Jacob shrugged. ‘Gravestones, trees, death, corpses.’
‘If you believe such a thing, maybe ghosts? She even mentioned the kids telling ghost stories when we spoke. The person who put me in a box was a woman, I know that much from the faint voice I heard.’
Jacob turned to Jennifer. ‘I’ll see you at home.’ He grabbed his phone as he followed Gina back towards the outer cordon where they climbed back over the fence.
‘Give me a call or message me if you find anything,’ Gina called back to Bernard as she slipped under the cordon.
The little dog ran over on its short legs, wagging its tail before squatting and peeing on Gina’s trainer.
‘Lola! Lola!’ the woman called as she caught up and lifted the dog into her arms. ‘Sorry about Lola. She’s overexcited by everything that’s going on.’
Gina flicked the wet from her shoe. ‘That’s okay. I know what has happened has been a shock, but can we come in and ask you a few questions?’ She also had a few about Isaac and why Tracy hadn’t returned their calls.
She nodded. ‘Of course. Come this way.’
Chapter Sixty-One
Gina stepped into the Portakabin and instantly felt the warmth. She yawned, feeling the need to sleep.
‘Please, take a seat. I’m Tracy. My husband, Fred, and I own the company and this is our development.’
Gina sat and Jacob pulled up another chair from next to the cupboard door.
‘Can I get you a drink? The coffee’s already made.’
‘Yes, that would be lovely.’
The woman poured out three coffees and passed them out. ‘I don’t have any milk or sugar.’
‘Thank you. Just how I like my coffee.’ Gina was looking forward to this coffee. ‘With regards to the body that you found, have you seen anything suspicious over the past few days?’
The woman shook her head. ‘I can’t say that I have. I generally finish between five and seven, and the development is fenced off from the roadside. I can’t remember. I don’t walk around checking everything before I leave.’
‘How about by the three houses at the back?’
‘Again, no. We haven’t worked on those for a couple of weeks and as you saw for yourself, that area is quite set back and secluded.’ The woman paused and stared at the paperwork on her desk. ‘I don’t know how this is going to affect our sales and our own home is at risk if these houses don’t get snapped up. This is a disaster.’
There was nothing Gina could say to reassure the woman. Forensics would be all over the area for days, weeks even. And then there was the public. Would finding a body at the back of the three most exclusive houses on the estate affect sales? She was sure it would. ‘I’m sorry that this has happened to you, but a woman has been murdered and we have to find out who did this.’
‘It’s the second one isn’t it? It’s the coffin killer.’
Gina couldn’t deny it. It would have been obvious. Enough details had been reported in the press for anyone to make the connection. She shuddered as she thought of what the papers would be reporting later that day.
‘I did say something to the officer who arrived first but I blurted it out and it sounded like my mouth was running away with me. I’m much calmer now, thankfully. It really scared the life out of me. There was someone there when I found the bell and I caught sight of a person standing back in the bushes, but just a glimpse. They were wearing a black coat that fell below the knees. A hood covered their eyes.’
Jacob began to take notes. ‘Height?’
‘I can’t say. I mean it would be a guess. I don’t know.’
Gina finished the coffee as Jacob continued. ‘Did you see the bottom of the face?’
‘Sort of. It looks like they had a bit of mud on their cheek.’
Jacob leaned in, his tie touching his knee. ‘Were the hands exposed?’
‘No, they were dark too.’
‘Dark?’
