Page 130 of Little Children

Damn, she’d rehearsed this so many times in her head, but now the words had deserted her. She resolved that she wasn’t leaving this table until Frost knew the truth.

‘Hey, I’m glad you called, Kim,’ Frost said, filling the silence. ‘There’s a new eatery opened in Sedgley. I’d love to try it. Wanna go?’

Even her first name sounded weird coming out of the woman’s mouth.

‘Listen, Frost, we need to talk.’

‘What’s with the surname?’ she asked, frowning. ‘Since when was I not Tracy?’

Kim groaned inside. How the hell was she supposed to do this to a woman whose brain had not yet recovered?

She was given another minute’s reprieve as the reporter continued to talk.

‘You know something, Kim, I don’t think I’ve ever properly explained to you how it felt having you beside me when I came out of that coma. I felt safe. I really thought I was going to die, but I remember hearing your voice and it was like I was being pulled back from the edge. I knew my friend needed me, and I had to come back, for your sake.’

Kim’s leg began to twitch beneath the table. She felt like the worst person on earth for what she was about to do, but surely it was crueller to let her believe they were best friends?

Frost continued. ‘Every day I’m so grateful that you were there for me, holding my hand, reaching into the darkness to pull me out. That’s the sign of a true?—’

‘Frost, we’re not friends,’ Kim blurted out.

‘Wh… what?’

‘I’m sorry, but I have to tell you the truth. We can barely tolerate each other. Your brain isn’t fully recovered yet, but we’ve never been for a drink, swapped recipes or exchanged memes. I’m glad you’re on the road to recovery, but you have to know that we’re not best buddies, and we never were.’

Kim waited to see the hurt on Frost’s face, the confusion at the tricks of her memory, the embarrassment at her assumption.

She saw none of those things. Instead, what appeared was a genuine, honest smile filled with unashamed amusement.

‘Bloody hell, Stone. You took your fecking time.’

Kim’s mouth fell open at the level of subterfuge employed by the reporter. But as she joined in the laughter, she had to admit that, on this occasion, Frost had got her pretty damn good.

Epilogue

At 6 a.m. exactly, Kim and her team were staring down at the screen of her phone. No one spoke as they watched the conversation unfold between the studio anchor and the roving reporter.

From the anchor: Good morning, Steve. We hear you have a big story to share with our viewers this morning.

Ashworth: I do indeed, Jessica. I’m currently standing outside the headquarters of Kent police in Maidstone.

Oooh, lovely area. Are you taking a holiday?

Probably soon, Jessica, but I’m here to report on a case I’ve been following for a few weeks.

Kim moved away from the desk to face the window. She didn’t need to see the reporter standing windswept in front of the police building. She only needed to hear what the man was going to say.

The anchor: Tell us more, Steve.

Ashworth: I can finally report that just an hour ago, the final branch of a nationwide illegal boxing ring has been uncovered and arrests have been made.

‘Yes,’ Stacey shouted, punching the air. Kim heard Penn and Bryant high five each other across the desk.

The anchor: Illegal boxing?

Ashworth: Bare-knuckle fights involving children aged eleven to fifteen. All of the boys were abducted from their homes and families.

‘Bastards,’ Bryant said.