‘I suppose it fills the time if you’re retired or want to get out of the house with a little one.’
‘To look at charity shops and bargain stores. It’s all crap.’
‘Not to everyone. There are many that can’t afford new things.’
‘Yeah, I suppose,’ Edris said.
The houses dwindled as they left the outskirts of Bryn Mawr and fields spread out on either side of the road before the road darkened with overhanging trees. They passed by an old stone church before the road rose steeply and they took the turning to Coopers Wood estate.
The estate was a labyrinth of roads lined with grey brick paired houses. A few of them were surrounded by scaffolding where the council was updating the properties. Some of the houses were well kept with trimmed lawns to the front while others were overgrown with weeds. Meadows drove towards the bottom of the road that backed onto Coopers Woods.
‘Home to druggies, scroungers, and a few ex-cons,’ Edris said as he looked around. ‘Plenty of undesirables here.’
‘That’s what I like about you – compassion and understanding,’ Meadows said with a laugh. ‘I think you’ll find there are some long-term elderly residents as well as recovering addicts, and young families trying to make a go of things.’
‘You’re too soft,’ Edris said.
‘Just because people are hard up, it doesn’t make them criminals.’ Meadows pulled up behind a police car.
‘Half the estate is full of dealers,’ Edris said.
Meadows got out of the car and glanced around at some of the unkept houses.
‘You could be right. Come on, let’s see what we’ve got.’
A fine drizzle of rain dusted his coat as he walked through the gate and passed an old rusting fridge. He could see police officers knocking at doors a little further up the road. PC Matt Hanes opened the door of Natalie Beynon’s house as they approached.
‘Alright, Hanes.’ Edris nodded at the young policeman.
‘The mother is in the kitchen with Brianna.’ Hanes stood aside for them to enter.
Meadows stepped over the threshold and his nostrils were assaulted by a stale odour of dog pee, dirty nappies, and cigarette smoke. He imagined Edris wrinkling his nose in disgust behind him and resisted the urge to smile.
‘Thanks, Hanes. We’ll take it from here. Perhaps you could join in with the house to house.’
‘Yeah, no problem.’ Hanes smiled and left the house, softly closing the door.
The smell became stronger now the door was shut and as Meadows made his way towards the kitchen, he noticed the walls were streaked with dirt, and the door frame to the kitchen looked like it had been clawed by an animal.
In the kitchen Brianna, the family liaison officer, stood at the sink which was overflowing with used dishes. She appeared to be struggling to find space to empty the sink. Every available space on the worktops was covered in clutter. A mixture of dirty plates, empty packets, and ashtrays. The cooker was grimy with built up food encrusted into the hob and a pile of dirty clothes were heaped in front of the washing machine. Meadows stepped over a piece of wet newspaper not wanting to think about what was underneath. He could feel his shoes sticking to the tiles which were caked with grime.
A woman stood hunched against the counter. Meadows judged her to be mid to late thirties, but she could be younger, it was difficult for him to tell. She wore baggy jeans and an oversized jumper. The clothes looked like they had been worn for several days and were too big for her skeletal frame. She looked at Meadows with sunken eyes as she sucked on a roll-up. Her skin was pale, almost grey, and reddish blond hair lay flat on her head.
‘Natalie, this is DI Meadows and DS Edris.’ Brianna indicated the two men, then turned back to the task of cleaning mugs.
‘Have you found her?’ Natalie’s voice was barely a whisper.
‘No, I’m afraid there’s no news yet. We need to ask you a few questions,’ Meadows said.
‘But I already told the other copper everything I know.’ Natalie sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. ‘Why isn’t anyone out looking for her?’
‘There are officers out looking and talking to your neighbours to see if they’ve seen anything, but it would really help if you could give us as much information as you can.’
Meadows gave an encouraging smile. He saw Natalie glance at Edris and even in this grim situation he caught a look of interest.
The eye candy never fails to get noticed. He gave Edris a look to indicate that he should use his charm.
