Her dramatic exit was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Her heart jumped for the second time as she looked to Leanne, who quickly accessed the app on her phone.
The frown disappeared and was replaced with puzzlement.
‘Open it. It’s fine.’
Kim unlocked every bolt she’d just locked and pulled the door open.
She was completely unprepared to see the person who was standing on the other side.
TWENTY-FOUR
How hard would it be? Symes wondered, keeping watch on the ground-floor flat in Dudley. It hadn’t been difficult to find out where the young detective lived. He’d guessed that all the bitch’s colleagues had been given instruction, so he hadn’t been surprised when she’d exited the station with her curly haired workmate.
The child was where he wanted her. She was bound and gagged and alone. Hopefully neither she nor he would have to wait too long, and she too would help him torture the bitch.
He wondered if he should have taken more time to cover his tracks, but it was like being at an all-you-can-eat buffet without using a napkin. He didn’t care what he left behind of himself. He’d have happily left a signed confession if he’d had the time. So what if they knew it was him. He had no intention of being charged with any crime. He had no intention of ever going back to prison. He would complete his missions and then run until they put a bullet in him.
And one of those missions was to cause the bitch as much pain as he could, so after leaving the cottage, he had simply pulled up at the edge of a trading estate which had given him a decent view of the station.
He had slipped in two cars behind and followed Wood and her colleague through Old Hill and Netherton, taking care to park the second the driver had started to slow. He’d watched as Wood exited the vehicle, took out her keys and entered the property. Due to the open blinds and a powerful light, he’d even seen the passionate kiss she’d exchanged with her partner.
The detective removed her jacket while the other one appeared to be serving up a meal. There were smiles, laughter, a bottle of wine taken from the fridge. They carried plates and glasses out of view before the light went off.
A snapshot. Normality. Coming home from work, enjoying a nice meal and a glass of wine. Relaxing on the sofa half watching the television while exchanging the events of the day. Such simple pleasures and so fucking nauseating. How fragile was this simple existence? Just five minutes with Detective Constable Stacey Wood and that peaceful, idyllic picture would be blown to smithereens.
There was a reason he’d decided to target Wood. He’d kept a keen eye on the bitch’s activities since being inside. He knew that Wood had been kidnapped by a gang of racists and that the bitch had saved her life. Shit like that bonded you to a person. His tours of Afghanistan had taught him that. It was a connection that never went away. The loss of any of her team would hit her hard but probably this one most of all.
He was about to pull away when the kitchen light illuminated the space once more. By the time he’d moved the car closer, they appeared to be in some kind of heated discussion. The body language of hands on hips, shaking heads and shrugs told him this wasn’t a normal end-of-day conversation.
He watched with interest as the detective’s partner appeared to be rushing around the kitchen. She grabbed a bag and some keys and shrugged herself into a bomber jacket while Wood continued to talk.
They stood and stared at each other for a couple of seconds before the partner brushed past Wood and out of the room. The kitchen once again descended into darkness.
The partner came out of the house and headed for the car. She started the engine and then paused as though considering whether or not she should go back inside.
In his excitement, he’d forgotten to swallow, and a trail of saliva travelled over his chin.
His prayers had been answered.
Stacey Wood was about to be left alone.
TWENTY-FIVE
‘Sir, what are you doing here?’ she asked DCI Woodward as she stepped aside for him to enter.
Immediately he looked out of place in her home. Oh no, this wasn’t right at all. There was a good chance once this was all over that she might sell the house and buy a tent and pitch it on some waste ground somewhere. She’d discuss it with Barney upon his return.
Woody nodded towards Leanne as he took a seat on the sofa. He didn’t remove his jacket or the scarf from around his neck.
‘Symes has kidnapped a little girl.’
‘Wh-What?’ she asked, dropping to the sofa opposite her boss.
‘Around 6p.m. this evening he abducted a seven-year-old girl named Emma Bunting from a park in Wollaston. Initially he took the child’s mother but threw her out of the car a couple of miles away from the site. He mentioned you by name, so he wanted you to know what he’d done as soon as possible.’
‘Did he hurt her?’ Kim asked.