That night Anna had a call from Ken. He suggested that it was possible their killer had worked as a prison officer. Anna agreed but said it was a long shot.
“Do you know if officers keep their uniforms when they leave?”
“Yeah, some do. We get our uniforms, but many officers buy more comfortable black trousers. I doubt if they’d bother retaining the shirts with the epaulettes, although it’s possible.”
Anna didn’t want it to happen, but the discovery had somehow damaged the innocent warm glow she felt toward him, and he picked it up fast.
“Listen, I think you and I had better spend some more time together and soon, because even though you are telling me you didn’t feel any suspicions, I can tell by the way you are talking to me that it upset you. I’ll pull what strings I can to get off this weekend, okay?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
“Good night. Love you.”
She didn’t say she loved him and felt guilty, so she rang him back straightaway, but his phone went to voice mail. She didn’t leave a message but hung up.
The possibility that their suspect might have worked as a prison officer was a step forward, and yet it meant they were in an even worse position, because not only did it entail another round of inquiries, it also meant that John Smiley was less likely to be their prime suspect. And they had no one else.
The following morning, Pete Jenkins confirmed that the blanket did match the one they held at the lab. It was made from the same fabric, with the same stitching, but the old one had been worn, probably washed numerous times.
Anna had spoken again to Pete when she went home the previous evening and explained in more detail the importance of the blanket being prison issue, though it was virtually impossible to trace the actual batch and discover where it might have been sent. However, what it could mean was that whoever killed Dorota Pelagia four years ago might have had access to one and had perhaps even worked for the prison service.
Ken had ridden down to London on his Harley late Friday, and all the anxiety Anna had felt had disappeared. They talked about the case, about Dorota Pelagia, and the fact that Langton had threatened to pull half the team. Langton had admitted that they did have new developments, but ones that he felt had scant hope of a conclusion. It had been a depressed group when Anna had left, even more so as they all had weekend leave, bar the skeleton night-duty officers. It appeared they were heading toward a scaling-down of the entire investigation.
“Our prime suspect no longer fits the new stuff that came in. We have his CV from when he left the army and joined this company called Swell Blinds.” Anna was lying in bed beside Ken, and when there was no reply, she realized he had fallen asleep. Easing herself out of the bed, she crept into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Sitting on a breakfast bar stool cupping the mug between her hands, she didn’t feel at all sleepy. More than ever, she was aware what it felt like to have someone to be with, despite the fact that Ken had fallen asleep when she was talking about the case. Never, in her entire career to date, had she worked on a case that looked as if it could go so totally cold. At worst, there would always be an ongoing investigation and even a couple of officers assigned to monitoring any new evidence. On all her other cases, she had learned something about the victims, but with this one, they still knew little about the Polish women. Only Margaret Potts’s past life had they been able to piece together.
Anna sipped her tea, questioning herself. Had she overlooked something? Even though she had uncovered key facts, such as the lizard tattoo and the date of Dorota’s marriage, it had not brought in a hoped-for result. They were still no closer to finding the killer.
Anna finished her tea and thought about returning to bed. As she passed her bedroom, she looked in at the sleeping figure of Ken. It was a good feeling to have him part of her life, and instead of going to look over her notes and case files, as she would have done alone, she slipped in beside him. Loving the feel of his back as she pressed herself against him, she fell asleep.
Their entire weekend was taken up with preparing a picnic, and as Ken had brought another helmet, Anna had the first-time experience of riding behind him. They rode out to Greenwich Park and had a long walk, getting to know more and more about each other. She never brought up the case; it was out of her thoughts, even more so when they came back and changed to go to the theater. They had dim sum for dinner in a place on Tooley Street and didn’t return to her flat until late. The following morning they stayed in bed reading the Sunday papers before riding over to have lunch with Lizzie and her family. Anna helped cook and wash up, and Ken played out in the garden with the two boys. Lizzie looked out at them having fun and then turned to her guest. “Are you keen to have children, Anna?” she asked.
Anna was taken aback. It was something she had never really thought about, but the scene outside brought the truth home to her. Finally, she said that she was.
“That’s good, because I sort of thought you were a career girl. Ken loves kids, and he’s really a very special person, the way he looks out for Mum and Dad.”
“They’re lovely people.”
“Yes. I always think they have more heart than anyone I’ve ever known, especially my mum. Strange, you know she had a big scare, open-heart surgery, and we thought we might lose her.”
“Yes. Ken mentioned it to me, but she seems well now.” Anna glanced out the window, watching as Ken held Oscar upside down, while Ollie screamed that it was his turn.
“He’ll make a terrific dad,” Lizzie said fondly.
Anna was so startled by the remark that she flushed. Before she could say anything, Ken burst in and suggested that they all go for a walk in Richmond Park.
In the end, Anna and Ken took the boys to the park, leaving their parents to enjoy a quiet couple of hours with the Sunday papers. By five o’clock, when they had returned to Lizzie’s house and had tea and sandwiches, it was time for Ken to take Anna home and get back to Leeds. She tried to persuade him to stay another night and leave the next morning, but he refused, saying that he had to be at work early because he’d had the weekend off.
“When will I see you again?” she asked.
“I’m working next weekend, so it’ll be up to you whether you want to drive up. It’s also my parents’ wedding anniversary.”
Anna hugged him, saying that she’d be there if she got the weekend off. Then he was gone and the flat felt empty. She couldn’t believe how much she already missed him. He had drawn her into his world, his family, and the warmth of their affection for one another spilled over to her. Having no parents and no relatives, Anna had been solitary and until now had not questioned how much of her time was spent alone or at work.
She kept on thinking about what Lizzie had asked — whether she wanted children — and the thought of carrying Ken’s child made her well up inside. She had to admonish herself. He had not implied that their relationship would go that far, and she didn’t know if he would want a long-term commitment, but it didn’t stop her from daydreaming about getting married. This again was something she had never contemplated or even allowed herself to think about, especially during her long affair with Langton. Even though they had lived together, she had intuitively known it would never go further than that. She didn’t even know if she had wanted it to, but one thing she did know: she had never contemplated having a child with him, and she was certain that it had never been something he had thought about or desired.
Anna tossed and turned, one moment thinking about what kind of bridal gown she would choose, whom she would invite to the reception, and the next warning herself to stop thinking about it. She decided that she would go to see Ken in Leeds the next weekend and, having made the decision, fell fast asleep.