Who's looking after her daughter?' Anna asked.

Brandon said she was with grandparents; then, like Sheldon, he walked off, leaving her standing by the kitchen door.

The incident room was silent. Anna was directed over to the Detective Inspectors' desks, which were in a small corner; due to the limited size of the station, they did not have their own offices. The incident board had already been set up; the victim's name and address were printed up, with little else. Anna could see Sheldon talking to Brandon in his office through the open blinds. There were three female and two male officers standing by a tea urn. None made any reaction to Anna or bothered to introduce themselves, but all parted as Sheldon came out of his office and crossed to the board. He didn't even need to ask for attention; everyone immediately returned to their desks and sat waiting.

Okay, victim's name is Irene Phelps, works at the public library. She got divorced five years ago; ex-husband lives in Devon and is an estate agent. He's been contacted and will be travelling up to see his daughter. She's only twelve; very traumatized and staying with her grandparents. They live three streets away from the victim's flat. Okay, Frank, over to you.'

Sheldon nodded to Brandon, who flipped open his notebook. Brandon spoke rather loudly, unlike Sheldon. Right, Gov. We've so far gathered that Irene always left work at three; this was to make sure she was home by the time her daughter returned from school. The route to her home was by tube from Brixton, one stop; from there, she could walk home. On this particular day, she left work as usual, but her daughter Natalie went to see her grandmother after school; she arrived at four-thirty, then left to walk home at about five forty-five. She would have reached home at just after six, found the front door open and discovered the body of her mother. We therefore only have a short timeframe. Irene Phelps could have met her killer on the tube and walked with him to her flat; he killed her between the hours of four to five-thirty. That's it from me, Gov.'

Sheldon ran his fingers through his thinning hair, then continued in his soft Northern accent, hardly raising his voice, We need to ascertain whether she knew her killer or disturbed him inside her flat. The place looks ransacked, but she had little of value and very rarely kept any money there; the place had been turned over and the lady put up one hell of a fight. We found no visible signs of forced entry but we'll know for sure when the forensic teams give us their report. If she did know her killer and let him in, then we need to spread the net to question anyone that knew her, any ongoing relationships; so far, we've not had time to gather much evidence of who she knew, so that will be our first priority.'

Sheldon then gave a list to the duty manager of what he wanted the team to work on. He checked his watch and gave a strange low whistle. No one spoke. He sucked in his breath, gesturing at the photographs up on the incident board.

She took a terrible beating. It was a vicious attack and we need to get this bastard fast, because there is carelessness about the murder scene. Eating a fucking sandwich, drinking a cup of teaunless the victim made them for him, but I doubt it; there was too much blood in the kitchen. Whoever killed her would have heavily bloodstained clothes, so question neighbours, anyone around her flat: someone must have seen this son of a bitch, so let's not waste time. Get out there! Meanwhile, we wait for the PM and the forensic reports. That's it, everyone. Let's get moving, unless anyone has got anything to say?'

No one did; the briefing broke up as everyone got their marching orders. Frank Brandon came to Anna's desk.

You and me, we've got the neighbours and workplace. You want to split it or work together?'

Whatever suits,' Anna said.

Okay, I'll do the neighbours, you get over to the library. May I call you Anna?'

She smiled. Yes, of course. I was just wondering, who is questioning her daughter?'

That'll be Harry; he's good with kids, got a brood himself. She was in a right state, so maybe they'll delay talking to her until she's had some counselling.'

Did she call the police?'

Yeahwell, she ran to a neighbour and they called us for her.'

And she's twelve?'

Yeah, just a kid. Her dad's coming to see her; she'll be staying at the grandparents'. Why you interested in her?'

Well, she found the body, and with the short time period, she might have even seen the killermaybe she even knew him.'

Yeah, wellleave that to Harry, okay?'

Fine. I'll get over to the library.'

Brandon had a chiselled face, high cheekbones and, with his square shoulders, it was obvious he worked out. Although he had everything going for him in the looks department, there was something unattractive about himat least, there was to Anna. He used a very heavy cologne, which she thought was Aramis; in any case, it was certainly very pungent, and he had this manner, as if he was an object of desire. Perhaps he wasin his own mirror.

