Page 135 of Dying Truth

She strode into the room and headed for the nearest adult. It was Thorpe’s assistant, Nancy, carrying a clipboard and wearing a set of headphones.

‘Excuse me, did you just call out for Saffie Winters?’

‘I did. Have you seen her?’

She shook her head as her stomach instantly lurched. Saffie was the star of the show, the headline act. She should be preparing to perform.

Kim grabbed Nancy’s arm. ‘Has she been here at all?’

The woman frowned at Kim’s hand on her arm.

‘Maybe a little while ago. I thought I saw her.’

‘Well did you see her or…’

Her words trailed away as she looked questioningly at Dawson and Stacey heading towards them. The woman took the opportunity to snatch her arm back and mutter something inaudible as she strode away. Kim could see the anxiety on their faces.

‘What are you doing here, Stace?’ Kim asked. Recalling Alex’s words, she’d instructed the constable to mine for any acts of violence carried out by the older kids at Heathcrest.

‘I needed to tell Kev something about the Forbes family.’

Kim had no idea who that was or how that pertained to their current investigation but her current priority was a missing sixteen-year-old girl.

‘Have you seen Saffie?’ she asked, as the wall of unease continued to grow in her stomach.

Dawson shook his head. ‘No, boss, but I think we need to find her. I’m pretty sure she’s the girl who had the abortion. I reckon Sadie knew about it and was angry with her and wrote the poem.’

Kim nodded. It’s what they had all begun to suspect. Somehow Kim had always felt that the girl had been at the centre of this entire investigation, and now she was nowhere to be found.

‘Okay, we need—’

‘Boss, there’s something else. I think we might have a kid in danger.’

‘Another?’

Kim listened as he explained what Stacey had already told him.

‘And you think this kid, Geoffrey, is in danger because he refused to join the Spades?’

He didn’t hesitate. ‘After what I’ve learned this week, I’m absolutely sure of it.’

There were times when Kim trusted Dawson’s instinct almost as well as her own.

‘Okay, Dawson, you go and find this kid. Bryant, see if Saffie is with any of her friends, and Stacey stay here in case she turns up. I’m going to see if her parents have seen her.’

She turned to watch as her team moved slowly away in different directions.

‘Hey, guys,’ she called. ‘Stay safe.’

But none of them appeared to hear.

Ninety-Six

Kim stepped into the ballroom, her eyes searching the room, amongst the tuxedos and ballgowns.

A couple swept past her, took a seat and began to peruse the programme handed to them at the door. The chairs had been arranged in two squares either side of a carpeted aisle that Kim’s boots sank into. She guessed the place was approximately half full of splendidly regaled observers, eager for the show to begin. Which was due to happen in half an hour.

Kim looked to the left and then to the right as she headed up the aisle.