I sigh, push my plate away. I managed to eat the first pancake, but my second is untouched, and I stare at the syrup-slavered banana glistening in the weak sunshine filtering through the window. Ever since I found the body, I’ve been questioning whether I might have made a mistake about her identity. I’ve only ever seen Amber from a distance, or on that photo Lucy showed me. And the victim’s face was smeared with blood. But I was certain in that moment, so it’s hard to believe I got it wrong.
‘I’ve seen her around,’ I say quietly. ‘I didn’t tell the police anything, because, you know, I could be wrong.’ I look up at him, seeking redemption maybe, but he’s still processing the bombshell. ‘But I think we should assume it’s her,’ I finish.
‘Oh Jesus, Rachel.’ Matt pushes his empty plate into the middle of the table and leans on his folded forearms, head hung low. ‘A teenage girl killed in our village is crazy enough, but for it to be one of the girls who was bullying Lucy …’ He lifts his chin, shakes his head. ‘Not that it’s got anything to do with that, of course,’ he adds quickly.
‘No, of course not,’ I mumble in agreement. I take a few breaths, try to calm my thoughts. ‘But there is something we need to consider.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Milla went missing last night, didn’t she? For hours.’ I automatically turn towards the doorway, as though saying her name might make her appear.
‘Yeah, so? She came back safe and sound.’ Seconds tick past and I watch comprehension spread across Matt’s dark features. ‘Hang on, you can’t think?’ He shakes his head. ‘That’s ridiculous. She fell asleep on a bench. She drank too much at Ava’s party. My God, Rachel, what are you suggesting?’ With my words fully embedded, he gives me a look of disgust and pushes up out of his chair. As I listen to the sharp clang of him dropping dishes in the sink, shame engulfs me. Because he’s right – what was I thinking? Milla is amazing – a regular teenager in some ways, a formidable tour de force in others. But not a killer.
I will hunt those bitches down.
Just words. Nothing more.
But it’s not about what I’m thinking – which is why I don’t need to admit to myself that I’m almost sure Milla was wearing a jacket when she left, but not when she got home – it’s about other people. Felix. Annie. Our neighbours might have heard me shouting at Milla when she finally came home in the early hours. Yes, Annie kept it to herself when DI Finnemore asked, but will she be so discreet when the gossip starts?
‘I’m not saying that Milla did anything,’ I plead. ‘Of course not. I just mean that she was out, wasn’t she? Alone. And there’s motive, I suppose, with all the bullying Amber and her sister have been putting Lucy through. I’m scared that the police will find all this out and then think Milla’s involved.’
‘From what Lucy’s told me, Amber was trouble, hanging out with older boys, selling drugs maybe. A teenager in social care. People won’t make a connection with Milla.’
I ride the sting of his words, the prejudice that I’m sure he never used to feel. ‘This is a sleepy village, Matt. Amber’s murder will ricochet through this place like a force-five cyclone. Everyone will be talking about it, sharing multiple theories over a pint at The Crown. We’ve got to assume that Milla going AWOL will feature at some point.’
Matt curls his hands into fists and pulls his face tight. ‘So what do we do? Warn her?’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ I sigh. ‘It feels cruel, telling her she might be a suspect in a murder when there’s not even been a formal identification. But on the other hand, maybe it would give her a chance to get her head around it before anyone says anything.’ I stare out of the window, but when my phone buzzes on the table beside me, I automatically look over at it. It’s a message from Charlotte to our mums’ group. For a moment, I assume the news of my discovery has filtered through, but her message has a different angle.
Saw Bill Wainwright this morning. His foster child Amber didn’t come home last night. Wants people to keep an eye out. Xx
PS @RachelMilla is that Lucy’s bully?
Tears form over my tired eyes. ‘It’s definitely her,’ I whisper. ‘It’s started.’
‘It’s who?’ A sleepy voice curls around the doorway. ‘What’s started?’
