Midnight Murders by Katherine John Page A

may have no choice. One more thing before I go,’ Dan pulled a sheet of typed paper from his pad, and a photograph. ‘These came up from the station half an hour ago. Description and new photograph of the victim for you to circulate among your staff.’
    Tony took the photograph, and blanched.
    â€˜You knew her, Mr Waters?’ Dan asked.
    â€˜It looks like – Rosie Tywford.’ Tony gripped the edge of his desk. ‘The hair’s right,’ he faltered, ‘but the face is all wrong. The skin’s too dark.’
    â€˜It would be, Mr Waters. She was asphyxiated,’ Dan explained. ‘There’s a description; five-foot-six, dyed blonde hair, blue eyes, no distinguishing marks other than a butterfly tattooed on her buttock.’
    â€˜I wouldn’t know about the butterfly, Inspector.’ Tony dropped the photograph on the desk. ‘But everything else fits.’
    â€˜Who was she?’ Peter asked as Tony sank down in his chair.
    â€˜She worked in this department as a clerk, before she had a breakdown. Then she became a patient.’
    â€˜When was the last time you saw her?’ Dan demanded.
    â€˜I can’t remember.’
    â€˜Think!’ Peter ordered.
    â€˜Sometime last week. Harry told me that he was discharging her as an outpatient. She’d been discharged from the ward weeks ago. He said she was thinking of visiting her parents in Devon before returning to work here.’
    â€˜Where did she live?’ Peter pressed.
    â€˜How should I know?’ Tony replied irritably. ‘A rented room or flat I suppose. I only spoke to the girl once or twice. If you want to find out more, I suggest you ask Harry or Human Resources.’
    â€˜We’ll do that,’ Dan said. ‘Thank you for your assistance, Mr Waters. No doubt we’ll be in touch again soon.’
    â€˜Where to now?’ Peter asked Dan as they left the administrator’s office.
    â€˜Human Resources then Harry Goldman. Here.’ Dan handed Michelle the photograph and sheet of paper detailing the victim’s description.
    â€˜You want me to do it, sir?’ she bristled with pride at the trust he was placing in her.
    â€˜Be quick. I’ve a feeling these offices shut early, and it’s four now.’ Dan watched as she hurried down the corridor, her long-legged stride hampered by her narrow skirt. ‘Were any of us ever that keen, Peter?’
    â€˜I can’t remember.’
    Dan headed into a perspex tunnel. ‘What do you think of the administrator?’
    â€˜He’s a stuffed shirt who might know more about that girl than he let on.’
    â€˜We can’t build walls until we have foundations to lay them on,’ Dan mused. ‘I want you to oversee the staff interviews.’
    â€˜Must I?’
    â€˜I said oversee. That doesn’t mean you have to do them all yourself.’
    â€˜But it means I have to co-ordinate the resulting information.’
    â€˜As well as supervise the search of these buildings, but I’ll see to it that you have help. Bill’s bringing in a couple of teams… ’
    â€˜Shouldn’t we check if they’ve arrived?’ Peter prompted, before Dan could think of something else to unload on to him.
    â€˜They can start without us. You do know that apart from the sites picked up by the heat-seeking cameras we’re going to have to scour every inch of garden that can be seen from Vanessa Hedley’s window?’
    â€˜With probes?’ Peter suggested.
    â€˜In every centimetre of ground,’ Dan warned.
    â€˜Garden that size could take weeks.’
    â€˜It could.’ Dan turned the corner, and once more he and Peter were locked in the strange, disembodied white tunnel world. ‘But now I intend doing something I’ve been trying to find time for all day. I’m going to visit Trevor Joseph, and as I didn’t know him that well, I’d like you to