Page 57 of Little Children

What if she was as bad as the rest of them?

Thirty-Four

Penn knew that his task with Dickinson was two-fold. No one had managed to get a read on this particular officer yet. He spent a great deal of time listening but not much talking. And the second objective was to observe Noah’s parents and see if anything stood out as suspicious.

Thinking of suspicious behaviour, Penn decided to remain quiet on the journey to the Reid family home. If the moment they were alone he started firing questions at Dickinson, there was a chance he could blow their whole cover. He also had to take time to slide into the persona he’d been instructed to adopt.

The role of ambitious young officer wasn’t as big a stretch of the imagination as the one Bryant was being asked to convey, but it was still pretty alien. Ambition had never been part of his make-up. He’d never been competitive and had always focussed on the journey, not the destination. If he enjoyed something, he did it, but he didn’t feel the need to win at it.

So far, Dickinson had hardly spoken to any member of the team, barely even looking their way unless he had to. Penn had to tread carefully.

No words had been exchanged by the time Dickinson pulled up outside a semi-detached property with a double drive just three miles out of Blackpool.

‘Let me do the talking, okay?’ Dickinson said as they got out of the car.

‘Of course,’ Penn answered. He knew next to nothing about the case anyway.

The door was answered before they got anywhere near it.

‘Mr Reid,’ Dickinson said, holding out his hand.

The man shook it while never taking his eyes from Dickinson’s face.

Dickinson shook his head as Mrs Reid appeared beside her husband. A small sob escaped from the woman’s lips as they let him into the house. They followed them down the corridor into the kitchen, Dickinson introducing Penn as they went.

‘Why would someone from Birmingham be interested in Noah?’ Mr Reid asked as he reached for the kettle.

‘Not for me,’ Dickinson said, holding up his hand. ‘It’s more of an observation exercise. The Birmingham team have little to do with Noah’s case. That’s being handled by the officers you know.’

Both parents appeared reassured by that fact, and Penn fought the urge to clarify that the Black Country was not Birmingham. Although factually correct, Noah’s parents wouldn’t give a shit.

‘I just wanted to drop in and catch up. Are you sure you won’t consider a family liaison officer? They could…’

‘No,’ Mrs Reid said emphatically. ‘I don’t want a stranger in my house. The place feels weird enough.’

From the photos on the wall, it appeared that Noah was an only child, so unlike with the Stevens family, there wasn’t even the distraction of other children running around.

Dickinson took a seat at the kitchen table opposite Mrs Reid, while Mr Reid remained close to the kettle. Making drinks was the most common displacement activity, regardless of the situation.

‘He’s going to be out there again tonight, isn’t he?’ Mrs Reid said, glancing towards the kitchen window, where darkness had now fallen.

Dickinson neither denied nor confirmed it. ‘Every officer working is looking out for him, and our enquiries continue through the night. We have people talking to shop and restaurant staff, and we’re uncovering more potential witnesses all the time. It only takes one person to have seen something, and?—’

‘I still don’t get it,’ Mr Reid said, shaking his head. ‘You say he left the pier and we were right across the road. How could he just disappear?’

Penn didn’t feel like the man was expecting an answer to the thoughts he was letting come out of his mouth.

‘He’s not going to do well, you know,’ Mrs Reid said, clasping her hands together. ‘He’s not a tough boy. He’s never had to fend for himself. He’s eleven. He only just started high school. He’s never even been camping.’ Tears were gathering in her eyes.

Mr Reid left the kettle and took a seat beside his wife, his face full of concern and fear. ‘It’s okay, love. They’ll find him. And he’s stronger than you think,’ he soothed her, taking her hand.

‘But this’ll be his third night,’ she said, turning towards her husband. ‘He’s never been away from us for that?—’

Her words were cut off as Mr Reid pulled his wife into his chest and allowed her to sob against him.

‘We won’t intrude any further,’ Dickinson said, getting to his feet. ‘I just wanted to reassure you again that we are doing everything we can to find Noah and to let you know we’re here to support you too. The minute we find out anything, you’ll be the first to know.’

Mrs Reid removed her head from her husband’s chest. ‘Thank you.’