‘I’m talking of butterflies.’
‘And I’m talking about real-life little girls.’
He said nothing.
‘What went wrong with Melody?’
His face hardened.
‘Why wasn’t she set free like the rest?’
He folded his arms and regarded her silently. His face was emotionless.
Now she’d brought it up, she had no choice but to commit to that line of questioning.
‘Why didn’t you set Melody free once she’d aged past your optimum expectation?’
No response.
‘Why is Melody not out there living her life like the first two?’
No response.
‘Did you decide that looking was no longer enough?’
No response but another tightening of the jaw.
‘Did she fight back when you tried to touch her?’
No response but she could see he was struggling to keep the emotion from his face.
‘Or did you feel so guilty afterwards that you’d succumbed to your true desires?’
She saw the almost imperceptible movements of his head to the side.
‘Was there something about Melody that woke those urges in you?’
His gaze fixed on her.
‘Did you kill Melody and bury her at Hawne Park?’
His eyes blazed.
‘Did Melody die because she knew you were a paedo—’
‘Stop,’ he said, slamming his fist down on the table.
‘Is there something you’d like to say, Mr Harte.’
‘Yes, Inspector, there is something I’d like to say. I think it’s time to call my lawyer.’
Thirty-Nine
‘Hope you all got something from that,’ Kim said as she and Bryant entered the squad room. ‘Cos it looks like that’s the last intimate chat we’ll be having.’
Steven Harte had been handed back to Jack, the custody sergeant, to make the necessary calls.
She wondered briefly if he was trying to run down the clock. It was almost seven and his legal representative wouldn’t be attending until the morning, which meant he was now off limits for at least twelve to fourteen hours of the initial twenty-four she had to hold him.
No matter how much control she thought she had, he was still calling the shots.
‘Glad to see you followed my advice,’ Alison said, nodding at the screen.
‘You stay calm and rational while interviewing the sicko,’ Kim snapped.
‘I meant about the tea,’ Alison said easily. ‘I’d have kicked him in the bollocks about two minutes in but hey ho, that’s why I do the job I do.’
Kim laughed loudly and wondered if Alison was one of those people that was impossible to offend, but she guessed the behaviourist knew her well enough by now to accept there was no malice behind her tone. Just frustration.
Kim kept her attention on Alison. ‘You got anything for me?’
‘Oh, I think I’ve got some stuff, but I’d like to go over the recording a few times before I report.’
Kim nodded her acceptance. She wasn’t getting another run at him until tomorrow anyway.
‘Stace?’
‘I’ve ruled out more girls, boss, but I’m still in double figures.’
‘Penn?’
‘Started whittling down the projects, boss.’
She glanced around her team. ‘Has anyone got anything that’s gonna help us find Grace Lennard this side of some much-needed sleep?’
Her team looked exhausted. They had pulled out all the stops to provide surveillance on Harte last night, and Stacey hadn’t even been home at all. She knew Stacey’s wife, Devon, would understand, having a high-pressure job herself.
A collection of despondent ‘nos’ was the reply. If there had been the chance, not one of them would choose to leave, however rough they were feeling.
To prove her point, their efforts in collecting their belongings were sluggish, as though she might change her mind.
‘Seriously, guys, go get some rest. Briefing at seven.’
‘Okay, whoever wants me most gets to give me a lift home,’ Stacey said to Penn and Alison. ‘I have a hot date with a chicken curry and a furry giraffe.’
Alison raised an eyebrow before answering. ‘Not me tonight, matey – I’m hanging on here for a bit.’ She was cleared to view the footage but not remove it from site.
‘Gotta go the other way, Stace, to pick up Jasper from Billy’s house. It’s brother-bonding night, which consists of picking up a McDonald’s and then me watching him fight his mates on the Xbox.’
Kim glanced at Bryant.
‘Well, even though I wasn’t even in your top two I’m happy to drop you off.’
‘Oh, Bryant, you are my knight in a shining Astra,’ she said, heading for the door.
He stood. ‘Stace.’
She turned just in time to catch his car keys.
‘I’ll be down in a minute.’
He waited for a few seconds and then looked pointedly at Alison.
‘What?’
‘I reckon Betty’s all but giving away any leftover muffins right now.’
‘Ooh, back in a minute,’ she said, launching herself from the room.
‘What now?’ Kim asked, folding her arms.
‘Hey, I caught that micro-organism on your face just then, and I’m not gonna have a go about anything.’
‘Micro-expression,’ she corrected him unnecessarily.
‘Watch him, guv. He’s trying to get under your skin. He’s drawing too many parallels with you. I don’t know his game, but it’s not me he’s playing it with. It’s your attention he wants. Just something to bear in mind.’
Bryant had been afforded the luxury of sitting and watching the whole exchange.
‘Thanks, Bryant, now get lost and give Jenny my love.’
He offered her a mock salute and headed for the door.
A small part of her regretted not telling him about Alexandra Thorne. He was a wise man, and she trusted his judgement.
But with what she was about to do, she wasn’t equally sure she could trust her own.
Forty
Alex knew something special was happening, and she didn’t need to ask the guard what it was. She didn’t get marched over to the visitors’ centre at eight o’clock for any old caller. It had to be someone with power, someone with authority and someone who didn’t like to be told no.
She was heartened to see the detective inspector sitting at a table in the centre of the room looking straight at her. As usual she was dressed from head to toe in black, her long legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles.
Her face was unreadable, but Alex had an idea of what she was feeling. Her curiosity had outweighed her determination to stay away, and right now she was feeling pretty mad at herself for giving in to her own emotions. Oh, she did enjoy those little revelations of humanity in the woman.
‘How lovely to see you, Kim,’ Alex said, taking a seat. ‘Thank you for coming.’
‘Cut the bullshit, Alex. What do you want?’
‘I’m just offering appreciation for your efforts at this time of—’
‘Normally when you ask to see me it’s because people are going to get hurt, so who is on your hit list this time?’