‘Oh yes, of course. I called you here, didn’t I? There’s been a development I think you should be aware of.’ He paused. ‘Rosalind Daynes was approximately four months pregnant.’
SEVENTEEN
‘Do you think she knew?’ Bryant asked as Keats disappeared to prepare the bodies for identification.
‘Rozzie or Helen?’ Penn asked.
‘Helen, of course,’ Bryant said, ‘I’m assuming Rozzie knew what was going on in her own body.’
‘Not always the case,’ Penn continued. ‘There are hundreds of occasions where women have been taken by surprise when the contractions have started.’
‘But isn’t there a psychological condition that—’
‘Guys, it doesn’t make a difference if Rozzie knew or not. She didn’t kill herself,’ Kim said, wondering how she’d missed this sniping between them. ‘It doesn’t even make much difference if Helen knew about the baby.’
‘Come on, guv,’ Bryant protested. ‘That’s her grandchild. She’d have to be totally deranged to—’
‘And you don’t think she’d have to be to shoot her husband and two youngest children? If Helen Daynes had been in any rational state of mind at the time, she’d never have been holding a loaded gun in the first place.’
‘Did someone say gun?’ Mitch asked from the doorway. As the head forensic techie he had a small office down the hallway, backed up with all the technical resources at Ridgepoint House in Birmingham.
‘The gun, a 16-gauge Holland & Holland, was held on a shotgun licence. Perfectly legal with a 24-inch minimum length overall and a non-removable magazine that held no more than two rounds. Just had the ballistics report back. Everything is a match. That gun definitely fired those shells. Obviously the GSR test is a formality, and the results will be back tomorrow. In the meantime, Nigel Adams is over at the house now investigating the cause and damage of the fire. Oh, hello,’ he said to Leanne as an afterthought.
‘Thanks, Mitch,’ Kim said as her phone rang. ‘He’s here, guys.’
She’d told Gavin to buzz her phone when he was outside so she could escort him into the viewing room.
‘Can one of you let Keats know we’re up.’
Keats had rushed off to make the viewing of Helen Daynes as trauma free as he could.
Bryant nodded as Leanne followed her.
‘Don’t worry, I’ll wait outside,’ she said as Kim stepped into the hallway.
Gavin looked red eyed and pale.
‘Thank you for doing this. It’s not going to be easy,’ Kim said honestly. The man had four dead bodies to view.
‘Easier on me than Zach or Rachel.’
Kim nodded as she guided Gavin back into the corridor.
‘In here,’ she said, opening the door to the viewing room.
Leanne took up a sentry position as Kim closed the door behind them.
‘Not the cheeriest of rooms, I’m afraid.’
‘Would it matter if it was?’ he asked, rubbing his hands.
He took a few deep breaths in quick succession. Kim guessed he was eager to get this over and done with.
‘I think they’ll be bringing Helen through first. I have to warn you that it will be a difficult sight to see. Keats will do his best but…’
He took another breath. ‘Will I be able to recognise her?’
Kim thought of the scene that had greeted her. The words ‘just about’ hovered on the tip of her tongue.