‘I know, sir,’ she said. Bryant was alive and that was enough good for her.
She wasn’t sure she would ever rid herself of the vision of that knife being plunged into Bryant’s torso.
She shook it away. He had come too close, way too close.
‘Talking of Penn, sir, you knew about his personal circumstances, didn’t you? You knew why he’d transferred back to West Mids?’
Woody didn’t hesitate. ‘Of course.’
‘And you didn’t think to share that information with me?’
Stacey had told her everything as they’d sat together and waited for news on Bryant.
He shook his head. ‘Not at all,’ he said. ‘Because that shouldn’t be the reason you keep him on your team. That’s a decision for another day.’
She nodded her agreement.
He smiled and inclined his head towards the ward. ‘Now go back in there with your team.’
He walked away, and she re-entered the room.
For a moment, she just stood and enjoyed the sight of Stacey holding onto Bryant’s hand while she told him all about Jessie Ryan. And she watched Bryant pretending to care.
Yes, her team was small and needed a fourth member. She accepted that now, and although it would never be the one she wanted, it had to be someone.
But this was not a decision she would make alone.
Kim stepped forward. ‘Okay, guys, I think it’s time we took a vote.’
One Hundred Thirteen
It was almost nine when Woody got the call he’d been expecting. He’d told Stone the end of the week and he’d known it would be done.
‘Come in,’ he called as a soft knock sounded on the door.
He stood as the door opened and offered his hand. ‘Mr Morgan?’
‘Inspector Woodward,’ he said, shaking the hand firmly.
Woody pointed to a chair and sat himself.
Strangely, the man was exactly how he had pictured him. Standing at about five foot six he wore a grey rain mac with a scarf tucked beneath. He had a skirt of hair from ear to ear but was completely bald on top. He had a kindly face with gentle eyes, and Woody liked him immediately.
‘Thank you for agreeing to see Detective Inspector Stone, Mr Morgan.’
‘Ted, please,’ he said. ‘And it really was no bother. Any reason to spend time with her is a joy.’
Woody waited for the sarcastic tilt of the mouth or amusing rejoinder. It didn’t come. The man meant it, and he wasn’t sure he’d met many people who would say that about Kim Stone.
‘Oh yes, I still enjoy the challenge,’ he said, with a smile.
‘And was she?’ Woody asked. ‘Challenging?’
‘You know her well enough to render that question rhetorical.’
‘So, has she ever opened up to you over the years?’ Woody asked, intrigued. Not least because she returned to this man time after time. And she trusted him.
‘Opening up and revealing are two completely different things but that’s not…’
‘Of course,’ Woody said. It had been an idle question born of his own curiosity, and he could understand the man’s refusal to answer, and respected it. ‘Did she explain the reason for the report?’ he asked.
‘Her suitability to return to work.’
‘Partly,’ Woody said. ‘But I was also hoping she would talk to you about Dawson’s death,’ he admitted.
‘Then that was wishful thinking on your part, sir,’ Ted observed, wryly.
‘So, she didn’t open up…’
‘As I’ve already said, opening up and revealing are two totally different things. Losing Dawson was like losing her brother all over again. She takes it upon herself to protect her team as though they’re family, and she doesn’t even realise it. Dawson died, just like her brother, which is purely her failure.’
‘But she couldn’t have prevented…’
‘Play that thought on a loop into her head for the next twenty years and she still won’t accept it, just like she’s never accepted that Mikey’s death wasn’t her fault.
‘You see, she’d allowed the young man into her world. Dawson had become a part of the fabric of her daily life. He was a constant. She knew how he would act, the things he would say. Those constants give her stability. They keep her world safe. She trusts them. Same goes for Stacey, yourself and especially Bryant.’
‘Who almost died today,’ Woody said.
‘God help you if he had, because we’d be having a very different kind of conversation.’
‘How so?’
‘Call me if anything ever happens to Bryant and I’ll let you know, but as long as he’s alive, she’ll be fine. She handles near misses very well.’
‘And your report?’ Woody asked.
‘Aah, well that’s where it gets interesting,’ Ted said, reaching into his pocket. ‘Because I have two,’ he said, holding them both up.
‘Why?’ asked Woody, perplexed. Either Kim was fit to return to work or she wasn’t.
