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  Ruby tried to appear nonchalant as Downes showed her outside. ‘I hope you didn’t mind me calling unannounced,’ she said one more time. ‘I just thought I’d pre-warn you so you can take Ash aside and have a quiet word. You know, to prepare him for what’s ahead. I’ve spoken to him about counselling, maybe you could recommend it too.’ She smiled, making a scissors motion with her fingers. ‘We could come at him from both angles, the good old pincer technique.’

  But Downes looked strained. ‘You did the right thing. Speak to Luddy, have him arrange for the list of April’s clients to go directly to me. If he asks why, just say it contains sensitive information.’

  ‘Will do,’ Ruby said. ‘I’ll have the names of the rest of the girls on the Crosby’s books by today. That is, if they’ll let me in. I’ve been in the doghouse since you turned up.’

  Downes gave her a sheepish grin. He made no effort to dissuade her this time. ‘Do you want me to come with you?’

  Ruby snorted. ‘Don’t be daft! I’ll see you back in the nick. If I get anything juicy, I’ll give you a ring.’

  ‘Make sure you do,’ he said. ‘I don’t want any more dead bodies turning up on my patch today.’

  ‘Oh, and boss?’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I like your socks.’

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  ‘How can you live in this place?’ Lenny said, staring out the window of Ruby’s flat. It offered a view of a high-rise building, and a graffiti-stained playground that parents were too scared to allow their children to visit. Her tower block had seen its fair share of police raids, drug busts and gangs but none were as dangerous as the man taking in the view.

  She had not expected a response to her text so soon, much less one asking to meet at her flat.

  ‘Isn’t it about time you sorted yourself out, got yourself a decent gaff?’

  Ruby cocked her head to one side, gazing at him with a level of mistrust. Something had changed. Lenny was talking to her like he did in the old days, back when they were teenagers. Growing up next door to each other, he was always bossing her around. Something had shifted when he got out of prison, but now Ruby felt movement again. Was this his way of making an effort? Was he so scared of losing Nathan that he’d decided to work with her rather than against her? Whatever the reason, she did not trust him one iota.

  ‘Why did you ask to come here?’ Ruby said, ignoring his question as she tried to pre-empt his next move. ‘It doesn’t look good for you to be seen at my address. Not when Nathan’s mixed up in this investigation.’

  Lenny offered a thin-lipped smile. ‘Don’t worry yourself, love. I’ve been avoiding the filth half my life. You think I can’t get into this shitty flat without being seen?’

  ‘Yeah, well we don’t all live in the lap of luxury.’ Ruby tightened her jacket around her. Heating was an extravagance, and she only had it on for a couple of hours at night. ‘We’re coming very close to nicking a suspect for the murders. That should take Nathan out of the frame. But I need a clear connection between the girls. I’ve been told Ellie and April were fired from your escort agency in the last year. Can you give me a list of your girls and their clients? In particular, any who knew Doctor Tanner.’

  ‘They were all under his care,’ Lenny said. ‘In more ways than one from what I’ve heard.’

  ‘This is crucial evidence,’ Ruby said, trying to keep the topic away from sex. ‘Tanner’s our prime suspect. I’ll see to it that you won’t be implicated in any wrongdoing.’

  Lenny raised his eyebrows. ‘Too right you will. You’ll get what you need. One of my staff will come to the nick, he’ll give you what’s relevant. Will that do you?’

  ‘Yes, it will.’ She wanted to question him about the acid attack, but her desire for him to leave was stronger. Had Nathan carried it out himself or arranged for someone else to do it? It shouldn’t have made any difference, but the question kept her awake at night just the same.

  He closed her flimsy curtains, an act of intimidation that Ruby instantly recognised. ‘So tell me, how far along are you in this investigation of yours? You’re taking your time, ain’t you?’

  ‘And you’re my boss now, are you?’ Ruby said in a droll voice. Lenny spoke to everyone as if he owned them, and she resented him viewing her as another part of his property.

