She locked the car and headed towards the clinic entrance. A security officer sat behind the desk. The place had switched into night-time mode.
‘Celia Gardner please,’ Kim said as they both held up their IDs.
‘One second,’ he said, reaching for the phone.
He spoke for a few seconds before ending the call. He buzzed the door open. ‘The Gardners are in the office. Apparently you know where it is.’
‘We do, thank you,’ Kim said, entering the reception area for the second time that day. Her body was bruised and exhausted but this had to be seen through to the end, and this clinic could not be shut down one minute too soon for her liking.
‘A colleague of ours, Megan Shaw, is on her way,’ she said to the officer as she passed. ‘Please send her in the right direction.’
He nodded his understanding and picked up his Stephen King novel before they were out the door.
‘Must be long nights,’ Bryant observed as Kim headed for the office at the end of the hallway.
She knocked and was instructed to enter.
‘Didn’t expect to see you again so soon, Inspector,’ Celia said, wiping her hands on a napkin.
‘Good evening, officers,’ Victor called from his desk.
Both of their workspaces were littered with takeaway boxes. The aroma of Chinese food and pizza filled the air. Friday night dinner spent working at the desk; so normal, so ordinary, so about to be destroyed.
Kim took a seat as Celia came from behind her desk. The woman sat on the casual sofas, drawing Kim’s attention to the unopened boxes of takeaway. Meals for her children when they returned from wherever they’d gone. Too old to control but never too old to feed.
‘I’m not sure what more I can help you with unless you now want my bra size and inside leg measurement.’
Kim said nothing as she took a seat.
‘Sorry, just a bit of Friday night humour. End of the week and all that. Please, ask your questions.’
‘We haven’t come with questions, Celia. We have answers. Mr Gardner, would you mind joining us?’
While she waited, Kim tried to analyse why the anger in her mind wasn’t coming out of her mouth. She quickly realised what it was. The takeaway boxes had winded her. Just the simple act of a caring mother ordering food for children that were not coming home.
The married couple sat together and waited eagerly.
‘We’re here about Jessica and Eric.’
The colour left both of their faces as they clutched each other’s hands.
‘Are they okay?’ Celia said first.
Kim nodded. ‘There’s been no accident, and they’re both fit and well.’
The sighs of relief were audible as they both thought there was nothing worse that she could say. And they were right. Almost.
Celia frowned. ‘So, what…who…why…?’
‘I’m sorry for what I’m about to tell you both but your children have been arrested for murder; three counts: against Jamie Mills, Sarah—’
‘Preposterous,’ Victor exploded, letting go of his wife’s hand and jumping to his feet. ‘Have you lost your mind?’
‘… Laing, Liam Sachs,’ she continued. ‘And one charge of attempted murder against Stephanie Lakehurst.’
Victor was glaring down at her, but Celia continued to regard her in silent shock.
‘Is this some kind of a joke, Inspector?’ she finally asked as Victor reached for his phone.