Page 69 of Dying Truth

He continued. ‘Heathcrest’s infringement notices are in the single figures and notices of improvement aren’t much higher.’

Kim understood the difference. Infringements were normally recommendations and improvements were instructions.

‘Surely having no more kids murdered could be classed as a definite improvement?’ she asked, sourly.

‘There are schools ordered to close by Ofsted years ago that have simply ignored the instruction and are awaiting court action. So, even if Ofsted rolled up there this very minute there are protocols to be followed.’

‘Surely we can close the school down?’ she asked. They were the police, for God’s sake.

Woody took a deep breath. ‘We’re not closing it, Stone.’

‘Sir, we have two murdered kids, two,’ she repeated for clarity. ‘How the hell can we properly conduct an investigation in these conditions?’

Bryant coughed beside her. His way of telling her she was close to crossing the line. She didn’t need to be told that: she was standing right on top of it.

‘You’d do well to listen to your partner’s warning,’ Woody said, raising one eyebrow in Bryant’s direction. ‘The school is instructing a private security company to come in and patrol the grounds.’

‘Sir, the fact that I almost blew a raspberry at you there indicates my feelings of the level of effectiveness that will have. Whoever is doing this is not running on and off the premises. They’re right bloody there.’

‘I’m sure a uniformed presence will make the parents feel better.’

‘Surely being forced to take their kids home would help them a lot more?’

Woody’s expression was steely, and Kim ached to ask him for the origin of the directive for keeping the school open.Who the hell had made the compromise of a private security company?

She knew it wasn’t Woody. As detective chief inspector a decision of this magnitude would go much higher.

‘Sir, may I ask if Chief Superintendent Briggs is steering elements of this investigation?’

‘No, Stone. You may not.’

And there was her answer. From the moment Sadie Winters’s body had been discovered efforts had been made to divert and disrupt the investigation. She didn’t feel as though her hands were tied but more that they’d been cut off at the wrists. For the sake of her own deep respect for the man before her she would have liked to know whether he agreed with it.

‘Is there anything else, sir?’ she asked, conceding defeat.

‘No, that’s all, Stone. And I do understand that this is a difficult investigation but do feel free to make a nuisance of yourself,’ he said, giving her the answer.

Oh yes, she fully intended to.

Forty-Eight

‘Jesus,’ Kim said, as the external gates of Heathcrest came into view.

The image of the press pack reminded her of the old migrant jungle in Calais. Two police officers and four private security guards, all in high visibility coats, stood in front of cones that blocked the entrance.

Bryant was forced to slow and show his identification.

A familiar face appeared right next to her window.

Bloody Frost.

Kim wound down her window.

‘Care to comment on the double murder of—’

‘What do you think?’ Kim asked. ‘And nice trick you pulled the other day, Frost. You should be proud of yourself,’ she said, as the car crawled past.

Kim hadn’t forgotten the woman’s attempts to claim all the attention at Woody’s press conference, probably still hoping to be noticed by the national press.