‘Bloody hell,’ he muttered. Why now, of all times? His father was going to be in a foul mood as it was. ‘Can you give me a hand, please?’ he called.
When Juliette entered the room, he stood back and allowed her to scoop up all of the rubbish and put it back inside the box, including the National Trust binoculars.
‘Stop!’ Morton yelled, with unnecessary drama.
Juliette looked perplexed. ‘What?’ She looked down at the scrap of torn newspaper; yellowed, crinkled, dated December 1973, and knew instantly.
It was an archetypal e-fit criminal: swept over dark hair, menacing, deathly eyes, thick black moustache and long sideburns.
His real, bone fide biological father.
Say hello to Daddy.
They scrutinised the photo. The face that peered out bore no atavistic resemblance to Morton, of that he was sure. Definitely not the kind of photo he’d be putting in his wallet anytime soon.
Juliette read the story beneath accompanying the e-fit. ‘This is the suspect whom police want to talk to after a teenage girl was raped last weekend. The casually-dressed man lured his victim to a secluded spot in the town centre after befriending her during the evening of Saturday 15th December. The attack occurred around 10 p.m. close to the Bell and Whistle pub. Detectives are appealing to the public to help catch the sex predator.’ She finished reading and looked at Morton. He knew that she was staring at him but he couldn’t take his eyes off the e-fit.
His father.
No! Not his father; his father was in hospital waiting for him to collect him, moaning and groaning to the nurse and doctors no doubt about how incapable he was.
‘What do you want me to do?’ Juliette asked uncertainly, the piece of paper hanging limply in her hand.
‘Put it all back,’ he said. ‘Let’s go and bring Dad home.’
Biography:
Nathan Dylan Goodwin was born and raised in Hastings, East Sussex. Schooled in the town, he then completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Radio, Film and Television, followed by a Master of Arts Degree in Creative Writing at Canterbury Christ Church University. He has completed a number of successful local history books about Hastings; other interests include reading, writing, film, photography, genealogy and travelling.
Books by Nathan Dylan Goodwin:
Non-fiction:
Hastings at War 1939-1945 (2005)
Hastings Wartime Memories and Photographs (2008)
Hastings & St Leonards Through Time (2010)
Around Battle Through Time (2012)
Fiction (The Forensic Genealogist series):
Hiding the Past (2013)
The Lost Ancestor (2014)
The Orange Lilies (2014) – A Morton Farrier novella
Further information:
www.nathandylangoodwin.com
Follow me on Twitter: @nathangoodwin76
Like me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nathandylangoodwin
Hiding the Past (The Forensic Genealogist series Book 1) Page 27