the numbers as such – but we knew we had a rapist sitting right in front of us. It’s like, well, if the victim believes he did it, the police believe he did it and the CPS as well, there must be something in it. If the case has made it this far in the process given all those negative numbers, how can we possibly let this man go?’
Stacey glanced at the jury demographic again. Seven women and five men. Was this some kind of sisterhood vote? Or had they treated the case like a civil case, on the balance of probability? Was it more likely he did it or not?
‘I stand by our decision. I still think he was guilty, and you should have seen his face when the verdict was read. Knocked the cocky smile right off his face.’
Yes, she was sure it had, and Stacey had a feeling she could guess exactly why.
Forty-Five
‘Where are you, Stone?’ Woody asked when she answered the phone.
‘En route back to the station for a check-in, sir,’ she replied as the rain from her hair continued to drip down her neck.
She and Bryant had continued to stand in the rain for a few more minutes, getting an update of the search areas from Inspector Plant. After realising there was nothing she or her team could add, she’d instructed Penn to head back to the station after lunch. Any updates would come directly from Inspector Plant.
‘Perfect. A slight detour, if you don’t mind.’
She frowned. ‘To where?’
‘Halesowen: the shopping centre. The EPT is meeting for a walk through.’
She wondered if she’d heard correctly. ‘Sir, you do know I’ve got—’
‘Don’t insult me with those next words, Stone. It’s ten minutes and we need the continuity. It’s just the operational staff, so it’ll be brief.’
She had never known any of these meetings to be brief.
‘Sir, I really think…’
‘Stone, you’ve been requested so just do it.’
The phone went dead in her hand as another protest was forming on her lips.
‘Bloody great,’ she growled, putting the phone back in her pocket.
‘What’s up?’ Bryant asked. ‘You gotta go play nice with the EPT crew?’
‘For that smug look on your face you’re now coming with me,’ she said as more rainwater seeped down her neck. She looked around. ‘Jesus, Bryant, don’t you have anything in this bloody car that I can use to dry myself?’
‘Nah, sorry. I had the mobile spa taken out. It took up too much room.’ He thought for a second. ‘The dog’s towel is in the back if you wanna use that.’
‘Bryant, you really can be a f—’
‘Think you’d better call Stace?’ he asked, cutting her off.
‘Good idea,’ she said, taking her phone back out.
‘Hey, Stace,’ Kim said when she answered. ‘Slight delay but should be with you in about half an hour.’
‘No probs, boss.’
‘So what you been doing for the last twenty minutes?’ she asked, preferring to speak to the constable rather than her colleague in the car.
‘Just had to finish something off on the—’
‘Stace, I did tell you that our current case takes priority. If I ask you to do something I expect—’
‘I know, boss, I’m sorry but this shuffle case just got complicated.’
‘Why? You no longer think your guy raped the second victim?’
‘To be honest, boss, it’s even more complicated than that cos I no longer think he raped either one of them.’
Forty-Six
‘Well, ain’t that just a whopping can of worms?’ Bryant asked, pulling into the service yard of the shopping centre.
Kim’s thoughts were also on Stacey’s admission. She’d told the constable they’d talk more when she got back to the station, but if she was right, a lot of people were going to be pissed off, not least their colleagues at Brierley Hill. The purpose of the shuffle was to solve unsolved cases, not pry open the lid of cases that had been sealed shut. For once she was hoping her colleague was wrong.
‘Looks like the show has already started,’ Kim said, spotting the representatives from the ambulance and fire crew. Superintendent Lena Wiley stood between them both.
Kim tried to ruffle some life into her rain-dampened hair.
‘Bloody hell, guv, you don’t normally care about your appearance.’
She offered him a look.
‘And that didn’t come out quite the way I meant it.’
‘Come on, let’s get to it,’ she said, getting out of the car as a black BMW pulled up beside them.
Bryant paused as the man got out the car.
Christopher Manley smiled widely and immediately offered his hand. Bryant shook it warmly.
‘Hey, Chris, heard