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CHAPTER TWO

Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope looked up from the teenager’s scrawl.

'It’s got today’s date. Chloe must have written it this evening.’

The manager of the children’s home was faded, dusty. He had grey hair tied back in a ponytail. He seemed well out of his depth. Vera had seen the same ashamed look in some of her older colleagues’ eyes: the people who were desperate to retire, but who couldn’t quite make the jump. Because what would be the point of getting up in the morning if there were no work, nothing to get out of bed for? These were the lonely people, the bored ones, the introverts. Vera knew how they felt. She had no desire to retire, not even now when she felt like a failure. Especially now. Work was a kind of penance. They’d have to push her out.

She and David Limbrick, the manager, were standing outside in the corridor looking in at the room. The diary had been on the floor, close to the door. She’d reached in to pick it up with a blue-gloved hand, breaking every rule, but curious, because time was important now and it would take the CSIs a while to get here.

Vera was first on the scene because she’d still been in her office when the 999 call came through. Working late because she couldn’t quite face driving into the hills to her empty house, so she’d sat at her desk, even though it was Sunday and the rest of the team had better things to do. Brooding about a dead young woman who’d once been a colleague, and thinking about how pointless her own life had become. Holly might have called it an existential crisis. Vera had heard the term, without understanding what it meant. Now, she had an inkling.

It was midnight and the CSIs were on their way. The pathologist would be there as soon as he could make it. He’d asked if it could wait until the morning, but she’d explained where she was, and the nature of the victim they’d found outside. And that a lass was missing. Now, it was just her and the manager. It seemed that David Limbrick slept in one of the staff rooms if he was on duty overnight, but he’d still been up when this tragedy had happened. When the body had been found, at least. Vera knew they’d be unlikely to get an accurate time of death. Paul Keating, the pathologist, made that clear every time they met. Dave told her he’d been working too. Catching up with things in the office. 'The bosses want up-to-date occupancy figures. It’s all they seem to care about.’ Moaning. Vera had guessed on first sight that he’d be a moaner.

Now they were both hovering outside the room, the door still open.

'I’ll head outside again.’ There was a uniformed officer with the body, but Vera wanted to take another look at the scene, despite the damp and the autumn chill. 'I just wanted to see Chloe’s room.’

But she didn’t move immediately and turned back to Limbrick.

'Anyone else here this evening?’

'Tracey,’ he said. 'She was here until ten. She was in the lounge with the kids watching the movie, but she’s not sleeping in tonight. It would just have been Josh and me on duty.’

'Tracey’s one of the social workers?’

'Aye.’

'What time was Josh supposed to get here?’

'Eight-ish. I heard his car. He was always early.’

'But you didn’t see him?’

'Nah, he was just sleeping in. Filling in for another staff member. I assumed he’d gone up to his room, and then that he was in the lounge with the others.’

'And Chloe? When did you last see her?’

He shrugged.

'You didn’t notice her leave?’

'She’s a wanderer that one. We never know where she is.’

The corridor ahead of them was empty, but Vera was aware of a couple of slightly open doors, young eyes peering through, muttered conversations. Muted excitement. Murder could generate excitement. She could understand that. But not here. Not this.

'Can we do anything with the other kids? Is there somewhere they can go?’

For the first time since the man had opened the main door to her, he seemed to come to life. 'No! They’re only here because there’s nowhere else for them. They’re troubled. Disturbed.’

'I don’t mean parents, families. Another home to take them in on a temporary basis. So my chaps can have a clear run.’

He looked at her as if she were mad. 'You don’t understand. There is nowhere else. The whole system is falling apart.’