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  Running the gauntlet of voice recorders and cameras, Ruth and Rocco kept their sights on the front door. Elsa’s mum had spotted them. She opened it a few inches and the detectives slipped inside.

  “Load of rubbish the lot of them. All they want is a story. A bit of tittle-tattle to put in the bloody papers. They’re not bothered about my girl, or the creep that killed her. They keep asking if she had a boyfriend. All they’re after is dirt.”

  “Mrs Ramsden, did Elsa have pierced ears?” Ruth got straight to the point. Calladine would drag Donnelly back into that interview room within the hour, so they didn’t have long.

  “One of them was.”

  “She had only one pierced ear?”

  “She’d had them both pierced years ago. But she only ever wore the one earring. In her left ear. She told me the other one had healed up.”

  So much for finding a pair. “Can you tell me if these were hers?”

  The woman studied the image for a few seconds and shook her head. “No, definitely not. Those are those loop things. My Elsa preferred a single stud. For the last few months she was wearing one huge red thing.”

  “You’re quite sure? She didn’t wear a pair?”

  “No, just the one. She never got round to having the right one done again. Besides, she’d never wear anything like those. Here, I’ll show you.” She led the way upstairs to Elsa’s bedroom and opened a jewellery box. “All neatly in a row, and all the same. Red studs, her favourites.”

  “Are you sure a friend or relative didn’t give her these as a present?”

  “Positive. They’re just not her thing. She wouldn’t even wear the left one. This bedroom might be all pink and frilly but underneath Elsa was a bit of a Goth. Black and red were what she liked to wear. Not those tiny bits of metal. They say nowt, not distinctive enough.”

  “And they’re not yours?” Rocco asked.

  Mrs Ramsden flicked her hair back. “I don’t have pierced ears, son.”

  “Thanks, you’ve been a great help.”

  As they went down the stairs Elsa’s mother said, “Word’s out you’ve got him. Make sure he suffers for what he did to my Elsa. Evil bastard!”

  Back in the car Ruth rang Julian Batho at the Duggan.

  “Julian, would you check Elsa Ramsden’s body again? It’s those earrings you found. According to her mother she only wore one, and always in her left ear. The right lobe was pierced, but had healed up.”

  “Is she sure?”

  “Yes, positive, and they are not what Elsa would have worn anyway. Elsa favoured those large studs. Check both lobes again, will you?”

  “Very well. I’ll check and get back.”

  Ruth continued. “The DNA you found — Donnelly’s but none belonging to Elsa? Isn’t that a bit odd?”

  “It could be seen that way. But as I told Tom, there was hair caught in one of them. It was Elsa’s.”

  “Okay, I’ll wait for your call back at the nick.”

  “I don’t see how having only one pierced ear helps us,” Rocco admitted.

  “They found a pair. I’m guessing we are supposed to think that Elsa lost them when she was put in the bin. Whoever set that up didn’t know enough about Elsa. He hadn’t checked her ears and seen that she only wore one.”

  Rocco checked his watch. “The hour’s almost up.”

  “Better hurry then, before Calladine makes an even bigger ass of himself.”

  * * *

  “Donnelly’s been checked over and he’s fine. He had a panic attack,” the police doctor told Calladine. “I’ve given him something to calm him down.”

  “I’ll give him a bloody panic attack! He’s playing for time.” The office phone rang. It was Julian for Ruth. “She’s gone haring off somewhere with Rocco. I can give her a message,” Calladine said.

  “She asked about Elsa’s ears. When she gets back, tell her she was right,” Julian said.

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “Only one of Elsa’s ears was pierced. The other one had healed over. Apparently she only wore those large stud things. Ruth asked me to look at the body again. The left lobe has an enlarged hole for an earring, and in the right ear, nothing. It would appear that the ones we found did not belong to the girl.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “On its own, who knows? But Elsa’s mother also told Ruth that the earrings we found did not belong to her daughter. More than likely those in the bin were not the murdered girl’s. Given Ruth’s information, I’m doing further tests on the hair we found to make sure.”

