Page 53 of Guilty Mothers

Something somewhere in the pageant world linked their victims. Had they been involved in something then that had come back to haunt them now? If so, what had they done ten years ago that would revisit them now? Was it something to do with their daughters? Someone else’s child? The competition? Rivalry?

With those questions in mind, it made sense to start talking to some of the people who had likely dealt with their victims back then.

THIRTY-SIX

A bell tinged above them as they entered the premises of Sew Cute in Bewdley.

A man sat side on to them in front of a top-of-the-range Singer sewing machine. It appeared that the shop space was divided into two halves. To the left were small garments with sales tags on, and to the right were garments which looked like alterations hanging on a long rack.

‘Kelvin Hobbs?’ Kim asked, taking a step forward. There was no reception or desk, so it was unclear where shop space and workspace divided.

‘I am he,’ he said, standing.

‘Got time for a chat?’ she asked, holding up her ID.

‘Oh my, about what?’

‘Our current investigation.’

‘Well, of course. Do you prefer downstairs or up there?’ he asked, pointing out back.

Kim looked past him. ‘Why, what’s up there?’

‘My flat.’

‘Down here is fine,’ she said, looking towards the front door. She didn’t want their chat to be constantly disturbed by the tinging of that bell.

‘Almost the end of the day anyway,’ he said, walking past her. He turned the sign to closed and locked the door.

She guessed him to be mid-forties from his face but a bald patch that he was valiantly trying to cover aged him by a further ten years. He was wearing knee-length shorts and a colourful tee shirt.

‘Bear with me,’ he said, heading out back. He returned with a couple of metal chairs. ‘There, that’s better.’

‘We understand you’re well connected in the pageant world,’ she said, taking a seat.

‘Oh, not any more. Ten years ago maybe.’

‘You may still be able to help us, Mr Hobbs.’

‘Kelvin, please,’ he said, holding up his hand. ‘The only Mr Hobbs I know disowned me when I made my first dress, but that is a whole other story.’

‘Okay, Kelvin, we understand that you were chief dressmaker to the pageant girls back in the day.’

‘I was indeed,’ he said proudly before letting out a long sigh. ‘I was very much in demand. Couldn’t keep up with orders. I was turning people away,’ he finished wistfully.

‘Do you miss it?’ Bryant asked.

‘Sometimes. I got to meet such a lot of lovely little girls. Not all of them. Some were brats; proper spoiled little madams.’

‘What about the mums?’ Kim asked.

‘Oh, all of them were brats,’ he said and laughed, leaving Kim to wonder if he was serious or not.

‘What drew you towards the industry?’ Kim asked, wondering how exactly that happened. Was it a detour from another career or what he had always dreamed of doing?

‘Oh, I’d loved reading about pageants since learning of the medieval May Day celebrations.’

‘The what?’ Kim asked.