‘She said she had stopped, but I could never be sure. Is that it?’
‘Yes, for now. I would like you to give a DNA sample and fingerprints before you leave, for elimination purposes.’
‘Fine.’ Dylan stood. ‘I’ve nothing to hide.’
‘In the meantime, I would ask you to stay away from Natalie.’
‘You can’t stop me looking for my daughter.’
‘No, but we would prefer that you didn’t interfere with the search and we may need to speak to you again. It would be better for you to stay at home. Soon as we have any news, we’ll contact you.’
Meadows stood.
‘You have my mobile number if you need to contact me.’
Dylan walked out.
‘I think he’s telling the truth,’ Meadows said. ‘Although I think he knows something.’
‘What, like who’s taken Ella?’
‘I don’t know, we need to keep an eye on him and check out all his family and friends.’
‘I was hoping for a better outcome.’ Edris sighed.
‘So was I. Well, if he was in the house SOCO will pick it up. There’s always something left behind, even if it’s just a hair.’
The office was quiet when they walked in, only Valentine and Paskin were left.
‘Got anything, Valentine?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yes, there was a raid on the house six months ago, one arrest.’
‘Ryan Phillips?’
‘Yes, case is still on going. Drugs were found in the house, enough cannabis for intent to supply, some cocaine. Both Natalie and Ryan claimed they’d had a party at the house, so it could’ve come from anyone. Social services were informed. Ryan has previous, did six months for possession two years ago. He was also arrested for GBH on his last girlfriend, the case didn’t get to court as the girlfriend wouldn’t testify.’
‘Probably frightened of him and what would happen if he didn’t get sentenced,’ Edris said.
‘Sadly, it’s often the case,’ Meadows agreed. ‘Not the sort of guy you would want around your child. Better give Martin Hughes at social services a call, ask him to find all the information on Natalie he can, tell him we’ll be with him in an hour. We’ll call on Natalie’s friend Claire first.’ He turned his attention to Paskin. ‘Anything on social media?’
‘Natalie is very active on Facebook, lots of pictures of Ella, looks like the model mother. She’s already put out a post about Ella going missing. You got the usual responses. “Sorry to hear the news”, “anything I can do”, “I’m here for you, hun.” That sort of thing. She talks a lot to Claire who appears to be Ryan’s sister.’
‘That’s interesting, she’d be likely to cover for her brother. Check out the other friends, and Dylan. I want to know who they hang around with.’
‘Do you think it’s one of the parents?’
‘I don’t know what to think. If Natalie has something to do with Ella’s disappearance then Claire, Dan, and Jamie would have to be in on it,’ Meadows said.
‘I can’t see that a stranger has gone into the house,’ Paskin said, ‘but if that’s the case we have a serious predator on our hands. Valentine and I will talk to the neighbours and check out the list of family and friends.’
‘Great, keep me updated. Our best hope is that she wandered off of her own accord, then there’s a good chance we will find her.’
But I have a bad feeling that’s not the case.
Chapter Four
Meadows drove the short distance to the flat that Claire shared with Dan, all the while turning over the information and possibilities in his mind. The clock on the dashboard reminded him that precious time was slipping by.
‘Let’s hope they’re in,’ Meadows said as he parked the car.
Edris unclipped his belt. ‘Probably hungover after the party they had last night.’
The flat was above a dog grooming parlour. Meadows located the side door and led the way up a flight of steps. He knocked loudly on the door as Edris stood looking around the dimly lit hall where a stack of rubbish bags filled up the corner.
‘You think they’d take them outside, the place probably has rats.’ Edris grimaced.
‘I’m beginning to think you have a dirt phobia,’ Meadows said and laughed as he hammered on the door again.
‘Alright, I’m coming,’ a voice called from behind the door.
‘Sounds like we woke them up,’ Edris whispered.
The door opened to reveal a woman in dark grey joggers and a T-shirt stretched over a hanging belly. Her brown hair lay limply on her shoulders. A sickly smell of cannabis drifted past her.
‘Claire Phillips?’ Meadows asked.
