Hey everyone hope you all well, i'm so sorry for the late update real life is kicking my ass at moment, i'm not giving up on this story i promise that. just not had a lot to write, hopeful everything is back on track. i will try to update again tomorrow. thank you to everyone that is sicking with this story and not giving up on me yet it really means alot. i appreciate you all, every follow, favorite, review and reader. thank you.

happy reading :)

Chapter 28

January 25th

Rick's POV

Rick pulled behind Martinez battered white BMW and turned off the sirens, it wasn't even 8.30am but the area was swarming with squad cars, three SOCO vans and a plethora of other on-site officer's cars, there was two press vans. No-one in front of him seemed bothered by the three inches of snow, before he had a chance to engage the breaking break, Jane was out of the car and talking to three of the on-call team, he followed her turning up his collar against the chill. The snow had finally stop but from the look of the sky, it seemed the break might be short lived. He walked forwards the main gates of Richmond park, stopping at the outer Condon to put on shoe covers, Jane was close behind him, scribbling in her notebook he wanted to hear her initial un-biased reactions but he was also conscious that she hadn't been with him when Lilly's body was found. If today's victim was in a similar state, it was a lot to take in at this time on a Friday morning.

Rick watched Jane as she grabbed her own pair of plastic shoe covers from the waiting constable, she leaned on Rick's arm to slide them over her sensible shoes, it hadn't escaped his notice that Jane never wore heels anymore. She looked calm and focused, he didn't need to babysit her; he never had.

"Jane I want you to talk me through the scene, start to finish, anything that comes to mind I want to hear it." Rick said gesturing for her to go ahead of him.

"yes, sir."

They both ducked under the perimeter tape, and as they crossed the threshold into Richmond park Jane said "wow" she was looking up, down and all around her, "I feel I've wandered into Lapland, Hadley any of the snow has melted." Rick looked out at the snow-covered parkland. Dozens of footprints broke the surface of the icy crust where they were standing, exposing brown sodden grass. It looked like the SOCO's had put down as many walkways as they could, but as he and Jane moved further into the park it was clear that the evidence trail was going to be a nightmare. There were numerous footprints all going in different directions, no doubt some of the prints belonged to the person who discovered the body, some to the first responders to the scene and some would be the killers, but deciphering witch would be impossible now.

"tell me." Rick said, walking towards the cover of the trees to the right of the entrance.

"well" Jane began, opening her notepad, "I spoke to bakers DS and she said that the victim is Hayley sawyer, nineteen, five feet five, petite build, reddish hair she lived in the flat across the road, Aubyn square with two other girls, she was a student most of the Aubyn square block is second year accommodation if they aren't in halls of residence. One of the flatmates…" Jane flicked through her notepad, "Louisa samad, said she heard Hayley leave the flat at seven on Thursday morning the flatmate was saying with her boyfriend."

Rick watched as Jane put the pad to her lips resting it there. "it would still have been dark, sunrise isn't till about 7.45 and the park opens at 7.30. it snowed heavily overnight, so it would have been even deeper than it is now." Jane looked at him with one eyebrow arched, her lips pulled down to accompany a shrug of her shoulders.

AS they approached the crime scene, Martinez stepped out of a crowd of white-suited SOCO's and walked towards them peeling off his gloves to shake Rick hand.

" Hello, you two, impressive, isn't it?" Martinez said, gesturing towards the snow-covered park.

"there's no denying it looks like a Christmas postcard in here, but something tells me you haven't been examining an unfortunate Santa." Rick said

"I'm sorry to say there's nothing festive about this one." Martinez said gesturing for him and Jane to follow

"so, tell me, is it our guy?" Rick asked knowing already what the answer would be

"yes… punctate wound on her neck, sexual assault, wrists and throat cut." Martinez said.

They were close enough now to smell it: the acrid Adour of blood. Rick stepped onto one of the platforms and turned to help Jane up behind him, her hand felt cold and small.

"you should have gloves on," Rick said squeezing her fingers. She smiled and tucked her hands into her jacket pockets, as she did several of the suited figures stepped away to reveal the body of Hayley sawyer lying on a combination of ice, soggy grass, mud and a lot of blood. Her body was laid out as if crucified, her arms stretched out, her legs neatly placed together she was naked except on her feet, she still wore a pair of long boots, woollen socks poking out of the top. Her hair was red, not reddish, it could have been damp or blood making it darker but Rick could already see that she must have been a striking girl, her skin was white, which contrasted with her dark eyebrows and hair, she was tiny, a delicate frame, her ribs stood out from her chest, covered in bruises. Rick ran his eyes over the ground surrounding Hayley's body. An iPod with the headphones still attached lay off to one side, he was sure he could still hear the faint tinny music playing, he was surprised the battery had lasted this long, but that in itself might help with the time of death. A scarf, dark jeans and what looked like a Barbour were in a leap by the girl's shoulder.

"she didn't die like that." Rick said

Martinez shook his head. "well spotted, no she didn't the liver mortis suggests she was moved after she died."

Liver mortis was one of the few parts of forensic medicine that could be wholly relied upon, it never lied and it couldn't be cheated, when a person dies, their blood immediately begins to sink to the lowest point in the body, within two to five hours the shift is permanent, leaving a purplish; red staining or lividity on the surface of the skin. If Hayley had died on her back, as she lied now, the colouring would be on her calves, thighs, buttocks, shoulders, and neck. But that wasn't what Rick was looking at, the staining on Hayley's young skin was concentrated on her left side; her arm was almost entirely purple.

"so, where do you put time of death and the body repositioning Martinez?" Rick asked, his own thoughts racing ahead of him.

Martinez spread his lips into a thin line and took a deep breath in through his nose. "it's almost impossible to say, I'm afraid the temperature doesn't help and there's been hardly any interference with the body by local wildlife." Martinez reached up and ran his hand under his nose several times. "I can tell you from the livor mortis that the body was moved. Maybe four to six hours after she was killed, but without the TOD it doesn't help you much, does it?"

"no, not really." Rick said hoping he didn't look as distracted as he felt. "are you almost ready to move her?"

"yes, we'll just finish up photographing the scene and the body and ten I'll take her back to the mortuary suite with me."

The way Martinez spoke it was as if he were talking her home to her parents. The respect and reverence he managed to conjure in a simple sentence never failed to impress Rick.

"she looks like a she's about to make a snow angel." Jane said, as she come to stand next to him.