Barefoot, his soiled trainers in a carrier bag found in the boot of mittchels car Liam followed the two police officera up the stairs at the feont of the poilce station. he felt eyes on him as he did so and looking around he found himself an object of interest for those villagers who were out and about.

Based on the suspicion and anger in thw looks being directed at him, he could only conclude that news of his discovery had already made it around the village, and that he was being fitted for the role of murderer in the eyes of the villagers. He supposed he couldnt blame them a village wasnt like a town or city, where it was rare for a person to know more than two or three of their neighbours.

The anger and suspicion of his fellow residents disapperaed from Liam mind the moment he entered the police station.

with an unpleasent wet feeling on his feet, Liam followed sergeant Mittchell through to the stations sole interview room, which didnt look big enough for the fpur people it was supposed to accomodate.

"We will begin the interview just as soon as i have taken care of few things Mr walker ", Mitchell said before disappearing from the doorway without giving his interviewee a chance to say anything.

"How bad is it?" inspector stevens asked of his sergeant the moment Mitchell entered his office.

Mitchell didnt answer straight away , he waited until he had taken a seat across from his superior. " Bad", he said finally .

"you remember how bad james goode looked after his tractor rolled on him?"

Stevens nooded it wasnt something he was likely to forget;it had surprised everyone who was there at the scene , that the farmer survived the accident, let alone that he had made an almost complete recovery.

"Worse than that. she looked like a victim from one of those horror movies you see on tv late at night. whoever killed her, he must have really hated her, or being really angry with her , because he beat the hell out of her . i mean he just beat the hell out of her. she had cuts and bruises just about everywhere i could see: arms, legs, body , face. God knows how many of her bones must have been broken. "Mitchell had to take a moment to try and force away the memory of what he had seen. " i am no expert and kelly's out of his depth with this but it looks as though she was kicked and punched repeatedly; her face ... its just unrecognisable .Its badly damaged its almost impossible to tell whether its a girl or boy from the face. if she wasnt naked i think it would have taken me a while to figure out especially if she's been in trousers or something boyish.

"Thats not even the worst of it..... i told you something was craved into her stomach".

Stevens nodded.

"Well i was able to make it out before i left- whoever killed her he craved "TEASE" into her." he shook his head not able to belive the memory of what he had seen.

Stevens could only stare at his subordinate ." she's naked?" he asked finally , focusing on something he found less troubling . He was inexperienced in investigations of any kind but especially murder investigation just like Mitchell , but he did think that the nakedness of the gir they belived to be Ava wilson , was more important than the fact she had been beaten so badly.

"Yes," Mitchell said with a slow nod of his head that made plain he was thinking along the same line as his superior ." Near as dammit anyway . she had on the remains of a dress-it looked like it had been all but torn from her -same for her bra and we found her underpants a short distance away. if you ask me it looked as though they were ripped off her and simply thrown aside."

"was she...?" stevens couldnt bring himself to finish the question and it was several long moments before Mitchell could bring himself to answer it .

"Thats something the pathologist is going to have answer when the poat-mortem is done", Mitchell finally said . "But if you are asking my opinion " . He hesitated for a moment before nodding . " yes i think she was raped. i think he beat her unconcious ripped her clothes off and then - then he did what he wanted with her".

There was silence for several long moments befor stevens asked ,"how was she killed ? was it the beating?"

"I dont have anywhere near the experience to answer that ," Mitchell admitted ."i am inclined to think it was beating and kelly's of the same opinion - he couldnt see any obivious signs of anything else that might have led to her death, though he did admit that a postmortem might pick up any number of things he couldnt see. Mr walker however....."

"Thats our newest resident the gentleman who found our murdered girl isnt it?"

"yes sir . he claims he's former detective inspector".Mitchell pleased to see his own disbelief mirrored in his superior face.

"Isnt he only about thirty?"

"Mid thirties i think; all know for sure is he 's a damned sight younger than you or me . anyway he claims he is a retired detective inspector , he also claims that marksaround the girls throat suggest she was strangled."