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‘Expertise is on our side,’ she continued. ‘I’m confident that this team of people represents excellence and I expect it of you. Time is not on our side. It’s been twenty-four hours since Ben Finch went missing. Priority is to confirm Mum’s story, and speak to all the people she says she saw in the woods that day.’ She paused, making sure we were taking it all in. ‘I personally feel that the members of the fantasy re-enactment group who were in the woods during the afternoon are of particular interest, because I suspect that amongst them there’ll be one or two mummy’s boys who are wielding swords at the weekend to make up for being sad pimply little bastards who can’t get a life during the week. ‘Which brings me on to another matter. I think we’re going to need all the help we can get on this one. The number of actions we’ve identified already is daunting, and it’s certain to get worse before it gets better. I’ve asked for more bodies, and I’ve twisted the Super’s arm so that he’s agreed to fund the services of a forensic psychologist for the short term at least, to help us define our primary suspects. His name is Dr Christopher Fellowes. He has teaching commitments, and he’s based at Cambridge University, so he’s not going to be with us in person unless we have a very good reason to bring him over here, but he’ll be available to advise remotely.’ I knew him. We’d worked with him when I was with Devon and Cornwall. He was good at his job, when he was sober. ‘I was going to get Mum and Dad in front of the cameras tonight, but I think we’ll wait until first thing tomorrow morning. I’ve televised a short appeal for information which will do for now, and we’ll put that out with Ben’s photograph. I’ve had preliminary reports from most of you, but if there’s anything new you want to add, speak now.’ One of the DCs put up her hand. ‘We’re not in school. You can keep your hand down.’ ‘Sorry. It’s just that I’ve got a possible. We’ve tracked down all but one of the men on the sex offenders list.’ ‘Who’s missing?’ ‘Name of David Callow. Thirty-one years old. Did time for abusing his stepsisters and posting photographs of himself doing it. His parole officer hasn’t heard from him for a fortnight.’ ‘Make him a priority. I want to know who he last saw, and when. Talk to his family, his neighbours, his friends, if he has any. Find out what he’s been doing. Anything else?’ Nobody spoke. ‘Right. There’s a lot to get on with, so let’s get on with it. Any leads, any worries, anything gets on top of you, speak to me. I want to know everything, as it happens. No exceptions.’
WEB PAGE – BREAKING NEWS POLICE – www.aspol.uk/whatsnew 22 October 2012, 13.03 AVON AND SOMERSET CONSTABULARY has activated CHILD RESCUE ALERT to assist in tracing eight-year-old Benedict Finch in Bristol. A dedicated telephone number has been established for anyone who has seen Benedict or has information about his whereabouts. This number is 0300 300 3331 Calls to this number will be answered by dedicated members of staff who will take details of any information provided to assist with the inquiry. By launching Child Rescue Alert, which is supported by all UK Police Forces, it is hoped that the public and media can assist Avon and Somerset Constabulary in safely tracing Benedict. Police are seeking information specifically from anyone who has seen Benedict or anyone matching his description in the last twenty-four hours. Benedict is described as being of Caucasian appearance, of slim build and just over four feet tall. He has brown hair and blue eyes and freckles across the bridge of his nose. It is not known what he is wearing. A recent photograph of Benedict has been widely circulated. It can be seen on the Avon and Somerset Constabulary website. He was last seen on the main path round Leigh Woods, just outside Bristol, at around 16.30 on Sunday, 21 October when he and his mother were walking their dog. His mother raised the alarm at 17.00 after extensive searching in the woods did not locate him. Intensive searches led by trained search officers, and including police dogs and mounted police, are taking place in and around Leigh Woods and the surrounding area and members of the public have been assisting. Benedict is described as bright and clever, a fluent communicator and English is his first language. He is known to his family as Ben. Spread the word: Facebook; Twitter
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Gilly Macmillan grew up in Swindon,
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Burnt Paper Sky Table of Contents A
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JIM BEFORE
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DAY 2 JIM
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JIM
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DAY 8 JIM
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DAY 9 JIM
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JIM
Page 76 and 77: JIM
Page 78 and 79: RACHEL
Page 80 and 81: RACHEL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BIBLIOGRAPH
Page 82 and 83: Author’s Note During the research
Page 84 and 85: PROLOGUE NOVEMBER 2013 - ONE YEAR A
Page 86 and 87: imaginary interview goes really wel
Page 88 and 89: But whether I’ve been awake or as
Page 90 and 91: BEFORE DAY 1 SUNDAY, 21 OCTOBER 201
Page 92 and 93: eally honest, I hadn’t noticed it
Page 94 and 95: ‘OK,’ and he was off, careering
Page 96 and 97: as if the woodland was holding its
Page 98 and 99: appeared on the path. Our progress
Page 100 and 101: ‘That’s good news,’ she said.
