Page 27 of Her Last Walk Home

‘Just that if she was a passenger, it would account for the right-hand side of her body having the most injuries.’

‘That might be the case, butmightis the operative word. You have to find the evidence.’

‘So,’ Lottie mused, ‘I’m looking for a car with a vast amount of blood in it. Though it’s probably been forensically cleaned by now.’

‘Or a scene somewhere close to where she was found with, as you say, a vast amount of blood.’

‘Anything else?’

‘I found dirt, like clay, under one of her nails and a trace on her neck. It’s gone to the lab. SOCOs also took samples from the ground around the body. And they made casts of the footprints found there.’

‘This clay,’ Lottie said, ‘when will we have the results of that analysis?’

‘As soon as they have it, I’ll have it, then you’ll have it. These things take time.’

‘I know, I know. Have you found anything at all with DNA?’

‘So far I’ve swabbed her neck and all her fingernails. They had gel extensions, so if she scratched him, there will be something there. Enough for DNA? Let’s wait in hope.’

‘Anything else of note?’

‘You see her stretch marks? She’d had a pregnancy.’

‘She had a little boy. He’s almost four.’

Jane paced around the table. ‘So sad. I hate to see young lives destroyed like this.’ She gazed at the body on the stainless-steel table. ‘Laura had her whole life in front of her. A son to love andraise. All of that has been annihilated in one night. Why? And who by? You have to find this person, Lottie.’

Lottie nodded. ‘Have you looked at John Morgan’s body yet?’

‘He hasn’t arrived. I did a quick examination at the site. We have to inspect his clothing and all that, but outwardly the only wound I noticed was the blow to the back of his head. Crushed skull. Considerable force. My initial observation is that he didn’t fight back. So he may have been taken by surprise and hit from behind.’

‘Killed where we found him?’

‘Most likely.’

‘Do you think it’s two different murderers?’

‘I can’t say until I examine the body here. But if it is two killers, you might need to call in assistance. Don’t be afraid to ask for extra hands on deck.’

Lottie felt her jaw drop. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Tracking one murderer is difficult enough with the resources you have, but trying to get a handle on two…’

‘I get it. I’ll see how things pan out. Send your reports asap, then I’ll know what I’m dealing with. And Jane? Thanks for doing this so quickly. It really helps.’

25

He’d seen it on some late-night television show, God only knew what the name of it was. Something about romance and acting outside of your comfort zone. But as Kirby scattered rose petals over the bed, he felt like a right twit. Come morning, he would have to gather them up again. Still, he admired the effect, and the new duvet cover looked fresh and smooth, even if it was cheap.

He wanted to make Amy feel special because she’d gone through such a difficult time. If nothing else, this would make her laugh.

Sweating by the time he’d finished lighting the last candle, he heard her arrive home. He closed the bedroom door softly and went down to greet her.

‘How was your day?’ He kissed the top of her head.

‘Grand. It came and went. I’d kill for a glass of wine.’

‘Oh, don’t do that or I’ll have to arrest you.’

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