Irrefutable Evidence: A Crime Thriller Read Online Free Page A

been seen working in Mapperley. So she might have been treading on toes and killed to set an example, depending on who’s running her. That’s our first line to look into. To this end, DI McPherson will allocate duties at the end of the meeting.
    “We’ve had uniforms talk to a couple of her night shift companions and it seems she was last seen late on Friday night, shortly after midnight. She told one of them that she had a client picking her up. No name as yet but we have her mobile number from the women the uniforms spoke to and we’re in the process of tracking calls and messages.
    “The timing ties in well with the pathologist’s initial findings at the scene. He estimated that she had been dead between fourteen and twenty hours, which puts the time of the murder in the early hours of Saturday morning.”
    He turned and pointed to a large-scale map of Harlow Wood.
    “SOCOs found a fresh tyre print here at the edge of an unpaved forest track, which as you can see is about fifty yards from where the body was found. Could be from a four by four, but not one of the forestry vehicles.
    “From the general lack of disturbance at the scene, apart from that definitely from the courting couple who found her, the SOCOs’ initial thoughts are that Miruna’s body was carried to where she was found rather than dragged — there’re what appear to be some fibres of the same colour as the fluffy collar of her jacket caught on a couple of the bushes along the path — so it could be she was killed in the car.
    “As we speak, traffic are looking at CCTV footage from the early hours of Saturday morning from cameras covering Forest Road West and adjacent streets. With luck, we’ll see Miruna being picked up and maybe we’ll get a number plate. The killer’s probably using a stolen vehicle, but information on the location of the owner could help.”
    He paused and waited for the group to catch up with their notes. Jennifer raised her hand.
    “Yes, Cotton?”
    “Did the pathologist say any more about the blows to the head, boss? How hard they were?”
    Hurst nodded. “He reckons they were hard enough to knock her out but not intended to kill. However, the skin was broken and there was minor bleeding.”
    Still scribbling on her pad, Jennifer called out another question.
    “What about the weapon? Could the pathologist say what it might be?”
    “Up to a point, yes. It had a rounded end, probably a cosh of some sort. Maybe hard rubber rather than metal. We’ll get more on that from the pm.”
    “So we could be looking at premeditation as opposed to, say, an argument that escalated,” persisted Jennifer.
    “What makes you think that?”
    “Well, boss, not many people drive around with coshes in their cars. It could have been brought along for the purpose of killing her or knocking her out.”
    “Good point, Cotton.”
    Hurst noticed Derek Thyme’s hand hovering in a tentative wave.
    “Something to add, Thyme?”
    “Was there any sign of the polythene bag at the scene, boss?”
    “No,” said Hurst, shaking his head. “But of course the killer could have shoved it in his pocket.”
    He turned to a whiteboard behind him covered in photographs and notes in felt-tip pen.
    “Now, the other thing that’s important is the girl’s clothing. As you can see from the photos, she was wearing a short denim skirt, a red sleeveless top and a thin shiny black plastic jacket with a fluffy fake fur collar. Her underwear appeared to be in place so it seems that if there was any sexual activity, it could have been oral. The mouth swabs should confirm that.
    “However, we only found one shoe, which she was wearing on her right foot.” He pointed to a photo. “As you can see, it’s quite dressy with a high heel and a pointed toe. So far, there’s no sign of the other one. The SOCOs conducted as thorough a search as they could last night and they’ll be back about now to check the whole area again in daylight.”
    A hand went up