---

Robyn paced the floor, her stomach churning. Flint had approved a search warrant for Liam Carrington’s house, and a small unit, headed by Mitz, was on its way to Yoxall. Now she had to tackle another concern – Anna. Unable to locate anyone to follow Naomi, she’d taken the task upon herself, and Robyn was not happy.

‘I asked her to find an officer to follow and watch Naomi, not do it herself.’

David spoke. ‘She rang in a while ago. Signal was lousy. She said Naomi Povey went straight home and was inside with the curtains drawn. She intended waiting outside Naomi’s house until we found another officer to replace her. Then she lost her signal again and when I dialled her number, her phone went to message – bloody dead zone.’

‘Didn’t you try her on the comms unit?’

‘She didn’t take one with her. She shot off like a jackrabbit. Used her own car.’

Robyn tutted loudly, and striding into the corridor, she rang Anna’s mobile and left a message. ‘Anna, ring me as soon as you get this message.’ She returned to the office, brow furrowed, speaking to no one in particular.

‘What was she thinking of? She shouldn’t be staking out Naomi Povey alone.’ The thought of Roger Jenkinson, desperate and possibly dangerous, troubled her deeply. ‘Where are the officers who’re searching for Roger Jenkinson? Can’t they send someone over to Bramshall?’

‘There was a sighting in Uttoxeter, near the racecourse. Somebody matching his description was spotted next to the grounds. They were all deployed to that area.’

Robyn heaved another sigh.

David spoke again. ‘DI Shearer’s team are all out on another investigation, and there’s nobody else available. That’s why Anna took off after Naomi herself.’

As much as she admired Anna’s dedication to her job, Robyn didn’t want her to take unnecessary risks. It was Robyn’s responsibility to keep an eye on her team. She’d had doubts about Roger Jenkinson and not followed them up quickly enough. Now, she chastised her own stupidity. There had been clues – his history of violent outbursts, his size ten feet, being Tessa’s lover, and his argument with Anthony Hawkins. Was there a possibility Roger Jenkinson was their perpetrator and he’d run, because he was afraid of being caught by the police? He had to be located – and quickly.

‘Head over to Bramshall, David, and join her at the house. Use a squad car and radio in once you arrive. I’ll feel happier knowing she has backup.’

David scooted off, leaving Robyn with Matt. They’d still had no luck with Ella Fox. She’d played the silent game. Nothing Robyn had asked or said had produced a single word from her lips. Her solicitor, a starch-faced woman with grey hair scraped so tightly from her face it gave her a permanent look of surprise, had advised Ella to make no comment.

‘Matt, got Tory Goode’s statement?’

‘All here.’ He patted the bundle of papers.

Robyn pursed her lips. The interviews with Liam Carrington and his sister were hopeless. She’d been unable to prise any information from either of them. She crossed her fingers that her latest hunch was accurate and a search of their home would yield black fibres that matched those at both murder scenes.

She steeled herself, entered the darkened room adjacent to the room and tapped on the glass. ‘Bring them in.’

Matt, standing on the other side of the glass, nodded. The door opened and five women walked in and stood in a line.

Tory was sitting once again in the room with Robyn. She leant forward and nodded. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s her. The one wearing jeans and a white jumper. She walked like that too. Confident-like.’

‘Miss Goode, are you confirming that you recognise the first woman in the line?’

‘Yes, I am.’

She had identified Ella Fox.

---

Robyn ran through her deliberations with Matt, voicing what was in her head.

‘If Tory Goode is correct, Ella Fox was somewhere in the vicinity of Tessa Hall’s house on the sixteenth. Unless she has a good explanation for being there, we have to consider her a likely suspect. She admitted she disliked Tessa and had warned her off Liam. There was a fingernail found at the scene of the crime, which might be evidence we can use, but it takes time to get DNA results and we don’t have that much time. Forensics found no weapon and no fingerprints that match either hers or Liam Carrington’s at the crime scene, so to sum up, we have no concrete evidence she was ever inside the house.

