Page 85 of Deadly Cry

Sixty-Nine

Stacey was sure the wave of tiredness was being passed around the room like a Mexican wave. All three of them were covering their mouths to stifle yawns.

The ten-minute walk around the building had temporarily revitalised both her and Penn, but had had the opposite effect on Alison, whose eyes were drooping and growing heavier by the second.

‘Alison, get off home. You don’t even have to be here.’

As an unpaid consultant, Alison didn’t have to wait to be dismissed by the boss. She could leave whenever she wanted.

‘Hey, the team that walks together stays together… or something,’ she protested, stifling a yawn.

Stacey turned back to her computer as the clock hit nine and a loud thunk sounded from the spare desk.

‘Was that her head?’ Stacey asked, looking over.

‘Yep,’ Penn said, wheeling his chair over to Alison.

He touched her lightly on the arm and a loud snore sounded, startling him.

Stacey felt the giggles rising in her stomach. The more she looked at Penn’s efforts to gently wake Sleeping Beauty, the funnier it became.

‘Bloody hell, she’s out colder than a knocked-down prize fighter,’ Penn said.

Another loud snore reduced Stacey to fits of laughter. Whether or not it was the effects of fatigue kicking in, she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling over her cheeks.

‘Stop it, Penn, you’re hurting my stomach,’ she said, wiping her eyes.

‘Stace, stop laughing and help me wake her. I don’t want to startle her.’

Stacey managed to get hold of herself and fought the laughter away. Just for a moment it had felt so good.

‘Okay, Penn. Step aside, I’ve got this,’ she said.

Penn rolled his chair back to his own desk.

‘Hiya, boss,’ Stacey shouted.

‘What?… Where?…’ Alison spluttered as her head shot up.

Both Stacey and Penn couldn’t contain their laughter at her panicked expression.

‘Alison, seriously, go home,’ Stacey said.

The woman conceded defeat and reached for her handbag.

‘I swear to God, you pair…’

‘Hang on, that’s it,’ Penn shouted, standing up and looking at Alison. ‘Noah, the name. We’ve exhausted every other theory except one. The animals came in pairs.’

Seventy

‘Thanks for dropping me home, Bryant,’ Kim said as he pulled up outside her house. That last meeting with Robyn had drained her last reserves of energy. She’d left a house that a couple of days ago had been filled with normality, a family, and now it held only strangers. Right now all she wanted was a hot shower, strong coffee and a late-night dog walk.

Bryant killed the engine. ‘I’d love to come in for a coffee, thanks for asking.’

‘You okay?’ she asked, getting out of the car. She was running on fumes, but if Bryant needed to talk she’d summon the energy from somewhere.

‘I’m tickety boo,’ he replied, following her to the front door.