Like This, for Ever

– phone companies, especially. Unless your mum has disappeared from sight completely, she’ll be on one, probably more, of those databases. They would give us a last known address and we’d take it from there.’
    ‘How long would it take?’
    ‘If you were in a real hurry, you could probably have it done in a few days.’
    ‘If I told them my mum was missing, would they look for her for me?’
    Oh, the poor kid. ‘Your dad would have to report her missing,’ Lacey said. ‘But as she went such a long time ago, I doubt they’d consider it a good enough reason to look now.’
    ‘But she is missing, and if anything happens to my dad, I’ll have no one to look after me.’
    He wanted Lacey to look for his mother. The unspoken question was shining out from his eyes. And she could, no doubt about it. How ethical it would be was another matter entirely.
    ‘Barney, if I could talk to your dad about it, I might be able to—’
    He looked at his wristwatch. ‘I should get back now,’ he said. ‘My dad will be wondering where I am. Don’t say anything to him, please. I don’t want to worry him.’
    Lacey stood and carried both Coke cans to the bin. ‘What’s your mum’s name?’ she asked.
    ‘Karen Roberts. Why?’ asked Barney, hope lighting up his face.
    ‘Do you know her maiden name? What she was called before she was married.’
    ‘My granddad was called Prince,’ said Barney. ‘Is that what you mean?’
    ‘Karen Roberts, née Prince. Barney, I’m making no promises, but I’ll have a think about it. Now, come on, let’s get you home.’

44
    AT THE FRONT of the incident room, a large white screen had been hooked up to the internet. Four detectives sat watching the Missing Boys page update itself every few seconds. They’d already tried, and failed, to track Peter Sweep via the usual route – email address and internet service provider. This evening, Facebook had told them, Peter was posting using a smart phone. They’d been happy to supply the number, but all BT had been able to tell them was that it was being used within half a mile of a base station not far from Lambeth. The effort and thought Sweep had put into concealing his identity and whereabouts had done more than anything to convince most members of the team that he and the killer were one and the same. Most, not all.
    ‘Dana, I just don’t think it’s him,’ said Richmond.
    Dana watched Anderson stop pacing the room and turn on the spot to face the profiler. ‘What the hell do you mean?’ he demanded. ‘He’s got a picture of the kid. Scroll it back, Gayle. Let’s all have another look at the poor little bastard, shall we?’
    Richmond sighed and ran her hands through her hair. ‘I know that and I know what I’m saying will sound like it’s making no sense, but everything is telling me that this is not your man.’
    The room was empty but for the four of them: Dana, Anderson, Richmond and Mizon. The rest of the team were out looking forOliver Kennedy. Anderson had made no secret of his desire to join them out in the field.
    ‘Go on,’ said Dana.
    ‘Boss, with respect, I think I can be more use out on the streets. At least I can knock on doors, ask questions. Sitting here is doing my head in.’ Anderson had walked to the door now, practically had hold of the handle.
    ‘I know that, but I need you here, Neil. Somebody has to do the thinking.’
    ‘Not my forte, Boss. If it’s all the same to you, I’ll leave that to the women.’
    ‘Sit down, please, Sergeant Anderson, Susan has something she wants to tell us.’
    Anderson, red-faced and hard-eyed, sank clumsily into the nearest seat and glared at Richmond.
    ‘I won’t say our killer is the most controlled I’ve ever come across because that would mean relatively little,’ said Susan. ‘The chance to work with serial killers doesn’t come along very often.’
    ‘Well, excuse us for not providing job satisfaction,’ began Anderson.
    ‘Stop it!’ snapped Dana. ‘I’m sorry, Neil, but we’re all on edge here. Just try and hold it together, will you?’
    Anderson gave a heavy sigh and shook his head.
    ‘But those of us who do this line of work keep 100 per cent up to date with what’s going on elsewhere,’ Richmond continued. ‘Every time a new serial killer raises his head, whether it’s here or overseas, most commonly the US, we hoover up every bit of information we can find. Every big case has reams written about it and we read