  ‘I don’t care for your tone.’

  Ruby sighed. All they did was bicker, and it was getting her nowhere. She glanced at her watch. Turning her police radio anticlockwise, she unclipped it from her shoulder harness. After their last meeting, she had not come unarmed. Her cuffs and gas nestled against her ribcage under her jacket. It was a message to Lenny that he would not lay hands on her again. She pressed her finger on the power button, tapping in her collar number until it came to life. She checked her channel and turned it down until it emanated a low buzzing noise: she was back on the radar, which meant control could track her location by GPS.

  ‘Thanks for helping out but I’ve got to get back to work now, see how the investigation’s progressing.’

  Lenny, who had been scrutinising her every movement, folded his arms. ‘You’d better progress it, because if my brother ends up behind bars. . .’

  Ruby fished the car keys from her pocket, trying to remind herself that, despite his hard man act, Lenny was as worried about Nathan as she was. She thought of ten-year-old Lenny, and how he had absorbed his father’s blows to protect Nathan from his wrath. Lenny, who had broken a broom over his father’s back as he throttled his mother on the floor of their kitchen. The consequence of that act was a broken nose that would alter his features for ever.

  But a lifetime of being shielded by his brother had left Nathan with an obligation he could never satisfy. She turned to face Lenny as she waited by the door for him to leave. ‘I know you’re worried, but I’m working as hard as I can. There’s also a matter of these young girls getting slaughtered on my patch. Lisa, Ellie, April. . . Something tells me he won’t stop there.’

  ‘Those slags are of no interest to me,’ Lenny said, straightening his tie as he walked towards the door. ‘Just remember, time is ticking. I expect results soon.’

  ‘Yeah, you and my DCI,’ Ruby said, her final parting shot as he let himself out.

  Taking a deep breath, she chastised herself for answering back but it was too hard to stop the spark of defiance slipping out as she spoke. Besides, if she didn’t stand up to Lenny she would be for ever under his thumb. Why had he met her here at her flat? Was it to check up on her or was he just worried about Nathan? She gave up trying to second-guess the man she had grown up with, with his fractured background and unstable mental ability. She could torture herself for hours trying to understand his motives.

  She crept around the flat as she freshened up to return to work. The ghost of his presence still lingered, making her uneasy. She would forgo the sandwich she was going to make, and eat on the hoof. She needed to get into the sanctuary of her office. At least there would be no unexpected surprises there. Pulling back her curtains, she threw one last glance onto the streets below. In another couple of hours twilight would be closing in; the twinkling lights filling the skyline and drawing in the predators that prowled the streets. She frowned, her fingers resting on the cracked windowpane. The killer was out there right now, his breath heavy as he planned his next move – but where? There were over eight and a half million people living in London, and over two hundred thousand of them in Hackney alone. But she wouldn’t let the figures put her off. He was walking her pavements, and she would not rest until he was behind bars.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  ‘You lot are spanking the overtime, aren’t you?’ Ruby said. The team was running at full strength, except for Eve, who was over four months pregnant, and Ash, who was visiting his wife. A quick call had ensured he was OK. Ruby’s stomach growled, reminding her she had not eaten. Turning on her heels, she shoved her hands in her trouser pockets and fished out some change. ‘Anyone want some chocolate f
rom the machine?’

  ‘We’ve eaten,’ Luddy said, ‘I. . . er. . . left you a sandwich in your office. Cheese and pickle, your favourite.’

  ‘Homemade?’ Ruby flashed him a smile.

  Luddy nodded. ‘Yup.’

  ‘Ooh, you little beauty! And for afters? Any of your mum’s famous homemade shortbread?’

  ‘Of course, she made a biscuit tin full. I kept you a slice – it’s all on your desk.’

  ‘Tell your mum thanks from me. That’ll go down a treat.’

