The Masons lived in the type of house you see printed on the top of a biscuit tin. Gina could imagine living somewhere that quaint. They had neighbours but a high shrub wall divided the gap between them. The double-fronted detached cottage wasn’t overly huge but it had a quaint look about it. Hanging baskets provided a colourful greeting to guests of the family. The double garage to the side of the house was topped with a little roof so that it blended in with the house. She looked at her notes. Mr Dennis Mason, owner of a tree surgery business. Mrs Mason, architect for a Stratford-based firm.

The curtains twitched as Gina led the rest of the detectives and officers to the door. As she went to knock, a tall woman opened the door. Her pale pink lipstick almost made her lips blend into the skin on her face. Her icy blue eyes and white blonde hair gave her a Nordic look.

‘Mrs Mason, DI Harte. We have a section eighteen notice to search your house,’ Gina said as the woman opened the door. Mrs Mason’s brow furrowed as she dropped the hand that was holding the can opener.

‘I see you didn’t bring my son with you?’

‘Sorry.’ Gina shook her head. The woman stepped aside as she nervously scratched her hair. ‘We’ll make this as quick as we can.’

Mr Mason stomped through, blocking the way. The tubby man stood about two inches shorter than his wife but he looked strong and muscular with shovel-like hands, which were covered in calluses. ‘Get out. My son was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and you’ve arrested him! Yes, he called me with his one call and I’ve sent him the best legal representation. Duty solicitor, my arse. He’ll be home for supper unless you find something with which to keep him, but you won’t as he’s done nought wrong.’

‘Mr Mason, could you please step out of the way? A girl is seriously injured and she’ll be lucky to survive. She happened to fall from the van your son was driving. If he’s done nothing wrong, then you don’t have anything to worry about but we need to search the house.’

‘But this is my house. Not his. He lives here but—’

‘Mr Mason, he lives here. That makes it his home too. We’ll be as quick as possible but you need to step back. PC Smith will sit with you, tell you what is happening and explain the process to you.’

He went to speak but his wife interrupted. ‘Just leave it out, Den. The sooner they get on with it, the sooner they leave and Darren can come home.’

The man shoved his hands in his work trouser pockets, huffed and reluctantly followed his wife to the kitchen.

‘Half of you upstairs, half down, Jacob, come with me. Seize any computers, phones or tablets that Darren Mason may have access too. Wyre, O’Connor, are you okay starting with the communal rooms? Make sure you go through the garage and the sheds. Bernard, follow us to Darren’s room. Keith, go with the others.’ If there was any trace evidence that the girl has been in the house, Keith and Bernard would find it.

Gina made her way to the bedrooms. The first door she opened had to be Darren’s. There were clothes everywhere and an unmade double bed. Used cups dotted the room. It was kitted out with the best tech, including the largest television that Gina had seen in a bedroom. The stale smell of over-filled ashtray and damp towels filled her nostrils. ‘Bag those up,’ she said to Jacob as he followed.

‘The shorts?’

Bernard nodded and opened his bag.

‘And the T-shirt. They’re the clothes he was wearing in the CCTV footage and it must be our lucky day. It looks and smells like he hasn’t washed them.’ Gina looked out of his bedroom window. Not a bad view of the garden. She spotted Wyre heading towards the shed.

Jacob and Bernard began retrieving the clothes, and Gina opened his bedside drawers. Jacob continued searching through the wardrobe. The first two bedside drawers contained a mix of boxer shorts and socks. The bottom draw contained a roll up cigarette. With gloved hands, Gina picked it up and sniffed. ‘More weed.’ Jacob came over with a bag and they sealed it away. She reached towards the back of the drawer and pulled out an old Nokia mobile phone. One that didn’t take photos or access the internet. She tried to turn it on but the battery was probably flat. She passed it to Jacob to bag. As soon as they got back to the station, she wanted it analysed.

Footsteps thundered up the stairs. ‘That bitch has taken my laptop. I need it for work. How the hell am I meant to do my invoicing and access my diary? I run my whole business on that thing.’

‘Mr Mason, you will get it back.’ Gina felt a bead of sweat running down the side of her face. How dare he refer to one of her team in that manner? He was angry, she got that. Her hands trembled as she resisted the urge to argue with the man.

‘You’re not taking it.’ He ran down the stairs, the pictures jangling on their hooks as his hefty footsteps passed. Shouting and commotion followed.

‘Mr Mason, you will be arrested if you take another step towards me in that manner,’ she heard Smith saying. She ran down the stairs to see what was happening. Mr Mason’s side-parted, dark hair was now sodden with sweat. Backing down, he let out a roar as his wife guided him into the garden to calm down. Gina watched as they bickered behind the closed patio doors. He went to walk away but she dragged him back by the arm.

‘I want that laptop checked first. Maybe he just uses it for work or maybe he has something to hide.’ The man stared through the window and caught her gaze. He broke his stare and pulled a packet of cigarettes from his pocket, turning away from them as he lit up.

Officers left the house with evidence bags. If there was nothing amiss, everything would be returned in the same condition that it was taken. But Darren was holding something back and she wanted to know what that was. She wanted to know who he was arguing with at the petrol station. His dad looked hot-headed. Maybe Darren had been arguing with him that morning. If he had, Gina wanted to know what they’d argued about.

Wyre returned from the garden. ‘Anything?’ Gina asked.

She shook her head. ‘Nothing out of the ordinary. There are no signs that anyone has been kept on these premises against their will.’

‘Guv, I’ve found a syringe in Darren’s room,’ Jacob said as he ran down the stairs with the item in a clear bag. Gina thought back to the needle marks all over the girl’s body.

‘Nice work. We need to get out of here soon.’

‘Why, guv?’

‘We’re popping in to see Callum Besford on the way home. Darren’s friend, the one he stayed with. See if we can get a voluntary statement out of him. With any luck, he’ll let us take a look around if we ask nicely. Darren was arguing with someone that morning. I want to see where he was staying.’

‘I’ll just drop Amber a message.’ Gina could see he was disappointed. It had been a long day for them all. Gina’s phone rang. It was forensics.

‘Hello. The girl. Have you identified her from the DNA sample?’ She paused as she listened to the rest of the information. ‘Thank you.’ She smiled as she ended the call.

‘What was that about?’

‘I’ll tell you later.’

Mr Mason gazed at her through the window once more. He was nervous about something. People always had something to hide, most of the time the things they hid were maybe just shameful or personal to them, but not illegal. What was on the Mason family laptop that he didn’t want her to see? Whatever it was, his wife didn’t know. In comparison to her husband, she looked calm. Gina smiled and placed the phone in her pocket before continuing with the search.