“Affirmative. Good luck with the investigation. Do you want to attend the post-mortem?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. We’ll throw ourselves into finding out about the victim, see if we can pick up any possible leads to the killer.”

“Very well.”

Sally and Jack made their way back to the car and set off in the direction of the victim’s home. The tiny terraced house was in a street filled with similar-sized properties, most of which were in good repair. Only a few of the houses let the street down, from what Sally could tell at a quick glance.

“Let’s hope she shares her home with either a boyfriend or a friend.” Sally rang the bell and slipped her hand in her jacket pocket, ready to produce her warrant card if someone answered the door. No one did. She sighed heavily. “Looks like we’re out of luck. We’ll try the neighbours. You take that one, and I’ll take this side.”

Jack nodded.

They retraced their steps then split up at the end of the path. Each of them knocked on the two houses either side.

After Sally knocked, a harassed-looking woman in her early thirties opened the door, with a small child on her hip. “Yes?”

“Sorry, I can see you’re busy with the little one. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about your neighbour.” Sally pointed at the house she was referring to. “Maddie Webster, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. In what respect? And who are you?”

Sally showed the woman her ID. “DI Sally Parker from the Norfolk Constabulary.”

“I see. Is Maddie in trouble of some kind?”

“Maybe it would be better if I came inside for a quick chat. Would that be okay?”

“I’m in the middle of doing the housework. Everything takes twice as long with this little one crawling around the floor, getting under my feet. If you don’t mind the mess, you’re welcome to come in.”

“Thanks, that’s no problem. I’ll just get my partner.” Sally clicked her fingers to gain Jack’s attention and motioned for him to join her.

He hopped over the two brick walls between the three houses, and they followed the woman through the house to the kitchen at the rear of the property.

“Like I said, excuse the mess.”

“Have you just got the one child?” Sally asked.

“One at home during the day and two at primary school. Three kids under the age of seven for my sins.”

“Yikes, that’s hard work.”

“It is. About Maddie? I haven’t seen her since yesterday. She always pops in for a coffee before her shift. She loves playing with the kids. Poor cow says she can’t have any of her own. I tried to palm one or two of mine off on her, but she wouldn’t hear of that.”

Sally smiled at the woman. “Sorry, I didn’t get your name?”

“It’s Liz, Liz Foot.” The woman cleared the table in front of two chairs and invited Sally and Jack to sit down. “Would you like a drink?”

“Only if you’re having one.”

Liz placed the child in the highchair and switched on the kettle. “What’s Maddie done?”

“It’s like this, Liz—I’m afraid I have some bad news. Maddie’s body was found down by the river. I’d rather not go into detail right now, not in front of your daughter.”

Liz collapsed against the worktop and placed a hand over her face. “Body? You mean she’s dead?”

“Yes. Can you tell us where she worked? You mentioned an evening shift somewhere.”

“That’s right, she was a barmaid at the Wellington Arms in Connaught Road. Oh my, I can’t believe it. Was it some kind of accident? A hit-and-run perhaps?”

“No. She was murdered.”

Liz dropped into one of the spare chairs with a thump, and Sally asked Jack to take over making the drink. Tears misted the woman’s eyes. She reached for her daughter’s hand and lightly grasped it in her own. “Murdered,” she whispered eventually. “How? Why? Who would do that to Maddie?”

“I’d rather not go into the gruesome details just now. I was wondering if you knew anyone she might have been having problems with? Maybe an eager customer at the pub she might have mentioned during a conversation.”

“Not that I can remember. She broke up with her fiancé several months ago after she caught him in bed with someone else.”

“Can you give me his name?”

“Terry Dolan. He works as a mechanic at the local Ford garage. Or he did, the last I heard anyway. You can’t be thinking he would do this to her?”

“It’s something we need to check up on, if only to eliminate him from our enquiries. Did they part on bad terms? Has Maddie seen him since the break-up?”

“Not that I know of. She would have mentioned it to me if she had.” Liz gasped and covered her mouth.

“What is it, Liz?”

“Her mum. Have you told her mum yet?”

“No, this is our first stop. Is there something we should be aware of?”

Jack placed a cup on the table in front of the two ladies, then took his seat and pulled out his notebook.

“Glynis is in ill-health. She has a frail heart. This news is likely to kill her. Oh, shit! Her dad died only last year from a bad accident at work. He was a forklift driver. The bloody thing tipped up and crushed him. To this day, they have no idea how that could have happened. Now this!”

“Can you give us Glynis’s address? I promise to break the news to her gently. Is she under the doctor, do you know?”

“Yes, and a specialist at the hospital, too. Damn! Why Maddie, of all people? She’s such a caring girl.”

“That’s what I intend to find out. Has she complained about anyone showing her any form of attention recently, a customer at the pub, for instance?” Sally repeated to the bewildered woman.

“No, nothing that I can think of. She wasn’t interested in starting another relationship after what happened with Terry. She said men were all cheating bastards, and she wanted to have nothing more to do with them.”

“Well, something must have changed her mind. Unless someone pounced on her after her shift. Does she have a car? Or did she use public transport to get to work?”

“She could drive, but her last car fell apart with rust. Since then, she’s been taking the bus into work. One of the other members of staff usually gives her a lift home after her shift. Either that, or if her boss was in a good mood, he’d fork out for a taxi.”

“Thanks, we’ll look into that when we question her colleagues and her boss later. Are you sure you can’t think of anything else? Perhaps you’ve noticed someone hanging around in the road outside when you’ve been out shopping or taken the kids to school. Anything?”

“Like a stalker? No, I’m constantly on the lookout. You can’t be too careful these days, can you? Folk are just weird. Any excuse to ki—” She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

Sally rubbed the woman’s upper arm. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of such sad news. We need to get on with the investigation. I hate to leave you like this. Is there someone we can call to come and be with you?”

“No. I’ll be fine. Please, you go and find whoever did this.”

“We’ll call by Maddie’s mother’s house first. I don’t suppose you have an address for her?”

Confused, Liz’s eyes darted to certain areas of the room. “I’m trying to think where I jotted it down for emergencies.” She crossed the room to a bookshelf and pulled out a little red notebook. “Here you are.” She handed the slip of paper to Sally, who passed it on to Jack to transfer into his notebook.

“I don’t suppose Maddie gave you a key to her property?” Sally asked.

“Yes, how silly of me to forget that.”

The three adults and the child left the house by the back door and entered Maddie’s home. Sally glanced around and was surprised to see the home tidy. Not a plate or cup was out of place in the kitchen, and the lounge was immaculate, too. Liz crossed the room, hitched the baby in place on her hip, and searched the drawer in an oak cabinet along the back wall. “Here’s Maddie’s address book. Maybe this will help with your enquiries.”