Erica, her foster mother, had been a wonderful cook and had made complex dishes look simple. For Kim it was the other way around but, for the memory of the only person she’d loved as a mother, she would always continue to try.
Woody had insisted she take a few days’ leave until her hand started to heal. Luckily there had been no nerve damage and only twelve stitches to sew her hand back up.
‘Please tell me you haven't been cooking again,’ Bryant said, entering the kitchen. ‘You can't cook a ready meal with two hands so at fifty per cent …’
‘Bryant,’ she warned.
He placed a pizza box on the countertop.
‘Want one?’
‘Yeah, good one, Kim. I'll pass.’
She took two plates from the cupboard, still clumsy with her left hand.
‘Look how considerate I am. Bought you one-handed food.’
Kim took a piece of pizza and put it onto her plate.
‘Please tell me something … anything. I'm going out of my mind.’
‘Actually there is something Woody asked me to pass on,’ Bryant said with a smile.
‘Go on.’
She was desperate for news on the case.
‘You're getting a commendation.’
Kim rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, how fabulous for me.’
Bryant took out his notebook.
‘Damn it, Dawson won.’
‘Won what?’
‘The sweep on your response to that news. He got it word-perfect. To be fair, he even had the eye roll. Look, it says here, “eye roll”.’
Despite herself Kim laughed out loud.
They all knew her well enough to know her response. Commendations from her superiors did not lull her off to sleep at night but served only as a buffer for the next time she got a complaint or failed to follow procedure or didn't adhere to an order.
‘The office looks like the Chelsea Flower Show by the way. There are baskets from the girls, bouquets from the parents and Suzie's mom even sent a kidney.’
‘A what?’
‘Nah, I'm just kidding, but I'm sure she would if you asked.’ Bryant shook his head and lowered his face. ‘Jesus, Kim, I wish you'd been there when she opened the door. I'll never forget the look on her face. There were tears – and I'm man enough to admit that some of them were mine.’
Kim smiled. That was what lulled her to sleep at night.
‘Suzie’s since been checked over and although it’s gonna take some time to build her back up slowly, she’ll make a full recovery.’
Kim took a moment to enjoy that news.
‘Seriously, Kim, if you hadn't insisted on—’
‘Have you spoken to the others?’
He nodded. ‘Karen and Robert are drawing up adoption papers. They're pretty sure that Lee will give up parental rights for a small fee. And they're happy to pay.’ He smiled. ‘They'll get through this. As unlikely a couple as they are, they love each other and Robert would die for that child.’
Kim thought of the brave little girl with the wild blonde hair.
‘They have a lot to be proud of.’
‘I spoke to Elizabeth this morning. She's asked Stephen to move out but she hasn't given him a date. If he plays his cards right I think she'll forgive him.’
Kim nodded her agreement. ‘Perhaps, but he'd better get ready for the change. I suspect she is not the person she was ten days ago.’
She pushed her plate away and stood. She took a pack of Colombian Gold from the cupboard. It was empty. She reached for a fresh pack.
Bryant stood. ‘Do you want me to …?’
Kim shot him a look. ‘Bryant, it's hard to floss my teeth at night. Do you wanna hang around for that?’
‘Ugh, no thanks. Fine, I'll just sit here and watch.’
Kim took a pair of scissors and then placed the packet in the crook of her elbow. Three cuts with her left hand and it was done.
‘You know, if I was stranded on a desert island do you know the one thing I'd want with me?’ Bryant said.
‘What?’
‘You.’
Kim laughed as she shook the coffee into the filter. She turned and fixed him with a look.
‘So, are you being deliberately obtuse or what?’
He smirked. He knew what she wanted to hear.
‘Okay, Symes is singing like a canary. You were right about him not being involved in the first one. He didn’t even know Suzie was there. If he had we both know that Suzie would be dead. That was Will’s own little project.
‘Symes hasn’t requested a lawyer and seems happy to do his time. I think there's a part of him that craves prison life – the regimentation, the structure. He is one seriously disturbed individual.’
Oh yeah, Kim knew that all too well.
‘Oh, and the sight in his left eye is permanently gone.’
‘I'm crying on the inside. What about Will Carter?’
‘He's blaming all this one on Helen. And won’t comment on anything to do with the last one.’
Kim clenched the one fist that would move. ‘Thirteen months he had that child down there. Honestly, if I could choose one of them to torture it would be him. How could he watch her like that for all that time?’
Bryant nodded his agreement.
