“I spotted a few of the woman’s garments in the water a little downstream. Not sure what significance lies behind that, but thought I’d throw it out there anyway.”
“Maybe a gust of wind was to blame,” Sally replied thoughtfully. “Mind if we stick around for a little while?”
“You’re welcome to. As soon as the marquee is up, I’ll be taking a closer look at the body.”
“If you’re linking the two crimes, do you think there’ll be DNA similar to that on the first victim?”
Simon nodded. “I’m hoping so.”
Not long after, his team gave him the go-ahead, and the three of them entered the marquee one after the other.
The smell of burning flesh hit Sally instantly, and she covered her nose. However, Jack didn’t, and he soon began to gag in the confined space. She chuckled, earning herself a glare from her partner, who looked decidedly green around the gills.
Simon knelt beside the victim, his paper mask in place. The first area he checked was between the victim’s legs. “Yep, it’s as I suspected. She was either raped or had consensual sex before she met her end. I’ll take a swab and bet you both fifty quid that this semen sample matches the semen we found on last night’s victim.”
“That’s one positive if it does.” Sally felt her hopes rising.
Simon dealt with the sample and passed it to another team member to label and list. Then he examined the corpse. “Well, there’s faint bruising to the neck.”
“You can make that out even though the body is burnt?” Sally queried.
“Yes, with my trained eye, very little escapes me. You should know that by now, Inspector.”
“Of course. So, she was strangled, just like Brenda Fisher.”
“I won’t be able to confirm that as the COD, or whether the killer drowned her first then strangled her to ensure she was dead. It might have been the other way around, of course. I won’t know that until the PM to see if there is any water in her lungs.”
“Well, I think we’ve seen enough, Simon. We’ll leave you to it now that we have the verification that there is once again DNA evidence on the victim. Will you ring me later if anything else shows up?”
“Affirmative. Good luck with the investigation. Do you want to attend the post-mortem?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary. We’ll throw ourselves into finding out about the victim, see if we can pick up any possible leads to the killer.”
“Very well.”
Sally and Jack made their way back to the car and set off in the direction of the victim’s home. The tiny terraced house was in a street filled with similar-sized properties, most of which were in good repair. Only a few of the houses let the street down, from what Sally could tell at a quick glance.
“Let’s hope she shares her home with either a boyfriend or a friend.” Sally rang the bell and slipped her hand in her jacket pocket, ready to produce her warrant card if someone answered the door. No one did. She sighed heavily. “Looks like we’re out of luck. We’ll try the neighbours. You take that one, and I’ll take this side.”
Jack nodded.
They retraced their steps then split up at the end of the path. Each of them knocked on the two houses either side.
After Sally knocked, a harassed-looking woman in her early thirties opened the door, with a small child on her hip. “Yes?”
“Sorry, I can see you’re busy with the little one. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about your neighbour.” Sally pointed at the house she was referring to. “Maddie Webster, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. In what respect? And who are you?”
Sally showed the woman her ID. “DI Sally Parker from the Norfolk Constabulary.”
“I see. Is Maddie in trouble of some kind?”
“Maybe it would be better if I came inside for a quick chat. Would that be okay?”
“I’m in the middle of doing the housework. Everything takes twice as long with this little one crawling around the floor, getting under my feet. If you don’t mind the mess, you’re welcome to come in.”
“Thanks, that’s no problem. I’ll just get my partner.” Sally clicked her fingers to gain Jack’s attention and motioned for him to join her.
He hopped over the two brick walls between the three houses, and they followed the woman through the house to the kitchen at the rear of the property.
“Like I said, excuse the mess.”
“Have you just got the one child?” Sally asked.
“One at home during the day and two at primary school. Three kids under the age of seven for my sins.”
“Yikes, that’s hard work.”
“It is. About Maddie? I haven’t seen her since yesterday. She always pops in for a coffee before her shift. She loves playing with the kids. Poor cow says she can’t have any of her own. I tried to palm one or two of mine off on her, but she wouldn’t hear of that.”
Sally smiled at the woman. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name?”
“It’s Liz, Liz Foot.” The woman cleared the table in front of two chairs and invited Sally and Jack to sit down. “Would you like a drink?”
“Only if you’re having one.”
Liz placed the child in the highchair and switched on the kettle. “What’s Maddie done?”
“It’s like this, Liz—I’m afraid I have some bad news. Maddie’s body was found down by the river. I’d rather not go into detail right now, not in front of your daughter.”
Liz collapsed against the worktop and placed a hand over her face. “Body? You mean she’s dead?”
“Yes. Can you tell us where she worked? You mentioned an evening shift somewhere.”
“That’s right, she was a barmaid at the Wellington Arms in Connaught Road. Oh my, I can’t believe it. Was it some kind of accident? A hit-and-run perhaps?”
“No. She was murdered.”
Liz dropped into one of the spare chairs with a thump, and Sally asked Jack to take over making the drink. Tears misted the woman’s eyes. She reached for her daughter’s hand and lightly grasped it in her own. “Murdered,” she whispered eventually. “How? Why? Who would do that to Maddie?”
“I’d rather not go into the gruesome details just now. I was wondering if you knew anyone she might have been having problems with? Maybe an eager customer at the pub she might have mentioned during a conversation.”
“Not that I can remember. She broke up with her fiancé several months ago after she caught him in bed with someone else.”
“Can you give me his name?”
“Terry Dolan. He works as a mechanic at the local Ford garage. Or he did, the last I heard anyway. You can’t be thinking he would do this to her?”
“It’s something we need to check up on, if only to eliminate him from our enquiries. Did they part on bad terms? Has Maddie seen him since the break-up?”
“Not that I know of. She would have mentioned it to me if she had.” Liz gasped and covered her mouth.
“What is it, Liz?”
“Her mum. Have you told her mum yet?”
“No, this is our first stop. Is there something we should be aware of?”
Jack placed a cup on the table in front of the two ladies, then took his seat and pulled out his notebook.
“Glynis is in ill-health. She has a frail heart. This news is likely to kill her. Oh, shit! Her dad died only last year from a bad accident at work. He was a forklift driver. The bloody thing tipped up and crushed him. To this day, they have no idea how that could have happened. Now this!”
“Can you give us Glynis’s address? I promise to break the news to her gently. Is she under the doctor, do you know?”
“Yes, and a specialist at the hospital, too. Damn! Why Maddie, of all people? She’s such a caring girl.”
“That’s what I intend to find out. Has she complained about anyone showing her any form of attention recently, a customer at the pub, for instance?” Sally repeated to the bewildered woman.
“No, nothing that I can think of. She wasn’t interested in starting another relationship after what happened with Terry. She said men were all cheating bastards, and she wanted to have nothing more to do with them.”