Steven Dunne - Deity

‘We’ve got them. But there doesn’t seem to be much money in there.’

‘I put fifty pounds in a week ago, Sergeant, but he’ll have spent most of it already,’ said Poole, shrugging his shoulders. ‘Kids, eh?’

‘Is he expecting further funds?’ asked Brook.

‘His EMA was cut but we put in the equivalent every Friday,’ said Alice. ‘Thirty pounds pocket-money.’

‘It’s a direct debit, straight from my account,’ announced Poole. Alice’s face darkened. ‘Should I cancel it?’

‘No,’ said Noble. ‘If he’s in the country, he may try to access the money. It would give us a lead.’

‘What about transport?’ asked Brook.

‘Transport?’

‘Does Kyle own a bicycle, for instance?’

‘He does,’ said Alice. ‘It should be in the garage.’

‘It’s still in there, Sergeant.’ Poole nodded. ‘I had it out yesterday. Got to stay trim at my age, you know.’

Brook answered his grin with a faint nod. ‘What about any driving experience?’ he said to Alice.

‘Not even a lesson,’ she replied.

‘I was going to-’ began Poole.

‘Len!’ snapped Alice, her hands splaying in exasperation. Len was puzzled by her outburst but remained silent.

‘What about Kyle’s mood?’ enquired Noble, filling the awkward silence that followed. ‘Maybe he was excited recently, buying new clothes, that sort of thing?’

‘No, nothing like that,’ said Alice. ‘The only thing Kyle was thinking about was his exams. He’s keen to do well. He wants to live in London eventually.’

‘Could he have gone there?’ asked PC Patel, in a high-pitched voice.

‘He doesn’t know anyone in London, so not without money, no.’

‘You told us Kyle’s on Facebook and we have his email account,’ said Noble. ‘Do you know if he’s on any other social network?’

Alice shook her head. ‘You mean Twitter? I wouldn’t have thought so. He’s just too shy.’

Brook nodded. ‘Can we see his room?’

‘Of course.’

‘Perhaps he has luggage missing.’

‘No, I told the other officer.’ She buried her head in the handkerchief wrapped tightly around her bony fingers. ‘It’s no use — Kyle’s dead. I can feel it.’

PC Patel put down her cup and placed her arms around the distraught woman. ‘You mustn’t think like that, Alice. We’re doing all we can. You’ve got to stay positive for Kyle.’

Len Poole ranged up behind Alice to put a pudgy hand on her shoulder but she shook it off.

‘Constable Patel’s right,’ said Noble. ‘And you said yourself, the passport is good news. It means he was planning a trip. There’s every chance he’s fine. He’s not in any of the local hospitals. .’

‘He wouldn’t be if he was lying dead in a ditch.’

‘After four or five days in a ditch the chances of finding Kyle’s body would be high,’ said Brook.

‘But if he was alive he would have contacted me. I’m all he has; he wouldn’t let me suffer like this.’

‘But he left his phone, love,’ said Poole. ‘Maybe he can’t contact you.’

‘But why leave his phone? That’s the point, isn’t it?’

‘What about his father in Stoke?’ asked Noble. ‘We’ve contacted him but he claims he’s not seen or heard from Kyle.’

‘That bastard,’ she spat out with surprising venom. ‘He hasn’t seen Kyle for five years, or wanted to, and Kyle would never go near him, the way he rejected us.’

‘But might he contact his father, let him know where he’s going?’

‘Before he spoke to me? No chance. But you’re welcome to ask.’

‘We will,’ said Brook. ‘I notice your house is for sale.’

‘We’re moving to Chester,’ she said. ‘We were there this weekend looking at houses. We’re just waiting for Kyle to finish his exams.’ Her lip began to wobble again.

‘You say he left his phone behind. Have you checked his calls?’ asked Brook.

‘I couldn’t. It’s not working.’

‘Mind if we try?’

She fished around in her handbag and pulled out her son’s mobile. ‘Here. And take his laptop from his room. If you can work out his passwords, maybe there’s an email or-’

‘We’ll send someone to collect it.’

Noble produced an evidence bag even though prints were already compromised. Mrs Kennedy dropped the phone in and Noble tried to turn it on through the plastic.

‘I’d give anything if Kyle was with his father, but he isn’t,’ said Alice. ‘That scumbag dumped us both as soon as he found out. .’ She hesitated.

‘. . as soon as he found out Kyle was gay,’ finished Brook.

Alice stared at Brook. ‘Yes. How did you know?’

‘Len told Sergeant Grey that Kyle was “sensitive”. I assumed that was code.’

She nodded. ‘Kyle is gay. Or he thinks he is. I was hoping it was just a phase.’

‘But he’s still a nice boy, Inspector,’ chipped in Poole.

‘And why wouldn’t he be?’ demanded Alice.

‘I’m sorry, love, I only meant-’

‘Does he have a boyfriend?’ interrupted Brook.

‘Don’t be disgusting,’ said Alice. ‘He isn’t like that. He isn’t. .’

‘What? Active?’

‘Not at all. I know Kyle.’

‘You didn’t know he applied for a passport,’ pointed out Brook.

The tears appeared again and Brook gestured to PC Patel, who provided further comfort. Brook didn’t enjoy this part of the job. Pushing and cajoling the vulnerable was distasteful but experience had taught him that such pressure ensured the best information.

When the tears subsided, Alice Kennedy tried again. ‘You don’t know him, Inspector. He’s kind and gentle and shy. He wouldn’t know how to approach. . people. . in that way.’

‘So you think he’s still a virgin?’ Remembering the distressing circumstances of his own estranged daughter’s loss of sexual innocence at fifteen, Brook made an effort to soften his tone.

Alice nodded. ‘He would’ve told me. Not that he didn’t fall in love.’

Brook smiled. ‘But from a distance.’

‘Exactly.’

‘And had he fallen in love recently?’

She looked up at him. ‘Yes, Inspector. I think he might have.’

‘Any idea who?’

‘He wouldn’t tell me anything like that.’

‘And might this person have been at Kyle’s party on Friday?’ asked Noble.

‘It’s possible, but I wasn’t there. Besides, it wasn’t a party, it was more of a gathering. He only had a handful of people he was friendly with. People like himself; shy, sensitive. He wasn’t going to bother celebrating at all, but they persuaded him.’

‘They, being?’ Noble held his pen poised over his notebook.

‘You’ve already got all the names I know. And there was only one other boy invited I knew about,’ replied Alice. ‘Russell Thomson. Rusty.’ In spite of herself she giggled then looked round guiltily.

‘What’s funny?’

‘You’re going to ask if Russell could have been Kyle’s. .’ She burst out laughing again. ‘No. He is not Kyle’s type,’ she concluded. ‘Rusty is even more shy and introverted than Kyle. He barely speaks when he meets you and when he does, he’s too afraid to even lift his eyes off the ground. He makes Kyle look like Russell Brand, doesn’t he, Len?’

‘It’s true,’ conceded Poole, with a tight smile.

‘And his mum is very pretty, isn’t she, Len?’

‘I haven’t met her,’ replied Poole. ‘You saw her at a school social evening, remember. I wasn’t there.’

‘Russell Thomson?’ Brook raised an eyebrow at Noble, who nodded. They had Thomson’s address. Brook decided not to ask who Russell Brand was.

‘And the two missing girls were also at the party?’ asked Brook.