Indefensible (DI Sara Ramsey Book 12), M Comley [world of reading TXT] 📗

got diverted to attend this one. Another heart-breaker, but then, aren’t they all?”

“Yep. Young or old, they’re all the same to me. Neither of them should have been killed, in my opinion.” She glanced up and down the alley, shuddering as the breeze whistled through the gap and then stated, “The killer knew exactly what he was doing. I bet this place isn’t used that often.”

“According to the fella who popped his head over the fence, only a handful of people use the alley now the new pedestrian bridge down the road has been put in.”

She stared down at the victim. “Which begs the question, why did she use it? Where was she going? Do you have an ID for her?”

“In the evidence bag over there. Maybe she was on her way to work.”

Sara raised an eyebrow. “Dressed like that in the middle of the day?”

“I’m surmising, don’t shoot me down in flames like that.”

“That wasn’t my intention, sorry. Maybe she’s a sex-worker and this is where she hangs out.”

Carla laughed. “I don’t think she’d get much passing trade, boss.”

Sara cringed at her dumb suggestion. “All right, smart arse.”

“In all seriousness, Carla is right. She wouldn’t get any passing trade down here,” Lorraine chipped in.

“All right. You’ve both missed what I was getting at completely. She would need to take her tricks somewhere to do the deed, right?”

Carla nodded and Lorraine rolled her eyes. “You’re not as silly as you look,” Lorraine added.

“Thanks. I’ll take that as a compliment. Of course, until we speak to a family member, all this is speculation. I might be doing her an injustice. Maybe she was going on a date. Or to a job interview.”

“Dressed like that? Carla asked. “What type of job?”

“All right, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Carla, jot down her name and address if you can find it and we’ll ask the necessary questions once we’ve tracked down her family.”

Carla went in search of the evidence bag and wrote down the details needed, then returned to stand beside Sara. “She lives a few roads over that way.”

“Okay, yet another depressing couple of hours ahead of us then. What am I saying? It’s part of the job, right?”

“Unfortunately, we all have our crosses to bear. I’d willingly swap duties for the next few hours, if you’re up for it?” Lorraine smiled sarcastically.

“Er… no thanks. Not going to happen. I’ll stop whining and accept our fate. Anything else for us before we go on our way? Cause of death maybe?”

“Petechial haemorrhaging is telling me she was strangled.”

“So she was raped and then strangled. How horrendous, she must have gone through a terrible ordeal. Fucking bastard. If we ever catch up with him, I’ll be tempted to cut his dick off.”

Lorraine laughed. “I can see that going down well at Head Office.”

“Yeah, my head would be on the platter soon after, I suspect. Okay, we’re going to get off then and leave you to it. Will you be shifting her soon?” Sara pointed at the small crowd gathering at the bottom of the alley.

“Yeah, I’m not going to put a tent up; they’re far enough away not to matter. I will cover her face in a second or two while I finish up and make the arrangements to get her moved.”

“Very wise. Well, let me know how the PMs go when you get a spare second, if you would?”

“I will. Good luck with tracing a relative.”

“Thanks. Speak soon.” Sara turned on her heel and, with Carla beside her, they both marched back to the car. “Do I need to put the address in the satnav?”

“Nope, I’ll give you directions.”

Carla was right, the woman’s flat was a few streets away, not far from the alley where she’d lost her life.

“I hate to think that she was within bloody spitting distance of safety. It reeks of someone stalking her, acquainted with where she lived and perhaps which route she took, or is that my overactive imagination at work there?”

“You might be right, hard to tell without knowing more about the victim. Maybe she had an ex who refused to take no for an answer.”

“An if-I-can’t-have-you-nobody-can-have-you scenario,” Sara replied, contemplatively.

Carla hitched up her right shoulder. “Why not? It’s not as if we have anything else to go on at present.”

“There is that. Okay, let’s knock on the door, see if anyone else lives here with her. I have a gut feeling she lived alone.”

Carla cocked an eyebrow. “I’m never one to doubt your gut feelings, but how in the world would you even know that?”

Sara grinned. “I wouldn’t take that as read until we know the answer.” She rang the doorbell to the ground floor flat. There was no reply. Sara decided to ring the bell to the flat above. A young woman with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail answered the door.

“Can I help you?”

Sara flashed her warrant card. “We’re trying to contact Mona, but she’s not home. Can you tell us if anyone else lives here with her?”

“No. There was a chap who used to hang around up until a few months ago, but I haven’t seen or heard him, if you get what I mean, not for months.”

“Are you insinuating they used to row a lot?”

“When they weren’t having noisy sex sessions, yes.”

“Oh, I get you. Do you happen to know his name?”

“Jack something. Can’t give you more than that, sorry. Is there something wrong?” Her brow wrinkled.

“We can’t say. How well do you know Mona?”

“Well enough. Why? What’s she done wrong?”

“Nothing as far as we know. Does she have any family members nearby?”

“Yeah, I think her father is around here somewhere. She did tell me, but I’ve forgotten. She’s been in contact with him more recently than she ever did before because there was some kind of bereavement in the family. She did tell me, but I switched off, can’t be doing with maudlin stuff like that. I’m one of these people who believe in positivity being the key for a peaceful