Chapter 44

‘Nobody seems to have done particularly well out of the pageant business,' Bryant observed as they headed towards an unremarkable area of Dudley.

Kim understood his point. The dressmaker to the baby stars lived in a flat above his shop in Bewdley, and a sought-after make-up artist lived in a shoddy-looking end terrace with a walk-through meadow for a front garden.

Bryant shook his head as he pulled up outside the house. They all had their little pet peeves and one of Bryant's was the state of people's front gardens. He hated being badgered into doing his own, but he did understand Jenny's insistence on keeping it tidy.

‘One sec,' Kim said as her phone tinged a notification. It was the one she'd been waiting for. Frost's article was live on the Dudley Star website.

She clicked in and began to read.

Bryant peered over and seeing what had her attention sat back and waited in silence.

Kim read the piece quickly, looking for sensationalism or the inclusion of unnecessary gruesome details. She found none. She read it again, slowly, to ensure that nothing had been printed that could adversely affect Katie in any way. There was nothing.

‘She's not done a bad job,' Kim grudgingly admitted, putting her phone away. The piece was interesting but factual, sympathetic without sentimentality, and made no mention of any activity in the custody suite.

‘You gonna give her a break then?' Bryant asked as they got out of the car.

‘I'm gonna assume that question was rhetorical,' Kim answered, approaching the gate.

Bryant laughed as they traversed the weeds that had grown alongside and between the paving slabs. At the top of the path, he knocked the door.

It was answered hurriedly by a woman in her late thirties with tied-back brown hair and a tee shirt sporting the name of a local funeral director.

‘I'm an atheist,' she said, trying to close the door just as swiftly as she'd opened it.

‘Good for you,' Kim said, placing her foot in the way and producing her ID.

‘Oh, sorry, thought you were Jehovah's. They love estates like this. Think we all need saving. What now?' she asked impatiently, looking up and down the street. ‘Whatever it is, I didn't see nothing, and I didn't hear nothing.'

Kim was warmed by her community spirit and willingness to aid the police.

‘Jenna Bond?' Kim asked.

The woman nodded.

‘Then it's you we need to speak to.'

‘About what?' she asked, folding her arms.

‘May we come in?' Kim asked, trying to let her first impressions take a little time. One of the best lessons she'd learned from Bryant was not to act on her first wave of irritation.

‘Not really. The place is a mess, and I've got to get to work.'

As though sensing her incoming second wave of irritation, Bryant stepped forward. ‘We'll try not to keep you, Ms Bond, but we'd appreciate your help regarding a very serious matter.'

She sighed heavily and stepped aside. Okay, that took more words than if Kim had just knocked her out of the way to gain entry, but it was far less likely to result in a formal complaint. Go, Bryant.

‘Look, I haven't got long,' Jenna said, walking through to the kitchen.

‘Maybe you could call work and tell them you might be a bit late,' Bryant suggested pleasantly. ‘We really do need your help, and we wouldn't keep you if it wasn't urgent.'

‘Jesus, fine,' she said, grabbing her phone.

Bryant sometimes had that effect on people. There was something about him people liked immediately. Her, not so much.

Jenna typed out a quick text message and put her phone down.

‘Thank you, Ms Bond,' Bryant said.

‘Call me Jenna. You've got further through those doors than any man has in years.'

Kim gave him a brief nod to tell him to lead the questioning. It was still a mystery how some people just didn't warm to her immediately, but you had to make use of the tools you had available.

‘Jenna, I'm not sure if you've seen the news, but we're working a major investigation that appears to be linked to the pageant world.'

‘What? Some little brat got their flipper in a twist?' she said and then chuckled at her own joke.

Bryant smiled his appreciation. ‘We have two victims. Both mothers of girls involved in events where you did hair and make-up back in your pageant days.'

‘Wh-What?' she asked, taking a seat. All the amusement had slipped from her face. Her phone dinged a message which she ignored.

‘Our first victim was named Sheryl Hawne. Our second victim was Andrea Shaw.'

She shook her head. ‘Give me the kids' names. I knew them better.'

‘Sheryl was mum to Katie, and Andrea was mum to Toyah.'

‘Oh…Oooh,' Jenna said, frowning.

Kim's mouth wanted to open, but part of the point of letting Bryant lead sometimes was to get the best information. She had to trust that he'd ask the right questions.

‘Two quite different reactions there. Not both were a surprise to you?'

‘I suppose both should be cos, like, we're talking murder, but I can far easier understand someone being pissed off at Sheryl than Andrea.'

It seemed that now she had placed the girls, memories of the mums were coming back to her.

‘Why's that?'

‘Oh, well, I don't really want to say now I know she's?—'

‘Not being honest won't help her,' Bryant reassured her. ‘Nor will it help us find the person responsible.'

Jenna nodded, accepting his permission to be candid.

