‘We’re just here for background,’ Bryant assured him.
‘It’s just a club,’ he said, rubbing that same area of skin again. ‘It’s just some harmless fun when you’re at school, like a gang of friends. You must have had a set group of friends, officer?’ he asked.
‘Of course,’ Bryant said, pleasantly. ‘Kind of lost touch after we left school though. Is that the same at Heathcrest?’ he asked.
Kim could feel Cordell’s growing discomfort.
‘I’m sorry. I’m not sure what you mean,’ he said, buying time for a simple question for an intelligent, educated man.
‘Well, do all you little Spades stay in contact once you’re out in the big wide world?’ Bryant asked the question with just the right amount of dismissive amusement to get a jaw clench from the man. This was Bryant’s baiting at its best. Subtle but effective and a joy to watch.
‘I don’t think you quite understand how—’
‘Oh no, I get it,’ Bryant said, now cutting the man off when he wanted to speak, which was just going to add to Cordell’s annoyance. ‘When I was a kid, one of my mates took some money from his mum’s purse, and we went and bought as much pick ‘n’ mix from Woolworths as we could carry. We swore it would be our secret. Pricked our thumbs, exchanged blood and everything.’
‘That’s not exactly—’ Cordell said, trying to interrupt but Bryant was on a roll.
‘Thing is, by the time I got home I felt sick as a dog. Not just cos I’d swallowed enough sugar to fell a wildebeest but because I knew I’d done something wrong,’ he said.
The tension on Cordell’s face was very telling. She marvelled at how her colleague had an anecdote for every occasion.
‘I couldn’t eat my tea, and by bedtime I was convinced the police were going to be knocking on my door. And suddenly the promise I’d made earlier to keep my mouth shut was no longer as important. Not compared to bringing shame upon my family.’ He paused and then lowered his voice. ‘Do you have family, Doctor Cordell?’
The doctor met Bryant’s intense gaze, and Kim knew what was coming next, as did her colleague.
‘I’m sorry, officers but I have nothing that will aid your investigation and I really must get on with my work.’
Bryant stood and offered his hand.
‘Thank you for your time and I hope we can speak more fully the next time we meet, probably best at the station when you’re less busy.’
Yeah, leave that threat hanging there, Kim thought. Bryant mentioning the next time assured Cordell that their business was unfinished and the idea of attending the station had prompted three deep swallows.
*
Kim closed the door behind them and Bryant leaned down to re-tie his shoelace.
‘Nice story about the sweets,’ she observed.
‘No story,’ he admitted. ‘And I haven’t been able to look at a Jelly Baby ever since,’ he said, straightening. He looked at her. ‘You ready?’
‘Oh yeah.’
Bryant stood close to the door and listened. She saw his mouth count to three before pushing down on the door handle
He hesitated for just a couple of seconds before speaking but it was long enough.
Cordell stood at the window already speaking on his mobile phone.
‘Sorry, doctor, but… oh never mind, it can wait,’ Bryant said, holding up his hand in apology and backing out of the room.
‘Works every bloody time,’ Kim said, as they headed along the corridor towards the front of the building.
By silent agreement they had acknowledged that they were going to get nothing from Doctor Cordell, so Bryant had focused his questioning on simply rattling the doctor, knowing full well that if he were guilty of something he’d be on the phone to someone as soon as they’d left the room. And he hadn’t disappointed them.
‘So, what did you hear?’ she asked.
‘Three words distinctly,’ he said. ‘I heard “know about Lorraine”.’
Yes, that was exactly what she’d heard too.
Seventy-Two
‘Just about to call you, boss,’ Stacey said, answering the phone.
‘Okay, but stop what you’re doing and search the list of current students at Heathcrest for the name Lorraine, and get Dawson over to the school to start asking in person.’
‘You think she’s the girl that had an illegal abortion?’ Stacey asked.
‘At the minute, yes. Doctor Cordell was as nervous as a turkey in December and was definitely hiding something. I have a real feeling he’s been doing something he shouldn’t have.’
‘Okay, will do and I have something for you, boss. Traffic have been on. They want you to meet them at the entrance to Hollytree estate.’
‘For what?’ she asked, frowning. Right now, Hollytree seemed a million miles away from their current investigation.
‘The hit-and-run on Joanna Wade, boss. They think they’ve found the car.’
Seventy-Three
It had been a few weeks since Kim had set foot on Hollytree and nothing had changed since. The sprawling estate of maisonette buildings still guarded the three tower blocks at its core.
Kim was reminded of Dante’s nine circles of hell. The circles were concentric, representing a gradual increase in wickedness and culminating at the centre of the earth, where Satan is held in bondage.
Kai Lord had once lived at the very centre of Hollytree; although not Satan he had been close enough.
Her last major investigation had removed the kingpin of the organised crime gang that ruled the estate. But as she had cut off one head another had simply grown in its place.
‘Jesus, is that it?’ Bryant said, pulling onto the car park.
Five uniforms and two detectives huddled around a grey Nissan Micra.
Kim understood his question. For the damage that had been done to Joanna, she too would have expected a bigger vehicle.
‘Inspector Adams,’ Kim acknowledged, heading towards the front of the car.
‘Inspector,’ he nodded in response.
Kim fell silent as she appraised the damage to the car. The dent in the bonnet measured two feet across and ended an inch away from the windscreen wipers. The radiator grille was indented, and the passenger side headlight was smashed.
Kim tried to ignore the image of Joanna being tossed into the air as the car struck her.
‘How’d you find it?’ she asked, tearing her eyes away.
‘Collation of witness reports, CCTV and some observant police officers,’ said Adams. ‘You know, good old-fashioned police work.’
Kim wondered if he knew of her derogatory comments the previous day. If he did, there was egg on her face right now. She doubted her team could have got this result any quicker.
‘Why here?’ she said, looking around. She couldn’t help but feel that no one living on Hollytree was connected to the staff or students at Heathcrest.
Adams pointed to the left-hand tower block. ‘I’d say because the owner lives over there on the ninth floor.’
That information served to convince her this had been an untimely accident and had no connection to the death of Sadie Winters.
‘All right, Inspector, thanks for—’
‘Not so fast,’ he said, raising one eyebrow. ‘You’re missing the most important part,’ he said, moving to stand beside her.
‘Take a closer look at the passenger side front wheel.’
She took a step back. The rubber of the tyre was bulged, and the wheel trim buckled. She got it.
‘He hit and mounted the kerb?’ she asked.
Adams nodded.
This was no accident. The bastard had aimed right for her.
Seventy-Four
‘He couldn’t just see me for a minute?’ Dawson asked, as Nancy put through another call to Principal Thorpe’s office. He had headed to the school on the boss’s instructions to ask around about Lorraine Peters.