‘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.
‘I heard them screaming,’ he says, tracing his finger on the glass.
Everett jolts alert. ‘Sorry, Leo, what did you say?’
‘I heard them screaming.’
Everett puts the phone down and comes to the window. She forces herself to stand and watch the pigeons for a few moments before saying, ‘Who was screaming, Leo?’
He’s still staring at the birds. ‘It was in the night.’
‘When was this?’
He shrugs. ‘Dunno.’
‘Was it Daisy?’
There’s a long pause, and then he says, ‘It was the birds.’
‘The birds?’
‘On Port Meadow. There are seagulls there. I went once. There are lots of them. They make a really bad noise.’
Everett finds herself breathing again. ‘I see. And they make that noise even in the dark?’
Leo nods. ‘I think they must be unhappy.’
Everett makes to reach for him, hesitates, but then bends quickly down and puts her arms round him.
He turns his face into her shoulder and whispers, ‘It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault.’
*
Back at the station, my one consolation is that Barry Mason will be feeling even worse than I do. He certainly smells a whole lot worse, and I wonder for a moment where he was last night. Wherever it was, they clearly don’t run to much by way of complimentary toiletries. His lawyer, by contrast, is as crisp as a new-cut lawn. She reminds me of Anna Phillips, actually. Tall, white shirt, pale grey skirt, matte leather ballerina pumps. I wonder if Mason knew her before, or she’d just drawn the short straw. And straws don’t get much shorter than this. She has no idea of the shit about to come her way.
Quinn takes a seat and puts down his newspaper. He just so happens to have left it turned to the picture of Barry being shunted into the squad car. Quinn is holding the car door open and has his hand on Barry’s head. Classic demeaning demeanour. And quite probably the reason why Barry looks so furious – not to mention about as far from forlorn father as you’re ever likely to get. Quinn looks good though, very suave; I imagine that’s a cut-out-and-keeper. I see the lawyer looking at it and Quinn clocking that she does.
‘Why have you asked to see my client again, Inspector?’ she says as we sit down. ‘This is veering perilously close to harassment. As far as I am aware he has cooperated fully in your inquiries and you have no grounds for suspecting him of any involvement whatsoever in his daughter’s disappearance.’
Barry Mason stares at me. ‘If you put half the effort into finding her as you are persecuting me, you might actually have found Daisy by now. Because she’s out there. Do you hear me? She’s out there somewhere, alone and frightened and wanting her mum and dad, and all you fucking morons can do is try to frame me. I’m her father. I love her.’
I turn to the lawyer. ‘As and when we have an arrest to make in connection with the disappearance of Daisy Mason, we will do so. For the moment, I wish to question your client on another matter.’ I reach for the machine. ‘For the tape, present in the interview, Detective Inspector Adam Fawley, Acting DS Gareth Quinn, Miss Emma Carwood and Mr Barry Mason.’
I open the brown cardboard folder in front of me and take out the birthday card. It’s opened out, in a plastic evidence bag. I show them the front, with the words, and then turn it over and leave it there. I keep my eyes on Emma Carwood and I see a tiny flicker of disgust as her shiny professionalism falters, just for a moment.
‘Have you seen this before, Mr Mason?’