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‘I can’t rule out that you didn’t pay someone to kill your mother while you were with your mistress. If needs be, I will go to court and get a judge’s order on the grounds that you lied in a murder investigation and that you are a suspect — which won’t look too good for you or DCS Blake.’

‘Sign the fucking form, Andrew!’ Blake bellowed.

Hastings reluctantly signed the form.

‘You can go now,’ Moran said to a visibly furious Hastings.

Jane was impressed by Moran’s calm restraint. She couldn’t believe how stupid Blake had been to risk his career for someone like Andrew Hastings. Perhaps Hastings did have something on Blake? Jane’s thoughts were interrupted as Moran told her to take Hastings downstairs whilst he continued to speak to DCS Blake.

After everyone else had left the room, Moran looked Blake in the eyes.

‘You caused me and my team to waste valuable time with Hastings. All you had to do was speak to me in private about his affair and where he was, then we could have avoided all of this confrontation. Has he got something on—?’

Blake anticipated the question. ‘I’m not corrupt, and he hasn’t got anything on me. It was a little lie to the major that got out of hand. I was just trying to stop any scandal breaking out in the clubhouse about Andrew and Katie Oliver, that’s all. It was silly of me and I apologize.’

Moran had a good idea why Blake had lied. ‘This is the Freemasons’ old pals act, isn’t it? He’s lied for you when you’ve been out of line.’

Blake looked annoyed. ‘My private life has nothing to do with you.’

‘When you lie in a murder investigation, it bloody well does. But don’t worry, I’ll do my best to keep a lid on it... for now.’

‘And what about DS Tennison?’ Blake asked.

Moran said that he would speak to her, but couldn’t guarantee her silence.

Blake picked up his coat. ‘If there’s anything more you need to assist your investigation then just ask.’

Moran shook his head. ‘I don’t need anything from you, Blake. It might be best if you take yourself off the investigation. You could always injure yourself playing golf!’

‘You know I can’t do that without the top brass asking questions. But I’ll give you free rein to investigate the murders and keep myself in the background.’

‘I can live with that. I’ll keep you updated on any developments.’

Blake nodded and left the room.

Moran sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He was exhausted, and realized he was back at square one. He had two victims, one still unidentified, and although he felt the murders were probably linked in some way, he had no evidence to prove it. Did he have one or two killers on the loose? Or worse: two men acting together, who had a lust for attacking and killing women of any age? Whatever the case, he knew he had to find who was responsible before there was another murder.

Taking a deep breath, straightened the papers on his desk. His office phone rang and, picking it up, he heard his baby son wailing in the background.

‘Yes, I’ll be home soon, Fiona...’

Chapter Nine

It was quarter past nine on Tuesday morning. Jane was in the CID office with Gibbs, Edwards and the rest of the team, waiting for an update meeting with DCI Moran. The meeting was supposed to have started at nine but Moran still hadn’t arrived. Jane was talking to Gibbs as they looked at a wall covered with photographs of the crime scenes, post-mortem results and Sybil Hastings’ full details. The information regarding the unknown victim was still blank. Missing persons checks and further house-to-house enquiries had turned up nothing to take the investigation forward.

Moran walked in, sipping coffee from a polystyrene cup. He was unshaven, his grey suit was creased and he was wearing the same shirt as the previous day. He was normally meticulously neat and tidy with his appearance, but today he looked exhausted, and had bloodshot eyes and dark circles surrounding them.

Gibbs whispered to Jane: ‘Looks like he’s been dragged through a hedge backwards. He hasn’t even bothered to change his shirt.’

‘You’re a fine one to talk,’ Jane retorted.

Gibbs looked puzzled.

‘You came in yesterday morning in the same gear you wore on Sunday. Moran’s under a lot of pressure with two murders on his hands and no suspects.’ She raised her eyebrows at him.

‘Yeah, well, we’re all under pressure, Jane,’ Gibbs replied.

‘We don’t all have babies that keep us up all night, though,’ Jane defended Moran.

‘Sorry I’m late. Heavy traffic.’

Gibbs whispered again: ‘He was probably on nappy duty.’

Moran briefed everyone on the events of the previous day.

‘Myself and WDS Tennison interviewed Andrew Hastings yesterday. It seems unlikely he was directly involved in either of the murders as his alibi has been corroborated.’ He deliberately avoided any mention of DCS Blake’s initial lies.

‘He could have paid someone else to kill his mother,’ Gibbs said.

Moran gulped some of his coffee and nodded towards Gibbs. ‘I am aware of that, DI Gibbs. Hastings has begrudgingly given written authority for his bank and business account details to be handed over to us. Edwards, I want you to collect them and go through them.’

‘I’ll give Edwards a hand checking the accounts,’ Gibbs said, then whispered to Jane, ‘Even if there’s no large transfer or withdrawal of money, Hastings could have had cash tucked away to pay a hitman.’

Jane shrugged. ‘I think you’re wrong about Hastings.’

‘We’ll see,’ Gibbs replied.

‘How are the house-to-house enquiries going, Tennison?’

‘All of Copeland Road and the flats on the Rye Lane side of Bussey Alley have been done. So far we haven’t found anyone who saw anything suspicious or could identify our unknown victim.’

‘I’d like you to widen the house-to-house then. Copeland Road is a horseshoe shape so take in all the streets that run between it.’

‘Yes, sir. Could I have some more uniform assistance?’ Jane asked.

‘I’ll speak with Chief Superintendent Blake. I’m sure he’ll be obliging and arrange for more officers from the surrounding stations.’

Moran then went around the room asking each detective if they had any information that could help. There was a morose silence in the room as no one had anything positive to say.

DS Lawrence entered, carrying a forensic folder and looking a lot happier than anyone else in the room. He stopped in his tracks as he realized everyone was staring at him.

‘I hope you’ve got something good for us, Paul?’ Moran asked, seeing the smile on Lawrence’s face.

‘Yes, sir, very good. The lab’s managed to link your two murders.’

Everyone in the room perked up. One officer shouted out jovially, ‘Hail the savior who comes bearing good news,’ and there was a ripple of laughter. Moran was visibly relieved and smiled for the first time that morning.

‘Come on, Paul, don’t keep us on tenterhooks,’ he joked.

Lawrence took some paperwork out of a folder. ‘OK. Blood grouping first. The smears on the unknown victim’s blue coat are not her blood group, but they do match the blood group of Mrs. Hastings.’

‘So, the smears on the coat must have come from contact between our two victims, or the killer transferred Hastings’ blood onto the coat,’ Jane remarked.

‘Possibly, but the killer could also be the same blood group as Mrs. Hastings or the unknown victim, which won’t help if the smears on the coat came from an injury to the suspect.’

Gibbs shook his head. ‘Then the blood grouping doesn’t take us much further, or positively link the two crimes if the coat smear could be the suspect’s blood.’

‘I thought you said you had something positive for us, Paul?’ Moran asked.