Edna Trevin had never been a formidable size, but her spirit had more than made up for it. A memory flashed through Kim’s mind from not long after she’d moved in. A few local kids had thrown a couple of eggs at Edna’s house. Kim had been about to intervene when Edna had turned the hosepipe and a few choice words on the lot of them.
As she searched the kitchen drawers for scissors, Kim swallowed down her guilt. She could feed it later. With scissors in hand, she ignored the smell of urine and faeces and put two fingers to the woman’s neck.
‘Fuck,’ she cried out. Although the flesh was warm, she could detect no pulse.
Leanne appeared and took a penknife from her pocket.
Kim freed the arms and torso while Leanne worked on the ankles.
‘It’s okay, Edna, I’ve got you,’ Kim said gently as she took the woman’s slight weight against her and lowered her to the ground.
She tipped back Edna’s head and lowered her mouth to cover Edna’s nose and mouth. She gave two rescue breaths.
‘What can I do?’ Leanne asked as Kim started the compressions.
‘Flag ’em down,’ she said, pressing as hard as she dared on the fragile breastbone.
‘Come on, Edna,’ Kim whispered. She knew the woman had fight.
After thirty compressions, she swapped again to two breaths. She could feel the fire burn through her muscles. She pumped through it even as she heard a siren in the distance.
‘I’m not stopping, Edna,’ Kim promised.
She leaned down once more and paused as warm air breathed across her cheek.
Kim could hear her own heart beating wildly as she focussed on the woman’s chest.
It was slight but the chest wall was definitely rising and falling on its own.
‘It’s okay, Edna,’ Kim said, taking her hand. ‘Help is coming. You’re going to be okay. He won’t hurt you again.’
As she said the words, two paramedics entered the room. They had no reaction to the sight or smell that greeted them.
‘You got her back?’ Leanne asked as both paramedics kneeled down and began to tend to Edna.
Kim moved out of the way as the male paramedic started talking to Edna as though she was fully conscious. He told her everything he was doing and why.
Kim took out her phone.
‘Who are you calling?’
‘Woody,’ Kim said as her trembling finger scrolled the contact list. The adrenaline was leaving her body as the realisation dawned that Symes had been feet away from her home.
‘Done, Stone, now take a fucking minute.’
Kim raised an eyebrow.
‘Called him while waiting for the ambulance. He’s contacting the Symes search team and a board-up team for the door.’
Kim knew the officers searching for Symes would have their own forensic techs to look for any clues that might help them track him down, but she ached to call Mitch; a man she trusted. If Symes had left anything behind, he would find it.
‘She’s stable enough to move,’ the male paramedic said. ‘You brought her back strong,’ he added with an appreciative smile. He looked around. ‘Family?’
‘We’ll sort it,’ Kim said. She was pretty sure Edna had a daughter.
‘Hey, Stone, look at this,’ Leanne said, standing at the kitchen window.
Kim stood beside her and glanced to the left. Between two ornamental trees in the garden next door was a perfect view of her front door.