Page 60 of Little Children

‘Family seems genuine. I don’t think they’re involved,’ Penn said, trying to find the rip line in a ketchup sachet. ‘No other children, and Noah appears to be the centre of their world.’

‘And Dickinson?’

‘Empathetic to the family, caring and considerate. Treated them well and reassured them the team was doing everything possible to bring the boy home.’ He turned the sachet up the other way. ‘Gotta be honest, boss, the Reids are getting way better treatment than Lewis’s family.’

Stacey took the sachet from his hands, ripped it open and handed it back to him.

Kim shook her head with despair. ‘It’s this bloody fixation on him running away. It’s stopping them from considering the family’s suspicious behaviour or the fact the cases could be linked.’

‘They just won’t consider any other option,’ Stacey noted.

Kim nodded before turning back to Penn. ‘And what did you learn about Dickinson himself?’

‘Pretty sure he’s gay and that most of the team know it and couldn’t care less, except Roy.’

‘He definitely doesn’t know,’ Bryant added. ‘He’d never shut up about it. And he wouldn’t be saying anything Dickinson would want to hear.’

‘He seems loyal to his team and has no great ambition to move up. Came across as straight up and doesn’t think bad coppers should be tolerated.’

Kim’s interest was piqued. ‘Is he our source?’

Penn shrugged. ‘I couldn’t say, boss. He was only sharing his opinion, but I get the feeling that if he knew anything, he’d likely do something about it.’

‘Okay, keep an eye on him. In other news, I’ve gotta head back home, folks,’ Kim said. ‘Keats has got a body and he won’t tell me anything else, only that he’s not handing this to anyone else.’

‘But, boss…’ Stacey protested.

Kim held up her hand. She’d already guessed there would be some objections.

‘I understand we’re all invested in trying to find Lewis, which is why we’re not all going back. Two of us will stay here to?—’

‘I’d like to stay, guv,’ Bryant said without hesitation.

‘You sure?’ she asked. Last night, he hadn’t been sure whether he could stomach one more minute in the company of Roy Moss. Perhaps some alone time and a call to Jenny had recharged his batteries.

‘I’m positive,’ he said and sounded it.

‘Me too, boss,’ Stacey said, and Kim understood her reasoning. She’d made decent contact with two members of the local team, so removing her and installing Penn in her stead would put them back to square one.

‘I’m easy on,’ Penn said with a shrug.

‘Guess you’ll be driving us back then.’ She paused. ‘I’ve informed Woody that we’re splitting the team up, and he was okay to a point. He wants to help his old training partner, but a murder trumps a missing boy, so expect a call any time. If I need you down there, that’ll be the end of it.’

They both nodded their understanding.

‘And you’ll probably be folded into the team working under Red’s supervision, so I can’t allot tasks, but you both know what you’re looking for?’

Bryant and Stacey looked at each other and nodded again. Kim could see how passionate they were about trying to find Lewis, as well as uncovering the depth of the corruption and protecting whichever team member had made the complaints.

Kim couldn’t shake the feeling she was abandoning her team. They were grown adults undertaking a serious and responsible job, but for some reason she felt like she was throwing them into the middle of a pack of wolves.

Thirty-Seven

‘How do you reckon this is gonna go?’ Stacey asked as they walked into the building.

Bryant had been wondering the same thing himself. It wasn’t that they needed the guv for protection, but their team had been cut in half. In fairness, they had both chosen to stay, so they had to be prepared for whatever came their way.

He’d done exactly what he’d told the guv he would do. He’d slept on it. Part of him had wanted to ask to be sent back so that he’d never have to lay eyes on Roy Moss again. But the man had no place on the force, and he knew if there was any way he could contribute to exposing him, he had no choice but to swallow down the bile that now lived in his mouth and get on with it.