  Shoving her change back in her pocket, she made a round of teas and coffees for the workers before tucking into her food. Luddy was single and lived at home with his mum. He lived and breathed the job, and Ruby imagined Mrs Ludgrove had heard all about the office politics and their individual quirks. His colleagues used to take the piss out of her sending in food – until they tasted it and hounded him for more. Luddy said it made her feel useful, feeding the troops, and nobody in the office complained. She made a mental note to collect a few quid for a bunch of flowers – it was the least they could do. Ruby’s eyes flicked to the framed photo on her crumb-laden desk. Her own mum would be having dinner now. Guilt bloomed inside her. She needed to set aside some time to pay her a visit; it had been days. She took another bite of her sandwich, finding it harder to swallow this time.

  After catching up with her most urgent tasks, she joined her team. ‘I just wanted to say thanks for coming in on your day off. I know we’re all under pressure right now, but look after yourselves, OK?’ Her team listened attentively as she brought them up to speed on Doctor Tanner. Choosing her words carefully, she disclosed his links with the historic child abduction and his employment within the Crosby escort agency from which Ellie and April had both been fired.

  ‘But what about Lisa Caldwell?’ Luddy piped up. ‘There’s nothing to link her death to this doctor, is there?’

  ‘Not yet, and DCI Worrow seems convinced that Danny Smedley’s our man,’ Ruby said, glancing around her to check she wasn’t in earshot. ‘But don’t discount the fact they could be linked. I want you to bear in mind that Lisa could have been a trial run.’ She hated to term the young woman’s death in such a flippant fashion, but such a term was a common one in police circles and immediately understood. It was not uncommon for criminals and deviants to bolster their confidence and build up to what was to come. Handbag snatches often led to sexual assaults; domestic abuse to murder. It was possible that Lisa Caldwell was nothing but practice for what was to come.

  ‘Who’s eaten all the shortbread?’ DI Downes said, making Ruby jump.

  ‘Boss, I didn’t see you come in. I’m just briefing the team on what we have to date.’

  Downes pulled out the freshly written statement nestled under his arm. ‘This has just come in, marked for your attention. A list of women who worked in the same brothel as Ellie and April – all under the care of Doctor Tanner.’ His glance fell on Ruby. ‘Our very helpful witness believes that Tanner was also paying the women for sex, right up until he disappeared off the radar.’

  ‘Which was. . . ?’ Ruby asked, trying to tease out the information. It seemed that Lenny had come good and delivered the information as promised.

  ‘Which was in the last couple of months. Tanner’s not at his flat and neighbours haven’t seen him.

  ‘I’ve also had some results back from the post-mortem. We’ve been allocated a decent budget, allowing us to rush tests through. Traces of cotton wadding were found within the mouth cavity of our last victim, April Mead. This isn’t cotton wool that you’d buy over the counter, it’s a very particular type of wadding used during surgery to plug wounds.’ He glanced around the room to ensure he had everyone’s attention. ‘The same cotton wadding was found in Ellie Mason’s chest cavity. They’ve traced the origin, and it was sold by a pharmaceutical company that went out of business two years ago. Whoever used this would have had access to surgical supplies not available to Joe Public.’

  ‘Guv, does this mean Nathan Crosby’s no longer a suspect?’ Luddy piped up. With his crumpled shirt and pallid complexion, the sixteen-hour shifts had taken their toll. But it could not extinguish his enthusiasm as new leads filtered through.

  ‘No, he’s still coming in when he surfaces,’ Downes said. ‘But I want you to dig up what you can on Doctor Tanner today. You’ll be given tasking sheets and I want your updates before next briefing. For now, he’s our number one priority.’

  Ruby exhaled with relief. Hearing DI Downes say it out loud lifted her spirits, making her forget all about the disturbed sleep and Lenny’s recent threats. ‘I’d like the team to put some feelers out for the child Tanner was alleged to have abducted, guv? Contact social services, see if she’s up for speaking to us again.’ Nathan’s bombshell that Tanner was responsible for the child found in the woods had opened up a new line of enquiry. If she could positively identify him as her abductor then his arrest would put a stop to the killing spree.

