Deadly Cry: An absolutely gripping crime thriller packed with suspense (Detective Kim Stone Crime Thiller Book 13)
Page 28
‘No, Sean. It’s true.’
‘So you ringing to tell me you believe me?’ he asked suspiciously, as though she was playing some kind of joke on him.
‘Oh, I believe you all right, Sean, seeing as we now have in custody the person who actually did it.’
Silence.
More silence.
‘Sean, are you there?’
‘Seriously, are you shitting me?’ he asked with a tremble in his voice.
Stacey felt a tear prick her eye. ‘No, I’m not shitting you. We know you’re innocent, the victims know you’re innocent and as soon as the paperwork is sorted you can get out of that place and tell anyone who will listen that you’re innocent.’
‘I don’t… I mean… I just… is this real?’ he asked, and Stacey could tell that the man was in tears.
She felt the emotion gather in her throat. ‘Yes, Sean, it’s real. You’re getting out.’
‘It’s not doing the time, you know. I can cope with that. It’s…’
‘Being convicted of something you didn’t do. Being labelled a rapist instead of the cocky bleeder you really are,’ she said with a smile in her voice.
‘Not so much any more,’ he said hoarsely.
That arrogance had got him convicted.
As Sean pulled himself together on the other end of the phone, she took a moment of pride at her own part in this process. Even without Penn’s prompting she had taken the case because of the injustice done to Lesley Skipton. She couldn’t have known that following the thread of that case would lead to an even greater injustice. Most police officers she knew objected equally to the right person not doing the time as they did to the wrong person doing time. It wasn’t numbers they sought but justice.
‘So, Sean, take care and stay good, yeah?’
‘Will do, Stacey. And… thank you.’
Stacey ended the call, wiped a tear from her eye and headed out of the boss’s office.
One Hundred Eight
Kim stood at the window of the squad room looking out of an empty office on to the car park below. Most of her team was enjoying some time at home after a physically and emotionally exhausting week. Most of her team, but not all.
Her own debrief of the case with Woody had ended only moments earlier and many subjects had been covered.
After congratulating her, Woody had informed her that West Mercia were drafting lengthy press statements that both appeared to offer support to their superintendent while putting distance between them at the same time. Kim was unsure how they were going to manage both simultaneously, but she also knew that the police force itself couldn’t find Lena Wiley guilty before a jury had and so would ensure extensive legal advice had been sought before uttering one word.
The TV news was over it, but every local newspaper servicing both West Midlands and West Mercia was still spewing out the gory details and wringing every last morsel of life from the story. Frost was no exception about which Kim was not surprised. Kim knew the woman possessed some measure of morals, but she also knew she had a boss and readers to satisfy.
During the meeting with Woody, the knowledge that she had been right in her approach in reaching Christopher via the local media had hung in the air between them. Neither of them had mentioned it, but both she and Woody had come to the agreement that given recent events, most specifically her inability to follow an instruction she thought was wrong, promotion to DCI was not a viable prospect right now. Something Kim had told him at the beginning of the week.
Then they had briefly discussed career progression within her team, outlining potential opportunities for Stacey in particular.
And it was with Stacey that her thoughts had stayed. There had been easier cases to look at in the shuffles, but Stacey had chosen the toughest, most complicated case, which spoke volumes about the woman and police officer she had become. She was about to embark on a new stage of her life with her marriage to Devon, about which she couldn’t now shut up since Penn had offered Jasper’s services to make them a wedding cake.
She had grown in both ability and confidence far beyond Kim’s expectations. There was no case they worked where Stacey didn’t impress her just that little bit more, she thought as the officer herself came into view on the car park.
Stacey had asked if she could bring in Lesley Skipton to meet with Chris, if both parties were agreeable. She had felt it would offer Lesley some closure, some understanding of why she had felt certain emotions in connection with her attack, maybe even give her the chance to move on.
All parties had agreed, and the meeting had just taken place.
Stacey had no idea that Kim was watching as she hugged Lesley and then put her into a waiting taxi.
Kim knew that Stacey had no idea how far she’d come in the years they’d worked together; she had grown drastically in her ability to feel empathy, her humanity, her willingness to go a step beyond. She was a police officer to her core, a bloody good one, and she didn’t even know it.
Woody knew it and she knew it, and as Kim watched the detective constable wave away the taxi, she knew it was time for things to change.
