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Late wife … noo.
Teddy nodded. ‘That’s exactly how he is.’ There was a look of resignation in her eyes, and for a brief moment, a spark of anger at the realization.
‘Did that bother you?’ said Ruddock.
‘I’m used to it,’ said Teddy. ‘I didn’t mind. That’s his way.’
She shrugged, but in a way that indicated she wanted the questions on her marriage to stop. Ren and Ruddock locked eyes.
Yes …let’s not push it.
For now.
‘Teddy,’ said Ren. ‘Did you ever get the sense that Caleb didn’t like to be left alone with his father?’
‘No – never,’ said Teddy. ‘Absolutely not.’
‘Has John ever gotten physical with Caleb?’ said Ren.
‘No.’
‘Have you ever felt that he came close to that point?’ said Ren.
Teddy shrugged. ‘What is “close”? I can say to you that I do not think John would ever lay a finger on Caleb.’
Why am I unconvinced?
Possibly because you are.
‘Was there any particular behavior in Caleb that angered John?’
‘All the standard things that twelve-year-olds get in trouble with their parents for,’ said Teddy. ‘They’re the same things that would have bothered me. Maybe John is more stern about it, but I think fathers of boys need to be.’
‘Has there been any change in Caleb’s behavior over the past few months?’ said Ren.
Teddy gave it careful thought. ‘No, not really.’
‘Not really?’
‘No,’ said Teddy with more conviction. ‘No.’
‘There are scuff marks on the inside of Caleb’s bedroom door,’ said Ren, ‘and the doorjamb looks damaged. Did you ever lock Caleb in?’
‘Oh my God – no,’ said Teddy. ‘Absolutely not. I’ve never even seen a key for that door.’
‘OK,’ said Ren.
After a moment, she spoke again. Deep breath. ‘Teddy, how are things in your marriage?’
She frowned. ‘They’re good – why?’
‘These are the questions we need to ask,’ said Ren. ‘I’m sure you understand.’
She nodded, but it was clear that she didn’t want to sign up for that line of questioning.
‘Are you and John happy?’ said Ren.
Teddy raised her eyebrows.
Oh, happiness is a tricky one, isn’t it? Are people ever truly happy? That’s depressing.
Ben. Everett. Robbie.
My happiness is over; I’ve had my life’s share.
Is this how I feel now?
Jesus.
Christ.
‘Yes,’ said Teddy. ‘I mean, life … is life, really, isn’t it? Am I living a wild adventure every day? No.’
‘I’m not thinking adventure,’ said Ren. ‘I’m just thinking of your relationship with your husband – are you getting along? Have there been any arguments? Are there any issues?’
Teddy gave a small shrug. ‘No.’
‘Have you noticed any changes in your husband’s behavior or mood recently?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Teddy.
Ooh: I don’t believe you.
13 (#ulink_24f7f0e9-fb09-57ad-be32-7033e472ef10)
Teddy Veir shifted in her seat like a child at the principal’s office.
‘Teddy, did you monitor Caleb’s online activity?’ said Ren.
‘Yes,’ said Teddy.
‘And was he aware of the dangers of being online?’
‘We talked about it, yes,’ said Teddy. ‘Any time we brought it up, he made us feel stupid for thinking he would ever fall for any kind of weirdo who would try to meet up with him. Caleb knows that people aren’t necessarily who they say they are online.’
Oh, how many times I’ve seen that change when the right fake messages or the right fake photographs are sent.
‘Did you find something?’ said Teddy.
‘There were no interactions with anyone that we feel have a bearing on the case,’ said Ren. ‘So, to go through a few more things … he was also looking at pornography.’
Teddy’s face fell. ‘Oh, God. He’s only a baby.’
‘It certainly wasn’t at worrying levels, and it was nothing extreme,’ said Ren. Like that will reassure you. ‘But I have to ask if he had a girlfriend or if there were girls around at the house or if you got any sense that this was more than just …’ I can’t say the word fantasy about a twelve-year-old boy.
‘He didn’t have a girlfriend,’ said Teddy. ‘He was kind of awkward around girls. He just wasn’t advanced in that way. Not at all.’
