Lynch nodded as she scribbled notes. ‘Yes, boss.’
‘We’ve no idea who she is or where she lived, though we suspect she may have been a resident at the direct provision centre run by an ex-army man, Dan Russell. We’ve got some information on him but I need you to dig deeper. Find anything you can on Russell and his venture.’
Lynch said, ‘I’ll work on that.’
‘Power and control,’ Boyd said. ‘Ex-army officer. Figures.’
‘We’ll see.’ Lottie leaned against the board, considering where to go next with her spiel. She decided on Mimoza.
‘Before the body was discovered on Monday morning, a young woman called Mimoza visited my home with her son before I left for work. She gave me a note. Roughly translated, it says that her friend Kaltrina is missing and this Mimoza is looking for help to escape. From what, I don’t know. We still have no idea if Kaltrina is one of the murder victims. We’ve run the name, but no success. I have no idea where Mimoza is now.’ She decided against mentioning that Milot had mysteriously appeared at her door last night. ‘Just keep this in mind throughout your investigations. It may be linked.’
Expectant faces stared up at her. Lottie took a sip of water and continued.
‘On to Tuesday. At Bob Weir’s car dismantler depot we found a bullet hole in a rear wall and blood was discovered on the ground nearby. To date, we’ve no report from ballistics, or analysis from the lab on whether the blood was animal or human. Kirby, can you hound them for results?’
‘I’m doing it every day.’
‘Do it every five minutes.’
‘Yes, boss,’ Kirby groaned.
‘Wednesday. We received a report that a seventeen-year-old girl, Maeve Phillips of Mellow Grove, was missing. Reported by her mother, Tracy Phillips. Maeve is the daughter of criminal-in-exile Frank Phillips, who we are currently trying to locate. As far as we can determine, the girl was last seen on Friday, a week ago today. We’ve interviewed her friends and appeals have been issued through social and national media. No sightings to date. It’s possible she’s been abducted. I must state also that Maeve’s mother is an unreliable witness. Hard to believe anything she says.
‘On Thursday, a second murder victim was discovered in Columb Street. Similar circumstances to our first victim. Buried beneath the road. Been dead at least four to five days. Unearthed by Andri Petrovci, who also found the first body.’
‘Number one suspect then?’ Boyd asked.
‘He’s been questioned and a buccal swab taken for DNA, but to date we have nothing to hold him on.’
‘Jesus, he has to have some involvement. Bit odd finding not one but two bodies, isn’t it?’ Boyd stood and walked around. ‘Does his alibi hold up?’
Lottie clenched her fists to prevent herself from telling him to sit down. Best to let him wander.
‘Petrovci lives alone and says he’s at home every night. This morning I visited the pathologist, Jane Dore. She has yet to complete the post-mortem but confirmed that the second victim has an abdominal scar, leading her to believe that she also had a kidney removed. This scar is newer than the other victim’s, possibly six months. Again, I don’t want to read about this on the web or anywhere in the media. Am I clear?’
‘Crystal,’ Boyd said.
Lottie continued. ‘The sutures were professionally administered, which may indicate a qualified doctor—’
‘Or a wannabe doctor,’ Boyd interrupted.
Digging her nails into the palms of her hands, Lottie said, ‘Keep it in mind as you compile a list of suspects.’
‘We don’t even know who the victims are. How the hell can we get a suspect?’ Boyd said.
Lottie shook her head. This wasn’t going smoothly. Only good thing was that Corrigan wasn’t around to witness it.
‘Where was I? Bullet entered the second victim’s back and exited just below the chest. Ballistics will confirm if it is the same weapon as used on victim number one. I’m sure it is. This girl is aged between eighteen and twenty-five. Undernourished also. But a difference to the first victim has been established.’
A murmur of interest spread through the room.
‘She has a lot of scars and cuts on her body. Self-inflicted? I’m waiting for Jane Dore to confirm all of the above, later today.’
She sipped her water again before continuing.
‘Recap time. Both bodies were found by Andri Petrovci. He works with the water-main contractors. He is a Kosovo national. Nothing to link him to the actual murders as yet. And I’ve confirmed he is not on the watch of any of our national crime teams. Columb Street is cordoned off and being searched, as is Weir’s yard. A resident from that area, Willie Flynn, reported to Detective Kirby that the street was closed for a time on Monday night or Tuesday morning. He saw someone with a white van picking up road signs that had been used to shut it off.’
Kirby piped up. ‘The security company employed by Bob Weir to patrol the area have no record of this being their van.’
‘Burial locations for both girls are under streets to the rear of the town, quiet areas, both easily blocked off in the dead of night. People are so used to disruptions occurring without advance warning that it wouldn’t seem unusual. But we need to search through the CCTV from all the businesses that back onto these streets. Kirby, you again.’
He nodded. ‘Nothing works, but I’ll check again.’
‘As we have no reports on the missing persons database of anyone fitting the victims’ descriptions, it’s possible that both girls were residents at the DPC. We had a meeting with Dan Russell and he denied any knowledge of the first victim when shown her photograph. But when Detective Boyd asked him about Mimoza, we think he lied in relation to not knowing her. So what is Russell up to? What’s he hiding? Detective Lynch, please hurry up with your enquiries. I really need to know who I’m dealing with.’
‘Doing my best,’ Lynch replied.
‘Have we enough for a search warrant for the DPC?’ Kirby asked.
‘Only suspicions,’ Lottie said. ‘Another thing to note is that Jamie McNally has returned to Ragmullin, as I’m sure you’re all aware. Our best intel is that he entered the country last Wednesday week. Just before the bodies started turning up. Interesting, isn’t it?’ She pointed to McNally’s photo pinned on the board and eyed Boyd.
‘But if it is him, what’s his motive?’ Boyd asked.
‘I don’t know. The murders might have nothing to do with him, but last night McNally paid a visit to Maeve Phillips’s mother. He took from the house an expensive dress that had been hanging in Maeve’s wardrobe. We had already determined that it had been bought online and delivered on April fifth to Maeve’s address. No idea as yet who purchased it. No idea why Jamie McNally would take it. But we now know from our intel that McNally works with Frank Phillips, Maeve’s father. Is this criminal element related to the murders?’ Lottie let that hang in the air for a moment.