Dead Memories (D.I. Kim Stone #10)(84)

‘Sorry I wasn’t…’

Kim waved away her apology. The officer was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt and Kim could only wonder when she’d found the time to go home and change.

Calvin stood. ‘I’ll be getting off now,’ he said taking one last look at Billie. He nodded at them both before leaving the room.

Kim watched him leave and turned to Annie.

‘Do me a favour, eh? Put it around that he came.’

Annie smiled. ‘Will do.’

The guys who were calling him Twonk deserved to know there was a decent guy in there somewhere.

‘J… John…’ said a small voice from the bed.

Annie placed her coffee on the side, sat down and took the girl’s hand.

‘Hey, Billie, it’s me, Annie,’ she said, quietly.

‘W… was… th… that John?’

‘No, sweetheart, it was a police officer come to check on you.’

Billie’s eyes fluttered open. She looked around the room as though seeking proof for herself. Her eyes rested on Kim. She frowned before looking back to Annie whose presence seemed to reassure her.

‘This lady is a detective, Billie. She’s going to find out who did this to you.’

Her eyes closed again and a single tear fell from her eye.

‘Is John your boyfriend, Billie?’ Annie asked.

She shook her head and then nodded and swallowed.

‘Used to…’

Kim guessed she was retreating again. She stepped forward and touched Billie’s arm.

‘Billie, did John do this to you?’ she asked, gently.

Billie shook her head, then nodded as another tear forced itself from beneath her eyelid.

‘M… met him… b… but…’

‘You met him at the park?’

She nodded.

‘B… but… he’s not v… violent,’ she said, and then sighed with the effort.

Kim exchanged a confused glance with Annie. ‘I can’t get a straight answer either. The doctors are reducing the drugs tomorrow, so I’m hoping she’ll be a bit more…’

Annie’s words trailed away as a figure appeared in the doorway. It was an elderly man who only had eyes for the figure in the bed.

‘Billie,’ he whispered, as he moved forward.

Kim was surprised to see Penn right behind him.

She sidled over as Annie stood to let the man sit down beside his granddaughter.

‘You brought him?’ she asked her colleague.

He nodded. ‘Had to give him another try, boss. Poor girl needs her family.’

The man touched Billie’s arm, the tears streaming down his face. ‘Billie, it’s me. It’s granddad.’

Her eyes fluttered open. She stared for just a second until her own tears matched his.

‘Granddad,’ she said, as the man gathered her into his arms.

‘I’m here, love, I’m here,’ he said, holding her tight.

Kim swallowed the emotion in her throat.

‘Good job, Penn, bloody good job.’

‘Thanks, boss.’

Kim made eye contact with Annie and indicated she was leaving.

‘I’ll walk you down, boss. I’ll grab a bite and then take him home.’

Now she understood why he’d been paying close attention to his watch. At this rate he wouldn’t be home before ten.

‘She say anything?’ Penn asked, once they stepped out of the lift.

‘Said she met Duggar but that he wasn’t violent…’

‘Which makes no sense,’ he said, ‘seeing as we have five dead people and we can link him to most of them.’

She nodded her agreement.

‘So, you going straight home, boss?’

Normally she would have offered a suitably terse response but she understood why he was asking.

‘Yes, Penn, I’m going straight home,’ she said, rolling her eyes.

She left him at the café and headed out the door, with one thing troubling her above all else.

Everyone they spoke to claimed John Duggar was not violent. So, either he wasn’t responsible for these murders or he was saving it all up for her.





One Hundred Seven





‘Morning, guys,’ Kim said, as her team assembled at 7 a.m. for the briefing. ‘Firstly, I’d like to thank Stacey for popping round last night to brief me on a situation with Alison and her previous case and that someone I’ve never heard of has been arrested for double murder. Not sure it needed to take almost two hours, but thanks for that, Stace. And then as if by magic Bryant appeared the second she left to pack away and remove all the computer equipment, very very slowly, and then once I threw him out I received ten or more text messages from you, Penn. Not like you planned this, eh, folks, to make sure I was safe?’

‘Coincidence,’ they all said together.

‘Well, I’m sure you’re all relieved to know that I had a squad car escort into work this morning but I’d like to assure you all that I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself.’

Amused glances passed between the three of them.

She rolled her eyes. ‘Right, someone get the board.’

‘Shouldn’t we wait for Alison, boss?’ Stacey asked, standing. Having taken the desk of Kevin Dawson after his death, she was now the closest.