Page 7 of The Girls in the Lake
He shrugged. ‘Possibly.’
‘Does it involve a visit to a certain doctor’s place of work?’
He laughed. ‘If you’re busy I’ll get Sykes to come with me. Where is she?’
Sam shrugged. ‘If she’s got any sense, she’s already gone out to buy her own coffee.’
Josh turned away, hiding the grin that had spread across his face. He liked Sam and her sense of humour. He liked all of his team, but after the last case he felt as if they’d made pretty good partners.
She grabbed her coat and they both strode towards the exit at the far end of the office that led to the back stairs and out into the car park. Pausing, Josh took a set of keys off the whiteboard and scribbled 1195, his collar number, next to the vehicle registration. Turning, he passed Sam the keys. ‘You drive and I’ll even run in to buy the coffee.’
She shook her head. ‘I need to learn to leave this office before you go looking for unsuspecting victims to drag into your weekly disasters. I’ll have a large latte, please, with an extra shot.’
They walked out to the car park, the sky a blanket of thick, black clouds; any moment it was going to throw it down. Hurrying to get into the car as the first splotches of water began to fall against the windscreen, no sooner had they shut the doors and Sam turned the key in the ignition, than the heavens opened and the sound of the rain hammering against the car was almost deafening.
Sam smiled at Josh. ‘Shame you volunteered to go in for the coffee, you’re going to get wet. That, Sarge, is karma.’
Ten
Beth had told Abe to notify her when the person who was going to do the ID on Leah Burton arrived. Realising she was staring into space, she moved her focus to the now-cold liquid inside her chipped mug and wished it was a large glass of wine. Although she’d never dream of drinking while at work, some days the thought of it made it all seem better. She would definitely be pouring herself a generous measure or two when she finally made it home tonight.
‘Beth, Leah’s supervisor is in the viewing room along with a police officer. Should I do the ID?’
She looked up and he smiled at her, and for the first time she acknowledged just what a good-looking man he was. She’d never really looked at him in that way before and knew she would never look at him in that way again. It was as if her mind was waking up from hibernation: things she’d taken for granted in the past were taking on new meanings. Standing up, she tipped the mug back, swallowing the cold coffee with a grimace.
‘Is the body ready for viewing?’
He nodded.
‘I’ll go and speak to them. I want to get an idea of what she was like.’
Walking out of her office, she pushed the double doors open which led to the small corridor where the viewing room was situated. She stepped inside to see the police officer who’d brought the body to get booked in. Beth nodded at her and then at the woman standing next to her in a steel grey suit with a white shirt embroidered with the logo of a hotel. They shook hands.
‘I’m Doctor Adams. Thank you for coming here at such short notice. The quicker we can establish her identity, the sooner I can begin her post-mortem and we can learn more of what happened. I’m so sorry for your loss.’
The words hung in the air of the small room for a moment before the woman nodded, then let out a loud sob which startled both Beth and the officer who had brought her in. Together, they guided her to one of the small, two-seater beige leather sofas. Beth looked around; grabbing the box of tissues off the coffee table, she passed them to the woman, who was having a hard time pulling herself together. She took a seat opposite her. ‘I’m sorry, were you close to Leah?’
The woman blew her nose, then shook her head. Beth frowned, she looked over at the officer, who shrugged. Composing herself, the woman looked at Beth.
‘Sorry, I’m Suzanne Morgan. I’m one of the duty managers at the hotel. I’m no good with anything like this. I get upset over commercials on the television. Especially if they have dogs in them. I told them I shouldn’t come, that I wouldn’t be much use nor ornament to anyone.’
Beth was confused now. ‘Told who?’
‘Hotel management, but they wouldn’t listen. They said I’d know better than they would, which technically I suppose I should. I mean, I interviewed her and gave her the job.’
‘Did you know her very well?’
‘Not really, she’s only been here a couple of months.’
‘I have to ask, what was her mood like? Did she seem happy? Was she upset to have left her family? Is there any chance she may have been feeling suicidal?’
Suzanne shook her head.
‘I don’t think so. She was always smiling and chattering, but her friend Chloe Dubois would be better placed to tell you what she was really like. They seemed very close; they started working at the same time together.’
‘Where is Chloe?’
‘I don’t know. We couldn’t find her when the police turned up to ask for someone to come here. She wasn’t in the room they share. Oh God, what if she drowned as well? How did it happen?’
