hostage over this. So anything new you find out, I know it straight away.’
‘Of course.’
‘And no going public with anything until we all know about it.’
‘That would be down to Sarah. It’s her project. But that’s certainly the approach I’d favour.’
‘All right. So what’s your next move, assuming there’s nothing earth-shattering in the file?’
‘Talk to Adam Burke, and Jack Lee too. See how they stack up against what’s in the file, and how they strike me.’
Jane laughed. ’How they strike you? Did you really just say that, love? Are you an imposter? Paging the real Andy Hall. You would have taken a pretty dim view if I’d said something like that in a case conference, back in the day. What happened to just letting the facts do the talking?’
Hall held up his hands, and smiled. ‘You’re right. But I’m not in the job any more, am I? I don’t have to worry about whether or not I’ve got enough evidence to bring charges, and I don’t have to worry about a jury either. All I have to concern myself with is whether or not there is reasonable doubt as to Adam Burke’s guilt. For now, that’s it.’
‘That’s a pretty low bar, love.’
‘Agreed. But maybe someone should have mentioned that to the jury before they sent Burke away for over a decade.’
‘Fair enough, but you know you’ll need much more than reasonable doubt to get a retrial, don’t you love? And at this distance, and with nothing available for forensic re-examination, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.’
‘They didn’t keep her clothes? The chain she was weighted down with? Nothing? Are you absolutely sure?’
‘Aye. Sod all, I’m afraid. After the ACC emailed me about it I checked. All there is in the archive is one box file, just under a thousand pages all told, and no physical evidence extant.’
‘Shit.’
‘Annoying, yes, but not necessarily that important. We’re talking about the mid-nineties love, not the 1970s. All right, DNA testing was nothing like it is now, but it did exist then, so DNA evidence was looked for, in the autopsy and in the examination of the clothing and other materials. Nothing was found remember, not a thing.’
‘I know, but it still would have been good to have another look, wouldn’t it?’
‘Yes, of course. But promise me this, Andy, if you find nothing in the files, and Burke and Lee have nothing to add, then you will walk away, won’t you? You won’t let it become some sort of obsession?’
‘Of course not, love. I’ve always prided myself on keeping a good work-life balance.’
Jane looked at him sharply then, just to check whether or not he was joking. It rather seemed as if he wasn’t, and she wondered, very briefly, what his former wife would have to say about that assertion. And then they both heard the baby crying, and after a couple of minutes Jane set off to settle her again, or to bring her back down.
A lengthy battle of wills ensued, which Grace won, as she usually did. But half an hour later Hall kissed Grace on the cheek when Jane held her towards him like a trophy, or an offering, and he watched as Jane took the baby, finally more than half asleep, back off to bed. He sat still, enjoying the silence, and realised that he felt completely happy. And to cap it all, he just might have a killer to catch.
Wednesday, 8th August
Archive room, Cumbria Police HQ, Penrith
Hall had hoped that Mary, the force HQ archive manager, would soften at the sight of Grace. He had been wrong. But she’d seemed rather happier to see Ray Dixon, and she’d very nearly smiled at one of his slightly smutty jokes. Five minutes later Hall and Dixon were settled at one of the big tables, Hall had split the file into two sections, and Grace was just starting to nod off. For another hour and more there was total silence, as both men read, occasionally making notes as they went.
At lunchtime, when Grace had made the fact that she’d had enough of all
‘Of course.’
‘And no going public with anything until we all know about it.’
‘That would be down to Sarah. It’s her project. But that’s certainly the approach I’d favour.’
‘All right. So what’s your next move, assuming there’s nothing earth-shattering in the file?’
‘Talk to Adam Burke, and Jack Lee too. See how they stack up against what’s in the file, and how they strike me.’
Jane laughed. ’How they strike you? Did you really just say that, love? Are you an imposter? Paging the real Andy Hall. You would have taken a pretty dim view if I’d said something like that in a case conference, back in the day. What happened to just letting the facts do the talking?’
Hall held up his hands, and smiled. ‘You’re right. But I’m not in the job any more, am I? I don’t have to worry about whether or not I’ve got enough evidence to bring charges, and I don’t have to worry about a jury either. All I have to concern myself with is whether or not there is reasonable doubt as to Adam Burke’s guilt. For now, that’s it.’
‘That’s a pretty low bar, love.’
‘Agreed. But maybe someone should have mentioned that to the jury before they sent Burke away for over a decade.’
‘Fair enough, but you know you’ll need much more than reasonable doubt to get a retrial, don’t you love? And at this distance, and with nothing available for forensic re-examination, I wouldn’t get your hopes up.’
‘They didn’t keep her clothes? The chain she was weighted down with? Nothing? Are you absolutely sure?’
‘Aye. Sod all, I’m afraid. After the ACC emailed me about it I checked. All there is in the archive is one box file, just under a thousand pages all told, and no physical evidence extant.’
‘Shit.’
‘Annoying, yes, but not necessarily that important. We’re talking about the mid-nineties love, not the 1970s. All right, DNA testing was nothing like it is now, but it did exist then, so DNA evidence was looked for, in the autopsy and in the examination of the clothing and other materials. Nothing was found remember, not a thing.’
‘I know, but it still would have been good to have another look, wouldn’t it?’
‘Yes, of course. But promise me this, Andy, if you find nothing in the files, and Burke and Lee have nothing to add, then you will walk away, won’t you? You won’t let it become some sort of obsession?’
‘Of course not, love. I’ve always prided myself on keeping a good work-life balance.’
Jane looked at him sharply then, just to check whether or not he was joking. It rather seemed as if he wasn’t, and she wondered, very briefly, what his former wife would have to say about that assertion. And then they both heard the baby crying, and after a couple of minutes Jane set off to settle her again, or to bring her back down.
A lengthy battle of wills ensued, which Grace won, as she usually did. But half an hour later Hall kissed Grace on the cheek when Jane held her towards him like a trophy, or an offering, and he watched as Jane took the baby, finally more than half asleep, back off to bed. He sat still, enjoying the silence, and realised that he felt completely happy. And to cap it all, he just might have a killer to catch.
Wednesday, 8th August
Archive room, Cumbria Police HQ, Penrith
Hall had hoped that Mary, the force HQ archive manager, would soften at the sight of Grace. He had been wrong. But she’d seemed rather happier to see Ray Dixon, and she’d very nearly smiled at one of his slightly smutty jokes. Five minutes later Hall and Dixon were settled at one of the big tables, Hall had split the file into two sections, and Grace was just starting to nod off. For another hour and more there was total silence, as both men read, occasionally making notes as they went.
At lunchtime, when Grace had made the fact that she’d had enough of all
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