Free Above Suspicion by Lynda La Plante

nodded. ‘Leeds, Liverpool, Blackpool, Manchester, Bradford …’
    ‘I was just wondering if there was a possible connection; whether they knew each other.’
    Moira shrugged. ‘You ask around the big stations: Euston, King’s Cross, Paddington - a big percentage come down on the train from the north and scrabble for punters. They’re like hornets. Usually junkies, who get hooked up with a pimp, or drugs, or booze. I know, I was on Vice for six years.’
    Moira was walking away as if the conversation was over. Anna took the last file to her desk. Langton opened his office door and called, abruptly: ‘Travis! Come in here a minute.’
    Anna picked up her notebook and headed for his office. Moira smirked at Jean.
    ‘Keen, isn’t she?’
    Jean pursed her lips and returned to her computer. ‘Maybe she’s after a spot on Crime Night!’
    Anna stood in front of Langton’s desk. He rolled a pencil, flicking it back and forth. ‘You were late this morning. You threw up at the murder site yesterday and then again at the post mortem. I was beginning to think you were a waste of space, Travis.’
    She bristled.
    ‘But Henson’s just called. It seems you’re right. The marks to Melissa’s stomach are part of a fist. The punch wasn’t directly to the skin but through her T-shirt; there are fine fibres embedded in the skin that match the material. It makes it hopeless for us to get a clear print but Henson believes that they’ll have every indication of the size of fist, so there’s a possibility that if we find the killer, they might be able to make a match with his fist!’
    ‘That’s good,’ she said quietly.
    He gave her a beady look. ‘What is it?’
    She hesitated. ‘Erm, I was just thinking we should issue a press release to warn the girls.’
    ‘Won’t mean anything. Nothing stops them.’
    ‘I’ve been reading up on the fifth victim and—’
    ‘Beryl Villiers,’ he said to himself.
    ‘Well, she wasn’t as washed up as the others, no alcohol or drug problems and—’
    ‘You are not telling me anything I don’t know, Travis,’ he interrupted impatiently. ‘And we are giving a press conference. Soon.’
    But Anna held her ground. ‘Did you ever find if there was a connection between the victims? I noticed they’re all from the north of England.’
    ‘You noticed that?’ He leaned back in his chair. ‘Well, continue to read the case reports; after that, read up on the enquiry details and the thousands of statements taken and you’ll find we didn’t come up with any connection. They didn’t know each other!’
    Mike Lewis popped his head round the door. ‘Did you want Rawlins brought in? We’ve had another look and still think it might be him, edge of frame.’
    ‘Yeah, wheel him back in. Soon as you have something, call me.’
    ‘Right.’
    Lewis shut the door behind him and there was a pause.
    Langton’s eyes were closed; he was resting on his folded elbows. Anna was just wondering if she should leave when he spoke. ‘Something’s wrong. The way she’s running in the footage. Something isn’t right.’
    ‘Well, she’d had a fight with her boyfriend,’ Anna said tentatively.
    ‘It’s the way she’s running. Doesn’t look like a kid pissed off with her boyfriend. Looks more like she’s scared.’
    Anna was trying to recall the order of the footage. ‘The two boys that approached her?’
    ‘Yeah - I think she might have been mugged and we’re missing that section. All we do know is we have a witness and a time coder that makes her still alive at half past eleven.’
    He lifted his head and looked at her.
    ‘You worked with that profiler, Michael Parks, didn’t you?’
    ‘Erm, yes.’
    ‘I never give those profilers much kudos. It’s all about stating the obvious.’
    ‘I think he’s very good,’ she said, nervously.
    ‘Do you indeed? Well, if DS Travis rates him, I should do as the Gold Group request and get him in then, shouldn’t I?’
    ‘He did some very good