I replied with a thumbs up and added.
Am here. Don’t let me down, Jay. Xox
I waited for her response. Jahmelia wasn’t the rebellious type, but I was counting on the use of her nickname, gleaned from their old messages, being enough to seal the deal. The playground was only five minutes’ walk from where Jahmelia lived. It would be deserted at this hour, and Jahmelia would take the shortcut where I would be waiting. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, awaiting her response.
OK. Mikey’s playing his VR, and Mum and Dad think I’m in bed. CU soon x
I pulled out of the junction and headed towards the park. A breath of relief escaped my lips. Everything was back on track. The next stage of the game was underway.
36
Wednesday, 6th November 2019
Sarah was deep in thought as she entered the police station corridor before eight on Wednesday morning. She’d had a terrible night’s sleep as she tried to work out the right thing to do. She had read and re-read Elsie’s journal until she was word blind. She had a viable lead, but could she convince Gabby it was worth pursuing?
A voice rose ahead of her, snapping her from her thoughts. It was Yvonne, talking to the DI outside of the CID briefing room. Judging by the number of officers coming out, Sarah had missed an impromptu briefing. Had something new come in? Her footsteps slowed as she listened to the conversation. ‘I’m sure it’s just an oversight on Gabby’s behalf.’ Yvonne’s head was tilted to one side as she spoke with her usual fake sincerity. ‘But I don’t think it’s acceptable for her to be working the case now her granddaughter is involved.’
‘Thanks for bringing it to my attention,’ Bernard said, too involved in the conversation to notice Sarah approaching. ‘I wasn’t aware Jahmelia was related.’
‘Yes, well, as I said. It’s an oversight. But I know this case better than anyone. I’m the best person to fill her shoes.’
Fill her shoes?Sarah slowed her pace. Yvonne must have overheard them talking about Jahmelia and now she was trying to get Gabby kicked off the case.
‘Consider the ball well and truly in your court.’ Bernard clasped his hands together. ‘If you’re up for it, then I’m happy to give you the responsibility. It’s all hands on deck right now.’
‘Thanks, boss,’ Yvonne called after him. ‘I won’t let you down!’ But the smile dissolved from her face as Sarah came into view.
‘Morning.’ Sarah fell into step with Yvonne as they entered the CID office. The weather was dull and gloomy and the weak early morning sun filtered through the vertical blinds. Sarah smiled at the cleaners as they left. The floors had been freshly hoovered and the computer stations were gleaming. Soon they would be covered with paperwork and coffee cups.
A whiteboard took up space at the end of the room, littered with details of the investigation and crime scene photographs. There were more whiteboards in the briefing room, featuring locations, dates and theories. One solely held details of the Midnight Game. Her colleagues had picked the game apart, trying to work out a connection between the killer and his need to play. Sarah visited the room when she could, tapping her chin and staring at the boards as she waited for answers to materialise. But not today.
Her colleagues took their seats as they filtered in from the briefing. It seemed everyone had been called in except for her. Sarah glanced around the room as Yvonne failed to reply. ‘Where’s Gabby?’
‘She’s taken time off to be with her family. I’m acting sergeant now,’ Yvonne said briskly.
Sarah’s spirits plummeted as the news sank in. She had hoped for some divine intervention to stop such an atrocity taking place. She glanced over at Richie who was in conversation with uniformed officers as he spread out a map on his desk. The office was bustling with activity. They had obviously been called in early. Something new must have come in.
‘Have we had a new lead?’ Sarah followed Yvonne to Gabby’s desk. Yvonne raised an eyebrow as she checked the clock on the wall.
‘I suppose you haven’t heard, given you’ve just rocked up.’
Sarah frowned. That was hardly fair. Her shift started at eight and it was just gone quarter to.
‘The early bird gets the worm,’ Yvonne continued, ‘as Saint Bernard would say.’
She’d be after his job soon too,Sarah thought, inwardly rolling her eyes.
She slipped off her Barbour jacket and rested it on the back of her chair. ‘If I’d been called, I would have come straight in.’
But Yvonne was unmoved. ‘Jahmelia’s missing. Her parents called it in an hour ago when she didn’t get up for breakfast.’ She shifted on her heels. ‘I’ll set you some tasks on the system.’
Sarah’s stomach lurched. Jahmelia was gone? But her parents must have been watching her every move. How could this have happened? Aware of Yvonne’s presence, she regained her composure as she remembered the journal in her bag. ‘I have a lead. It’s a journal from Elsie’s house.’
As she handed over the book, Yvonne sat at Gabby’s desk and settled back into her swivel chair. Most acting sergeants continued to work from their own desks, but Yvonne seemed to be enjoying the power trip. She thumbed through the pages of Elsie’s old journal. ‘What am I looking at, apart from badly written soft porn?’
‘It belongs to Elsie Abraham. Christian Abraham is her son. It was in a bag of stuff he’d put out for the bin.’
Sarah’s stomach rumbled as she stood. For the first time in years, she had left her house without breakfast. Food was no longer part of her every waking thought. She licked the dryness from her lips as she prepared to state her case.
