Rumours were rife as the search became more widespread and frantic. Lawson was tireless in his efforts to find his niece until the publicity surrounding him made it impossible for him to leave his home. His wife, Nicole, supported Constance’s distraught parents by bringing their children, Matthew, 8, and Lara , 4, to the peaceful horse shelter, Grass Haven, where they were protected from the attentions of the media.
In the grim environment that gripped the pretty village of Glenmoore, suspicion grew that there would be a tragic outcome to the search for the missing schoolgirl. The pressure on Karl Lawson increased when it became public knowledge that he had been the victim of a grave miscarriage of justice in Arizona seven years previously. Once this story was leaked to the Irish media and was widely reported in print and on air, Lawson became the lead suspect in this tragedy.
When Constance’s body was discovered in a disused water tank, he was arrested. A file was prepared for the DPP and, as a result of this evidence, which has since proved to be purely circumstantial, Lawson has been remanded in custody awaiting trial ever since.
A tearful Tracey Broom, one of Constance’s closest friends, has made the sensational admission that she, Constance and some other friends were members of a gang called The Fearless. Led by a convicted arsonist, who cannot be named because of his age, they used the phone to record themselves undertaking reckless challenges. Photographic evidence shows a group of girls partying in Lawson’s house when he and his family were on holidays. This also reveals how Constance’s bra was found in their bedroom.
Tragically, the last video taken shows Constance spray-painting the basement wall in the house that belonged to the late Isaac Cronin. The teenagers believed the house was haunted and had drawn lots to see who would visit it at midnight. Constance’s name had been picked. When she entered the derelict house on Orchard Road, she was in possession of the gang’s secret phone, as was the custom when a member was chosen to undertake the next challenge. Initially, according to Tracey, she had vehemently refused to undertake the challenge because of a promise she had made to Karl Lawson to quit the gang. Far from being a predatory uncle, as he was portrayed by the media, he was protective of his niece.
After rowing with her parents on that fatal night, Constance decided to disregard his advice. Lawson’s insistence that he had gone to bed early and was unaware she had entered his house is true. Perhaps, if he had been awake, she would have talked to him, as she always did when she was troubled, and the fatal tragedy could have been averted.
Constance had not informed her friends of her intention, hoping, perhaps, to surprise them with her video evidence. This reckless decision led to her death and the wrongful imprisonment of Karl Lawson.
Was there a rush to judgement, fuelled by the media interest he attracted? Why did gardaí not heed the information he gave them about The Fearless? Why did they ignore him when he told them about the graffiti he believed his niece had sprayed in the basement of the house?
Capital Eye has established a petition demanding his immediate release, which readers can sign. It’s time the public had full disclosure from the office of the DPP as to why Karl Lawson was unjustly remanded in Danevale Prison to await trial for a crime he did not commit.
Chapter Twenty
As soon as he finished reading the words Amanda Bowe had assembled with such care, Karl returned to the beginning and reread the feature. Even then, he was unable to take it in. What had caused this turnabout? This completely different approach? Even the photography told a different story. He stared at a photograph that had been taken at a black-tie award ceremony two years previously in Berlin, and was captioned Karl Lawson receiving the prestigious European Music Magazine Awards for his editorial features in Hitz. He looked confident and self-assured as he accepted the award. Guiltless. A second shot, arranged in juxtaposition beside it, showed him leaving court in handcuffs after his application for bail had been refused. This was captioned Miscarriage of justice victim, Karl Lawson, leaving the district court after being remanded into custody to await trail. Unlike the photographs that had appeared in Capital Eye throughout the search for Constance, this one showed a man broken by circumstantial evidence.
‘A car accident killed Constance.’ He crossed his arms and hugged them against his chest. ‘Can this be true?’
Fionn nodded. ‘I’m here on the assumption that it is. But none of the other papers or media outlets have reported it. There’s obviously been a serious leak within the police or the DPP office. Probably the same source she used before. It’s all allegations so far but she couldn’t have written with such authority unless she had insider information.’
Karl still struggled to understand. The press must be mustering outside Glenmoore Garda Station, demanding confirmation, more information, furious that Amanda Bowe had stolen a march on them once again. What of Justin and Jenna? How were they feeling as they read Capital Eye? Had they been warned in advance that such information would be published? He desperately hoped so. Once again, Amanda Bowe was controlling his story. In an effort to deflect attention from her earlier reports, she was shifting blame on to an amorphous group called The Media, who had followed so blindly at her heels. He noted her use of Constance’s full name. More gravitas, less tabloid.
‘Are you okay?’ His solicitor observed him closely. ‘What you’ve just read must be difficult to absorb.’
‘I’m stunned,’ Karl replied, truthfully. ‘I still can’t figure out where all this is coming from.’
‘Neither can I,’ Fionn admitted. ‘I’m going directly from here to the DPP office to find out exactly what’s going on.’ He tapped the newspaper. ‘I’ll be in touch with you as soon as I’ve any further information.’ He slid his arms into his coat and swung his briefcase in a sideways arc. He still looked like a schoolboy aping the adults but Karl trusted the determined slant of his chin.
A local man on Orchard Road after midnight. His mind skittered towards a name and away again. No, that was not possible. And yet… and yet…
After Fionn left, he used his phone card to ring Dominick. An automated voice informed him that his friend was not available to take his call. That didn’t mean anything. Dominick was probably battling a fire somewhere, his phone switched off.
On returning to his cell, he studied Amanda Bowe’s feature one last time. Then, carefully, as if he was a child again and not allowed to play with scissors, he tore the paper along the folded edges and slid the clipping between the pages of his journal.
Chapter Twenty-One