Like This, for Ever

travelling further to dump the bodies? Or was he killing them somewhere new?
    ‘The other significant part of the night’s events is that someone pulled Tyler’s body out of the river. He didn’t jump. Someone could have spotted him, pulled him out and called your colleague, DC Flint, anonymously, but that seems unlikely. Even someone not wanting to get involved could have phoned the police from a call box. I’d say it’s more likely that the killer knew Tyler’s body was trapped somehow in the Creek, decided the time had come for him to be found and that Lacey should be the conduit.’
    Dana waited for someone else on the team to question the coincidence of Lacey Flint once again being pulled into a serious murder investigation.
    ‘Any thoughts on why Lacey should be the one singled out?’ she asked, when it was clear no one else was going to.
    ‘She was involved in a very high-profile case a few months ago,’ said Richmond. ‘She’s also a beautiful young woman. She’s going to attract attention.’
    ‘Both true,’ said Anderson. ‘But Lacey has always gone out of her way to avoid publicity. She didn’t do a single interview after the Ripper case. Personally, I’d put money on her prison contacts being responsible for the text.’
    The door to the incident room opened and Stenning came in. When she and Anderson had returned to the station, Dana had left him in charge of talking to the residents of the string of houseboats.
    ‘How did you get on, Pete?’ she asked him.
    ‘There are twelve residential boats along that arm of the Creek,’ said Stenning, perching on the back of a desk and stifling a yawn. ‘All owner-occupied. Five of the owners were at home all evening, one couple arrived back shortly after midnight, two families are away for the weekend and one boat hasn’t been lived in since its previous owner died.’ Stenning stopped to check his notebook. ‘New owner is his son-in-law, a Stewart Roberts,’ he went on. ‘Buthe isn’t seen from one month to the next. I’ve got names for the other three owners, but no sign of them tonight. There are also about half a dozen vans in the yard and a couple of Portakabins. The site’s secured for now, we can do a proper search in daylight.’
    ‘Anyone you speak to see anything?’
    Stenning shook his head. ‘One chap heard movement in the yard and saw some dark shapes, but he admits himself his eyesight is pretty bad. He yelled and they scarpered. He had a feeling it was kids.’
    ‘What time?’
    ‘Ten-thirtyish. Over two hours before we got there.’
    ‘Kids would explain all the smallish footprints we found on a couple of the boats,’ said Dana. ‘I can see kids spotting something in the water and pulling it out before they realized what it was. What I find harder to understand is why they didn’t let someone know immediately.’
    The door opened again and the desk sergeant peered in.
    ‘Sorry, Ma’am, but Tyler King’s parents are downstairs. And a handful of journalists. They’ve heard we found a body tonight.’
    ‘How the hell?’ Dana began.
    ‘Ma’am, it’s on Facebook,’ said Mizon, who’d been at her computer for the last hour. ‘Peter Sweep posted three minutes ago. Shit, there’s a photograph.’
    ‘What?’ Dana was on her feet. She reached Mizon’s terminal first, the rest crowded round her as they read Peter Sweep’s latest post.
    Badly decomposed body of Tyler King pulled out of Deptford Creek at 10.30 this evening. Slightly damp. Who said he would never be found? Never is an awfully long time and murder will out. Even mine.
    A second later the relief sent a tremble through her. ‘That’s not our corpse,’ she said. ‘That’s not even Deptford Creek. This sick bastard found a picture on the internet and posted it for effect. I tell you one thing, when we find this Peter Sweep, whether he’s involved or not, I’m going to throw the book at him.’
    ‘Ma’am!’ She’d forgotten the desk sergeant. Forgotten TylerKing’s parents waiting downstairs, wondering if their long ordeal of not knowing was finally at an end, hoping and dreading, in equal measure.
    ‘I’m coming,’ she said.

35
Sunday 17 February
    ‘ MUMMY’S GOING AWAY for a little while, Barney, just until she gets better.’
    Barney realized he was sitting bolt upright on the sitting-room sofa. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Were the others still here? No, the house was dark and silent, he was alone. He had a vague recollection of them