Kate looked back at the house: semi-detached, with a satellite dish hanging from the chimney pot. Probably a three-bedroom property, at a guess, but the exterior brickwork looked like it had seen better days. There was no gate on the path leading to the green front door where the paint was beginning to flake. Net curtains hung in each of the windows, but pressing her face against the glass, she couldn’t see any furniture inside, the only light coming in from the window.
Pulling out her phone, Kate dialled the office. ‘Ah, Laura, you’re back. Great. Can you do me a favour and check HOLMES2 for the reports on the house-to-house enquiries? I want to know whether anyone managed to speak with the residents at forty-eight Abbotts Way.’
There was a pause on the line. ‘One sec, ma’am.’ Another pause. ‘No, it seems three attempts were made to contact the residents of number forty-eight, but there was never an answer. After the third attempt, a search was run for a phone number, but there is no telephone line connected to the property. Conclusion was that the property is vacant.’
‘Who reached that conclusion?’
‘Olly’s name is on the report, ma’am.’
‘Do me another favour, Laura, and see what you can dig up on the owner of the house. Check council tax records, whether it’s listed on any estate agent sites as available for sale or rent. Call me back as soon as you have something.’
Kate hung up and moved back to the property. Finding no sign of a doorbell, she thumped a gloved hand against the door, leaning closer to listen for the sound of noise. Her footprints on the path were virtually gone already. She thumped the door again, and this time crouched down so she could lift the flap of the letter box.
The overpowering smell of bleach hit her immediately and then something else, something terrifyingly and unmistakably familiar: strawberries. Her heart began to beat faster as the adrenaline kicked in.
Kate dialled the office again, but this time her call was direct to the supe. ‘Sir, I’m seeking authority to attempt entry to a vacant property in connection with the Daisy Emerson disappearance.’
‘Reasoning?’
‘A witness puts her in the vicinity of the property the night she went missing, and there is a stench of cleaning products coming from within; the same kind left in the school gymnasium. I’ve attempted to establish contact with the property’s occupant, but without success. I believe there’s a chance Daisy could be inside.’
‘How secure is the door?’
Kate rested the phone between her good shoulder and cheek, pushing against the door, but it didn’t budge. ‘At a guess, it’s double-locked. I’m going to need the battering ram, sir.’
‘I’ll get someone over there ASAP and have paramedics and SSD standing by.’
* * *
The door frame splintered on the third heave, and the second officer managed to manoeuvre it out of their way. The syrupy stench of strawberry was far worse inside, and Kate was grateful to have the scarf over her mouth and nose, to block some of it out.
Kate rested her foot on the bottom step of the staircase. ‘One of you wait outside in case our guy suddenly returns, the other check downstairs; I’m going up. Be careful not to disturb any evidence, and shout if you find anything.’
Taking a deep breath, Kate delicately moved her foot to the next stair. With each step up, the cocktail of chemicals and artificial flavours grew more intense. The carpeted stairs strained and whined as if each was carrying the weight of Kate’s dread.
At the top of the staircase, she found four closed doors, and based on the downstairs layout, she predicted that the two central doors would be to bedrooms, and then it was a toss-up to determine which of the other doors led to the bathroom, and which to the third smaller bedroom. Composing herself, Kate opened the door immediately to her left. Despite the dim light filtering through the frosted glass, she could see the shower cubicle and cistern, where several flies flickered about.
Leaving the door ajar, she crept along the hallway, ignoring the two central doors, and reaching for the furthest one. Threadbare carpet aside, the small room was empty, a thick layer of dust clinging to the window ledge.
‘Nothing going on down here,’ the constable called up from the foot of the stairs, startling Kate. ‘Place is empty: no food in the cupboards, and no sign of a fridge. Looks like it has been empty for some time.’
‘Thanks,’ she called back. ‘Stay where you are until you hear from me.’
‘Ma’am? Snow’s laying heavier outside, just letting you know.’
Kate coiled her fingers around the handle of the door where the fresh candy-floss aroma permeated most strongly. She closed her eyes and prised it free. The hinges creaked, as it slowly swung open, rustling against something on the floor. Kate forced her eyes open, already anticipating the scene before her, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw: bright red sprays of blood covered every wall; all around her thick, sticky, crimson puddles of blood had dried on the plastic sheeting which covered every inch of the carpet; overhead, the ceiling was covered with a poppy field of dangling rose and strawberry-scented fresheners. The gymnasium had been horrific, but here the blood covered every possible surface, as if less care had been taken, as if the blood had been fresher.
Kate stepped back, crashing against the hallway wall, holding her breath and willing herself not to pass out.
The constable must have heard the thud, as he called up. ‘Is everything okay, ma’am?’
Kate focused on her breathing, summoning the strength to say her next words. ‘Get SOCO here now!’
41
By the time the scene-of-crime vans arrived, the snow had stopped and there were several children skipping and playing in it beyond the perimeter that had been set up. Blue swirling lights lit up the entire street and almost all of the houses had their lights on, and Kate could spot the occasional curious face at the window in her periphery as she worked. It was understandable: it’s not every day that this many police officers turned up at the house next door.
Kate shuddered against the memory of what she’d just seen. What kind of monster was she dealing with?
‘Kate, Kate,’ Ben called from his car, as he looked for a space to leave his vehicle. With three SSD vans already abandoned in the road, space was at a premium.
Ducking beneath the cordon she approached the passenger side and climbed in. ‘I think there are some spaces further up the road,’ she said, pointing where she meant.
‘Is it as bad as they’re saying?’ he asked, switching off the stereo, so they could talk without interruption.
Kate felt the sting of tears at the corner of her eyes, and opted to nod, fearful he would pick up on the crack of emotion if she dared speak.
‘As bad as Friday?’
‘Worse.’
He spotted a space and drove straight into it, before killing the engine. Turning to face her, he gently brushed the fringe out of her eyes. ‘How are you holding up?’
She nodded.
‘I know you have to remain strong in front of your team, but you don’t need to do it in front of me. I know how brave you are, and it’s okay to admit that something like this has—’
She looked away to avoid the temptation to break down. ‘I’m fine.’
‘Were there any parts left up there?’
‘I-I-I didn’t stay long enough to notice. Maybe.’
Reaching out he placed his large warm hand over hers and squeezed it. ‘I’d better go and take a look. You know where I am if you want to talk.’
‘I need the blood processing as quickly as possible. I need to know if Daisy Emerson was… was one of the victims.’
‘I’ll work with SSD to compare the profiles.’
She manoeuvred her thumb so it could gently squeeze the back of his hand. ‘I’d better get back to the office and update the team. Our work’s only just beginning.’
* * *
Staring out at the city covered in a blanket of snow, it looked so picturesque; festive, almost. With the sun long since set, and the street lights reflecting off the tiny crystals of ice, it would make a warming holiday photograph, and it amazed Kate how a sprinkling of snow could help mask the evil lurking beneath the surface of her city.