The library had not been closed, but there were numerous bouquets of flowers left by the doors. They looked rather sad and bedraggled; a couple had cards written by children.

Anna was introduced to a pleasant-faced woman, who shook her hand firmly.

I'm Deidre Lane; poor Irene worked alongside me in the children's department. I suppose you've seen a few of them have left flowers. I've more in my office and I'm not quite sure what to do with them. It's just so dreadful, none of us can believe it.'

They walked towards a small office, where Anna accepted a cup of lukewarm tea. The office was filled with posters advertising forthcoming children's activities and readings. Deidre's desk was piled high with books and files; she cleared a space for Anna to put down her cup. She then drew up a chair to sit beside her, rather than behind the desk.

Was it a burglary or something like that?' she asked.

We won't know that until we have had time to check, but I am here really to ask if you knew of anyone who had some kind of grudge against her.'

Against Irene? No, no, good heavens, no. There wasn't a soul who had a bad word to say about her.'

Could you list all the people employed here?'

It wouldn'tit couldn't be connected to anyone from here.'

But I do need to know everyone's name and address just for elimination purposes.'

I see. Well, yes, of course.'

That will include cleaners or janitors, anyone who has recently worked here, painting or redecorating, doing carpentryany odd-job men who may have come into contact with Ms Phelps.'

Deidre went over to a filing cabinet and took out a large ledger. This time, she sat at her desk, and began to list for Anna everyone working at the library. She included a plumber who had been working on the drains recently and two boys who had helped clear the pathways around the library.

It became clear to Anna that most of the employees had been at the library for many years, even the odd-job men. Armed with names and addresses, she then turned her attention to asking for more details about Irene. She learned that Irene was a very diligent and loved member of the team, always on time in the morning, and always leaving promptly at three so she could be at home when her daughter returned from school.

She worshipped her little girl; she is such a lovely pleasant child, always very well dressed. Her name is Natalie, but everyone calls her Natty; she often helps out with the Saturday-morning activities. Irene didn't get any extra money for this; to be honest, she wasn't paid that much, but I know she had a settlement after her divorce. I think her ex-husband paid the rent, so she was not kept short. Between you and me, I think it was a bitter divorcehe left her for someone else and went to live in Devon, I think, but I can't be too sure. Irene didn't like to talk about him and I never met him, or really knew her while they were together.'

Anna went through the usual queries, asking if anyone knew whether Irene had any boyfriends or was in any kind of relationship, but this also led nowhere.

I didn't really socialize with her,' Deidre explained. I had never been to her flat, but working alongside her for so many years, we became quite good friends, and I never heard her mention that she was seeing anyone. I think she led a very quiet life, with just herself and Natty. On a few occasions, she mentioned that she had been to see a movie, usually with Natty at weekends; she had her parents quite close so would spend Sundays with them. I think she did a bit of shopping and cleaning for them, as they are quite elderly. Christmas-time, when we had our office party, we would all bring our husbands and partners, but Irene was always alone; in fact, I never saw her with anyone but her daughter.'

Anna spent another hour talking to the other librarians. In each case, they were very shocked and distraught at the brutality of the murder. She then contacted the plumber and arranged to see him later that same morning, plus the two young kids who had swept the pathways. It was becoming obvious that no one really knew Irene out of work time; nor had they ever seen her with anyone apart from her daughter. It was really very sad; Irene Phelps appeared to be a hardworking and caring woman whose life focused on her job, her daughter and her elderly parents.

The plumber turned out to be a short, ruddy-faced man, who wasn't too sure if he had even met Irene. He had worked for the library virtually on a charity basis, he told Anna, as they were always short of finances; he would come in on Sundays to see to any jobs that needed doing. For the entire day of the murder, he had been working in Clerkenwell on a new housing estate. The two young lads were also unable to give any details about Irene; they had been paid in cash to sweep the pathway of leaves, and then both had gone to a gym straight after. They had seen no one lurking around and nothing suspicious.

Anna returned to the incident room just after three. She typed up her report and went over to discuss her interviews with the duty manager; together, they brought the board up to date with the lists of colleagues, part-time workers and alibis. She then returned to her desk and made herself look busy, as there was to be a briefing at five. She hoped it would not go on for too long, as she was planning to drive over to Glebe House.

