Page 52 of Killing Mind
It was almost midnight when Kim took the lead from Barney’s collar after their late-night walk.
Although his social skills had improved significantly since she’d rescued him, he still didn’t respond well to total strangers and especially other dogs when they were out of the house. He’d formed relationships with Charley from down the road, who collected him for a walk and a bit of pampering back at his house when Kim was working, and he responded well to Dawn, his groomer, and most people who visited the house providing they bore gifts.
As ever he positioned himself in the kitchen, his tail whooshing to and fro across the floor, his big brown eyes staring up at her expectantly.
‘Yeah, but I know your tricks now, don’t I, boy?’ she said, reaching for his post-walk treat. He took his carrot and headed back to the rug in the lounge, his favourite chewing spot.
She remembered what the vet had told her when Barney had had his last injections. Scientists had discovered that dogs appeared to have developed an extra muscle above their eyes that served no purpose to their physicality except to offer their owners a puppy-dog-look when they wanted something.
So, she no longer felt as guilty for giving in to the majority of his requests.
Science was science.
She poured a coffee from the pot she’d left brewing before the walk that she’d hoped would help clear her head. It hadn’t and she didn’t see restful sleep anywhere in her near future.
Myles and Kate Brown were still on her mind. Her emotions had been mixed as she’d watched them leave the interview room, clutching each other for support. Part of her had been angry at them for holding the information to themselves and the other half understood their need to try and protect the only child they had left.
Myles’s explanation that an intervention was planned this week to remove Sophie from Unity Farm had clarified why Kate had been busy preparing the bedroom for her arrival.
Kim couldn’t help wondering if Sammy would still be alive if they’d left her alone. She had been an adult and the choices were hers to make. Who had she been hurting exactly? And the same question could be asked of Sophie. The girl had followed her sister to Unity Farm but had not followed her out. Didn’t that mean she was happy where she was? As a grown adult Kim was powerless to forcibly remove Sophie from the Farm if she didn’t want to leave and yet they’d instructed Kane to snatch her in the same manner he had taken Sammy.But what if she doesn’t want to leave?a quiet voice said in her head. Surely she wasn’t being held there by force and could leave any time she chose. Kim suddenly remembered Myles mentioning a girl who had recruited Sammy into the group. Maybe she knew Sophie and could vouch for her state of mind and happiness. She made a mental note to track the girl down and find out more. Were Kane’s services really needed again?
Given that this Kane guy had been spotted at Sammy’s flat by both a neighbour and a news report, Kim had demanded that Myles arrange a meeting when he had flatly refused to hand over Kane’s number. He had promised he would speak to Kane Devlin and contact her the following day.
Right now, Tyler’s death was a complete mystery to her. It appeared that the boy had followed Sammy to Unity Farm, where he had continued to not matter to anyone. Jake Black had barely recognised the name. There was a deep sadness that struck her when she thought of the boy. He had mattered greatly to his grandmother and he would matter to them. And they would find the person responsible for his murder.
She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she needed to find out more about Unity Farm. It wasn’t that she believed everything Myles said, but she didn’t believe everything Jake Black said either.
If she visited the place again she was sure she’d be given another tourist guide insight. With no direct link to Sammy’s death, given that she’d left months ago, Kim knew she wasn’t going to get a search warrant. So, how the hell was she going to learn more about the place?
Kim had the feeling of being a lab rat in a maze. She was moving around but every corner she turned led to another dead end, not helped by Woody’s refusal to consider dragging the lake. She understood the cost involved versus the chances of finding anything based on one bloody shoe, but what if there was another victim down there? What if…
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone.
It was Penn. Her heart leapt. His mother.
‘Penn?’ she answered, quickly.
‘I think I’ve got her, boss,’ he said, breathlessly.
‘Sorry… what?’
‘The shoe at Himley. I reckon we’re looking for a woman named Sheila Thorpe, and I think we’ll find her at the bottom of the lake.’
Forty-Two
‘Okay, guys, thanks to Penn’s great work last night Woody is now making the necessary arrangements to drag the lake at Himley Park.’
Woody had told them that without even an identity of a missing person to go on, his hands were tied. Penn’s late-night project had untied her boss’s hands and they had been given the all clear.
Stacey offered her colleague a cheeky wink, and Bryant called out a genuine ‘Well done’. She marvelled at the lack of competitiveness within her team. If one of them did good, they all did good.
Penn looked away, embarrassed. He didn’t welcome public praise.
But Kim had been pretty impressed when he’d explained how he’d formed a basic profile form on Amazon to use on the Mispers which took him to Facebook and a photo of Sheila Thorpe at her thirtieth wedding anniversary two years ago. But the man had always liked a puzzle, she thought, remembering the word puzzle he’d solved which had saved Stacey’s life.
‘So, while we wait for the dive team to get here from Nottingham we need to carry on pushing this investigation forward. Myles Brown has a lot to say about Unity Farm. Most of which is pretty off the wall and given that his younger daughter is still there I think his rational brain may be somewhat impaired. He believes that Sophie has also been brainwashed and that she’s being held against her will, especially after Sammy was taken; but both parents insist that they want Kane Devlin to repeat the intervention he performed with Sammy.’ She turned to Stacey. ‘I want to know all about Unity Farm and whatever you can find out about Jake Black and when you’re done with that start looking up Kane Devlin.’
Stacey nodded.
