Dead Memories (D.I. Kim Stone #10)(86)

Her words trailed off as she stared at the board.

Penn followed her gaze. ‘Yeah, which of those questions you wanna make a start on?’

Stacey frowned as she grabbed her satchel.

‘I’ll leave you to get cracking,’ she said.

Because suddenly Stacey had a few questions of her own.





One Hundred Nine





Kim had had many reasons to visit the National Probation Service based at Hope House at Castlegate Way in Dudley and today she found herself sitting across the table from a plump woman with owls dangling from her earlobes. Her salt-and-pepper hair cut was short and severe so that the ear embellishments took centre stage.

‘John Duggar,’ Kim said. ‘Can you tell me when you last saw him?’

‘Two days ago,’ she answered, and then checked her diary. ‘Around lunchtime.’

‘And, how was he?’ she asked.

‘Agitated, not quite himself.’

‘You know him well?’ Bryant asked.

She smiled. ‘It’s getting harder,’ she admitted. ‘We have many more to look after than the old days, and I’ve been at this for twenty-six years but yes I know John reasonably well.’

‘So, when did you first meet him?’

‘About nine years ago. After his second or third spell inside. Gentle giant, I like to call him. Never hurt a fly.’

Kim pictured Billie in the hospital bed and wasn’t sure she would agree.

‘Tell us about him,’ she urged.

‘His story isn’t unique; abandoned by his mother and then surrendered to the care system by a grandmother who couldn’t cope with three kids but found enough energy to get to the off-licence for cider.’

‘She kept the oldest child,’ Bryant noted.

‘Took less looking after than the younger two. And she could help out around the house.’

‘She died, you know, the eldest. In a house fire, a few—’

‘We know,’ Kim said. ‘And how did John take that?’

‘Not well,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘He’d lost touch with his other sister with whom he was placed into care. She was a much calmer kid: quiet, took instruction and got fostered long-term, I believe, but John not so much. He was bullied for a number of reasons, his size, struggled to read and write. The kid was lonely. He wanted someone, anyone. He’d tried to reach out to his eldest sister even though they didn’t know each other and she’d agreed to see him. But she died before they met up.’

‘Shit,’ Bryant whispered.

She offered him a sideways look. Even for her it was difficult enough to remember this was the man trying to kill her. She could do without her colleague losing that focus as well.

‘So, when he lost his sister?…’

‘It was like he lost hope for anything better. Like everything he’d been chasing was out of reach. He stopped expecting anything good. Until he met Billie.’

Kim said nothing and waited for her to continue.

‘Happiest I’ve ever seen him. It was his first serious relationship and it was like he’d just discovered the secret that everyone else had been keeping. It didn’t last of course, but—’

‘But, why didn’t it?’ Kim asked. ‘If he was so happy.’

‘He’s in the vacuum, Inspector. His life of petty crime has trapped him into more crime. He’s on a cycle that he’s unlikely to escape.’

Kim couldn’t work out if this woman was a pessimist or a realist, but she didn’t support to the ‘No hope’ theory that she prayed wasn’t being ascribed to the fresher, younger batches of criminals.

‘Despite meeting Billie, he was destined to reoffend. It was only a case of when and for how long Billie would put up with it.’

‘So, you’d written them off as a couple before their second date?’ Kim asked, tightly.

She shrugged. ‘Over twenty years’ experience and I was right, wasn’t I?’

Kim tried not to react to the triumph in her voice.

Yes, this man they were discussing hated her with a passion and yes, he was trying to kill her but bloody hell, was there anyone who hadn’t given up on him over the years?

‘And even that break-up didn’t make him violent?’ Bryant asked.

‘I’m not sure anything would have, officer. He’s not built that way. He’s a bit like the local, loveable village idiot,’ she said. ‘And before you react I’ll explain what I mean. John is a people pleaser. He’s driven by other people’s opinions. He’s easily led and manipulated.’

Kim’s interest was piqued, remembering what Alison said about his eagerness to belong.

‘So, he could be persuaded to act against his nature given the right set of circumstances.’

The woman thought. ‘John Duggar does not expect to be liked. Not many people have liked him all that much, so I’d say John Duggar could be persuaded to do just about anything by someone who was being nice to him.’





One Hundred Ten





Penn finished the email he was typing and glanced over to the Perspex box on the spare desk.

The boss had delegated the puzzle to him and he was guessing she’d meant when he had nothing better to do, but considering the list of questions on the whiteboard that time wasn’t coming any time soon.