‘Come on, Natalie, why don’t we go into the sitting room and have a chat. You look like you need to sit down. Perhaps Brianna can bring you a cup of tea,’ Edris said.
‘Coffee. I don’t have any milk and I can’t drink black tea.’
‘Okay, love, go and sit down. I’ll bring you a coffee.’ Brianna smiled.
A pungent smell of dirty nappies lingered in the air as Meadows followed Natalie and Edris into the sitting room. A bin stood in the corner, its contents spilling over the floor. Ash covered the coffee table which was a jumble of wrappers, letters, and various objects. Meadows scanned the room. There was a large flat screen TV on a stand next to a pile of toys. The carpet was dirty and stained, the walls bare. No pictures of the child.
Natalie slumped down in the armchair, while Edris perched on the edge of the sofa and took out his notebook. Meadows sat on the other armchair which smelled of stale milk.
‘I understand Ella is eighteen months old,’ Meadows said.
Natalie nodded.
‘Do you mind me asking how old you are?’
‘Twenty-six.’
Meadows tried not to let the surprise show on his face. Maybe she’d had a rough time.
‘Does Ella have any medical conditions that we should be aware of?’
‘No, not really. She had a chest infection, but the doctor gave her antibiotics so she’s okay now.’
‘That’s good. Can you talk me through what happened this morning?’
Natalie took a tin from the table, opened the lid and plucked a cigarette paper from the packet.
‘I went to get Ella up for nursery and she wasn’t in her cot.’
She sprinkled tobacco along the paper, added a filter, and began to roll.
Meadows noticed the tremor in her hands and the dirt gathered under her fingernails.
‘You called the station at eleven thirty. Does Ella often sleep that late?’
‘No, I slept in.’ Natalie fidgeted in her seat.
‘There you go, sweetie.’ Brianna walked into the room and handed a mug to Natalie. ‘Can I get you two anything?’ She turned to Meadows.
‘No, thank you.’
‘I’m good, thanks,’ Edris said.
Brianna left the room and Natalie put the mug on the table before lighting the cigarette.
‘Was there anyone else in the house this morning?’ Meadows continued.
‘My friend Claire and her boyfriend Dan. They stayed over last night but they didn’t take her, they helped me look for her.’ Natalie’s legs jiggled as she spoke.
‘Could we have their surnames?’ Edris asked.
‘Claire Phillips, I think. I don’t know Dan’s name.’
‘Okay, we’re going to need an address for them.’
‘They live in a flat above the dog grooming place in Bryn Mawr.’
‘What about Ella’s father?’ Meadows asked.
‘What about him?’ Natalie scowled.
‘Are you still together?’
‘No, he’s an arsehole. He left before Ella was born.’
‘So, he doesn’t have any contact with Ella?’
‘Yeah, he has her every weekend. Picks her up after nursery on a Friday and brings her back on Sunday afternoon.’
‘His name?’ Edris asked.
‘Dylan Lewis.’
‘Did Dylan have Ella this weekend?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘And did he bring her back at the
usual time yesterday?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Have you spoken to Dylan today?’
‘No, why would I?’
‘To let him know that Ella is missing.’
‘Oh. Yeah I didn’t think of that.’
‘Can you give us Dylan’s phone number and address?’ Edris asked.
‘Yeah but he will be in work. DVLA, so he won’t answer.’
Meadows turned to Edris. ‘Better give Blackwell a call, ask him to check out the father.’
As Edris left the room to make the call, Natalie’s eyes followed. Then she turned to face Meadows.
‘Do you think that Dylan has Ella?’
‘Is there any reason why Dylan would take Ella?’ Meadows leaned forward in the chair.
Natalie shrugged and dragged on the cigarette which was burned down to the edge of her yellowing fingers.
‘Dylan having Ella on the weekends, is that a private arrangement?’
‘I don’t know what you mean.’
‘Are the visits arranged by a family court or did you come to an agreement with Dylan?’
