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Andy cleared his throat, glancing up from his examination.
“The toxicology report for the first victim came back an hour ago. She was given a high dosage of sleeping pills, and then there is evidence she was smothered with something soft, as it left no marks.”
May heard Kerry suck in a breath. She felt a chill down her spine too.
“And the pills? How would she have taken them?” May asked.
“They might have been dissolved in a very sweet drink. There was evidence of a chocolate drink in the stomach contents. Perhaps the girls were forced to take them, or encouraged or persuaded to. I’m not sure how that would have been done.”
“How long ago did this victim die?” Kerry then asked.
“Probably she was murdered earlier this morning. It looks as if death occurred between five and seven hours ago.”
“Five to seven hours,” Kerry repeated thoughtfully, and May knew she was already assessing what Jessop’s timeline would have had to be.
“Was she alive when she was placed on the raft?” May asked.
He shook his head. “I’d say unlikely.”
“Any signs of vehicles, footprints?” Kerry then asked.
May looked around and cast her eyes over the calm lake. She looked at the trees and bushes on the other side, in the direction of the town. There were no obvious signs of car tracks, footsteps, or drag marks, and she wondered if there would be anything to find.
“I’ve had a walk around already.” Jack spoke from behind her. Glancing back, May saw that another police car had pulled up and two new officers had taken over the job of guarding the scene from the small crowd that was gathering. “I didn’t find anything. But the banks here are grassy and dry. There’s not much opportunity to leave any signs.”
“True,” May said reluctantly.
She stared down at the victim in frustration, wishing that they had more they could use when they went back to Jessop.
“I’m going to go and visit Shawna’s parents now. I hope your questioning is successful,” Jack said. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how urgent it is that we get results on this.”
May nodded, feeling sick inside with tension. She could hear concerned voices ringing out from the growing crowd that was being kept well back by the police, but May could see several people were already on their phones.
Jack strode away, and Kerry stepped aside and began talking rapidly to Adams.
“I think you two gents should go straight out and conduct a search of Jessop’s office premises, as well as his home and car. We need to look for any woodworking operations, any evidence of these rafts being constructed. We also need to see if he has tranquilizers or sleeping pills in his possession. These rafts could have been made in advance and left in prearranged places, or they could have been brought to the scene, but that would not have happened in that Mercedes, so let’s check the other vehicles listed in his name.”
Owen and Adams listened to Kerry intently, nodding as she spoke. May felt so impressed by Kerry’s ability to take charge. She was such a natural leader, listing the salient points so concisely. It almost felt as if the case was already cut and dried, listening to her cool logic.
“We’ll get straight onto that, and will call you as soon as we find anything,” Adams said.
“Great.” Kerry turned to May. “And now, I guess the two of us need to get back to the police department as quickly as we can and interview Jessop. Now that we have more information on the scene, we can try to trip him up. Or trap him,” Kerry suggested, with a predatory gleam in her eye that told May she was committed to this takedown.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
“You need to explain yourself, Mr. Jessop, because we have a solid ton of evidence against you here.”
May watched admiringly, standing inside the interview room’s doorway as Kerry started out with the interrogation. She was going in hardcore, unsmiling, her perfect jaw jutting out as she stared him down, her laser-like blue eyes seeming to drill holes into him. With Kerry on force level ten, the small room felt positively claustrophobic, May thought.
Mr. Jessop was seated in a chair on the opposite side of the desk. He was already sweating noticeably.
“I’ve told you, I don’t know anything about this crime at all,” Jessop insisted, his voice shaking slightly.
May kept her expression devoid of emotion, but she was beside herself with tension. She was desperate for Jessop to slip up, to give himself away.
“Emily was seen getting into your car just before she disappeared. And you paid Shawna off via the McGees. What’s the deal there?” Kerry threatened.
“Look, I can explain.”