‘Yeah.’
‘DI Meadows and DC Edris.’ He showed his ID. ‘Can we come in?’
‘Well, um, it’s not a good time. Perhaps you should come back later.’ She started to close the door.
Meadows stuck his foot out and the door came to a halt. ‘I’m not here for your weed. A child is missing. I suggest you go back inside and put out what you are smoking. I’ll be thirty seconds behind you.’
Claire scowled but turned, shuffled down the passage and disappeared into one of the rooms.
Meadows heard the words “cops” and “shit” as he counted to ten in his head.
‘That’s enough time,’ Edris said.
Meadows stepped over the threshold and swiftly entered the small sitting room. Two men were stood next to a sofa looking shifty, while Claire covered an ashtray with a coaster. The air was thick with smoke and Edris coughed next to him.
‘You better open a window before Edris here gets stoned,’ Meadows said.
‘You’ve no right to come in here,’ the taller of the two men said. He was wiry with a protruding Adam’s apple.
‘I think you’ll find that we do. We can always do this at the station. I suggest you sit down before I change my mind and arrest you all for possession.’
‘Alright man,’ the other man said. ‘Jamie, open the bloody window.’
‘So, I take it you’re Dan,’ Meadows said as he sat in the armchair.
‘Yeah.’ Dan sat down on the sofa and was joined by Claire and Jamie. The three of them squeezed together.
‘We need to talk to you about last night. I understand the three of you spent the night in Natalie’s house.’
‘Yeah,’ Claire said. ‘We were just saying we should go and offer to help look for Ella.’ Jamie and Dan nodded in agreement.
‘I’m happy to hear you want to help.’ Meadows smiled. ‘So, you won’t mind Edris looking around. We have to check everyone who is associated with Natalie.’
‘Go ahead,’ Dan said.
‘Thank you.’ Edris left the room.
‘Do you live here as well?’ Meadows asked Jamie.
‘No, just couch surfing at the moment, until I get a place of my own.’
‘What time did you all arrive at Natalie’s last night?’
‘About seven,’ Claire said.
‘Did you see Ella?’
‘No, she was in bed,’ Claire said.
‘What did you do all evening?’
‘Had a few cans and just hung out,’ Dan said.
‘Do you often go around to Natalie’s?’ Meadows looked at each in turn.
‘Yeah, it’s easier if we go there, Nat doesn’t have to get a babysitter.’ Claire shuffled forward and picked up a bottle of coke from the table and took a swig.
‘Did Ella wake up at all during the evening or night?’
‘Didn’t hear her.’ Claire wiped her mouth and put the bottle back on the table.
Meadows looked at Jamie and Dan.
‘No,’ they said in unison.
‘Did any of you leave the house at any time during the evening or night?’
‘No, we didn’t go anywhere,’ Dan said.
‘What about Natalie?’
‘No. She didn’t go out.’
Edris came back into the room, and took a seat.
‘What time did you
all go to sleep?’ Meadows looked from one to the other.
‘Dunno, late I think,’ Claire said.
‘Okay, who went to bed first?’
‘Me I think,’ Jamie said. ‘I crashed out on the floor. I was wasted.’
‘Natalie fell asleep on the sofa with–’
‘Me,’ Dan cut across Claire.
‘Was there someone else there?’ Meadows leaned forward.
‘No, just the four of us.’ Claire shifted in her seat.
‘What about Ryan?’ Edris asked.
‘Ryan?’ Claire looked at Edris.
‘Your brother,’ Meadows said.
‘No. Ryan weren’t there.’ Claire shook her head.
She wasn’t likely to tell him even if he was. Meadows sat back in the chair.
‘Anyone else call around during the evening?’
‘Just Nia.’ Claire sneered. ‘She didn’t talk to us, only stayed a few minutes.’
‘Were you the last one awake?’ Meadows looked at Claire.
‘Dunno, we all sort of went to sleep at the same time.’
‘But all of you were downstairs?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What happened this morning?’
