BooksBarbecue
Back Cross and Burn Save as PDF
Chapters (74)
  1. About the Author
  2. Also by Val McDermid
  3. COPYRIGHT
  4. CROSS AND BURN
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgements
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. 54
  62. 55
  63. 56
  64. 57
  65. 58
  66. 59
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67

He took off, bounce restored at the prospect of having something useful to do. Once the PC had done his job, she’d have to persuade Fielding to check whether it was possible that Tony could have attended the conference or the exhibition. Paula couldn’t help hoping he’d have a cast-iron alibi for the days in question. It was a pity she couldn’t reveal the ultimate source of this latest development to her boss. Demonstrating Tony’s usefulness to the investigation might remind Fielding of his value to BMP but it probably wasn’t the best way to improve Paula’s career prospects.

63

Stacey’s speed had always been a thing of beauty. Working at less than full stretch thankfully hadn’t blunted her skills. Within half an hour of Carol sending her text, Stacey had replied with a hyperlink to a cloud-based application. Tapping the link took Carol to the fruits of Stacey’s searches.

Under Gareth Taylor’s name was a list: date of birth, National Insurance number, driving licence details, passport number, address, vehicle registration number, bank details and current account balance, and the name of his employer, Tellit Communications. He had no criminal record and a first-class degree in computer science. Photographs from his passport application and his driving licence were next. Then came a separate list of details for his late wife. A note from Stacey read, Can’t find a UK bank account. No employment history after marriage. NHS records for both coming later. At the bottom of the report, there was another note from Stacey.

Tellit are more than just a mobile phone company. They deal in a wide range of electronic communication. Among their contracts are the comms system used by the ANPR cameras and also one of the main systems used by fire and ambulance services. Working for Tellit could give GT access to a vast range of data. His actual job seems quite low level for his skills. But sometimes the side benefits of data access outweigh that!

Carol read the note with an increasing surge of excitement. A viable suspect. She didn’t know much about Gareth Taylor, but already she had more belief in him as a potential killer than in Tony. She forwarded the link to Paula, adding a note: Check with ANPR for any sightings of Taylor’s vehicle near body dumps, or homes and workplaces of victims. Am going to stake out Tellit office/Taylor’s house.

The address Stacey had supplied for Gareth Taylor’s workplace was on the other side of the city centre, so Carol decided to change car parks. But before she did, she called Stacey. ‘Brilliant job,’ she said as soon as Stacey answered. ‘Does Tellit have a staff car park?’

‘I’ll get right back to you.’