Page 138 of Stolen Ones

Swift writhed beneath her. Kim tensed her thigh muscles to hold her still.

‘Bryant, get Grace out of here and lock the door,’ Kim instructed.

‘Guv…’

‘Just do it.’

Grace was crying hysterically. The tears were rolling over her cheeks. The child didn’t need to see any more.

‘It’s okay, Grace. We’re the police,’ she heard Bryant say. ‘We’re not going to let anyone hurt you.’

The girl sobbed loudly.

‘Get Claire on the phone. Let Grace speak to her mother,’ she called over her shoulder as the door closed and locked.

Swift took the opportunity of Kim’s shift in weight to turn on her side and dislodge her thighs. She pushed up and managed to topple her to the ground.

Swift was on her in a second. The first blow landed on the side of her face. As the second one came down, Kim managed to move her head out of the way. Swift’s fist landed on the ground.

‘You fucking bitch. How dare you stop me.’

Kim continued to dodge the blows, but the woman was stronger than she looked, and Kim’s bucking was not shifting her. Swift had her in the exact same position that she’d used. All she could do was hold up her arms to defend herself.

‘Get the fuck off me,’ she cried as a left hook caught her cheekbone.

‘She didn’t deserve to live,’ Swift spat as another blow made it through. Swift’s knuckle made a direct hit on the side of Kim’s nose. Her vision blurred as the pain shot into her head.

Her arms couldn’t keep up with the blows reigning down from the woman whose eyes had glazed over. Hair had broken free from her ponytail, and spittle was flying out of her mouth.

This woman bore no resemblance to the controlled, professional solicitor who had sat opposite her for the last couple of days. And she had a good idea why. She was no longer Kate Swift. She was Melody, the little girl who was prepared to kill to get what she wanted.

Kim had to find a way to break free. Swift’s rage was fuelling her energy. Just one of these blows could render her unconscious.

She tried catching one of Swift’s wrists, but she broke free easily. Her centre of gravity from above gave her every advantage.

Another punch to the head brought the nausea to her stomach.

She continued to hold her hands above her head as she counted. There was a pattern to the blows. Right, right, left. Right, right, left. Right, right left. Right, right and Kim grabbed the left wrist with both hands.

She twisted it until Swift howled, then bucked her body with every ounce of strength she had left and sent her tumbling to the ground. Swift rolled once before jumping up and banging on the door.

‘Let me at the little bitch.’

‘It’s over, Kate. You’re not going to hurt another one,’ Kim said, wiping a trail of blood from her nose.

‘She has to die. I’m the special one, not her.’

The woman’s eyes blazed.

‘She is special, and so were the others: Lexi, Paula and Helen.’

Every name was like a bullet going into her body, but not because she was sorry for what she’d done, but because Harte had loved them too.

Swift continued to bang on the door. ‘Let me out,’ she screamed.

How had Steven Harte warped her to this degree?

‘Not happening. You’re getting nowhere near her,’ Kim said as her breathing began to return to normal. The danger was over. She ignored the pounding in her head and all over her face. She needed to get some answers.