Above Suspicion by Lynda La Plante Read Free Book Online Page B

away from the neck. In each case, she indicated that the tights had been wound three times around the victim’s throat and drawn in a knot. Anna found it hard to believe the smallness of the garrotte, no more than two inches in diameter.
    She made copious notes, following Langton from bench to bench. Sealed in plastic bags were some of the previous victims’ clothes that had been retained. Langton had declined to view them again. He kept looking at his watch impatiently. He asked the vital question when they returned to Melissa’s clothes.
    ‘So, is it good or bad news?’ he said quietly.
    ‘I wouldn’t say it was good, whatever way you look at it.’ Coral removed her rubber gloves. ‘But I know what you’re asking me and the answer is yes. We believe your little girl was killed by the same person: the knots, the method of tying them, are identical.’
    ‘Thank you,’ he said, tight-lipped.
    ‘We are still working on her clothes, so you might get something new there; but, as yet, we have nothing.’
    Outside in the car park, Langton lit a cigarette. ‘Unbelievable, isn’t it? Not so much as a carpet fibre.’ He sucked in the smoke and half turned towards Anna. ‘The fucker must know exactly what he’s doing.’
    ‘You think there’s a place he takes them to?’ Anna asked. ‘Maybe he kills them and dumps the bodies elsewhere.’
    ‘Nope. Killed at the site, or near it. In all the cases, they had to agree to go with him.’
    ‘That’s true with the prostitutes. But Melissa wouldn’t have agreed to go with him unless she knew him and she was found a long distance from her flat.’
    Anna would have continued speculating, but Langton had flicked his cigarette aside and was walking towards the waiting patrol car. ‘We’re going to see Henson next, at the pathology lab,’ he shouted to Anna behind him. ‘Maybe he’ll have something for us.’
    He slammed the passenger door shut. She just managed to scramble in the back seat before the car drew away.
    In the pathology lab, Henson sat before a large slice of cream cake and a cup of coffee. He smiled when they entered his lab. ‘Just having my elevenses, albeit at four o’clock, but that’s my life whenever you lot start screaming for results. And I have no intention of hurrying. It’s my career on the line if I make a mistake, so I’m not quite ready for you.’
    Langton pulled a face.
    ‘All right. I give you one thing: I do know her last meal was a hamburger, fries and Coca-Cola. No alcohol, no drugs. A very fit young woman. Beautiful muscle tone and fresh, unblemished skin. She was a natural blonde with well-cut hair; no dye, but a few highlights. She was wearing very little make-up.’
    Henson polished off his cream cake and wiped his mouth with a tissue. ‘Give me another twenty-four hours, I’ll have all the results. Then the coroner should be able to release her body for burial. We have taken slides, etc.’
    He gave a sidelong glance at Anna. ‘Let’s have a look. You shouldn’t pass out this time. Easier to digest, slides.’ Henson smiled sympathetically as Anna flushed. Then, crossing the room to the area where all the pathology slides were blown up on to light frames, he addressed Langton with a new seriousness.
    ‘See this mark on her neck? Not having much joy in giving you possibilities: odd shape, size of the old shilling, but with a bulbous area at the top.’ He pressed his own neck with his forefinger. ‘Went in quite deeply: half an inch. Didn’t kill her, though; I would say she was already unconscious. We’re testing her brain matter, so I will have a result on that.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Langton said. ‘Fast as you can, yes?’
    ‘Yes,’ Henson said with a sigh. He walked into the lab next door.
    Langton looked at Anna. ‘Right, let’s go back to the station. See if the lads have anything for us.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’ She was tired out, even if he wasn’t. Next time she would need more than a yogurt for lunch.
    The