Free Heart of the Demon (D.S.Hunter Kerr) by Michael Fowler

interview, eliminate. It was given to every major player in an investigation.
    He slapped a hand over the blown-up photographs of the symbols gouged into Rebecca’s abdomen. “The pathologist has re-examined these marks and now confirms that the first mark should be a reversed L. She’d originally missed it because it appears the knife had not joined the horizontal to the upright. Therefore the marks on Rebecca are identical to those found on Jane Doe.” He paused; his hazel eyes peering through his spectacles surveyed the room. He stopped at DC Mike Sampson. “Mike you had the job of making sense of these; any joy?”
    “Not yet boss.” Mike cleared his throat. “Visited various web-sites, talked to the local priest for any religious link, spoken with some occult specialist that I got off the web, and I’ve also talked to a forensic psychologist recommended to me by the Met. I sent him a fax of the marks and I also sent him info about the playing card. Other than confirming what Professor McCormick has said about it being the killer’s signature, he’s not been able to help me further.”
    The SIO nodded and thanked Mike for his efforts. “Okay everyone back to the job in hand. We are currently widening the search for Rebecca’s school bag and other belongings, and the Press Office are putting out a fresh appeal this lunchtime in case our killer has dumped them. I have also got Headquarters monitoring her mobile in case it’s switched on at any time. There is still a lot of ground to cover on this murder.”
    He moved towards the second board and placed a hand over the grotesque photo of the mummified head. “Jane Doe. The only thing we know about her identification so far is that she was of teenage years when she was murdered. She was discovered yesterday in a slurry pit on the site of the old Manvers coking plant.” He paused momentarily and pointed to a large map of the Dearne Valley that had been fixed onto another white board “This site is only two miles away from where Rebecca Morris was discovered. What concerns me about this is not the fact that we are now dealing with a double murder, but the time span between the two killings. That body has been in that slurry pit at least ten years and more than likely fifteen. Why the gap between both murders? Was our killer in jail? Was he out of the area? Or worse still has he killed between those years and there are more bodies still waiting to be discovered?”
     
    * * * * *
     
    Grace couldn’t help but notice that without her make-up and now dressed in school uniform Kirsty Evans looked every inch the fourteen-year-old teenager again.
    She appeared to be looking around nervously as she crossed the road and Grace guessed she was seeking to avoid drawing attention to herself as she made her way to the unmarked police car.
    Grace watched Kirsty’s eyes scanning the line of parked cars opposite the school and then saw by her reaction that she had spotted her. Grace raised a hand in acknowledgement.
    Taking a final glance around, Kirsty left the footpath and jogged towards the silver grey CID car parked discreetly in the shadow of one of the many trees lining the road.
    Grace reached across the front seat and sprang the passenger door open as Kirsty reached the kerb. She stuck her head inside the opening and despite the holiday tan Grace could see that she had coloured up. Grace recognised the sign of nervousness and trepidation. She patted the fabric of the front seat.
    “Get in, I won’t bite,” she invited.
    Whipping her school bag off her shoulder Kirsty slid in beside Grace.
    “You didn’t mind me ringing you did you?” she asked, avoiding eye contact, just staring at the dashboard.
    “Course not. I was hoping you would. That’s why I gave you my card the other day.”
    “Only I don’t want to get anyone into trouble, or for anyone to think bad of Rebecca.” She rattled out her words at pace.
    “Kirsty if what you have to tell me will help