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And she would indeed be putting it to bed.
SEVENTY-EIGHT
Kim could see from the upstairs window that someone in the household was up. Being such an early riser herself, she wasn’t sure what time constituted an early morning call.
‘Guv, do you mind telling me why we’re here again?’ Bryant asked.
‘Mind telling me why you can’t follow a simple instruction on your start time?’
He didn’t answer as she unbuckled her seat belt.
He went to do the same.
‘I won’t be long,’ she said, leaping out of the car.
Charlotte answered the door wearing cropped trousers and a tee shirt. ‘Hi?’
‘Just wanted to make sure you were okay after yesterday.’
‘Please come in. I’m just fixing Mum’s breakfast. She’s in there,’ Charlotte said, pointing to the lounge. ‘Can I get you a coffee?’
‘Yes, please. Is Ella here?’
‘She’s getting a well-deserved lie-in.’
‘And how’s your mum?’ Kim asked.
Charlotte beamed. ‘It’s a good day today.’
Kim stepped into the lounge and smiled at Mrs Danks. ‘Hello again. How are you?’ she asked, taking a seat on the sofa.
‘Who are you? What are you doing here? I’ll call the police.’
‘It’s okay, Mrs Danks. I am the police. I’m not going to hurt you.’
The woman grunted and looked away.
Kim sighed. ‘So sorry to learn you’re unwell, Mrs Danks. It must have been terrible for you when you first noticed the symptoms of your dementia, especially after caring for someone with the exact same disease. You must have known exactly what was coming and how it was going to progress.’
Mrs Danks said nothing.
‘I bet you were terrified you’d never see Charlotte again, or if you’d recognise her when you did.’
A tear formed in the woman’s eye.
‘I can only imagine how you must have felt, knowing what was coming and yet still having normal capacity most of the time. Still able to wash and dress yourself, cook, clean. Drive.’
The DVLA records listed Mrs Danks as the registered owner of the small blue Fiat Panda.
The woman’s gaze met hers and what Kim saw was pure, heartbreaking fear.
Kim touched her hand lightly, not envying the future that she faced. It didn’t need to be any worse. She’d suffered enough. They all had.
‘Unfortunately, Mrs Danks, I fear they’ll never find the person responsible for TerenceBirch’s accident, so I’m not able to offer any update on that. The investigation into the other driver is about to be closed.’
The fear was ebbing, but her gaze remained guarded.
‘I understand that you have good days and bad, but it’s okay to enjoy the good days to their fullest. Do you understand, Mrs Danks?’
