Alison leaned forward and clawed at her hair as if searching for thoughts. ‘And that will make it all go away, will it?’
‘Of course not, love.’
‘Maybe I could have one of those disgusting fags to go with it. Disappear behind a cloud of smoke like Mum does every time she can’t cope.’
‘No one’s suggesting—’
‘All I want is my daughter back home where she belongs.’
Palmer nodded. ‘I’m so sorry to have to deliver such terrible news. I’ll arrange for a Family Liaison Officer to visit. I’ll call you in the morning and arrange for a car to come and pick you up. Please believe me, we’ll do everything we can to make sure the person responsible for this horrendous crime faces justice.’
‘What exactly is justice?’ Christine asked. ‘Twenty years in jail and out in half the time for good behaviour?’
‘I—’
‘It’s a bloody joke. It’s as if the system forgets what they’re inside for in the first place. Of course they’re gonna behave to get out early.’
‘I understand your frustration, but let’s just take this one step at a time and try not to look too far ahead.’
‘That’s easy for you to say,’ Christine said. ‘It’s not you who’s gonna be stuck in this moment forever. Who’s gonna be lying awake night after night asking why this had to happen.’
Alison looked up, tears blurring her vision. ‘Have you got kids?’
Palmer shook his head.
‘Then you’ll never understand how I feel, will you?’
He had no answer to that. ‘I’m sorry. All I can do is promise to do my very best to put whoever’s responsible behind bars.’
Alison stood holding the back of the chair for support. Terry tried to put his arm around her, but she brushed it away. She wanted to be alone. Her baby was dead. So cruelly taken in the blink of an eye. It felt as if her heart was a black hole, and she had absolutely nothing left to live for. She’d failed the one person who’d completely depended on her, and she was going to have to take that failure to the grave with her.
Overhead, the first rain for eight weeks fell from a darkening sky. Thunder rolled across the hills to the west of Feelham, as if heralding the beginning of the end for Alison and her family.
Chapter Twenty
Wednesday morning found Sonia barely able to function. She hadn’t slept since her son’s arrest on Monday night. Gareth had helped her to move some essential belongings to her parents’ house at the top of Heritage Road while Bluebell Cottage was sealed off as a crime scene. She’d packed some of Mathew’s clothes and put Tortilla in his vivarium, but she didn’t think Mathew would be joining them any time soon.
Bernard Halsey, her father, sat in a cream leather chair puffing away on a pipe. ‘There’s no way on earth that lad could hurt anyone. It’s not in his nature.’
‘They found him sitting next to that girl’s body,’ Sonia said. ‘Sometimes the truth doesn’t matter when the police have already made up their minds.’
‘If Mathew didn’t do it,’ Bernard said, ‘then they’ll have no evidence against him.’
‘What if he touched her? Tried to resuscitate her?’
‘I don’t think trying to administer first aid is reason enough to convict someone of murder.’
Her mother didn’t agree. ‘I’ve seen plenty of programmes where people are sent to jail for crimes they didn’t commit. Look at that Steven Avery case in America.’
‘This isn’t America,’ Bernard reminded her.
‘What about Timothy Evans, then?’
‘Who’s he?’ Sonia asked.
‘He got hanged for murder.’
Bernard puffed on his pipe. ‘Good God, woman, that was in the last century.’
‘It was still a British court and a British jury that hanged him.’
Bernard pushed his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. ‘Next you’ll be quoting injustices from the Victorian era.’
‘I’m only saying.’
Sonia plucked at a thread on her yellow blouse. ‘I know he’s not been right since… well, you know… but I never dreamt anything dreadful like this could happen.’
‘The lad’s as docile as a spring lamb,’ Bernard said. ‘Let’s have no more talk like that. How long’s it been since his arrest?’
‘They took him away at about half seven Monday night.’
Bernard looked at his watch. ‘Well, it’s almost ten o’clock. That’s a good thirty-six hours by my reckoning. I thought they had to let him go after twenty-four hours if they haven’t charged him with anything.’
Sonia shook her head. ‘Gareth said it’s different for murder. The police can apply to keep questioning a suspect for up to ninety-six hours. It breaks my heart to think of him all alone in that police station.’
‘At least Gareth’s with him,’ Pam Halsey said. ‘And the solicitor. I’m sure—’
Sonia’s phone rang and displayed Gareth’s name on the screen. ‘Hello?’
‘Hi, Mum. It’s Gareth.’
Sonia tried to speak, but her voice was as lost as her mind.
‘What is it?’ Bernard asked. ‘Has something happened?’
‘Mum?’ Gareth repeated. ‘Are you there?’
Sonia couldn’t speak. Tears glistened in her eyes.
‘Mum?’
Bernard asked his daughter who it was. When she didn’t answer, he took the phone from her. ‘Hello? Bernard Halsey speaking.’
‘Hi, Granddad, it’s Gareth. They’re gonna release Mattie around midday.’
‘Hey! That’s great news. Have they charged him with anything?’
‘No. But he has to surrender his passport and remain at a fixed address while the investigation is ongoing.’
‘How’s he bearing up?’
‘He’s not saying much. They had to restrain him because he kept banging his head against the desk. I don’t think he really understands what’s happening to him.’
‘Poor lad. Does he remember anything at all about being in the shed?’
‘Only that he was sitting by Jodie’s body when we got him out of there.’
‘What a mess.’
‘For what it’s worth, I reckon someone drugged him, then put Mattie and the girl together in the shed.’
‘But who on earth would do such a thing?’
‘I’ve got my suspicions. But I don’t think this is the time or the place to be talking about it.’
‘Quite. Let’s just concentrate on getting the lad home safe. Then we’ll take it from there.’
‘How’s Mum taking it?’
‘As well as can be expected. I think she’ll feel a bit better once Mathew’s here.’
‘Okay. I’d better go. Give my love to Mum and Nan.’
‘Will do.’ Bernard disconnected the call.
‘Have they charged him with anything?’ Sonia asked, heart thumping.
Bernard shook his head. ‘They’re letting him come home at midday.’