Page 81 of Killing Mind

‘She gave us Britney’s full name and was sure to enforce that she was fine and being taken care of,’ Kim said.

‘And I’ve been thinking about the mention of food,’ Stacey said. ‘It was a random thing to say that they’d made it for the first sitting.’

‘Perhaps the first is different to the second,’ Penn offered.

Bryant looked thoughtful.

‘You know, when I was a kid…’

‘All your food was raw cos they hadn’t invented fire yet?’ Stacey joked.

Bryant smiled. ‘Hey, Stace, you had some real food for breakfast cos your mood…’

‘Continue, Bryant,’ Kim advised, as the detective constable bobbed out her tongue.

‘Well, my dad used to work long hours at the foundry. Mum cooked for him every night and we weren’t allowed to touch the food until he’d filled his plate.’

‘So, you’re saying…’

‘There may be a hierarchy of food. Best workers get fed first.’

‘Not really earth-shattering, is it?’ Kim asked.

‘Tyler was found with a stomach full of rice and beans,’ Penn offered.

Kim was still unimpressed.

‘It’s subtle, boss,’ Penn continued. ‘But control of the food supply is a very powerful tool. It’s a basic need that…’

‘Okay, okay, enough on that for now. We need to get moving. Stace, any address for Eric Leland?’

Kim was interested to know why he was persona non grata in the Facebook group.

‘Yep, already sent to Bryant’s phone. The guy is twenty-seven years old and has form with us for drugs and violence. Last arrest was four years ago. Heard nothing since.’

‘Okay, that’s our starting point for the day. Stace, I want to know more about Kane Devlin and Britney Murray. Do not deviate from that task.’

‘Got it, boss.’

‘Penn, I know how much you love a good post-mortem, so Keats is starting on our third body. Just after nine. After that I want you back on the money. Over a hundred and fifty grand is a lot to just disappear. I want to know where it went.’

‘Okey dokey, boss,’

Kim headed into the Bowl to retrieve her jacket and paused.

Regardless of her own bravado and justification about Tiffany still being at Unity Farm, Kim still wished she’d gone in and got her back.

Sixty-Six

Tiffany woke to a gentle shake of the arm.

‘Come on, sleepy head, or we’ll miss breakfast.’

Britney’s smile was wide and infectious.

Miraculously, when they’d returned to Brit’s room the night before it had been rearranged to accommodate another bed.

Lying on the bed had been a brand new set of fleecy pyjamas, a dressing gown, slippers and a sealed pack of new underwear beneath which had been a small toiletry bag.