Page 4 of Twisted Lies

‘Hey, Inspector, thought you’d keep me waiting longer than this,’ Frost said, straightening her navy trouser suit.

Yeah, ten to fifteen years if it had been up to me, Kim thought.

‘Frost, you should know right off the bat that—’

‘You disagree with this, that I’m to do whatever you say and not get in your way at any point.’

‘Yeah, there’s more. Don’t look at people, don’t engage them, don’t scribble noisily in your little notebook. Don’t eat or drink in Bryant’s car. Don’t annoy m—’

‘So, basically, pretend I’m not even here.’

‘Exactly, and I have only one more rule, which is that you’re not allowed to speak, at all, ever,’ Kim said, Frost teetering behind them as they headed towards Bryant’s Astra Estate.

‘Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.’

‘Worth a shot,’ Kim said to Bryant across the car roof as he opened the driver’s door.

Frost’s four-inch stiletto heel caught between two paving slabs as she eased herself into the back seat.

‘Frost, why the hell do you…? Oh never mind,’ she said, closing her own door.

The question died in her mouth when she remembered that Frost had one leg shorter than the other, something for which she knew Frost had been mercilessly bullied at school. Now people thought her unnatural gait was due to the high heels she wore. And that was her intention.

Frost shimmied to the centre of the back seat so she could see through the middle of them.

A high-pitched squeak sounded from behind.

‘What the…?’

‘Dog’s toy,’ Bryant answered. ‘Just toss it on the floor,’ he advised Frost before looking Kim’s way and shrugging. ‘I didn’t know we were gonna have company.’

Kim sighed heavily. It was going to be a long bloody day.

‘Reminds me of one of theLethal Weaponfilms,’ Frost said with humour in her voice. ‘I just need to know if I’m Riggs or Murtaugh.’

‘Danny DeVito,’ Kim and Bryant said together.

‘Oh, proper little double act, eh?’ Frost said, snapping her seat belt into place.

Bryant started the car and pulled off towards the car park exit.

‘May as well get down to business,’ Frost said, rummaging in her Hermès bag. ‘I’m going to nee—’

‘Bryant,’ Kim said, turning to her colleague. ‘Did you just hear Frost try to tell us how this was going to work?’

She didn’t bother to wait for his answer before half turning in her seat.

‘Right, Frost, what you need is of little— actually, it’s of no importance to us. We are under instruction to let you tag along for no more than eight hours, excluding lunch and coffee breaks, so let’s call it six cos I’m feeling generous today, during which time you are to be all three wise monkeys and you shall see, hear and speak no evil. The last will be a challenge for you, but suck it up, buttercup. If for one minute you obstruct, interfere or impede anything we do, I’ll happily fly-tip you out of this vehicle and leave you on the side of the road. If you say one thing that annoys, irritates—’

‘Yeah, bored of the rules speech now, Stone. Just tell me where we’re going first.’

Kim took the stress ball from her pocket and gave it a quick squeeze.

Having to answer any question posed by Frost was galling to her. On a normal day she had the luxury of insulting the woman and walking away.

Sensing her annoyance, Bryant offered a response.

‘We’re going to see the family of Trisha Morley.’