‘I just can’t believe she’s gone,’ Rebecca blubbered and started sniffing and spluttering into her tissue.

Laura reached out to rest her hand on Rebecca’s arm and her friend grew in strength slightly. Dani pushed a composite picture of Jane Doe across the table. It was too soon to show these two anything more graphic. And anyway, it was the composite that had been used for the press conference the previous day, together with a grainy CCTV image they’d found, and managed to blow up, of the young dead woman running scared through the streets.

‘Who do you think it is, Rebecca?’

‘Natalya. It’s Natalya. I know it’s her.’

‘What’s her full name?’

‘I don’t… know.’

Dani and Easton shared a questioning look.

‘Then how did you know her?’

Rebecca looked at Laura as though searching for reassurance as to what to say. Laura just nodded.

‘We were friends. We hung out with the same group of people.’

‘But you don’t know her full name?’

‘No, I already said that.’ Her tone was now defensive.

‘Do you know where she lived?’

‘I can give you the address. She lived alone. She was from Romania. At least I think she was. She doesn’t have any family here.’

‘When did you last see her?’

‘The weekend before last. The Saturday night. She was in the bar where I work. She came in most weekends.’

Rebecca gave her friend that same look again. Dani’s mind buzzed as she tried to think of how to eke out whatever secrets the two girls were clearly hiding.

‘Which bar?’ Dani asked.

‘Neptune.’

Dani knew it. A late night bar in Digbeth that was something of a dive; dark, dingy and loud. And that was just the punters.

‘Do you know why anyone would want to hurt her?’ Easton asked.

That look again.

‘Rebecca. Look at me,’ Dani said. ‘Not at Laura. Do you know who killed her?’

A tear escaped Rebecca’s eye.

‘No. I really don’t.’

‘But you do know something. Don’t you?’

Rebecca sighed, exasperated. ‘Look, Detective,’ she said, sounding more in charge all of a sudden. ‘She’s an escort. Ok?’

‘Escort?’

‘I’m sure you know what I’m getting at.’

‘And you too?’

‘It’s good money.’

‘And did she have any regulars?’

‘Of course she did. We all do.’

‘And how about a pimp?’

Laura scoffed. ‘That’s not how it works. We’re not seedy back alley prostitutes. We organise everything ourselves.’

There was a slight pause in the conversation as Dani gave the girls a chance to defuse slightly. She had no need to rile them, she just wanted them to tell her what they knew.

‘Is there anyone at all who you think could have done this to Natalya?’ Dani asked.

Laura looked at her friend. Rebecca looked frozen.

‘Go on,’ Laura said. ‘Tell them.’