‘Nat got up and made coffee, then went to get Ella up for nursery. She was a bit pissed off that she had overslept. Next thing she’s running down the stairs screaming that Ella had gone.’
‘What did you do?’
‘We all helped to look for her, Nat ran outside saying the door was open,’ Dan said.
‘We looked all over the house and out in the garden,’ Claire added. ‘Nat came back in a hell of a state. I offered to stay and help but she wanted us to go.’
‘Don’t you think that’s odd? You’d think she’d want some support.’
‘I guess she wasn’t thinking straight,’ Claire said.
‘Okay.’ Meadows stood. ‘It sounds like you all had a fair amount to drink last night.’
‘You could say that,’ Dan said with a grin.
‘And smoked a fair bit.’
The three of them remained silent.
‘Bit late for playing innocent,’ Meadows said.
‘Yeah okay, we had a few joints,’ Jamie said.
‘Well, if anything comes back to you when your heads have cleared, call the station. As I said before, I’m only interested in finding Ella.’
‘Right dozy lot,’ Edris said as they left the building.
‘I don’t think they could mastermind a kidnapping or a cover-up between them.’ Meadows unlocked the car. ‘It sounds like Ella was alone upstairs all night, if she was still there by the time they went to sleep. They were all probably too stoned to notice if a clown came in and did a striptease. Let’s hope we can gain some insight from Martin.’
* * *
Martin Hughes was waiting at the reception area of the social services offices when Meadows and Edris arrived.
‘I’ve got the case files. I’ve only had a chance to skim through them,’ Martin said as he led them into his office. ‘It’s not one of my cases although I’ve been present at some of the meetings regarding the welfare of Ella Beynon.’
‘Thank you for seeing us so quickly.’
Meadows took a seat and watched Martin spread the notes out on the desk. He looked tired and stressed.
‘No problem. I just hope you find her.’ He rubbed his hand over ginger stubble as his eyes scanned the documents.
Edris sat silently with his pen poised.
‘We were called in initially when Ella was three months old and Natalie took up with Ryan Phillips,’ Martin began.
‘He’s known to us,’ Edris said.
‘I would be surprised if he wasn’t.’ Martin smiled. ‘It was difficult to get to see Natalie and Ella at first. Every time someone called around they were told she was at work by the neighbours. We wrote to her requesting a meeting, in the meantime a visit was made to the nursery that Ella attended during the week from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. when Natalie was at work.’
‘Long day for a little one,’ Edris commented.
‘Yes,’ Martin agreed. ‘But it’s sometimes necessary if the mother is to keep on working. Not only single mothers, as in Natalie’s case. Some families can’t afford for one parent to stay home to look after the child. In Natalie’s case, she had government help with childcare as well as tax credits. Despite this, she appeared to be well behind with the nursery fees. There were no concerns raised at the nursery regarding Ella’s welfare. She appeared to be clean and thriving. Eventually my colleague managed to meet with Natalie and Ella. Again, there were no major concerns. Ella was up to date with her vaccinations and boosters. The house was a little untidy.’
I’d call it a little more than untidy, thought Meadows.
‘Ella looked healthy, but some concerns were raised over Natalie’s appearance. My colleague noted she looked pale and drawn. Dark circles around her eyes, cracked lips and underweight. Natalie said she had been working hard and recently had a bout of flu.’
‘According to Dylan Lewis, Natalie works the two till ten shifts. Who looks after Ella after five?’ Meadows asked.
‘Well, Natalie’s mother for a while,’ Martin said.
‘And who made the complaint?’
‘Dylan. We thought maybe it was a case of a bad break up and Dylan didn’t want Natalie to have a boyfriend. Although he seemed genuine in his concern for Ella. An assessment was made and a further two visits, the case worker was satisfied that Ella was not at risk.’
‘Did the caseworker discuss Ryan, do you know?’ Meadows asked.
Martin flicked through the pages. ‘There is a note to say that Natalie denied that Ryan was living with her and they were only friends.’
‘Was that it?’
