Perfect Silence. Helen Fields

of the screen, and the legend ‘Scotland’s future leaders, educated here today’ written in bold script below the words ‘The Leverhulme School, Edinburgh’.

      ‘That’s an independent school not far from the city centre,’ Ava said. ‘Its pupils must use the Meadows as a thoroughfare into the city. What we have here is probably a locker key.’ She turned to Salter. ‘What was your impression of the witness who produced it?’

      ‘He was reluctant to hand it over at first, but when he did I got no sense that he was lying, ma’am,’ Salter said. ‘Although I had offered them a hot meal if they gave me anything concrete to go on,’ she added slowly, her tone acknowledging the fact that such inducements were likely to produce results just for the sake of the food.

      ‘Feels like a hiding to nothing, but we can’t leave it without checking it out. Lively, get the key through forensics so we can take it to the school and follow it up. We’ll need a public appeal for witnesses in the Meadows at the relevant time, anyone who might have seen three men leaving the area quickly. You handle that, Salter. I also want to pursue a line of enquiry to see if we can link Lorna Shaw with either Mikey Parsons or the latest slashing victim, Paddy Yates. Same dealers, same drugs, known common associates or hangouts, anything at all. Concentrate on Lorna first, then double-check all the same information for Zoey, just in case they ever crossed paths. We now have three victims who’ve been on the wrong end of a blade, and one more still missing. I want to know what the common factor is.’

      Lively seemed to be having a problem with his neck, tipping his head with increasing jerkiness in Salter’s direction. Finally Ava realised what he was doing. ‘How are you holding up, DC Salter? I’m happy to accommodate you coordinating in the incident room if the crime scenes are proving difficult for you.’

      ‘They’re not, ma’am, and whilst I appreciate the sergeant’s concern, I’d prefer it if he’d stop trying to send messages behind my back. With respect, it makes him look like a complete prat.’

      ‘I agree with you on that score, Constable.’ Ava smiled. ‘Although he means well. Just take it a week at a time, and make sure you come to me if you feel you’re being coddled. Agreed?’

      ‘Agreed,’ Salter said.

      ‘You can go, Constable. I’d like the appeal for information to go out while it’s still fresh in people’s minds. If we don’t get a lead soon we’re going to have to set up an undercover operation. I won’t leave the city’s homeless population to get butchered with no one out there to protect them, but uniforms aren’t the answer. More importantly, if we can find whoever’s assaulting the city’s drug addicts, it might just lead us to Lorna Shaw.’

      Salter and Lively turned and moved towards Ava’s office door.

      ‘Not you, Sergeant,’ Ava added, waiting until Salter had left before continuing. ‘DS Lively, you’ll have noticed that we’re busy at the moment. We have one dead young woman, two badly injured vulnerable members of our community and a missing mother whose baby needs her. Is there any particular reason you appear to be choosing this week to pick fights with the Detective Superintendent?’

      ‘To be fair, ma’am, no one needs to pick a fight with the Evil Overlord. She just seems to have taken a shine to me. What can I say?’

      ‘That was more than enough, so let me issue a very clear order. Stay out of her way. Don’t break any more rules. Do not add to my to-do list, and sort this case out immediately so that I have every pair of boots back out there looking for Lorna Shaw. The only response I require is confirmation that you have heard me and understood.’

      ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Lively said, managing by some miracle not to smirk.

      ‘Good. Now get on with it,’ Ava said.

      Lively walked towards the door, stopping as he held it a few inches open. ‘You’re more like her than you realise sometimes, ma’am.’

      Ava stared at him. ‘Leave now, Lively, before I make a phone call that will deprive you of that hard-earned pension you’re waiting to collect.’

      Lively smiled, shook his head and did as he’d been told. Ava didn’t need to threaten to fire him. She was pretty sure Overbeck already had that in hand.