At five o'clock sharp, Sheldon walked out of his office, just as Harry Blunt and Frank Brandon entered the incident room. None of them acknowledged Anna or, for that matter, anyone else; they sat at their desks checking over their notes. Sheldon stood for a moment, looking at the board and the results of the day's enquiries. He slowly loosened his tie and then turned to the room.

We should get the lab reports in tomorrow; forensic are still at the murder site. So, in the meantime, let's hear how today progressed.'

There was a brief silence, then Harry Blunt stood up.

Didn't get much for us from the grandparentsthey're very elderly and very obviously shook up. I talked with Natalie, the daughter; she has a counsellor with her, but the outcome is again not too helpful. On the day of the murder, she returned home, a bit later than usual; she'd been to see her grandmother, as she's had a bout of flu. So it was nearer to five forty-five when she thinks she got home. Front door was ajar, so she called out-'

Sheldon wafted his hand. We know this. What else have you got?'

Well, she saw her mother, then ran to a neighbour who called the police. They kept her with them until the locals arrived and then they took her to stay with her grandparents. As far as we can ascertain, she saw no one else inside the premises and no one outside; she also said she didn't know anyone who would want to hurt her mother, or of any new friend Irene had who she might have been seeing. I have suggested we maybe talk to her again in a proper audiovisual suite. From what I've gathered, the victim kept herself very much to herself and rarely, if ever, entertained, but was well-respected and liked by both sets of neighbours living in the same house. None, when questioned, had seen or heard anything and were all very shocked. There had been no workmen around lately, so no strangers in and out of the premises, which are quite secure; we've also got nothing from any CCTV cameras.'

Sheldon nodded and pulled at his tie again; he now looked to Frank Brandon.

Coming up with much the same thing, Gov: well-respected, hard worker, did the same journey to school and work every morning, and returned around about the same time every day. This makes the timeframe for the murder to be from around four to when the daughter returned home.'

Yes, yes, we know that,' Sheldon snapped, and then indicated Anna.

Anna went through her report in a little more detail than the others. Sheldon sat down in the middle of it. He yawned, checked his watch and, when Anna had completed her report, he stood up and gestured to the board.

We got anything on the ex-husband?'

Frank remained seated as he flipped open his book. He's an estate agent, quite well off, remarried, has two young kids by his second wife. He was in Devon on the day that the victim was killed. He's travelling up to see his daughter, so we can talk to him then.'

Sheldon dug his hands in his pockets. Well, let's hope we get something from the PM and forensic, because we've got bugger all so far. I want the house-to-house to continue; see if anyone in the area saw or knows something.'

He turned to Anna, pointing. Yes?'

Have they said the weapon used was from the victim's flat?'

They have not verified it, but there is one carving knife missing from the block and one found in the kitchen sink; bastard probably used it to cut up his sandwich. We are hoping to get DNA and a match on fingerprints but, like I said, we wait to see what they come up with. In the meantime, I want a significant trawling of any possible CCTV footage in and around the murder site. That's itreconvene at nine in the morning.'

Anna was surprised; she had never been on an enquiry that felt like a nine to five. She'd also never seen an incident room clear out so fast, leaving just clerical and the small night staff to run the enquiry.

Anna had intended to call in at Langton's apartment, to collect his mail, etc., but by the time she had returned home, showered and changed, it was already after six-thirty. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid the rush-hour traffic on the M4 heading out of London and so accepted she wasn't going to get to see him until way after eight. She spent the time in the slow-moving traffic going over the case. She found it all very depressing: so different from working alongside Langton, whose energy and tireless pressure on everyone around him always paid dividends. There had been numerous other cases she had been involved in, before and after Langton; none of the SIOs ever matched him, or even came close.

Langton was waiting for her, sitting in a wheelchair in the empty recreational room. He gave her a glum smile. I'd just about given up on you.'

Well, I started on a new investigation this morningvictim murdered in her own flat. Her kid found the body.'

Who's heading it up?' he asked moodily.

Anna listed Sheldon and co., and he snorted.

That stuffed shirt! Can't stand him and that bodybuilder sidekick of histhinks he's Burt Reynolds. If he spent less time in the gym and more time policing...They're all a bunch of wankers.'

Anna grinned; he was always abusive about anyone else working on the murder teams, but he had actually summed up her own thoughts.

