Silent Scream

Fifty-Two

Nicola Adamson opened the door on the second knock, dressed in satin pyjamas. Her hair was mussed and she offered them a wide yawn for a greeting.

‘Sorry if we woke you,’ Bryant offered.

There was no 'if' about it, even though it was way past lunchtime.

She yawned again and rubbed at her eyes. ‘It was a late night at the club. ‘Got in about five this morning ‒ last night, whenever.’

Nicola closed the door and headed straight for the kitchen. Although she herself was only thirty-four, Kim wondered if there’d ever been a time when she’d stepped out of bed looking quite so fantastic.

‘I’m happy to talk, guys, but let me get some coffee going first.’

Kim moved aside a handbag and sat on the couch. ‘Your sister came to see me this morning.’

Nicola’s head snapped around. ‘She did what?’

‘She wasn’t very keen on the idea of you helping us.’

Nicola shook her head and looked away. The jar of instant coffee landed back in the cupboard with a thud.

Kim got the impression that this wasn’t the first time Beth had interfered.

‘What did she say to you?’

‘She instructed me to leave you both alone and not to open up old wounds.’

Nicola nodded and the tension seemed to leave her body.

‘She’s just looking out for me, I suppose. I know she appears to be harsh but she’s just being overprotective.’ She shrugged as she sat. ‘It’s just the way twins are.’

Yes, it is, Kim thought.

‘But I’m a big girl and I offered to help so if there’s anything you’d like to ask me, go ahead.’ She smiled. ‘Especially now I have coffee.’

‘Your sister recently hurt her leg?’ Kim asked, wondering if it held any clues to the woman’s bitterness.

‘No, it’s an injury from childhood. She had a bad fall after climbing an apple tree when we were eight years old. The bones of her knee were shattered. Eventually, they mended but in cold weather the injury pains her. Now, what can I help you with?’

Bryant took out his notebook. ‘We have more information on our victims and thought maybe you could help us with identification.’

‘Of course, if I can.’

‘Our first victim was probably the tallest. Most likely thin and her bottom teeth were crooked ...’

‘Melanie Harris,’ Nicola said with certainty.

‘You’re sure?’

Nicola nodded. ‘Oh yes. She suffered a lot because of those teeth. She took a lot of abuse from girls at school until she joined up with the other two. Nobody bullied her after that. She always looked a little odd beside the other two, being so much taller, like a minder.’ Nicola sobered. ‘We were told she had run away.’

Kim and Bryant said nothing.

Nicola’s head moved from side to side. ‘Who would have wanted to hurt Melanie?’

‘That’s what we’re trying to find out.’

‘There’s a second victim, Nicola,’ Kim said, quietly. ‘And this one was pregnant.’

Nicola leaned across the table and reached for the handbag Kim had moved. She took out a box of cigarettes and a disposable lighter. Kim had seen no evidence of a smoking habit when they’d visited the previous day.

She placed a cigarette in her mouth but her thumb fumbled with the lighter. She got it on the third attempt.

‘Tracy Morgan,’ Nicola whispered.

Kim looked at Bryant who raised his eyebrows.

‘You’re sure?’

‘Yes, I’m sure. It’s not something I’m particularly proud of but as a youngster I was pretty nosey. My school report always went along the lines of “Nicola would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other peoples’”.’

Bryant chuckled. ‘Yeah, I’ve got one at home just like that.’

Nicola shrugged. ‘Well, I used to sneak around and listen at doorways. I remember hearing Tracy telling the other two she was “up the duff” as she put it.’

‘Any idea who she was seeing?’ Kim asked. It could be another lead.

‘No, I heard her say she was going to speak to the father but I didn’t hang around for too long in case they caught me.’

Nicola drew on the cigarette as realisation dawned. ‘There’s a third, isn’t there?’

They said nothing and allowed her a minute to digest the news.

‘Is there anything you can tell us about the ...’

‘Louise was the other one. I don’t recall her last name but she was the ringleader; the toughest. No one messed with Louise. Even after the other two had run away –sorry, after the other two had gone – no one dared mess with her.’ She paused for a second. ‘You know, now I think about it, she was insistent that her mates would not have run away.’

‘Is there anything about Louise that would help us confirm an identification?’

Nicola stubbed out the cigarette in a cut glass ashtray. ‘Oh yes. Louise had a denture. Three of her teeth were knocked out in a fight with girls from another school. She hated how she looked without it. One of the other girls at Crestwood hid it one night for a laugh. Louise broke her nose.’

‘Do you know anything about an incident involving the daughter of William Payne?’

Nicola frowned. ‘Oh, you mean the night guy?’ She shook her head. ‘We never saw him very much. I never heard of anything in particular but I remember them being on lockdown for a month for something. But they were always up to mischief of some kind. Still ... they didn’t deserve this.’

Bryant flipped a page in his notebook. ‘Do you recall much about Tom Curtis?’

Nicola narrowed her eyes. ‘He was younger than the other staff members. He seemed a bit shy and quite a few of the girls had a crush on him.’ Nicola’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘Oh no, you don’t think he could have been the father of ...’ Her words trailed away as though she couldn’t even finish the thought.

The idea had crossed Kim's mind but she chose not to respond.

Kim didn’t feel that Nicola could offer anything further at this point.

She stood. ‘Thank you for your time, Nicola. Please don’t share this information with anyone until the victims have been formally identified.’

‘Of course.’

Kim headed to the door and turned. ‘Which one went first?’

‘Sorry.’

‘Who disappeared first, Melanie or Tracy?’ Kim asked. Nicola had already told them that Louise was the last.

Nicola scrunched her face in thought. ‘Tracy went first because Melanie and Louise thought she’d just disappeared because of the pregnancy.’

Kim nodded and was halfway out the door.

‘Detective ...’

Kim turned.

‘Regardless of what my sister said to you, I’m more than happy to help in any way I can.’

Kim nodded her thanks and left.

‘Where to, Guv?’ Bryant asked.

Kim’s watch said it was after three o’clock. ‘Head back to the station.’

She took out her phone and called Dawson.

‘Hey, Guv,’ he answered.

‘What’s the situation on site, Kev?’

‘Second grave is being filled in and Cerys has the third body half uncovered. Doctor Bate is on his way. Because she’s not as far down they’re hoping to have her out by tonight.’

Kim was aware how hard she’d been working her team. ‘Once the Doc gets there, stand down for the day. There won’t be anything that we can’t get first thing in the morning.’

‘Guv, I’d rather stay, if that’s okay.’

Dawson not taking time off when offered was a first.

‘Kev, you okay?’

Attuned to his voice, she caught the sudden thickness.

‘Guv, I’ve watched the bodies of two young girls being removed from this ground so far and if it’s okay with you I’d prefer to see it through.’

And sometimes he just shocked her.

‘Okay, Kev. I’ll give you a call later.’

She hung up and shook her head.

‘Are you really that surprised?’ Bryan asked.

‘No. He’s a good kid, if lacking in judgement now and again.’

‘And I’d want him on my team any day of the week,’ Bryant concluded.

The two of them did not often sing from the same hymn sheet but Bryant could be objective when he needed to be.

Kim got out of the car and Bryant locked it.

‘Go check in with Stacey. Put those names on the board.’

She wanted their anonymity erased as soon as possible. ‘And then get yourself off home.’

Kim headed towards the bike and paused as she unlocked the helmet.

Something at Nicola’s had been wrong. There was something gnawing at her gut, something she should have picked up on.

It was as though her eyes had seen something that her brain hadn’t registered.