There was a practised tone to the speech, which caused Mark to bite down a little on his lower lip. He wanted to say something in response but held back, not wanting to show any kind of emotion.

‘I told you it wasn’t a pretty picture. Poor woman. We have to make sure this is airtight. I don’t want this guy getting away with it. Will you speak to the son?’

Mark nodded, but was still refraining from actually speaking. He didn’t trust himself. He knew he would have to eventually, but still needed a few more seconds.

‘After they’ve been to identify her, of course,’ DI Bennett continued, as another tech officer approached them. ‘They need to absorb the news first. We’re going to need to move fast on the uncle’s arrest though. I don’t want him having any more time.’

‘Emily’s phone,’ Mark said, breaking his silence. He could still feel the anger within himself, but felt he had swallowed it down enough now. ‘The last ping was near to the yard where her blood was found. That’s, what, a good hundred yards away from here? Emily magically moves from there to here. How does that happen and where’s her phone?’

‘That’s information I’m hoping her uncle will be able to provide. CCTV only covers so much around that area, so it’s not out of the question that he brought her here. Tried to hide her body somewhere he knows for as long as possible. Then, all this heat, maybe he was waiting for it to die down a bit before moving her.’

‘Maybe,’ Mark replied, but nothing about it felt right. He couldn’t buy into the coincidence of Joanna Carter’s death a day later, the bodies being found so close together. Or the feeling that Rich wasn’t the answer.

Mark tuned into the conversation that was now happening beside him; DI Bennett scowling at a short tech officer, who looked like he could be blown away if the wind picked up any further.

‘Show me,’ DI Bennett said, Mark surprised at the harshness of her tone. Something had been said and now he was annoyed with himself for allowing his thoughts to run away with themselves.

The tech officer revealed what he was holding – an evidence bag with a piece of paper in it. Mark leaned forward, trying to read what was printed on it.

‘It was in her pocket? Are you sure?’

‘Yes,’ the tech officer replied, his hand lingering in mid-air in front of DI Bennett. ‘They told me to come and show it to you. There’s nothing else on her. Just this scrap of paper in her right trouser pocket.’

Mark read the paper again, feeling a surge of something rush through him. Excitement wasn’t the correct word.

But this proved he was right. He had known there was more.