No matter how high or depersonalized the girl had been, Annie doubted that she had been completely unaware of what was being done to her in the van.

“Well, we’ll never know what she felt, will we?” said Gerry. “So there’s not much point in speculating. But now we know she was raped by three men, and she had been plied with alcohol and ketamine, we’ve got a bit more to go on, haven’t we? Her murder could be drug-related.”

Annie smiled. “Ever the practical one, Gerry. Ask the locals to check known dealers—especially in ketamine. But it hardly narrows down the field much, does it?”

“Same general area?”

“For the time being. If we draw a blank we can expand the search.”

“I said there were traces of sperm from three distinct sources,” said Jazz. “Not that she was raped by three men.”

“You didn’t see the body,” said Annie. “But we’ll bear that in mind.”

“The dental records and tats photos are still doing the rounds,” Gerry added. “We might get something from them, though it doesn’t appear she visited a dentist very often.”

Annie turned to Jazz. “Thanks for getting this done so quickly,” she said. “And we’ll keep our fingers crossed there’s a hit with the DNA database.”

“Even if there isn’t, I should have a bit more information on the assailants for you later. Pity DNA doesn’t indicate home address.”

Annie laughed. “It would certainly make our job a hell of a lot easier. Thanks again.”

“IT’S ABOUT time we had that celebratory drink,” said DCI Ken Blackstone. “Congratulations on the promotion, Alan.”

They raised their glasses and clinked. Banks sipped some of his Sam Smith’s and forked up a piece of black pudding and smoked bacon Scotch egg. Blackstone was eating a prawn and Marie Rose sandwich washed down with a glass of chilled California blush.

“I’m not sure ‘congratulations’ is the right word for it,” Banks said. “But thanks, anyway.”

Blackstone scratched his head. “What do you mean? Too much paperwork?”

“That, too. But . . . that’s not why I wanted to see you. The drink, of course, but . . .”

“Something on your mind?”

“My first big case as a superintendent.”

“Yes?”

“Danny Caxton.”

Blackstone put his sandwich down. “Oh, bloody hell. They certainly chucked you in at the deep end.”

“That’s an understatement. Though I must say, having talked to both the accuser and the man himself, I’m a lot more keen than I was a couple of days ago.”