‘Walked out?’
‘Just like that. We realised afterwards she must have been planning it for some time. Had been saving money, had moved some of our stuff out. One day she just went off, supposedly to work, and never came back.’
‘She left Darren?’
‘She left Darren,’ Meg Parkin said.
‘You tried to find her?’
‘Of course. But she’d walked out on her job as well, also without warning. She’d said nothing to anyone there about what she was planning. We contacted her friends – or at least those we knew about – but no one admitted knowing anything. I don’t know whether or not they were telling the truth, but I suspect she had other friends that neither of us knew about.’
‘Did you report her missing?’
‘Eventually.’ Meg Parkin allowed Annie a smile. ‘No offence, but the police have never seemed to be able to help us very much. They were very sympathetic. But what it came down to was that she was an adult, she wasn’t vulnerable, and we had no evidence she hadn’t simply left of her own free will. I don’t know what the police did, if anything, but I guess they didn’t pursue it too far.’
Annie imagined that was probably true. If there was no evidence of foul play, and no obvious reasons for concern, there would be no strong reason for the police to devote resources to this kind of case. It was unusual for a mother to leave her child behind but not unprecedented, especially when the child had been left in apparently safe hands. ‘And you’ve still no idea where she is?’
‘We’ve heard nothing since she walked out. We expected that at some stage she’d have been in contact if only just to let us know she was safe. But we heard nothing.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It was a long time ago,’ Meg Parkin said. ‘We spent years agonising about what had happened, hoping one day we’d get that phone call or letter. But it didn’t happen, and by then we were more focused on dealing with Darren. Eventually we were made his legal guardians.’
‘How old was he when his mother left?’
Meg Parkin looked at her husband. ‘He must have been… what, seven or eight?’
‘He was seven,’ Ron Parkin said with certainty. ‘I remember how much we spent on his eighth birthday, as if that was going to compensate for his mother walking out.’
There was an edge of bitterness in his voice, Annie thought. ‘I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t be dredging up this stuff for you at a time like this. You’re sure you’ll both be okay?’
‘I think so, don’t you?’ Ron Parkin said. ‘If we’ve lost something, it didn’t happen today.’
Annie could think of no immediate response. ‘We’d better not take up any more of your time. We’ll keep you informed about Darren and what’s happening on the case generally.’
‘Case?’ Meg Parkin said. ‘Oh, I suppose you need to investigate.’
Her words confirmed Annie’s suspicion that the couple hadn’t fully taken on board what she’d told them. It was often the way. People heard the parts they wanted to hear, and didn’t necessarily process the rest. In this case, she felt the Parkins hadn’t registered much more than that their grandson was dead. ‘We’re looking into the circumstances of his death, yes. I’m afraid the story may gain some media coverage, but we’ll give you advance warning if that’s likely to happen and we can provide support if it causes any problems.’
‘Media coverage?’ For the first time, Meg Parkin looked genuinely alarmed. ‘You mean the newspapers and TV?’
‘It may happen. We try to manage these things as carefully as we can, but there may be a need to release details of the case to the media, yes.’
‘Including our identities?’ Ron Parkin said.
‘Not necessarily, no. We’ll be as discreet as possible, but in a murder case we do need to be transparent. And the media have a habit sometimes of digging further than we’d like. If it comes to it, we’ll give you all the support we can.’ She almost wished now that she hadn’t raised the topic, but she knew that, with two apparently linked killings, they wouldn’t be able to keep a lid on this for long.
‘We won’t keep you any longer.’ Annie pulled one of her business cards out of her pocket and handed it over to Meg Parkin. ‘We’ll keep you informed as much as we can, and we may need to talk to you again as the enquiry proceeds. But if you need anything, or if you think there’s anything you can tell us about your grandson that might be useful to us, please do contact me on that number.’
Meg Parkin scrutinised the card for a moment, as if suspicious of its provenance. ‘Thank you for coming,’ she said after a moment. ‘It might not have sounded like it, but we loved Darren. We really did. What’s happened is awful.’