Page 102 and 103: FM: Do you think that expressing fe
Page 104 and 105: JC: It was a promotion is what it w
Page 106 and 107: suspect, is not going to be an easy
Page 108 and 109: RACHEL John couldn’t stand the wa
Page 110 and 111: It was the awkward twitch of Inspec
Page 112 and 113: ‘Solid eight hours,’ I said. I
Page 114 and 115: RACHEL Inspector Miller said that b
Page 116 and 117: JIM Kenneth Steele House is where I
Page 118 and 119: had four pairs of officers in place
Page 120 and 121: at others. He was always watching m
Page 122 and 123: JIM I was quite pleased with how th
Page 124 and 125: his parents as well as his grandpar
Page 128 and 129: RACHEL My sister Nicky was waiting
Page 130 and 131: unstoppable. She told me that the w
Page 132 and 133: the streetlights and the geometric
Page 134 and 135: JIM Addendum to DI James Clemo’s
Page 136 and 137: FM: So you recommended Emma for the
Page 138 and 139: DAY 3 TUESDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2012 Be a
Page 140 and 141: RACHEL In the car on the way to Ken
Page 142 and 143: ‘If you are the person who is wit
Page 144 and 145: ‘This way,’ she said. She swept
Page 146 and 147: ‘It’s a soft alibi.’ Fraser w
Page 148 and 149: trace of dignity or vulnerability,
Page 150 and 151: missing”, and that everybody is l
Page 152 and 153: looking woman too: nicely dressed,
Page 154 and 155: ‘Were there signs that the arm wa
Page 156 and 157: accident. But we’ll check it out
Page 158 and 159: To the insultingly practical: Don
Page 160 and 161: JIM Addendum to DI James Clemo’s
Page 162 and 163: FM: So apart from the negative pres
Page 164 and 165: they’re focused on the job? FM: Y
Page 166 and 167: DAY 4 WEDNESDAY, 24 OCTOBER 2012 Cr
Page 168 and 169: RACHEL I slept only fitfully after
Page 170 and 171: WEB PAGE - www.whereisbenedictfinch
Page 172 and 173: JIM I spoke to Emma before I left f
Page 174 and 175: say that he doesn’t play by the r
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‘Bye,’ Fount said to him. ‘Wh
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thanked her for what she did for us
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I sat on the bed for a long time, u
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JIM Fraser and I had a pre-meet bef
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‘He’s got an alibi, doesn’t h
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RACHEL Nicky phoned the police and
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door in the middle of the night. Yo
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an orange wash remained. It struck
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RACHEL When I got back inside Nicky
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JIM On the night of Wednesday, 24 O
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DAY 5 THURSDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2012 You
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RACHEL I slept the night in Ben’s
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individuals closest to Ben, and he
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‘What about their son, Charlie Bo
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He took another sheet of paper from
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more imperfect than any version of
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JIM Addendum to DI James Clemo’s
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JC: She said she was knackered. She
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It led swiftly to the fourth state.
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Quick response appreciated, obvious
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WEB PAGE - www.whereisbenedictfinch
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I didn’t know what to say. I look
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RACHEL Zhang agreed to come and giv
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sensation. Then she spoke to him of
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abstract shapes floating within it,
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JIM I got one of the DCs to pick up
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RACHEL This time, I made no attempt
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dog, black and white like Skittle,
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FM: I’m not intending to. That’
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everything that had happened. But I
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JIM We worked closely with John Fin
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DAY 7 SATURDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2012 An
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RACHEL In the early hours of the mo
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school year, but I started to work
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tight. A hospital band was visible
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cancer himself. The whole family, w
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Another page. A different drawing:
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‘The blog.’ I was slow; I didn
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told him to fuck off. ‘Tell Frase
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‘Stop asking me to be patient. Ho
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JIM In the incident room the blinds
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swing. ‘So what are we thinking?
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‘She’s drunk?’ I asked when h
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JC: Fine. He coaxes his lips up int
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JIM It was Emma who I thought of al
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DAY 8 SUNDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2012 The P
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RACHEL When dawn came there was no
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JIM Nine o’clock Sunday morning,
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RACHEL The hospital receptionist se
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RACHEL My cab driver on the way hom
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tall bear of a man, with very dark
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‘To be honest, I assumed Nicky wo
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He actually put his hand over his h
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‘Cool,’ my avatar said. ‘New
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me wants you here to run the invest
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I behaved in an arrogant and disgus
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RACHEL I logged on to Furry Footbal
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‘I know it was him,’ I said. Th
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Her handbag was on the seat between
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so that my toes were already numb.
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‘It’s what Miss May said, about
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He sat back down. ‘Again,’ he s
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JIM Nicky Forbes was disturbed by m
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RACHEL It took me twenty-five minut
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here. And then I saw something else
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JIM Nicky Forbes’s expression was
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RACHEL They prised me up off the ca
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Operator: OK. They’re a few minut
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RECORD OF EVIDENCE: AVON AND SOMERS
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RACHEL Bristol Children’s Hospita
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‘Is the child all right?’ Mrs M
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RACHEL I approached my son’s beds
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EPILOGUE CHRISTMAS 2013 - ONE YEAR,
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RACHEL A few weeks ago, somebody as
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that he loved so much in return. Th
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JC: Yes. FM: Have you seen her sinc
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RACHEL We might never have closure,
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us that. He came to our house and w
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BIBLIOGRAPHY The following websites
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