‘We agreed. I work Tuesday to Saturday, so he has to take her some time. It’s only fair.’
‘And where do you work?’
‘At the packing factory, Coopers Hill.’
‘So, things between you and Dylan are amicable?’
Natalie looked blank.
‘You and Dylan are friends?’
‘Not really.’
‘But he was happy with the arrangement?’
Natalie shrugged.
Edris came back into the room, nodded at Meadows, and resumed his position on the sofa.
‘What time did Dylan bring Ella back yesterday?’ Meadows asked.
‘Same time as usual, five. He never keeps her any longer, can’t wait to hand her back.’
‘Did he come into the house?’
‘No. I go outside when he comes.’
‘Does Dylan have a key?’
‘No, why would I let him have a key?’ Natalie frowned.
The front door crashed open and a woman entered the room. She was smartly dressed in black trousers and a red coat. She rushed over to Natalie.
‘Have you found her?’
‘No.’ Natalie’s lip quivered, and tears flooded her eyes.
‘And you are?’ Edris asked.
‘Nia Taylor, I’m Natalie’s sister.’ She sat down on the edge of the armchair and put her arm around Natalie’s shoulder. ‘I’m sure she can’t be far.’
‘They think Dylan has taken her?’ Natalie said.
Nia frowned. ‘Why would Dylan take Ella?’
‘We’ve no reason to believe that Dylan has taken Ella, but we have to rule out the possibility,’ Meadows said.
‘Well, I don’t think he’d pull a stunt like this,’ Nia replied.
‘You wouldn’t,’ Natalie snapped. ‘You don’t know what he’s like.’
Nia looked like she was about to retort but changed her mind.
‘An officer is on his way to talk to Dylan, in the meantime we have to explore other possibilities.’
‘Like what?’ Natalie’s eyes widened.
‘Do you keep the doors locked at night?’
‘Yeah of course, there’s some dodgy people on the estate. But…’ Natalie looked down at her hands. ‘The door was open this morning.’
‘You mean unlocked?’
‘No, it was open.’
‘What!’ Nia stood up. ‘Why the hell was the door open? She could’ve walked out into the road.’
‘I didn’t leave the door open.’ Natalie covered her face and sobbed.
‘It’s okay, Natalie,’ Meadows said. ‘Can Ella unlock the door?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’ Natalie sniffed.
‘Could she open the door if it was unlocked?’ Edris asked.
‘I don’t know, she hasn’t gone out the door before.’
‘But it’s possible?’ Meadows added.
‘I guess, she can reach the handle.’
‘Oh God.’ Nia’s hand flew to her mouth. ‘She could be anywhere.’
Meadows looked at the two sisters. They had the same hair colouring and were roughly the same height but that’s as far as the similarity went. Nia sat with her legs crossed at her ankle, resting a manicured hand on her leg. Natalie sat with her shoulders hunched and nibbled on her thumb nail.
‘Natalie, can you talk me through what happened last night?’
‘Nothing happened.’ Natalie folded her arms across her chest.
‘What time did you put Ella to bed?’
‘About half six.’
‘And did she settle straight away?’
‘Yeah, I put her in her cot, gave her a dummy, turned out the light and shut the door.’
‘Were your friends here at that time?’
‘No, they came about seven.’
‘And other than Claire and Dan did you have any other visitors?’
‘No.’
Meadows caught the look that Nia shot Natalie.
‘Oh yeah, Jamie was here, I forgot.’ Natalie squirmed in her seat.
‘Jamie?’ Edris asked.
‘Dan’s friend,’ Natalie said.
‘Do you know his surname and address?’
‘Nah.’
‘Not to worry, I’m sure we can find out.’ Edris scribbled in his notebook.
‘I called in around ten,’ Nia said. ‘I had some clean washing to drop off.’
Odd time to be calling around with washing. And why is she doing her sister’s laundry? Meadows looked at Natalie.
‘Oh yeah, she did. I forgot that as well,’ Natalie said.
‘More like you were too occupied.’