‘You have our deepest sympathy, Mrs Parkin. And we’ll do everything in our power to find out what’s behind his death.’ Annie spoke the last words sincerely, but she knew that in reality they were little more than a platitude.
The expression on the Parkins’ faces suggested that they had received her words almost as a kind of threat. For some people, Annie thought, the truth was perhaps better left buried.
Chapter Fourteen
‘That was interesting,’ Zoe said, once they were back in the car.
‘You thought so too, did you? Tell me how it struck you.’
‘It was their reaction. They didn’t seem surprised when we turned up on their doorstep. They didn’t even seem too surprised when we told them their grandson was dead.’
‘That was what struck me first,’ Annie agreed. ‘Darren Parkin had a record, but only for minor stuff, and he hadn’t done anything for several years.’
‘Nothing we caught him doing anyway,’ Zoe pointed out. ‘But maybe any kind of law-breaking would be a shock to a couple like that. They seemed fairly conservative types.’
‘Maybe,’ Annie said. ‘Maybe these visits from debt collectors added to that. Even so, it’s a big jump to not being surprised that he’d been murdered. It felt as if they knew more about Darren than they were saying. The stuff about the mother was interesting, too. The unknown father. Just walking out and leaving her child behind. Wished we could have probed a bit further. As it was, I pushed it further than I should have done.’
‘Maybe,’ Zoe said. ‘They didn’t exactly seem distraught at Darren’s death, though.’
‘I couldn’t fathom what their feelings were.’ They were still sitting outside the Parkins’ house, and Annie was conscious that they were probably still being watched by the neighbour, if not by the Parkins themselves. ‘While we’re here, shall we try to track down these old friends of Darren’s. Might be a wild goose chase, but we may as well give it a go. Don’t know how far we’ll get without the house numbers, but we can see.’
She started the car and pulled back out into the street. From the corner of her eye, she caught a movement at the neighbour’s window as the curtain was dropped back into place. She turned back out on to the main street and then followed the directions given by Zoe, who was checking out the addresses on her mobile. ‘I’ve found a Francis on that street from one of the directory enquiry websites,’ she said. ‘Number six.’
‘Let’s try that first, then.’
A few more turns brought them into another estate of houses. The houses themselves had unmistakeably been built as council housing, probably in the 1950s or 1960s. The area seemed less salubrious than where the Parkins lived, although most of the houses and gardens were tidy and well-maintained.
It took them a few moments to find their destination. The house looked neat enough, but there were fewer of the personal touches that distinguished many of the surrounding residences. The front garden had been given over largely to concrete to create a driveway, which held an unmarked white van. By contrast with the two neighbouring houses, there were no pot plants or hanging baskets around the door.
The front door opened before Annie could press the doorbell. A woman peered suspiciously out at them. ‘Yes?’
Annie showed her warrant ca
rd. ‘Police. We’re trying to contact a Carl Francis.’
The woman frowned. ‘Carl? What do you want with Carl?’
‘Does Carl live here, Mrs…?’
‘Francis,’ the woman confirmed. ‘Kelly Francis. Carl doesn’t live here any more.’
‘Do you have contact details for him?’
‘Of course I do. Whether I’m prepared to give them to you is another matter. What do you want with him?’
Annie paused. Her first instinct had been to withhold Darren Parkin’s name until she was able to speak to Carl himself, but Carl’s mother might conceivably be able to offer them some insights. ‘We understand he was a friend of your son’s some years ago. You may know him yourself. Darren Parkin.’
Kelly Francis frowned. ‘Darren Parkin. Yes, I knew him.’ She seemed to hesitate. ‘He was trouble.’
‘You didn’t approve of him?’
‘That’s one way of putting it. Another is that I wouldn’t trust the little toerag further than I could throw him.’
‘I wonder if we should continue this conversation inside?’
Kelly Francis took the hint. ‘Aye, you’re right. Folks round here have their tab-holes open for any word of gossip. You’ll have to take us as you find us, though.’
