Helen Fields

Perfect Silence


Скачать книгу

the key through forensics so we can take it to the school and follow it up. We’ll need a public appeal for witnesses in the Meadows at the relevant time, anyone who might have seen three men leaving the area quickly. You handle that, Salter. I also want to pursue a line of enquiry to see if we can link Lorna Shaw with either Mikey Parsons or the latest slashing victim, Paddy Yates. Same dealers, same drugs, known common associates or hangouts, anything at all. Concentrate on Lorna first, then double-check all the same information for Zoey, just in case they ever crossed paths. We now have three victims who’ve been on the wrong end of a blade, and one more still missing. I want to know what the common factor is.’

      Lively seemed to be having a problem with his neck, tipping his head with increasing jerkiness in Salter’s direction. Finally Ava realised what he was doing. ‘How are you holding up, DC Salter? I’m happy to accommodate you coordinating in the incident room if the crime scenes are proving difficult for you.’

      ‘They’re not, ma’am, and whilst I appreciate the sergeant’s concern, I’d prefer it if he’d stop trying to send messages behind my back. With respect, it makes him look like a complete prat.’

      ‘I agree with you on that score, Constable.’ Ava smiled. ‘Although he means well. Just take it a week at a time, and make sure you come to me if you feel you’re being coddled. Agreed?’

      ‘Agreed,’ Salter said.

      ‘You can go, Constable. I’d like the appeal for information to go out while it’s still fresh in people’s minds. If we don’t get a lead soon we’re going to have to set up an undercover operation. I won’t leave the city’s homeless population to get butchered with no one out there to protect them, but uniforms aren’t the answer. More importantly, if we can find whoever’s assaulting the city’s drug addicts, it might just lead us to Lorna Shaw.’

      Salter and Lively turned and moved towards Ava’s office door.

      ‘Not you, Sergeant,’ Ava added, waiting until Salter had left before continuing. ‘DS Lively, you’ll have noticed that we’re busy at the moment. We have one dead young woman, two badly injured vulnerable members of our community and a missing mother whose baby needs her. Is there any particular reason you appear to be choosing this week to pick fights with the Detective Superintendent?’

      ‘To be fair, ma’am, no one needs to pick a fight with the Evil Overlord. She just seems to have taken a shine to me. What can I say?’

      ‘That was more than enough, so let me issue a very clear order. Stay out of her way. Don’t break any more rules. Do not add to my to-do list, and sort this case out immediately so that I have every pair of boots back out there looking for Lorna Shaw. The only response I require is confirmation that you have heard me and understood.’

      ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Lively said, managing by some miracle not to smirk.

      ‘Good. Now get on with it,’ Ava said.

      Lively walked towards the door, stopping as he held it a few inches open. ‘You’re more like her than you realise sometimes, ma’am.’

      Ava stared at him. ‘Leave now, Lively, before I make a phone call that will deprive you of that hard-earned pension you’re waiting to collect.’

      Lively smiled, shook his head and did as he’d been told. Ava didn’t need to threaten to fire him. She was pretty sure Overbeck already had that in hand.

