Free Perseverance Street by Ken McCoy

woman like Mrs Muscroft we can’t discount the possibility of her harming her own son.’
    ‘So, you don’t believe the story she tells of her son being taken by this man Oldroyd?’
    DS Bannister had filled her in on the case on the way to the hospital. ‘I’ve no idea what to believe. She gave me an accurate description of the interior of Lark House which she would only be able to do if she’d been inside the place.’
    ‘Which supports her story.’
    ‘Only if there was no other way she could have taken a look round.’
    ‘And is there?’
    ‘In my experience, ConstableMorley, which is considerable, there’s usually another way. For example there was a house contents sale at the house in April. Who’s to say she and her son didn’t take a trip out to Grassington that day and call in to see that? Maybe even buy something.’
    ‘Such as?’
    ‘Well, inside her house is an antique wall clock that looks out of place there, and a wall clock was sold at the contents sale.’
    ‘That sounds a bit a bit tenuous if you don’t mind me saying, Sarge.’
    ‘Everything about this case is tenuous, but out there is a small boy and we don’t know if he’s alive or dead.’
    ‘I notice we haven’t given the story to the papers. Wouldn’t they be able to help?’
    ‘That’s been held in abeyance. If this man Oldroyd has got the boy we don’t want to spook him into doing something drastic. He may well think he’s got away with it and drop his guard at some point. We’re going to give it another couple of days and then release the story.’
    ‘Sounds a risky strategy.’
    ‘Ours not to reason why, Constable. This is the brainchild of our chief superintendent.’
    She looked at him questioningly. He explained: ‘A few months ago a two-year-old girl went missing in Wakefield.’
    ‘I remember that, but that was all over the papers from the beginning. She was found within a week, wasn’t she?’
    ‘Ten days,’ said Bannister. ‘And during that ten days the woman who took her didn’t read a paper, nor did she listen to the radio, with her not having one. She thought she’d got away with it and took the girl out for a walk. She was spotted within half an hour.’
    Eileenfollowed his reasoning. ‘But we’re assuming that Oldroyd will be reading the papers and listening to the radio so we’re giving him nothing to read about or hear about.’
    ‘Precisely. We’re calling it the No News is Good News theory. In a couple of days we’ll have the lad’s photo in every paper in the country. If he’s out there and Oldroyd’s dropped his guard, we’ll have him.’
    ‘Right,’ said Eileen, unconvinced.
    ‘That’s if Oldroyd exists,’ added Bannister.

Chapter 12

    Home now, andwith Christopher safely tucked up in his cot, Lily had set to work doing a makeshift job on the broken window. She had flattened a large cardboard box she’d found in the bin yard on her way home and had cut it into the shape of the frame, then she put on a pair of Larry’s gloves and eased out all the remaining glass. She was tacking the cardboard into place when Bannister’s car arrived. Because the window was completely blocked by the cardboard she didn’t see the two officers getting out of the car, although she’d heard a car arrive.
    She still had the hammer in her hand when she went to the door in response to Bannister’s knock.
    ‘Have you found Michael?’
    ‘I’m afraid not.’
    Her grip on the hammer tightened instinctively. She half raised it.
    Bannister looked at it. ‘I don’t think you’ll be needing that, Mrs Robinson.’
    Her mood was such that she went immediately on the attack. ‘Really? So what do you suggest I use to fix my broken window? A brick came through it not two minutes after I got home with my baby. It missed him by inches. Would such a crime interest you, Sergeant Bannister, or have you come to ask what I’ve done with my missing son?’
    ‘Maywe come in?’
    She didn’t reply but simply