Dead Memories (D.I. Kim Stone #10)(54)

‘So, what you got Stace?’ Kim asked.

‘Been looking at past cases with Alison, as instructed, and doing some digging. Mr and Mrs Phelps have a son.’

Kim frowned. ‘Well, where the hell is he?’

Stacey shook her head. ‘Not a clue. Travelling abroad say the neighbours of the Phelpses. That’s what they were told when he disappeared about a year ago. Not a popular chap to be honest, and no one particularly missed him.’

‘Keep on that, Stace,’ Kim said. Missing children of dead parents did not give her a warm and fuzzy feeling.

‘Penn?’ Kim asked.

‘Well, boss, I met with Jenks, who said the thing Amy and Mark wanted the most was a home. One of the neighbours in the tower block mentioned something about a person from the housing association hanging around.’

‘The flats on Hollytree?…’

‘Are council owned,’ he continued. ‘I know, so I went to the council and got a list of everyone who had taken the key to view the property.’

‘Good work.’

‘And on the way back I dropped in on Dobbie and got the name of the person who sold him the car and the registration number.’

‘Jesus, Penn,’ Kim exclaimed. ‘Will somebody give the man a plant.’

‘He’s already got it, boss,’ Stacey said, wearily.

‘Oh, right, good.’

‘Registration doesn’t help us. Car was stolen ten days ago from a nineteen-year-old painter’s mate and reported straight away. No link to anyone involved or connected—’

‘From where?’ Kim asked.

Penn rechecked the address. ‘Taken from Fairview Road in—’

‘I know it,’ she said. Fairview Road. The location of Fairview Children’s Home. The place she’d spent the majority of her childhood. There was the link. There was the jab like an elbow right into her ribs.

‘But there’s more,’ Penn said. ‘The person who sold the car to Dobbie is also on the list of people who viewed the flat.’

‘You’re kidding?’ she asked, as Bryant also sat forward. This was huge.

‘Yeah, but you’re not gonna like it cos it’s someone you’ve already written off. It’s our very own John Duggar, who has no reason to hate you at all.’





Seventy





‘Hmmm… interesting,’ Alison said, appearing beside Kim at the bottom of the stairs.

She and Bryant were heading over to Duggar’s but Bryant had detoured to powder his nose first.

Kim agreed with her about what Penn had just uncovered. ‘Yeah, strange that Duggar’s hands appear—’

‘Not that,’ Alison said, following her through the key-coded door. ‘What’s interesting to me is Bryant’s response to my question about your behaviour at the post-mortem.’

Oh, that, Kim thought, hoping the woman had accepted his reply at face value.

‘I mean I wouldn’t exactly call him a liar but…’

‘Excuse me?’ Kim said, turning to face her.

‘Well, if Bryant was being truthful about your reaction to the burnt bodies at the post-mortem then your feelings for Keith and Erica are nowhere near—’

‘Alison, I strongly suggest you shut the fuck up,’ Kim said, striding towards the car.

‘And there you prove my point without even trying,’ Alison said, following her. ‘To have no reaction at all to the similarities between the two is just not normal, even for you, especially when those clenched fists show me the level of emotion you have towards the couple.’

Kim unclenched her fists, felt in her pockets and realised Bryant had the keys. Getting into the vehicle and reversing over the woman was no longer an option.

She turned. ‘Surprisingly, I am able to remain professional and do my job…’

‘I don’t doubt that,’ Alison said, shaking her head. ‘What interests me more is the phraseology of Bryant’s response. That you “acted exactly as he would have expected you to”.’

‘Bryant didn’t lie so don’t you dare…’

‘I will dare because I can and that’s what I’m here to do. If you think I expect you to have no emotional reaction to these events and that that is the best way to try and deceive me then you’re out of your mind. Your lack of transparency just makes me doubt your ability to handle this all the more, so you’re doing yourself no favours trying to pretend this is just like any other case.

‘And secondly I dare because you are not my boss. I’m attached to your team but—’

‘Yeah, cos if I was you wouldn’t be leaving after half a day’s work,’ Kim said, glancing up to the window where the rest of her team were still hard at work. It had barely passed five o’clock.

‘I have a relative in hospital,’ Alison answered vaguely.

‘For a behaviourist you’re a shit liar, you know,’ Kim observed. ‘But unlike you I’ll accept your answer because clearly you don’t want to tell me the whole truth. I’ll respect your wish to—’

‘Listen, I’m not your enemy here,’ Alison said, tipping her head. ‘You know yourself and I know people. I understand behaviour and whether you like it or not you’re going to be betrayed. No matter how hard you try and manage all your physical and psychological functions, something is going to let you down.’