Page 136 of Dying Truth

The Winters were front row left, seated beside the Coffee-Todd family. Of course, these parents would have pride of place. The memorial was for their children. Kim glanced around, wondering who would be here for Joanna.

She nodded to both families before speaking.

‘Mr Winters, have you seen Saffron?’ she asked.

He smiled tolerantly. ‘She’s getting ready to perform, officer. She has a solo.’

‘I understand that,’ Kim said respectfully. ‘But have you seen her back there?’ she asked.

He shook his head. ‘We wouldn’t disturb her before such an important performance. She needs time to collect her—’

‘Not even to wish her good luck?’ Kim asked, as she tried to still the panic growing inside her.

He frowned. ‘I sent her a text, telling her to break a leg.’

‘And did she reply?’ Kim asked, impatiently.

Winters reached into his pocket as alarm began to register on all of their faces. His hand trembled slightly as he scrolled down. He shook his head and held the screen towards her. ‘In fact, I don’t think it’s even been read.’

Kim looked and saw only the tick to say the message had been delivered but no read receipt.

He put his phone away. ‘What’s going on, officer?’ he asked, as his wife clutched his arm.

How the hell was she going to do this to a couple who had already suffered the loss of one daughter?

‘Sir, it appears that your daughter Saffron has gone missing. And no one has seen her for hours.’

Ninety-Seven

Dawson knocked once and then entered.

‘Hey, what the—’

‘Where’s Geoffrey?’ he asked, without preamble, glancing at the tidily made bed in the corner.

‘Geoffrey who?’ said the kid on the bed without looking up from his iPad.

The other two boys on the bed near the door guffawed and nudged each other.

‘Geoffrey Piggott, your room-mate,’ Dawson snapped.

The kid on the iPad shrugged. ‘Who cares?’

Dawson felt the rage ignite in his body at the superior dismissiveness of his tone.

‘I bloody care,’ he said, advancing towards him.

The kid finally looked up from whatever game he was playing. His young face set in a sneer.

‘Good for you, you’re the only one.’

Dawson wondered at what stage common decency entered the school curriculum, and yet even he knew that cruelty in kids was not limited to the privileged.

‘Hey, mister,’ said one of the kids from behind. ‘You care that much buy him some diet pills.’

The others laughed, and Dawson had a sudden vision of life for Geoffrey in this dorm room. No wonder he studied on a seat in the great hall. At least when he had been at school he’d been able to escape it at 3o’clock every day. This kid had no escape. He got tortured in lessons, sometimes by the teachers, at break time if he couldn’t find anywhere to hide and then when he came back to his room.

‘You think it’s funny to make his life a misery?’