Kim suspected that Will had thought Suzie was dead when he left to release Emily. Only when he returned did he realise the child was still alive. There was no evidence to suggest Will was capable of hands-on murder.
Because of his intention to take Emily at a later date, Kim had to wonder if he’d decided to keep Suzie alive to play the same parents off again. And when he’d been unable to snatch Emily a second time he had kept Suzie alive as another way to make a few quid.
His refusal to talk probably meant that they would never know.
‘What about Helen?’
Bryant's jaw tensed but he kept his voice light.
‘Oh, she's claiming mental distress, post-traumatic stress, and diminished responsibility. She's quoting the entire gamut of mental health disorders all brought about by the stress of the job.’
‘You're kidding?’
‘Nah, she's got a fancy QC – but ours will be better.’
They would have to be, Kim thought.
‘And that's about it,’ Bryant shrugged.
That was plenty.
‘Oh, except for the fact Kev is strutting around like he discovered the meaning of life after wrapping up the Dewain Wright case. Vin will plead guilty, by the way, no trial.’
Kim accepted the news sadly. She wanted to hate the man but couldn’t. She abhorred the decision he’d made but in a twisted kind of way she understood it. Vin Wright had made seven separate requests to the council to move, but he’d been short of points to get transferred to a decent estate. It was a decision he would have to live with for the rest of his life.
Silence fell between them.
‘She was wrong, you know. Helen. Stacey told me what she said to you and she wasn't right.’
Kim nodded her understanding. The parallels the woman had drawn between the two of them had stayed in her head. And she didn't like the fact they had managed to settle there. Her left hand reached down and met the soft warm head of Barney. She knew Helen had been wrong but maybe not completely, which was something she was going to have to think about. But not now and not with Bryant.
‘Oh yeah, and did you mean what you said to Suzie about trusting me with your life?’
Kim guffawed. ‘Kids; they're so gullible. They'll believe anything.’
He smiled. ‘Yeah, that's what I thought.’ He stood. ‘Almost forgot. Matt was in for his last debrief today. He asked me to give you this.’
It was a folded piece of paper.
She placed it on the breakfast bar and walked Bryant to the door.
‘I'll be round in a couple of days to make sure you're not eating your own cooking.’
‘Yeah, be sure to bring something nice.’
He laughed as he walked down
the path.
She closed the door and headed back to the kitchen. The smell of fresh coffee filled the room.
She looked at the unopened note from Matt, sure it was nothing good.
Every conversation between them had been a battlefield, each gaining an advantage or trying to get the last word, like a tennis match stuck at deuce.
Matt Ward was not an easy man to get along with. Every moment in his company had been a challenge; a fight.
He was exhausting and difficult, just like her.
Kim opened the note and read:
I'll pick you up at eight. No negotiation. Be ready.
Kim stared at the note for a full minute and then took a glance at the clock.
She sipped the rest of the coffee before pushing herself to her feet and smiled as she headed for the shower.
She had never refused a challenge in her life.
Tonight she was going out.
One Hundred Thirteen
The carrier bag rested on Kim’s right forearm as she stepped quietly into the room.
The silence was broken by a rhythmic beeping sound that travelled from the index finger to the machine. An intravenous drip fed nourishment in through a tube.
Kim placed the bag onto the chair at the side of the bed and moved closer.
‘Good evening, Eloise,’ she said, gently.
She had no idea if the woman in the bed could hear her. Her body offered no response.
Her frame looked smaller than it had in the garden. The gentle face more ravaged by age. A mop of grey curls framed an expression that was peaceful and calm.
Kim found it strange that this woman had no one. She looked like she should have been a mother to someone.
All week, Kim had been surrounded by aspects of parental love.
Jenny Cotton had been unable to move on with her life, paralysed by the loss of her child. Elizabeth Hanson had settled for less than her due to give her children a stable life. Karen Timmins had lied to the world to protect her child.
Even Vin Wright had sanctioned the life of one child to protect the lives of three more.
Helen had used that magical bond of motherhood to manipulate a young woman into acting against her own instincts. That need had been abused and twisted by a despicable person.
It was further proof to Kim that some people were not meant to parent children. She placed her mother at the top of that list.
All week the memories had threatened her but her resolve had kept them at bay. She would not visit her past; the place would tear her apart.
She knew that somewhere, some time, it would catch her. The shadows that loomed would take form.
But not here and not today.
‘Eloise, I wasn’t too late,’ she whispered. ‘I got them back. All of them.’
