Page 33 of First Blood

So, he had read her briefing document, seen the similarities and made the call last night. So, why were the case files not already on her desk?

‘And?’

‘It’s got nothing to do with our case.’

‘Sir, how can you even think that given the similarities to—’

‘Because they already have their killer. A man confessed to the murder last night.’

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Bryant remained silent as they headed down the stairs, which was good because after the ridiculous conversation with Woody, she was in no mood for idle chatter. She stepped out into the freezing cold morning and right into a woman with long blonde hair wearing a trouser suit and impossibly high heels.

The notebook told her everything she needed to know.

‘Are you the detective working on the naked man case?’ she asked, blocking Kim’s path.

Not a move that impressed her. Her personal space was guarded with alarms, barbed wire and motion sensors.

‘Get out of my—’

‘Is it true that the body had been mutilated?’

Kim ignored her and attempted to walk around her.

‘Is it true that?—’

‘Contact press liaison,’ she said, attempting to dodge the woman again.

‘You wanna give me a name?’

‘Rumpelstiltskin and this here is…’

‘Of the victim,’ the woman clarified.

‘No shit,’ Kim said, shaking her head and weaving around her once more. ‘Because my refusal to answer your first two questions would lead you to believe I’d give you that.’

‘Ah, I’m guessing you’re DI Stone,’ the woman said, offering her hand. ‘Tracy Frost from theDudley Star.’

Kim glanced at the outstretched hand. ‘The pleasure is all yours.’

‘Look, Detective, we…’

‘Inspector,’ she corrected.

‘Okay, Inspector. You should know I can be a great help to you. Write your side of the story.’

‘Oh, get out my way,’ she said, aiming for Bryant’s Astra Estate. There was no side of any story. There was just the truth.

The woman continued to walk by her side.

A snippet of a memory came back to her.

She slowed. ‘Hang on. I remember you. Didn’t you report on the suicide of that fourteen-year-old girl from Tipton?’

The reporter’s face appeared to lose colour.

Kim continued. ‘The girl who was being bullied online about her weight. You attended the inquest and then wrote an in-depth piece about her including all the gory details about how she did it, totally disregarding the Samaritan guidelines.’