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Harrison raised an eyebrow to Murray. “A tattoo?”
Kayleigh tapped two fingers on the front of her hip. “Little black stitched heart.” Then she narrowed her eyes, as if just realising something. “Hang on. You say you’re from Hartswick?”
“That’s right.” Harrison produced his warrant card again. “We’re leading the investigation into her death, so there may be things you told Humberside that haven’t reached us yet.”
Kayleigh shuffled to the edge of her seat to peer at the card. “This got summat to do with that bloke from yesterday?”
Murray darted her gaze at Harrison.
He slipped his warrant card back into his pocket. “What bloke?”
“From Hartswick.” Kayleigh gestured vaguely with her cigarette. “Came talking to me while I were out working last night. Said he were from Hartswick too.”
Murray turned to a fresh page in her notebook. “What did he talk to you about?”
“The tattoo, mostly. Asked if I knew any girls with one.” Kayleigh shrugged. “Thought it were weird at the time. Some random bloke asking about tattoos when he don’t know what they mean. But now you’re here telling me Lauren’s dead…” She shook her head. “Makes a bit more sense, dunnit? Though he said he weren’t police.”
Harrison’s stomach tightened.
“Did he give you a name?” Murray asked.
“Nah.”
“Could you identify him?”
“Oh, aye.” A faint smile tugged at Kayleigh’s mouth. “Thought I’d hit the bloody jackpot at first.” She slipped back against the sofa and crossed her legs. “Good-looking lad. Long curly hair. Nice eyes. Looked more like some rock star than whatever it said on the side of his van. Though I reckon he were more into blokes.”
Cold dread slipped beneath Harrison’s ribs.
No.
Jake wouldn’t—
“What exactly did he ask you?” Murray continued.
Kayleigh chewed thoughtfully at her bottom lip. “Said he were looking for his sister. Showed me a picture.”
Fuck.
Harrison kept his expression still.
Where’ve you been?
About.
Christ, Jake.
“He wanted to know if his sister might’ve had one of them tattoos,” Kayleigh went on. “If she might’ve been on the game.”
Beside Harrison, Murray’s pen stopped. Only for a fraction of a second before it started moving again, but Harrison caught it.
She knew.
Of course she bloody knew who Kayleigh meant.
Kayleigh’s expression softened. “Poor bastard were desperate. Doubt he really wants to find out that pretty little thing got mixed up in all this shit on Hessle Road. Or that she were marked.” She sniffed as if letting it roll off her shoulders, probably how she’d coped for years. “Hope he finds her before she ends up same way as our Lauren.”
Harrison’s jaw tightened.
