on court days and when it wasn’t her turn to do the school run, she generally left David to wait at the gate.’
‘Nine years old?’
‘Well … it was daylight, cars generally passing, the lift would be regular and reliable … not sure we should apportion much blame for that.’
‘Someone knew just when … what day, what time.’
‘Or maybe we’re way out. I wanted to turn this over with you now because when we get back to thestation – unless David has been found – all hell is going to be let loose. The television and press will begoing national, calls will be flooding in. Get me another of these rolls, will you? Eat while you can.’
On the way out to the car Simon stopped to look at a bench under the great oak tree. ‘ In memory of Archie and May Dormer. They loved to sit here .’
‘Peaceful. I’ll bring Em out here next time we do a bike ride. She’d like to live in a place like this. In her dreams.’
‘You never know … keepa lookout for a cottage … something like that row over there.’
‘Archie and May’d have ’ad one of them. People could then. We ain’t got a prayer, they’ll be two hundred grand.’
‘Keep looking … you never know. Come on, Nathan, where’s your cheer?’
‘Wherever the kid is,’ Nathan said starting the car.
Fourteen
‘The small English cathedral town of Lafferton is in shock today after the disappearance of nine-year-old schoolboy, David Angus … This is a blow to a place which has still not recovered from last year’s murders. David Angus, son of a consultant neurosurgeon and a solicitor was last seen …’
‘Bloody hell, kids ain’t safe at their own flaming front gate now …’
‘Heard it on the one o’clocknews. They haven’t found him then?’
Michelle Tait scissored open a packet of frozen pizzas and turned on the gas oven. ‘Turn up in a ditch somewhere, won’t he, like that little girl down in Kent.’
‘He might have gone off on his own. Gone to a mate’s.’
‘Don’t be stupid.’
‘Sort of thing I did all the time.’
‘Yeah, well. This kid isn’t like that. Nice family, private school, posh house … theydon’t, do they?’
‘Why does having all that make him less of a nine-year-old kid?’
‘Use your cells. You want a pizza?’
The offer sounded grudging.
‘No, I’ll get something down the Ox later.’
‘Afford to drink all right, can’t you?’
‘What, two halves?’
‘You been to the jobcentre again?’
‘Yes. And I’m looking in the paper.’
‘Plenty of jobs … look, rows of jobs there …’
‘Right.’
‘You gotno room to be picky, you know.’
‘I’m trained. I’m not stacking supermarket shelves.’
‘Trained. Right.’
‘Yeah, trained, which is more than most people round here can say.’
‘OOOOHH. Bloody good job you got me and Pete “round here” though, ain’t it?’
‘You want me out? OK. I’ll get out.’
‘Where?’
‘Someone I know.’
‘Pigs might fly.’
‘You remember Lee Carter?’
Michelle sat down at the kitchentable opposite him and lit a cigarette. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Walked into him in the street. Drives a BMW convertible.’
‘I bet he does. You went down for four and a half years for the likes of Lee Carter. Are you off your head?’
‘He’s straight. Making a fortune.’
‘Oh sure.’
‘I could work for him, no sweat.’
‘Planting cabbages?’
‘He’s got a business … like this sort of executive club.’
Michellegave him a look that could have stripped paint.
‘Not what you think.’ Andy heard his own voice, talking up Lee Carter, sounding defensive. His sister was right of course. What the hell was he thinking about?
Only it was something. He’d gone over it a lot since Lee had driven him out to his house, shown off, told him where it was all coming from, thought about it and asked around. He was graduallypicking up some of the old threads – the right ones. He was being careful. He knew what he wanted.
‘Nine years old?’
‘Well … it was daylight, cars generally passing, the lift would be regular and reliable … not sure we should apportion much blame for that.’
‘Someone knew just when … what day, what time.’
‘Or maybe we’re way out. I wanted to turn this over with you now because when we get back to thestation – unless David has been found – all hell is going to be let loose. The television and press will begoing national, calls will be flooding in. Get me another of these rolls, will you? Eat while you can.’
On the way out to the car Simon stopped to look at a bench under the great oak tree. ‘ In memory of Archie and May Dormer. They loved to sit here .’
‘Peaceful. I’ll bring Em out here next time we do a bike ride. She’d like to live in a place like this. In her dreams.’
‘You never know … keepa lookout for a cottage … something like that row over there.’
‘Archie and May’d have ’ad one of them. People could then. We ain’t got a prayer, they’ll be two hundred grand.’
‘Keep looking … you never know. Come on, Nathan, where’s your cheer?’
‘Wherever the kid is,’ Nathan said starting the car.
Fourteen
‘The small English cathedral town of Lafferton is in shock today after the disappearance of nine-year-old schoolboy, David Angus … This is a blow to a place which has still not recovered from last year’s murders. David Angus, son of a consultant neurosurgeon and a solicitor was last seen …’
‘Bloody hell, kids ain’t safe at their own flaming front gate now …’
‘Heard it on the one o’clocknews. They haven’t found him then?’
Michelle Tait scissored open a packet of frozen pizzas and turned on the gas oven. ‘Turn up in a ditch somewhere, won’t he, like that little girl down in Kent.’
‘He might have gone off on his own. Gone to a mate’s.’
‘Don’t be stupid.’
‘Sort of thing I did all the time.’
‘Yeah, well. This kid isn’t like that. Nice family, private school, posh house … theydon’t, do they?’
‘Why does having all that make him less of a nine-year-old kid?’
‘Use your cells. You want a pizza?’
The offer sounded grudging.
‘No, I’ll get something down the Ox later.’
‘Afford to drink all right, can’t you?’
‘What, two halves?’
‘You been to the jobcentre again?’
‘Yes. And I’m looking in the paper.’
‘Plenty of jobs … look, rows of jobs there …’
‘Right.’
‘You gotno room to be picky, you know.’
‘I’m trained. I’m not stacking supermarket shelves.’
‘Trained. Right.’
‘Yeah, trained, which is more than most people round here can say.’
‘OOOOHH. Bloody good job you got me and Pete “round here” though, ain’t it?’
‘You want me out? OK. I’ll get out.’
‘Where?’
‘Someone I know.’
‘Pigs might fly.’
‘You remember Lee Carter?’
Michelle sat down at the kitchentable opposite him and lit a cigarette. ‘Are you serious?’
‘Walked into him in the street. Drives a BMW convertible.’
‘I bet he does. You went down for four and a half years for the likes of Lee Carter. Are you off your head?’
‘He’s straight. Making a fortune.’
‘Oh sure.’
‘I could work for him, no sweat.’
‘Planting cabbages?’
‘He’s got a business … like this sort of executive club.’
Michellegave him a look that could have stripped paint.
‘Not what you think.’ Andy heard his own voice, talking up Lee Carter, sounding defensive. His sister was right of course. What the hell was he thinking about?
Only it was something. He’d gone over it a lot since Lee had driven him out to his house, shown off, told him where it was all coming from, thought about it and asked around. He was graduallypicking up some of the old threads – the right ones. He was being careful. He knew what he wanted.
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