on everything from her bank account and credit cards through to her store cards and even her Boots Advantage Card, and there has been absolutely no activity recorded on any of them. This, coupled with the now national publicity we’ve generated for this case, leads me to conclude that we are reasonable in discounting the idea that she’s decided to flit off for a long weekend without telling anyone.’ He drew a line through the heading ‘Own Choice’.
‘Which leaves us with “Crime”. It may seem like an overly simplistic route to that conclusion, but I want you to be absolutely clear that it’s the only option we’re looking into right now. This is also a good moment to remind you all that you do not speak to the press, and when I eventually do, I will be stressing the hope that we will find her alive.’ He stopped for long enough to direct a studied look at each of them in turn. ‘We all know the reality of the situation, but we will keep the public interest for far longer if they believe they are helping in a race to save someone’s life, rather than just a body search.’
Goodhew glanced round. There was no one in the room who hadn’t been exposed to this logic in the past. Marks drew two more of his arrows, this time from the word ‘Crime’, and in green pen.
Marks added a title beside each arrowhead: ‘By stranger’ and ‘By person(s) known to K.W.’. He then circled the latter. ‘Until we have further information to the contrary, I want us to look more closely at her family and friends.’
Goodhew’s gaze strayed outside. We’re not helping her at all by sitting in here , he thought.
Marks glared at him. ‘Goodhew!’ he said with a sharp hiss.
‘Sir?’
‘Are you with us? Good. Please sum up for me, then.’
Goodhew nodded, taking the opportunity to close the briefing swiftly. So in summary: We have a missing girl and no clues. We need to pinpoint her movements after the last sighting, and pick up on any friends that may have information.
“‘Was she meeting someone?”
“‘Did she have a date?”
“‘Where was she when she was abducted?”’
When Goodhew had almost finished, he could see that Marks was also ready to wrap it up, so he added, ‘And one more thing. Can I suggest that we push to have at least one other photograph of her circulated nationally? And a televised press conference, perhaps?’
‘Thank you, Goodhew. The media details are already in hand, but the alternative photograph is a good suggestion. This room will become the incident room for the course of this investigation, so I want you to move anything you may need in here straight away.’
When finally they dispersed, Goodhew was the first through the door. Marks caught up with him in the corridor. ‘Do you suffer from some kind of claustrophobia, Goodhew?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Goodhew kept walking.
‘Briefings may well bore you, Goodhew, but if you have one of the vital pieces of information and a colleague holds another, it’s a briefing like this that can make it all come together. I see you’re going to visit Kaye’s colleague, Doreen Kennedy?’
‘I don’t want to be late.’
Marks paused at the top of the stairs. ‘Clark’s already seen her.’
Goodhew stopped and jiggled the loose handrail. ‘She’s had time to think, so she might remember something else.’ He started to back down the stairs. ‘You know I wouldn’t go to see her if I didn’t think it could be important.’
‘That’s why I’m not stopping you,’ Marks replied grimly, and turned back towards his office. ‘Just use your time wisely, Gary, and …’
‘Keep you informed?’
Marks nodded and entered his office, where he took a Rennie from his drawer and washed it down with the dregs of coffee from a plastic cup. ‘Don’t add to my stress, Gary-bloody-Goodhew.’
CHAPTER 10
TUESDAY, 29 MARCH 2011
PC Sue Gully sat alone in the incident room. As she held her pen over the page, ready to
‘Which leaves us with “Crime”. It may seem like an overly simplistic route to that conclusion, but I want you to be absolutely clear that it’s the only option we’re looking into right now. This is also a good moment to remind you all that you do not speak to the press, and when I eventually do, I will be stressing the hope that we will find her alive.’ He stopped for long enough to direct a studied look at each of them in turn. ‘We all know the reality of the situation, but we will keep the public interest for far longer if they believe they are helping in a race to save someone’s life, rather than just a body search.’
Goodhew glanced round. There was no one in the room who hadn’t been exposed to this logic in the past. Marks drew two more of his arrows, this time from the word ‘Crime’, and in green pen.
Marks added a title beside each arrowhead: ‘By stranger’ and ‘By person(s) known to K.W.’. He then circled the latter. ‘Until we have further information to the contrary, I want us to look more closely at her family and friends.’
Goodhew’s gaze strayed outside. We’re not helping her at all by sitting in here , he thought.
Marks glared at him. ‘Goodhew!’ he said with a sharp hiss.
‘Sir?’
‘Are you with us? Good. Please sum up for me, then.’
Goodhew nodded, taking the opportunity to close the briefing swiftly. So in summary: We have a missing girl and no clues. We need to pinpoint her movements after the last sighting, and pick up on any friends that may have information.
“‘Was she meeting someone?”
“‘Did she have a date?”
“‘Where was she when she was abducted?”’
When Goodhew had almost finished, he could see that Marks was also ready to wrap it up, so he added, ‘And one more thing. Can I suggest that we push to have at least one other photograph of her circulated nationally? And a televised press conference, perhaps?’
‘Thank you, Goodhew. The media details are already in hand, but the alternative photograph is a good suggestion. This room will become the incident room for the course of this investigation, so I want you to move anything you may need in here straight away.’
When finally they dispersed, Goodhew was the first through the door. Marks caught up with him in the corridor. ‘Do you suffer from some kind of claustrophobia, Goodhew?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Goodhew kept walking.
‘Briefings may well bore you, Goodhew, but if you have one of the vital pieces of information and a colleague holds another, it’s a briefing like this that can make it all come together. I see you’re going to visit Kaye’s colleague, Doreen Kennedy?’
‘I don’t want to be late.’
Marks paused at the top of the stairs. ‘Clark’s already seen her.’
Goodhew stopped and jiggled the loose handrail. ‘She’s had time to think, so she might remember something else.’ He started to back down the stairs. ‘You know I wouldn’t go to see her if I didn’t think it could be important.’
‘That’s why I’m not stopping you,’ Marks replied grimly, and turned back towards his office. ‘Just use your time wisely, Gary, and …’
‘Keep you informed?’
Marks nodded and entered his office, where he took a Rennie from his drawer and washed it down with the dregs of coffee from a plastic cup. ‘Don’t add to my stress, Gary-bloody-Goodhew.’
CHAPTER 10
TUESDAY, 29 MARCH 2011
PC Sue Gully sat alone in the incident room. As she held her pen over the page, ready to
Similar Books
