Chapters (66)
Hicks grunts and collapses in his chair, swivelling it around to face me, legs splayed. He picks up his stress ball from the mess that is his desk, pumping it rhythmically as he chews his lip.
I turn away, my desk is no tidier. Unlocking my screen, I see Guy has sent me an instant message. James, the guy from the mobile phone company, wants me to call him. I pick up my mobile and key in the number. Hicks is still deep in thought and pays no attention as I edge out of my seat and down the corridor to find an empty office.
‘James, it’s Detective Becker. You called me?’ I feel my stomach flutter before he even speaks.
‘Hi, yes. That account. You mentioned patterns, right? Well, I’ve got something a bit weird for you.’
‘Go on,’ I said, my interest piqued.
‘Back in late October, for about a ten day period on and off, the phone is in one spot for hours at a time. It’s kind of strange from what I’ve seen before, that kind of limited movement. Could be work or home address or a friend’s maybe?’
‘Okay, great. Thank you. Could you send me the location and the dates please?’ I give James my email address. The fluttering in my stomach continues and I sense I’m on to something, but I can’t work out what. Hicks is right, something doesn’t quite fit.
I head back to my desk to find him leaning forward, squinting at his screen. I spend the next few minutes refreshing my inbox until it comes through. The triangulation is very similar to the printout I have from yesterday, but interestingly neither Ian’s or Eve’s houses are in the orange circle. This time Ian’s is just on the edge. I stare at the map, running through each road name in my head, trying to make a connection. There’s nothing else there, only housing, with a gym and petrol station on the periphery of the circle. I spot Western Road, which runs alongside an area of green on the map. It rings bells.
I tap the road name into the database and in seconds a solitary result appears on the screen. Eve Harding indecent assault, Grove Park, Western Road entrance, 24 September 2017. Why would she go back there? For some kind of therapy? It doesn’t make sense.