With one large, square hand, Della reached out and thrust the little chihuahua at Jenna’s chest so she had no choice but to snatch Fleur from Della’s hand and snuggle her in tight.
Della’s ice-blue eyes froze her to the spot. ‘You owe me fifty-five quid.’
Jenna reared back her head. ‘Fifty-five quid?’
‘Give or take a penny or two. Consider yourself lucky I haven’t added mileage.’
‘What the hell for?’ She could feel the screech in her voice threatening to take over.
Della’s painted on eyebrows shot up to her hairline. ‘Because if you abandon an animal to the care of front desk, without so much as a bite for the poor soul to eat…’
'But…’
Della shot her hand out, palm forwards and halted Jenna’s protest midstream. ‘If you do that, someone is going to have to go out in their own lunch hour to find it something to eat.’
Jenna dropped her head down to stare at Fleur, and then looked back up at Della, her eyes narrowing. ‘It cost fifty-five quid for food? For this?’ She pointed at Fleur. ‘What the hell did you buy her? Caviar?’
Della crossed her arms over her ample bosom. ‘Of course not. Do I look stupid?’
Jenna clamped her teeth together and let Della continue her rampage.
‘You can’t expect to leave a little one in this kind of weather without a decent coat…’
Jenna glanced out of the automatic glass doors. It wasn’t that bad.
‘… and she needed a lead. A water bowl. A dinner bowl. Oh yeah, and a bed.’
Jenna huffed out a gusty breath. ‘She’s not mine.’
‘Evidently.’ Della held out a hand.
Jenna almost choked. ‘I don’t have fifty-five quid on me. Who would?’
At the soft clearing of a throat, Jenna spun around as she adjusted Fleur into a more comfortable position. ‘Ryan.’ His eyes shot wide. ‘Give Della fifty-five quid.’
‘But…’
She strode off towards the stairwell leaving Ryan to fumble in his back pocket for his wallet. ‘Thanks, Della. Oh, and Ryan? Don’t forget to pick up all the stuff you’re paying for.’
27
Monday 20 April 1205 hours
Team already assembled, the room buzzed with excited undercurrents as Jenna stepped inside, half-consumed meatball baguette in one hand, large black fully caffeinated coffee in the other. She was never going to sleep tonight, but with the energy she’d used so far, this would barely touch the sides.
The quick dash out of the station for food had not been via The Coffee Shack. On the pretence of giving in to the whining PC Downey, Jenna had left Fleur in her brand new fluorescent pink bed under his desk. She’d picked them both up a half-decent lunch and cash to pay him back for the purchases Della had made. There was fifty-five quid she’d never see again once someone laid claim to the pretty little pooch.
Jenna nudged her backside onto a desk next to where Donna perched and, with a smile, gave her a gentle elbow in the ribs. She’d not had the chance to speak with her since the night of the fire and would catch up as soon as the briefing finished.
DI Taylor let out a cough to grab their attention. The room fell silent and Jenna afforded herself a moment to take stock of the team they’d assembled. Her heart sank. With so many in the room, it was a big job.
Not only had the DI called in their normal team of herself and DCs Ellis, Downey, Salter and Wainwright, but the room was packed with PCs, intel, admin, the management team all vying for a chair to sit on or a wall to lean against. The only person she didn’t recognise was the one at the head of the room who leaned forward and spoke to DI Taylor in tones too low to hear from where she was.
Jenna took advantage of the brief distraction to take another bite of her baguette. The outlook didn’t look too hopeful for her next meal.
She drew in a long breath through her nose. The day had already been interminable, but it looked as though it may go on forevermore at this rate.
‘Thank you. Thank you.’ DI Taylor raised his hand and cruised his gaze around the room until every movement ceased. ‘As you are all aware, we had a major incident on Saturday night. At 2240 hours, fire, police and ambulance were called to a fire at…’ he squinted down at his notes, his thin grey hair barely covered the bald spot on his crown that gleamed in the electric lighting, ‘…Kimble Hall. The call was made by concerned neighbours, Mr and Mrs Crawford. No witnesses have come forward. Currently the family remain missing.’
He sucked air in through his teeth as he circled his gaze around the room. ‘Due to the nature of the fire and its ferocity, whereby six tenders were required, we have been unable to get SOCO on site. However, in the last couple of hours, the fire service, after conducting a risk assessment, have been able to enter the building in their PPE with breathing apparatus. The site is not yet suitable for entry by any other personnel.’
Eyes bleak, he continued, ‘What they have found inside, are bodies. None of which have been identified and these are by no means the only ones on the premises. The search has only just commenced.’
Jenna’s chest tightened. The news wasn’t unexpected, but having verification still sent a shaft of desperate pity for the whole family.
DI Taylor waited to allow the quick whispers to circulate the room, then gave out a small cough to pull them back into order. ‘Further information does put a sinister spin on matters.’
Jenna’s heart thrummed and then paused as she held her breath.
‘According to Roger Ayman,’ Taylor indicated the man stood to his right, ‘our National Inter-Agency Liaison Officer, there is immediate evidence that a number of firearms have been discharged and abandoned several times on the premises. Through the site mapping they’re carrying out, it appears so far, one firearm has been laid next to each of the bodies.’
The pulse in Jenna’s throat hammered harder. Was that symbolic? A different gun for each one of them?
Ryan shot his hand into the air. ‘Sir, were the firearms discharged before the fire was set?’
DI Taylor nodded to acknowledge Ryan. ‘At this stage, we are cognisant of the fact the fire service has carried out its duty to protect human life to the best of their ability and having arrived on scene when the blaze was already well under way, DC Downey, we don’t yet know, nor do we wish to surmise, what has taken place. The most important aspect currently is the protection of evidence, which the fire service again is deeply involved in until SOCO can get their team in there.’ DI Taylor turned his head. ‘DC Wainwright, you have a question?’
Slow to the point of almost painful, as was his way, Wainwright took his time before the question came out. ‘Aye, sir. Do we know at this stage what the body count is?’
Again, DI Taylor nodded and then motioned with his hand at the NILO.
Roger Ayman stepped forward. ‘As DI Taylor said, a complete search of the entire premises has been impossible due to safety issues. We can confirm so far we’ve discovered five bodies.’
Ryan’s hand shot up and a collective groan came from the room. ‘Sir, how many members of the family did you say are missing?’