with a grin.
“Can we have McDonald’s instead?” Ianthe suggested.
“No,” Katie said firmly, looking at Olivia for support.
Olivia shrugged. “Whatever, eat cow’s arse for all I care.”
“She’s already had a burger for lunch,” Kevin said. “She’d eat them for breakfast and tea as well given half a chance.”
“No wonder your dad won’t allow them in the house,” Katie said, half-laughing. “We’ll have Chinese. Anyway, you like Singapore fried noodles.”
After they left the room, Katie started clearing the empties. Olivia sagged back in her chair with her eyes closed, and the other three gathered their things.
“Just let us all know when you’ve got the videos,” Katie she said to Susan. “I think we’d all like a hand in destroying them.”
Susan dropped her chewed biro into a red plastic handbag with a picture of a kitten on the front. “Will do.”
Kim buttoned up her long military style coat and Theresa packed her tobacco tin and cigarette papers in her backpack. As they were about to leave, Kim turned to Katie. “What about Shaheen?”
Katie looked at Olivia, still slumped in the chair. Olivia shrugged.
“She doesn’t exist,” Theresa said firmly, struggling to hold her backpack and the stuffed elephant Susan had given her for Bernadette.
“Shouldn’t we at least let her know we’ve given Brian the money?” Kim asked.
Olivia straightened up a little and shook her head. “No. There’s no video of her, and she’s already said she isn’t interested. There’s no need to contact her ever again. Once Brian has the money, it’s over.”
“Is it, though?” said Kim. “Are we sure there can’t still be a comeback for us?”
“Only if your Judy knows.” Susan looked closely at Kim’s face. “She’s a cop. You can never completely trust a cop.”
Katie watched as Kim struggled to school her expression. “You wouldn’t break our promise, Kim, would you?”
“Course she wouldn’t,” Olivia said. “After all we’ve all been through? Don’t be silly.”
“If you did tell Judy, it’ll never be over,” Susan said coldly.
“You just don’t like the police,” Kim snapped.
‘No, Kim. What I don’t like is a grass.”
Kim stumbled through the front door, pushing it almost closed in Susan’s face.
Susan caught it and set off after her. Katie put out a hand to stop her. “Let her go.”
Theresa and Olivia nodded in agreement.
Susan sighed. “Well, let’s just hope she ain’t that stupid.”
There are no secrets in a police station. When the woman with the dog came in, news of the body in the car boot had already reached the front desk.
Judy Gardener and Paul Banham had trained together at the Police Cadet College in Hendon, and had become good friends. She had been at his wedding, but after Diane’s murder and Banham’s transfer into CID, he had become withdrawn and something of a loner, so they lost touch.
Judy waited until the reception area was quiet before opening the handbag again. She knew what had to be done. She took out the mobile phone, scrolled down the address book and deleted Kim and her phone number from it. She checked the recent call history for the call they made to her two weeks ago, and deleted Kim’s name. It didn’t matter that her prints were on the bag or its contents; the woman had handed it to her on the front desk after all.
Then, heart beating heavily against her ribcage, she made her way along the corridor to the incident room.
4
The Chinese meal was laid out on the family-sized kitchen table. Kenneth sat between his son and daughter, and Katie and Olivia opposite. There wasn’t much conversation; the only sound came from Kenneth, crunching noisily on his crispy duck. Olivia passed him a paper napkin to wipe the plum sauce that dripped from his chin. He took it, dabbed his chin, then wrapped more duck in a thin pancake.
Kenneth had lived well throughout his thirty-nine years. When Olivia patted his paunch
“Can we have McDonald’s instead?” Ianthe suggested.
“No,” Katie said firmly, looking at Olivia for support.
Olivia shrugged. “Whatever, eat cow’s arse for all I care.”
“She’s already had a burger for lunch,” Kevin said. “She’d eat them for breakfast and tea as well given half a chance.”
“No wonder your dad won’t allow them in the house,” Katie said, half-laughing. “We’ll have Chinese. Anyway, you like Singapore fried noodles.”
After they left the room, Katie started clearing the empties. Olivia sagged back in her chair with her eyes closed, and the other three gathered their things.
“Just let us all know when you’ve got the videos,” Katie she said to Susan. “I think we’d all like a hand in destroying them.”
Susan dropped her chewed biro into a red plastic handbag with a picture of a kitten on the front. “Will do.”
Kim buttoned up her long military style coat and Theresa packed her tobacco tin and cigarette papers in her backpack. As they were about to leave, Kim turned to Katie. “What about Shaheen?”
Katie looked at Olivia, still slumped in the chair. Olivia shrugged.
“She doesn’t exist,” Theresa said firmly, struggling to hold her backpack and the stuffed elephant Susan had given her for Bernadette.
“Shouldn’t we at least let her know we’ve given Brian the money?” Kim asked.
Olivia straightened up a little and shook her head. “No. There’s no video of her, and she’s already said she isn’t interested. There’s no need to contact her ever again. Once Brian has the money, it’s over.”
“Is it, though?” said Kim. “Are we sure there can’t still be a comeback for us?”
“Only if your Judy knows.” Susan looked closely at Kim’s face. “She’s a cop. You can never completely trust a cop.”
Katie watched as Kim struggled to school her expression. “You wouldn’t break our promise, Kim, would you?”
“Course she wouldn’t,” Olivia said. “After all we’ve all been through? Don’t be silly.”
“If you did tell Judy, it’ll never be over,” Susan said coldly.
“You just don’t like the police,” Kim snapped.
‘No, Kim. What I don’t like is a grass.”
Kim stumbled through the front door, pushing it almost closed in Susan’s face.
Susan caught it and set off after her. Katie put out a hand to stop her. “Let her go.”
Theresa and Olivia nodded in agreement.
Susan sighed. “Well, let’s just hope she ain’t that stupid.”
There are no secrets in a police station. When the woman with the dog came in, news of the body in the car boot had already reached the front desk.
Judy Gardener and Paul Banham had trained together at the Police Cadet College in Hendon, and had become good friends. She had been at his wedding, but after Diane’s murder and Banham’s transfer into CID, he had become withdrawn and something of a loner, so they lost touch.
Judy waited until the reception area was quiet before opening the handbag again. She knew what had to be done. She took out the mobile phone, scrolled down the address book and deleted Kim and her phone number from it. She checked the recent call history for the call they made to her two weeks ago, and deleted Kim’s name. It didn’t matter that her prints were on the bag or its contents; the woman had handed it to her on the front desk after all.
Then, heart beating heavily against her ribcage, she made her way along the corridor to the incident room.
4
The Chinese meal was laid out on the family-sized kitchen table. Kenneth sat between his son and daughter, and Katie and Olivia opposite. There wasn’t much conversation; the only sound came from Kenneth, crunching noisily on his crispy duck. Olivia passed him a paper napkin to wipe the plum sauce that dripped from his chin. He took it, dabbed his chin, then wrapped more duck in a thin pancake.
Kenneth had lived well throughout his thirty-nine years. When Olivia patted his paunch
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