Jane knew they couldn’t be the actual ones, and had been mocked up specially. There were also pictures of the dead girl, Samantha Forgham, and a statement from her bereft mother, as well as comments from John Bishop describing the horrors discovered in the old air-raid shelter.
The article noted that the investigation was ongoing, but the police had not disclosed any details regarding arrests or even if they had identified any suspects.
The Sunday People ran a similar story, with more photographs of Samantha Forgham. This article also stated that the victim had been chained up and starved to death. The Sunday Express had some derogatory remarks about the Metropolitan Police inquiry, and though the article was not front-page news, Jane was upset by the inference that the investigation had been mishandled. It was suggested that the police had not got their priorities right and had given clearance to the development company to recommence the demolition prematurely, no doubt based on John Bishop’s statement that the company had been losing money because they had had to retain the large crew without being able to carry out any work.
Jane climbed the stairs and, as she crossed the landing to go into her bedroom, she caught Eddie wearing her police hat. Due to the loud, thudding music nobody had heard her coming up the stairs. Eddie was making some comical reference to Z Cars.
‘Z Victor 2 to Z Victor 5...’
As soon as he saw her, he quickly removed the hat.
‘We were just shifting your wardrobe to one side and one of the doors opened...’ he began sheepishly.
Jane stood in the bedroom doorway. ‘It may be funny to you but let me tell you that I worked long and hard to get that uniform... and even longer and harder to get out of it.’
Eddie put his hands up defensively. ‘Only joking, darling!’
Jane frowned. ‘I’ve just come up to tell you that I need to go into the station, so could you leave the room while I get changed?’
Eddie carefully replaced the hat in the wardrobe. ‘I need to check with my dad how they’re doing in the bathroom. I meant to ask: do you want to keep that avocado suite in the bathroom? It’s a bit sixties, isn’t it?’
‘Can we talk about that later, Eddie? And don’t worry about the bathroom. I shouldn’t be that long.’
Eddie shrugged. ‘OK. I’m going to be working late here, and I’ll need to go through all the invoices with you. I’ve agreed that we would pay the lads cash.’
Jane nodded. ‘Yes, I know that. I’ll go to the bank on Monday.’
Eddie walked past her, then turned back. ‘Listen, I didn’t in any way mean to insult you, Jane. I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.’
‘I haven’t taken it any way, Eddie. Now, can you just leave me alone?’
‘Sure,’ he said softly, closing the door behind him.
Jane was surprised to see how many officers were in the incident room, but there had apparently been a series of break-ins, one resulting in a knife attack.
Sergeant Hunt was standing at the incident board marking up the officers’ duties. He turned in surprise when he saw her.
‘Have you been brought in, ma’am?’
‘No, sergeant, I’m here because I need to speak to DCI Carter.’
‘You’ll have a hard time. He’s been out since the crack of dawn, and...’ he moved closer Jane and said under his breath, ‘Chief Superintendent Bridges is in Carter’s office, and he’ll be getting ready to oversee...’ He jerked his thumb towards the incident board, then looked back at Jane. ‘He was also asking about the Stockwell case. I don’t know if you’ve read the papers, but he was pissed off.’
Jane nodded. ‘I’ll just take my coat off then I’ll go in and see him. Did you get any information for me about Count Petrukhin?’
Hunt scratched his head. ‘Well, I got young DC Tim on that. He was going through the archives, but all this went down, and the guv was bringing in off-duty officers. I think whatever information he got he would’ve left on your desk.’
Jane nodded curtly and went to her office. She had just hung up her coat when she noticed a stack of notes and photocopies of various newspaper articles on her desk, together with a typed report. It seemed that DC Tim Taylor had actually been very diligent, contrary to what Sergeant Hunt had implied.
Jane down at her desk and drew the DC’s findings towards her. She immediately saw that the documents had been placed on top of a large evidence bag. There was a white envelope clipped to it with the words ‘Attention DCI Carter and DI Tennison’. Jane pushed DC Taylor’s information to one side and opened the envelope. It contained a report from Paul Lawrence, timed and dated Friday night.
The belt used to secure the two breeze blocks holding the body of the baby had not previously been forensically analysed and had been separated from the other items submitted for testing: 1) Piece of sou’wester, 2) knitted blue cashmere stole/scarf that had been wrapped around the baby’s body. I have now examined the belt and note that it had been cut. I felt it was necessary that all the items should be kept together as I am no longer attached to this investigation. The buckle was clogged with cement dust and mould, making it difficult on first sight to ascertain if it was of value to the investigation. I have now done a close examination and part-cleaning and believe this could possibly be of great importance. Sincerely, DS Paul Lawrence.
Because the envelope was jointly addressed to her, Jane broke the seal on the evidence bag. There was an immediate smell of decay as she prised it open. She took a piece of A4 paper, placing it over the blotter on her desk, and tipped out the contents of the bag. She had handled the belt when it was discovered at the Stockwell property and had been with the foreman when it had been cut, but due to the buckle being blackened, the detailed silver filigree had hardly been visible. Now she could clearly see the engraved initials ‘HL’.
Jane licked her lips as she felt the adrenaline buzz. She was certain the belt did not belong to Henry Lanark as it was too small, and it therefore had to belong to Helena. If Helena had been the prime suspect even without any evidence, this now suggested very strongly that she had committed infanticide. There was, of course, the possibility that Beatrice or her sister Marjorie had taken and used the belt, but she doubted it.
Jane pushed her chair back. Although this new development strongly implicated Helena Lanark in the baby’s death, she still couldn’t be sure who the mother was. Jane felt it was now more imperative than ever for her to interview Beatrice Thorpe.
There was a gentle knock on her door and DC Taylor peered in.
‘Excuse me, ma’am, Superintendent Bridges would like to talk to you.’
Jane placed the palm of her hand on the documents he had left on her desk.
‘I’m really sorry, Tim, I haven’t had time to look over the work you’ve done.’
She stood up, suddenly wishing that she had at least showered or washed her hair before coming into the station.
‘It was interesting research,’ Tim said. ‘But it took hours trying to trace Mrs Lanark’s family. Also, there were a number of confusing birth dates. I was told at the archives that around that period it was quite normal for high society ladies to reduce their ages by changing their date of birth.’
Jane frowned. ‘Judging from the photographs of Muriel Lanark on her wedding day, surely she would not have done that. She looked very young anyway.’
‘That was my problem. She’d added five years on to her age.’
Jane was shocked. ‘My God! How old was she when she married Henry Lanark?’