Page 10 of Maybe Tomorrow

‘Oh God,’ Freya said, looking down.

‘You said Alice was wearing a knitted red and black checked jumper?’

Freya nodded.

‘Then she’s our body.’

‘Oh no.’ Freya paused, dreading to hear more but needing to know. ‘Was she murdered?’

Bishop took another lengthy drag on his cigarette. ‘It doesn’t look like it. Lots of trees and branches down. It looks like she was just in the wrong place. How are you getting on with them?’

‘Geoff and Judith? Fine, I think.’

‘Good. They’ll need to make an identification to confirm it. Give it an hour then drive them to the hospital.’

‘Me?’

‘Who else?’ he said, walking away.

‘I’m only a WPC, sir.’

‘They need someone they know to break it to them. You’ve been here all night. It’ll be good practice for you. Only, don’t take too long over it, there’s a good girl.’

‘Sir…’ Freya began.

‘She wasn’t murdered, Fiona. This has nothing to do with me.’

Freya baulked at him getting her name wrong, but couldn’t correct him.

Bishop threw his half-smoked cigarette onto the ground, opened the door to his Astra and climbed in, slamming it closed behind him.

Freya remained on the pavement and watched it drive away. She’d never given the death message before. She didn’t know where to begin. She turned and slowly made her way back to the house.

Outside, she took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and walked in.

Geoff and Judith were back in the kitchen, sitting at the table. There was toast and a couple of bacon sandwiches in the middle and a cup of tea waiting for Freya. The smell alone made her feel sick. They looked up at her with wide eyes as she entered.

‘Any news?’ Geoff asked.

Freya couldn’t look at them. She could feel herself getting hot under the pressure and blood was thundering through her brain.

She tried to speak but couldn’t find the words, her mouth opened and closed several times before she chose something that would be truthful but not too severe.

‘Erm, this morning, a few hours ago, a dog walker found a body.’

Judith cried and let out a glass-shattering wail. Geoff jumped up and ran to her, folding her into his arms. He looked up at Freya to continue.

Freya could feel the tears crawling up inside her. She needed to remain professional. ‘There needs to be an identification, but DI Bishop seems to think, from the description you supplied of what Alice was wearing, that it is most likely Alice. I really am so sorry.’ Her bottom lip began to wobble.

‘How did she…?’ Geoff left the question hanging.

‘They don’t know. They seem to think it was from a falling branch in the storm.’

‘Where was she found?’

‘In woods opposite Whitby Cemetery.’

Judith looked up. Her face was red from crying, her eyes bulging. She was physically shaking. ‘What was she doing out there?’