‘Not happening, Stone. She shot him. It was intentional. George Hubbard died an hour ago. Tomorrow we’ll be charging her with murder.’
Twenty-Four
Kim’s bad mood was still with her by the time her team had assembled in the squad room. The black cloud had descended after her conversation with Woody. It had still been hovering above her when she woke and had followed her every move since. Even Charlie had asked if everything was okay when she’d dropped off Barney.
It wasn’t that Martha Stout was any great loss to society. Maybe her sons might miss her for a while, but Kim doubted anyone else would. That wasn’t the point. Despite the confession, she knew there was something fishy about the situation, not least because Martha had never voluntarily admitted to anything in her life. Why now?
The fact that she’d been prevented from trying to answer that question turned her hovering raincloud into a whole new weather system.
Every fibre of her being itched to storm on up to Woody’s office and argue her point, but she knew it would do her no good. His voice had brooked no argument and his decision was absolute. That probably frustrated her more than anything. His refusal to listen to her arguments was normally borne of pressure from above; sometimes he even agreed with her but would never say. She suspected that someone higher up was happy just to see a Stout pay for a crime, especially since she had confessed to it. But accepting that didn’t taste good in her mouth.
‘What’s up?’ Bryant asked, entering the squad room first.
She shook her head as she approached the coffee machine. Explaining the root of her frustration would be met with his agreement with their boss, and then she’d be just as annoyed with him for siding against her.
Although her back was to the door, she heard two more sets of footsteps enter the room. As neither Penn nor Stacey offered an enthusiastic good morning, she could only assume that Bryant had signalled her mood behind her back.
‘Okay, folks, Bryant will update you on our movements yesterday.’
She was still too much in her own head and it would give her a chance to try and recalibrate.
‘Righty, kids, from our point of view, we found a few folks not that keen on Ashley Reynolds. Gemma Ross hates Ashley with more passion than is healthy for stealing Daniel from her. Gemma insists they were at it before Daniel broke up with her so Ashley is a homewrecking whore. Her words, not mine.
‘Robbie Steele is an annoying little shit who definitely steals from his grandma and has likely been physical with her, although, call me psychic, I think there’s a good chance he won’t be doing it again,’ he finished, looking pointedly her way.
She said nothing but took a sip of her coffee and waited for him to continue.
‘Ashley was right to be concerned about his behaviour, but murder… not so sure,’ Bryant went on.
‘His name stays on the board,’ Kim interjected. She wasn’t yet ready to rule him out. If their killer was also their Facebook user, it was someone who knew her but not well enough to know her exact movements.
‘Is there any likely accomplice?’ Penn asked.
Bryant shook his head. ‘Not sure how much validity we should give that idea.’
‘Oi, I said update, not take my job,’ she interrupted again. ‘But he’s right. Not sure we should focus too much on the two-person thing. Our source isn’t exactly reliable.’
Penn looked as though he wanted to disagree but said nothing.
She kept her attention on him, signalling she had taken her job back.
‘Don’t think it’s the netball player, boss. She’s everything Nicola said she was, but I don’t think she’s the murdering kind.’
‘Keep her name on the board.’
‘Guv, are we ruling out anyone?’ Bryant asked.
Kim looked at the names on the board.
Gemma Ross
Robbie Steele
Joe Butler
Daniel Reynolds
Harriet Wilkins