‘Yes, until six months later, we were notified that Ella had visited casualty on two separate occasions. Once with a knock to the head, which is common when children start to crawl and lift themselves up onto furniture. The second time she visited casualty was for a fracture to her left arm, not so common. Natalie claims that she fell off the bed when she was trying to change her nappy.’
‘Were either Ryan or Natalie suspected of deliberately harming Ella?’ Meadows asked.
‘Obviously we investigated. Again, there were no signs of neglect or abuse. Natalie admitted that Ryan was her boyfriend but again denied that he was living there. She was adamant he hadn’t been in the house when Ella fractured her arm. We had no evidence to the contrary.’
‘Did anyone speak to Ryan?’
‘No, we spoke to Natalie’s mother and asked her if she had any concerns regarding her granddaughter’s wellbeing.’ Martin looked down at the notes. ‘She said her only concern was that she didn’t like her daughter associating with Ryan, she described him and his friends as a bad lot. The case worker was satisfied that Ella was not at risk, particularly as she would be seen in nursery every day and also by her grandmother and Dylan.’
‘I take it Dylan was angry about Ella’s injuries.’
‘Yes, he is reported to have turned up here at the office ranting.’
‘Can’t say I blame him,’ Meadows said.
‘No, and unfortunately things are difficult for fathers in this situation. Anyway, further visits were made and then there was the drugs raid. Obviously with drugs being found in the house, Ella was put on the at-risk register. I was involved in the meeting to discuss the care plan. Natalie claimed that there had been a party at the house while Ella was in Dylan’s care and that she hadn’t known that drugs had been brought into the house. She said that she had split with Ryan.
‘An agreement was made that Ryan was not to visit the house or have any contact with Ella. Subsequent visits were made, and Natalie seemed to be keeping to the agreement. The house, if not tidy, was in a reasonable condition – food in the cupboards and Ella seemed to be well and happy. No complaints from the nursery. We offered support to Natalie, parenting classes and money management. She attended a few but
said she found it difficult while she was working. On the whole, she seemed to be coping well.’
‘So, what went wrong? When we visited today the house was filthy, even the cot mattress was stained. It didn’t get that way overnight,’ Meadows said. He could still recall the smell that permeated the air in Natalie’s house.
‘It was disgusting.’ Edris wrinkled his nose.
‘Natalie’s mother became unwell. Pulmonary embolism, she was in hospital for quite some time. Then she caught pneumonia, and as a consequence she couldn’t look after Ella. Another complaint was made that Ella was being looked after by hosts of different people including Ryan. The house was reported to be filthy and concerns were raised that Natalie was taking drugs.’
‘I take it that Dylan was the one to raise the concerns.’
He must have been pretty desperate at this stage. Desperate enough to take matters into his own hands? But where would he hide Ella?
Martin was talking again, and Meadows forced his attention back to the conversation.
‘No, it was her sisters. Nia and Leanne. They called on separate occasions. Firstly, Nia who said she was concerned for both her niece and her sister’s welfare. She claimed Natalie wasn’t looking after Ella or herself. Leanne had been over on a visit for Christmas and was upset when she went to see her niece.’
‘They must have had serious concerns to have made a complaint against their own sister?’ Edris said.
‘Yes, the main one being that Ryan was living at the house. Both sisters suggested that Ella would be better off living with her father. Again, it proved difficult to see Natalie. When a visit was arranged, she denied that Ryan was living in the house. The house was reported to be dirty and cold. Natalie claimed that she had been finding it difficult to work and to keep the house without her mother’s help. She said she’d had to take on extra shifts to pay the bills. As for childcare, she said it was mainly her friend Claire that would take care of Ella in the evenings. Natalie agreed to look into getting a qualified child minder.’
‘Surely after the complaints were received from family members there would’ve been cause to remove Ella from Natalie’s care,’ Meadows said.
‘Not necessarily. Just because Natalie wasn’t bringing up Ella the way her family thought she should doesn’t make her a neglectful parent. We had no solid evidence that Ryan was living at the house. Yes, there were some concerns, but it was agreed that Natalie would need some more support.’
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