'I think this is our girl,' I said.
We started walking towards her.
'Mrs Lennox,' I said.
'Officers.' She put her hand on her ample chest and breathed hard through her open mouth. Her eyebrows were over-plucked and made her look slightly startled. 'How can I help?'
'It's one of your pupils,' Erica said.
'Oh. Who's been up to what?'
'It's about Bruce Wilson.'
Mrs Lennox laughed like a smoker.
'Why is that funny?' I asked.
'You're having me on.'
'I can assure you, Mrs Lennox, that this is extremely serious.'
She coughed twice and stared at us. 'Call me Grace, please,' she said. 'Otherwise it feels like I'm at school and we don't want that. I'd have to ask you both to put your hands up before you ask another question.'
'Grace,' I said. 'We've just spoken to Bruce's mother. Is there anything you can tell us?'
'I didn't need to run after all.'
'Can you explain what you mean by that?' Erica asked.
Mrs Lennox nodded. 'You'd better come on up.'
7
The sitting room was full of family photos. On the walls, on the mantelpiece, on the furniture.
I sat down and Erica sat beside me.
'Okay.' Mrs Lennox took a rattling breath and hitched her hair out of her face. 'It's like this.'
And she told us about Bruce Wilson.
8
'You in on this too?' I asked Erica once we were outside.
'In on what?'
'Dutton knows,' I said. 'He set me up.'
'If that's true, then that shithead set me up too.' She clenched her teeth, then said, 'Maybe the teacher's lying?'
But we both knew that wasn't the case.
I punched Dutton's number into my Airwave handset.
'The hell are you playing at?' I asked when he answered.
'Found wee Bruce yet?' He chuckled. 'Sorry. I couldn't find that photo after all.'
'Dutton,' I said. 'You're an utter disgrace.'
'Any decent detective would have found out about the kid long before now.'
I hung up. 'I'm going to kick his head in,' I said to Erica.
'Not if I get to him first,' she said.
'Where are we going?' Erica asked me a couple of minutes later in the car.
'To talk to Mrs Wilson,' I said.
'What about Dutton?'
'I need to calm down.' I gripped the steering wheel. 'He can wait.'
10
'Don't go stomping all over this,' Erica said as we stood at Mrs Wilson's front door.
'What do you mean?' I asked.
'Be gentle with her.'
I banged my fist on the door. Repeatedly. There was a bell, but screw that. I liked the pounding noise. 'Mrs Wilson?' I shouted. 'Mrs Wilson!'
'Collins!' Erica grabbed my arm.
I clamped my jaw shut, pulled my wrist from her grasp and pounded on the door some more. Eventually Mrs Wilson opened it.
I stared at her, wondering what the hell went on inside her head. I said, 'Can we come in?' I could smell the drink off her.
She walked ahead of us. Slowly. As if she was afraid she might fall over. In the sitting room, she asked if we'd like a cup of tea.
Erica said no.
'Coffee?'
'Nothing to drink, Mrs Wilson,' I said.
'We're fine,' Erica told her. 'Thanks.'
Mrs Wilson picked up some bottles off the table. Whisky, vodka, something else. All looked empty. She held the bottles there for a moment and then put them back down again in the very same spot.
I glanced at Erica, hoping she'd say something. I didn't know where to begin. But Erica just raised her eyebrows at me.
Mrs Wilson crossed her arms over her chest in the shape of an X. Her voice was steady, no trace of slurring. 'Is it bad news?'
'To tell the truth,' I said, 'it was a bit of an eye-opener.' I couldn't read her expression. 'We spoke to Mrs Lennox.'
No reaction.
Erica said, 'She told us about the accident, Clare.'
Clare. Not Mrs Wilson. For crying out loud, Erica.
'An accident?' Mrs Wilson whispered. 'Bruce has been in an accident?'
Erica shook her head. 'Mrs Lennox told us how you and John and Bruce were in the car that night. Seven years ago.'
'Yes.' Mrs Wilson nodded. Kept nodding. 'What does that have to do with Bruce being missing?'
'Mrs Lennox told us how… John… how John died on impact.'
Mrs Wilson put her hand to her mouth. Held it there.
'She told us how you suffered terrible injuries and almost died.'
'But here I am.' Mrs Wilson uncovered her mouth. She was smiling, although her lips trembled. That twitch in her left eye was back too. 'My skull shattered,' she said, as if that was nothing out of the ordinary. 'They said it was a fine old mess in there. But I'm as good as new, see?'
'Mrs Lennox also told us about Bruce.'
'She told you what? She knows where he is?'
Erica looked away.
'If you know where he is, you have to tell me.' Mrs Wilson stepped forward. 'Take me to him. Please.'
As hard as I found it to believe what Mrs Lennox had told us, the evidence was clear in Mrs Wilson's face. If
