Free Evan Blessed by Rhys Bowen Page A

nodded again. “But why was there just this one clear set of prints and no others?”
    â€œBecause the man we are looking for is very meticulous. He wears gloves. He wipes things clean. He overlooked a couple of prints.”
    â€œPity. It all fitted so nicely. Violent with women, rides a motorbike—”
    â€œWhat’s all this about the motorbike?”
    â€œOh sorry, I didn’t get a chance to tell you. The team found bike tracks near the bunker. Someone might have carried stuff up there on the back of a bike. We’ll have forensics look at Matthews’s tires, but I suspect you’re right and he’s not the type we’re looking for.”
    â€œWe do know one thing,” Evan said.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œOur man shops at the local Tesco.”
    â€œAnd what help is that?” Watkins demanded. “Do you think we can go into Tesco and ask if they saw anybody suspicious buying a tin of baked beans recently?”
    â€œIt wasn’t just one tin of baked beans. It was a good quantity of tins and packets. If he bought them all at once, one of the checkers might have remembered.” Evan smiled. “And it does tell us one thing. It’s more likely that he’s a local and not someone from outside who came to the area looking for a remote spot.”
    â€œBut that’s just the point,” Watkins said angrily. “It’s not a remote spot. It’s within a few yards of the most popular path up Snowdon. If I were going to capture a helpless female and hold her prisoner somewhere, there are plenty of really remote places.”
    â€œPerhaps he does have other bunkers in those more remote
places,” Evan suggested. “Or perhaps he just enjoys taking risks. I get the feeling he probably does.”
    They both looked up at the tap of light feet on the vinyl floor and saw Glynis Davies coming down the hallway toward them.
    â€œIt’s almost two. Where is the meeting going to be?” she asked.
    â€œAlmost two?” Watkins muttered. “I haven’t even had lunch yet.”
    â€œNeither have I,” Evan said.
    Glynis smiled sweetly. “What a pity. I’ve just had rather a good salad at that new Greek place. Lots of lovely garlic and olives and feta cheese.”
    â€œShut up.” Watkins managed a smile. “Be an angel and go and stall Sergeant Jones and the others while Evan and I pop into the cafeteria to grab a quick sandwich, will you? Not for my own good, you understand—but this growing boy here has a wedding in a couple of weeks. We can’t have him dropping dead from lack of nourishment, can we?”
    There was a flicker of amusement in Glynis’s eyes. “I’d have thought he’d welcome the chance to slim down so that he looks good in the wedding pictures,” she said.
    â€œSlim down?” Evan demanded. “Do you know I’ve lost over a stone since I’ve been cooking for myself? And I’ve been up Snowdon and back already today, and I don’t mean by train.”
    Glynis nodded. “I’m impressed,” she said. “What was that for?”
    â€œI took Paul Upwood to retrace their route.”
    â€œThat was smart. Did you learn anything?”
    â€œWe found her glove at the bottom of a nasty scree slope, right next to Glaslyn.”
    The smile had faded from Glynis’s face. “Oh no. That doesn’t look good, does it? Do you think she went into the lake?”
    â€œI think there’s a good possibility she did.”
    â€œI’ve already asked HQ for a team of divers,” Watkins said, “although that lake’s pretty deep, isn’t it?”
    Evan nodded. “But it’s clear water. Although a day like today doesn’t make for the best conditions up there. Very thick mist. We could hardly see more than a couple of feet in front of us.”

    â€œLucky you found the glove then.” Watkins