Miss Weldon shook her head slowly and a deep furrow entrenched itself in her brow.

‘Neil would never kill anyone,’ she said. ‘He does stupid things that get him into trouble. But he’s most definitely not a murderer.’

‘Then why do you think he’s dropped out of sight?’ James asked.

‘I don’t know. Perhaps he’s scared and in a panic. Or perhaps something bad has happened to him as well.’

Tears filled her eyes then and she started to blink rapidly.

DC Abbott, who had been taking notes, leaned forward, elbows on knees, and said, ‘We have to know if you’ve been totally honest with us, Miss Weldon. Has Neil been in contact with you?’

‘No, he hasn’t,’ she replied, her voice hostile. ‘If you don’t believe me you can check my phone and search the house. I don’t care. All I care about now is finding my son and hearing him tell me that he had nothing to do with those killings.’

She broke down then in a paroxysm of tears. Abbott got up and offered her a tissue, then crouched beside the woman and tried to console her.

They stayed with her for another forty-five minutes, during which time she let James look around the house. There was no sign of her son, but there were several framed photos of him, though none of them with Charlotte. He was tall and sinewy, with a narrow face and hair that was dark and spiky.

Miss Weldon allowed them to take one of the pictures away with them after James explained that they would need it if and when they launched an appeal for information on his whereabouts.

She also gave them Neil’s mobile number and told them that Charlotte worked in a charity shop in the town centre.

‘Do you know if that’s how Neil and Charlotte managed to pay for the flat? We understand he’s currently unemployed,’ James said.

‘No, I top up his benefits with a monthly allowance,’ she said. ‘He refuses to stay here and I can’t bear the thought of him sleeping rough on the streets. But I’m not stupid. I know he uses some of the money to buy drugs.’

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When they left Gillian Weldon’s house the sky was rushing towards darkness and it was much colder but at least it wasn’t snowing.

First stop was the charity shop where Miss Weldon had said Charlotte Bateman worked. But it was closed, as were most of the other retail outlets in the town.

As the two detectives headed for police headquarters, James asked Abbott what she thought of Neil Savage’s mother.

‘I’m sure she told us the truth, if that’s what you mean, guv,’ she said. ‘But I’m not convinced that she believes her son is incapable of killing someone. I reckon she’s just hoping and praying that he is.’