Close to Home (DI Adam Fawley #1)(69)

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Dora Brookes We just got back from a few days away and just saw this terrible news. I don’t know what to do. I saw a man putting something into a skip on our street that afternoon, the 19th. We’re about half a mile away from the Canal Manor estate. I know it was then because it was the day we left. He had one of those bright yellow protective suits on, and a hard hat. There’s so much building going on round here I didn’t think anything of it at the time. But now I’m wondering – could it have something to do with Daisy’s disappearance? I went and had a look just now and the house is empty and there’s still no one on site. It doesn’t look like work has even started, so why would a workman have been there? What do people think? I couldn’t see what it was he put in the skip, so it may be nothing at all. But I don’t want to waste the police’s time

24 July at 16.04

Jeremy Walters I think you should call the police right away.

24 July at 16.16

Julie Ramsbotham I agree – don’t worry about bothering the police – they’d rather know, I’m sure. Then they can check it out properly.

24 July at 16.18

Dora Brookes Thanks both – I will.

24 July at 16.19

*

Richard Donnelly lives in a big 1930s semi just outside Wolvercote. It’s very much like the Rahijas’ house, in fact, but minus the deprivation, the drugs and the general dreariness. When I draw up outside I can see him emptying luggage out of the car. He has the haggard look of a man who’s just enjoyed two weeks of uninterrupted quality time with three small children.

When I introduce myself he becomes immediately wary.

‘I told you, Inspector, I can’t divulge anything about the Mason family without the appropriate authorization.’

‘I know, Dr Donnelly. I’m not going to ask you to do that. What I propose to do is to tell you what we already know, and then ask if you can give me some general background. Just basic medical information. Nothing specific to the Masons.’

He considers. ‘OK, I can live with that. Why don’t you come through and I’ll ask my wife to make some tea. Why is it you can never get halfway decent tea abroad?’

‘It’s the milk,’ I say, realizing I sound just like Sharon Mason.

The back garden is desperately in need of both a water and a mow, but there’s a bench under a pergola that has a view over Port Meadow. I can see four or five creamy-coloured horses with a scatter of brown spots. They’re standing so still, and in such perfect composition, that they hardly look real. But then a tail swishes and the illusion dispels. We brought Jake to see those horses once, after someone at Alex’s office said one of the mares had had a foal. It must have been only two or three days old, skipping and leaping and frisking its little tail. We could barely tear Jake away.

‘I had no idea you were so close to the Meadow.’

‘In the winter,’ says Donnelly, putting down two mugs, ‘from my son’s room, you can see the spires.’

I wait for him to pour the tea, and then I start. ‘There are two things we know now which we didn’t know when DC Everett first contacted you. The first is that Leo Mason is adopted. The second is that his biological mother was an alcoholic.’

He says nothing, but I can tell from his face that this isn’t news to him, even if it was to me.

‘So, Dr Donnelly, what can you tell me about the long-term effects of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome?’

He looks sceptical. ‘Purely theoretically?’

‘Purely theoretically.’

He puts down his mug. ‘Don’t tell me you haven’t googled it.’

‘Of course. But I want to hear it from you.’

‘OK, here’s the official version. As you’ve probably gathered, the effects on the child can vary very widely but the common denominator in most cases is neurological damage. That causes a spectrum of learning difficulties from mild to severe. There are also physical complications – there can be hormonal problems and organs like the liver and kidneys can be affected.’ He hesitates. ‘Stomach upsets can be another symptom. It’s quite rare, but it can happen.’

Nuka the puker, I think. And then, how savagely observant kids can be.

‘The most common physical sign is here.’ He puts his hand to his face. ‘That groove between your mouth and your nose? That’s called the philtrum. In kids with FAS it’s often underdeveloped. It’s quite distinctive, when you know what you’re looking for.’

It’s what I noticed about Leo, almost the first time I saw him. But I didn’t realize its significance. Not then.

‘Can it be tested for? Physiologically, I mean?’

‘No, there’s no definitive test. And that can compound the problem. FAS can often be mistaken for autism or ADHD, even by an experienced practitioner, because some of the behaviour is very similar – these kids can be hyperactive and their physical coordination can be poor. They have the same struggles with empathy too, so they often have trouble establishing relationships and dealing with other people. Especially in groups.’

‘So kids like that could be easy targets for bullies.’

‘Sadly, yes. And they don’t usually deal with it very well if it does happen. They’re not good at thinking through the consequences of their actions, so they have a tendency to act impulsively, and that can just make a bad situation worse.’