Deadly Cry (DI Kim Stone #13) - Angela Marsons Page 0,90

own wife. One or the other.’

‘So how much faith do we have in our own theory?’ she asked as he turned sharply into the street where Ella Nock lived.

He left her question unanswered as he parked the car.

As they approached the house, Stacey couldn’t help wondering if somehow, despite all the evidence, they had taken the wrong direction entirely. But then again, too much of what they’d uncovered made sense.

No, they were right. They had to be.

She pushed her doubts aside as Penn gave the nod for the officers to use the big red key.

Ninety-Four

‘Have you caught him?’ Andrew Nock said as he opened the door.

‘I’m sorry to say we don’t have a result,’ Kim said, stepping into the house. ‘But we are making progress.’

If Andrew wasn’t involved, then she needed to manage his expectations about her visit, and if he was, she’d sent a shot across his bows that they were on to something.

‘We just wanted to drop in and check on you all. Is Ella not here?’ Kim asked as Andrew showed them through to the lounge, although she already knew the answer given the single car on the driveway. She only wanted to mention the woman’s name. Right now, she could be sitting in front of Noah: she had to choose every word wisely.

‘She was here earlier but she said something about going shopping. I’m relieved, if you want the truth,’ he said, softening his words with a smile.

‘The two of you are close, though?’ Kim asked, seizing the opportunity.

‘Sorry,’ Bryant said, before sitting, ‘may I use your bathroom?’

No hesitation. ‘It’s upstairs, first left but please be quiet. Mia’s taking a nap.’

Bryant nodded his understanding. Seemed a bit late in the afternoon for a nap, Kim thought. Especially if he wanted the child to sleep at night.

‘What routine?’ he said, as though reading her thoughts. ‘Been all over the place since… Monday,’ he said, still unable to say the words. ‘Late nights, early mornings. Right now, if she’s tired she sleeps.’

She understood. Grief didn’t wear a watch.

‘How is she?’ Kim asked.

‘Eating now, so that’s one less worry.’

‘Ella must be such a help to you, but we could still arrange for a family—’

‘It’s fine. I don’t want strangers around Mia at the minute. Ella is indeed a great help, but there are times when I really wish she’d just leave.’

‘Older sisters mean well, but—’

‘They always know best, Inspector. They can do everything better,’ he said with an edge of bitterness in his voice.

‘Like with Mia?’

He rolled his eyes. ‘With Mia, with everything. She knows everything; she’s always right, always does better. If I buy something, she buys the same but better. She’s a competitive person.’

‘Even as kids?’ Kim asked.

It might appear to Andrew Nock that they were making idle conversation, but Kim was getting to ask exactly what she wanted to, given everything that Alison had told her.

‘Hell, yes, Mum was a single parent and pretty much left us all to get on with it. We never found alternative ways to find resolutions and just fought for what we wanted. Bless her, our mum compared us all the time. I don’t think we ever did a lot together as a family.’ He smiled. ‘Mum always said Ella didn’t get enough time in the cot.’

‘Sorry?’

Kim hoped that the conversation and memories were distracting him from the amount of time Bryant was out the room.

‘As she had us, Mum would keep us in a cot in the bedroom with her. As another came along, the last one would be moved to the second room.’

Kim wondered if something that happened so young could affect a child for life. Was it perceived as rejection, causing a wedge of resentment between the eldest and the next in line?

‘And what kind of things did Ella do to you when you were children?’ Kim asked, trying to keep her tone light.

She was trying to prolong the time until Andrew realised the conversation had nothing to do with the case.

At that second, Bryant entered the room and offered a brief shake of the head to say he’d found nothing untoward in the time available. Her gut wasn’t telling her that Archie was here either.

‘Oh, she was bossy and controlling. Wanted all the good toys, wanted to be in control. Anything anyone else did had to be done better by her.’

He rolled his eyes fondly, and Kim’s stomach began to turn. This man did not hate his sister. She annoyed him and frustrated him, but she was