DI Barnes. Jason. He’d been barely a DS when Dani had first been promoted to Detective Inspector. They’d worked closely together for years, Dani as Jason’s supervisor. They’d been an item for six months when she’d been hospitalised. Even though she’d not seen or spoken to him in months now, how could she not even know he’d been promoted? She wasn’t sure whether she was more angry at him or at herself for not knowing.

Now, as a DI, Jason was her peer. She should have been happy for him. He was a decent guy and good at his job. No, he was great at his job. For some reason though, Dani felt a little betrayed. By Jason or by McNair, she wasn’t sure. It riled her that the world had moved on so quickly while she was stuck in place. A dark place at that.

At one time she’d been the rising star on Force CID. Not anymore, it seemed.

‘Tell me what you know from this morning.’

Dani did so, giving both the facts, and also the hypothesis of the young victim having been kidnapped and held hostage before escaping. McNair said nothing as Dani talked.

‘So what next?’ McNair said when Dani had finished.

‘We’ll know more when the post-mortem is completed, and when the local searches are done. Forensics will take a while longer. In the meantime we need to get working on identifying the victim.’

‘I agree. We’ll organise a press conference, probably for later today, to hopefully get some leads.’

‘We should also pay a visit to Missing Persons.’

‘I’ll leave that to you,’ McNair said.

An awkward silence followed and Dani wondered if she was missing something.

‘Anything else?’ McNair prompted.

‘No. I’ll keep you posted.’

Dani got to her feet and headed for the door.

‘Oh, and DI Stephens.’

Dani stopped at the door.

‘I’m glad you’re… ok.’

Dani said nothing to that.

Chapter Six

The knock on Grant’s office door came a few seconds before a minute past twelve. ‘Keen’ didn’t quite do justice to Jessica Bradford’s level of enthusiasm, it seemed. Grant pushed the clutter of papers off his desk, stuffed them into a drawer and got up from his chair. He walked across his meagre office that was only just big enough for the battered pine desk, two chairs and one bookcase. He opened the door and there was Jessica, with her chaperone once more. The friend looked Grant up and down, an air of hostility about her.

‘I guess I’ll see you later then, Jess,’ she said.

‘I’ll call you when I’m done. We’ll get lunch.’

‘Sure.’

Her friend – Grant had no idea of her name – sauntered off, leaving Grant feeling like a fifteen-year-old boy who’d just been scrutinised by a crush’s mate. At least he’d passed the test, it seemed.