Page 120 of Deadly Cry

‘Right now, you’re in a lot less trouble than she is.’

The kid took out his phone and opened it with his thumbprint.

Bryant scrolled through the messages and shook his head, returning to the call register. He pressed on the third one down.

Kate’s bag began to ring.

‘That’s the phone I was asking for.’

‘I don’t get it,’ Tyra said. ‘You two know each other?’

‘Not only do they know each other, but this lady, who has been taking such good care of you, instructed this fella exactly what to do.’

Tyra shook her head. ‘No, you’ve got it wrong. She would never—’

‘Arrange someone to physically assault you? I’m afraid that’s exactly what she did, Ms Brooks. More hype, more publicity, more bookings, more money.’

Genuine tears filled Tyra’s eyes as she turned to her agent. ‘How could you?’

Bryant watched as the ruthless woman considered finding some kind of lame explanation. She realised she couldn’t and just shrugged in response.

‘Tyra, if you lay down with dogs, you are going to get fleas,’ Bryant said, putting both phones on the signing table. ‘This will be continued down at the station.’

Now, he just needed to find someone to stay with the three of them.

‘Hey, Bryant, need some help?’ said a familiar voice from behind.

‘Penn, thank goodness,’ he said, looking around at his colleague.

‘Stace has gone straight to the control room to check on CCTV.’

Of course she had.

‘Right, don’t let these folks out of your sight until I get back.’

Penn looked around. ‘Where’s the boss?’

‘That’s exactly what I want to know,’ he answered as he turned and left at speed.

One Hundred Three

In the few seconds it had taken for her to clarify the source of the noise, the week had flashed before her eyes and information gleaned from people around her started to fall into place.

She heard the crackle of the radio and pushed the door open.

‘You don’t want to do this, Chris,’ she said to the security manager, who was sitting beside the bound and gagged superintendent. A knife glinted in his hand.

A flutter of the police officer’s eyelids confirmed the woman was still alive.

Chris stared at her as she continued to edge into the room, but not too far. She didn’t want to spook the man into doing something rash, and if she could keep the door open, anyone in the corridor would see the shaft of light coming from the room.

‘You don’t understand.’

Kim was surprised at the lack of emotion in his tone. She heard nothing but resignation. As though he’d already committed the crime and was holding out his wrists for the handcuffs. She had to steer him away from that mode of thought, or the act of using that knife wouldn’t matter because in his mind he’d already done it.

‘It doesn’t have to end like this, Chris. She’s still alive,’ Kim said. ‘Just like Archie; you kept him alive. No one else has to die.’

Lena’s eyes flicked between the two of them, and Kim couldn’t help wondering if the woman wished she’d have been a bit nicer to him earlier in the week. Maybe then she wouldn’t have made herself into such a target.