She stood silently for a moment, stroking the skin on the woman’s thumb. ‘And if Mikey’s with you, tell him … tell him … I miss him every day.’
She sat, reached into the bag and took out a paperback. For a moment it nestled in her lap.
She imagined the rest of her colleagues, all celebrating a job well done. She silently applauded their efforts. They deserved their moment of victory. Together they had saved the lives of three young girls.
Kim allowed a smile to form on her lips.
All three children were at home, safe in the embrace of their families.
And that knowledge was enough for her.
Kim let out a long, satisfied sigh, the smile still playing around her mouth.
‘Okay, Eloise, I chose Great Expectations. I hope it's one of your favourites.’
Kim turned the page and began to read.
Letter from Angela
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you for choosing to read Lost Girls. I hope you enjoyed the third instalment of Kim's journey and hope you feel the same way I do. Whilst Kim might not be the warmest of characters, she shows passion and drive and a real hunger for justice.
* * *
If you did enjoy it, I would be forever grateful if you’d write a review. I’d love to hear what you think, and it can also help other readers discover one of my books for the first time. Or maybe you can recommend it to your friends and family…
* * *
Each story is intended to entertain and take the reader on an exciting, interesting journey. There are some subjects in the books that are difficult to stomach but I aim to treat each situation with respect and sensitivity and not sensationalism. I hope you will join both Kim Stone and myself on our next journey, wherever that may lead.
* * *
If so I'd love to hear from you - get in touch on my Facebook or Goodreads page, Twitter or through my website.
* * *
And if you’d like to keep up-to-date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the website link below:
* * *
Angela Marsons new releases email
* * *
Thank you so much for your support, it is hugely appreciated.
* * *
Angela Marsons
@Writeangie
angelamarsonsauthor
www.angelamarsons-books.com
Also by Angela Marsons
Detective Kim Stone series
1. SILENT SCREAM
2. EVIL GAMES
3. LOST GIRLS
* * *
Other books
THE MIDDLE CHILD
MY NAME IS
Silent Scream
Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever…
Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood …
Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country.
* * *
But when human remains are discovered at a former children’s home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she’s on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades.
* * *
As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it’s too late?
* * *
Fans of Rachel Abbott, Val McDermid and Mark Billingham will be gripped by this exceptional new voice in British crime fiction.
* * *
SILENT SCREAM IS OUT NOW
What people are saying about Silent Scream
‘A superb debut by an assured new writer. Blending sharp wit with emotion, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride alongside DI Kim Stone and look forward to the next outing.’ Mel Sherratt
* * *
'I absolutely loved it! ... This one is one of the best crime thrillers I've read in a long time, and that includes mainstream authors such as James Patterson! I would seriously put this book in the same league.' Fiona’s Book Reviews
* * *
‘I have not been so impressed by a debut novel in a long time, and I'm actually now itching for more from D.I. Kim Stone and the rest of her squad… D.I. Kim Stone is like the British Jane Rizzoli… I can't wait for the second book, because this one was a top-notch crime thriller.’ Leah Loves
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‘I don't think I've been so hooked by a new author since the discovery of Mark Edwards or Mark Billingham… Silent Scream gets 5 stars from me - if you finish a crime thriller feeling like you just need to have a lie-down and a cup of tea to get your breath back, then the writer has done their job. Angela Marsons, I still don't have my breath back.’ Reading Room with a View
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‘Normally when I see everybody rating a book five stars I think 'Is it really that good?' Silent Scream is that good, and then some… The only problem Angela now faces is keeping up this standard as the series progresses, but if she does than she's going to be an author to watch and a huge star w
ithin the genre.’ Book Addict Shaun
Evil Games
The greater the Evil, the more deadly the game…
* * *
When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.
With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.
Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time - it’s personal.
EVIL GAMES
available now
Acknowledgments
I have always been interested in how circumstances can affect behaviour. How differently would we act under extreme pressure? Do we remain true to the person we think we are or does some inherent primal instinct take over?
I could find no better platform to explore this than writing about probably the most instinctual urge to protect, especially a child.
I hope I have done the subject justice.
I can never find the words to express my gratitude to my partner, Julie. Her honesty and belief has guided me throughout my writing journey. She is my sounding board, my first reader, my harshest critic and my most ardent supporter. Twenty years of rejections always elicited the same response of ‘their loss’, before the inevitable encouragement to ‘crack on with the next’. Everyone should have a Julie.
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