THE NAME CAUGHT Kate’s eye as soon as she entered the MIR. She didn’t need telling that there had been a major breakthrough in the case. It was writ large on the murder wall beneath crime scene photographs of the more recent victim. It was her sole focus. The longer she looked at it, the bigger it became. It was like looking through a camera lens, zooming ever closer. Carmichael’s handwriting. Black marker. Capital letters. Neat script, around three inches tall. A simple name. Two words: MAXINE O’NEIL.
‘SHE’S BUSY, EM. Really busy,’ Jo said. ‘The incident room have been calling nonstop.’
Jo was used to making excuses for Kate. She’d lost count of how many engagements she’d cancelled because Kate had been called in to work. Never off duty was a clichéd term but it was also a true reflection of the working life of a detective. Emily knew that to be the case. Even so, her disappointment was plain to see.
Jo sat down, changing the subject. ‘Tell me what happened with Rachel.’
Emily’s bottom lip quivered at the mention of her daughter’s name.
Jo put her arm around her. ‘I can’t help if you don’t talk to me, Em.’
‘She didn’t come home. Something terrible has happened, I know it has!’
‘You can’t possibly—’
‘I do!’
‘Emily, listen to me—’
‘I gave the copper a recent photo, the names of Rachel’s friends, but he’s wasting his time. I already rang round everyone.’
Jo looked around. ‘Where’s the officer now?’
‘Officer?’ Emily’s expression hardened. ‘Don’t make me laugh.’
The desk sergeant looked up from her paperwork. Jo smiled – a forgive-her-shes-upset kind of smile – trying to keep her onside. Turning to Emily, she dropped her voice and said, ‘Em, you need to calm down. You’re not going to get anywhere if you don’t. Where is he?’
‘Making calls.’ Emily looked over her shoulder. ‘What’s taking so long? I told him Rachel’s not one to run off—’
‘That’s not strictly true though, is it?’
‘Excuse me?’ Emily bit back. ‘Whose side are you on?’
‘It’s not a question of sides. She’s gone missing before—’
‘That was years ago, a schoolgirl prank and you know it. You know Rachel! She’s a responsible adult now!’ Emily paused, then swung round as Jo’s gaze shifted to a point over her shoulder. The PC she was waiting for was standing right behind her. Emily glared at him. ‘Well? What are you waiting for? Now will you take a missing person report?’
CARMICHAEL NUDGED HANK Gormley’s arm, tipping him off that their boss had arrived. Kate was standing in the doorway, her eyes focused on the murder wall. She’d changed her clothes and done her hair, had on a little more make-up than usual. She looked stunning.
Gormley left the others to greet her. ‘Where the hell have you been?’ he whispered. ‘We’ve been trying to contact you for hours. I was about to call the police.’
Ignoring the jibe, Kate walked further into the room, sidestepping his question with one of her own. ‘What is this? DNA match?’
‘Yep. Maxine O’Neil. Fifteen years old. One of four children to Suzanne and Graham O’Neil. Missing since around 11.30 on Tuesday, 12 February 2006. Last known sighting at a bus stop on the A1079, five miles north of Hull.’
‘Seen by who?’
‘Passing motorist. School teacher who knew her well.’
‘Male or female?’
‘Male. They’re not allowed to pick up students, so he drove right by.’
‘Allegedly,’ Robson said as he approached.
‘Why weren’t they both at school?’ Kate queried.
‘Half-term,’ Gormley said.
Kate met his eyes. ‘How seriously was her disappearance taken at the time?’
‘Not very. It was treated as a misper, in view of her age.’
Kate noticed Lisa Carmichael’s disgust. She understood it too. If the girl had been five or even ten years old they would have been on it like a rash. But that wasn’t necessarily the case for fifteen-year-olds. Chances were they had gone off with a boyfriend or just decided they’d had enough of their parents and run away. All of those things came into play when deciding who to believe and how to proceed. However, now she was a murder statistic, all that was about to change.