‘And Gill?’ Andy asked.
‘Pleased with the upshot, given I’ve no visible scars.’
‘But psychologically…’ He grinned, taking the piss.
‘Oh, already a lost cause,’ she joked.
‘Glad you’re OK, though.’
‘Me an’ all. See you down there.’ And she carried on to the stairs.
They’d got their body armour on, and personal safety equipment to hand. Rachel had picked up the keys to an old saloon before Janet could beat her to it. Janet hadn’t bothered with any chummy greetings, too fed up with Rachel’s blasé attitude and the fact that Gill hadn’t given Janet the backing she wanted, apparently still set on forcing them to work together.
‘How’s the whiplash?’ Rachel said.
Cheeky cow. ‘Keys,’ Janet held out her hand.
‘Why can’t I-’
‘You are kidding! I’d rather walk there on my knees than get in that thing with you at the wheel.’
‘I promise I’ll-’
‘Keys.’ She was adamant.
‘I’ve done the advanced driving course,’ Rachel said.
‘Bully for you. I’d never have guessed.’ Janet stuck her hand out again.
‘I get carsick in the passenger seat.’
‘Bring a sick bag.’
Rachel tutted and rolled her eyes skywards, then chucked the keys. Janet caught them.
They went into the property at seven.
Sean was in bed, looking dazed and disorientated, when Janet made the arrest. Shaking his head when she delivered the caution as though she’d got him all wrong. She told him they would be searching the premises too.
‘Stupid bitch,’ he muttered.
Janet had heard it all before, water off a duck’s back.
The other occupant, Benny, who slept in the smaller room, stood on the landing in some leopard-print boxers, scratching his belly, stupefied by proceedings.
The place was a tip. There was a sickly looking kitten in the living room, which had obviously not been house trained; everywhere reeked of cat shit. The sofa had been clawed to shreds. If Sean was dealing in stolen goods, he certainly wasn’t making any money to speak of.
Once Sean and his cousin had been driven to the station, and the kitten removed by the RSPCA, a CSI team began a search of the property. They were after the murder weapon, any bloodstained clothing or footwear and any property of Lisa’s.
It never rains but it pours, Gill thought. They’d be doing back-to-back interviews all day, as well as processing the new forensics from the Broughton house. The cells were busy, Kasim was down there talking to the duty solicitor, and Sean awaiting the arrival of his solicitor while cousin Benny was in the soft interview room.