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Books by Angela Marsons
Detective Kim Stone prequel
FIRST BLOOD
Detective Kim Stone series
1. SILENT SCREAM
2. EVIL GAMES
3. LOST GIRLS
4. PLAY DEAD
5. BLOOD LINES
6. DEAD SOULS
7. BROKEN BONES
8. DYING TRUTH
9. FATAL PROMISE
10. DEAD MEMORIES
11. CHILD’S PLAY
12. KILLING MIND
13. DEADLY CRY
Other Books
DEAR MOTHER
THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN
Available in audio
Detective Kim Stone prequel
FIRST BLOOD (Available in the UK and the US)
Detective Kim Stone series
1. SILENT SCREAM (Available in the UK and the US)
2. EVIL GAMES (Available in the UK and the US)
3. LOST GIRLS (Available in the UK and the US)
4. PLAY DEAD (Available in the UK and the US)
5. BLOOD LINES (Available in the UK and the US)
6. DEAD SOULS (Available in the UK and the US)
7. BROKEN BONES (Available in the UK and the US)
8. DYING TRUTH (Available in the UK and the US)
9. FATAL PROMISE (Available in the UK and the US)
10. DEAD MEMORIES (Available in the UK and the US)
11. CHILD’S PLAY (Available in the UK and the US)
12. KILLING MIND (Available in the UK and the US)
Other Books
DEAR MOTHER (Available in the UK and the US)
THE FORGOTTEN WOMAN (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from Angela
First of all, I want to say a huge thank you for choosing to read Deadly Cry, the thirteenth instalment of the Kim Stone series and to many of you for sticking with Kim Stone and her team since the very beginning. This was a book I enjoyed writing from the moment I picked up the pencil and I hope you enjoyed it too.
If you did enjoy it, I would be forever grateful if you’d write a review. I’d love to hear what you think, and it can also help other readers discover one of my books for the first time. Or maybe you can recommend it to your friends and family… And if you’d like to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the website link below.
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The idea for this book was sparked while writing one of the earlier novels where sibling rivalry was touched upon in relation to child geniu
s. The thought stayed with me and grew as questions began to form. What are the long lasting effects of such rivalry that starts at an early age? What can prompt fierce competition between people who grow up together? How far and how deep can such rivalry go?
As with all my books the more I read about the subject the more intrigued I became with the psychology behind this particular family dynamic.
In addition, I’ve wanted to explore the science of graphology. I have had my own handwriting analysed twice over the years and have found the results to be frighteningly accurate.
I'd love to hear from you – so please get in touch on my Facebook or Goodreads page, Twitter or through my website.
Thank you so much for your support, it is hugely appreciated.
Angela Marsons
www.angelamarsons-books.com
FIRST BLOOD
A Detective Kim Stone Novel
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In the darkness of a cold December morning, Detective Kim Stone steps through the doors of Halesowen Police Station. She’s about to meet her team for the first time. The victim of her next case is about to meet his killer…
When the body of a young man is found beheaded and staked to the ground in a secluded area of the Clent Hills, Kim and her new squad rush to the crime scene.
Searching the victim’s home, Kim discovers a little girl’s bedroom and a hidden laptop. Why is his sister relieved to hear he’s dead – and where is the rest of his family?
As Kim begins to unearth the dark secrets at the heart of the case, D.C. Stacey Wood finds a disturbing resemblance to the recent murder of Lester Jackson. But that’s not all Stacey finds…
She’s convinced there is a link between the victims and a women’s shelter run by Marianne Forbes, Lester’s niece. A child of the care system herself, Kim knows all too well what it means to be vulnerable. Could Marianne be the key to cracking this case?
With the killer about to strike again, Kim is in deep water with a rookie squad. Inexperienced Stacey is showing signs of brilliance but struggling to hold her nerve and, while D.S. Bryant is reliable and calm, D.S. Dawson is a liability. With his home life in pieces, his volatile behaviour is already fracturing her fragile new team.
Can Kim bring Dawson in line and pull her crew together in time to catch the killer before another life is taken? This time, one of her own could be in terrible danger…
Discover where it all began for Kim and her team. An absolutely heart-stopping mystery thriller that will keep you glued to the pages, reading late into the night. Perfect for Kim Stone fans and new readers to the million-copy bestselling series.
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SILENT SCREAM
Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 1
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Even the darkest secrets can’t stay buried forever…
Five figures gather round a shallow grave. They had all taken turns to dig. An adult-sized hole would have taken longer. An innocent life had been taken but the pact had been made. Their secrets would be buried, bound in blood …
Years later, a headmistress is found brutally strangled, the first in a spate of gruesome murders which shock the Black Country.
But when human remains are discovered at a former children’s home, disturbing secrets are also unearthed. D.I. Kim Stone fast realises she’s on the hunt for a twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades.
As the body count rises, Kim needs to stop the murderer before they strike again. But to catch the killer, can Kim confront the demons of her own past before it’s too late?
An utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestselling author Angela Marsons.
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EVIL GAMES
Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 2
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The greater the Evil, the more deadly the game…
When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.
With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.
Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing.
And this time - it’s personal.
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LOST GIRLS
Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 3
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Two girls go missing. Only one will return.
The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.
When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.
And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad.
Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour…
Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?
An utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestselling author Angela Marsons.
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PLAY DEAD
Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 4
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The dead don’t tell secrets… unless you listen.
The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess.
Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime.
Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next?
As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …?
An utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestselling author Angela Marsons.
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BLOOD LINES
Detective Kim Stone Crime Thriller Series Book 5
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How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace?
A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up.
When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet.
Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother.
As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of
dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…
A totally gripping thriller that will have you hooked from the very first page to the final, dramatic twist.