  Calladine slammed the phone down. This was not what he wanted to hear. Donnelly was set to wriggle free yet again. Just then, Ruth and Rocco returned. “What exactly have you been up to?” asked Calladine.

  Ruth held up the photo of the earrings. “We’ve been to ask Elsa’s mum about these. Like we should have done before we dragged Donnelly in here. She says they are not Elsa’s. Not her style. Elsa only ever wore large studs, and only one of them. Here, a class photo from Jake. See?” She pointed to Elsa. “Like a bloody beacon in her ear.”

  “You’re saying they were placed there?”

  “I’m saying we investigate, and make absolutely sure before we go any further with Donnelly. The press know we’ve arrested him. There’ll be all sorts of flak if they get the merest whiff that we got it wrong.”

  Calladine flopped down on Ruth’s chair. “The fact remains that there are earrings and one of them does have Donnelly’s blood on it.”

  “But they are not Elsa’s. Someone wants us to go after Donnelly. Why? I have no idea.”

  “So what do we do?”

  “We speak to him — nicely.”

  “You coming back in with me?”

  Ruth looked at him fondly. “I think I better had, don’t you? Let me do the talking this time.”

  “I’ve let him get to me, I admit it. I wanted Donnelly to go down for this. In my head I’m back dealing with the Roper case. Seeing Elsa Ramsden like that, it’s affected my judgement.”

  “This is not the same case, Tom. I don’t think Donnelly did kill Elsa. I think someone wants us to think he did and is planting evidence.”

  “Why?”

  “As I said, I’ve no idea. But you have to admit, Donnelly is a convenient scapegoat.”

  Calladine looked at her. “That man Kent?”

  “We need to find him. Anything come in from uniform?” Ruth asked Imogen.

  “Nothing. All hostels checked and I’m having another look at the CCTV from around the town.”

  Chapter 15

  Calladine’s voice was level, and he even managed a small smile. “He visited you several times in prison. You do know him, Craig, or why would he bother? Tell us about him. It might save a young girl’s life. If you won’t talk because he’s threatened you, we can help.”

  Donnelly looked at Ruth, then nodded to Calladine. He smirked. “Muzzled him, have you? Realised his heavy-handed tactics won’t get him anywhere. About bloody time.”

  “We only want the truth, Craig. If you do know where Kent is, or you can help us to find him, we will be grateful,” Ruth said.

  “A few soft words from you won’t make any difference either, love.” He picked up the image. “I don’t know him. Sure, he visited. He did a lot of talking, but I wasn’t interested. In the end he gave up. I haven’t seen him since.”

  “What did he talk about?” Calladine asked.

  “I told you. The girl. He went on about the murder, nothing else.”

  “Didn’t you find that strange?” asked Ruth.

  “He was just another nutter. I got letters from all sorts of folk. Destroyed them.”

  “Have you seen or contacted him since you’ve been back in Leesdon?”

  He looked at Calladine. “I already said I hadn’t. Why would I? I know nothing about the man.”

  “Did he ever mention a man called Aiden to you, Craig?” asked Ruth.

  “No.”

  Ruth told him, “
We found an earring with your blood on it by the girl’s body. We believe that someone is trying to fit you up.” She gave him a moment to consider this. “Want to help us now, Craig?”

  “No, love. I know nothing about any Aiden, I haven’t seen Kent and I’ve no idea how my blood got on them damn earrings.”

  Calladine shook his head. “I don’t believe you, Craig. I think you have seen Kent. He’s not local, no one knows him, yet he’s been seen in Leesdon. Why would he come here, except to see you?”

  There was a knock. Rocco stuck his head round the door and beckoned to Calladine. He looked agitated.

  “Sorry to interrupt, sir, but it’s urgent. Kate Reynolds, sir. The chap in the ticket office remembers her. She had to search through her bag for her pass. Took ages, made him late going off shift. He says Kate left the station alone but when she reached the road outside she was accosted by a bloke with long, untidy hair and a full beard. I showed him the image of Jason Kent and he was pretty sure it was him. If he’s right, then the cases are linked.”

