The boy who had been abused and strangled in that hideous little room looked so like her, he could have been her brother.

3

WHEN SHE GOT to the lab the next morning, there was a delicious smell of fresh coffee. Someone had been to the Deli, because there were two croissants on a plate next to the machine.

‘So you finally decided to come in?’ Chrissy’s red head appeared round the door of the cupboard. ‘Thought I was going to have to do all the work myself.’

‘You got my note?’

‘I found it,’ said Chrissy grimly. ‘The samples you brought back are logged, and the bags of clothing and bedclothes arrived about half an hour ago.’

‘The croissants look good,’ Rhona said, picking one up.

‘I thought lover boy made the breakfast,’ Chrissy observed tartly.

‘I made him stay in bed. It was too early for sane people to be up.’

‘You have a man who thinks it’s his job to make the breakfast and you stop him doing it.’ Chrissy shook her head in disbelief. ‘Try getting one of my brothers to do anything in the kitchen.’

‘What about Patrick?’

‘Patrick was different,’ she said flatly. ‘That’s why he left.’

They sat at the lab table while Chrissy made notes on what was to be done. Rhona had already filled in the background, at least the stuff Chrissy needed to know. She didn’t know why she was always so careful of Chrissy’s feelings. She might be young but she’d seen plenty in her life, if her tales of her brothers were anything to go by.

Chrissy looked up from her list. ‘We’re going to be pushed to do all this with Tony away.’

‘Unless they draft in some help, we’ll just have to put the regular work on hold. Murder has priority,’ Rhona said.

‘They never gave us any help for the last one.’ Chrissy’s voice was wearily resigned. ‘Have they any idea who the boy was, or do we have to identify him as well?’

‘He had no ID on him. We’ll profile him on what we have and see what Bill comes up with.’

‘I’ll start on the clothing then?’

Rhona nodded. ‘The cover looks as though it has been used before. I circled areas to be tested.’

‘Semen?’

‘Probably. Oh, and there was a smell in the room.’

‘I bet there was!’

‘No. I mean a nice smell. Like a man’s cologne. Subtle, probably expensive.’

‘Definitely not Brut then?’

‘Definitely not your average aftershave. It’s a long shot, but maybe there’s some on the boy’s tee-shirt or that cover.’

‘There was plenty of blood.’

‘Yes.’ Rhona wasn’t going to elaborate.

‘It’s okay. The photos arrived first thing. I’ve already had a look. Poor guy. Nice looking too.’

She gave Rhona an odd stare. Rhona remembered what the Sergeant had said the night before. But if that was what Chrissy was thinking, she didn’t say it.

‘That’s the problem nowadays, all the nice looking ones are gay.’ Chrissy grinned. ‘Except your Sean, of course.’