Child's Play (D.I. Kim Stone #11)(84)

‘He’s a happy chappie,’ Bryant remarked, with a smile.

‘Course he is, he won,’ she replied, as she headed into the reception area. Squeals of delight reached her as parents and children pored over certificates, cups, badges and trophies. She spotted Damien Crouch watching proudly as his daughter Matilda showed off a pink ribboned rosette pinned to her cardigan.

‘Looks like we’re at the tail end of it,’ Bryant observed. ‘Just the last main quiz to go and no incidents…’

‘Don’t even jinx us, Bryant. Our killer is here somewhere and we’ve got to make sure we catch him before the event ends completely. If there’s anyone else on his kill list, they’re gonna be right—’

‘Inspector, still here I see?’ Serena said from behind them.

The woman was carrying a clutch of rosettes, a clipboard and a single child’s trainer.

She followed Kim’s gaze. ‘Don’t ask.’

‘Almost done?’ Bryant asked.

She beamed happily, glancing around at the children and parents finally making some noise.

‘The event has been a huge success,’ she said, and then seemed to remember herself. ‘Apart from the recent tragedies of course,’ she acknowledged. ‘But just the quiz to go now and then we’re done for another year.’

‘Splendid,’ Kim said. ‘Serena, did Barry Nixon ever bring his wife with him to this event?’

‘Just last year, she came along with him. It was lovely to see her again after all these—’

‘And was a ticket put aside for her this year?’

‘Of course. I understood that they were attending together.’

‘And has her ticket been claimed?’ Kim asked, as her stomach flipped.

‘I’m sorry, officer, I have no idea,’ she said, edging away. ‘Jared takes care of the attendance records.’

‘And would you mind telling me where I can find your brother?’

Serena looked genuinely taken aback by the question.

‘My brother, Inspector? I’m sorry but I haven’t seen Jared for hours.’





Ninety-Five





‘You reckon Jared could be our guy?’ Bryant asked as they headed for the main hall. After there’d been no reply from his mobile phone it had been Serena’s best guess before hurrying off to lost property.

‘I’ll let you know after he explains where he’s been during all of our murders, but I still have a feeling there’s much more to learn about Beth Nixon. We still don’t know what prompted her stay in a mental health facility, and she was due to come here with her husband.’

‘You think she could have killed her own husband though, guv?’ Bryant asked, doubtfully. ‘She seems to have loved him very much.’

‘Yeah that’s the impression I get too but it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve questioned a serial killer and not known it. We’re dealing with some pretty clever folks here.’

‘Yeah, and how do you catch a killer who is more intelligent than you?’

Kim thought for a minute. ‘You hope that they’re far too clever for their own good.’

‘Great words, oh wise one,’ he said, as they reached the hall.

The majority of the space had been prepared ready for the final event. Two long tables faced each other with three seats behind each. Nameplates were in position for the finalists and a judging table was located in between.

Two tripods ready for camera equipment had been positioned to catch all the action and a hundred or so spectator seats had been placed to witness the battle of the brainboxes.

A few seats on the front row had been taken already by the early birds. One woman was busy combing her child’s hair and adding a spotted bow to the top of her head.

The child ripped it out and threw it on the floor.

‘Charming,’ Bryant observed.

‘Unsurprising,’ Kim noted, looking around the room. ‘Act like a mini adult but look like a kid. No wonder the child is confused.’

‘Good point,’ he answered as her gaze searched a group of kids sitting in a huddle, waiting, over in the far corner.

‘He’s not here, guv.’

‘I can see that, Bryant,’ she said as a tingle shivered down her spine. ‘And as this competition comes to a close and he’s one of the organisers where the hell else would he be?’





Ninety-Six





‘It’s a bit like one long shift, isn’t it?’ Tiff asked, stifling a yawn.

Stacey smiled. ‘Yeah, that’s why we like it.’

‘Don’t your partners and families mind?’

‘For the most part they get it,’ Stacey offered, tightly. In her case Devon understood most things, but what Devon was failing to understand was her inability to answer the question that had been put to her at the beginning of the week, that she’d successfully avoided through work.

‘Oh, there’s no better feeling than when your other half just gets you. When you finish each other’s—’

‘Tiff, I’ve really got to crack on with digging on Beth…’

‘But the boss says she’s looking for siblings now, so why are you still working on the wife of one of the victims?’