Page 74 of Her Last Breath

Jane couldn’t understand why anyone would want to murder Bill Hargreaves, if he was so harmless. What had been the motivation? Her mind turned to the way in which Alice and Mark were killed. She pictured the killer alone with his victims – what was he looking for? Just the thrill of taking another life, the power he was wielding? The power she thought Liam and Kangna were exercising over their victims? She imagined what those final moments would feel like, when you were in absolute control of another person’s life.

She thought then of her mother’s final moments. What would Jane be feeling then? Sadness? Or relief?

‘He was very unassuming and to look at him, you could dismiss him easily. But when I saw his CV, I was surprised.’

‘In what way?’

‘He’s done some really amazing things. Apart from fix engines, when he had time to himself, he did a lot of voluntary work.’

‘Do you know what sort?’

‘I don’t mean working in a charity shop or shaking tin cans outside a train station. Bill used to volunteer for one of the international charities – you know, the Save the Children and Oxfam type. Drove lorries full of aid for them, especially to emergency zones.’

Jane was shocked by this revelation. It was also depressing to think someone like him wasn’t celebrated.

‘Do you know where he delivered aid?’

‘Africa mainly, he went a few times.’

The artwork. Colin Wilson had said he worked out there too. Jane felt her heart race.

‘Do you know which countries?’

‘Yes. We had a good chat when he joined, on the first day. I like to grill my newbies, just to make sure about them before I let them get behind the wheel of any of my lorries. Let me see now … OK, so definitely Libya, because I made some crack about Gaddafi … Oh yeah, Malawi. My dad’s carer is from there. And the Congo.’

This was the name Jane was waiting for. It explained the artwork on Bill’s walls and Colin’s t-shirt. Both men had been in the Congo. Were they there at the same time? Had they crossed paths and reconnected later in Burnley? Alice and Colin definitely met at the foodbank. And Mark? She needed her team to chase down any links between Mark and Colin.

‘Do you know the aid organisation Bill worked for?’

‘I’m sorry, Detective, I don’t. If I remember, I’ll let you know.’

As she was leaving, Sarah called out to her.

‘When they release Bill’s body, can you let me know? I’d like to pay for his funeral.’

Jane was touched by the gesture, then thought she would have to do the same for her mother. Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe and needed some fresh air. She rushed past Pedro’s desk, who thought something had happened inside no doubt, springing up and hurrying into Sarah’s office.

As Jane turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of him massaging Sarah’s neck and shoulders, Sarah grasping one of his hands and pulling him down into a passionate kiss.

Chapter 49

‘Ma’am.’

The desk sergeant called out to Jane as she strode through Burnley Police HQ reception. It was already 1 p.m. Jane’s morning had been swallowed up between visits to Bill Hargreaves’ home and his old place of work.

‘Everything OK?’ she said, wondering if Alice Rogers’ parents were here again.

‘Yes, ma’am. Liam Harrison’s in a custody cell, though. He went to Burnley General mortuary last night, drunk, demanding to take Burrows’ body home.’

Jane was surprised by the traces of humanity left inside Liam. Maybe it was just women he liked to treat like shit? Was this a display of genuine care for his old buddy? People, they never made any sense.

‘Let him sober up, then send him home,’ Jane said. She didn’t have the space to deal with Liam’s attempts at redemption on top of everything else.

Jane updated DS Johnson as soon as she was back in her office, before she walked out with him to speak to the rest of the team.

‘Dr Lydia will be doing the second post-mortem on Bill Hargreaves today. What I need is for you to focus on finding a link between our three victims and Colin Wilson, Mark Burrows especially. I want Wilson’s mobile phone data checked for movements. Did he cross paths with our victims and was he anywhere near the area when they were killed? Or did his phone fall silent during those times?’

Jane saw DC Chan wasn’t listening, headphones half on her head, eyes focused on her screen.