Meadows observed the growing tension between the sisters.
‘She means I was having a drink with my friends,’ Natalie said. ‘It’s my night off.’
‘You don’t have a night off when you have children,’ Nia snapped.
‘Did you see Ella when you called around?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yes, I looked in on her while I put the washing in her room. She was sleeping peacefully.’
‘Anyone else call around?’ Meadows turned his attention to Natalie.
‘No.’
‘Did you go outside at all during the night?’
‘No. I don’t think so.’
‘Okay so what time did you lock the front door?’
‘After Claire and Dan came.’
‘So, you let Nia in?’
‘No. I have my own key,’ Nia said.
‘I see, so did you lock the door when you left, or did Natalie see you out?’
‘I locked up.’
‘Where are your keys, Natalie?’
‘Hanging on the hook by the door.’
Edris got up and left the room, then poked his head around the door jangling keys.
‘Are these the front door keys?’
‘Yeah.’
‘And yours?’ Meadows asked Nia.
Nia opened her bag and took out a bunch of keys.
‘Here, they’re with me.’
‘Anyone else have a set of keys?’ Edris asked.
There was a slight hesitation before Natalie answered.
‘No, just my mother.’
Meadows noticed the look Nia cast her sister but didn’t push the question. He would talk to Nia later and find out what Natalie wasn’t telling him.
‘We’ll have to check that your mother still has her set of keys,’ Edris said.
‘What time did you go to bed last night?’ Meadows asked.
‘About twelve.’ Natalie reached for the tobacco tin.
‘Did you check on Ella?’
‘No, I didn’t want to disturb her.’ Natalie huffed. ‘Look, can you just get on with finding her?’
‘We just need to look at Ella’s room, then we’ll leave it there for now.’ Meadows stood.
Nia stood up.
‘Just Natalie please,’ Meadows said.
Natalie got out of the chair, lit another roll-up and led the way upstairs. They entered a small room and Meadows looked down at the cot. The top blanket had been pulled down, there was no under sheet on the mattress which was grubby and stained. The rest of the room was a mess apart from a basket of neatly folded child’s clothes that had been placed on top of a chest of drawers. The bedroom window was closed.
‘The cot bar was up when I left her last night,’ Natalie said.
‘Can Ella pull it down?’
Natalie shrugged. ‘She’s been trying to climb over the top. I was going to get her a little bed.’ Natalie’s lip quivered.
Meadows wanted to reach out and give her a reassuring touch on the shoulder. ‘We’ll do everything we can to find her,’ he said but he didn’t want to make any promises.
‘What was Ella wearing last night?’
‘Her princess pyjamas, they have her name on the front.’
‘Is anything missing from the room?’
Natalie stepped further in and looked around; her eyes rested on the cot. ‘Buba is missing.’
‘Buba?’
‘It’s Ella’s pink rabbit. It’s her favourite toy, she takes it everywhere.’
‘Okay, Natalie, thank you. I understand how difficult this has been for you.’
They walked down the stairs and into the sitting room.
‘We’ll be talking to Dylan, and a search of the area is already underway. Brianna will stay with you and keep you informed of our progress.’
‘She doesn’t have to stay,’ Natalie said.
‘It’s better that she does,’ Edris said.
‘I can stay until three, I have to get the kids from school after that,’ Nia said. ‘Come on, Nat. We’ll clean this place up. You’ll feel better if you do something.’
Meadows doubted anything could make Natalie feel better.
‘It would be better if you didn’t clean up just yet. I’m going to send over a forensic team. It’s just a precaution. We are also going to need an up-to-date photo of Ella.’
Natalie looked around the room. ‘Erm, I don’t think I have one. There’s plenty on my phone.’
‘Can you show me?’ Edris asked.
Natalie unlocked her phone and handed it to Edris. Edris located the pictures and sent copies to the station before handing back the phone.
‘Do you have any other family that need to be informed?’ Meadows asked.
Suffer the Children Page 2