could be critical to the inquiry and that there was a danger Amy had arranged to meet a stranger through the internet.
The look of worry on Lena’s face was obvious as she realized the implications behind DC Burrows’ question. The officer had raised something that was crucial to know yet frightening to contemplate.
‘I honestly don’t know,’ Lena said, becoming very distressed.
Reid could hear the fear in her voice and see the redness in her eyes. ‘Don’t look so worried, Mrs Fulford – millions of people use Facebook every day of their lives and no harm comes to them.’
‘I want my daughter back, Inspector Reid . . . I just can’t cope not knowing what’s happened to her . . . please find her, please.’ She began sobbing and took hold of his hand as if she and Amy’s life depended on him.
Remaining calm, he gently eased his hand free, and then gestured to Barbara to assist Lena. Barbara got some tissues out of her pocket and put her arm round Lena.
Reid couldn’t help but be moved by the turmoil Mrs Fulford was going through, and realized how inexperienced he was in dealing with this kind of missing persons case. In the few months he had run the unit he’d only dealt with two high-risk cases and they were resolved before the homicide unit became involved. An elderly man had disappeared from a care home, and was found in woodland a few days later, having died from hypothermia. The other was a five-year-old boy who had wandered off when his mother’s back was turned and tragically drowned after falling into a neighbour’s pond. In both cases there had been some form of resolution for him and closure for the grieving families. But Amy’s case was different as there were so many unknowns about her disappearance. He wanted it to be resolved quickly for Lena Fulford’s sake, but he knew that he was playing catch-up, with three days having passed since she went missing. He wondered if he should maybe consider her case as high risk and report it to the chief superintendent, but worried that it would look as if he were panicking and jumping the gun. His mind was made up; at present Amy would remain medium risk until there was evidence to suggest that she had come to any harm. Besides, after five days, if she was not found alive and well, protocol dictated he would have to inform the DCS.
Reid waited for Lena Fulford to regain her composure before he suggested it would be best for her to return home and get some rest. He offered to get Barbara Burrows to drive her home but Lena said that she had her car with her and would be fine.
‘I will try and visit you at your house later, Mrs Fulford, as I’d like to meet your husband as well. For now I need to fully brief my team and get the ball rolling in the search for Amy. I will instigate house-to-house enquiries where your husband and the Newmans live, as well as in your own area. I can assure you, Mrs Fulford, we will leave no stone unturned – every bit of available CCTV will be recovered and viewed so as to track and trace Amy’s movements and successfully find her.’
Burrows was surprised by what DI Reid was saying. He was rattling off everything the missing persons manual advised, but the feasibility of doing everything he said was nigh-on impossible with such a small team on the Richmond mispers unit. Most of their cases were cut and dried – care home or disadvantaged kids who regularly ran away, and in most cases were located within a few days without calling in the cavalry from the murder squads. Amy Fulford didn’t fit the usual profile – she was from a wealthy family, at boarding school, and from her photograph an exceptionally beautiful young girl. Burrows hoped she would be traced quickly.
Chapter 4
A gnes was emptying the dishwasher when she heard the door. ‘Hello, Mrs Fulford, you were out early this morning.’
‘Agnes, there’s a police officer coming round, I’ve forgotten his name, but he will be here to talk to you about
The look of worry on Lena’s face was obvious as she realized the implications behind DC Burrows’ question. The officer had raised something that was crucial to know yet frightening to contemplate.
‘I honestly don’t know,’ Lena said, becoming very distressed.
Reid could hear the fear in her voice and see the redness in her eyes. ‘Don’t look so worried, Mrs Fulford – millions of people use Facebook every day of their lives and no harm comes to them.’
‘I want my daughter back, Inspector Reid . . . I just can’t cope not knowing what’s happened to her . . . please find her, please.’ She began sobbing and took hold of his hand as if she and Amy’s life depended on him.
Remaining calm, he gently eased his hand free, and then gestured to Barbara to assist Lena. Barbara got some tissues out of her pocket and put her arm round Lena.
Reid couldn’t help but be moved by the turmoil Mrs Fulford was going through, and realized how inexperienced he was in dealing with this kind of missing persons case. In the few months he had run the unit he’d only dealt with two high-risk cases and they were resolved before the homicide unit became involved. An elderly man had disappeared from a care home, and was found in woodland a few days later, having died from hypothermia. The other was a five-year-old boy who had wandered off when his mother’s back was turned and tragically drowned after falling into a neighbour’s pond. In both cases there had been some form of resolution for him and closure for the grieving families. But Amy’s case was different as there were so many unknowns about her disappearance. He wanted it to be resolved quickly for Lena Fulford’s sake, but he knew that he was playing catch-up, with three days having passed since she went missing. He wondered if he should maybe consider her case as high risk and report it to the chief superintendent, but worried that it would look as if he were panicking and jumping the gun. His mind was made up; at present Amy would remain medium risk until there was evidence to suggest that she had come to any harm. Besides, after five days, if she was not found alive and well, protocol dictated he would have to inform the DCS.
Reid waited for Lena Fulford to regain her composure before he suggested it would be best for her to return home and get some rest. He offered to get Barbara Burrows to drive her home but Lena said that she had her car with her and would be fine.
‘I will try and visit you at your house later, Mrs Fulford, as I’d like to meet your husband as well. For now I need to fully brief my team and get the ball rolling in the search for Amy. I will instigate house-to-house enquiries where your husband and the Newmans live, as well as in your own area. I can assure you, Mrs Fulford, we will leave no stone unturned – every bit of available CCTV will be recovered and viewed so as to track and trace Amy’s movements and successfully find her.’
Burrows was surprised by what DI Reid was saying. He was rattling off everything the missing persons manual advised, but the feasibility of doing everything he said was nigh-on impossible with such a small team on the Richmond mispers unit. Most of their cases were cut and dried – care home or disadvantaged kids who regularly ran away, and in most cases were located within a few days without calling in the cavalry from the murder squads. Amy Fulford didn’t fit the usual profile – she was from a wealthy family, at boarding school, and from her photograph an exceptionally beautiful young girl. Burrows hoped she would be traced quickly.
Chapter 4
A gnes was emptying the dishwasher when she heard the door. ‘Hello, Mrs Fulford, you were out early this morning.’
‘Agnes, there’s a police officer coming round, I’ve forgotten his name, but he will be here to talk to you about
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