58

Jessie looked at her watch. Deepak stared out of the car window. Tension had ebbed away to boredom and Helen Hibbert was still in the house.

‘Put the radio on if you like,’ Jessie said.

‘Thought you had a headache,’ he replied, face still at the window.

She shrugged.

‘It’s fine,’ he said. ‘I can do without.’

Jessie’s phone rang. She was grateful for the distraction. It was Mickey Philips, his voice breathless and urgent, as if he had run a long distance to deliver an important message.

‘We’ve found where Josephina Brennan was being kept,’ he said, ignoring niceties.

Jessie’s boredom disappeared as he told her about the discovery at the house in Jaywick, the dead body, the dead dogs. The message Marina had left for them.

‘It’s your team investigating, so I thought you’d want the heads up.’

‘Thanks. You got a name for the body yet?’

‘There’s a car at the scene registered to a Graham Watts. Looks like his driving licence photo, so we think it might be him. The name ring any bells?’

Jessie thought. ‘Graham Watts? No. But I’ll get it looked into.’

Deepak registered the name as she said it, took out his phone, started accessing the internet.

‘Appreciate it,’ said Mickey. ‘You getting on it now?’

‘I’ll pass it on. We’re following someone who may be able to lead us to Jeff Hibbert’s killer and we can’t break off from that. I’ll get the DS dealing with Josephina to give you a call and liaise. Sort out whose patch is whose.’

‘Cheers.’ There was a pause. ‘Well, speak soon.’ He hung up.

Jessie did likewise, turned to Deepak. ‘Got anything?’

He glanced up from his iPhone. ‘Not yet. I’ll keep looking.’

There was so much adrenalin coursing round Jessie’s system she could barely sit still now. She called the station. Gave them Mickey’s news. Then she turned her attention back to the gates. Deepak looked up.

‘They must be getting on well in there,’ he said. ‘Wonder what they’re talking about?’

‘We’ll find out soon enough,’ she said.