Bryant caressed the rubber knee pads fitted on each side of the tank and shook his head. ‘Beautiful.’

‘That’s enough, give it back.’

Bryant handed it to her and walked slowly around the motorbike. ‘Wasn’t this the model Marlon Brando rode in The Wild One?’

Kim jumped up and sat on the workbench. She shook her head. ‘Nineteen-fifty.’

‘Are you ever gonna ride this bike?’

She nodded. The Triumph would be her therapy. The Ninja was a rush, a challenge. Riding it satisfied a need deep within her, but the Thunderbird was a thing of beauty. Just being near it transported her back to the only three years in her life that she’d felt anything even resembling contentment. A mere interlude.

The sound of a phone ringing startled her. She jumped off the work bench and retrieved her mobile from the kitchen.

She saw the number. ‘Hell, no,’ she whispered. She darted through the house and into the street. Two houses away from her own, she pressed the answer button. Her home would not be contaminated.

‘Kim Stone.’

‘Umm ... Miss Stone, I’m ringing about an incident with your mother. She ...’

‘And you are?’

‘Oh, my apologies. I’m Laura Wilson, the night supervisor at Grantley Care Facility. I’m afraid she’s had an episode.’

Kim shook her head, confused. ‘Why are you ringing me?’

There was a brief silence. ‘Umm ... because you are listed as her emergency contact.’

‘Does it say that in the file?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is she dead?’

‘Goodness, no. She took a dislike ...’

‘Then you should have read the file better, Miss Wilson – because then you’d have known that there is only one situation for which I require an update and you’ve already confirmed that not to be the case.’

‘I’m so sorry. I had no idea. Please accept my apologies for disturbing you.’

Kim could hear the tremor in the woman’s voice and instantly felt bad for her reaction.

‘Okay, what did she do now?’

‘Earlier today she became convinced that a trainee nurse had been brought in to poison her. She’s quite sprightly for a woman approaching her sixties and she charged the nurse and brought her to the ground.’

‘Is she okay?’

‘She’s fine. We’ve altered her medication slightly to ...’

‘I meant the nurse.’

‘She was a bit scared but she’s okay now. It’s part and parcel of working in this profession.’

Yep, all in the normal day of living with a paranoid schizophrenic.

Kim was eager to end the phone call. ‘Is there anything else?’

‘No, that’s all.’

‘Thank you for the call but I would appreciate it if you made a further note on the file regarding my previous instruction.’

‘Of course, Miss Stone and once again, apologies for my error.’

Kim hit the end button and leaned against the lamp post, banishing all thoughts of her mother from her mind.

She only gave thought to that woman on her terms. And that was once a month at a time and place of her choosing. Within her control.

She left all thoughts of her mother in the street and closed the front door firmly behind her. Kim would not allow her mother’s influence into her place of safety.

She took fresh mugs from the cupboard and poured more coffee for herself and Bryant. He said nothing as she re-entered the garage, as though it was the most natural thing in the world for her to take flight from her own home to accept a phone call.

She resumed her seat on the workbench and placed the petrol tank on her lap. She reached for a wire brush, similar in size and shape to a toothbrush and gently brushed at a small patch of rust on the right hand side. Flecks of brown landed on her jeans.

‘Surely there’s a quicker way of doing that?’

‘Oh, Bryant, only a man would be concerned with the speed.’

An easy silence settled between them as she worked.

‘He’ll keep you on the case, you know,’ Bryant said, quietly.

Kim shook her head. She was not so sure. ‘I don’t know, Bryant. Woody’s right when he says I can’t be trusted. He knows that regardless of any promises I might make there are some times when I just can’t help myself.’

‘And that’s why he’ll keep you on it.’

She looked at him.

‘He knows how you work and yet you’re still around. There is no disciplinary on your file ... which is beyond shocking, if you want the truth. He knows that you get results and that you won’t rest until you solve a case, especially this case.’

Kim said nothing. This case was personal to her and Woody might feel that was detrimental.

‘And there’s one other reason why he won’t remove you from the case.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Because he would be a damn fool to do so – and we both know that Woody is no fool.’

Kim sighed heavily as she put the tank aside. She sincerely hoped her colleague and friend was right.

Twenty-Three

Nicola Adamson rewound the news report and watched it again.

A tall, solid, black male by the name of Woodward confirmed the discovery of a body on the site of the old Crestwood children’s home. His brief statement was followed by an aerial view of the place she had once called home.

Nicola felt instant relief. Finally they were going to uncover the secrets of that godforsaken place.

But then came the fear. How would Beth react to the news? Nicola knew her sister would not open up and talk to her. As children, they had been so close; all they’d had was each other. They had shared everything. Nicola struggled to recall when that had changed.

They had grown apart after Crestwood. Beth had returned four years ago when Nicola had been struck down by glandular fever but once she’d been out of intensive care, Beth had disappeared.

A week ago she had returned and although there were minor irritations at sharing her home, Nicola loved having her sister around. A small voice in the back of her mind offered the question, how long?

When Beth was away Nicola always felt that part of her was missing. Yet when she was back Nicola felt more anxious; always worried about Beth’s reactions.

Her sister was changed somehow. There was a remoteness to her personality now; a coldness that showed in a mean set to her features, an impatience with the rest of the world. Nicola felt that every ounce of her sister’s joy had been lost.

She checked on the contents of the oven. She had decided to cook Beth's favourite meal of breaded chicken nuggets and potato waffles with a dollop of tomato ketchup. Nicola smiled. It was strange how she’d never grown out of that.

Despite their differences, Nicola wanted to forge a stronger relationship with Beth. She wanted to understand what had driven them apart.

She was hoping they could sit together in their pyjamas and watch a film while eating the juvenile meal that might find its way into Beth’s memories.

Living together was not ideal but Nicola wouldn’t trade the mild irritations for having Beth back in her life.

And she would do whatever she could to make her stay.

Twenty-Four

Kim headed into the office after a forty-minute meeting with Woody. Three pairs of eyes looked at her expectantly.

‘I’m still heading the case.’

A collective sigh went around the room.

Kim continued. ‘The forensic osteoarchaeologist has confirmed the bones to be human and modern, so the area is now a crime scene. Cerys has remained on site and will head up the archaeological side and a forensic anthropologist is due to land from Dundee shortly.’