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‘I mean it, Birch. You will not win this time. You will not destroy my life.’
She turned and headed back across the road, using every ounce of determination she had to hide the trembling in her knees. His presence here tonight had wiped away every doubt that she’d put in her own way. Once or twice she’d been tempted to share her suspicions with Devon and the boss, but what would she have told them? She had no proof that he’d been outside her home or that it was him who’d sent the flowers or even that he’d messaged her ten minutes ago. He’d done nothing that she could prove. Until now. But now that she’d faced him, no one else needed to know. She’d stood up to him and she had been clear, direct and strong.
She just hoped and prayed it was enough.
SIXTY-TWO
‘You don’t think you’ve already got enough to do, Stone?’ Woody asked over the top of his glasses. She could always be sure to catch him in the office before the early morning briefing.
‘No, sir.’
‘Do you want to enlighten me as to how you came across the case?’
‘The mother of Brad Foster was one of the guests at Psychic Sandy’s last engagement.’
‘And what exactly is your problem with the investigation of ten years ago?’
‘Nothing. The investigation was spot on.’
‘Are you messing with me?’
She shook her head. ‘The SIO did everything by the book based on the recollection of the only witness. A fifteen-year-old boy.’
‘Okay.’
‘Except there was another witness who saw no white van.’
‘The presence of the white van supports the story of the eyewitness and the later developments?’
‘Absolutely, sir.’
‘Why do I feel that you’re not really agreeing with me?’
‘Because his story has changed. Ten years ago, Josh stopped in the woods to put his bike chain back on. Yesterday he told me he stopped to mend a puncture.’
‘Stone, that’s not enough,’ Woody said dismissively.
‘It’s the detail, sir. When we spoke to him, he remembered actually repairing the puncture on his tyre. But back then, he remembered the oil on his hands from putting the chain back on. He’s twenty-five and this happened ten years ago. No reason for such a memory lapse. He remembers everything else perfectly fine.’
‘What are you suggesting?’
‘I want him to walk the woods with me. Tell me exactly where everything happened, see what reaction I get.’
Woody sat back in his chair. ‘And then what?’
‘Send in a team with the GPR kit,’ she said simply. Using radio waves, the equipment would easily detect any anomalies beneath the surface.
‘The area is a mile square,’ Woody said.
‘I know, but right now I’m just not sure Brad ever left those woods.’
Kim didn’t add that her conversation with Rose had sharpened the teeth gnawing in her stomach. The friendship between the boys had been dysfunctional at best. Such knowledge would not sway her boss one way or another.
He thought for a moment. ‘I’m not committing any resources until you’ve got something more.’
‘Understood,’ she answered, heading for the door.
‘Oh, and, Stone, there’s talk of some video involving Penn on TikTok. Anything I need to know?’
