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Chapters (62)
  1. Title
  2. Copyright
  3. Contents
  4. About the Author
  5. About the Book
  6. Dedication
  7. Your Worst Nightmare
  8. ONE
  9. TWO
  10. THREE
  11. FOUR
  12. FIVE
  13. SIX
  14. SEVEN
  15. EIGHT
  16. NINE
  17. The Answer to All Your Prayers
  18. TEN
  19. ELEVEN
  20. TWELVE
  21. THIRTEEN
  22. FOURTEEN
  23. FIFTEEN
  24. SIXTEEN
  25. SEVENTEEN
  26. EIGHTEEN
  27. NINETEEN
  28. TWENTY
  29. TWENTY-ONE
  30. TWENTY-TWO
  31. TWENTY-THREE
  32. TWENTY-FOUR
  33. TWENTY-FIVE
  34. TWENTY-SIX
  35. TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. TWENTY-NINE
  38. THIRTY
  39. THIRTY-ONE
  40. Somebody Else’s Child
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. THIRTY-FIVE
  45. THIRTY-SIX
  46. THIRTY-SEVEN
  47. THIRTY-EIGHT
  48. THIRTY-NINE
  49. FORTY
  50. FORTY-ONE
  51. FORTY-TWO
  52. FORTY-THREE
  53. FORTY-FOUR
  54. FORTY-FIVE
  55. FORTY-SIX
  56. FORTY-SEVEN
  57. FORTY-EIGHT
  58. FORTY-NINE
  59. Sunlight on Water
  60. July
  61. September
  62. Acknowledgements

When she enters the interview room, Naylor has to resist punching the air. She chooses the chair by the wall, and Dallabrida sits alongside her, taking his time to make himself comfortable, opening his notebook and finding a pen, all giving Naylor a few moments to study the man sitting opposite.

If he stood up he’d be tall, and he’s powerfully built, stretching the seams on his leather jacket. His head is shaved smooth, and his look should be threatening, but he’s relaxed and smiling at Naylor as if this situation amuses him. His right hand is on the table in front of him, and a snake tattoo is winding round his wrist.

Naylor returns his smile.

‘Thanks for coming in, Mr . . .’ She glances across at Dallabrida’s notes, where the name is underlined. ‘. . . Bryant.’

‘That’s me, Lee Bryant. I gave my address and all that at the front desk. I’ve heard you’ve been looking for me so I thought I’d better come and make myself known, straighten things out. Seems like I’ve become a national celebrity in my absence.’

‘I wouldn’t say a celebrity,’ says Naylor. ‘Do you know why we want to talk to you?’

‘It’s about that boy who went missing, isn’t it? What do they call him, Ewan?’

‘Evan.’

‘Evan, that’s it. I was very sorry to hear about that. Is there any news?’

Naylor sidesteps the question.

‘We’ve been looking for you for some days now, Mr Bryant. Can you explain why you haven’t come forward before?’

‘Dead simple, I haven’t been here. I drive a truck, long distance, Europe mostly, Spain, Germany, places like that. I go all over. This past week I’ve been to Poland.’

‘Poland?’ asks Dallabrida. ‘What did you take to Poland?’

‘A delivery for Tesco,’ says Bryant. ‘Tesco’s huge in Poland. Not many people know that.’

‘Don’t you have a partner?’ asks Naylor. ‘No phone calls home, no one to tell you we wanted to speak to you?’

‘Not really, no,’ says Bryant. ‘When I go to interesting places, my missus goes with me. Our kids have all left home, so there’s no reason for her to sit at home twiddling her thumbs. We go everywhere together, her and me.’

‘You understand you were one of the last people to see Evan before he went missing?’ asks Naylor.