Child's Play (D.I. Kim Stone #11)(3)

The pathologist didn’t much like things being touched until the techies had been through them, but the bromance between the two of them offered Bryant a bit more leeway. Antagonising Keats at the beginning of a case rarely worked out well for her.

She knew much of Keats’s affection for her colleague grew out of sympathy at Bryant’s plight of being stuck with her every day. Keats felt the man had enough crosses to bear. And she didn’t necessarily disagree with him, she thought, as she stepped around the pool of vomit to approach the fair-haired male sitting on the ground.

His back was against the climbing frame, his knees bent with his arms resting on them to support his head as he stared down at the ground.

She guessed him to be mid-twenties, wearing dark jeans and a sweatshirt.

‘Hey,’ she said, showing her ID.

He pushed himself to stand.

‘It’s okay, you can stay on the—’

‘I just want to go home, officer. I was told that once I’d spoken to a detective I could…’

‘Okay, okay,’ she said, looking to the female police officer standing beside him.

‘Eric,’ she offered. ‘Eric Hanson of—’

‘Thank you,’ Kim said, assuming the young man had not lost the ability to speak.

His gaze had automatically lifted and been drawn back towards the swings. He started to shake his head.

Kim stepped in front of him and blocked the view. She nodded towards the plastic water bottle in his hand. ‘Take a sip, mate.’

‘I’m fine, thanks,’ he said, shaking his head.

‘So, Eric, what happened?’ she asked.

‘She was just… I looked and…’

His eyes were staring straight through her, locked on to the picture he’d stumbled across. She didn’t need him replaying the horror over and over. What she needed were facts.

‘Okay, back up for me, Eric,’ Kim said, bringing him to the present. ‘What time did you come into the park?’

‘Half ten-ish,’ he said, lifting his attention to her face. ‘I just wanted to walk off that last pint of lager I downed at the club. Just fancied stretching my legs.’

‘So, you came from that direction?’ she asked, nodding towards the path from the club.

Although not a part of the park there was a path that led from Old Hill Cricket Club along to the entrance where she’d just parked.

‘Yeah, had a few pints with my mates and…’

‘And no one passed you as you were walking along?’

Another shake of the head.

‘Did you hear anything as you approached?’

‘Nothing. It was dead…’

His words trailed away as that one single word returned his mind once again to what he’d seen.

‘So, you saw and heard nothing and called the police straight away?’ she asked.

He nodded.

‘Then what did you do?’

Guilt flashed across his face. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Did you touch her at all?’

He hesitated before shaking his head.

‘Are you sure, Eric?’ she pushed. They had to know.

‘I’m sorry, but I didn’t check. I mean I just couldn’t…’

Kim understood the source of his guilt and evasion. He felt bad because he hadn’t had the courage to approach her and see if she was still alive.

‘It’s okay. I don’t think there’s much you could have done to help her.’

He offered her a grateful smile as Bryant approached.

‘Okay, Eric, we’ll be in touch if we need anything further, and if you remember anything more give us a call.’

He nodded his understanding as she met the gaze of the officer still standing to the side of him. ‘Get someone to take him home.’

‘Will do, Marm.’

‘Anything?’ she asked, turning to her colleague.

‘Mitch is here and is discussing with Keats the best way to remove her from the swing.’

‘Do we have her name?’

‘Belinda Evans, sixty-one years of age, lives in Wombourne and drives a BMW 5 Series. Less than two years old.’

She raised an eyebrow. His last few minutes had been much more productive than hers.

‘Car keys in her handbag, along with her purse, untouched, her driving licence, a small make-up bag, a pen, glasses and a pack of breath mints. No mobile phone.’

‘And her car is?’

‘Parked correctly about fifty yards from the park gates. Locked and with no evidence of foul play.’

‘Good work, Bryant,’ she said, heading towards the entrance to the park. ‘Most of that information is utterly useless, but you’ve identified one piece of information that is incredibly helpful and relevant.’

‘Which is?’

‘That Belinda Evans came to the park of her own accord.’





Three





Kim entered the squad room and immediately realised that something was not right. It had nothing to do with the fact that when she’d left the room at 7.30 a.m. to brief Woody on the events of the previous evening, the office had been empty and was now full. No, it wasn’t that. She’d expected that to be the case. The change was more subtle than that.