‘One explains why she’s fit for work and one explains why she isn’t. But let me explain. These reasons are not going to change no matter how much counselling you try to force upon her.’
‘I don’t understand,’ Woody admitted.
‘Kim’s a paradox. It’s basically the same reasons in both,’ he said. ‘The reasons she’s not up to the job are the reasons she’s so good at it. Her lack of emotional connection and understanding might appear a shortfall to you but they mean she can often remain more objective and less involved than others. Her ability to box things up and close them away also means she can dispose with nonsense while hanging on to the important stuff. Her inability to play nice with others also means she won’t be easily fooled or led. Her brusqueness and lack of manners discourages people from trying to deceive her. Her directness can be rude but it gets to the truth. Now do you see what I’m saying?’
Woody nodded. ‘I think so.’
‘Imagine a baby born premature. The baby survives but will never catch up. It will always be smaller than average. Look young for its age. That’s the same with Kim but on an emotional level. She never got the chance to grow those higher emotions in the way that we did. It’s like the computer crashed before the whole programme had downloaded.’
‘But surely she can learn—’
Ted cut him off by shaking his head. ‘You know that children have an optimum time for learning certain things but once that door closes it’s gone for ever. I’m afraid that’s likely to be the case with Kim. Her ability to express and feel emotion is as good as it’s going to be.’
Woody found this difficult to accept. ‘I’m sorry, Ted, but…’
‘Please don’t make that mistake with her,’ Ted advised. ‘She’s spent much of her life surrounded by people trying to make her into what they think she should be, force her to behave a certain way based on their perception of her experiences.’
Ted regarded him for a couple of seconds, weighing something up in his mind.
Woody waited.
‘I’d like to share something with you but it must stay right here.’
‘Of course,’ Woody replied. He would never break this man’s confidence.
‘I wasn’t Kim’s first counsellor back when she was six years old. A woman who was nearing the end of her career and was resolute in her beliefs and practices got her first. She firmly believed that Kim needed to cry out her grief. The girl hadn’t shed a tear since the cold, dead body of her twin was ripped from her arms. She tried everything to make Kim cry because that’s what she thought the child should do. That once the tears began she would find solace in them. Didn’t matter if they were tears of grief, hurt, sadness or pain.’
‘You’re not saying the therapist hurt her?’ Woody asked, horrified.
Ted nodded. ‘Pinches and pinpricks on her arms and legs.’
‘Did Kim report it?’
Ted shook his head. ‘That’s all I’m going to say, but more importantly, I’m trying to explain th
at she still didn’t cry. The day she lost her brother, something died which cannot be brought back, and you can’t fix her. Kim will always equate love with loss and so will try to avoid it. That’s a choice that she has made herself, despite the help and advice of every mental health professional she’s ever met, but she now refuses to explain or justify it to anyone. To accept Kim is to accept who she is and allow her the level of contentment that she has allowed herself.’
Ted took a breath, allowing him a moment to consider everything.
‘The person that she is seeps out in spite of herself. In her passion for her job, her commitment to her team. Her fierce protection of the people she cares about. Her drive and determination to do the right thing. She is a good person and she connects as much as she is able to.’
‘I understand,’ Woody said and silently thanked God for this man who appeared to know Kim Stone better than she knew herself.
‘So, given all that I’ve said and the fact she’s never likely to change, which envelope do you want me to leave?’
There was no hesitation from Woody as he pointed and made his choice.
Epilogue
‘Okay, guys, you sure about this?’ Kim asked, looking at both of her colleagues.
Stacey nodded emphatically, and Bryant followed her lead. And then winced.
Kim caught it. ‘S’pose you’re going home after this is done, eh?’
‘Doctor’s orders,’ Bryant said. ‘Well, most importantly, the wife’s,’ he admitted.
Bryant had been discharged from hospital Sunday afternoon but had insisted on coming in to the office to finalise his statement.
Richard Terry Chance had confessed to everything, against the advice of his brief, when she’d questioned him. Throughout the case she’d been seeking a full confession, but she hadn’t expected it to come from the man who had been kind and helped her on Monday afternoon.
But that had been the chilling part. He had recited everything he’d done, while, not with a sense of pride, but with an expectation of understanding and empathy. He genuinely felt that he’d done nothing wrong and that a jury would agree with him.
She had spent Saturday afternoon visiting with the Cordell family and talking them both through the whole thing.