I turn to look at my daughter. Lucy is more patient than her sister, so I know I have a few seconds before I need to answer. A moment to consider how my youngest will take this news. However much she’s got the right to be pleased that Amber is no longer around to bully her, I hope that she isn’t. That the death of a teenager is more devastating to her than the joy of discovering her personal battle is over. ‘We’re all fine, but something terrible happened this morning,’ I say. ‘Come, sit down.’
A shadow passes across her face and she sinks into the chair furthest away from me. ‘What is it?’ she asks nervously. ‘What’s happened?’
‘On my run this morning, well,’ I stutter to a stop. Lucy is only 15. Am I really going to fill her head with the realities of a violent death?
‘Someone has died,’ Matt says gently, sitting down next to her and taking her hand – an intimacy I doubt she’d sanction from me. ‘Mum saw the body, but from a distance. Annie and Robert happened to be passing and they called the police. Mum’s fine.’
‘A body?’ Lucy asks, her voice quivering. ‘You said her, when I first came in. And that something has started. Whose body did you find, Mum?’
‘I’m not sure,’ I say quietly. ‘But Amber Walsh is missing.’
Email from DI Finnemore (SIO) to Det Supt Bishop
Subject: Saturday 4th May update
Sir,
As you’re travelling to Copenhagen tomorrow, I’m planning on running silver briefings on a daily basis, and keeping you updated via email until you’re back from the conference.
Body of a young female (IC1 or IC2 – unable to determine at scene) found at Chinnor Hill nature reserve at 8.10 a.m. by a local woman while out running – Ms Rachel Salter. Victim transferred to the morgue. Post-mortem will take place on Monday (by Dr Julian Hill – I will attend alongside DC Bzowski) but initial observations show significant head injuries, which is why it was given to us straight away. CSI still working scene. Expected to finish tomorrow. A second team in place at victim’s home.
Victim has been identified as Amber Walsh – initially via a bus pass found in her pocket. Amber was 14 years old and under the care of Oxfordshire Children’s Services (mother deceased; father unknown) alongside her half-sister Jessica Scott (father alive but not deemed a competent caregiver). Their assigned social worker Colleen Byrne did the formal identification. She also mentioned a possible lead. Seems tenuous to me, but I’ll get one of the team to follow it up – and update if anything comes of it.
Foster carers – Bill and Molly Wainwright – are being supported by the FLO (PC Anoushka Tahta). Both are in their sixties, and I understand medical treatment was required for Mrs Wainwright. Jessica has been moved to crisis foster care for forty-eight hours. She is understandably distressed and not currently talking – as in mute – but I’m hoping she’ll break her silence tomorrow – am liaising with the social worker about speaking with her then. Bill Wainwright told us that Amber went to the youth club in the church hall like normal (uniforms following that up) and texted at around 22.00 to say she was home. Wainwrights were already in bed and didn’t check. Turns out she wasn’t. They called 999 at 08.15 this morning when it was clear Amber’s bed hadn’t been slept in.
Closest CCTV coverage is in village of Chinnor – approx. 1.5 km from scene. Mainly shop cameras, plus the railway station car park. I have tasked DC Williams with securing all relevant footage. Will update further tomorrow. Victim’s phone recovered at scene. No fingerprint ID unfortunately. Security code not known by Wainwrights so hoping sister will be able to provide. Only other tech found so far is family PC at victim’s home but apparently Amber has never used it.
Amber was a pupil at Lord Frederick’s in Thame. Have spoken to her head teacher and asked if we can interview Amber’s friends at the school to save time/resources. She gave her consent but needs agreement from school governors. There was an allegation of bullying against Amber – a student called Lucy Rose – so possible lead there, but she’s the straight-A, well-behaved, middle-class type so I doubt it will come to anything.
Initial door-to-door inquiries carried out by uniformed officers among Chinnor residents suggest that Amber might have been involved in low-level drug dealing – nothing concrete at this stage, but this will be our primary line of inquiry for now.
Will update again after post-mortem on Monday. Safe travels.
Simon
AFTER
Monday 6th May
