Chapter 21

It was after midnight when Kim took Barney outside for his last walk, and she still hadn't been able to shake off the memories of Katie Hawne.

That look of bewilderment while sitting on the sofa. The lost, childlike expression as she was being put in the car. But the image that wouldn't get out of Kim's head was the bright, infectious sparkle that had been present while she'd been doing her impromptu performance in the holding cells. She felt as though she'd met three different Katies in the space of one day, and she still wasn't sure which one was real.

‘Park tonight, boy,' she said, having already gauged the weather.

There'd been a dry spell about an hour ago, and she suspected that most of the dog walkers would have taken the opportunity to get their last walk in before the rain.

Neither she nor Barney minded the rain, and both were happy to weather it for an empty park.

She was pleased to see the small car park empty and after a cursory glance around established that only the two of them were stupid enough to be out in the wet.

She leaned down and unhooked his collar.

He ran off fifty feet ahead and then came back. It was a process he repeated until she put the lead back on him. It was as though he liked that taste of freedom but not too much. He could also smell the apple in her pocket that she brought for recall emergencies.

As she watched her dog's ritual, her mind returned to Katie Hawne. She hoped for a call early tomorrow from the doctor to say that she'd been faking and she was perfectly fit for interview. Yet a small voice inside insisted that wasn't going to happen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone. It sounded loudly in the silence of the empty park.

She reached to take it out, and Barney hurtled back towards her.

‘Wrong pocket, buddy,' she said before seeing the name.

‘Stone,' she answered as her heartbeat increased.

‘Let me first confirm that earlier today we were in agreement?' Keats said.

‘About what?' she answered. It was a bit late at night for an ‘I told you so' call.

‘The reason why Katie Hawne killed her mother.'

‘Not sure why we're having this conversation at midnight, but yes, I could see your point. Why?'

‘Because it turns out we were both wrong. We've got another one. Early hours of the morning.'

Kim stopped walking as her whole case crashed to the ground. A moment ago, she'd had one victim and one killer, and their time was being spent filling in the details. At no point had she considered the idea that Katie Hawne had not brutally killed her mother. But if Keats was correct and this crime mirrored the first, Katie could not have been responsible and they were already a good twelve to fifteen hours behind their killer.

‘Fuck. Text me the address,' she said, reattaching the lead to Barney's collar.

‘Already done,' he said before ending the call.

Her phone tinged receipt of a message as she put Barney in the car. She considered calling Bryant but decided against it.

‘Okay, buddy. You're gonna be my partner in crime tonight.'