‘But what does she want from you?’ Kim asked.

‘To torment me. She understands my fear of her and it offers her amusement to toy with me. All I know is that so far she’s been satisfied by pulling on my fear like a puppet. Her warning notes have always been enough.’

‘Do you think she would go further?’

‘I don’t know but I don’t want to put it to the test. She hates me and enjoys chasing me around the country and that’s fine because while we’re moving around, we’re safe.’

Sarah met her gaze. A joyless smile shaped her mouth. ‘Pathetic, eh?’

Kim shook her head. ‘I think you’re stronger than you realise. You do everything you can to keep your family safe. In spite of your sister you have a lovely home, a husband and a child. She may be winning small battles but you are winning the war.’

The first genuine smile she’d seen lifted Sarah’s lips properly. ‘Thank you. I appreciate it.’

‘Just one last question. Sarah, why does she hate you so much?’ Kim asked, drinking the last of her coffee.

‘Because she wanted me on board. She wanted me to be like her. Quite simply, I think she wanted a friend.’

FORTY-FIVE

‘Okay people, quick recap on the Dunn case before we all get back to it.’

She turned to Dawson. ‘Anything from the neighbours?’

He shook his head, ‘Not a thing. The whole bloody street is suffocating under net curtains and I’m sick of drinking tea.’

He sounded like a six year old who’d been told to tidy away his Lego but for once she had to agree. There were few jobs where one could get paid to drink tea for hours but there weren’t many detectives that would sign up for it.

‘The Dunn property. Did we discover anything other than the fibre and the fluid?’

‘Yeah, I found out that Kev’s still an arsehole.’

No one in the room spoke.

Dawson looked at both her and Bryant. ‘Oh come on, one of you could disagree.’

Kim stifled her smile. She wondered if the two of them had any idea what a good team they actually made.

‘Still nothing from the lab, Guv,’ Stacey offered.

Kim wasn’t surprised. She’d give anything for whatever technology they used on the television where hairs, fibres and fluid could be matched in hours, even minutes for the convenience of a forty-four minute show.

‘What do we know about this book club, Stace?’

‘It’s run by a shop owner in Rowley Regis; Charles Cook. They meet first Tuesday of every month at Druckers in Merry Hill. There’s a sad attempt at a Facebook page that has three likes, two posts to the page but nothing in the last four months. I’ve messaged the two that posted.’

‘Any reply?’

Stacey nodded. ‘One guy went to one meeting but then changed job so couldn’t goo again. The other one was a bit more interesting. Said there was something not right about this Cook bloke. Didn’t like it so stopped gooin after three meetings.’

Kim opened her mouth but Stacey continued. ‘I’ve already messaged him again to dig a bit deeper. He read me message two hours agoo but nothing back since.

‘Spoke to Cook and found out the group has less than a dozen members. And I cor join ’cos I’m a woman.’

‘Aww, Stace,’ Dawson offered. ‘You shoulda told him it’s not really noticeable.’

Stacey glowered in his direction as he smirked at his own joke.

‘And if the talking scrotum would shut it, I’d just add that their book of choice this month is The Longest Road.’

Kim frowned. The title was familiar to her but she couldn’t place why.

‘Popular book, Stace?’ she asked.

‘Yep, been in the Amazon top ten for seven months.’

That was it, then. She’d probably seen it on a billboard or something.

‘Jenks and Whiley didn’t give us a lot. We know the teacher took the girls home the day of the domestic and that Wendy’s brother picked the girls up often from school.’

Dawson raised an eyebrow. Every male the girls had come into contact with was a potential suspect.

‘Get his home and work address,’ she said to Stacey.

‘Dawson, go through the old files again. Look for anything at all that we might have missed. And Bryant …’ Kim hesitated. What to do with Bryant, when he was normally with her. But not this time. ‘Help Dawson. I’ve got a dentist appointment.’

She headed to The Bowl for her jacket before her face could give her away.

This particular meeting Kim would be doing on her own.

FORTY-SIX

At 9.30 a.m. Kim pulled into a space around the corner from Alexandra Thorne’s premises, feeling a little like a schoolgirl truanting for the first time. Telling Bryant that she had a dentist appointment was the first time she’d ever lied to him and she hoped it would be the last, but with this particular case, she was flying solo.

The door was promptly answered.

As the meeting was at her request, Kim guessed it was appropriate to show some manners.

‘Thank you for seeing me, Doctor Thorne.’

‘Of course, Detective Inspector Stone,’ Alex smiled widely. ‘However, as you wish this visit to be a non-professional one, I insist that you call me Alex.’

Kim nodded her agreement and followed Alex into the office. The doctor looked impeccable in tailored cream trousers and an aqua silk shirt. She wore no jewellery and her hair was perfectly styled.

‘Please, sit anywhere you like.’

‘No patients this morning?’ Kim asked, realising her words sounded like an interrogation question. In her head she had meant to say, ‘I hope I’m not keeping you’, but it looked like her reservoir of good manners was all dried up.

‘No, this is a free period that I normally use to take care of billing.’ A faint look of distaste crossed her face. ‘Not my favourite part of the job, but we all have to live.’

And nicely too, Kim thought, knowing the doctor leased the whole building. She guessed that it didn’t come cheap.

Kim knew she had to say something about their last meeting when she had been less than graceful about Alex’s success in keeping Barry Grant on the ledge.

‘Listen, about the other night …’

Alex held up her hand and laughed. ‘Please don’t say anything. I’m not at all sure I could accept any kind of compliment from you.’

Kim marvelled at Alex’s assumption that she was about to offer a compliment. Of course, whatever else could Kim have been about to say?

This was a different Alex to the ones she’d seen previously. The first visit she had been professional and severe with a hint of coyness for Bryant’s benefit. At the cemetery she had been introspective and vulnerable. With Barry, Alex had been proactive and driven. Right now she seemed almost playful and flirtatious.

‘I need to be sure this conversation goes no further,’ Kim stated.

To appeal to the doctor’s curiosity, Kim had told Alex that there were issues she’d like to discuss but she couldn’t have a registered visit on her record. Any other psychiatrist would have told her to get stuffed, but she had not been surprised at Alex’s generous donation of her time. Alex wanted something from her but she still wasn’t sure what.

‘Of course, Kim. As far as I’m concerned this is no more than two acquaintances having a chat over coffee, talking of which, I’m guessing white, no sugar?’

Kim nodded. It occurred to her that Alex had stripped her of her title without even asking for permission. Few people called her Kim. It made her a little uncomfortable but under the pretext of the visit she couldn’t complain.

As Alex placed the coffee on the table between them, Kim realised that when Alex had told her to sit, she had been standing in front of the only other available chair, forcing Kim to sit in the patient chair. Kim knew she was going to have to be careful.