Page 56 of Guilty Mothers
‘Don’t tell me she’s…No, you can’t be…’
Kim nodded.
‘Jesus Christ, sorry Lord,’ he said, glancing upwards. ‘What the devil is going on?’
‘That’s what we’re hoping to find out. Were the two of them close?’
‘None of the mothers were close. They didn’t go for coffee or the occasional night out. These women don’t really make friendships; it’s more like they form alliances against a common enemy.’
‘And did they?’
‘N-Not that I can recall specifically. To be fair, they were very different people.’
‘Is there anything you can remember that might have linked them?’ Kim asked.
‘They used the same make-up woman, I think, but then so did many other moms.’
‘Got it,’ she said, standing. ‘You’ve been a great help.’
He stood and moved towards the door.
‘Last thing,’ Kim said as a thought occurred to her. ‘You clearly enjoyed the pageant world, so why did you leave it?’
‘It was just time to move on,’ he said, unlocking the door.
She would swear she saw a slight tension tighten his jaw.
‘There must have been something,’ she pushed, stepping over the threshold and onto the pavement.
The face looking at her now was completely different to the affable one they’d seen inside the store. His expression was wary and guarded.
‘Nothing I care to share, Inspector. Safe travels and have a good night.’
Before she had the chance to ask anything further, the door had been closed in her face.
Two minutes ago, Kelvin had been candid and informative, offering insight and background. He’d been a co-operative helper, and now she had to wonder if he was something more.
‘Strange,’ Bryant observed.
‘Which particular part?’ Kim asked as they approached the car.
‘The part where he said the mothers formed alliances against a common enemy but was unable to give us anything further.’
Yes, what the hell was that all about?
THIRTY-SEVEN
The welcome from the Denches’ next-door neighbour couldn’t have been more different to the one they’d received from Logan and his mum.
Within minutes of knocking the door, Tiff and Penn were seated at the kitchen table with a cup of tea and a plate full of digestives.
‘Now, tell me how I can help,’ Doris Winslow said, pushing the plate towards Tiff.
After wondering if she particularly looked like she needed feeding, Tiff took a biscuit but held it in her hand. ‘Not sure if you’ve seen the news, Mrs Winslow, but we recovered a body from one of the Dudley fishing lakes. The man was James Nixon, a very good friend of your neighbours.’
‘Oh no, poor man.’
‘Did you know him?’ Tiff asked before taking a nibble of her biscuit.