Close to Home (DI Adam Fawley #1)(48)
‘And the school bag?’
‘No sign.’
‘Shit.’
‘It doesn’t mean it wasn’t here – it could easily have gone in the fire, given it was almost certainly plastic. Or they could have got rid of it. They’ve had the best part of a week, after all.’
‘Got rid of it like they got rid of her.’
Challow takes another swig of water. ‘Sounds like you need cheering up. There is one element of your theory that survived the flames. Mason’s pick-up. It’s round the corner in Waterview Crescent. I’ve got a tow truck coming.’
‘In full view of the press. Bloody marvellous.’
‘Not much I can do about that, I’m afraid. Tow trucks don’t really do discreet.’
‘But you know what’s going to happen, don’t you? Yet more fodder for the feeding frenzy.’
‘Perhaps they’ve learned their lesson.’ He gestures around him. ‘All this carnage. Someone could have got killed. Thanks to sodding Twitter.’
‘Learned their lesson? I’m not banking on it.’
*
09.09
MtN @Nuckleduster1989
LMFAO Someone with some balls took out those fucking #Masons last night – hope they all died
09.10
MickyF @TheGameBlader666
@Nuckleduster1989 Just heard on the news – cant believe it – creds to whoever had the nuts – #Masons
09.11
PeedoHunter @Peedofiletracker
@Nuckleduster1989 @TheGameBlader666 HAHAHA – u shd have seen it go up – fuckin awesum!!!!
09.12
PeedoHunter @Peedofiletracker
@Nuckleduster1989 @TheGameBlader666 didn’t think it took but suddenly BOOOOM!!! Thatll teach the peedo bastards
09.17
MickyF @TheGameBlader666
@Peedofiletracker Wish I lived close – wd have joined in! Hope the pigs don’t catch on to you @Nuckleduster1989
09.19
PeedoHunter @Peedofiletracker
@TheGameBlader666 No sweat on that – pigs round here don’t know there arses from there knobs #twats
09.20
Zoe Henley @ZenyatterRegatta
As far as I can tell the father wasn’t in the house when it caught fire. Just the mother and brother #DaisyMason
09.21
J Riddell @1234JimmyR1ddell
If anyone’s guilty in the #DaisyMason case it’s the mother. Hard-faced cow – no wonder hubby was forced to go elsewhere
09.21
J Johnstone @JaneJohnstone4555
@1234JimmyR1ddell That’s a pretty sexist view, if you don’t mind me saying so
09.21
J Riddell @1234JimmyR1ddell
@JaneJohnstone4555 Might not be a popular POV, but everyone I’ve spoken to thinks she’s the guilty one #Masons
09.22
UK Social Media News @UKSocialMediaNews
Our poll is still open, as it stands 67% think Sharon Mason is guilty, 33% say Barry. 23,778 votes in so far #DaisyMason
09.23
Lilian Chamberlain @LilianChamberlain
Does anyone know how Leo Mason is? He breaks my heart, poor little kid. Stuck in the middle of all this
09.23
Lilian Chamberlain @LilianChamberlain
And now he’s lost his home and all his possessions into the bargain #DaisyMason
09.29
Angela Betterton @AngelaGBetterton
@LilianChamberlain I know what you mean. But they’ve moved the family now – I saw them driving away in a police car last night
09.29
Lilian Chamberlain @LilianChamberlain
@AngelaGBetterton Thank God for that – he’s the one innocent in all this tragic mess #DaisyMason
09.32
Kathryn Forney @StarSignCapricorn
@LilianChamberlain Funny you say that, I was reading about a US case where a mother was convicted of killing her baby daughter . . . @AngelaGBetterton
09.33
Kathryn Forney @StarSignCapricorn
. . . then years later DNA proved it wasn’t her. She’d been covering up for her other kid the whole time . . . @LilianChamberlain @AngelaGBetterton
09.34
Kathryn Forney @StarSignCapricorn
. . . It was the 10yo brother who’d done it. It was the brother who was the killer @LilianChamberlain @AngelaGBetterton #DaisyMason
*
In the first-floor front bedroom of the Comfy Inn, Leo is standing looking out of the window. Sharon is out shopping and Everett – who cursed herself for forgetting to bring a book – has resorted to playing four-suit solitaire on her mobile phone. Someone told her the odds of it coming out are over 300 to one. So far she’s done it 176 times. It hasn’t come out.
Every now and again she glances up to check on Leo, but for the last half hour the boy hasn’t moved. Two pigeons are walking up and down on the windowsill outside. Every now and again they clatter against each other, beating their wings.