on the upper side, toward Enderby village center, there were lights and a playing field for soccer. But before you emerged at that point, the net of foliage would brush your face as you walked. And you had to pass through the dark places where only a few spangles of dappled sunlight filtered down onto the footpath.
Some of the trunks in the thickets were a foot in diameter where the path narrowed to one foot, where it was most overgrown and studded with jutting rocks, where you passed through a narrow green tunnel. The sk y o ver your head could actually disappear for a moment in that lush green tunnel on Ten Pound Lane.
Robin Ashworth left work at 4:40 P . M ., and a short while after he got home, the phone rang. It was Sue Allsop asking for Dawn, explaining that she hadn't been home when Dawn dropped by. Robin told Sue he was sorry but Dawn hadn't come home yet.
After Sue rang off he decided to take the dog for a stroll. Sultan was an English setter he'd bought Barbara as a birthday present, but as Sultan grew older he needed a man's voice to keep him in control, so he'd become Robin's dog. Robin and Sultan walked the footpath that led to Blaby Road.
When Robin returned, he changed clothes for the party, but when Dawn wasn't home by the 7:00 P . M . deadline, her parents were worried enough that Barbara went alone just to deliver the birthday presents. Barbara returned anxiously at 7:30 P . M ., but Dawn still had not returned.
Barbara then drove to Sue Allsop's house and learned from Sue's mother that Dawn hadn't been seen since 4:30.
Barbara Ashworth wasn't quite frantic, not yet. Not until she searched the village streets and found both Sharon and Sue on a seat opposite the newsagent's shop in Narborough. The girls had no idea where Dawn could be.
Then Robin and Barbara began to search in earnest with the help of friends. Robin even walked the footpath bridge by the motorway, by Ten Pound Lane. Three or four joggers passed him as he walked. When he covered The Black Pad later that night it was hard to stay in control, hard not to think of the other girl, even though in high summer the light nights had brought to middle England a beautiful silver sky, with a pale wash of crimson cloud.
When the search proved futile, Robin and Barbara wanted to call the police at once, but realized they'd be asked what time Dawn was supposed to be in. They knew they'd be advised that Dawn had probably forgot they were going out, and would be home by the regular time: 9:30 P . M .
They waited until 9:30, but Dawn did not come home. They rang the police at 9:40.
Just as Eddie Eastwood had done on a freezing autumn night in 1983, Robin had searched all the logical places and tried to retrace Dawn's probable route from her friend's home in Narborough. Just as Eddie Eastwood had done, Robin Ashworth walked the footpaths. And just as Eddie Eastwood had done, Robin walked within a very short distance of his daughter, lying by the field Eddie had just mown, nearly halfway down Ten Pound Lane.
The next day, Friday, August 1st, found a large number of local policemen and tracker dogs searching the Narborough area for Dawn Ashworth. The significance of senior detectives being present at the footpath was lost on no one. A footpath by the mental hospital. A sensible fifteen-year-old girl who'd been happy at home. MA vu. The fields between Narborough and Enderby and the tree-lined footpaths were searched with negative results.
Robin and Barbara Ashworth spent Friday at home with two police inspectors who gave them what Robin called "a fair old grilling." The police didn't seem to accept anything they were told at face value but went off and checked each fact concerning Dawn Ashworth and all of her friends.
The house, garden shed and bungalow were searched, even up to the eaves in the roof. They didn't ask for an article of Dawn's clothing for their tracking dogs, which seemed to be trained only to look for disturbed undergrowth. A
Some of the trunks in the thickets were a foot in diameter where the path narrowed to one foot, where it was most overgrown and studded with jutting rocks, where you passed through a narrow green tunnel. The sk y o ver your head could actually disappear for a moment in that lush green tunnel on Ten Pound Lane.
Robin Ashworth left work at 4:40 P . M ., and a short while after he got home, the phone rang. It was Sue Allsop asking for Dawn, explaining that she hadn't been home when Dawn dropped by. Robin told Sue he was sorry but Dawn hadn't come home yet.
After Sue rang off he decided to take the dog for a stroll. Sultan was an English setter he'd bought Barbara as a birthday present, but as Sultan grew older he needed a man's voice to keep him in control, so he'd become Robin's dog. Robin and Sultan walked the footpath that led to Blaby Road.
When Robin returned, he changed clothes for the party, but when Dawn wasn't home by the 7:00 P . M . deadline, her parents were worried enough that Barbara went alone just to deliver the birthday presents. Barbara returned anxiously at 7:30 P . M ., but Dawn still had not returned.
Barbara then drove to Sue Allsop's house and learned from Sue's mother that Dawn hadn't been seen since 4:30.
Barbara Ashworth wasn't quite frantic, not yet. Not until she searched the village streets and found both Sharon and Sue on a seat opposite the newsagent's shop in Narborough. The girls had no idea where Dawn could be.
Then Robin and Barbara began to search in earnest with the help of friends. Robin even walked the footpath bridge by the motorway, by Ten Pound Lane. Three or four joggers passed him as he walked. When he covered The Black Pad later that night it was hard to stay in control, hard not to think of the other girl, even though in high summer the light nights had brought to middle England a beautiful silver sky, with a pale wash of crimson cloud.
When the search proved futile, Robin and Barbara wanted to call the police at once, but realized they'd be asked what time Dawn was supposed to be in. They knew they'd be advised that Dawn had probably forgot they were going out, and would be home by the regular time: 9:30 P . M .
They waited until 9:30, but Dawn did not come home. They rang the police at 9:40.
Just as Eddie Eastwood had done on a freezing autumn night in 1983, Robin had searched all the logical places and tried to retrace Dawn's probable route from her friend's home in Narborough. Just as Eddie Eastwood had done, Robin Ashworth walked the footpaths. And just as Eddie Eastwood had done, Robin walked within a very short distance of his daughter, lying by the field Eddie had just mown, nearly halfway down Ten Pound Lane.
The next day, Friday, August 1st, found a large number of local policemen and tracker dogs searching the Narborough area for Dawn Ashworth. The significance of senior detectives being present at the footpath was lost on no one. A footpath by the mental hospital. A sensible fifteen-year-old girl who'd been happy at home. MA vu. The fields between Narborough and Enderby and the tree-lined footpaths were searched with negative results.
Robin and Barbara Ashworth spent Friday at home with two police inspectors who gave them what Robin called "a fair old grilling." The police didn't seem to accept anything they were told at face value but went off and checked each fact concerning Dawn Ashworth and all of her friends.
The house, garden shed and bungalow were searched, even up to the eaves in the roof. They didn't ask for an article of Dawn's clothing for their tracking dogs, which seemed to be trained only to look for disturbed undergrowth. A
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