Dead Memories (D.I. Kim Stone #10)(83)

‘This is fabulous, please continue,’ he said, with amusement.

‘You see, Tom is a good fit for my profile but he’s not perfect,’ she said sloshing her drink, deliberately.

Immediately his hand rose from his lap to wipe away the drips.

‘I also said fastidiously tidy,’ she observed.

‘That means nothing. I just don’t like messy tables,’ he said, frowning.

‘Admirable quality,’ she said, sarcastically.

‘And Jennifer’s mother sends her best regards, you bastard,’ she spat. ‘Says you were very helpful in helping them come to terms with their loss. You were feeding off their fucking misery, reliving the event, prolonging the ecstasy, power tripping over your own knowledge of—’

‘Is that the best you’ve got, Ali?’ he asked with a sneer, and suddenly she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was right.

‘Absolutely not,’ she said, gaining strength from his derision. ‘I have the earring that you came here to plant the other night.’

A small amount of colour left his face but he said nothing.

‘You knew that the case against Curtis was falling apart, so you planned to use my profile to focus attention towards Tom Drury. You thought that earring would be found quickly, but it wasn’t because the cleaner has been off sick, so it got kicked around by patrons and ended up on the car park, where I found it, bagged it and began the chain of evidence.’

He wasn’t smiling any more.

‘If you even touched that piece of jewellery with your bare hands there’ll be DNA all over it, and if they have something to match it to with a suspect you are in some shit.’

‘Easily refutable,’ he said, trying to gain composure. ‘Of course I was here and my DNA could have got on it a hundred different ways.’

An admission that his DNA could be on the trophy he’d taken.

‘And that’s not even the best bit,’ she said, taking another sip of her drink and then a deep breath. ‘You chose Beverly as a single unaccompanied female leaving the club. You followed her along Lissett Road past the fastener company on the left-hand side of the street.’

‘How could you know that? There’s no—’

Realising what he’d said, he stopped speaking.

‘In your haste, you forgot to take off the cycle clip clasped around your right trouser leg. You followed five paces behind. I’m betting a decent forensic CCTV tech will be able to identify both the trousers and the bike clip and find the exact same ones in your home.’

His expression turned from rage to tentative amusement.

‘Well done, Ali, you’re better at this than I gave you credit for. But I see that you have no police support, no backup. You’re completely on your own and no one is going to believe—’

‘I believe her,’ said Stacey, standing up behind him. ‘I’m Detective Constable Wood and I just heard every word.’





One Hundred Six





Kim stopped off at the hospital shop before heading up to the ward. She had been saddened when Penn had explained about Billie’s grandfather, but she also understood that male relatives sometimes reacted this way to sexual assault, often finding themselves unable to face their wife, daughter, grandchild.

Kim smiled at the ward sister she’d seen the previous night.

Concern shaped her features.

‘Don’t tire her, she’s very fragile.’

Kim nodded her understanding unsure why she was receiving a warning. She stepped into the room and got it. There was someone already sitting beside the bed.

‘Hey…’ she said, unable to use the only name she knew for him.

The officer she had almost punched got to his feet.

‘Marm…’

His face filled with colour and he looked to the ground.

‘How is she?’ Kim asked, moving to the other side of the bed.

‘In and out. Not saying a lot. Has a little cry and then fades away again.’

‘Have you tried to ask her…’

‘No, Marm, I’m not on shift,’ he said, quietly, as he sat back down. ‘I just came to apologise for what I…’ He shook his head. ‘You were right to…’

‘No, I wasn’t,’ Kim admitted. ‘I shouldn’t have grabbed you and I am sorry but… hang on, what’s your name?’

‘Twonk.’

‘Not your nickname.’

Whatever he’d done wrong she wouldn’t call him Twonk.

‘Calvin, Marm,’ he said.

‘If I can give you one piece of advice to take through your police career, it’s to never forget the individual behind the victim. It’s always someone’s sister, brother, mother and they deserve your respect.’

‘Got it, Marm, but I don’t think I’m cut out for this career.’

‘Why’d you say that?’

He shrugged. ‘Just not working out how I thought. I’m not suited…’

‘I’d disagree,’ Kim said, shrugging.

‘But you don’t know—’

‘You’re here,’ she said. ‘In your own time to apologise to someone who didn’t even hear what you said. That tells me enough,’ she said as Annie entered the room carrying a large coffee.