Kim said nothing.
‘She’d watched it for days, growing weaker and hungrier before spotting the widened gap.’
‘But why?’ Kim asked.
‘To see how far it would go to get what it wants,’ Sarah answered, closing her eyes. ‘I cried so hard. The desperate, tortured face of the hamster gave me nightmares for months.’
Kim was disgusted by the memory that Sarah had shared but there was something else she now wanted to know.
‘Was she close to either of your parents?’
Sarah shook her head. ‘My mother didn't touch Alex very much. There was a politeness, a cordiality that existed between them, as though their relationship was two steps removed from mother and daughter. I've since thought my mother knew before anyone else exactly what kind of person Alex would become.
‘I remember once when Mum was tickling me and blowing raspberries on my stomach. We were laughing so hard we were crying and then I saw Alex standing in the doorway. I swear I saw tears in her eyes but she turned and left the room before my mum even saw her. She couldn't have been older than six or seven but I never saw that look again.’
‘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 flirtati
ous.
‘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.
‘So, what can I help you with?’
Kim chose her words carefully. ‘When we were talking at the cemetery, you said some things that got me thinking.’
Kim raised her eyes. Someone less astute might have missed the triumph that emerged momentarily in Alex’s expression, quickly replaced by an apologetic shake of the head. But Kim noted it all.
‘I’m so sorry. I should never have spoken the way I did. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I have few friends and I suppose a place like that amplifies your vulnerabilities.’ Alex smiled and tipped her head back. ‘Additionally I think you are a very easy person to talk to.’
Again with the flattery, Kim thought. Fortunately she was impervious to it, especially when she herself knew she possessed the warmth and charm of a Middle Eastern dictator.
Kim just nodded and remained silent, forcing Alex to continue.
‘None of us are perfect. We all have insecurities, but usually we hide our weaknesses from those around us for fear it might diminish their respect. Take yourself, for example, whatever you wish to discuss is something you probably wouldn’t share with your work colleagues.’
Alex was right. She had arranged this meeting under the pretext of discussing sleep disorders and although it was nothing more than a ruse it was a problem that she didn’t share with anyone.
Kim sipped her coffee, again forcing Alex to keep talking.
‘A woman in your position, with authority over a team formed predominantly of males can’t afford to show vulnerabilities. You probably think your team would respect you less and so you work harder to hide any weaknesses. Their opinion of you may not affect your ability to do your job but their validation and respect is imperative to you for more reasons than you care to admit.’
Kim decided it was probably a good idea to stop the doctor talking right about now. Her theory was a little too close for comfort.
‘You talked about sleep disorders. I could use some advice on that.’
‘Oh, Kim, I’m sorry. I’ve made you feel uncomfortable. I apologise. Occupational hazard, I’m afraid.’
Kim detected more amusement than sincerity in the words and recognised the prod as a mild rebuke: Do you see what happens if you keep me talking?
‘Not at all,’ Kim said, smiling. The forced expression felt alien on her face so she removed it.
‘Have you ever sought help for the problem?’
Kim shook her head. She wasn’t seeking a cure. She’d given up on that many years ago. No, she was here for one reason; to establish Alex Thorne’s guilt or any involvement in a crime.
Alex settled back into her chair, crossed her legs and smiled. ‘Well, the good news is that people who suffer with insomnia have a higher metabolic rate and tend to live longer than people who sleep for seven to eight hours per night. Severe insomnia is classed as less than three and a half hours per night.’
‘That’s me.’
‘Have you tried any of the remedies, like dark therapy or cognitive behaviour therapy? Have you carried out sleep hygiene?’
Kim shook her head. All things she’d read about but never bothered to try. Getting help for her sleep disorder was not her reason for coming.
‘You see, there are different types of insomnia. Difficulty in falling asleep often comes from anxiety. Some people go to sleep okay but keep waking during the night and others rise very early regardless of the time they go to sleep.’
‘I can’t go to sleep,’ Kim said, honestly. It didn’t hurt to offer a small amount of information.
‘That can be a symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. There can exist a paradoxical intention to try and stay awake.’
‘Trust me, I want to sleep.’
Alex looked thoughtful. ‘How long ago did the problem start?’
‘Years ago,’ she answered, vaguely. The truth without the timeline.
‘Have you heard the term somniphobia?’