  “Good work, Rocco. But there is a ransom demand for Kate. Nothing like that with the girls.”

  “Perhaps he thinks Kate has money,” Rocco suggested.

  “We have to find him. I’m convinced that bastard in there knows who this joker is, but he’s saying nothing.”

  “They could be in it together, sir. Kent does the taking, Donnelly the rest.”

  Calladine wasn’t sure. “In that case, how does he slip away to deal with the girls? The vicar is on his back all the time. Then there are the online meetings. Does Donnelly have access to a computer?”

  “Donnelly is doing jobs around town for all and sundry. He’s out in that van of the vicar’s on a daily basis. He could be up to anything.”

  Rocco was right. “That cottage of his. Tell the search team to be sure to do a thorough job. There must be a phone hidden somewhere, and if there is a computer, tell them to bring it in. If Donnelly and Kent are working together, they must communicate somehow.”

  Calladine returned to the interview room. “Jason Kent. You can stop pissing us about now, Craig. You have seen him recently, haven’t you?”

  “Why do you keep asking me about him? You’re like a dog with a bone, you are. He visited me in Strangeways. Apart from that — nothing.”

  “I don’t believe you. The pair of you are in this together. He does things for you. Takes the girls off the streets for a start. Usually on their way to school. How does he manage that, in broad daylight?”

  “Whatever he does has nothing to do with me.” Donnelly looked at his solicitor. “How long is this going to go on for? I can’t take much more. This copper has a one-track mind.”

  Calladine showed him the photo of Kate. “Do you know this young woman, Craig?”

  Donnelly gave a long, low whistle. “She’s a real looker. No schoolgirl either, Inspector.”

  “No, but she has been taken like the others. And by this character.” Calladine tapped the Jason Kent photo. “I’ll ask again, do you know where he is?”

  “Can’t say I do. But I wouldn’t mind introducing to the girl.” Donnelly grinned.

  This was getting them nowhere. After the sedative he’d been given, Donnelly was so relaxed he was positively flippant.

  Ruth tried again. “Do you know where Kent lives, Craig?”

  “No, but I know he’s not local.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “His accent isn’t right. I’d say he’s lived round here, but he’s from somewhere else.”

  “Are you sure you haven’t seen him since you’ve been back?”

  “Positive.”

  Calladine gave up on Kent. “Tell us about your relationship with Liam Peach.”

  “I have nothing to do with him. Can’t think when I saw him last.”

  “You used to be friends. What happened?”

  “We fell out. Now he keeps away. That suits me fine.”

  “What did you fall out about?”

  “It’s a long time ago. I can’t remember.”

  “That was some beating he gave you before you were arrested for the Annabelle Roper murder. Do you remember why he did that?”

  “Look, copper, I’m sick of this. That was years ago. It could have been about anything.”

  “I am surprised you can’t elaborate. You were black and blue, Craig. I’m sure I’d remember what it’d been about if someone had done that to me.”

  Rocco was back. “A word, sir.” Calladine followed him out into the corridor.

  “Julian’s been on. There is a problem. The hair found wrapped around the earring. It was freshly washed and even had traces of conditioner on it.”

  “So?”

  “The hair on Elsa’s body was very dirty. She’d been locked up. Her hair had picked up all sorts from wherever she’d been kept. Julian reckons that even if the earrings were hers and had become dislodged, any hair with them should have been dirty, covered in smoke particles and grime like the rest of it. They weren’t. So something is wrong. ”

  “But it is Elsa’s hair?”

  “Julian is double checking.”

  “So the damn things were placed. Daubed with Donnelly’s blood and deliberately left for us to find. Someone went to a lot of trouble, but why, and who?”

  “Someone who wants him back behind bars,” Rocco suggested.

  “So what have we got?”

  “Without the earrings — nothing, sir,” Rocco replied.

  Calladine paced the corridor. “We’ve got bugger all. I’m going to have to let the creep go — again!”

