Little Boy Blue

113

‘Amy Fawcett’s body is currently at the mortuary – Jim Grieves is working on a more accurate time of death -’

‘But…’ Sanderson interrupted, wishing McAndrew would get to the point.

‘But I’ve run the Automatic Number Plate Recognition and DI Grace’s bike was in the vicinity of Fawcett’s flat last night.’

‘What do you mean, “in the vicinity”?’

‘Three blocks away.’

‘What time is this?’

‘She heads into the docks area around nine p.m. And leaves via the same route shortly before ten.’

‘Ok, call Grieves on the hour every hour until he gives you a time of death. He won’t like it, but he’ll have to wear it.’

‘Sure thing.’

They were standing in Helen’s office. It was the least suspicious place for a private conference, but even so it felt profoundly odd to be talking about her while standing in her space.

‘Look, Ellie, if you feel uncomfortable doing this,’ Sanderson said quickly, ‘you just have to say -’

‘It’s ok. I’m fine. And you can rely on me to be dis-’

‘I know I can. Why do you think I asked you?’

This earnt a crooked smile from McAndrew, so Sanderson continued:

‘Have we got anything from the phone yet?’

‘Not much but we’re still doing most of the checks. The serial number shows that the phone was stolen five years ago. I’d imagine it’s been used with a bastardized SIM card since. The phone’s history has been deleted, I’m afraid, and the boys aren’t convinced that we’ll be able to retrieve it.’

‘What about prints?’

‘Only partials, unfortunately. It’s been rubbed down pretty well.’

‘Shit.’

‘That said,’ McAndrew added, ‘Amy Fawcett’s phone was still in her bag and the boys have had more luck there. She sent a text message last night to an unregistered mobile number – 07768 038687 – asking someone to meet her at her flat. We’ve looked at the phone contacts of Jake Elder and Max Paine – this is the only number that links all three. We’ve got Elder and Paine’s phone content going back years. The same unregistered user used this number to make appointments with them – just as he or she did with Fawcett.’

Now Sanderson smiled – the first time she’d done so in a while.

‘Ok, let’s run with that. Go back to the phone company – who is it?’

‘Lebara – a pay-as-you-go service.’

‘Go back to them and do a location search. Find out which mobile masts that phone has been pinging over the last few weeks, months. I want to find out where that person has been.’

McAndrew nodded and headed off, leaving Sanderson to contemplate her next move. She had already received several phone calls from Emilia asking for progress, but she would have to wait. They didn’t yet have the smoking gun, but the case was steadily building and, if they were going to bring Helen in, there was something she needed to do first.