As it turned out, the house was pleasant enough. It was much less tidy than the Parkins’, but had a comfortable, lived-in air. A pile of children’s toys sat in the corner of the sitting room. ‘My granddaughter’s stuff,’ Kelly Francis said. ‘Carl’s sister’s kid. I look after her a couple of days a week while her mam goes to work. Grab a seat.’
‘We won’t take up too much of your time. But if there’s anything you can tell us about Darren Parkin, that would be helpful.’
‘What’s he been up to, then? Not that anything would surprise me.’
‘I’m not at liberty to discuss any details of the investigation at this stage, I’m afraid. We’re really just gathering some background information. How well do you know Darren Parkin?’
‘He and Carl were mates at school and for a bit after. There were a few of them used to hang around together. Causing trouble, mainly.’
‘You didn’t like Darren?’
‘He was a bad influence. Him and another one in particular. Garfield. Jonny Garfield. Nasty pieces of work, both of them.’
It was the same name Darren’s grandparents had mentioned along with Carl Francis.
‘Bad influences in what way?’ asked Annie.
‘You name it. Look, I’m not saying Carl was an angel. He’s not the brightest kid, but he’s willing and good-natured. They took advantage of him. They got into trouble in all kinds of ways – petty crime, booze, drug-taking. Garfield was excluded from school a couple of times, and both of them ended up in trouble with the law. But they used to get others to do stuff on their behalf, including Carl. Carl almost got into serious trouble a couple of times because of stuff they’d put him up to.’
‘Do you think he might still be in contact with Darren?’ Zoe asked.
There was another hesitation. ‘Not as far as I’m aware. Carl’s living in Derby. Got himself a job in one of the supermarkets, and he’s renting a flat with a couple of mates. He phones a couple of times a week, and pops over every couple of weeks or so. He’s doing all right.’
‘When did you last see Darren?’
‘Me? Not sure. He walked out on his nan and grandad, didn’t he? But I probably hadn’t seen him for a while before that. I don’t know if Carl saw anything much of him after they left school.’
‘And what about the other boy? Jonny Garfield?’ Annie said.
‘To be honest, he was worse than Darren. He was probably the brains behind anything they got up to, if that’s the right word. He really was an unpleasant little so-and-so. The others were – well, not the brightest, including Carl. And including Darren, too. He was the big I-am, but I think it was Garfield who was the real bad influence. He was smart enough to get others to do his dirty work. I’ve no idea what happened to him, but I’m willing to bet it was nothing good.’
‘Carl’s no longer in contact with Jonny Garfield, presumably?’
‘I bloody well hope not. He was the one I really tried to keep Carl away from. If Garfield’s not inside himself – and he’s probably been smart enough to avoid it – he’s probably been responsible for one or two other people ending up there.’
‘That’s very useful. Mrs Francis. Thank you. Are you able to let us have contact details for Carl?’
‘Are you sure Carl’s not in any trouble?’
‘This isn’t about Carl. We’re just looking to find out more about Darren Parkin. Anything Carl might be able to tell us could be useful.’
‘I’ll get you his details,’ Kelly Francis said. Annie noticed she’d been glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece and suddenly seemed keener to draw the discussion to an end.
‘Thank you. That’s very helpful. I hope we don’t need to disturb you again.’
Francis retrieved the details from her mobile phone, and Zoe dutifully scribbled them down in her notebook. When they rose to leave, Annie could almost feel Francis willing them out of the door. As Kelly Francis opened the front door, Annie stopped and said, ‘Is the van yours?’
‘My husband’s,’ Francis said. ‘He’s a painter and decorator.’
‘He’s not using it today?’
‘He’s doing a couple of small local jobs this afternoon. Didn’t need a lot of equipment, so he’s just taken the car. Easier to park.’
‘Thanks again for your time, Mrs Francis. We’ll be in touch if we need anything else, but I hope we won’t need to trouble you.’
