Page 121 of 36 Hours

‘He also said we’ve landed on the head of the snake, if that helps,’ Kim offered.

‘Shit. He’s talking snakes and ladders. Landing on snake heads sends you backwards. Makes perfect sense.’

Kim’s heart sank. ‘Where is it?’ she asked, not liking the note of defeat that had crept into the constable’s tone.

‘Right here. It’s the co-ordinates for the station.’

‘For fuck’s sake,’ Kim shouted, almost throwing her phone to the ground.

They were back to square one. The last thirty hours had been for nothing. He’d had them trawling all over the Black Country and it had got them nowhere.

If he wanted her pissed off, he was doing a damn good job.

She took a breath. ‘Okay, Stace, we’re on our way back.’

‘No, don’t do that. Me and Penn will search around here. I might have something else. I think Jared Truss is worth another chat, and these are the reasons why.’

EIGHTY-NINE

3.35P.M.

‘I mean where do we even start?’ Penn asked as they headed down the stairs.

‘Anywhere from the secure point outwards. Ain’t nobody getting past Jack,’ Stacey said as they headed into reception.

‘And to what do I owe this pleasure?’ Jack asked as they started to look around. ‘Lost something?’

‘Any strangers been in here today?’ Penn asked.

‘Err…no, just my mates been to visit today. Of course we’ve had strangers in. About bloody thirty of them.’

Stacey ignored his sarcasm. ‘Anyone leave anything behind?’

‘Well, as it happens, this really dodgy guy came in and left a duffel bag in the corner. As per my training, I cordoned off the area and called the bomb squad. Can’t believe you didn’t hear it all.’

‘Jack,’ Stacey persisted.

‘Fine. What kind of thing do you mean?’

And that was the problem. After what the boss had told her about the sticker-sized clue at the canal, she had no idea what they were looking for.

Having lost interest, Jack turned back to his computer.

Penn was overturning the chairs to ensure there was nothing on the underside.

‘Gotta be outside,’ Stacey said after checking the notice board to ensure there was nothing that shouldn’t have been there.

They headed through the automatic doors. Stacey turned right, and Penn turned left.

Fifteen minutes later, after checking every inch of the car park and the pavement that ran the length of the premises, they met up back in front of the building.

Penn held out a hand filled with crisp packets, chocolate wrappers and a few scraps of paper that looked like discarded receipts.

‘Picked up every bit of rubbish I saw just in case.’

‘Me too,’ Stacey said as they placed their offerings on the wall.

After checking every item, they agreed that there was nothing that had been left by their killer and put the rubbish in the bin.