Page 64 of Killing Mind

‘No, but I can throw your ass in prison.’

For the first time, she saw the promise of a change in expression but it quickly disappeared.

‘On what charges, I’d be very interested to know.’

‘Yeah, if we can’t find any we make ’em up,’ she said, drily. ‘Especially if it’ll stop you potentially hampering a murder investigation by snatching another girl.’

He leaned down as he passed by her chair. His voice was a whisper as it sounded in her ear.

‘Who says we don’t have her already?’

Fifty-One

Kim took a second before pushing back her chair and tried to analyse her feelings towards the man who had just left. Strangely, she had remained neutral throughout the exchange.

There was no doubt in her mind that he was knowledgeable on the subject of cults and mind control, and yet she still struggled to equate the information with Unity Farm. Damn it, she needed to get back in there. Everything about him was controlled and measured. His facial expression had barely changed, just like his tone, which had remained tempered and calm. She had studied him for ticks and tells to indicate if he was lying and she’d found nothing, not even when she’d asked him about his reasons for being at Sammy’s flat.

His parting words about Sophie had almost propelled her to run after him, cuff him and haul him down to the station, but Woody’s potential wrath at her actions had played through her mind before Kane had even closed the door behind him.

Is Sophie Brown a legal adult?

Yes.

Is Sophie Brown a missing person?

No.

Have her parents asked for your involvement?

No.

Do you have any physical evidence to suggest Sophie Brown is at risk?

No.

She sighed. Right now, every lead was drying up before her eyes. It was time to get back to the station and see how they could move this on.

Her phone rang as she stood. Surprised to see Travis’s name, she answered straight away.

‘Hey.’

‘What they fuck is going on, Stone?’

‘Excuse me?’ she said, trying to think of any part of their case that had impinged on the jurisdiction of West Mercia. There was nothing but their chequered past, and her knowledge of her old partner told her that he was seriously pissed off.

‘What’s with Bryant calling and giving me the third degree?’

Kim turned away from the café window, confused.

‘About what?’

‘A particularly horrific crime scene I was called to this morning.’

‘You gotta give me a bit more than that, Travis.’

‘A young girl, butchered and raped.’

Kim got it. Peter Drake had been released yesterday.