Scorched Heart (The Firebrand Series Book 4), Helen Harper [free ereaders .txt] 📗

some questions. But what we saw in your wardrobe and now see here is making us think otherwise.’

‘Go on.’

‘They’re too perfect. Footprints are rarely perfect impressions.’ He gestured to the nearest boot print. ‘But these are about as perfectly formed as you could ask for.’ He swivelled round. ‘Take a look at the park. This is the only section where the ground is soft enough to form a clear print. But why would you enter at this point? The fence is high, and if you walked in through the gate you wouldn’t leave any marks behind because the path there is covered with asphalt. And if you really had to hop over the fence rather than walk in like a normal person, surely it would make more sense to choose the section over there where it’s lower and easier to climb over.’

Larry was right. ‘We were supposed to find these footprints,’ I said grimly. ‘And not just these ones, but the ones at all the crime scenes. Whoever the killer is, he planted this evidence because he wants us to believe he’s a supe who can transform himself into a gigantic creature mid-step. I don’t think this is a supe crime at all, it’s human. No wonder we can’t find any match for the prints except for a Kodiak bear that most definitely wouldn’t be prowling around the little village of Barchapel without anyone noticing. And no wonder no attempt was made to hide the claw marks on the tree outside my room. We’re being played.’

Barry and Larry straightened up and folded their arms simultaneously like some kind of bizarre boy band. ‘DC Bellamy,’ Barry said, ‘we concur.’

DCI Boateng appeared at my shoulder. ‘You’ve been very helpful, Emma, and this is no reflection on you or your abilities but if no supe is involved in these murders then…’

‘You neither want nor need Supe Squad’s help,’ I finished. Fuck.

Chapter Fifteen

Much as I wanted to remain at the Roselands scene to see what else might be uncovered, I knew that it would be a wasted effort. If a supe wasn’t involved, my presence would only confuse matters. It was important that the focus was on looking out for the right sort of person, not on the supernatural.

It also didn’t help that I caught people staring at me every time I glanced towards the small crowd of anxious locals beyond the cordon. Yeah, everyone knew who I was by now. I shouldn’t have been so quick to admit my identity in the bar the previous night, though if I hadn’t I’d never have spoken to Julie. My shoulders sagged. Much good that conversation had done either of us. I forced my darker thoughts away and mulled over what I’d learnt so far.

The trouble was that I was invested in Barchapel now, and not just because of my parents. I might not have spoken to her for long, but Julie had been kind to me and I’d never had the chance to apologise for disappearing. She hadn’t deserved what had happened to her; for that matter, neither had Patrick Lacey. And what if there were more victims yet to come?

I gnawed on my bottom lip as I walked slowly back to the Bird and Bush. Dusk was approaching. Miranda wasn’t expecting me until the following morning, and I suspected that it would be far easier to talk to her when Albion was safely out of the way at school. In the meantime I had to find a way to prove to Boateng, Rothsay and the rest of his team that, even though the perp might be human, a Supe Squad detective on the periphery could still be useful.

Laura was leaving the pub just as I arrived. She smiled at me but I could tell from the focused light in her eyes that she had other things on her mind. She was carrying a small suitcase. ‘I’ve heard about the latest murder,’ she said grimly. ‘If we include you, that makes three deaths in less than a week. It beggars belief in a small place such as this.’

Tell me about it. ‘What worries me most,’ I said, ‘is that there might be more deaths.’

‘I think everyone’s worried about that,’ she said. ‘Look, I know how important it is to find out the truth about what happened to you years ago, and I retrieved the forensics reports from back then. From what I’ve read, the scorch marks were present when your parents’ deaths were discovered and they were examined at length. The conclusion appeared to be that Samuel Beswick tried to set the bodies alight to hide what he’d done. Obviously, we both know that’s not the case. It’s frustrating that more wasn’t made of it at the time, but I don’t suppose the investigators could have ever imagined the truth.’

I gave a humourless laugh. ‘No, I don’t suppose so.’

‘But it does make me wonder what else they might have missed. There are a few other details in the reports that might be worth picking up on. There is bagged evidence still available that I can look at, but it’s being held in storage so it’ll take a day or two to retrieve. Because I have to be careful with the chain of evidence, it can only be viewed under specific lab conditions and my room at the Bird and Bush won’t cut it. The nearest suitable facility is in Maidstone, so unfortunately I won’t have any new information for you for a while yet.’

I debated whether to share what Miranda had already told me, but I sensed that Laura had more to say. I pointed at her suitcase. ‘It’s a decades-old crime and we have a far more recent one to worry about. You’re on your way to Maidstone now, aren’t you? To the morgue?’

She nodded. ‘Julie Mackintosh’s body is being transferred, and Patrick Lacey’s is already there. The pathology team is short-handed so I’ve offered my services and they’ve accepted. Given the short