  ‘You can, but if she’s in the system they’re not going to release her details quickly. You’ll need to go through their legal team, and that takes time. Let’s focus on putting a package together for Tanner’s arrest. We’ve got enough with the witness statement and autopsy results for now.’

  The fact her team were on the hunt for Doctor Tanner was good enough for Ruby. She would make it her business to speak to the girls listed in the statement personally. At last, pieces of the investigation were beginning to gel. She loved this part of the enquiry when their efforts started gaining momentum. She thought of the victims, and how they had died beneath a cruel, merciless hand. He was not stopping, not unless she stopped him first. The hunt was on.

  Chapter Forty

  It was three thirty. In an hour and a half, London would fall into rush hour. Soon, grim-faced commuters would be pouring from work, while cars, taxis and double-decker buses would drive bumper to bumper, stalling Ruby’s journey. If she was going to hit the streets, she had to do it now.

  Immersed in viewing CCTV, DC Ludgrove jumped as she tapped his shoulder.

  ‘Are you game for a trip out?’ Ruby said, casting her eyes over his desk. To his right was a wad of well-thumbed paperwork and beside it a pad imprinted with hastily scribbled notes. Fresh from the briefing, she knew his workload was high, and the physical paperwork was nothing compared to the masses of statements, exhibits, and crime scene photos uploaded online. But she reasoned with herself that if they got a quick result, his enquiries could be cut in two.

  ‘Sure,’ he said, appearing relieved to get the opportunity to leave the office for a while. She laid out the list in front of him. The names had already been brought up during briefing but she went over them again to refresh his memory.

  ‘There’s nothing to link Lisa Caldwell to the escort agency, but I figure if we concentrate on Tanner’s association with Ellie and April then we can build evidence of a case and go from there. You never know, he might admit to Lisa’s death if he’s banged to rights for the others.’

  Luddy nodded. ‘So we’re only looking at women that Tanner knew who worked in the agency?’

  Ruby nodded; she would have loved to have had the manpower to investigate all their leads at once, but time was precious and they had to prioritise. ‘Ellie Mason was the most recent person to leave, followed by April Meade. There’s nothing to say he won’t target the girls currently working for the Crosbys, but given their reputation in the community, it’s doubtful.’

  ‘Then why are they fair game once they’ve left?’ Luddy said. ‘Surely, if the girls are acquainted with such a force, that should offer them some protection?’

  ‘It doesn’t work like that,’ Ruby said. ‘Lenny Crosby sees the girls as his property. Think of it as owning a fleet of cars: once you trade them in, you’re no longer interested. He’s the same with his girls. Once they leave he doesn’t care what happens to them. That’s why I think Tanner’s only targeting girls who have left – they’re easy targets.’

  Lu
ddy grabbed his black suit jacket from the back of his chair. ‘Either that or the Crosbys bumped them off because they knew too much.’

  Ruby felt a prickle of annoyance. Luddy had an inkling of her friendship with Nathan after the last high-profile incident. If he of all people was thinking this, what were the rest of the team saying? ‘It’s not Nathan Crosby. Haven’t you been listening to briefing?’ she snapped.

  ‘Sorry, Sarge, it was just a thought,’ he said, straightening his jacket and fixing his collar.

  ‘Call me Ruby,’ she muttered, taking a folded piece of paper from her trouser pocket. ‘Now, we’ve only got two names on this list: Sharon Connors and Mandy Prentice. Mandy was the last to leave so my guess is that Sharon is next. Initial searches have brought up nothing for Mandy. She could have got married, moved abroad, or—’

  ‘Or already be dead,’ Luddy said.

  ‘God, you’re a bundle of laughs today, aren’t you? Hopefully, Mandy’s alive and well. I do know where Sharon is though. So, if you’re up for it, I’d like to pay her a visit.’

  ‘Sounds like a plan,’ Luddy said, his words echoing down the corridor as they headed out to the car park. ‘Hang on, wasn’t there a team set up to speak to the working girls?’