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Campbell’s expression is serious as he pushes the printout of the ‘Justice for Hannah’ post from the Class of ’94 Facebook page across the desk towards her. He taps his index finger against the picture of the darkroom crew bundled together on the basement sofa. ‘Explain how you came to take this photo.’
Shit.
What she says and does in the next few minutes will decide whether she keeps the lead in Hannah’s murder investigation or gets thrown off the case. She can’t let the DCI dump her off the team. She has to be smart.
Jennie runs her hand through her hair, feigning confusion.
‘You know I was in the sixth form at the same time as Hannah Jennings. We discussed it.’
‘In the same year as her, yes, but if a witness says you took this …’ The DCI taps the picture again. ‘It puts you in the basement with the murder victim.’
‘Yes, it does,’ replies Jennie slowly. ‘But lots of kids hung out in the basement.’
‘If lots of kids were there, why were you the one taking the picture?’ says her boss, eyeing her suspiciously.
Jennie shrugs. ‘I don’t know. Because I was there at the right moment, when that group wanted someone to take their picture? Because I majored in photography for my A level art project? Because my dad had been a famous photojournalist?’
The DCI stares at her, clearly irritated.
Jennie holds his gaze. Keeps up the confused expression. She can’t let him realise how close he is to exposing the truth of her friendship with Hannah. ‘Sir, I don’t understand why this is—’
‘You took the last known photo of the victim alive, for God’s sake. Don’t you get how that looks?’ Campbell blows out, frustrated. ‘You can’t stay on the case.’
‘Of course I can,’ says Jennie, not needing to fake the outrage she’s feeling. ‘This is my case and we’re making progress. It should be no surprise that I was at the school – you already knew that. It stands to reason that, as I was there, I’d have bumped into the victim from time to time; and I did. This picture means nothing; I didn’t even remember taking it until Lottie Varney mentioned it. It was just a moment in time on the last day of school before my year went on study leave. Everyone was signing each other’s school T-shirts and hugging and taking photos. I must have snapped a dozen shots of different people. It means nothing.’
The DCI shakes his head.
‘Come on, you know me. It’s just a picture, no one’s going to care that—’
‘No,’ says the DCI, his tone louder now, firmer. He drops the pen back onto his desk with a clatter. ‘It’s not just the picture. DS Otueome says the witness, Lottie Varney, knew you. That she was referring to things you already knew, and that she held your hand during the interview. What the hell is all that about?’
Shit. Shit. Shit.
‘She was getting emotional, sir, that’s all,’ says Jennie, trying to keep her voice calm, even. ‘I think she just wanted support and I was there. She grabbed for my hand a couple of times. It was nothing.’
‘And she knew you from school?’ says Campbell, looking hard at Jennie.
Jennie holds his gaze. ‘We knew of each other, yes.’
The DCI swears under his breath. His face starts to turn red. ‘Do you know any of the other key witnesses or suspects, Jennie?’
‘I know all of them to some extent.’
Campbell balls his right hand into a fist and thumps it against the desk. ‘For God’s sake!’
Jennie tries not to flinch. She’s never seen the DCI look so incensed. The butterflies start dive-bombing. A wave of nausea hits her and she swallows hard.
Hold it together.
‘Like I said, I was at the school for a year. I probably had contact with most people in the sixth form over that time, but that doesn’t mean that I—’
‘No. Don’t play smart with me, Jennie. You clearly knew Lottie Varney far better than you told me or your team, and that’s just not on. You should have declared the connection up front, but you lied and now you’re leaving me no choice but to—’
‘Sir, I didn’t—’
‘I don’t want excuses,’ says the DCI, holding up his hands. ‘You’re off the case, and that’s the end of it.’
The butterflies in her stomach dive in formation. Fear grips her. She can’t be taken off the case. She has to find out what happened to Hannah.
