Chatter died as Juliet and I walked into the briefing room. Uniformed officers sank into seats around square tables, Alice To among them. I tried not to change my smile as our eyes met, but she quickly looked at the officer beside her. David and his forensic team lazed against the walls, dressed in thin jumpers and leggings that helped them keep cool in the white bodysuits they donned daily.
I logged onto a battered laptop in the corner of the room and Juliet moved to one side as a map of the Dunlow Estate projected onto the screen behind her. This was the first time we’d had any significant staffing allocation for this case, so we’d decided Juliet should take the reins temporarily. It wasn’t that anyone would be disrespectful to me, but if you wanted a job done with a minimum of fuss then it made sense to put the highest-ranking officer at the wheel.
‘On 9th October at around eight p.m. Melanie Pirt entered the Dunlow Estate in the New Forest, we believe via a broken section of wall,’ Juliet said. ‘She’d arranged to meet with Leonard Dunlow, but he says he reconsidered and did not meet her. Four hours later, she ran through the forest from the direction of the house, climbed a tree, and was shot three times. She fell to the ground and was mauled by a dog. This animal was also shot.’
On the screen, Melanie’s flight path zigzagged through an overhead shot of trees. The site of the shooting was marked with a red dot. I clicked onto the next slide, which showed the bullets and gun casings pulled from the bodies. As I’d put the presentation together, I’d chosen not to include a photo of Melanie’s dead body. It wasn’t something the team needed to see.
‘We have not yet recovered the murder weapon,’ Juliet continued. ‘The residents of the Dunlow Estate have given differing accounts of the night of the murder and, as of yet, we have no corroborated alibi for any of them.’
I clicked again and four faces filled the screen. Dunlow, his two sons, and Karl. Odds were, one of these men killed Melanie. Hopefully, the search would reveal something that pointed conclusively to one of them. If that happened, I’d swallow any lingering instincts leading another way. Not that my gut was pointing towards anyone, just away from too many of our suspects.
‘We have a warrant to search the estate buildings,’ Juliet said, while I brought up the map again. This time the buildings were highlighted. ‘We’ll work through the manor first, which I imagine will take most of the afternoon. After that, we’ll head to the garage and rooms above then sweep out into the barn and other outbuildings. We’ll finish with the groundskeeper’s cottage at the entrance to the estate. I want any notebooks, unwashed clothing, and anything that looks like it was hidden away brought in for examination. Any questions?’
Alice raised her hand, her gaze firmly fixed on Juliet. ‘Have the residents been informed of our intention to search the property, ma’am?’
‘No.’ Juliet folded her arms. ‘We believe that Timothy Dunlow, the estate owner, will be unhappy about the search but neither he nor his youngest son, Leonard, should be home when we first arrive. We don’t think Mr Dunlow will be any trouble when he does come home, but he may need assurance that we have a warrant and are carrying out our lawful duty.’
David didn’t raise his hand. ‘How come it’s taken so long for you to request a search of the estate?’
Like everyone else, his eyes were on Juliet. Hidden from the others, her hands clenched into fists behind her folded arms.
‘Initially, nothing suggested that any of the residents of the estate were linked to the murder,’ Juliet answered, her tone mild. ‘Only recently has new evidence punched holes through their shaky alibis and given us cause for the search.’ She looked around the room. ‘If there’s nothing else, shall we head out?’
I logged off and stood beside her as everyone else left the room. Alice nodded as she walked by, her eyes carefully avoiding the space occupied by me. She was a woman of her word; there would be no more socialising with her in my future. It wasn’t something that particularly saddened me, but I would have preferred a more cordial working relationship.
Juliet shook out her shoulders, her arms falling to her sides as David left the room. The last of the pack. ‘Why does it always have to be him?’
‘Because, unfortunately, he’s the best.’ I paused, sure Juliet wouldn’t appreciate any meddling. ‘I would offer to protect you, but I’m certain you can look after yourself.’
‘It’s nice to know you’ve got my back,’ she said, and a rush of protectiveness swept through me despite her light tone. I didn’t think she would ever ask for help, which meant I had to keep a close eye on her. ‘If he finds something that closes this case, I’ll forgive him.’
‘Don’t say anything you’ll regret,’ I warned. ‘He’s rather good at what he does.’
We had to hope Juliet would be doling out forgiveness David didn’t deserve later today.