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self-locking. Anyway, you can ’ t get in through the street door downstairs without a key unless some buzzes you in. ’
    Brookes nodded. ‘ OK, she lets him in. Then there ’ s a struggle in the lounge. Then in the bedroom, he kneels on her chest and strangles her with her tights; the pathologist found a bruise on her chest which supports that theory. Then he drags her through to the lounge and tosses her into the river. Next he searches the place, finds her computer, and takes that with him. ’ After a moment he added, ‘ OK, I don ’ t think we ’ re too far from the truth of what happened here. Who ’ s talking to the neighbours, Fred? ’
    ‘ Liz and Dave are on that, boss. I ’ ve told them just to do this building and the ones either side. Do you want them to spread out more? ’
    ‘ Not at this stage, no. Just one thing; find out when the dustbin men call. If the killer did bring the wine with him and then took the bottle away with him, he might have dumped it in the vicinity. OK, I'll have a look at the rest of the flat then see you back at Leman Street. ’ He looked at his watch. ‘ We ’ ll have a full team briefing at six and put it all together. ’
    *
     

Chapter 6 – The Full Monty
     
    ‘ To know that we know what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge. ’
    Thoreau, Walden quoting Confucius
     
    It was now 6pm on Monday, fully 46 hours since the violent death of Alison MacPherson. Brookes ’ team was gathered in the murder room, awaiting a briefing. Brookes called them to order and conversation stopped. There were a few shuffling noises whilst the team settled down, then complete silence.
    Brookes stood beside Short ’ s desk. Behind him, the whiteboard was now covered with information. He had a broken billiard cue in one hand that he would use to point to relevant items on the board as he talked; not all the team ’ s equipment was state of the art.
    ‘ Right, first let me introduce DS Jacqui Rose to those who haven ’ t yet met her. She ’ s now part of the team and I expect each of you to help her settle in. ’ He glanced in her direction and there was a chorus of hellos. She smiled at the faces around her then looked back at Brookes.
    He continued, ‘ Right, now let ’ s get down to business. First the victim: Alison Vera MacPherson, twenty-six years old, white Caucasian, born in Aberdeen. Single and with no current boyfriend. She lived at flat twenty-two, Riverside Mansions, Limehouse Causeway; a second floor flat that backed directly onto the Thames. She worked as an accountant for a firm called Luxury Homes Abroad. It ’ s an up-market company that does holidays for the very rich in exotic parts of the world. Alison was a graduate with bright prospects. The company offices are at Canary Wharf, one stop up the Dockland Light Railway. She had no car and travelled to work by rail, according to her friend, Joan Wilson, who ID ’ d her body at the morgue this morning.
    ‘ We know she worked on Saturday, the day she was murdered. Between one and two that day, she had lunch with her friend Ms Wilson. They had lunch in the Greedy Grape, a wine bar on the Canary Wharf complex. Then Alison went back to work. The Wilson woman confirms Alison was dressed in a navy skirt suit, a white blouse, and black high-heeled shoes; you will see the relevance of this in a moment.
    ‘ According to the office manager, Alison left work just before six. We next have a sighting of her in a convenience store in West India Dock Road, a few hundred yards from her flat. She appears in the shop alone at six fifteen pm on a security camera. She bought some lamb chops and green veg. From the PM, we know she ate a meal shortly before her death. We ’ re fairly sure she cooked it herself and ate alone.
    ‘ It seems she washed up immediately after. There was just one plate, knife, and fork together with the cooking pots and utensils on the draining board beside the sink.