finished at the school?’

Kate tightened her lips. ‘We’re working as quickly as we can.’

Mrs Watkins reached down for the brush again, slopping more suds onto the brickwork and scrubbing fiercely. ‘The sooner all of this is over, the better.’

‘Where’s Neil today? With the school closed, I thought he might be home?’

‘He loves the sound of the ocean,’ she replied, her eyes focused on the brickwork. ‘When he’s not working, he likes to drive to the coast and just sit and listen to the waves crashing.’

‘Bit cold to be at the beach today.’

Imelda frowned. ‘He doesn’t go into the water; he can’t swim. He likes to sit nearby, just listening.’

Kate could imagine how calming that would be. ‘I am sorry for what happened. Was there any note attached to the brick?’

‘They’d left their message out here in paint.’

‘Do you still have the brick? If I could take it with me, I could see if—’

‘I threw it in the skip down the road,’ Imelda replied. ‘I assume that’s where the perpetrator got it from.’

Kate looked up to where Imelda was pointing, seeing the battered metal skip on the driveway of a neighbouring property, where it looked like extension work was ongoing.

‘I didn’t think you could get fingerprints from stones anyway?’ Imelda continued.

‘There’s been some success with it in recent years,’ Kate confirmed, excusing herself and walking over to the skip, but on looking inside, she knew her search would be a waste of valuable time. Dozens of rough and broken bricks lay entwined with garden waste and other rubble.

‘I doubt you’ll ever catch the idiot who caused this damage,’ Imelda said, when Kate returned to the maisonette. ‘I just worry about the emotional damage it will have caused my little boy…’ Her words trailed off as she began to cry.

Kate offered her a tissue, and could only apologise, knowing her words were worthless. She was grateful when her phone began to ring and she excused herself to take it.

‘Is Sofia… can you meet me? Is about Maria. I need to see you.’

---

‘Thanks for coming,’ Sofia said, as Kate perched on the stool by the window.

‘I was surprised to get your call. Are you not worried that someone might spot you?’

‘In this neighbourhood? I doubt it.’

Kate stared out at the sea beyond the road below them. ‘I have to admit, meeting an informant in the restaurant of IKEA is a new one for me.’

‘The people I know, they don’t buy flat pack furniture, if you get me?’

Kate could believe it. ‘What did you want to speak to me about?’

‘After our chat yesterday, I decided to go and ask my pimp about Maria’s payment.’

Kate’s shoulders tensed. ‘I don’t want you to do anything that will put your life at risk.’

‘Is okay. I tell him one of Maria’s regulars was asking after her, and whether she would be back. He tell me that she clear her debt and is gone. I act surprised, but he show me picture on his phone. It was selfie of him and Maria from the Monday night. They are both smiling, and she not look worried or scared. I ask him about the money and he say she pay ten grand and left. He tell me he think she be back working for him again when she realise how hard real work is.’

‘So he didn’t know she was dead?’

‘No. The way he speak about her, is like she alive. He ask me if I have spoken to her, and I say no, and he ask me to call her and see if she ready to come back yet. I don’t think he kill her.’

The admission didn’t surprise Kate, particularly in light of what Laura was investigating. Kate fished into her pocket and pulled out her phone, loading Jackson’s website, and locating the image Laura had printed off. Kate passed Sofia the phone. ‘Do you recognise this man?’

Sofia studied the image, before handing the phone back. ‘I don’t think so, who is he?’

‘You don’t remember seeing him with Maria? Maybe one of her customers?’

Sofia took the phone again for a second look. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know his face.’

Kate locked the screen, before a new thought hit her. ‘You girls make a note of who each other goes off with, right? Do you remember seeing Maria getting into either of these vehicles?’ Kate opened the email Laura had sent with the images of Jackson’s two registered vehicles.

Sofia studied the two vehicles. ‘I think maybe this first one – the car, not the van – I maybe see it before, but I no remember registration number.’

‘You saw Maria in the car?’

‘I no remember. I think maybe car has been around, but who with, I’m not sure. Sorry.’

Kate offered her an appreciative smile. ‘You have nothing to be sorry for. I appreciate you letting me know what you found out.’

‘Oh, other thing I remember. I ask him if Maria work any of those group parties. You remember I say yesterday? He say no. He not know where she get money from either.’

Kate thanked Sofia and waited for her to leave the restaurant, before heading back into the car park to collect her car. The question of how Maria had managed to raise ten thousand pounds in such a short period of time still rankled with Kate. Could Jackson have given it to her? If so, for what reason? And why then kill her after she’d given the money to her pimp? Surely if he planned to kill her he could have done so without handing over the money? And where did Petr Nowakowski fit in to all this?

Despite the certainty in her gut that they were finally making progress with both investigations, she couldn’t shake the doubt that there was still so much more they didn’t know.

Kate had just started the engine when her phone rang. ‘Hi Patel, go ahead.’

‘I thought you should know, ma’am, uniform were just called to Alfie Caplan’s house after neighbours phoned to report a fight.’

‘Between who?’

‘Apparently, Daisy’s brother just assaulted him. Should I tell uniform to bring them in?’

Kate closed her eyes in frustration. The last thing Barry and Val needed was for Richard to be arrested too. ‘No, tell uniform to try and calm the situation and that I’m on my way over.’