Page 34 of Silent Scream

Stacey said she would get right on it and ended the call.

Kim glanced towards the boys. They had progressed about forty feet with the magnetometer but were now standing still, checking the equipment.

Her wandering gaze found Bryant at the edge of the site, his back to her. Uncharacteristically, she felt bad for snapping at him. She knew his question was born out of concern for her wellbeing but she didn’t react to kindness all that well.

‘Hey, you still got that bacon bap?’ she asked, nudging him in the arm.

‘Yeah, you want it?’

‘No, go throw it in that bin. Your cholesterol level can’t take it.’

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she realised that it worked both ways.

‘You been talking to my missus?’

Kim smiled. She’d received a text message two days earlier.

Kim heard movement and looked behind.

The professor was approaching at speed. His face was reddened, his features animated.

‘Detective, the machine is showing readings of interest. I think we might have something.’

Bryant caught her eye. ‘Guv, we don’t have any authority.’

She looked at him for a long minute. If there was a body buried in this ground it was not going to stay there a minute longer than necessary.

She nodded to the professor. ‘Start digging.’

Nineteen

‘Guv, with all due respect, are you out of your bloody mind?’

‘Something bugging you, Bryant?’

‘Just the fact that you could lose your job for this.’

She shrugged. ‘It’s mine to lose.’

‘Yeah, but sometimes you need to just stop and take a minute to think.’

‘Tell you what. You stand there and think on my behalf while I get on with doing my job.’

She walked away from him and headed towards the professor. Doctor Matthews came hurtling across the site like he’d been shot from a catapult.

‘Detective, I can’t allow this. What the devil do you think you’re doing?’

‘My job.’

‘It’s not your job until you have authorisation to excavate.’

‘Who said anything about excavation? We’re just going to dig a bit.’

All parties had converged and seven of them stood staring at the machine.

‘You could damage the entire investigation by acting too hastily.’

‘Doctor, if a body is discovered I will adopt the correct protocols immediately but at the moment all we have is an anomaly. For all we know it might be nothing more than a dead dog.’ She instantly realised what she’d said. ‘Sorry, Professor.’