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‘It’s a soft alibi.’ Fraser was right. We all knew how often spouses or parents offered alibis to keep their families out of trouble, motivated by love, or by fear, or both. ‘OK, let’s crack on. Damage limitation with the press, I’ll see to that, and for you the priority is interviews. I want information. Somebody saw something. Tell Emma to get Mother home.’ ‘Should I interview Rachel Jenner again?’ ‘No. Just warn her off speaking to the press. There’s going to be a reaction to this, I don’t think I need to spell that out. When you’ve done that I want you to get over to Benedict’s school. We need to show that we’re being supportive to the school, and the community. You can interview his teacher while you’re there, see if she’s noticed anything different about Ben lately.’ ‘Yes, boss.’ The assignment felt like a punishment for letting the press conference get out of hand, and it probably was. A DC should be doing it, and both of us knew that. ‘I’ll get down there straight away.’ She softened slightly. ‘I would ask a DC to do it but the Chief’s keen that someone with rank is seen to be there.’ If that was supposed to feel like a comfort, then it was a very small one.
RACHEL What happened next was that the attitude of the police towards me tightened, or perhaps I should say sharpened. It was clear as day to me, even though on the surface they still showed appropriate concern. I first realised it when DI Clemo came to see me after the conference and could barely contain his irritation. Zhang had brought me yet another cup of tea that I couldn’t drink, and sat my sister and me in a boxy interview room until my nausea had subsided to a manageable level and I felt ready to travel home. When Clemo appeared his eyes were burning. He remained standing, his bulk dominating the space. ‘Rachel,’ he said, ‘you do understand that things didn’t run entirely to plan at the press conference?’ He was handling me. I tried to say something, to justify what had happened, but he held up a hand, even though he’d asked me a question. ‘Let me finish if you will,’ he said. ‘Our primary concern now is that there may be some kind of backlash against you. We suggest that you keep a very low profile around the press, as low as possible.’ ‘What do you mean by that?’ ‘Don’t talk to them. It’s very simple.’ ‘It’s for your own protection,’ said Zhang, ‘and Ben’s.’ ‘What do you mean by backlash?’ Nicky wanted to know. ‘Precisely that. This is a high-profile case. The press conference was, unfortunately, sensational, and for all the wrong reasons. The public want to find Ben as much as we do, but unlike us they might not be looking for evidence before making accusations. Do I make myself clear?’ ‘I understand,’ said Nicky. ‘They’re going to say that Rachel did it.’ ‘They’re already saying it.’ ‘So what do we do?’ ‘Go home, shut the doors, pull the curtains, don’t speak to any journalists. DC Zhang will drive you back.’ ‘What about Ben?’ I said. ‘We’re going to continue to do everything we can to find him and we’ll keep you posted on our progress.’ It was a phrase that was as bland and meaningless as a corporate slogan. If I’d ever had a connection with him, I felt as if it was lost now. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I said. At home, Nicky and Laura and I watched in silence as the footage from the conference played on national TV. I’d been filmed in close-up. I looked as if I’d crawled out of a primitive encampment after a long siege. The injury on my head was prominent; it drew the eye like a disfigurement, and livid red spots on my pale cheeks made me look feverish, and deranged. My eyes sagged with grief and exhaustion, and roved around the room, restless and jumpy. Every flaw and muscle twitch and emotion was visible on my face, and the moment when I addressed Ben’s abductor was the worst. There wasn’t a
- 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 126 and 127: ‘Expertise is on our side,’ she
- 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 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
- Page 176 and 177: ‘Bye,’ Fount said to him. ‘Wh
- Page 178 and 179: thanked her for what she did for us
- Page 180 and 181: I sat on the bed for a long time, u
- Page 182 and 183: JIM Fraser and I had a pre-meet bef
- Page 184 and 185: ‘He’s got an alibi, doesn’t h
- Page 186 and 187: RACHEL Nicky phoned the police and
- Page 188 and 189: door in the middle of the night. Yo
- Page 190 and 191: an orange wash remained. It struck
- Page 192 and 193: RACHEL When I got back inside Nicky
- Page 194 and 195: JIM On the night of Wednesday, 24 O
‘It’s a soft alibi.’<br />
Fraser was right. We all knew how often spouses or parents offered alibis to keep their families<br />
out of trouble, motivated by love, or by fear, or both.<br />
‘OK, let’s crack on. Damage limitation with the press, I’ll see to that, and for you the priority is<br />
interviews. I want information. Somebody saw something. Tell Emma to get Mother home.’<br />
‘Should I interview Rachel Jenner again?’<br />
‘No. Just warn her off speaking to the press. There’s going to be a reaction to this, I don’t think I<br />
need to spell that out. When you’ve done that I want you to get over to Benedict’s school. We need to<br />
show that we’re being supportive to the school, and the community. You can interview his teacher<br />
while you’re there, see if she’s noticed anything different about Ben lately.’<br />
‘Yes, boss.’<br />
The assignment felt like a punishment for letting the press conference get out of hand, and it<br />
probably was. A DC should be doing it, and both of us knew that.<br />
‘I’ll get down there straight away.’<br />
She softened slightly. ‘I would ask a DC to do it but the Chief’s keen that someone with rank is<br />
seen to be there.’<br />
If that was supposed to feel like a comfort, then it was a very small one.
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