Page 55 of Her Last Breath

‘I’d appreciate you being here to question him with me.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘See, we make a great team,’ she joked to her DS.

‘DCI Malik was right when he said we’d get used to your wicked London habits. Eventually.’

Jane laughed.

‘Let’s just make sure Matthews gives us enough to really pin down Kangna. I want to see the look on her face when I bang her to rights.’

Chapter 34

The late afternoon seemed later, the grey clouds blocking out the sun. It was only 3.45 but felt as though it was 7. After a frantic couple of hours back at HQ, making sure the team had prepared their case against Kangna, Jane had returned to the Red Lion with DS Johnson to question Ian Matthews. Sitting with him in her car, outside the pub, she watched the road in her side mirror, ready to jump on their target. As they waited, DS Johnson’s phone rang and he had a muted conversation before turning to update Jane.

‘Nelson police just checking in. They attended the address we sent them, but the real van’s parked outside Dorothy’s home. Been there for months according to neighbours, since before she was admitted into the facility.’

‘Did they check for the damaged paintwork?’

‘Yes, ma’am. Nothing matching the van we’re looking for.’

‘Stolen plates then. Our killer at least knows to use the same vehicle type.’

‘ANPR wouldn’t flag it as suspicious if it did get picked up, even without his 4D tampering.’

‘Thanks for mansplaining, Dave.’

‘Sorry, ma’am.’

‘It was a joke. At least we have something we can track through CCTV. Burnley isn’t so big, how long can the killer keep it hidden from us? Let’s get a full alert out.’

‘Already done, ma’am.’

‘Very good. Is this a recent picture of Matthews?’ Jane asked, pulling up a mugshot on her phone. He looked like he was young, in his late twenties possibly.

‘He’s a bit scrawnier now, hair is longer. You’d recognise him from that though. He’s below average height, maybe five four.’

Nodding, Jane settled back into her seat, took a pack of mints from her pocket.

‘Are you giving me a hint?’

‘You know me, DS Johnson, I’d be much more upfront than that.’

He took the proffered sweet, the car filling with the sharp scent of mint.

‘I hope it’s not been too slow for you up here,’ he said, his words coated with the sticky mint in his mouth. ‘After London, I mean. I’m sure the Met were dealing with bigger cases than us.’

‘Some of my most complex cases were busting people trafficking networks, bringing down international drug smuggling networks. Lots of murders, especially young kids stabbing each other.

‘Sounds like Burnley.’

‘What can I say? People are shit everywhere.’

‘Some people.’

‘You never been tempted to do a secondment elsewhere?’ she asked.

‘Never. Burnley is home for me. I didn’t really have family growing up, parents were ex-junkies that overdosed. Spent years in the care system; getting fostered as a Black kid up here was pretty difficult. They tried to move me a few times, to Manchester and Liverpool, never worked out.’