Page 101 of Little Children
‘Not everyone doing illegal stuff is completely amoral. I’m sure many of them have dogs and would alert the authorities. I might be wrong, but I don’t think they’d be that obvious.’
‘Okay, Stace, that’s given me something to think about… With your problem, it has to be some kind of service that both families have received. Someone must have seen both boys.’
With that, Penn turned his attention back to his screen.
Stacey took a minute to think about all that she knew.
There was only one avenue she hadn’t tried.
She logged into the system and did a search on the Reid family address.
‘Awww… shit.’
‘What?’ Penn asked.
‘I’ve found the link. The Reid family also had a break-in recently. Attended by this team. The link between the two families is right here.’
Sixty-Three
‘Anything of any use about the guys in the pub?’ Kim asked as she and Bryant got back into the car.
While Bryant had been chasing down Bobby Stevens, she’d been trying to pry any useful information from Shirley. Sickeningly, all her information had come from her husband. As she’d recounted the course of events in detail, Shirley had seemed bewildered by her own stupidity in what she’d believed was going to happen.
‘They’re not bringing him back, are they?’ she’d asked through the tears.
Kim had shaken her head. That was why they had to be found. These boys were far too dangerous to be left alive once they’d outlived their entertainment value or, like Josh, suffered a complicated injury.
Kim had listened for the next ten minutes as Shirley had recounted how happy they’d been before Bobby had come along. Other than her youngest children, he’d brought nothing positive to the marriage.
From the hatred in her eyes and the venom in her tone, Kim knew Bobby’s goose was well and truly cooked. He wouldn’t be setting foot in that house again. Kim was slightly unsure if Shirley’s threat of killing him was as idle as she hoped it was.
After checking on Kevin and assuring him they would do everything to bring Lewis home, Kim had left the house and met Bryant out on the pavement.
‘Nothing,’ he answered, putting on his seat belt. ‘One phone number to make final arrangements. Text only. Got the number, but the phone is no longer in service.’
Not for the first time Kim wished there was a law against burner phones.
‘Any description of them?’
‘Yeah, average everything, height, weight, both white, wore jeans, sweatshirts, no distinguishing features, scars or tattoos.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, anyone would think he doesn’t want us to track them down. Sure would have loved to slap some cuffs on him.’
‘Red’s call,’ Kim said, trying to remember they were here to assist. But she secretly hoped Red had the bollocks to haul him in.
‘Where to now, guv?’ Bryant asked, starting the engine.
‘Well, I’ve been thinking about that. Wanna pop by the morgue?’
‘For what?’ Bryant asked.
‘The only thing that could have prompted your man to be arrested so quickly for Jasmine’s murder would be some kind of forensic evidence or a full confession. Guessing it’s not the latter, so let’s go find out what Roy planted on the body.’
‘Okay, sounds good to me,’ he said, pulling away from the kerb. ‘We’re literally just a couple of miles away.’
Kim was still unable to imagine that Jasmine Swift was dead. She didn’t like the fact that of all the women in Blackpool to turn up murdered, it was one they’d spoken to. And the subject they’d spoken about was inappropriate behaviour of a police officer. Had that police officer somehow found out that they’d spoken? Had Red discovered that Jasmine had shared what he’d done and decided to silence her? She needed a chance to speak to Red alone about Jasmine Swift and hoped she’d know if he was lying.
