‘We think we can identify her on CCTV leaving the station, yes. We can’t be conclusive because the cameras didn’t capture her face very well, but the height, build and clothing match what we know about her.’

‘And? Was she alone?’

‘Looked to be alone, yes. And it doesn’t appear that any of the other people in shot were following her. We’ve been able to locate and speak to most of them without finding anything of interest. Her home was less than half a mile from the station, but there are no cameras around there once you get out onto the streets. She left the view of the cameras and just… disappeared.’

Dani looked over to Fletcher whose brow was furrowed into a frown.

‘And you don’t think that’s suspicious?’ Dani said, her exasperation poorly concealed. ‘A young woman alone at night disappears from the streets and no one’s heard or seen from her since? I’d say there aren’t that many possibilities really.’

‘Who said we don’t think it’s suspicious?’ Gregory said, quite defensively. ‘We take every case we get very seriously.’

‘But this matter hasn’t been passed to Homicide, has it?’

‘Why would it?’ Gregory said. ‘We have no evidence that she’s been killed.’

‘No, but the set of circumstances would tend to suggest something bad has happened to her, wouldn’t you say?’

‘I’m not sure what you’re trying to get at here, DI Stephens,’ Gregory said, his patience all but gone. ‘We’re doing everything we can with this, and with every other case, and we absolutely involve other departments when we have a reason to do so. By which I mean when we have evidence. I’m afraid we don’t have anything so far for this case.’

‘Unless you’re here to tell us otherwise,’ Carr added, hopefully.

Dani sighed and sat back in her seat. Looking at the details, it was obvious that this woman had most likely come to harm. Wasn’t it? Was it her Jane Doe? Maybe. Maybe not.

‘There are three other cases in the last two months of females in their twenties disappearing at night within five miles of Birmingham city centre,’ Dani said, realising that she was thinking out loud and making connections in her mind that really weren’t all that well-founded.

‘Look, DI Stephens,’ Gregory said. ‘I have a feeling I know the dots you’re trying to connect here, and it’s your call as to whether to go there and whether you want to waste time and effort in the process. If you have evidence that these people have been kidnapped or killed, and if you have evidence that the disappearances are in any way connected, then please tell us, and we’ll help in any way we can. But currently, based on what we know, there simply isn’t anything that we can do for these people.’