There were hardly any bits missing, only slithers here and there. If you looked at it casually, you were looking at a whole bottle.
Rhona dusted it all over with lampblack powder, pulled over the light and lifted the magnifying glass. Donna was the last person to handle the bottle, most likely by the neck. But Donna had been wearing long black gloves as part of her devil’s outfit.
Rhona concentrated the magnifying glass on the lower part of the bottle. When she spotted the print, her heart leapt in her chest. She quickly took a series of photos. Then applied the lifting tape.
Her old mentor had been right. A murderer will always leave something of himself at the scene of crime, however well hidden.
‘I have a print from the broken bottle.’
Bill was incredulous. ‘How the hell did you do that?’
‘I’ll explain later. I ran a check on it and a name came up. Alec Bankfoot. Convicted of assault on a prostitute in 1995, sentenced to two years.’
‘But Thomas Watkins was the one with the rose.’
‘Watkins didn’t kill Donna or Tracey.’
‘But we thought Donna knew her killer.’
‘She did.’ A horrible thought had entered her head. ‘Is there a policeman guarding Jonny Simpson?’
‘No. But his mate Banks has taken time off work to sit with him. Seems he’s there round the clock.’
There was a brief silence as they both digested this. Then Rhona said:
‘I’ll meet you at the hospital in fifteen minutes.’
The room smelt of disinfectant and singed flesh. Jonny lay still and alone. Rhona pulled up a chair and sat beside him. She tried to imagine what it would be like to lose your love in such a way and to feel responsible.
She would probably want to die. It would be the only way to truly forget.
Banks came in and stood behind her.
‘How is he?’ she said.
‘He’s going to die.’
‘They’ve told you that?’
‘He’s given up. I’m his mate. I can feel it.’
She looked up at his cold furious face.
‘That bitch did this. I told him what she was, but he wouldn’t listen. He wanted to marry her, can you believe it? You screw bitches like that, you don’t marry them.’
He turned away. ‘I’m going for a coffee.’
She waited until he was at the door before she called him back.
‘Alec!’
He turned instinctively. For a moment he didn’t know what he’d done. Then realisation dawned on his face and he came at her.
She tried to duck the blow but he was too quick, a fireman’s reaction. His big hand circled her neck. She felt herself lift off the floor then the lights went out.
Somewhere in the darkness she heard Bill’s voice shout her name.