wait?’
‘You might want to hear this,’ replied Conrad.
Brady sat down.
‘Does she fit the body type?’ he asked, cutting to the chase.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Go on,’ he instructed, aware that he was going to be late. And the person he was meeting wouldn’t hang around.
‘Well, she’s been missing since Thursday morning, sir,’ answered Conrad. ‘Didn’t turn up at school.’
‘So why wait until now to report her missing?’
‘Harvey said her parents weren’t overly concerned until they saw the news this morning about our murder victim. Panicked them. They tried calling her mobile, but she’s not answering.’
‘Where did they think she’s been since Thursday? I mean, this is Saturday for Christ’s sake.’
‘Parents believed that she’d been staying at a friend’s house. It seems her younger sister’s been covering for her. The missing girl’s called Melissa Ryecroft and unbeknown to her parents she was allegedly approached by a model agency scout on her Facebook wall last Sunday. Said he could get her in front of a top model agency in London if she was prepared to move fast. Said he’d arrange a meeting with them which was supposed to have been scheduled for 10am Friday. He also said he’d meet her in London on the Thursday. All of this was arranged without her parents’ knowledge. They had no idea about this model agency or scout. As I said, they believed she was staying over at a girlfriend’s house. They had no idea what she was getting involved in.’
Brady looked sceptically at Conrad.
‘And they haven’t heard from her since she left for London on Thursday?’
Conrad nodded. ‘The model agency scout doesn’t exist either. But the model agency he said he’s booked in with does exist. However, when Harvey contacted them they hadn’t heard of Melissa and had no meeting booked with either her or some model scout. Seems it was a scam, sir. Models 1 agency said they don’t work with external model scouts. They did say this isn’t unusual and that there’s a lot of people out there scamming money from wannabe models.’
Brady had a bad feeling that this wasn’t about scamming Melissa Ryecroft out of her own money. It was about making money out of her body; and not as a model.
‘Any distinguishing features, or marks on her body?’ Brady asked.
‘Same height and body type. And she’s also had a breast augmentation job.’
‘How old is she?’
‘Sixteen and currently studying at Tynemouth King’s School in their lower sixth form.’
‘Sixteen with fake breasts? How the hell did she pay for those and get legal consent?’
He couldn’t believe the way society was evolving. Reality TV like The X Factor commanded more votes than any government election ever could. People were more than happy to be anaesthetised by TV programmes about reality TV stars rather than face the bigger issues in the real world.
‘King’s is a private school, sir. Means her parents have money. They gave their consent and paid for the breast augmentation as a sixteenth birthday present. Took her abroad on holiday to Budapest allegedly.’
‘What the fuck is the world coming to, Conrad, when parents teach their daughters that all their self-worth is tied up in looking like a bloody porn star?’
‘Parents said she wanted to be a model, sir. Like Jordan, or should I say Katie Price,’ answered Conrad uncomfortably.
‘What happened to kids growing up wanting to be a doctor or a lawyer? Tell me, Conrad, when did being a topless model or a lap dancer become a girl’s ultimate goal in life?’
Conrad didn’t reply.
He knew there was nothing he could say that would snap his boss out of his diatribe about Western society’s ills. He was also well aware that the young, headless woman lying cut open in the morgue had deeply affected Brady. As had Simone Henderson’s attack.
Brady sighed as he stood up, trying not to wince as a searing pain in his ribs kicked off.
‘I need a copy of the
‘You might want to hear this,’ replied Conrad.
Brady sat down.
‘Does she fit the body type?’ he asked, cutting to the chase.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Go on,’ he instructed, aware that he was going to be late. And the person he was meeting wouldn’t hang around.
‘Well, she’s been missing since Thursday morning, sir,’ answered Conrad. ‘Didn’t turn up at school.’
‘So why wait until now to report her missing?’
‘Harvey said her parents weren’t overly concerned until they saw the news this morning about our murder victim. Panicked them. They tried calling her mobile, but she’s not answering.’
‘Where did they think she’s been since Thursday? I mean, this is Saturday for Christ’s sake.’
‘Parents believed that she’d been staying at a friend’s house. It seems her younger sister’s been covering for her. The missing girl’s called Melissa Ryecroft and unbeknown to her parents she was allegedly approached by a model agency scout on her Facebook wall last Sunday. Said he could get her in front of a top model agency in London if she was prepared to move fast. Said he’d arrange a meeting with them which was supposed to have been scheduled for 10am Friday. He also said he’d meet her in London on the Thursday. All of this was arranged without her parents’ knowledge. They had no idea about this model agency or scout. As I said, they believed she was staying over at a girlfriend’s house. They had no idea what she was getting involved in.’
Brady looked sceptically at Conrad.
‘And they haven’t heard from her since she left for London on Thursday?’
Conrad nodded. ‘The model agency scout doesn’t exist either. But the model agency he said he’s booked in with does exist. However, when Harvey contacted them they hadn’t heard of Melissa and had no meeting booked with either her or some model scout. Seems it was a scam, sir. Models 1 agency said they don’t work with external model scouts. They did say this isn’t unusual and that there’s a lot of people out there scamming money from wannabe models.’
Brady had a bad feeling that this wasn’t about scamming Melissa Ryecroft out of her own money. It was about making money out of her body; and not as a model.
‘Any distinguishing features, or marks on her body?’ Brady asked.
‘Same height and body type. And she’s also had a breast augmentation job.’
‘How old is she?’
‘Sixteen and currently studying at Tynemouth King’s School in their lower sixth form.’
‘Sixteen with fake breasts? How the hell did she pay for those and get legal consent?’
He couldn’t believe the way society was evolving. Reality TV like The X Factor commanded more votes than any government election ever could. People were more than happy to be anaesthetised by TV programmes about reality TV stars rather than face the bigger issues in the real world.
‘King’s is a private school, sir. Means her parents have money. They gave their consent and paid for the breast augmentation as a sixteenth birthday present. Took her abroad on holiday to Budapest allegedly.’
‘What the fuck is the world coming to, Conrad, when parents teach their daughters that all their self-worth is tied up in looking like a bloody porn star?’
‘Parents said she wanted to be a model, sir. Like Jordan, or should I say Katie Price,’ answered Conrad uncomfortably.
‘What happened to kids growing up wanting to be a doctor or a lawyer? Tell me, Conrad, when did being a topless model or a lap dancer become a girl’s ultimate goal in life?’
Conrad didn’t reply.
He knew there was nothing he could say that would snap his boss out of his diatribe about Western society’s ills. He was also well aware that the young, headless woman lying cut open in the morgue had deeply affected Brady. As had Simone Henderson’s attack.
Brady sighed as he stood up, trying not to wince as a searing pain in his ribs kicked off.
‘I need a copy of the
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