Page 24 of Little Children (Detective Kim Stone #22)

Twenty-Three

The second name on the list left under Stacey’s keyboard belonged to Dean Jackson, who, it turned out, lived above a small café two streets away from the Promenade.

‘Now why am I already feeling like this guy probably did something wrong?’ Bryant asked as they rang his bell.

‘Honestly, you are so judgemental sometimes,’ Kim said, but the same thought had crossed her mind.

Possibly it was the graffiti scratched into the front door, or the cigarette ends piled up in the corners, or even the presence of recently deposited spit pools on the floor that she was actively trying to avoid.

Knowing she secretly shared his view, he gave her a sideways glance as the door opened.

‘And you can just fuck off,’ said the man behind it, who had taken one look at them before glowering.

‘Excuse me,’ Kim said. They hadn’t even had a chance to speak.

‘I can smell bacon a mile off. Not locally sourced, but you’re both still pigs.’

This wasn’t starting exactly as she’d hoped because she already wanted to smack him in the mouth.

She guessed Dean Jackson to be mid-twenties. He was tall and gangly and looked like he was crying out for a good meal.

‘Whatever you’re here for, I didn’t do it and I was at my girlfriend’s.’

Good to know he had a pre-paid alibi.

‘You don’t even know why we’re here,’ Kim protested.

‘Nothing good can come from your lot. So unless you’ve been sent to tell me I’ve won the lottery and you’re my protection from thieving bastards, you can just fuck off.’

The man’s hostility was leading nowhere. But it was hardly the first time she’d been faced with an aggressive interviewee.

‘Mr Jackson, we just want to ask you a couple of questions.’

‘Yeah, course you do. That’s how it starts. Well, I ain’t falling for that again.’

‘We think you can help us with something,’ she said. ‘And for the record, you haven’t done anything wrong.’

He considered for a second.

‘May we come inside?’ Kim pushed.

‘Nope. Ain’t going nowhere without witnesses. Plenty folks around at the minute so I’d rather stay in full view.’

This guy had some serious issues when it came to the police, but his words were giving her a clue about how to approach this.

‘My colleague and I are from West Midlands police. We’ve been invited by the local force to review some recent incidents of police contact for the purpose of making improvements going forward.’

His expression was incredulous as he laughed in her face. ‘Are you having a fucking giraffe?’

‘Sorry?’

‘Laugh. Are you having a laugh? First of all, no one would send you my way to discuss police contact, and secondly that’s the biggest load of bollocks I’ve ever heard.’

‘It’s the official explanation I’m giving to find out what happened between you and the local team,’ she said honestly.

‘Makes no odds to me why you’re asking. I’m happy to talk.’

She nodded towards the café. ‘Do you want…?’

‘I’m fine, thanks, and this won’t take long.

Basically, I was hauled in for questioning over a string of robberies.

Someone said they saw me in the area when one of them happened.

I said I didn’t do it, and those bastards were convinced I did.

They smacked me around a bit, kicked me in the bollocks and tried to get me to confess.

My first three requests for a solicitor were ignored. ’

‘Did you report it?’

‘Course I fucking did, but it went nowhere. They said my bruises were from a physical detainment and that I played up. I didn’t at first, but after the second smack I got pretty fucking annoyed.’

‘Didn’t your solicitor fight the case for you?’

He shook his head in wonder. ‘I ain’t sure whether you’re from the West Midlands or the planet Zog.

It was my word against theirs, and CID don’t wear bodycams. I got nothing more to say.

I’m wasting my breath. Don’t know why you’re asking but nothing will get done.

You lot protect your own. We don’t stand a fucking chance. ’

‘Are you prepared to give me names?’

As she had no access to the local system, she was unable to find out any other way without raising suspicion.

‘Sure. It was Butler and Walsh.’

‘You mean Moss and Butler?’ Kim asked, frowning. This had to be a mistake.

‘No, I mean DI Red Butler and DS Carly Walsh. That bitch has got a fucking donkey kick on her. Now if you’re done, piss off.’

Kim hid her surprise as the man re-entered his home and slammed the door.

She turned back towards the car and moved right into the path of Steve Ashworth. Her heart jumped into her mouth as he grinned at her.

‘Well, well, well, fancy seeing you here, Inspector.’

‘Naff off,’ she said, trying to get round him.

He stepped right in front of her.

‘Hey, pal,’ Bryant said, moving closer.

Kim’s expression warned him off.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ she growled.

‘I go where the story goes, and right now, you’re here in sunny Blackpool.’

‘You followed us?’ she asked incredulously.

‘Well, when we last chatted I saw you put an overnight bag into your colleague’s car and I thought, oh that looks interesting. Never realised we’d be coming quite so far, but hey, who doesn’t like a few days in Blackpool?’

Kim was wracking her brain for any law he’d broken. There was nothing.

‘Now, I’m guessing that the local force needs a bit of help, given they keep losing young boys. Why they chose you is beyond me.’

‘You don’t think the missing boys is a story worth covering?’ she asked.

‘There’s plenty of people on that one, yet there’s no one on you. Surprising but I’ll take it. Now, would you like to comment on the name I mentioned yesterday?’

‘I’m good, thanks,’ she said, moving around him.

‘Do you know where Amber Rose is now?’ Ashworth asked.

Kim ignored him as she waited for Bryant to unlock the car.

‘Do you keep in touch with her at all? I’d love to talk to her too.’

Kim continued to ignore him as she slid into the passenger seat.

She moved to close the door, but he leaned down into her space.

‘Get away from?—’

‘One last question, Detective Inspector. Do your colleagues know that you were responsible for the death of an innocent man?’

Kim shoved him out of the way before closing the door.

Bryant pulled away from the kerb quickly but not before she saw the smirk playing on the reporter’s face.

‘Wanna talk about it?’ Bryant asked once they were out of view.

She shook her head. Why would she want to talk about the single biggest mistake of her life?