       Chapter Twelve

      The mother and baby unit was eerily quiet, as if even the babies appreciated the direness of the situation and weren’t bothering their mothers. An effort had been made to make the place homely, but there was no mistaking its institutional feel. Cheap prints hung limply on the walls. The kitchen was functional more than welcoming. Each bed was the same, with unadorned white duvet covers. It was far from inhospitable, but it certainly wasn’t where any girl dreamed of ending up, Callanach thought, and it wasn’t somewhere you’d want to stay very long. Much like Zoey’s domestic abuse shelter, it was a stepping stone rather than a destination.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QQTaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo3ODY2 ODg5NC02NTVhLTRkODEtYTQ5YS1hZWM1NjQ1MTI1NGUiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5k aWQ6OUI5MEMxMDc0NzEzMTFFOEE3MDZENzdDMEY5QkM1NUMiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9Inht cC5paWQ6OUI5MEMxMDY0NzEzMTFFOEE3MDZENzdDMEY5QkM1NUMiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0i QWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJl ZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOjgyMzU2Q0E3NDAyMDY4MTE5OTRDOUM1RjAwMDI0NTdBIiBz dFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuZGlkOjlBMUY5NDdDNDAyMDY4MTE5OTRDOUM1RjAwMDI0NTdB Ii8+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxyZGY6bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+UGVy ZmVjdC1TaWxlbmNlLUItOTc4MDAwODI3NTE3NDwvcmRmOmxpPiA8L3JkZjpBbHQ+IDwvZGM6dGl0 bGU+IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8P3hwYWNrZXQg ZW5kPSJyIj8+/+0ASFBob3Rvc2hvcCAzLjAAOEJJTQQEAAAAAAAPHAFaAAMbJUccAgAAAgACADhC SU0EJQAAAAAAEPzhH4nIt8l4LzRiNAdYd+v/4gxYSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUAAQEAAAxITGlubwIQAABt bnRyUkdCIFhZWiAHzgACAAkABgAxAABhY3NwTVNGVAAAAABJRUMgc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQAA 9tYAAQAAAADTLUhQICAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAABFjcHJ0AAABUAAAADNkZXNjAAABhAAAAGx3dHB0AAAB8AAAABRia3B0AAACBAAAABRyWFla AAACGAAAABRnWFlaAAACLAAAABRiWFlaAAACQAAAABRkbW5kAAACVAAAAHBkbWRkAAACxAAAAIh2 dWVkAAADTAAAAIZ2aWV3AAAD1AAAACRsdW1pAAAD+AAAABRtZWFzAAAEDAAAACR0ZWNoAAAEMAAA AAxyVFJDAAAEPAAACAxnVFJDAAAEPAAACAxiVFJDAAAEPAAACAx0ZXh0AAAAAENvcHlyaWdodCAo YykgMTk5OCBIZXdsZXR0LVBhY2thcmQgQ29tcGFueQAAZGVzYwAAAAAAAAASc1JHQiBJRUM2MTk2 Ni0yLjEAAAAAAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAPNRAAEAAAABFsxYWVogAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAFhZWiAAAAAAAABvogAAOPUAAAOQWFlaIAAAAAAAAGKZAAC3hQAAGNpYWVogAAAA AAAAJKAAAA+EAAC2z2Rlc2MAAAAAAAAAFklFQyBodHRwOi8vd3d3LmllYy5jaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA FklFQyBodHRwOi8vd3d3LmllYy5jaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAAC5JRUMgNjE5NjYtMi4xIERlZmF1bHQgUkdCIGNvbG91ciBz cGFjZSAtIHNSR0IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC5JRUMgNjE5NjYtMi4xIERlZmF1bHQgUkdCIGNvbG91ciBz cGFjZSAtIHNSR0IAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJlbmNlIFZp ZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAALFJlZmVyZW5jZSBWaWV3 aW5nIENvbmRpdGlvbiBpbiBJRUM2MTk2Ni0yLjEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHZp ZXcAAAAAABOk/gAUXy4AEM8UAAPtzAAEEwsAA1yeAAAAAVhZWiAAAAAAAEwJVgBQAAAAVx/nbWVh cwAAAAAAAAABAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAo8AAAACc2lnIAAAAABDUlQgY3VydgAAAAAAAAQA AAAABQAKAA8AFAAZAB4AIwAoAC0AMgA3ADsAQABFAEoATwBUAFkAXgBjAGgAbQByAHcAfACBAIYA iwCQAJUAmgCfAKQAqQCuALIAtwC8AMEAxgDLANAA1QDbAOAA5QDrAPAA9gD7AQEBBwENARMBGQEf ASUBKwEyATgBPgFFAUwBUgFZAWABZwFuAXUBfAGDAYsBkgGaAaEBqQGxAbkBwQHJAdEB2QHhAekB 8gH6AgMCDAIUAh0CJgIvAjgCQQJLAlQCXQJnAnECegKEAo4CmAKiAqwCtgLBAssC1QLgAusC9QMA AwsDFgMhAy0DOANDA