Page 69 of Silent Scream
Bryant pulled into a small car park behind a pet superstore and she focused on pulling herself together.
They took a short cut through a gulley between two shops and were greeted by the smell of the first bake of the day from Gregg’s the bakers.
Bryant groaned.
‘Don’t even think about it,’ Kim said.
She looked up and down the properties. ‘That’s the one,’ she said, pointing to a red door that stood between a card shop and a discount clothing store.
An intercom was fixed just below the name plate. Kim pressed it. A female voice answered.
‘We’d like to see Mr Croft.’
‘I’m sorry, he’s not available at the moment. We have a walk-in ...’
‘We’re investigating a murder, now please open the door.’
Kim was not prepared to conduct police business through an electronic device.
There was a gentle beeping sound and Kim pushed the door. Before her was a narrow staircase leading to the upper floor.
At the top she found a door on either side. The door to her left was solid wood and the door to her right held four glass panels.
She pushed open the door to the right.
Inside was a small, windowless room occupied by a woman Kim guessed to be mid-twenties, with hair pulled back so tightly Kim could see puckering at the temples.
Bryant took out his warrant card and introduced them.
Although small, the space looked tidy and functional. The filing cabinets filled the wall. A year planner and couple of certificates decorated the opposite wall. The sound of Radio 2 played from the computer speakers.
‘May we speak with Mr Croft?’
‘No, I’m afraid not.’
Kim looked behind her at the door onto the other side of the landing. ‘He’s not there. He’s out making house calls.’
‘What is he, a G.P.?’ Kim asked, irritated.
What was with these assistants that felt the need to offer protection for middle-aged men? Was there a special college course for it?
‘Councillor Croft spends many hours visiting housebound constituents.’
The words ‘captive audience’ came to Kim’s mind, as did visions of him refusing to leave until their vote had been pledged.
‘We are trying to conduct a murder investigation so ...’
‘I’m sure I can find a suitable appointment time,’ she said, reaching for an A4 diary.
‘How about you just give him a call and let him know we’re here. We’ll wait.’
The woman played with the pearl necklace at her throat. ‘He cannot be disturbed while making house calls so if you’d like to make an—’
‘No, I would not like to make a bloody ...’
‘We understand that the councillor is a busy man,’ Bryant said, gently nudging Kim to the side. His voice was low and warm, tinged with understanding. ‘But we have a murder investigation to conduct. Are you sure he has no available time today?’
Croft’s assistant flicked back to the current day but shook her head. Bryant followed her eyes down to the diary.
