Chapter 45
It had been agonising watching Elea move ghost-like into the room.
Swann had seen his wife at her best and her worst and he was in awe of her strength.
He wasn’t so sure he could do the same, had it been one of his boys.
The room had fallen silent as she leaned in for a better look.
Gently she pushed strands of frozen blonde hair away, before sweeping a soft brush over the young girl’s face.
He barely dared to breathe as every solemn moment passed.
He wished it didn’t have to be this way, but at least if it was Liisa, some closure would be had.
“It’s not her.” As much as she tried to conceal her emotions, Elea’s voice was trembling. “It’s not Liisa.”
“Are you sure?” Swann leaned forward, taking in the child’s preserved face.
It was as if she’d been dipped in marble while she was sleeping.
Her eyes were closed, her blonde lashes frosted.
Her lips blue and thin. Liisa had inherited her mother’s full, plump lips.
This child wasn’t her. Even he could see that now.
“It’s Chelsea. Chelsea Hobbs.” Elea’s tone was heavy with sadness. “She’s got a mole, here, near her left eye. It’s like a birthmark. See?” Elea tilted her head to one side, slipping into detective mode. “Her nails—they’ve been bitten. Chelsea used to bite her nails.”
Swann didn’t remember reading that in a report, but it was the sort of thing Elea would have asked her mother about. She had spoken to Karen Hobbs a few times now, picking up details and storing them in a memory that was superior to his.
Elea looked up at Swann, her blue eyes glistening with raw emotion.
There was a battle going on behind those eyes, but she was holding it together.
“I’m ninety-nine per cent sure this is Chelsea Hobbs.
” She stepped aside as the freezer door was closed, a small whoosh of cold air escaping the child’s resting place.
She had to be protected from minute degradation that every passing second would bring.
This freezer would not be unplugged. They would use a generator and transport her remains, for the coroner to gain forensic samples.
Swann already knew every step of each process they would need to take.
The house would be swept for trace evidence: fibres, hair, blood and fingerprints.
Ultraviolet light would be used to detect what wasn’t visible to the naked eye.
Careful handling would be needed when transporting the freezer to ensure the temperature was kept consistent throughout.
Controlled thawing would be part of the process, as the body was preserved in a way that achieved the best evidence for the police.
The coroner would look for patterns such as bruising or tissue damage to ascertain a potential cause of death.
Once the body was fully thawed, a complete autopsy would be performed to determine the actual cause of death.
Blood, tissue, DNA and fluid samples would be taken for toxicology tests.
Then a full DNA analysis would be completed, checking hair and skin cells as well as testing cavities and beneath the girl’s bitten fingernails.
But while Swann was working out their next steps, Elea’s thoughts were firmly with the victim.
“Poor Karen.” She exhaled a sad breath. “She’s going to have to identify her.” Elea looked around the room. “Any chance that he’ll come back?”
Swann shook his head. “The house has been cleared. He left in a hurry. He’s long gone.”
“He?”
“It would seem so. The property was rented out long-term to a man. A Mr. John Smith.” He raised an eyebrow. “I know. Very original.” Sarcasm bled through his words “But we’ve got lots to go on here.” He gestured at Elea to follow him out. “It won’t be long now.”
Elea didn’t disagree.