‘Let me run a theory past you: Ella Fox left home undetected before 6 a.m., drove Liam’s Audi to Barton-under-Needwood, parked out of sight and pretended to jog to Tessa’s house. Either Tessa was expecting her or was unfazed by Ella’s arrival, and opened the door to her. Whatever was said secured Ella’s entry to the property, where she attacked and killed Tessa.’

Robyn dragged her hands over the back of her neck. ‘What I can’t fathom for the life of me is why? It can’t be over Liam. Tessa wasn’t involved with him. And it can’t be about the lottery money because Tessa didn’t tell anyone about it and wasn’t spending it. It’s not enough, is it, Matt? Her brief will laugh and say it’s conjecture. In less than an hour, she’ll be out of here. I can’t hold her for much longer. Any suggestions? I’m getting desperate.’

‘I’m as stumped as you. We have to find something else that connects her to that location and crime, especially as we have nothing that places her at the other murder scenes. Can we speed up the DNA findings on the fingernail?’

‘Forensics are overburdened, just like us. It’s going to take five to ten days at best to get a result.’

‘How about I head to Yoxall and join the search team there? Might help.’

Robyn rubbed her neck, keeping her hands in place. Ella’s presence in Barton-under-Needwood might be perfectly innocent. Another vision of Astra passed through her head. She couldn’t get this wrong. ‘Yes. That’s a good idea. I’m not keen to even hold her for twenty-four hours if we have nothing more than this. She’s got a child to look after. Matt, what if she and Liam Carrington aren’t involved in this at all, and Roger Jenkinson and Juliet Fallows are our perps?’

‘I don’t think so. ‘

‘What makes you so sure?’

Matt’s eyes twinkled. ‘You have the best instincts of any copper I know.’ He headed for the door, pausing to grab at the packet of biscuits from Anna’s desk, then halted. ‘What if we tracked Ella’s mobile for the days in question?’

‘Already done. She must have left it at home each time she went out. It didn’t move from the house. If she’s guilty, she’s been pretty clever, leaving it there.’

‘Then we need some way of extracting a confession from one of them, or pray for divine intervention.’ With that, he left.

A few minutes later, DCI Flint appeared at the door.

‘DI Carter.’

He drew himself to his full height and stared ahead at the office door. ‘There’s no easy way of saying this. Juliet Fallows was found dead behind a VW garage in Tamworth a few hours ago. She was shot in the face. It took a while to identify her body. She wasn’t carrying any identification. Early indicators are it’s the same type of bullet used to kill Henry Gregson.’

Robyn stared hard at him. Juliet hadn’t run off, nor was she in hiding with Roger Jenkinson. The same person who’d murdered Tessa, Anthony and Henry had undoubtedly murdered her too. A dull thudding began in her temple. Flint waited for her to speak but she kept her counsel.

‘I’ve requested all details and information to be sent directly to you and your team. Officers have been dispatched to inform the next of kin and will handle all that side of it. I want you to concentrate on catching the murderer. That’s all.’

‘Yes, sir.’

He walked away, his head high, without any further words. Robyn cursed the fact she hadn’t had sufficient evidence to prevent Juliet’s death. It was crushing to think she might still be alive if Robyn had acted more quickly. She balled her fists and kicked out at the wall with a low growl. Then she dropped onto the nearest desk, head in hands. If only she’d acted sooner. She thought of Terence and Steph and how she’d let them, and Juliet, down. She shut her eyes and tried to banish their faces but they remained fixed in her mind’s eye.

She had no idea how long she’d sat there. She waited until the anger began to subside and she could draw on her reserves. She had to lead her officers and she had to catch the killer, or killers. She’d bang them to rights for certain. She owed it to those relatives left behind, to her team, and to herself. Her mobile rang and dragged her back to the present. It was David.

‘There’s no sign of Anna, guv. Her car’s not here and there’s no one answering the door at Naomi’s house.

‘Ask about. See if anyone saw anything. I’m on my way.’