Deadly Cry (DI Kim Stone #13) - Angela Marsons Page 0,6

looked Kim’s way to see if there was anything she wanted to contribute.

She shook her head. This was not her circus. She was doing what she’d been asked and had brought only her ears to the meeting.

Lena stifled a mild look of irritation as she opened the briefing pack. She looked to Bill Platt, who tipped his head in a ‘You wanted the meeting. You’ve got it’ kind of way.

Lena’s eyes scanned the pages.

‘It is my understanding that from the handover point, to avoid unnecessary contact with the public, Inspector Plant will escort Tyra Brooks through the service corridors to the rear of the bookshop.’ She glanced at Christopher Manley, making no effort to hide her disdain. ‘Key points will be manned by TSS guards who—’

‘Officers,’ he interrupted with a low growl.

Kim knew many security bosses who bristled at the term ‘guards’. Nowadays security personnel had to take exams, study and pass tests. Many were trained in First Aid and CPR and the use of a defib machine. Gone were the days of putting someone in a uniform and stationing them on a door.

‘How many guards have you committed to the event?’ Lena asked, ignoring his correction.

‘Seven,’ he said without looking at her.

Kim knew that many police officers looked down on security companies; saw all their staff as being wannabe police officers. Many disagreed with their involvement at public events, but Kim saw their contribution as being able to free up police officers to do what they were paid to do. West Midlands Police Force had denied Dudley Council that level of manpower to the event, so the councilman had little choice but to outsource. No one wanted anything to happen to this celebrity on their watch.

Christopher Manley began to outline his staff positions as she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Lena Wiley stifled a yawn. Kim listened to his plans. She didn’t need to consult the plan of the shopping centre with little marked crosses on it. She knew the area well and had been called to many an incident during her time as a constable.

Her phone stopped vibrating. Just give me a minute, she thought.

‘Well, thank you for that, Mr Manley. We’re all enlightened to know exactly where each of your guards will be standing and—’

‘What about staircase nine?’ Kim asked, cutting her off and speaking for the first time.

Lena now turned her annoyance Kim’s way.

Kim ignored her and continued her focus on Christopher Manley, who stifled a smile.

He consulted his plans again. ‘We don’t have a staircase nine on the drawings.’

‘Umm… excuse me,’ Lena said, ‘might this be something the two of you could discuss outside this—’

‘Right there,’ Kim said, ignoring the superintendent and leaning across the table. She stabbed an area of the plan that appeared to be a brick wall. ‘It was a service stairway to the upper level before the renovations. There’s still a door there that leads to an abandoned set of store rooms and a corridor that leads back to the new section.’

Kim knew because she’d got lost in that area when a suspect she’d been chasing for an ABH offence had suddenly disappeared from view.

Christopher smiled his thanks and placed a cross at the location. He looked to the councilman. ‘I guess that’s eight then.’

Bill Platt shook his head, indicating there would be no budget increase.

Christopher looked back at her as the phone once more vibrated in her pocket.

‘It’ll be covered,’ he assured.

‘As scintillating as that was,’ Lena said, ‘if we could move on to…’

Kim tuned out as she reached into her pocket for her phone. The people whose calls mattered the most knew she wasn’t to be disturbed. Woody had sent her, and Bryant was waiting outside.

That could only mean one person and he never rang to shoot the breeze.

Lena looked straight at her and stopped speaking for a second. Everyone looked her way.

Two missed calls from Keats.

‘Umm… officer, if you wouldn’t mind putting away your phone.’

Kim ignored her and pushed back her chair.

Lena Wiley’s face was colouring with rage. ‘Is there somewhere you need to be?’

Kim made no apology as she headed for the door, throwing the words back over her shoulder.

‘Oh yes, it appears there’s somewhere I’m needed way more than I’m needed here.’

Six

Stacey drummed her fingers on the desk as she waited for DS Michaels to answer the phone and tried to quieten her second thoughts. Maybe this wasn’t the case for her to get her teeth into if the team dealing with it had never