focus for a few seconds before zoning back in on her. ‘No. I’m … I’m fine. Just … fine.’
She was about to ask him again, but he spoke before she could.
‘We’d better get a move on,’ he said, not bringing his eyes into contact with hers. ‘I’ve asked the forensic teams to give us a few minutes alone in there. I’ll come with you, show you round. Tell you whether they’ve moved anything, what was in the original places. That sort of thing.’
‘Fine … ’ She was still looking at him, curious. Phil was a man of raging emotional torrents – because of his upbringing, both good and bad. It was one of the things that had first attracted her to him. The damage she felt an immediate connection with. The passion he had she wanted to share with him. But she knew that because of his job, for the most part he kept his emotions tightly bound. Didn’t let anyone glimpse inside.
But he had never done that to her before. Never kept her out. And that was what she felt he was doing now.
One last attempt. ‘Phil?’
‘I’m fine.’ He pulled his arm away. ‘I’m fine. I’m just … tired.’
She looked at him, said nothing. Felt the tightrope she was on begin to waver.
‘Right,’ he said, clapping his hands together as if to break a spell, ‘you up for this?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be? It’s my job.’ Frosty. Clearly unhappy. If Phil picked up on that, he didn’t acknowledge it. ‘OK. Good. Come on then, let’s go.’
He turned, walked towards the house. She followed. Putting her relationship aside, ready to enter the house as a professional.
Compartmentalising.
She would deal with the rest later.
25
‘W atch your step down here. It’s pretty rickety.’
Phil led the way, Marina behind him. The arc lights had been left on, the trailing cables leading up the wooden stairs to outside generators. There was space for only one person at a time, so he moved carefully, aware of her behind him.
He was angry with himself. What he had seen in the other house had spooked him, unsettled him, though he didn’t know why. But he knew the answer was within him somewhere. And until he found it, he couldn’t share it with anyone else. Not even Marina.
He hated keeping anything from her. It broke his heart to see the concern on her face, knowing he couldn’t say anything. He just hoped she would understand. Later.
He reached the cellar floor, Marina a few seconds after him.
‘This is it,’ he said. Waiting while she took it all in, trying to see it through her eyes.
She looked round, her eyes widening as she saw the cage. ‘Oh my God … ’
‘Exactly. My reaction too.’ That sense of unease returned as he looked at it once more. His mind was trying to subconsciously connect it with the diagram on the wall …
No. He couldn’t see it.
Marina gave another scan. ‘And the flowers? Was this how you found them?’
Phil looked at the floor. Some of the petals had been gathered up, removed. A few had been trampled on by Forensics.
‘No, they were all over the floor. Strewn.’
She smiled. ‘Strewn. I think you’ve won the award for most unexpected word of the day.’
He reddened slightly. ‘What can I say? I’m honoured.’
Her smile faded as she went back to work. Concentrating.
‘There were a few bunches, though.’ He pointed round the walls. The bunches were still there, where he had found them. Wilting, dying.
‘In those exact locations?’
‘Just about, yes.’
She nodded, staying in the one place, looking round three hundred and sixty degrees. She took it all in. The flowers, the cage. The workbench. The gardening tools. The markings on the wall. Her lips began to move as she spoke to herself.
Phil had seen her do this before. Mentally processing information, working out what she saw, interpreting the scene before her. He had never ceased to be amazed at how she did it, or the accuracy of her results.
She walked round the cellar. Plastic gloves on her hands, paper
She was about to ask him again, but he spoke before she could.
‘We’d better get a move on,’ he said, not bringing his eyes into contact with hers. ‘I’ve asked the forensic teams to give us a few minutes alone in there. I’ll come with you, show you round. Tell you whether they’ve moved anything, what was in the original places. That sort of thing.’
‘Fine … ’ She was still looking at him, curious. Phil was a man of raging emotional torrents – because of his upbringing, both good and bad. It was one of the things that had first attracted her to him. The damage she felt an immediate connection with. The passion he had she wanted to share with him. But she knew that because of his job, for the most part he kept his emotions tightly bound. Didn’t let anyone glimpse inside.
But he had never done that to her before. Never kept her out. And that was what she felt he was doing now.
One last attempt. ‘Phil?’
‘I’m fine.’ He pulled his arm away. ‘I’m fine. I’m just … tired.’
She looked at him, said nothing. Felt the tightrope she was on begin to waver.
‘Right,’ he said, clapping his hands together as if to break a spell, ‘you up for this?’
‘Why wouldn’t I be? It’s my job.’ Frosty. Clearly unhappy. If Phil picked up on that, he didn’t acknowledge it. ‘OK. Good. Come on then, let’s go.’
He turned, walked towards the house. She followed. Putting her relationship aside, ready to enter the house as a professional.
Compartmentalising.
She would deal with the rest later.
25
‘W atch your step down here. It’s pretty rickety.’
Phil led the way, Marina behind him. The arc lights had been left on, the trailing cables leading up the wooden stairs to outside generators. There was space for only one person at a time, so he moved carefully, aware of her behind him.
He was angry with himself. What he had seen in the other house had spooked him, unsettled him, though he didn’t know why. But he knew the answer was within him somewhere. And until he found it, he couldn’t share it with anyone else. Not even Marina.
He hated keeping anything from her. It broke his heart to see the concern on her face, knowing he couldn’t say anything. He just hoped she would understand. Later.
He reached the cellar floor, Marina a few seconds after him.
‘This is it,’ he said. Waiting while she took it all in, trying to see it through her eyes.
She looked round, her eyes widening as she saw the cage. ‘Oh my God … ’
‘Exactly. My reaction too.’ That sense of unease returned as he looked at it once more. His mind was trying to subconsciously connect it with the diagram on the wall …
No. He couldn’t see it.
Marina gave another scan. ‘And the flowers? Was this how you found them?’
Phil looked at the floor. Some of the petals had been gathered up, removed. A few had been trampled on by Forensics.
‘No, they were all over the floor. Strewn.’
She smiled. ‘Strewn. I think you’ve won the award for most unexpected word of the day.’
He reddened slightly. ‘What can I say? I’m honoured.’
Her smile faded as she went back to work. Concentrating.
‘There were a few bunches, though.’ He pointed round the walls. The bunches were still there, where he had found them. Wilting, dying.
‘In those exact locations?’
‘Just about, yes.’
She nodded, staying in the one place, looking round three hundred and sixty degrees. She took it all in. The flowers, the cage. The workbench. The gardening tools. The markings on the wall. Her lips began to move as she spoke to herself.
Phil had seen her do this before. Mentally processing information, working out what she saw, interpreting the scene before her. He had never ceased to be amazed at how she did it, or the accuracy of her results.
She walked round the cellar. Plastic gloves on her hands, paper
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