Kim shook her head and tried to keep her breathing even. Perhaps this had not been such a good idea after all.
‘It’s an abnormal fear of sleep, often established in childhood, following a trauma.’
Kim could swear that the doctor’s voice lowered slightly, gently. Or she could just be completely paranoid. The words childhood and trauma were spoken more like a whisper.
‘No, it was in college, I think.’
The doctor said nothing.
Kim spoke with a half-smile. ‘My childhood was pretty normal; loved sweets, hated cabbage, normal arguments with parents about staying out too late.’
Alex smiled at her and nodded.
‘I think it might have been the stress of exams.’
Just in time, Kim realised the doctor had used her own technique of remaining silent against her. Luckily she’d realised before she’d revealed any truth of her childhood at all.
‘You know, Kim, it’s surprising how many times you used the word “normal”. Most people say that about their childhood and yet there is no such thing unless you live in a television commercial. What did your parents do?’
Kim thought quickly and chose the sixth set of foster parents. ‘My mum worked part-time at Sainsbury’s and my dad was a bus driver.’
‘Any siblings?’
Kim’s mouth dried and she only trusted herself to shake her head.
‘No major losses or traumatic events before the age of ten?’
Again, Kim shook her head.
Alex laughed. ‘Then you truly did have a charmed childhood.’
‘How soon after the loss of your family did your sleeping problems start?’ Kim asked, diverting the conversation from herself. Perhaps she would learn something if the doctor started talking about herself.
Alex appeared momentarily surprised, but she recovered well. Her eyes glanced back to the photo on the desk and her voice was barely audible. Kim watched with renewed interest, now knowing the family never existed.
‘Losing Robert and the boys almost destroyed me. Robert was my soulmate. Unlike yourself we’d both had troubled childhoods and were drawn to each other. We tried for two years before Mitchell was born. He was quiet and sensitive. Nineteen months later came Harry who was the complete opposite of his brother.’ Alex looked at her, tears reddening her eyes. ‘My family was complete and then one day wiped out by a tired lorry driver who walked away with a broken wrist.’
Despite herself, Kim was entranced by Alex and couldn’t help doubting everything that had driven her to arrange this meeting. Her performance outshone Paltrow, Berry and Streep combined. And still there was something missing. And Kim was now surer than ever.
‘Didn’t you have any family to support you?’
Alex shook her head and collected herself. ‘My parents had passed away and I think I already mentioned that my sister died when I was nine years old.’
If she hadn’t been aware of the facts, Kim would have believed every word. But she knew the truth – and that ma
de Alex’s performance all the more horrific.
‘That’s awful, I’m so sorry. Were you close to …’
‘Sarah. Her name was Sarah. She was younger and followed me everywhere. One day I told her to get lost. She went to the pond and fell in. My mother was, umm let’s say, forgetful and wasn’t watching her. It’s quite profound losing a sibling at a young age, especially when there is a part of you that feels that you should have been able to save them.’
Kim clenched her jaw and tried to ignore the light-headedness that threatened her. She had to get out of this room before she lost the ability to breathe.
‘But you wouldn’t understand that, with your normal childhood.’
Kim was saved by the sound of the buzzer. Annoyance flashed across Alex’s face as Kim propelled herself to a standing position.
‘I really must …’
‘I’m sorry, Kim. My ten thirty must be early.’
‘Thank you for your time, Doctor. I guess I’ll look up some of those techniques you mentioned.’
‘Please feel free to come and see me again. I’ve quite enjoyed our little chat.’
Kim nodded her thanks and followed the doctor to the door. She glanced briefly at the woman as they passed but her focus was on reaching the safety of her Golf before she collapsed.
Kim managed to get herself into the vehicle successfully but putting the key into the ignition proved one challenge too far and the keys fell into the foot well.
There was no question that although Kim might have requested the meeting, it was most definitely Alex’s agenda they had followed.
Kim banged her hand on the steering wheel. Damn it, that was not the meeting she’d planned.
The doctor had lied again about the family that didn’t exist and fabricated a whole history about a dead sibling. Kim felt sick to her stomach.
Kim had known that Alex would be a formidable adversary. Her intelligence and lack of emotional response already afforded her the edge. Even so, Kim had been prepared to enter into battle with the tools they held here and now. A fair fight would be fought in the present.