Free Running Girl by Simon Mason

Dowell. ‘Not a lot to go on, is it? No proven connection with Chloe. Dow didn’t see her get out of it. He’d never seen it before. He wasn’t sure what colour it was, or even if it was a Porsche. Probably he was half asleep.’
    Collier agreed. Nolan pointed out how time-consuming it would be to follow it up with any degree of thoroughness.
    Singh leafed through the dossier. ‘We’re starting to learn something about Chloe Dow at the Academy. She liked to go out, apparently. To a club, to a bar. It could be she was meeting an older crowd.’
    Nolan said, ‘She liked to give the impression she was going to clubs. Girls that age, girls of a certain sort, they talk themselves up.’
    â€˜You don’t think she was actually going out?’
    â€˜Too soon to tell.’
    Singh thought about this. ‘A black Porsche,’ he said. ‘It’s a cliché. Tinted windows, spoiler, side skirts, techno wheels.’
    Collier said, ‘Pimpmobile.’
    Singh returned to the dossier. ‘This boy, Alex Robinson. We took him in after that rumpus at Pike Pond.’
    â€˜Yes?’
    â€˜Picked up twice in the last six months for selling weed.’
    â€˜He’s nothing. He certainly doesn’t drive a Porsche.’
    â€˜Most perps are known to their victims. You said it. They went out, she dumped him, he went off the deep end. He’s a big lad with anger-management issues. He smokes too much dope.’
    â€˜OK.’
    â€˜I want to know who his friends are. Who does he run with? Is there anyone he knows driving a Porsche?’
    There was a silence in the room. Singh looked straight at Collier.
    After a moment Collier said, ‘All right, I’ll put some people on the Porsche.’
    â€˜Good.’
    They got to their feet, but Singh was still staring at Collier.
    â€˜One more thing.’
    He waited until they had all sat down again. ‘I’m still waiting for the report on the Dows’ garden.’
    Collier flushed. ‘I didn’t think—’
    â€˜I told you,’ Singh said. ‘When I was at the Dows’ there was an intruder. In the garden.’
    â€˜I just thought ... Probably it was just a local kid. A neighbour.’
    Dowell cleared his throat. ‘Park a squad car on the front lawn, it does wonders for the local youth’s sense of curiosity, I find.’
    Shan laughed. Even Mal Nolan smiled.
    Singh waited until there was silence. Then he waited longer, looking at Collier.
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ Collier said. ‘I didn’t think you were serious.’
    Singh said quietly, ‘I’m always serious. Next time put one of your men on it.’ Ignoring them, he returned to the dossier, leaving them to make their exit. For an hour afterwards he worked on, then he put on his coat and went out to his assistant in her pod outside his office.
    She passed him a dozen messages, all from journalists. ‘Some of them have called several times,’ she said.
    Singh nodded and put the note in his pocket. ‘I’m going out,’ he said. ‘I’ll be at the Dows’. In the garden,’ he added.

11
    ALL THE HOUSES in Fox Walk had vinyl doors and windows with the new fittings. Felix examined them critically as he and Garvie waited on the doorstep of ‘Honeymead’. They’d knocked twice already but there was no answer, so they stood there waiting, looking smart. They’d straightened their hair and tucked in their shirts and checked the undersides of their shoes for dog-shit. Garvie was holding a bouquet of chrysanthemums and a condolence card from Jamal’s.
    But no one was home.
    â€˜Tell me again why we’re paying our respects when school said absolutely no unannounced visits?’
    â€˜We’re not paying our respects, Felix.’
    â€˜Oh.’ Felix looked interested. ‘What are we doing here, then?’
    â€˜We’re gaining