Play Dead (D.I. Kim Stone, #4)(22)

She was about to raise herself up when she heard a familiar voice.

Daniel Bate called to her from the bottom of the hill. ‘Hey, Inspector, is this a private picnic or can anyone join in?

She sat up. ‘Daniel, how many times do I have to tell you to—’

‘Piss off?’ he asked. ‘Not at all, Inspector, as I didn’t come looking for you.’ He looked up to the hill. ‘I think you’ll find I actively tried to avoid you.’

Good – they finally understood each other.

He stroked the head of Lola beside him. ‘Although it was worth it to hear you use my first name.’

Okay, maybe they didn’t. And she hadn’t noticed the slip.

‘Bryant, take photos,’ she instructed.

‘Of what?’ he asked.

‘Just take one of exactly where I am, then the line back up the hill and the top of the hill.’

He took out his phone and took a photo, trying to hide his smirk. Daniel didn’t even try.

‘Isn’t there somewhere you have to be?’ she asked him, making a move to stand up.

He chuckled and shook his head. ‘Actually, no, I’m quite enjoying myself.’

Kim responded with a sound of disgust as she placed her hands either side of her to push herself up.

‘Shit,’ she cried as her right hand met with something in the grass. It was the hand she’d cut almost to the bone on her last major investigation and which still gave her a little discomfort now.

‘What?’ Bryant asked, stepping forwards.

She reached down, gingerly, and retrieved the object.

‘What the hell is that?’ Bryant asked, as she held out the palm of her hand.

It looked to her like a hairgrip. White plastic covered the wire that shaped it. A brass-coloured motif decorated its centre.

She looked closer. The motif was a heart cut into two with a jagged edge. The section that had dug into her palm. It reminded Kim of a necklace that she’d seen somewhere that came in a pack of two and each person wore one half of the heart.

‘My missus uses something like that,’ Bryant said. ‘Without the heart, obviously, but it’s for holding her fringe back when she’s straightening her hair.’

Yeah, that was exactly what she’d been thinking.

Bryant took an evidence bag from his jacket pocket. She dropped it in and turned to Daniel.

‘Well, it’s been lovely to see you again…’ she reached down and patted the dog ‘… Lola.’

She smiled and turned on her heel.

Her mind was already focussed on the hairgrip. And getting it over to Keats.

But she’d learned much more than she’d mentioned.

She no longer needed to wait for the toxicology report to know that Jemima had been drugged. The only question remaining was with what.

Additionally, the knowledge that she had been dragged, probably by her ankles to the top of the hill, instead of carried, indicated to Kim that their killer was working alone.





Fifteen





Kim found the cold sterility of the morgue refreshing. The heat outside was already early twenties on what promised to be another heavy, humid day.

The hairgrip in Bryant’s pocket was still on her mind. At this point she had no idea if the object was even connected. It could have been lost by anyone.

A quick phone call to Jemima’s mother had ruled out their victim using any type of grip at all. She preferred her hair loose and her mother had said she wasn’t a heart embellishment type of girl. Only a simple elastic band, she had said, with a catch in her voice.

Keats turned as they entered.

‘Oh, Inspector, I am gladdened we meet again. Yesterday, our parting was—’

‘Not soon enough,’ she retorted. ‘Now must we really do this every time?’

He considered for a second. ‘Yes, I feel we must or people would get the idea we liked and respected each other.’

‘Not from me,’ she said, moving towards their victim.

Jemima’s body was covered by a simple white sheet that was just slightly tucked around her shoulders.

And that was one of the reasons Keats was allowed a little fun. It was the small things.

‘Shall we begin,’ Kim asked.

‘Already done. I made an early start. I have two new customers from a motorway accident on the way.’

He reached for the clipboard from the metal counter.

‘Okay, first thing to note. Her panties were on backwards. Not sure if that means something.’

Kim looked at Bryant who took out his pocket notebook.

‘Any sign of sexual assault?’ Kim asked.

Keats shook his head. ‘Unlikely. No bruising, no redness and no trace of semen.’

She nodded and he continued. ‘Cause of death was asphyxiation caused by soil blocking the airway. There was enough dirt to plant a small herb garden.’ He pointed to a plastic container the size of a takeaway tub. ‘That’s what we removed.’

Kim stepped over and held it up. She couldn’t imagine that volume of dirt forced into a person’s mouth.

‘We’ve sent off samples to see if there’s anything in there that can help.’

Kim nodded. ‘Anything else?’

Keats frowned. ‘Yes. There are no defensive wounds, but there is some bruising to the upper arms and more recently to the ankles.’