ONE HUNDRED THREE

8.10 P.M.

Kim hadn’t expected to be visiting this house again.

The lady of the house answered the door.

Because she was looking for it, Kim saw the fear in her eyes before it disappeared behind irritation.

‘Really, Officer, this is now harassment. I’m not sure what you think we know?—’

‘Is the whole family home?’ Kim said, cutting her off.

This woman sure did use attack as a form of defence.

‘Yes, but I’m not letting you in to disturb?—’

‘Mrs Lane, I’m going to speak with the whole family, and I’m happy to do it out here. Loudly,’ Kim said, finally living off the fumes of her patience.

‘Come in,’ she said at last, standing aside.

Mrs Lane closed the door behind them as Derren came barrelling down the stairs. ‘Hope you don’t need me cos I’m off out,’ he said, grabbing for his jacket on the coat hook by the door.

‘Actually we need to speak to you all,’ Kim said, not moving from in front of the door.

He paused and then walked into the lounge. ‘Okay, but be quick,’ he said, throwing himself onto the sofa beside his brother.

‘It’s okay, Derren, I’m sure Joanne will still be there once we’re finished.’

‘Wh-What?’ Mrs Lane stuttered as the younger son’s mouth fell open.

Kim took a seat as Bryant lounged against the door frame. It was a subconscious move to stop people leaving the room.

‘That’s all over,’ Eric Lane protested, putting down his newspaper.

Kim ignored him and spoke directly to Derren. ‘I very rarely make assumptions in this job, but when Joanne told me she’d got too close to one of her cousins, I assumed she meant Boyce. Then it hit me that you were the one who was angry with every member of your family. Why? What had they tried to stop you from doing? But it hasn’t stopped you, has it? That’s just one of the secrets in this house.’

Mrs Lane had sat down and was looking at her son with utter disgust.

‘She’s your cousin,’ Eric spat.

Derren shrugged. ‘I love her,’ he said simply.

Mrs Lane turned on Kim. ‘Well, I hope you’re happy now. Feel free to see yourself?—’

‘That’s not the reason I’m here, and you know it.’

Mrs Lane looked to her husband in desperation, having no more tools left to use. The aggression and hostility were no longer working.

‘That got me wondering why you were so concerned about Boyce not being in his room last night. If you weren’t worried about him being with Joanne, what exactly were you so fearful of? What did you think he was doing? Why was your husband out looking for him?’ Kim asked, taking a guess.

‘She’s just overprotective,’ Eric answered, having taken over the speaking.

She noted that Boyce hadn’t yet uttered one word but continued to stare down at the ground.

‘I asked you about the rape the last time I was here, and I should have realised how uncomfortable that made you all.’

No one spoke.

‘Eric, I believe you set the trail on the Little Trekkers website in all innocence for people to enjoy. I believe that Boyce told you what he’d done to one of the women who was following it and you removed it.’

‘You think, you believe. What proof do you have?’ he asked as colour flooded his face.

‘You wear Old Spice, Mr Lane?’

He didn’t answer, but Kim remembered when he had passed her in the doorway last night. There had been no smell of alcohol, but she had smelled his aftershave.

‘And Boyce tends to copy a lot of things you do,’ she said, staring at the eldest son, who still chose not to speak. Instead, he was looking from his mum to his dad.

An unusual reaction given that she was accusing him of rape.

Suddenly, Boyce bolted for the door. Bryant stopped him easily.

‘If I’m wrong, give me a DNA sample and you’ll be immediately cleared. Yes or no?’ she asked.

‘No,’ Eric Lane answered before his son could speak. ‘He’s not giving you anything.’

And that was all the confirmation she needed. Boyce had done it, and his parents knew about it.

She approached the young man with whom she had never exchanged a word and looked right into his terrified little eyes.

‘Boyce Lane, I am arresting you for the sexual assault of Melissa Keene.’

By the time she’d finished the caution and placed cuffs on him, she was well and truly ready to go home.