BooksBarbecue
Back The Game
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. NOW
  4. One
  5. BEFORE
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. NOW
  26. Twenty-One
  27. BEFORE
  28. Twenty-Two
  29. Twenty-Three
  30. Twenty-Four
  31. Twenty-Five
  32. Twenty-Six
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. NOW
  46. Thirty-Nine
  47. BEFORE
  48. Forty
  49. Forty-One
  50. Forty-Two
  51. Forty-three
  52. Forty-Four
  53. Forty-Five
  54. Forty-Six
  55. Forty-Seven
  56. Forty-Eight
  57. Forty-Nine
  58. Fifty
  59. Fifty-One
  60. NOW
  61. Fifty-Two
  62. Fifty-Three
  63. Fifty-Four
  64. Fifty-Five
  65. AFTER
  66. Fifty-Six
  67. Acknowledgements
  68. About the Author

‘We need to work out what happens after she enters that yard. There’s a few exits but not all of them are covered by CCTV. She doesn’t show up again. We’re going over all the previous footage, but if no one goes in there ahead of her, I don’t know what we can know for certain without a body.’

‘Could be that there is no other footage. That she left via one of the exits that isn’t covered by CCTV.’

‘Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about,’ Mark said, then gritted his teeth at the thought. This was the type of case every detective dreaded now. With the wealth of cameras covering the city, it was almost impossible to enter any area without being monitored. It had made their jobs easier, but also meant that when a case came along that didn’t have easy answers, it was all the more difficult.

‘How about her movements?’ Mark heard DI Bennett asking, tuning himself back into the conversation. He looked up towards her and saw she wasn’t even looking at him. Her computer screen seemed to contain something more interesting than their discussion.

‘They’ve put a request in to track her phone’s last location, which should tell us if it was ditched anywhere,’ Mark said, ploughing on regardless. ‘Info should be with us soon. According to uniforms, it seems like she walked a long way to get to that yard, which is unusual. Means she was going to a specific place. If it was just to the river, then she had plenty of options before reaching that yard. Speaking to the family, it doesn’t seem like she had many friends, or a boyfriend, who lived close by. Not sure she spoke to anyone at all, other than over the internet.’

‘A social media trail it is then, Mark. I know you’ll love that.’

‘I’m living the dream,’ Mark replied, going for cold indifference rather than the excitement he actually felt. He knew the way most detectives reacted when social media was mentioned. Everyone lived online, it seemed. Every aspect of their lives posted for all to see. Even those who believed they kept things under wraps would usually have a Facebook or Twitter account. There, with personal photos for all to see.

Privacy had ceased to really exist.

For Mark, that was the kind of thing he enjoyed. Seeing what people were hiding behind the public facade. Behind the posts, the pictures. When you began to delve into the private messages and emails, that’s when you learned the truth.

‘Was the uncle there?’

‘Yeah. Wouldn’t have minded a bit of warning about him. He’s a big fella with an even bigger temper.’