to see your face when I ask you these questions”
She lifted her head and Grace drew back her hand. The girl looked sorrowful and lost.
“I believe you use this place quite a lot? Bring your punter’s here on a regular basis?”
Kerri-Ann nodded. She began fiddling with her fingers, picking skin at the side of her cuticles.
“How many times a week would you say?”
“A couple of times in mid-week, but quite a lot at the weekend, that’s when there’s not so many people walking about the place.”
“And how long have you been using this park for your sessions?”
“Six – seven months.”
“And do you always get the guys to park up where we found you?”
She nodded again. “It’s out of the way. Hidden from view if there are people walking round the lake.”
“Have you heard about the body which was recovered from here just over a week ago?”
She coloured up, started to twitch nervously, gulped and turned away.
Grace grabbed hold of Kerri-Ann’s chin again and fixed her gaze square on. “You have haven’t you?”
She shook herself free of Grace’s grip. “Course I frigging have. You can’t miss it. It’s all over the news and in the local papers.”
“Look Kerri-Ann this is very important. A young woman’s body was dumped in that lake just over a month ago, and where you park up with your punters is in clear view of the jetty over there.” Grace pointed out towards the wooden mooring dock approximately thirty metres away. “I need to know if you saw any activity on there during one of your visits here. Especially if you saw anyone carrying anything.”
Kerri-Ann tried to look away again.
Hunter knew she was hiding something. “This is very serious Kerri-Ann,” he interjected, “a young woman has been murdered and her body dumped over there. If you’ve seen anything we need to know.”
“I don’t want to get involved. I’m only talking to you now because I want you off my bleeding back. What if whoever did it comes looking for me?”
“You don’t even need to think about that. There is no way we are going to give out a witness’s name. Anyway what are you worrying about you’ve been using a false name for ages - just change it and do your trade somewhere else?” continued Grace.
“I don’t know. I feel scared about this.”
“Kerri-Ann, listen to me, so far you’re our only lead. You really might be able to help us catch this girl’s killer.”
“I didn’t see that much.”
Hunter knew from that comment that Grace had managed it. This could be the breakthrough. A tingle of excitement ran through him. He wanted to jump in but he knew this was Grace’s call.
Grace touched Kerri-Ann’s arm and looked into her sunken eyes. “That’s the hard part over. Now just tell us slowly what you saw.”
“Look if I tell you will you stop hassling me and let me earn some money? I’ve got a two year old at home and I didn’t see the dad for dust once I told him I was pregnant. I can’t manage on the benefits they give me.“ Her eyes darted between Grace and Hunter.
There was silence for a good thirty seconds.
Grace was about to prompt her again when she blurted out. “All right if it’ll keep you off my back and you promise I won’t go to court. ” She began to pick at her fingers again. “It was either a Friday or Saturday evening. I know that much because those two nights are my busiest time and I was with my fourth punter. Probably be about half past ten.”
“Can you remember how long ago?”
“You’re joking. I know it was July time. As you said could have been four to five weeks ago. I don’t keep a diary.”
“Okay Keri-Ann carry on. You said it was about half past ten at night.”
“Yeah that’s roughly the time because we got back into town about eleven. Anyway we’d finished and I needed a piss so I got out of the car to go behind the bushes. I was just about to go when I heard muffled voices near that jetty thing and it made me jump. I
She lifted her head and Grace drew back her hand. The girl looked sorrowful and lost.
“I believe you use this place quite a lot? Bring your punter’s here on a regular basis?”
Kerri-Ann nodded. She began fiddling with her fingers, picking skin at the side of her cuticles.
“How many times a week would you say?”
“A couple of times in mid-week, but quite a lot at the weekend, that’s when there’s not so many people walking about the place.”
“And how long have you been using this park for your sessions?”
“Six – seven months.”
“And do you always get the guys to park up where we found you?”
She nodded again. “It’s out of the way. Hidden from view if there are people walking round the lake.”
“Have you heard about the body which was recovered from here just over a week ago?”
She coloured up, started to twitch nervously, gulped and turned away.
Grace grabbed hold of Kerri-Ann’s chin again and fixed her gaze square on. “You have haven’t you?”
She shook herself free of Grace’s grip. “Course I frigging have. You can’t miss it. It’s all over the news and in the local papers.”
“Look Kerri-Ann this is very important. A young woman’s body was dumped in that lake just over a month ago, and where you park up with your punters is in clear view of the jetty over there.” Grace pointed out towards the wooden mooring dock approximately thirty metres away. “I need to know if you saw any activity on there during one of your visits here. Especially if you saw anyone carrying anything.”
Kerri-Ann tried to look away again.
Hunter knew she was hiding something. “This is very serious Kerri-Ann,” he interjected, “a young woman has been murdered and her body dumped over there. If you’ve seen anything we need to know.”
“I don’t want to get involved. I’m only talking to you now because I want you off my bleeding back. What if whoever did it comes looking for me?”
“You don’t even need to think about that. There is no way we are going to give out a witness’s name. Anyway what are you worrying about you’ve been using a false name for ages - just change it and do your trade somewhere else?” continued Grace.
“I don’t know. I feel scared about this.”
“Kerri-Ann, listen to me, so far you’re our only lead. You really might be able to help us catch this girl’s killer.”
“I didn’t see that much.”
Hunter knew from that comment that Grace had managed it. This could be the breakthrough. A tingle of excitement ran through him. He wanted to jump in but he knew this was Grace’s call.
Grace touched Kerri-Ann’s arm and looked into her sunken eyes. “That’s the hard part over. Now just tell us slowly what you saw.”
“Look if I tell you will you stop hassling me and let me earn some money? I’ve got a two year old at home and I didn’t see the dad for dust once I told him I was pregnant. I can’t manage on the benefits they give me.“ Her eyes darted between Grace and Hunter.
There was silence for a good thirty seconds.
Grace was about to prompt her again when she blurted out. “All right if it’ll keep you off my back and you promise I won’t go to court. ” She began to pick at her fingers again. “It was either a Friday or Saturday evening. I know that much because those two nights are my busiest time and I was with my fourth punter. Probably be about half past ten.”
“Can you remember how long ago?”
“You’re joking. I know it was July time. As you said could have been four to five weeks ago. I don’t keep a diary.”
“Okay Keri-Ann carry on. You said it was about half past ten at night.”
“Yeah that’s roughly the time because we got back into town about eleven. Anyway we’d finished and I needed a piss so I got out of the car to go behind the bushes. I was just about to go when I heard muffled voices near that jetty thing and it made me jump. I
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