Afterwards she’d visited the Mancini home and sincerely apologised to them both. They had accepted gracefully still unable to believe the man they’d both classed as a friend had been capable of such a crime, never mind trying to frame either one for the murders. Richard Terry Chance had shrewdly tried to frame father and son under the shroud of kindness. He had brought the sad-looking, cheap plant as an excuse to get into the property. Once there he’d dropped the blood-soaked glove into the waste bin and covered it over while telling the younger Mancini about the Reeboks he’d handed in to lost property, knowing full well the man would claim them at the earliest opportunity. Richard Terry Chance had fooled them all.
Vanessa and Mia were still shaken but thankful. With her husband back from his business trip, Vanessa had decided to take a leave of absence to spend some time with her family, which Kim suspected was a little bit overdue, but most definitely a loss for the hospital.
And just a few moments ago Stacey had received a call that Mrs Weston was waiting downstairs with her daughter and Jessica Ryan, all ready to make statements about the abuse, as promised.
Stacey had offered to pass it along, and Kim had refused. Only Stacey’s tenacity and Penn’s assistance had uncovered the poor girl’s history and her mother’s actions. Stacey would take the statement and work with the authorities to keep the girl safe and well. It was her case and she would finish it.
Which brought Kim nicely to something that was long overdue.
She cleared her throat. ‘Guys, listen, before Penn gets here, there’s something I’d like to say.’
All eyes were on her as she took a breath.
‘We all miss him,’ she said honestly. ‘Dawson was important to us all in one way or another. He was a part of this team and will always be with us. We were lucky to know him and watch him grow.’ She took a deeper breath. ‘But now it’s time to let him go, okay?’
Stacey wiped a tear, and Bryant looked away.
‘Okay?’
‘Okay, boss,’ Stacey said.
‘Got it, guv,’ Bryant said.
And there was something else overdue too.
‘Hey, Bryant, you popping round tonight? Barney misses you.’
‘Aww… sorry, boss, I can’t. I’m washing my hair,’ he said.
‘Great, bring pizza,’ she said, as Penn entered the office.
‘Hey, am I late?’ he asked, colouring.
‘No, you’re okay,’ Kim said, as he walked past carrying his Tupperware box.
‘Hey, Penn, great work with the forensics on Chance,’ she said.
He looked around as if it was some kind of joke. But it wasn’t.
Every detail had been organised and noted and ready to hand. His bullet points had been chronological, succinct and relevant. He had sat beside her handing her information before she’d even known she needed it.
Later, she had watched back the footage of the interview they’d conducted together. In the interview room, away from the office, away from the desk, she had watched Penn the officer and not Penn the replacement.
The kid had his own problems and a whole heap of responsibility to come but he’d just done his job in the face of a wave of hostility and never once fought them back. Because he had understood.
He placed his man-bag on the floor and moved the set of trays that Stacey had artfully rearranged.
His brow furrowed in confusion. ‘What’s that?’
Kim stepped forward. ‘It’s a plant, Penn, and her name is Betty.’
She smiled and offered her hand.
‘And I’d like to formally welcome you to the team.’
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Also by Angela Marsons
Detective Kim Stone Series
1. SILENT SCREAM
2. EVIL GAMES
3. LOST GIRLS
4. PLAY DEAD
5. BLOOD LINES
6. DEAD SOULS
7. BROKEN BONES
8. DYING TRUTH
9. FATAL PROMISE
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Other Books
1. DEAR MOTHER
2. THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN
A Letter from Angela
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you for choosing to read Fatal Promise, the ninth instalment of the Kim Stone series.
Most of my readers will know that I like to explore a psychological aspect within the motives for my killers, and in this book I wanted to consider the repercussions of having to make a horrific choice of life and love. What might that do to someone? Who would they blame? How extreme their need for revenge?
No spoilers but I also wanted to explore the reaction of the team in response to the traumatic events of Dying Truth. How out of character would they act while facing a painful loss? How would they regroup? How would they react to a newcomer? How would they adapt to each other? And would they finally be able to come back together as a unit?
I hope you enjoyed it.
If you did enjoy it, I would be for ever 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…
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SILENT SCREAM
Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 1
#1 BESTSELLER
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Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever…
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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 …
Fatal Promise: A totally gripping and heart-stopping serial-killer thriller Page 28