As Tanika spoke, Judith looked more closely at the photo on the tablet.

‘What’s that?’ she asked, indicating a small object on a chain that was lying on the ground to the side of Liz’s face.

Tanika knew it was a bronze medallion. The third bronze medallion. Just as she’d feared. They’d found it on a little chain around Liz’s neck. As she’d predicted, the word across the middle read ‘Charity’.

‘It’s a bronze medallion,’ she said.

‘She was wearing a bronze medallion?’ Judith said, her interest sharpening. ‘You mean, like the one Stefan was wearing on his jacket?’

‘You remember me telling you about that?’

‘Of course. You also said Stefan’s medallion had the word ‘Faith’ written on it.’

‘It did.’

‘Then was there anything written on this medallion?’

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you.’

‘Whyever not?’

‘Because I’m not supposed to be sharing any details of the case with a civilian.’

‘I think we can both agree it would be better if you did.’

‘But I can’t. I’m sorry. It’s against rules—’

‘And regulations,’ an exasperated Judith said, finishing Tanika’s sentence for her.

‘Exactly.’

A uniformed officer entered the building.

‘Sarge,’ he said. ‘An officer has just arrived with the deceased’s husband, Mr Curtis.’

Chapter 26

As Judith and Tanika emerged from the reception building, they saw a police van pull up and an officer help a disoriented-looking Danny Curtis out of the back.

‘Would you wait here?’ Tanika said to Judith.

‘Of course.’ Judith said.

‘Thank you,’ Tanika said and went over to introduce herself to Danny.

Judith had been entirely sincere when she’d said she would stay put, but she found it so very frustrating not being able to hear what was going on. Surely there was something she could do? Well, no one could really blame her if she went for a little stroll, could they? She ambled off to the side of the Portakabin hoping Tanika wouldn’t notice. She didn’t appear to. So Judith looked up at the sky as though idly checking the weather, and then slipped around the edge of the building.

Now she was out of view, she picked up her pace, moved along to the next building, the toilet block, raced around it and emerged next to where the police van had parked. Tanika and Danny were standing on the other side.

Oh so slowly, Judith edged along the side of the van, for once grateful for her diminutive size. Her head barely appeared above the van’s windows, so she was pretty sure that Tanika and the other police officers on the far side wouldn’t be able to see her through the smoked glass. But if she stood on her tiptoes, she could make out Danny and Tanika’s faces. And if she really concentrated, she could just about hear what they were saying.