Langton gestured around the empty room. They're all watching a movie, creaking and groaning around a plasma screen.'

What film?'

I don't bloody know. I hate it; all they do is moan and groan or burst into tears all the time. It's like a wailing wall around here.'

He sighed and then asked if she'd got any mail for him. She apologized and said she would collect it tomorrow.

Don't put yourself out.'

Oh, just stop this. I didn't have the time this evening.'

I bet Sheldon closed shop at five; he's a real nine-to-five copper.'

She laughed and agreed; however, until they had some results from the lab and forensics, they couldn't move in on anyone with a motive.

Langton ruffled his hair. You know, before the days of DNA and the white suits at forensic, we had maybe not as much to go on, but nobody ever clicked their heels; now, it's all down to waiting for scientific evidence. Sometimes, they come up with bugger all as well.'

Anna didn't really want to get into the details of the case, but he obviously did. After receiving a brief rundown, he remained silent, and then suggested that they check out all hostels and halfway houses in and around the area.

Sounds like some nutter, some bastard that might have been able to monitor your victim's routine.'

Yes, I've thought about that too; it's quite a tough area.'

He winced in pain and rubbed his knee.

You okay?'

No. This physio bloke massages my knee as if I was in a rugby scrum; it hurts like hell and yet I'm still not able to walk more than a couple of paces. They even brought me a fucking Zimmer frame. I said, the day you see me shuffling around on that, pal, is the day you can give me an OD of morphine.'

Anna remained with Langton for almost two hours; he then seemed to suddenly fade fast. He was hardly able to keep his eyes open, so she suggested she leave and see him the following evening. As she turned to go, he caught her hand.

Eh, you don't have to make this schlep out here every day. If you're up to your eyes in this case, leave itjust call me.'

She kissed him, and he held onto her hand tightly. I'll pull through this. It's just going to take longer than I thought, but I'll make a promisenext time you see me, I'll be on my feet.'

She kissed him again and then left him, still sitting in his solitary position, surrounded by gym equipment he couldn't use. She didn't mention that she was going to talk to the head nurse for an update.

Anna was kept waiting for half an hour before she was able to discuss Langton's progress. The nurse was a pleasant six-foot-five giant with a big wide smile.

Well, he's not an easy patient, and he's got one hell of a temper, but he is very determined. The reality is, this is going to take a lot longer than he thinks. The knee joint is very worrying and I know causes agony; sometimes it would be better for him to rest up, but he refuses and demands painkillers. He had a bad fall because he tried to stand and wanted to work out on weights, but after a chest injury as bad as the one he suffered, he has to be patient.'

How long will he be staying here?'

Well, we usually do a two-week stint, then patients can go home. If they need further treatment, they come back; we've got some that have been coming back and forth for months. I'd say James is going to be looking at the very least, six months.'

Six months?!'

Yes, and I can't guarantee that he will be able to walk unaidedbut that is not the only problem. He can't unwind, or he won't; his desperation to get into the gym and work out is very common. They think if they exercise to excess, it'll block out their thoughts and then they won't have to consider their own feelings. Sadly, the support system network that used to exist for officers like James has virtually eroded in the last year. There used to be a much stronger camaraderie and humour. What I am concerned about is his isolation; he refuses to interact with any of the other patients and this will, I am sure, eventually lead to depression.'

Anna felt depressed herself, driving home. It was after one when she eventually got to bed and she was so tired, she crashed straight out. She also forgot to set her alarm, so was late getting up and got caught in the rush hour driving over to Brixton.

The briefing was already in progress when she quietly entered the incident room and sat at her desk. As she suspected, Sheldon had requested they check into all men on probation that were known in the area.

I think, due to the ferocity of the attack, we could be looking at someone with a previous record of violence and assault, so get cracking and let's see if we can get a better result today.'

Anna said nothing. She noticed Blunt and Brandon huddle with Sheldon for a while before they broke up. Sheldon then gestured for her to come into his office.

You were late,' he said curtly.

Yes, I'm sorryI got caught up in traffic.'

Not a good enough excuse. I run a very tight unit.'

I'm sorry.' She changed the subject fast. Have you heard anything from the PM report?'

Nope. In fact, I'm just on my way over there if you'd like to join me.'