In Dark Water (Detective Shona Oliver 1)

‘Good point,’ Shona said. ‘Okay, for now he stays on the list. Anyone else?’

‘Nathan Jones?’ said Dan. ‘Is he still in the frame?’

‘There’s no indication he knew Isla,’ Shona considered. ‘Despite brandishing an axe handle at us he has no convictions for violence and he’s a victim himself of domestic abuse. But, he’s dysfunctional, aggressive and secretive, living alone close to the Solway Firth. I think he stays until we can rule him out completely.’

‘What about Jamie Buckland?’ Murdo said.

Shona nodded vigorously as she inked his name on the board. ‘He lied to us about knowing Isla. We need to re-interview him. His gave his address as Carter Street in Carlisle so, Dan, re-interview him. And get Isla’s photograph out to your uniform and PCSOs while you’re at it.’

She stood back and looked at the spider diagram on the board, considering possible links and avenues. She turned to her two detective constables sitting side by side.

‘Kate, I know you’re full-on with the baby milk case, but check with the multi-agency hub if Isla Corr pops up anywhere in the months since she left hospital. We’ve an empty timeline, so let’s fill it. And social media. Her mother said she didn’t do Facebook but check the other platforms. Is that odd?’ Shona paused, addressing the question to the room. ‘A girl her age without a Facebook account?’

Ravi shrugged, picking a speck of fluff from his white, half-zipped hoodie. ‘Social media is tribal, depends what your friends have. Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp groups. Facebook has an older demographic, but it’s worth checking if she deleted her account and if she blocked anyone.’ Beside him Kate was nodding and taking notes.

Shona replaced the pen lid. ‘Ravi, I want you as FLO. Liaise with the family but also see if you can find out who Ryan’s dad is and if there’s still contact. Marie was evasive when I asked her. I don’t want you to press them, that’s not your role. But anything you pick up on, I want to hear it. As Dan said, there’s something, probably many things, not right in that family. Oh, and we need a DNA swab from Marie, to confirm Isla’s ID, and get any phone numbers Isla was using, see if we can get some cell site history.’

He nodded. ‘Sure, boss.’

The Corrs’ initial reaction to DC Ravi Sarwar would probably be hostile, and he’d certainly stand out in the all-white, working-class community of Dumfries. But his charm, tact and patience would pay dividends both for the investigation and for Isla’s relations seeking closure.

‘Anything else we should be looking at?’ Shona said.

‘Well. She was a prostitute and a drug user,’ said Kate, doodling circles on her notepad.

‘You talk like she deserved it. A young woman thrown in the sea like a piece of rubbish,’ flashed Shona, causing Kate to colour. This was exactly the kind of comment, this lack of tact, that separated her two constables, and confirmed Shona’s decision to appoint Ravi to family liaison. It was also the reason why Kate’s career, talented though she was, could stall in an unguarded moment. A male officer might get away with it, just. But even in this era of diversity and apparent equality Shona knew the old adage held true. Women were held to higher standards and any who failed would be side-lined.

‘I was just wondering why she didn’t come up on the DNA database herself,’ Kate said quietly.

‘She was under eighteen at the time of the offence. The sample was discarded after three years,’ Murdo said. ‘She’s not been in trouble since, or she learned not to get caught.’

‘Lifestyle is a legitimate line of enquiry,’ Shona conceded. ‘But remember, Isla Corr has a son, a mother, siblings, friends who all want to know how and why she died. It’s our job to answer these questions. There will be press interest, so let’s watch our words as much as our actions. Isla’s mother said she was clean, so we need the toxicology results before we jump to conclusions. Any sign of them, Dan?’ Ridley shook his head. There was a moment of heavy silence before Shona wound up the meeting. ‘Dan, with me. I want an update from the rest of you later today.’ Chairs were pushed back, Kate and Ravi heading to the small kitchen area.

‘Boss is taking this quite personally,’ Kate said sullenly to Ravi as they stood by the kettle waiting for it to boil.

‘I suppose if you recover the body yourself it’s bound to affect you,’ said Ravi, flicking through the tin of biscuit wrappers.

‘Or maybe it’s not that body she’s interested in.’

‘How do you mean?’ Ravi frowned. Half a chocolate digestive, dusty and slightly soft, was his only option.

Kate tilted her head to where Shona and Dan were waiting for the lift. They saw Shona, six inches shorter and ten years his senior, smile upwards at something Dan said. Kate raised her eyebrows at Ravi and mouthed a single word. Cougar.

* * *

At Her Majesty’s Prison Dumfries, the warning light flashed, and the reinforced glass door swung open. Inside, a second door buzzed and Shona and Dan entered the carpeted reception. At the desk they showed their warrant cards and deposited their bag and mobile phones in a lock box. There was a delay while they found a female prison officer to search Shona.

The repeated jingle and clang of locks and keys took them into an empty canteen area. Blocks of tables and benches, set out in rows, were bolted to the floor. A sneering man in prison uniform of jeans and blue T-shirt was already waiting, lounging back in the metal bench, one leg thrust out into the passage. A prison officer remained by the door.

‘Thank you for agreeing to see me.’ Shona took the seat opposite him. Dan sat down at the bench across the aisle, pulling his suit jacket straight, his expression parked firmly in neutral.

‘Aye well, we’re a bit short of the female form in here. It’s nice to freshen the image. You’ll be in my dreams tonight,’ Gringo leered.

‘I’m here about Isla,’ said Shona, brushing aside the comment. ‘When did you last see her?’

‘She’s not been to visit me thanks to you, bitch.’ He glared at her.

Shona held eye contact and sat forward, leaning her elbows on the table. ‘We’ve found her body. I’m sorry.’