Page 108 of Silent Scream

‘You're more bothered about them than yer are about me.’

‘What are you talking about?’

This time the confusion was real. And there it was. They could never move on until Nicola admitted what she'd done.

‘Yer knew what they did to me and yer did fuck all about it.’

‘Beth, I don't know who did what to you. Tell me.’

She flicked another page of the magazine and shook her head. ‘Ask the detective, maybe she'll tell yer what yer did ‘cos you're hell bent on gerring yerself involved.’

‘Only because I know it is somehow connected to us.’

Beth's hand stilled in mid-air. The page fell from her grip. That her sister had made that connection was progress in itself. She wanted Nicola to remember. She wanted an apology. She wanted to hear the words she'd waited ten years for.

But not quite yet.

‘I'm telling yer, Nic, leave it alone.’

‘But I want it all out in the open.’ Beth heard the emotion in her sister's voice. She didn't look. She couldn't look.

‘Beth, I wish I knew what I'd done to hurt you. How I failed you so terribly. You're my sister. There are too many secrets between us. I love you and I just want to know the truth.’

Beth threw the magazine to the side and stood.

‘Nic, be careful what yer wish for ... ‘cos yer might just ger it.’

Fifty-Five

Kim had called a late briefing. The intensity of this case was getting to them all. The least she could do was offer her team an extra hour or two of sleep.

By the time she’d finished updating Woody on current events, Bryant, Stacey and Dawson were at their desks.

‘Morning folks, I'm sure you're all aware, but media interest in our case has escalated. The erection of a third tent has provoked a frenzy. It's now front page on every newspaper and there was a talking heads segment on Sky News last night.’

‘Yeah, saw it, Guv,’ Bryant groaned.

‘I'm sure I don't need to remind you that there is no talking to any members of the press, however persuasive. This case is way too volatile to be derailed by a misquoted comment from any of us.’

Kim included herself in that statement. She knew her own limitations when being goaded by the press, which was why she'd wisely been kept away from them.

‘And if any of you need a reminder of how shit we're doing, feel free to pop to Woody's office and read any one of the articles.’

Her boss's desk was like a newsagents and during their earlier meeting he'd talked her through every piece.

‘Seriously, Guv?’ Dawson asked.

Kim nodded. It was best they knew they were under attack. ‘Come on, Kev, you know how this works. By day three it's always our fault and we've managed to get to the fifth day since discovering the first set of bones, so I'd say we're doing pretty well.’

Kim felt the wave of negativity breeze through the room.

Kim sighed. ‘If media attention is that important to you all you should have chosen a career in showbiz. We're police officers. Nobody likes us.’

‘It's a bit soul destroying, though, Guv. Knocks your enthusiasm a bit,’ Stacey said.

Kim realised that pep talks were not her forte.

‘All of you, look at that wall and I mean look at it hard.’