Page 74 of Little Children (Detective Kim Stone #22)

Seventy-Three

It was almost five when Bryant re-entered the squad room at Blackpool police station.

Due to the severity of the charges against DS Roy Moss, he’d been transported directly to Preston station. Red had gone along for the handover process, and the chief’s door was tightly closed as she took direction from her superiors.

Red’s team had gathered in their own squad room, and Red had assured them a full explanation on his return.

Kim had been tempted to answer their questioning glances, but it was Red’s team and his responsibility to ensure their welfare after he gave them the details.

She suspected it would come as more of a shock to some than others.

They knew that Jasmine’s ex-boyfriend had been released without charge, and that Roy had been placed under arrest. Red was already on his way back to help them connect the dots.

‘All right, Bryant, stop milking it now,’ she said, glancing down at his left leg, which seemed to have suffered more than the rest of him.

He’d refused to go to hospital and had instead gone downstairs to make a full statement, after Stacey had worked wonders on his face with wet kitchen towel and a first aid kit.

In the meantime, Stacey had been busy preparing a written handover statement to leave behind for Red.

‘Finished,’ she said, glancing over at the printer in the squad room.

‘Thank God,’ Bryant said as Red walked in the door.

Red looked like a man who had aged twenty years in one afternoon. For once, he wasn’t looking quite as sharp as he had when his shift started.

‘Reckon we should leave them to it?’ Bryant asked, making no secret of the fact he wanted to be on the road as soon as possible. She didn’t really blame him.

‘One sec,’ Penn said, holding up his hand. It was the first time he’d spoken since they’d got back.

Bryant plonked himself down in the chair as Stacey started to gather her belongings.

Kim watched as Red removed his jacket and motioned for his team to come in closer.

What he had to share about their colleague was going to be hard to hear.

Whether they liked the man or not, their team would never look the same, and they would all have to be prepared for closer scrutiny.

Red wouldn’t be the only person being asked some difficult questions.

‘Boss, listen, I think I’ve got something,’ Penn said excitedly.

She nodded for him to continue, ignoring the look of despair that crossed Bryant’s features.

‘I’ve been trawling cockfighting pages on the dark web all afternoon, looking for something that stands out, something that’s different to the other sites.’

‘Okay,’ Kim said, already able to see why that would be a good cover.

‘And throughout there are terms that have been consistent. Gaffs and guineas and references to giros – a type of fighting rooster known for its white feathers. They use the same terminology throughout, and there’s always the same number of fights.

Except this one site where there’s only three fixtures. ’

‘Go on,’ she urged, feeling the excitement grow in her stomach. Even Bryant’s attention was focussed.

‘No cockfighting venue lists only three bouts. You’re normally talking at least twenty, which take place over a couple of days. It’s taken a lot of decoding to get deeper into the details, but…’

‘What exactly do you have?’ Kim asked, sitting forward.

‘I know where the venue is, and I know the first fight is at seven o’clock.’

Kim sprang up from her chair. ‘Jeez, Penn, why didn’t you say that in the first place?’

She strode out into the main squad room and approached the huddle surrounding Red.

‘Sorry to break this up, folks, but I think we’re going to need your help.’