‘What’s really interesting is that her killer managed to extort from her enough information to make the emails possible and plausible. As far as we can tell, she made no attempt to turn those messages into a cry for help.’ Fielding paused, her professional demeanour slipping for a moment into an expression of pity. ‘Her phone is passworded, which is a nuisance, but the techies tell me they’ll have her call records today and hopefully we’ll get into the phone for texts and messages very soon. We got luckier with the computer. Apparently the password was her birthday, so easy peasy for the CSIs to crack. Inspector Gardner is coordinating the actions, so he’ll be setting a bunch of you on to the tedious but important job of working your way through the emails and the tweets and the Facebook contacts. I know it’s boring…’ She paused, giving them her best sympathetic smile. ‘But it’s also potentially crucial. Nadia crossed her killer’s path somewhere and we have to find out precisely where and when. The answer could be buried in one of those emails. I’m counting on you not to let anything significant disappear in the slipstream of boredom.’

Bloody hell, she’s talking like a poet now. Slipstream of boredom, for fuck’s sake. Paula kept her face straight. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself in case she got lumbered with the emails. ‘Another group will be backtracking on all her recent appointments. I want anything you can squeeze out of them. And I would like alibis, please. I know this is a nightmare assignment because of the number of contacts involved, but we have to lift up every stone and expose the white bellies and the creepy crawlies beneath them.

‘And finally. The CSI working on the computer has also identified two women who seem to be her closest pals. DS McIntyre, you and I will take them. I’ll be doing a press conference later this afternoon. Till then, the ID is still under wraps.’ She turned off the screen. ‘That’s it for now, everybody. I’m counting on you. And so is Nadia. Let’s do it for her and her family.’ Fielding finished with a dazzling smile. She knew how to use her charm, that much was obvious from her performance, Paula decided. But judging by her failure to turn it on for Grisha at the crime scene, she used it only when it was going to earn her clear advantage. Making her team love her was a priority; getting the pathologist to go the extra mile hadn’t been.

Paula made her way through the bustle of officers discussing the briefing to Fielding’s side. ‘Morning, McIntyre,’ Fielding said absently, flicking through a bundle of papers. ‘Give me ten minutes to deal with this lot and we’ll head out.’