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Hassan looks thoughtful. ‘They’re more recent than the wrist trauma, so I’d say within the last six months of her life.’
Jennie frowns again. Hannah had never mentioned anything about hurting her ribs. Why would she hide that? And why didn’t she get medical treatment? The answer explodes in her mind like a grenade.
She didn’t question her friend’s wrist injury at the time, but looking back at it now, with this other information about the cracked ribs that Hannah hadn’t told any of them about, Jennie is seeing it in a different light. She’s not a naive child any more, she’s an experienced copper, and all her instincts tell her these injuries were inflicted on Hannah. She did tell Jennie that her dad was losing his temper more; it was one of the reasons she wanted them to leave for London before rather than after their exams. Back then Hannah told her he would often hurl things – a plate of spaghetti, a mug, Hannah’s CD player. Had he started chucking them at Hannah? Or maybe it was punches he’d thrown at her?
Jennie shudders. She feels tears prick at her eyes and blinks rapidly.
I mustn’t break down here. I can’t.
‘Do you have a theory?’ asks Zuri, glancing at Jennie.
Trying to keep a poker face, Jennie shakes her head. ‘No, I was just thinking we need to check with the local A&E and compare the injuries with her medical notes.’
‘Agreed,’ says Zuri, jotting down a note. ‘I’ll get onto it when we’re back at the station.’
‘So then we come to the peri-mortem trauma,’ says Hassan. He points towards a small horseshoe-shaped bone in the neck that has clearly been broken into two pieces. ‘As I said yesterday during my preliminary examination at the school, the hyoid bone has been broken.’
Zuri keeps making notes as she asks, ‘And you think this is what killed her?’
Hassan nods. ‘I would say so; a fracture can be fatal due to both the initial trauma and further complications from secondary issues such as upper airway oedema and the risk of infection.’
‘So a break like this is survivable?’ asks Zuri, looking across at Hassan. ‘But you’re sure it happened peri-mortem?’
‘As you can see, there’s no sign of healing,’ says Hassan. ‘That suggests the trauma occurred peri-mortem. Although it is possible to survive this kind of fracture, the way in which it occurs usually means that the person doesn’t survive. As I said yesterday, it’s incredibly difficult for a person to inflict this injury on themselves, unless they hang themselves. The more usual explanation is strangulation. And given our victim was also found buried under a concrete floor, something she would not have been able to do herself, I would suggest someone did this to her intentionally.’
Jennie trudges back to the car in silence. No matter what she does, she can’t push from her mind the image of rough hands around Hannah’s neck, choking the life out of her.
Grief and anger rise within her. She tries to breathe through it.
Inhale. Exhale.
Inhale. Exhale.
‘It’s so rough, isn’t it?’ says Zuri, walking in step beside her. ‘It never gets easier, seeing a young life reduced to bones.’
Jennie nods. She doesn’t speak. Can’t trust her voice not to crack.
‘I know Loretta is only eleven, but every time I see a young girl hurt or worse it makes me so fearful.’ Zuri slowly shakes her head. ‘The thought of something like this happening to her makes me feel sick to my stomach.’
‘No life should ever be cut so short,’ says Jennie, clenching her fists. ‘But you and Miles are brilliant parents. You’re doing everything you can.’
‘Sometimes the world just feels so hostile.’ Zuri exhales hard.
It’s not like Zuri to sound so defeated. Jennie reaches out and gives her arm a squeeze. ‘I know. But we’ll catch whoever did this. And Loretta is the happiest, most loved kid I know. I don’t think the same could be said for Hannah Jennings.’
‘Thanks. You’re right. We’ll find them,’ replies Zuri, with quiet determination. She unlocks the car and opens the driver’s door. ‘I’ll get onto the medical records request as soon as we’re back.’
‘Thanks,’ says Jennie, climbing into the passenger seat.
As Zuri drives back to the station, Jennie takes out her phone and switches it back on. Alerts ping onto the screen, notifying her of two missed calls and a text from Lottie Varney. She reads the text message.
I’m still in shock about Hannah. It’s just so awful. Are you leading the investigation into what happened to her? I hope so. I trust you’ll do everything you can to get justice for my very best friend. If there’s anything I can do, please tell me. I so want to help. Lx
Lottie’s getting far too full on for her liking. Jennie realises that she wants to help, but Jennie needs to keep her at arm’s length if she’s to have any hope of keeping her own friendship with Hannah under the radar. Lottie never was any good at keeping secrets.
Jennie deletes the message without replying, instead messaging DS Martin Wright:
How are you getting on tracking down Paul Jennings’ old neighbours?
