Page 38 of Little Children

‘Of course,’ Kim said, following her through the hallway to the only other room on the ground floor.

In other homes, it might have been a living room, but here it had been converted to an office. A small two-seater sofa stared out at a small back garden, while a drawing board and high stool faced the wall. A bin to the left of the drawing board had boxes leaning against it. Everywhere she looked, clues were staring her in the face.

‘You’re an architect?’ Kim asked, taking a seat.

Jasmine Swift perched on her stool and faced their way. ‘I am indeed, but that’s not why you’re here.’

‘You work from home?’ Kim asked, fishing for another clue.

‘Sometimes, when I really don’t want the distraction of interruptions.’

Kim listened for any sense of that being a barbed comment but found nothing.

‘I’m sure you’re wondering why we’re here, Ms Swift.’

‘Jasmine, please. And yes, I’m a little curious,’ she said, bouncing a pencil off the palm of her left hand.

Kim guessed that was one of her thinking tics which she probably wasn’t aware that she was doing.

‘We’re here about your recent burglary,’ Kim said.

‘Why would that concern you?’ Jasmine asked, and Kim offered a silent thanks that she’d guessed correctly.

The Ring cam was new, as was the chain on the door. Her appearance and demeanour were not those of someone who had been sexually assaulted. She didn’t work from home because she was afraid to leave the house. And the box leaning against the waste bin had probably held the new laptop she’d had to buy.

‘Have you caught them?’ she asked with faint hope.

Kim shook her head, knowing the approach she was going to take. ‘We have no involvement in the case. We’re part of a new initiative, set up since that Met report came out.’

Jasmine nodded her understanding.

Kim continued, ‘Some of us have joined together to provide some interforce quality control. We’re given a random case and sent to check that the correct procedures were followed and that everything that could be done was done professionally.’

‘Okay,’ she said a little doubtfully.

Kim smiled. ‘So if you could just talk me through your experience, that’d be great. All feedback is completely anonymous.’

‘Of course. I was out with some friends and returned home to find my door kicked in. The place was a mess, and most of my electronics had been taken, even my blender,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘I called the police. Two uniformed officers came first and asked a couple of questions, and then CID turned up.’

Was Kim imagining the tightness that washed over her features?

‘Go on,’ she urged.

‘They were very thorough. Asked me lots of questions.’

‘Their names?’ Kim asked.

‘DI Butler and DS Moss.’

Red and Roy appeared to be joined at the hip.

‘They got a forensics person to come, but the place was clean. Not a lot more they could do,’ she said. ‘They offered me some basic advice about security and that was that.’

Except she was no longer tapping the pencil on her palm but wringing her hands instead.

‘So, there was nothing more they could have done to help you?’ Kim asked.

‘No, no. Definitely not.’