Hope to Die

Remind me – exactly how many kids did that woman have? 4? 5? And no-one knew about ANY of them. So how do we know this isn’t yet another kid no-one knew about and she palmed off to someone else? Doesn’t mean she didn’t kill that other baby, just like they said. I hope the police are onto this though that’s probably too much to ask. Thickos, the lot of them. She’s just going to run rings round them. AGAIN

DawnG667788

I don’t trust that woman further than I could spit – there’s something fishy about this whole thing

AnaGram5__1984

So is she getting out then?

99AnnieBL99

If you ask me I never thought she did it – its unnatural a mother killing her child. Quite apart from the fact that there wasn’t enough time to get rid of the body – not without the police being able to find it

2002SpottheBall

She’s going to make MEGA bucks out of this #justsaying

GayZeeBo88

Holy shit this is going to put the cat among the pigeons

LineofDutyfan665

So who are these old people in Wytham anyway – has no-one asked what the hell this bloke was doing there?

TickedBoxforNoPublicity44

I know someone who used to work at Heathside – do you know what they call her there? Only the effing DUCHESS. You couldn’t make it up LMFAO

AllieCatz76

I don’t believe Camilla Rowan is innocent. I never have. It’ll be more complicated than it looks, just you wait. And whatever it is that woman is in it up to her neck

* * *

Gislingham knocks at Fawley’s door and waits for the muffled ‘Come’ from inside. The DI is on his feet, coat still on, and clearly only just back. He’s flicking through screens on his phone, frowning, and muttering under his breath.

‘Sorry, boss, do you want me to come back?’

Fawley glances up. ‘No – actually, I need you to fill me in on the Swanns before I go and see Harrison.’

‘Yeah, I saw – it’s all over the news.’

And Harrison must be crapping himself. Not that either of them say so; they don’t need to.

‘The hacks haven’t worked out who the Swanns really are yet but it’s only a matter of time – they can look up the Land Registry just like we did and as soon as they get Swann’s first name and date of birth, bingo.’

Fawley looks grim. ‘And where the press goes, the sofa Sherlocks will soon follow. Can you warn the Swanns? Suggest they might want to stay somewhere else for a few days?’

‘I can’t believe they don’t know already, but yeah, we can do that. I’ll send Ev.’ He gives a wry smile. ‘One way or another she’s had a lot of experience managing cantankerous pensioners.’

Fawley looks up, his face suddenly concerned. ‘How is her dad?’

Gis shrugs. ‘Much the same, as far as I know. It won’t be getting any easier, that’s for sure.’

Fawley nods, and they stand in silence a moment. Then, ‘So what else have you got?’

‘Well, your hunch about the snail mail was spot on: Chloe Sargent spoke to the postie and it turns out the Swanns got a letter about a month ago which was handwritten and had an overseas stamp. Trouble is, a) Mrs S tore it up and threw it away without reading it so we can’t prove she knew who sent it, and b) the postie doesn’t know which country it came from. We put in a call to her solicitor to ask about it, but all we got back was that she “has no recollection” of getting anything like that. Well, there’s a surprise.’

Fawley’s looking at him. ‘I don’t know about you, but there are two reasons why I rip up post without bothering to open it. One – it’s junk; or two – I know who it’s from and I’m not interested.’

Gis nods. ‘Right.’ He takes a step closer. ‘Do you think the same thing could have happened to Rowan? The kid wrote to her as well? The timings would fit.’

‘But there’s still a problem, isn’t there? He could find Rowan through Wikipedia, but how the hell did he find out where the parents lived?’

‘Quite. They’ve changed their name, they’re not in the phone book and they’re not on the public electoral roll either, we checked. And as Hansen found out, it’s really bloody hard to find someone who’s changed their name by deed poll.’

Fawley looks thoughtful. ‘I’ve been wondering about that – whether it would be as hard the other way round?’

Gis is frowning. ‘Not sure what you’re getting at.’

‘I mean, the only name we had to start with was Swann, and we had no reason to go looking for anything else. But if you were looking for Dick Rowan and you already had a suspicion he might have changed his name, how hard would it be to make the connection back to Swann?’

Gis nods. ‘I see what you mean – I’ll get Hansen on it. I doubt he’ll mind that much – he’s halfway to being Baxter’s mini-me. Minus the chocolate habit, obvs.’

Fawley smiles. ‘Cadburys will be gutted.’

His phone beeps.

‘Harrison,’ he says, looking at the screen, his smile evaporating. ‘Asking where I am.’ He drags off his coat and straightens his tie. ‘Wish me luck.’

* * *

Interview with Alison Toms

25 October 2018, 2.15 p.m.