‘I can’t remember off the top of my head,’ Matilda replied, trying hard not to be jealous that Adele was ten minutes faster.
The phone started ringing just as Matilda stretched her limbs.
‘Would you like me to get it?’ Adele asked.
‘Please.’
By the time Adele returned, Matilda was trotting on the treadmill to give her legs the chance to wake up properly. Her left leg felt a bit stiff this morning.
‘Matilda, you’re not going to believe this …’ Adele began. The look on her face said it all.
Matilda turned off the treadmill. ‘What’s happened?’
‘There’s been a murder.’
‘Someone I know?’
‘What? No, nothing like that. An inmate at Starling House has been killed.’
There was nothing Matilda could say. Starling House was a bone of contention for Sheffield. Everyone would prefer that it was closed down. They hated the fact their city was synonymous with a home for evil young boys. This could be the answer to their prayers.
‘How long has Starling House been open, now?’ Adele asked from the front passenger seat of Matilda’s silver Ford Focus.
‘I’ve no idea. Mid ’90s wasn’t it?’
‘Something like that. Have you ever been inside?’
‘No. I know people aren’t too happy about it being used as a prison. However, there’s never been any trouble – no riots, no break-outs, no deliberate fires or anything.’
‘Until now.’
Matilda looked across at Adele. ‘The press are going to have a field day, aren’t they?’
‘They certainly are. If this isn’t a hot topic I don’t know what is.’
Matilda turned down Limb Lane. With drystone walls and tall trees on each side, they were plunged into darkness as the thick branches blocked out the autumn sun. On the right was farmland, on the left was an open playing field. Matilda indicated left and they turned onto a dirt track. The car struggled over the cavernous potholes and breaks in the single lane road. They pulled up at the security gates, and Matilda leaned out of the window to press the intercom.
‘Yes?’ asked a tired voice.
‘DCI Matilda Darke from South Yorkshire Police and Doctor Adele Kean.’
There was no reply, just a long wait while the gates slowly opened. The second set of gates were already wide open to avoid any delay to the emergency vehicles.
At the end of the long drive, a fleet of marked and unmarked police cars, along with a Crime Scene Investigation van were parked haphazardly. All vehicles were empty. As Matilda pulled up, DC Rory Fleming stepped out of the building as if he had been waiting just inside the door. Always the gentleman, Rory opened the door for her.
‘Good morning, Rory.’
‘Morning, boss. Nice day off yesterday?’
‘Fine, thanks.’
‘You know, I’ve never taken much notice of this building before. It’s gorgeous. Have you seen those gargoyles?’ He looked up at the imposing building and marvelled at the intricate architecture. ‘According to one of the staff, this place was built in—’
‘Perhaps we can save the history lesson for another time, Rory. I’ve been told there’s a little matter of a dead body?’
‘Yes, sorry. He’s through here. Follow me.’
Rory led the way with a scowling Matilda and a smiling Adele following.
This was the closest Matilda had ever been to Starling House. Up close it was an ugly, dark, crumbling building. The brickwork was gnarled from centuries of harsh Yorkshire weather battering it. The features on the gargoyles had almost been rubbed away; yet their unwelcoming stare and toothy grins were frighteningly detailed. Matilda turned to look at an upstairs room and saw a curtain twitch. Alfred Hitchcock would have loved this place.
‘Where are all the inmates?’ she asked as she looked around the large open foyer, finding nobody.
‘There are currently only eight boys staying here – well, seven now – and they’re all in the dining room.’
‘Staff?’
‘The manager is Kate Moloney. She was down at the recreation room when I left. She’s milling around trying to show her authority but she’s just getting in everyone’s way. A couple of the guards are in the dining room with the inmates along with a few PCs. I think the remainder of the staff are in the staffroom. Aaron’s told them all to stay there until you decided what you want to do.’
‘Good. So what—?’
‘Speaking of Aaron – Katrina’s pregnant. Can you believe that? I didn’t think he had it in him.’
‘That’s brilliant news,’ Adele chimed in. ‘I know they’ve been trying for ages. Aaron said Katrina’s had a few miscarriages in the past. How far gone is she?’
‘About three months I think he said.’
‘Oh I am pleased. Do they know what they’re having yet? I’ll have to—’
‘Any chance of getting back on topic here?’ Matilda interrupted. ‘Rory, what do we know so far?’
They turned down corridor after corridor. Rory stopped suddenly at one point to get his bearings.
‘Well, the young lad is Ryan Asher. He arrived on Sunday night under the cover of darkness by all accounts. Very military. He was locked in his room at nine o’clock last night, which is normal, and this morning he was found dead on the pool table in the rec. room.’
‘Who found him?’
Rory looked at his notebook. ‘One of the senior officers, an Oliver Byron. Apparently, when Ryan didn’t turn up to breakfast Mr Byron went looking for him and discovered him in the recreation room.’
They arrived at the room which had been sealed off by tape. Inside, a team of forensic officers was examining the scene. Floodlights had been erected and white suited CSIs were busy looking for evidence. Adele slipped into a blue forensic suit and went to join her assistant, Victoria Pinder, who had arrived shortly beforehand and was busy laying foot plates on the floor.
‘Rory,’ Matilda took the young DC to one side and lowered her voice. ‘The press is going to be all over this but I don’t want anything getting out until it’s absolutely necessary. Get uniform to give you a hand and move all the vehicles at the front to the back of the building. I don’t want photographers taking snapshots and making up their own stories.’
‘Will do. Oh, by the way, the ACC is on her way over.’
‘I thought she would be. Thanks for the heads-up.’
The Assistant Chief Constable rarely attended a crime scene. The fact she was on her way was testament to how serious this case was going to be. Obviously, every murder was serious, but this was Starling House. The place was already swarming with killers. This is the kind of case tabloids have wet dreams about.
DS Sian Mills handed Matilda a forensic suit and waited while the senior officer struggled to get into it. Once inside the recreation room, Matilda stood in silence and surveyed the scene. She wanted to take it all in: the dimensions, the furniture, the layout. This room was going to be vital in solving this case, she could feel it.
It was a large room at the back of Starling House and looked out onto