Three Little Maids by Patricia Scott Page A

cleared his throat. It felt thick and dry. He was wishing that he’d had another cup of tea and was spending an extra hour in bed with Carole. This should have been his weekend off. He groaned silently and frowned over his notes. Kent grunted; ‘Get on with it, Turner. I could have done with a lie-in too.’
    ‘Well according to the witness, Mrs Laidler; she was out early this morning walking with her dogs in the woods behind the park. She has two young retrievers. And the dogs let loose into the thicket and bramble, set up a hell of a commotion. She thought at first they’d got a rabbit or a squirrel and going further in to check up on them, found the body lying here in the undergrowth amongst the ferns and brambles. It must have given her the fright of her life. But she kept her head, called off her dogs straight away and used her cell; she keeps one on her for safety while out walking and phoned us and that was at seven-forty five am precisely.’
    ‘So how is Mrs Laidler? Is someone looking after her? Given her a drink? It couldn’t have been at all pleasant. This is not a pretty sight to find on a bright sunny morning like this.’
    ‘A police woman is with her, guv. She’s feeling a bit rough right now. I don’t suppose she’ll fancy walking the dogs in these woods for a long while.’
    There was a cough and a quiet voice beside them. ‘When you’re ready, Kent. I hoped to get a round of golf in this morning.’
    ‘Sorry, Doc. How does this body appear to you?’
    The medical man grimaced and peeled off his disposable gloves. ‘Nasty. Pretty much like the previous one. This girl I think is slightly older; about eighteen I would say and, taking a quick guess, by the purple marking on the lower part of the body I think she was more than likely killed elsewhere and then was dumped here with her clothes folded up neatly beside her like the other victim.’
    ‘Could it be the same killer?’ Kent said gazing down at the latest victim where she lay in the tangled undergrowth of briars and tufted grass. Her blood streaked, velvet brown irises saw nothing of the sun shining down through the cathedral of green trees, and the wavering shadows from the leafy branches overhead that dappled and camouflaged her naked body. ‘Is it another local girl or a local? Could it perhaps be a copycat killing? Although I think we can strike that, Turner, as no details of the other victim have been given out so far.’
    Turner put away his notebook. ‘So it looks like he’s done it again, guv.’

     
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    ‘Yep. Another young girl in similar circumstances and not identified so far. Let’s hope someone comes forward with the right information pretty quick so that we can make some moves on the killer.’
    In the Incident Room , there were loud groans all round when Kent announced the new crime. ‘We’ll have her picture ready to circulate as soon as they can make her look a sight better than when we saw her last. I wouldn’t like to be the one having to identity her. The poor woman who found her hasn’t got over the shock yet.’
    ‘Why do these young kids choose to come home late, on their own, from the nightclubs and dancing on the pier? You’d think that this girl would have been on her guard after the other death, sir.’
    ‘They never think that it’s going to happen to them, Carter.’
    ‘Well let’s hope they will be more careful when this one has been made public.’
    ‘You reckon?’
    Turner took the last peppermint lump out of his pocket, popped it into his mouth and wished himself anywhere but there. ‘Going to the canteen, guv? Or do you want me to bring you a tea and sandwich up here? I fancy a bacon sandwich myself.’
    ‘Well - -you can get me one too. There’s a yawning hole in my stomach which needs filling. If we’re having brunch, Turner - see if they have any apple tart and custard? Oh, wait a minute, I’ll come along with you.’
    They walked into the canteen and looked along the counter