Child's Play (D.I. Kim Stone #11)(49)

‘You think Veronica was staying close by to guard a secret?’

‘Well, it certainly wasn’t for sisterly affection. She won’t breathe a word about their past, so there’s something she doesn’t want the world to know, and we’ve established that Belinda was given to impulsive behaviour, so maybe Veronica stayed close by to keep her under control. There’s no way she didn’t know where her sister was going, but why so important to hide it from us? She’s made a non-thing into a big thing.’

‘Wow, Bryant,’ she said.

‘Yeah, I know, my observations are insightful, perceptive, valuable and—’

‘You tried to hide a guinea pig from your mum?’

He huffed and she was joking because there was a chance he had a point. But what the hell was she trying to hide?

‘Bryant, I only have two questions. First, do you tell me these anecdotes to calm me down?’

Because, invariably they always did.

‘Let’s just say I prefer you angry when it’s not just the two of us in an enclosed space. So, let’s call it self-preservation.’

‘And finally, what happened about Rupert?’

‘I kept the secret for a week. Spent the whole time in my room and not out with my mates. Come Monday morning Mum asked if I wanted a lift to school with the cage and that she hoped I’d had a nice holiday.’

Kim laughed out loud. ‘Bryant, I swear…’

She stopped speaking as her phone began to ring.

‘Stace, tell me you’ve got something good to save me from Bryant’s stories from when—’

Stacey interrupted her and she let her colleague speak as her eyes grew wide.

‘Bloody hell, Stace,’ she said, when the constable had finished. ‘Good work.’

‘What?’ Bryant asked as they reached the hospital island.

‘Turn the car around and take me back to Belinda’s house, right now.’

‘Why?’ Bryant asked, doing a full drive around the traffic island.

‘Because Stacey made my wish come true and we are now going back to wipe that smile off Veronica’s face.’





Fifty-Two





Penn wasn’t surprised to see DI Travis waiting for him when he stepped out of the interview room.

‘Well?’

He could see the man’s anxiety, which was coupled with hope.

Penn shook his head. ‘Honestly, guv, I’ve got no clue what’s going on here. She’s now reverted back to her original story. Swears he was at home with her.’

Travis leaned back against the corridor wall as two constables walked between them. He waited until they were out of earshot before speaking.

‘Why has she changed her mind?’

‘Scared because of her neighbour’s body turning up on the train tracks.’

‘Which could be completely unrelated,’ Travis said.

Penn nodded even though he felt neither of them believed it.

‘What’s your gut say? Is she telling the truth, this time?’ Travis asked.

‘She’s definitely scared of something. Hands trembling, voice a bit shaky and swearing on her kids’ lives. Not so cocky as the two times I’ve met with her before.’

‘It’s a bloody mess, Penn. A right bloody mess.’

‘Yes, guv, it is and to move this on any further there’s only one person I can go and see, and you’re not going to like it one little bit.’





Fifty-Three





Kim strode back into the bungalow and met Veronica head-on in the hallway.

Her set expression hardened. ‘Inspector, this is becoming tiresome and I really have too much work to do.’

Kim took out her warrant card and held it aloft.

‘Police,’ she shouted loudly. ‘Coffee break, everyone. Now.’

The two operatives close by looked around questioningly.

‘Out,’ Kim shouted, and the room emptied.

For the first time Kim saw uncertainty in the woman’s features.

‘Why didn’t you tell us the truth about Belinda? That she was a child prodigy herself? That she competed in one of the first ever Brainbox competitions?’

Veronica took a step back and placed a hand on the newly cleared sideboard.

‘I’m sorry but I’m not sure how that information would help you.’

‘Don’t act stupid, Miss Evans, when we both know you’re not. You knew she was going to this event and chose not to tell us, and now we find out just how close her connection to the event is. Belinda was a child genius, wasn’t she?’

Veronica nodded as though not trusting herself to utter one syllable on the subject.

‘You didn’t want her to go?’

She shook her head.

‘For goodness’ sake, speak. We know your secret but why you’ve guarded it so closely I’ll never understand.’

‘She went every year she could manage, to remind herself, to keep the memory alive of being there with our parents. She also got a kick out of studying the kids, their behaviour, attitude, even believed she could project how they were going to turn out. She would talk with them, you see, question them. Try to understand them.’