job.â
âAnything like
this
?â
âNo.â
âAnd you were never up close, were you? It was always admin, never the sharp end of things. You wouldnât have been in the interview room or at Kimberâs flat if DC Greegan hadnât keeled over with the flu.â
In the car-park lamplight, their faces were smudged with shadow under the eyes, their cheekbones pinched white with the cold.
âHeâd be better off dead.â
It was what Anne Beaumont had said. Stella shook her head. âHe didnât do it.â
âHeâs walking the streets now.â
âJack, he didnât kill her.â
âHe did other things. You were in that flat.â
Stella said, âYouâve got something to say. Say it.â
He walked off a little way, disputing with himself, then came back. âMy wife was raped, it was before I met her, he stalked her for a while, that came out later, but she hadnât known about it, then he raped her, heâd done it to five other women, stalking at first, it always started that way, then raping, they didnât catch him, not when my wife was attacked, they caught him after that, after heâd attacked two other women, this was seven years ago, she was twenty-eight, but I didnât know until a few months back.â
He stopped as if heâd run out of story or out of breath, then shrugged suddenly and dropped his cigarette and trod on it and lit another.
âWhen did you get married?â Stella asked.
âFour years ago.â
âWhat changed things for her?â
âHe was released. Simple as that. They let him out. She couldnât take it.â
âA few months back,â Stella guessed. Cuddon nodded. âHow is she now?â
âDifficult to tell,â he said. âShe doesnât live with me any more; she lives in Prozac Land. A happy place where happy people smile happily all day long.â
The wind had a real edge. Stella wiped away tears with her cuff. âYou wasted my time, Jack. I was an ace off charging him. Worse than that, whoever did kill Valerie Blake has been given more time.â
âHeâs walking the streets now,â Cuddon said. âKimberâs away free.â
âGo home, Jack. Youâre looking lousy. Thereâs something going round. Weâll have to find someone else. Iâm really sorry.â
âAre you?â
âBelieve me.â
âHeâs walking the streets,â Cuddon said again. âWho knows what could happen?â
Mike Sorley was swimming in paper. He raised a hand as Stella came in: not waving but drowning. He said, âHeâs gone â?â
âComing down with the flu,â Stella said.
âIâll ask for a replacement.â He checked his watch and lit up. âWhy did he do it?â
Stella told him.
He said, âIt wasnât on his file.â
âIâm not sure anyone knows.â
âIt should have been on his file.â After a moment, he added, âIt is now.â
*
Stella was in the womenâs room. She emerged from a cubicle to find Maxine Hewitt washing her hands for the fifth time.
âThey sent you,â Stella suggested. âThe rest of the team.â
âThey sent me, yes â to ask whatâs happening.â
Stella mentioned Jack Cuddonâs illness and Maxine observed that there was definitely something going round. Stella washed her hands and held them under the warm-air dryer; they were still cold enough to tingle slightly.
âWhy did he do it?â Maxine asked.
Stella told her.
Maxine said nothing until they were walking down the corridor to the squad room. âI suppose weâre lucky he didnât kill the bastard.â
Stella said, âI suppose so.â Then, âOf course, he still might.â
14
Robert Adrian Kimber: Hello. Weâve never met, but Iâve been reading about you. Now that the police scene
Maggie Brendan
Barbara O'Connor
Jan Washburn
Terri Blackstock
Norah Simone
Barry Kemp
G.P. Taylor
Alan Cumyn
Linda Barnes
Lisa Jackson