‘No problem. Glad to have been of assistance.’ Annie could see that Francis was looking past her, scanning the length of the street for any sign of an approaching vehicle. She waved another farewell, then turned to join Zoe by the car.
Chapter Fifteen
‘There’s clearly a pattern emerging, anyway,’ Zoe said, as they headed back towards the main road.
‘That everyone thinks Parkin was an unpleasant bastard? Certainly doesn’t seem to have much of a fan club.’
‘Though it sounds as if this guy Garfield was the brains behind whatever they got up to.’
‘Brains may be a bit strong, but he seems to have been the ringleader. Shall we try him next?’
‘We may as well see the sights.’
Zoe had managed to track down an address for a Garfield living in the street Meg Parkin had mentioned, so it appeared that Garfield’s family at least were still living there. The house was just a few hundred metres away, in a narrow street of terraces running parallel to the main road.
These were houses that had presumably been built originally as miners’ cottages during the heyday of the industry in the area. It wasn’t quite back-to-back housing, but from the layout of the streets they could have only tiny backyards running between the rows. Some had clearly been divided into flats, with multiple doorbells, but the house they were seeking seemed still to be a single residence.
Annie pressed the bell, and heard an answering barrage of dog-barking from within the house. After a moment, the door opened and a male face peered out at them. The barking of the dog grew louder behind him. ‘Yes?’
‘Police.’ Annie could barely make herself heard above the barking. ‘We’re looking for a Jonny Garfield.’
‘He don’t live here.’
‘Do you know where he is living, Mr…?’
‘I’m his dad. Pete Garfield. But if I did know, I wouldn’t tell you.’
‘Why’s that, Mr Garfield?’
‘If he’s in trouble, he can look after himself. But I’m not going to make it harder for him by doing your job for you.’
‘Why do you think he might be in trouble?’
The man turned away, and for a moment Annie thought he might be about to close the door. ‘Shut it, Rex! Bloody mutt. Why do I think Jonny might be in trouble? Because the fucking police have turned up on
my doorstep. Why do you think?’
‘He’s not in any trouble, Mr Garfield. At least not as far as we’re aware. But we think he might be able to help us with an enquiry.’
‘Grass, you mean.’
‘That’s not what I mean.’ Annie took a breath and decided to try a different tack. She had the sense she might make more progress with Garfield by telling him the truth, or at least part of the truth. ‘We’re trying to gather some background about the victim of a crime, who we think might have been an acquaintance of your son.’
‘Who are we talking about?’
‘Darren Parkin.’
‘Darren?’ Garfield finally opened the door fully. ‘What’s happened to him?’
‘May we come in, Mr Garfield? It’ll be easier to talk inside than on the doorstep.’
‘Okay. But wait till I shut Rex up. He won’t do you any harm, but he’ll slobber all over you.’ He gestured to the large German Shepherd sitting behind him.
He disappeared briefly and they heard him muttering as he dragged the dog back into the kitchen. He returned, rubbing his hands together. ‘Bloody dog. Don’t know why I keep him. Come in. It’s a mess, but I don’t doubt you’ve seen worse.’
Annie wasn’t sure she had, at least not in a residence where the householder was still living. The living room was cluttered with all manner of debris, scattered randomly across the floor and sofa. There were copies of magazines, most apparently devoted to motorcycles, as well as numerous books, and what seemed to be piles of cardboard packaging. At the far side of the sofa, there was a pile of empty beer cans and a stack of used takeaway containers. The pervading smell in the room was a mix of ripe Indian food, dog and human body odour. Annie wrinkled her nose and tried her hardest not to gag.
Garfield was clearly oblivious to the smell, but he’d noted the reaction of the two women. ‘I’ll open a window,’ he said. ‘Sorry. I’m a bloke living on his own. We don’t tend to register these things.’ He crossed the room, making his way between the detritus with no obvious effort, and unbolted the patio doors into the rear yard. The damp spring air swept cleansingly into the room, while Garfield busied himself throwing magazines and books off the sofa on to the floor, gesturing for the two women to take a seat.
Small Mercies Page 9