Page 21

CHAPTER 21

MATTHEW – D AY T WO

‘Sally. You seen this?’ Matthew is at the kitchen island, waiting for the espresso machine to reach temperature. The television is across the large, open-plan space with the sound down.

There’s no response. Sally’s supposed to be lying down but he knows that she’s trying to phone Carol again on the quiet. ‘Sally. You need to come and see this.’ Matthew raises his voice as he moves across the room, frustrated that he can’t find the remote to turn up the volume.

He tries under the cushions on the sofa. Under some newspapers carrying coverage of the press conference about Amelie’s disappearance. He glances from surface to surface, all the while taking in the mute shots of a crowd, some carrying banners, outside a terrace. Finally he moves the fruit bowl on the coffee table to spy the remote on a pile of parish magazines behind it.

As he turns up the volume, he recognises the place. The Park Estate. Not a good locale. The scrolling headline says Demonstration over the search for missing Amelie Hill.

‘Reports are coming in of a demonstration linked to the search for Amelie Hill ...’ The news presenter puts her hand to her earpiece as if taking instructions. ‘These are live pictures just coming in now.’

He’s turning up the volume as Sally comes into the room to stand alongside him. ‘What’s going on? Have they found something? Have they found her?’

‘No. I mean, I don’t know. I assume no. Mel would have rung.’

They listen to the newsreader explain that demonstrators are demanding that a house be searched for Amelie. The home of a man who is apparently listed on the sex offenders’ list. There are banners. ‘PAEDO’. And ‘WHERE IS AMELIE’?

There is suddenly quite a lot of shouting as uniformed officers try to disperse the crowd.

‘What’s happening, Matthew? Could he have Amelie in there? This man they’re talking about. Is that what this is?’

‘I don’t think so, but I need to speak to Mel.’ Matthew feels his stomach clench. He wonders how the man’s name got out. ‘Mel told me all the names on the sex offenders’ register had been checked. Discounted one by one. Alibis sound. I don’t know what this is but it’s not good. This is local people getting wound up.’

‘But police sometimes make mistakes. You know that. What if they’re wrong? What if they didn’t check properly? What if she is in there?’ Sally has walked closer to the TV, her hand up to her mouth. ‘Ring Melanie. See what’s going on. Oh – good grief. What if she’s in there? In that house—’

‘Hey there, Sally. I don’t think she’s there, love.’ Matthew pulls Sally into a hug but she pulls away quickly to look back at the television. ‘Let me try to find out what’s going on.’

Matthew dials but the number goes to answerphone just as the news coverage cuts to a reporter live at the Park Estate who is now with a senior police officer. Matthew recognises him as a superintendent. He doesn’t remember the name and wonders where the hell Mel is.

The reporter thrusts his microphone right under the officer’s chin. ‘Is this address a new lead? What can you tell us? And what is your comment on this demonstration?’

‘This is not a lead, this is dangerous activity which needs to stop,’ the superintendent says as his name is confirmed on-screen. ‘We understand how upsetting it is that Amelie has not yet been found but I can assure you we have the best team doing everything possible to find her. There is no lead here. No evidence pointing here. We cannot have people taking matters into their own hands. This crowd needs to go home and leave the search for Amelie to us.’

‘You must be aware there are rumours on social media. A name’s been shared. People are angry. Worried.’

‘I’m not going to comment on what is being inappropriately shared on social media,’ he says. ‘All I can say is there is no suspect here and this protest appears, in essence, to be harassment. And I am warning that if there is any illegal activity online or in person here, we will take action and bring charges very swiftly. This is a serious police investigation and this isn’t helping. People need to trust us. We are grateful for the search support we’ve had so far and for all the calls into the incident room but this behaviour here tonight is totally out of line. Unhelpful. And I am warning that people need to go home and to leave the inquiry to the police. Or we will be making arrests.’

Matthew dials and put his mobile to his ear as the news cuts away to more live shots of the Park Estate which appear to show at least two people struggling with police, apparently resisting arrest.

At last she picks up. ‘Mel. I’ve been wondering what’s happening. Why you haven’t phoned. Answered my messages. We’re watching the local news—’

‘Yeah. Me too on my phone. A right pickle.’

‘So what the hell’s going on? Why aren’t you there? Did the super overrule you?’

‘Look. I’m sorry I haven’t phoned but it’s been manic. I’m actually travelling back from talking to Adam Meadows.’ There’s a pause as Matthew takes this in. A punch to his gut.

‘You’ve found the Meadows? Where? Why didn’t you tell me? And what do you have? Any firm lead? What’s Dawn saying?’

‘We’ve done searches and found nothing. We haven’t found Dawn, only the husband. Turns out they split up years back. They don’t have contact any more according to Adam. I have my team chasing the information he gave us to try to track down Dawn as soon as we can.’

‘He could be lying.’

‘And you think I haven’t considered that?’ Her tone’s changed and Matt checks himself.

‘Sorry. Sorry. I’m a bit all over the place.’

‘No problem. Look. I’m sorry you found out watching the news, I didn’t have time to warn you. Word is the local community already knew the name of the guy out at the Park Estate. They’ve been gagging for an excuse to target him. Amelie’s disappearance has been the petrol on a bonfire the locals were already building. We’re trying to calm it all down before things turn even nastier.’

‘So they all definitely have alibis. The names on the sex offenders’ list.’

‘All thoroughly checked, Matt. Like I told you before. Alibis checked. And homes searched just for good measure. There’s no lead from the local list but we’re also running an ANPR check on any number plates that cross-ref with other forces.’

‘Good. Good.’ Even as he speaks, Matthew realises that he will have caused offence questioning all this. Mel is good. She will have followed all the normal procedures. And then some.

‘I’m sorry,’ he says. ‘I didn’t mean to doubt you. We’re just going quietly mad here.’

‘I understand. I can’t imagine how it must feel. And for the record, I didn’t tell you about the Adam Meadows interview because I was afraid you’d try to beat me to him. Do something stupid.’

Matthew closes his eyes tight and realises she’s right. That’s exactly what he would have done. Tried his utmost to get the address and question Adam himself.

At last he opens his eyes and looks back at the TV where the crowd is finally dispersing as two men are loaded into a police van.

‘Looks like they’re breaking it up.’

‘Yeah. The super’s about to ring me. Word is he missed a dinner to cover for me. So I’m looking forward to that conversation.’

There’s a long pause. Matthew watches the news programme cut back to the presenter and move on to another story. He presses the mute button.

‘We’re going to find her, Matthew. I’m doing everything I can, I promise you.’

He doesn’t answer, not because he doesn’t believe her but because it is every kind of hell, knowing as much as he knows. Too much . The statistics. The ticking clock. The question booming in his head. He believes that Mel will find his daughter but won’t say the subtext out loud. Will it be in time. Alive? Will you find her alive, Mel?

Instead he says, ‘Can we meet again, Mel? Talk through where we are. The details.’

She doesn’t answer.

‘Please, Mel.’

‘Depends if the FLO can cover. We can’t have Sally on her own.’ A pause. ‘What time does Carol say she’s landing tomorrow?’

‘You know about Carol ?’ Matthew is shaken. He was both planning and dreading to tell her face to face. That’s why he wants to meet.

‘Yes. Sally messaged me. You know we’re going to have to check that Carol really has been in France. And if so, precisely how long? If it turns out she’s on a flight back, as she’s told Sally, we’ll be picking her up at the airport. You do know that?’