Dead Memories (D.I. Kim Stone #10)(31)

He nodded and squeezed her hand before she stood.

Mallory offered her a filthy look as she clutched her handbag and left the room.

‘She visit every day?’ Kim asked, taking a seat.

He nodded. ‘Pretty much.’

Kim suspected she’d got little else to do without her despicable father to take care of.

‘She’s on her own now,’ he said, and although there was no accusation in his tone, she could hear the control he exercised to keep it that way. Dale Preece had always managed to keep control. ‘She’s had to learn to take care of herself.’

Kim almost said she was lucky to be free of the ruthless, evil bastard but just remembered that Dale and his grandfather had been very close.

‘So, how is it in here?’ she asked.

‘What do you want?’ he asked again , coolly, meeting her gaze. Not surprisingly he had no interest in exchanging pleasantries with her.

Her aim had been to gauge emotional responses and levels of hatred. With Symes it had been a piece of cake, but Dale was not going to be as easy. He was a man who kept his emotions hidden well behind the dark, handsome exterior.

That night in the farmhouse he had chosen to save her life and had probably regretted it ever since. Instead he had lost both his grandfather and his brother, which was not something she could find herself sorry about.

‘Welfare check to see…’ her words trailed away. No, this wasn’t going to work. ‘Dale, someone may be out to get me and I’m here to see if it’s you.’

A shot of surprise did register in his emotionless eyes. It was quickly hidden and his face reverted to neutral.

‘You seem shocked?’

He shook his head. ‘Not that someone may be out to get you but that you chose to come and see me. What could I do from in here?’

No denial she noted.

‘You’d be surprised,’ she answered honestly.

‘But why me? Surely, there are people who hate you more than I do.’

Kim could only marvel at the lack of emotion attached to such a line. A sentence where he’d admitted he hated her. Somehow that chilled her even more than the man with one eye.

‘Like Symes,’ he added.

‘You know Symes?’ she asked, her turn to be surprised. Yes, they were in the same prison but the men couldn’t be more different. They wouldn’t have met at knitting club.

Dale nodded. ‘He sought me out when I first got here.’ He paused. ‘To be honest he approaches anyone who is in here because of you. It’s his own personal Hate Club.’

Kim frowned. This really was something that prison intel should have picked up on.

‘Okay, thanks, Dale,’ she said, standing.

‘And for what it’s worth, his cellmate, another member of the club, recently got out.’





Forty-Three





Kim was ready to get updates from her team at the station by six o’clock.

‘Stace, what you got on Jenks?’

Stacey shook her head. ‘Nothing yet, boss.’

‘Sorry?’ Kim asked. She and Bryant had been gone the whole day and Stacey had nothing to show for her time.

‘Trying all the normal channels. No red flags. He’s qualified for the job and—’

‘I could tell that from the wall behind him, Stace. He wears it like a badge.’

‘Sorry, boss, but—’

‘Office, Stace,’ Kim said, heading for The Bowl.

Stacey closed the door behind her.

‘Look, boss, I’ve—’

‘Not interested, Stace,’ Kim said, taking out her phone. She dialled a number and put it on hands-free.

The call was answered on the second ring.

‘Hey.’

‘Hey, Gem, know anything about that community centre in Stourbridge, behind the bus station?’

Gemma blew a raspberry.

‘Meaning?’

‘Place is okay, got loads of stuff in there but head honcho is a bit of a sleaze, by all accounts.’

‘Go on,’ Kim said, glaring at her colleague.

‘Most girls I know won’t go there, cos that guy, Jenkins—’

‘Jenks,’ Kim corrected.

‘Yeah, him. Apparently, he offers the girls money and help with stuff for a blow job. Never experienced it but it’s what I heard.’

‘Got it, thanks,’ she said, ending the call.

Kim waited.

Stacey nodded to the phone. ‘I don’t know—’

‘I’m aware you don’t know Gemma but you have your own sources, your own contacts, people you’ve met over the years. You tried official channels and got nothing, so you try them again and see if they change their mind or look elsewhere. Bloody hell, Stace. A whole day?’

Stacey had the good grace to look mortified but her own anger was not dissipating quite so easily.

‘Whatever’s niggling you, park it,’ she said, striding over to the door and opening it.

She knew what Stacey’s problem was and she wasn’t dealing with it now.

Stacey followed her out of the office back into the squad room. All eyes looked away, even Alison.

‘Stace?’

‘Yes, boss.’

‘Start looking at the name John Duggar, recent inmate of Winson Green.’