Page 52 of Deadly Cry

‘Sorry?’

‘By the time Henrietta gets to the kitchen, she’ll have forgotten your answer and will make it anyway.’ He glanced at the plants to his left. ‘This lot don’t go thirsty.’

‘Is she?…’

‘Early stages. We cope. Now what can I help you with? Police finally come to their senses?’

Kim hid her smile. As an institution, the force was not quick to embrace new ways of doing things, and assessing people from their handwriting was not something they openly embraced.

‘It’s an interesting subject. How did you get into it?’ Kim asked.

Reg Wilkins laughed out loud, displaying even white teeth in a lightly stubbled face beneath a full head of grey hair.

‘An innocuously innocent small-talk question hiding an interview assessment. You want to know my credentials for the job even though you came to me,’ he said, meeting her gaze. ‘I’m not the one with dementia, officer. Aaah, coffee, perfect,’ he said as his wife carried a tray into the room. The gesture pleased Kim as his wife placed the tray on the coffee table. He chose not to remind his wife that they had all refused her offer of a beverage.

‘Thank you,’ she and Bryant said at the same time.

She nodded and left.

‘There’s no need to drink it,’ he said, glancing at the plants. ‘But it is good coffee.’

Bryant poured them both a cup as she met the man’s gaze.

‘Okay, Reg, forget the small talk, what are your credentials?’

‘That’s better,’ he said, smiling. ‘And to answer your question, I began studying graphology in the eighties when British Steel Corporation let me go. I studied at the Cambridge School of Graphology and am a member of the British Institute of Graphologists, the British Academy of Graphology and—’

‘Okay, thank you,’ Kim said, holding up her hand.

‘I scraped a living from it through the nineties, but once the millennium hit there weren’t enough hours in the day. Every business or company suddenly wanted insight into the people they were employing.’

Kim now understood the house he was living in. His newly acquired skills had put him in the right place at the right time.

‘Have you ever consulted criminally?’ Kim asked.

He shook his head. ‘I understand that the police force remains dubious on the subject.’ He paused. ‘And I think we have the perfect example sitting here.’

Kim turned to her colleague, who was frowning as he listened.

‘I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude,’ Bryant answered. ‘But if I’m honest, I struggle to accept the science when we were all taught how to write by our primary school English teacher.’

Reg smiled. ‘Gather up your classmates and see if you all write the same now.’

Bryant’s nod conceded the point.

‘Bear with me a second,’ he said, standing and opening a drawer in a wicker side table. He brought out a piece of paper and a pen and thrust it towards Kim.

‘While I speak with your colleague, just write down what you’re hoping I’ll be able to achieve.’ He tapped his temple. ‘I don’t remember so well, any more.’

Kim did as he asked as the man sat and continued to talk to Bryant.

‘We are all totally unique. We look, speak, act and move in different ways. The way we write is unique. It leaves a permanent trail. Your writing will change upon your mood—’

‘So how can you determine anything if?…’

‘Because certain components remain consistent throughout. The uses of the science are endless. It’s used for people changing careers, to highlight strengths and weaknesses, compatibility. It can help guide you in how to deal effectively with people. It’s been used to detect forgery for decades.’

‘But it’s a pretty new science, is it not?’ Bryant asked.