As Anna packed up ready to leave for the night, Langton came and perched on the edge of her desk.
‘What’s the hold you reckon Oates has over Bradford?’
‘I don’t know.’
He cocked his head to one side.
‘You have an idea though?’
‘I’ve not thought it through yet, but as I said I’m trying to get more information on the unidentified victim.’
‘Like what?’
‘Well obviously, who she is for starters. I’ve not got anything confirmed and then there’s also Angela Thornton. Although we haven’t found her body I do think Oates murdered her as well.’
Langton walked over to the incident board and stared at the girls’ photographs. He realized what Anna was thinking.
‘Why did he put that bracelet on her picture, claim that she was one of his victims,’ he wondered, tapping the photograph.
Anna stood beside him, arms folded.
‘That’s what bothers me. I’ve looked at the footage from his interview and he carefully places her bracelet over her picture, just as he did with all the other victims’ possessions.’
‘But she wasn’t brought back from the quarry.’
‘No, so that leaves us with either another body up there in the woods, or wherever, and the unidentified remains in the morgue.’
‘Shit, this case is like a nightmare, it never ends.’
He eased his tie back up and pressed down the edge of his collar.
‘Well, tomorrow is another day and I’m going home.’
He gave the small of her back an affectionate pat and smiled.
‘Good work. I think you gave Mike heart failure, but if you’re correct, thank Christ for you. Like it or not, now the press are all over the investigation and due to the fuckups so far we now have to run everything by Commander Leigh – you know, protocol, big brother, et cetera.’
The night staff were beginning to take their desks as he strolled out. Barbara and Joan had already left, but Anna felt restless and sat at her desk. She saw the lights go off in Mike’s office and kept her head down as if reading her notes as he walked past.
He paused in the doorway, turning back to her.
‘Are we to expect any further surprises from you?’
‘Depends on how tomorrow pans out. But if it all tallies up it could be the reason Oates has behaved himself since we re-arrested him.’
‘Goodnight, Anna,’ he said quietly.
‘Goodnight, Mike,’ she replied.
Chapter Twenty-One
The first thing Anna did when she got home was to ring Morag Kelly’s mobile phone. It was after ten so she hoped the young woman would pick up. It rang and rang, and she was impatiently about to end the call when someone answered.
‘Is this Morag Kelly?’
‘Aye.’
‘I wondered if you could help me. I am trying to trace Corinna Oates and I know you were in rehab with her.’
There was an intake of breath and Anna quickly tried to keep the girl calm, explaining that Morag was not in any kind of trouble whatsoever, but the call was very important as Anna was part of a police investigation attempting to find Corinna’s whereabouts.
‘Well I cannae help ye. I’ve not seen her since she ran off, and we wasnae that friendly anyway.’
‘But you knew her?’
‘Aye, but she’s nae friend of mine. When she left she nicked some of ma stuff, so even if I did meet up with her, I’d slap her face.’
‘I just need to ask if you remember maybe Corinna saying anything about where she might go.’
‘Nae, we’ve all been asked about her, but she never told nobody – she did a runner when we was supposed tae be workin’.’
‘You are being really helpful, and just one more thing: can you recall any of her clothes, what she might have been wearing?’
‘Nae, we hadda wear smocks cos we was doin’ the kitchen cleanin’; she could’ve worn something’ under the smock, but she wasnae wearin’ them then or I’d have noticed cos they were mine.’
‘What did she take of yours, Morag?’
‘Ma patent leather boots.’
‘Could you describe them to me? And maybe give me a better idea of what Corinna looked like?’
Anna spent a few more moments talking to Morag about Corinna. Eventually the young woman grew less suspicious and told Anna what she needed to know. Anna thanked her profusely for her help before hanging up. There was no way she could do anything about the information until morning, but it was another connection and one that might be another piece of the jigsaw.
Professor Hall, for all his pomposity, had evidently pulled out all the stops, as the following morning they received the official post mortem report on Mrs Douglas. Neither Anna nor Langton was at the station when it arrived, making Mike even more impatient than usual.
‘Where is she? We’re bringing in Timmy Bradford!’
Joan called her mobile, but it was turned off.
‘She’s not answering.’
‘It’s bloody ten-thirty, for God’s sake – what does she think she’s playing at!’
Barbara whispered aside to Joan that perhaps she was solving the case, but shut up quickly as Mike turned on her.
‘What did you say?’
‘Just had a call from Barolli, guv, wanting to know if we’ve solved the case, we’ve been giving him an update,’ Barbara improvised swiftly.
‘Good, how’s he doing?’
‘Oh he’s fine, up and out of bed and-’
Mike didn’t wait to hear any more as Langton walked in, signalling for Mike to join him in his office, which he treated like his own.
‘Barbara spoke with Paul Barolli earlier. He’s doing well and has managed to get out of bed,’ Mike informed Langton.
‘That’s good news,’ Langton replied.
‘Yeah well, the bad news is I can’t track Travis down and her mobile is turned off.’
‘She called me and said she was going to the NatWest at New Malden to speak with the bank manager and then coming back here,’ Langton informed Mike.
‘Doesn’t she want to speak to me?’ Mike asked.
‘She knows how busy you are so she asked me to tell you, which I just have. Now what’s happening with Timmy Bradford?’
‘He’s been at a bed and breakfast until we’ve cleared all the forensic work at his flat; he was allowed back to get some clothes,’ Mike told him.
‘How’s he holding up?’
‘Seems fine, asked about when he could arrange a funeral for his mother. Did you see the post mortem report?’
Langton hadn’t, so Mike showed him a copy, which he read at once, and then let it drop onto the desk.
‘Shit, a bloody heart attack!’
‘But it could have been caused by fear – there are bruises to her head and chest. She was hung up by the cord after she was dead.’
Langton wafted his hand.
‘Okay, let’s go over how we handle the interview.’
‘What about Travis?’
Langton gave him a direct look.
‘Your enquiry, Mike, never mind what she’s doing.’ He tapped the report with his finger and suggested they interview Bradford as a witness first before arresting him and having a solicitor present.
Anna’s immediate task that day had been to visit the bank manager, who told her that Bradford had called the bank twice a couple of days before he came in to collect the money. The original calls were taken by a cashier; Bradford had enquired about what he would have to do to withdraw money on his mother’s behalf and his mother, Mrs Douglas, had even spoken with the cashier, giving her password and approving withdrawal by her son. The call on the day he picked up the money was, as Anna already knew, thanks to the wiretap, to arrange for the time of collection.
Anna’s next stop was to see Pete Jenkins. He was, as she had requested, examining the pair of patent leather knee-high boots. The size and description fitted the ones mentioned by Morag Kelly; they were also in good condition unlike the other shoes found at the basement. Anna asked for them to be bagged up.
‘What about the DNA test? Did you get anything for me?’