out about her.'
'And . . . ?'
'And it's not good news.'
'Go on.'
'She's been in the system.'
'Prison?'
'Off and on. She's twenty-eight now and has
spent a lot of her life behind bars of one kind or
another.'
'Go on.'
'She turned a steam hose on her older brother
for a joke when she was fourteen years old.'
'Some joke. We've seen what it did to him.'
'She's not a nice person.'
'What else?'
'You name it. She was taken into care after
putting her brother in hospital. Three months later
she burned the house down.'
'She's got a thing with heat, obviously.'
'And knives. We've got paper on her for most
things you can think of. Theft. Aggravated assault,
mainly on women. Drug-dealing. Prostitution. She
just got out of Holloway five days ago after
serving eight years.'
'Eight years! What did she do, murder someone?'
'Seems like some girl came down from Birmingham
and started working her patch. She cut
one of her ears off and fed it to her.'
Delaney flicked another cigarette into his mouth
and, crooking his phone on his shoulder, managed
to flare a match and light it. 'Nice.'
'This woman is very far from nice. She served her
full term because she took a razor blade set in a
toothbrush and sliced a female guard's cheek open.'
'You think she's got issues?'
Bonner laughed drily. 'Yeah. Like Myra
Hindley had issues.'
'I meant mental health issues.'
'She was never hospitalised, if that's what you
mean. But this woman obviously gets off on
violence. Particularly against other women. Not
only that, but she attempted suicide twice whilst in
custody. This is far from a healthy bunny here. I'd
say we'd best find her quickly, because she ain't
where she's supposed to be. Picked up, moved out,
no forwarding address.'
Delaney went to hang up but a thought
occurred. 'Any word on Billy Martin or Jackie
Malone's boy?'
'Nothing yet, boss. This case has taken priority.'
'I want you to keep going on Jackie Malone.
And you report anything you find directly back to
me. We clear on that?'
'You got it.'
'Just to me.' Delaney clicked his phone shut
and ground out his cigarette with a sharp twist of
his ankle. He looked over to where Jake was lifting
off the nearside front wheel of the van, complete
with tyre. He tossed it to one side as though it
weighed as much as an empty carton of milk.
Sally saw the concern in Delaney's face. 'Not
good news from Sergeant Bonner, then?'
'Seems like Morgan was right about not seeing
his sister for fourteen years. And he was right
about something else too: she's a very nasty piece
of work by all accounts.'
'Maybe some girls aren't better off with their
aunts.'
Delaney gave her a flat look. 'Time will tell.
Always does.' He walked across to where Jake
was working. 'Jake.'
The mechanic stood up, squinting in the bright
sunlight and shielding his eyes with his hand.
'Yes, sir.'
'You don't have to call me sir.'
'I haven't done anything wrong.' His eyes
flicked nervously.
Sally held her hand up reassuringly. 'Nobody is
saying you have.'
'Have you found her then?'
'Not yet. Apparently she's with your younger
sister.'
Jake blinked. On a face not normally articulate
with comprehension, he looked even more
confused.
'I don't understand.'
'Candy.'
Jake backed away. 'She's not coming here. I
don't want her here.'
Sally held her hands out. 'We don't know where
she is. We need to speak to her.'
'I don't want her coming here. She hurts
people.'
'Have you spoken to her recently?'
Jake shook his head, terrified.
'Did she hurt you in the past?'
'She set light to Susie.'
'Who's Susie?'
'She was our dog. She set light to her tail and
then she burned my brother with the steam hose.
She likes to break things. Hurt people.'
'Have you any idea where she might be?'
'I haven't seen her since she burned Howard
with the steam.'
'You haven't spoken to her on the telephone?'
'I don't use the telephone.'
'It's important if you know anything to tell us.'
Jake nodded, his worried eyes darting to left
'And . . . ?'
'And it's not good news.'
'Go on.'
'She's been in the system.'
'Prison?'
'Off and on. She's twenty-eight now and has
spent a lot of her life behind bars of one kind or
another.'
'Go on.'
'She turned a steam hose on her older brother
for a joke when she was fourteen years old.'
'Some joke. We've seen what it did to him.'
'She's not a nice person.'
'What else?'
'You name it. She was taken into care after
putting her brother in hospital. Three months later
she burned the house down.'
'She's got a thing with heat, obviously.'
'And knives. We've got paper on her for most
things you can think of. Theft. Aggravated assault,
mainly on women. Drug-dealing. Prostitution. She
just got out of Holloway five days ago after
serving eight years.'
'Eight years! What did she do, murder someone?'
'Seems like some girl came down from Birmingham
and started working her patch. She cut
one of her ears off and fed it to her.'
Delaney flicked another cigarette into his mouth
and, crooking his phone on his shoulder, managed
to flare a match and light it. 'Nice.'
'This woman is very far from nice. She served her
full term because she took a razor blade set in a
toothbrush and sliced a female guard's cheek open.'
'You think she's got issues?'
Bonner laughed drily. 'Yeah. Like Myra
Hindley had issues.'
'I meant mental health issues.'
'She was never hospitalised, if that's what you
mean. But this woman obviously gets off on
violence. Particularly against other women. Not
only that, but she attempted suicide twice whilst in
custody. This is far from a healthy bunny here. I'd
say we'd best find her quickly, because she ain't
where she's supposed to be. Picked up, moved out,
no forwarding address.'
Delaney went to hang up but a thought
occurred. 'Any word on Billy Martin or Jackie
Malone's boy?'
'Nothing yet, boss. This case has taken priority.'
'I want you to keep going on Jackie Malone.
And you report anything you find directly back to
me. We clear on that?'
'You got it.'
'Just to me.' Delaney clicked his phone shut
and ground out his cigarette with a sharp twist of
his ankle. He looked over to where Jake was lifting
off the nearside front wheel of the van, complete
with tyre. He tossed it to one side as though it
weighed as much as an empty carton of milk.
Sally saw the concern in Delaney's face. 'Not
good news from Sergeant Bonner, then?'
'Seems like Morgan was right about not seeing
his sister for fourteen years. And he was right
about something else too: she's a very nasty piece
of work by all accounts.'
'Maybe some girls aren't better off with their
aunts.'
Delaney gave her a flat look. 'Time will tell.
Always does.' He walked across to where Jake
was working. 'Jake.'
The mechanic stood up, squinting in the bright
sunlight and shielding his eyes with his hand.
'Yes, sir.'
'You don't have to call me sir.'
'I haven't done anything wrong.' His eyes
flicked nervously.
Sally held her hand up reassuringly. 'Nobody is
saying you have.'
'Have you found her then?'
'Not yet. Apparently she's with your younger
sister.'
Jake blinked. On a face not normally articulate
with comprehension, he looked even more
confused.
'I don't understand.'
'Candy.'
Jake backed away. 'She's not coming here. I
don't want her here.'
Sally held her hands out. 'We don't know where
she is. We need to speak to her.'
'I don't want her coming here. She hurts
people.'
'Have you spoken to her recently?'
Jake shook his head, terrified.
'Did she hurt you in the past?'
'She set light to Susie.'
'Who's Susie?'
'She was our dog. She set light to her tail and
then she burned my brother with the steam hose.
She likes to break things. Hurt people.'
'Have you any idea where she might be?'
'I haven't seen her since she burned Howard
with the steam.'
'You haven't spoken to her on the telephone?'
'I don't use the telephone.'
'It's important if you know anything to tell us.'
Jake nodded, his worried eyes darting to left
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