extract from 'FROZEN'
Leverton sighed and sat back in his chair. “The problem for us is this guy's DNA doesn't match anything on our database. We picked up one good fingerprint from Natalie's body but it doesn't tally with anything we've got on file. We've got literally nothing to go on.”
Megan felt uneasy. She wasn't sure he was being straight with her. She decided to face him. “You're asking me to come up with a profile?”
Leverton nodded.
“Why? I mean dead prostitutes aren't going to get Joe Public howling for retribution.” She watched him. His eyes flicked down to the desk. “Martin, I hope you wouldn't think of using me in some private battle with one of your colleagues.”
The sound of him drawing in his breath was almost imperceptible. He looked back, his eyes unwavering this time.
“Of course not.” He paused just long enough to make Megan feel uncomfortable. “Will you trust me on this one? I can't say exactly why I've asked for your help. All I can say is that I need a completely independent, unbiased view of the sort of man who committed these murders. Will you help me?”
Megan's eyes narrowed as he held her gaze. So, she thought, this is all about police corruption. Who's he after? A cop who murders prostitutes? A cop in a pimp's pocket? She felt a nudge of guilt. Was she completely independent and unbiased? “OK, she said slowly. She had no desire to do Leverton a favour but the case intrigued her. “I'll see what I can find.”
*
*****
Megan's sister Ceri Richardson was wrapping a Christmas present for her husband.
It was a silk tie. Not very romantic, she thought, as she cut out a rectangle of green and gold paper. It's the sort of present a daughter might give to her father or a mother to her son.
She thought of the first time they had met. That first Christmas together in a rented flat. She had tried to make it so exciting; a chocolate box couple young and in love. Except that they weren't - at least, she wasn't. She could see that now, although at the time she had managed to fool herself.
She tore pieces of sellotape with her teeth, sealing the gift in its festive shround. What should she write on the label? 'All my love' - what a joke! Perhaps 'Lots of love' would do?
Of course what she would really like to write was, 'Hope it throttles you, darling.'
© Lindsay Ashford 2003