Child's Play (D.I. Kim Stone #11)(9)

Kim had already sensed a strange dynamic between the sisters but now she wanted to know more.

‘You were older than Belinda?’ she asked.

‘Oh yes, officer, I certainly was. I suspect that had Belinda come first my parents wouldn’t have bothered to have any more.’

Kim waited for further explanation of such a strange observation but Veronica met her gaze silently, waiting for any further questions.

‘So, you looked out for her?’

Belinda raised one eyebrow. ‘Whatever gave you that idea?’

‘You live close by. You seem to have the same taste in clothes and jewellery. You check on her. You obviously took care—’

‘Officer, I’m sorry to disillusion you but my sister and I really couldn’t stand the sight of each other.’





Eight





‘You know Keats is gonna be pissed off, don’t you?’ Bryant asked, as he neared Russells Hall Hospital.

‘Yeah, cos that’d make a change,’ she offered drily. ‘And I’m not sure what you’re worried about. It’s not like he’s going to take it out on you, his favourite detective.’

‘Can’t help the fact that folks like me,’ he said, smugly.

‘Except Veronica Evans. You’re not her flavour of the month, and thank the Lord I was there to smooth over that little faux pas about Belinda holding down a job.’

‘You were thinking the exact same thing.’

‘Immaterial, my dear Watson. But if you’re going to start pissing people off we really are in some shit. Woody might decide to split us up.’

‘Really, it’s that easy?’ he asked.

‘So, what do you make of our sisters?’ she asked, hoping he would say something to dispel the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

‘Damned weird if you want the truth.’

Or not, she thought.

‘The likeness between them was eerily freakish. Her total lack of emotion at her sister’s death. Didn’t really ask us any questions about the circumstances. Didn’t ask if we had any suspects. No pleas for us to find whoever did this,’ he continued.

‘Her admission that they didn’t get on even though she lives close by and visits seemingly often,’ Kim added.

‘Yeah, and the fact that neither of them married and that’s before we even get on to the hoarding.’

They looked at each other.

‘Damned weird,’ they said together as Bryant parked the car.

‘Couple of references to their childhood that she chose not to elaborate on,’ Kim said, across the roof of the car.

They fell into step together and headed for the main entrance.

‘That thing about keeping up appearances,’ Bryant said.

‘And that comment about her parents not having any more kids if Belinda had come first. Do you think Belinda was a problem child?’

Bryant shrugged as they headed along the corridor to the morgue. ‘Don’t know, but I do know one thing: that information is not going to help us establish what Belinda Evans was doing tied to a swing at Haden Hill Park last night.’

‘You may be right, Bryant, but I’d still like to know.’

‘Hey, Keats,’ she said, stepping into the morgue.

‘You’re late,’ he said, peering over the rim of his glasses.

‘Yeah, Bryant wanted to stop off for a full English even though he knew you’d be pissed, so how do you like him now?’

‘Still better than you as you’ve now added liar to the list of your less favourable attributes.’

Kim shrugged. Looked like she wasn’t breaking this bromance up any time soon.

‘May I?’ she asked, stepping closer to the table.

Keats nodded as he continued to make notes on his clipboard.

Kim gently drew back the white sheet to reveal Belinda’s face. She looked past the complexion that always reminded her of raw pork and focussed on the features.

In this position, on her back with her head pointing towards the ceiling and her hair falling away from the face, the resemblance to the woman they’d just left was less striking.

There was a softness here, a gentleness to the features. Belinda carried a few more pounds than her older sister which appeared to soften the high cheekbones and sharp nose. There was a fullness to the lips instead of a sharp determined line. The most striking resemblance had come from the hair, clothes and jewellery, the similarity of which was still at the front of her mind.

‘Belinda’s sister will be along later to formally identify the body,’ Kim said re-covering her face.

‘I’m not completely finished,’ Keats admitted, checking something on his clipboard before leaning against the stainless-steel counter top.

‘But I will share what I’ve found so far. This lady was in excellent health and would have been for someone ten years younger. She’s never smoked or drank excessively and all her major organs were functioning well and still intact. There is evidence of arthritis in her elbow and knee joints but nothing that would have incapacitated her or even slowed her down at this point. May have required surgery in approximately ten years.’

Kim offered him her ‘not at all helpful’ look, which he ignored.

‘I find no evidence of broken bones or major injury which, strangely…’