‘Sheryl was a bitter pill. Very driven, very focussed. Didn't even seem to enjoy it. Everything was about being the best, getting the best service, getting Katie done first. Lots of the other moms just gave in because it was easier than making her into an enemy. I'm sorry to say she was one of the least-popular moms on the circuit. Katie, bless her, was a sweetheart. Clearly embarrassed at times by her mother, but she wouldn't say boo to a goose. She'd just hang her head in shame when Sheryl started on her antics.'

‘What sort of antics?' Bryant asked.

‘Oh, making a show of herself if she didn't get her own way. She'd garner support from some of the other moms and make threats.'

‘Against who?'

‘Everyone: service people, organisers, announcers, judges. Anyone she felt wasn't giving Katie the attention she deserved.'

‘Did she ever threaten you?'

She shrugged. ‘Sometimes. Now and again, she'd bring in a photo of how she wanted Katie to look, and if I couldn't replicate it completely, she'd scream about it to anyone who'd listen. She'd threaten me with non-payment or getting me thrown off the circuit, of blackening my name, ruining my reputation.'

‘And what about Andrea?' he asked.

‘Chalk and cheese. Andrea was a laugh. She didn't take it too seriously. She didn't scold Toyah if she got stuff wrong, or ignore her, or drag her out by the arm. They had a chuckle, watched the other girls and then got a burger on the way home.'

The next question was burning on Kim's lips, but she held it in.

‘If they were so different, can you imagine anything they had in common?'

That was the question she'd been waiting for Bryant to ask.

‘Well, Andrea was lovely, but she was easily manipulated. When Sheryl decided to rally the troops, she'd get Andrea on side first, and cos a lot of moms trusted Andrea, they'd follow suit as well.'

‘Anyone in particular spring to mind?' Bryant asked.

She thought about it for a good few minutes.

‘There was a woman with a little blonde girl, Carol or something.'

‘Carly?' Bryant offered hopefully.

Her face softened. ‘Yeah, that's the one. Sweet girl, always helping other kids. Zipping them up or straightening their ruffles. Always friendly, always pleasant, but her mom…'

‘Is already deceased,' Bryant said. ‘Natural causes.'

‘There may have been others who joined Sheryl's little gang now and again, but I can't recall for sure.'

‘It sounds like you had a good time and were very much in demand, so why are you no longer in the business?' he asked.

‘Kids,' she said too quickly. ‘I wanted kids, and the travelling didn't work for me any more.'

It was only because Kim was watching her closely that she detected her explanation wasn't the truth. It might have been close to the truth, but it wasn't the whole of it.

Bryant looked her way to signal he was done.

‘Just one last question, if you don't mind,' Kim said.

‘Crack on. Boss will already have docked me half an hour.'

‘Do you remember any particular incident where this little group might have really pissed someone off? Someone who might have been severely affected by their behaviour?'

‘Not that I can—Oh, hang on. Of course, there was a dressmaker, Kevin or?—'

‘Kelvin Hobbs?' Kim interrupted sharply.

‘Yes, yes, that's him. Made the most gorgeous dresses for those girls. Every one was a masterpiece.'

‘And?' Bryant asked.

‘There was an overcharge or something. If I remember correctly, Katie had put on a couple of pounds between fittings. The dress needed alterations which cost money. Sheryl didn't want to pay and accused him of not taking the correct measurements. Everyone knew he was right. She was hardly fat, but Katie had gained a little weight. Kelvin chose that hill to die on and wouldn't back down. He demanded payment up front or no dress.'

‘What happened?'

‘She paid for the dress, got it, and then pulled her little group together and complained to the organisers.'

‘About pricing?' Bryant asked, frowning.

Yeah, Kim was pretty sure the organisers wouldn't have entered into such petty squabbles. It would have needed to be something bigger to get their attention.

‘As if Sheryl was going to fight fair,' Jenna scoffed. ‘She told them he'd touched her child inappropriately. They took him to the side and warned him there would be a full investigation and that the police would be called.'

‘I'm sensing he was presented with another option?' Bryant asked.

‘To step away from any events involving little girls and the matter would go no further.'

‘Did he do anything wrong?' Bryant asked.

‘Not to my knowledge. It was a revenge attack that forced him out of the business.'

‘But other mums went along with it?' Kim asked.

‘Of course. The best place to stand is behind a bully. That way they can't set their sights on you.'

Kim appreciated the analogy but felt a wave of compassion for Kelvin Hobbs, even though he hadn't been truthful with them.

They thanked Jenny for her time and saw themselves out.

Bryant sighed. ‘I'm starting to realise that pageant moms are not all that popular with—' He stopped speaking as her phone rang.

‘Hey, Keats, the kids aren't giving you too much trouble, are they?' she asked of Penn and Tiff.

‘I'm not there,' he said gravely.

Her stomach flipped. She needed no further explanation.

‘Okay, wherever you are, we're on our way.'