‘Not subtle and not going to work,’ he said, peering over the top of his glasses. ‘Yesterday was your first full day back in the hot seat. Did you follow my advice and acclimatise yourself back into the role?’ he asked, picking up a sheet of paper.
Kim thought about the 7a.m. start, meeting with River, meeting with Megan, meeting at the What Centre in Stourbridge, meeting at Exodus in Wolverhampton and uncovering a lead on a dodgy clinic in Bridgnorth before getting home around 8p.m.
‘I think so, sir. I tried to observe correct start and finish times with prescribed meal and rest breaks in between.’
From Woody’s disbelieving expression she didn’t know if he wanted to argue with her or straight out laugh in her face.
He did neither and returned his attention to the piece of paper.
‘Did you at any point feel overly stressed or anxious?’ he asked.
‘Only with Bryant’s inferior driving abilities.’
That landed like a lead balloon.
He waited.
‘No, sir,’ she confirmed, choosing to ignore the layer of tension that had lain in her stomach throughout the day and the fact she thought she saw Symes on at least three separate occasions. Her boss didn’t need to know about that.
‘Did you feel physically fatigued or mentally exhausted?’
So many answers but none that were going to get her a tick on the piece of paper he was holding.
‘No, sir,’ she said, hoping he couldn’t read on her face the fact that she’d had to pause three times on her way up the stairs to get to bed.
‘Did you at any time doubt your physical or psychological ability to execute your duties?’
‘No, sir,’ she answered, knowing that if she admitted the pains that had been shooting through her hip, he’d confine her to the station.
‘And do you understand the correct channels and help available should you need it?’
‘Yes, sir,’ she said, knowing she’d never use any of them because they would all lead her back to a stint in the office.
She held her breath, praying that Woody had bought her answers. She couldn’t run this case from the other side of her desk.
He signed the piece of paper at the bottom and placed it to one side.
She was hoping she was now free to go, but she wasn’t going to bet her house on it.
‘So I hear your dismissal of Burns’s services went well,’ he said, sitting back in his chair.
She sighed. Of course that was going to come up.
‘Tell me, was it as bad as he’d have me believe?’ Woody asked.
‘I’m not sure how prone to exaggeration he is, but I could have handled it better,’ she said honestly. ‘It wasn’t my finest hour despite the fact that the man is a first-class idiot.’
Woody didn’t agree or disagree but remained silent and allowed her to continue.
‘It was his treatment of the team that boiled my blood, sir, especially Stacey. He’d relegated her to tea girl and filing clerk. But his incompetence and lethargy towards a dead body was almost criminal. I’m not sure what case he’s waiting to run up and slap him in the face, but letting dead folks slip by because they’re not sexy enough is inexcusable.’
Still Woody said nothing.
‘I meant everything I said to him, but I should have said it privately. I accept that, and to be honest, that’s all I’ve got,’ she said, opening her hands.
‘Thank you for your explanation,’ he said, giving nothing away.
‘I’m guessing he really went in on me when he came up here,’ she said.