Page 122 of Maybe Tomorrow

‘It would appear so,’ Freya said.

‘How could he do that? He’s ruined that man’s life.’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Will this get him out of prison?

‘I’m not sure,’ Jennifer said. ‘But it’s a massive step towards ordering a retrial.’

ChapterFifty-Five

Thursday 28th April 1994

Time spent in prison: nine years, ten months

There was a knock on Freya’s office door. She looked up, saw Dr Caspian Tandy through the glass and beckoned him to come in.

‘Caspian, what are you doing out of your lab? I thought you practically lived there.’

‘My wife certainly thinks so. I’m not disturbing you, am I?’

‘I’m filling in an overtime report and trying to justify my department’s overspend for the seventh month in a row. You’re very welcome to disturb me. Can I get you a coffee?’

‘No, thanks, I can’t stop. I’ve got some news for you.’

Freya removed some files from a chair and gestured for Caspian to sit down.

‘You usually telephone when you have news. Something tells me I’m not going to like this,’ she said, going round to her side of the desk and sitting down.

‘On the contrary. Something tells me you’re going to love this. That’s why I came to deliver the news in person.’

There was a smile he was trying, but failing, to hide.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked, intrigued.

‘We’ve got a DNA match on the sample from Alice Patterson’s underwear.’

‘You’re joking.’

‘I never joke when it comes to forensics.’

‘Who?’

‘Ah. That’s the chink in the armour. Whoever the DNA belongs to isn’t on the National DNA Database so I can’t give you a name. However, I can tell you who the DNA doesn’t belong to, and that is Anthony Winstanley.’

‘You’re sure?’

‘One hundred per cent sure.’

Freya bit back the urge to cry, but couldn’t manage it. A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away. ‘Sorry.’

‘No. Don’t apologise. This is huge.’

‘Caspian, I don’t think I can thank you enough.’

‘What for?’

‘For everything you’ve done.’