Page 23 of Silent Scream

And then the phone rang.

Fourteen

‘Jesus, Guv, slow down. This is not a Kawasaki Goldwing.’

‘Good to know ‘cos there’s no such thing.’

‘You do know that we’re too late to save him?’

Kim slowed as she approached an amber light but thought better of it and sped over the lights of the Pedmore Road. She weaved in and out of vehicles on the dual carriageway that ran alongside the Merry Hill shopping centre.

‘And that there’s no siren on this?’

‘Oh Bryant, loosen up. I haven’t killed us yet.’ She offered him a sidelong glance. ‘And you need to be more worried about the gash on your left arm.’ She'd spotted the injury through the fabric of his shirt sleeve during the briefing.

‘Just a scratch.’

‘Rugby practice last night?’

He nodded.

‘You really need to give it up. You're either too old or too slow for the game. Either way you're gonna get hurt.’

‘Thanks for that, Guv.’

‘Each injury is worse than the last so surely it's time to pack it in.’

She was forced to stop the car at the next set of lights. Bryant unwrapped his left hand from the roof handle and flexed it.

‘Can't do it, Guv. Rugby is my yang.’

‘Your what?’

‘My yang, Guv. My balance. The missus has got me taking ballroom dance classes with her every week. I need the rugby to balance me out.’

Kim negotiated the next traffic island from the inner lane and ignored the horn honks that sounded in her wake.

‘So, you prance around the dance floor and then hug other hairy men to balance you out?’

‘It's called a scrum, Guv.’

‘I'm not judging, honest.’ She turned and looked at him, fighting back the smile. ‘What I really don't understand is why on earth you offered that information to me voluntarily. You have to know that was a mistake?’

He rested his head back against the seat, closed his eyes and groaned. ‘Yeah, starting to see that now.’ He turned to her. ‘You'll keep it between us, Guv, eh?’

She shook her head. ‘Not gonna make promises I can't keep,’ she answered honestly.

‘So, who were you calling earlier?’ he asked, changing the subject.

‘Professor Milton.’

‘For what?’

‘Just making sure he’d reached Mrs Pearson safely.’

‘Bollocks,’ Bryant said, behind a cough.

As the cars began to move away slowly she shadowed the car in front. It braked and so did she as three lanes filtered into two. Bryant grabbed the handle.