  Donnelly didn’t say much as he left, but his solicitor made it quite clear that this was harassment and he intended to take it further on his client’s behalf.

  “Not your finest hour, Calladine,” Birch said.

  “No, ma’am.”

  Birch’s face was like thunder. “I’ve had the ACC on. You must not go near Donnelly again unless you have proof positive, checked, double checked and run past me, or my replacement. Understand?

  “Yes, ma’am. Replacement? You are going then. Your boy hasn’t turned up?”

  “No, he hasn’t. I can’t sit around here waiting for the phone to ring any longer. I’m off tomorrow. But that does not change anything with regard to Donnelly. Understand this, Calladine. Go after that man again without solid evidence and it could cost you your job. DI Long is back off leave in two days’ time. He will be acting DCI for the time being.”

  Long in the hot seat — again. That’d please him.

  “I suggest you go back and re-examine all the data you have. It’s time to go after someone else, Calladine. Give Donnelly a rest.”

  * * *

  “They didn’t find a computer,” Imogen confirmed. “Nothing in Donnelly’s cottage and the vicar has stated that he doesn’t have one either.”

  “Mobile phone?”

  “Only the one Livings gave Donnelly for work purposes. We’re getting a list of calls and texts from the provider. But it’s one of the older types, sir, not a smart phone. So he could not have used it to access the internet.”

  Calladine confronted the team. It was time to tell them about Kate Reynolds. “We have an added complication. One of Shez’s girls has been kidnapped. She was seen at Leesdon railway station being followed by a man closely resembling Jason Kent.”

  “When was this?” Imogen asked.

  “Friday, but we’ve only known she was missing for twenty-four hours.”

  Ruth summed it up. “Elsa is dead, and Megan and this Kate Reynolds are missing.”

  “Yes, Ruth. The difference is, a ransom has been demanded for the return of Kate.”

  “Who reported it?”

  “Shez has received a ransom letter and one phone call. He is asking two hundred thousand for her return.”

  “Our case, guv?” Imogen asked.

  “For the time being it’s been handed to Thorpe. But the way things are going, it’ll more than likely come to us.”
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  “Has anyone spoken to her family?”

  “Not yet, Imogen. And that’s another complication. Her father is Alan Reynolds. He investigated the Annabelle Roper killing. He’s retired these days and not well. If he does know, it’ll be tearing him apart.”

  Ruth looked up. “You know him. Perhaps you should have a word. Try and find out if he’s been contacted.”

  Calladine nodded. He’d been putting it off but it was about time he spoke to Reynolds, and not just about his daughter. “I’ll call in on my way home.”

  Ruth looked at Rocco. “Any joy finding Kent?”

  “No. He appears, then melts away. Like Thorpe says, he’s a ghost.”

  “He’s wearing a disguise — long coat, the hair and beard. The reality is, he could be anyone,” Calladine told them.

  “Have we cross-referenced Donnelly’s movements with those of Kent’s?”

  “Not yet, Imogen. Would you look through the notebook and do that?”

  “Where are we with forensics?” asked Ruth.

  “I’m looking at Elsa’s phone records, they came through this afternoon. There are dozens of calls to Megan and Rachel Hayes. She accessed several websites, for music mostly. But nothing that will help us. She didn’t ring whoever took her, nor did they text her. The phone went dead on Circle Road. We know that Megan’s phone went dead on Byron’s Lane. Both are on the route to school. That adds to the theory that both girls were on their way to school when they were taken. Uniform have asked around, but no one saw anything. The problem is, there are no shops or anything else until you get to the High Street,” Rocco told them.

  Imogen checked her notes. “Elsa’s computer is still giving the Duggan problems. Whoever she spoke to online was very good. Covered his tracks like a pro. Julian is still working on Elsa’s body. A number of items have been retrieved from Byron’s Lane, including a hair bobble. We have a photo of it to show to Megan’s mother. It has blood on it, sir. Julian is running tests.”

  Calladine perched on the edge of Joyce’s desk. “What’s the betting it turns out to be Donnelly’s?”