‘OK,’ said Ren. ‘Have you noticed anything missing of Caleb’s? Any bag or clothing or something he was particularly fond of, something he didn’t usually leave behind?’
‘Apart from his phone?’ said Teddy. ‘The only other thing – which I don’t think is very meaningful, especially because I haven’t seen it in a while, anyway – is a suitcase. Well, it’s kind of a tin box – an old military one that John got for him – it’s green and battered, with a brown leather handle. It’s about twice the size of a shoebox. He used to keep it on the floor under the window, but then he moved it into the wardrobe, put it on the shelf at the top. But I can’t really imagine him bringing it anywhere …’
Unless he was running away.
‘Do you know what he kept in it?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Teddy. ‘His comic books, I figured. I don’t know.’
‘Can you remember the last time you looked in the wardrobe?’ said Ren.
‘No – Caleb tidied away his own clothes.’
‘So that suitcase could have been gone for some time,’ said Ren.
‘Yes,’ said Teddy.
Could he have fought with his father, packed this suitcase and left, unwittingly drawing attention to himself: some creep driving by sees a kid on his own, maybe running away, maybe crying, carrying a suitcase? Vulnerable.
‘Does Caleb keep a diary?’ said Ren.
‘No,’ said Teddy. ‘He has no interest in anything like that. He’s like his father – might read a sports story or two, but won’t pick up a book, or write a word he isn’t forced to.’
‘If Caleb was in trouble,’ said Ren, ‘who do you think he might call?’
‘Well – me,’ said Teddy.
‘And what about his Aunt Alice?’ said Ren.
Teddy frowned. ‘You mean, would he call her if he had a problem? Gosh, I wouldn’t think so. I mean, she’s family, and she’s always perfectly lovely to him, remembers his birthday, all those kind of things, but …’ She trailed off. ‘Was he in trouble? Do you know something? Why are you asking about Alice?’
‘Caleb called her on Monday morning at seven thirty a.m.,’ said Ren. ‘She was the last call he made on the morning he disappeared.’
‘We see Alice two or three times a year,’ said Teddy. ‘Caleb’s maybe been on the phone to say hello to her once or twice, but that’s about it.’
What? ‘John seemed to think they spoke quite a bit.’
‘Really?’ said Teddy. ‘Well, not when I was around. And when I checked Caleb’s call list when I got home from work, I didn’t see her name.’
‘It had been deleted,’ said Ren.
‘That’s very strange,’ said Teddy.
‘If Caleb had an argument with his father, do you think he could have called his aunt for help?’ said Ren.
‘Caleb always called me when he had a fight with John.’
Always. How many were there?
‘Did that happen often?’ said Ren.
‘That sounded worse than it was,’ said Teddy at the same time.
Ren and Ruddock talked Gary and Wiley through the discrepancies between Alice, John and Teddy about the phone call.
‘Why,’ said Wiley, ‘would there be a difference in how two parents viewed their child’s relationship with his aunt? It makes no sense.’
‘Nah,’ said Gary. ‘It makes total sense.’
Ouch.
‘Have you got kids?’ said Gary.
Wiley shook his head. ‘No.’
Then, there you go says Gary’s face.
‘Alice Veir was very emotional about how much her brother cared for Caleb,’ said Ren. ‘It sounded genuine.’ She paused. ‘But what other reason would there be for Caleb to call her? Or maybe it was John who called her …’
‘Looking to know his options because he had killed his son,’ said Gary.
‘You’d want a pretty tight relationship with a sibling – or anyone, for that matter – to be able to call them up and say “I killed my child, what do I do next?”’ said Ren.
Ruddock nodded.
‘Especially when she’s a lawyer who’s all about justice,’ said Ren.
‘And let’s not forget,’ said Gary, ‘this was only a ten-minute phone call.’
‘This is a small thing,’ said Ren, ‘but when I told Alice Veir that Caleb was missing, she didn’t say “But I was just speaking with him yesterday morning”, which is the kind of thing someone would say under the circumstances, isn’t it? Reflexively? Not a big deal, but still.’
‘Do you think she might have already known that he was gone?’ said Ruddock.
‘I wasn’t getting that sense either …’ said Ren. ‘It was hard to say.’
Everything’s so fucking hard to say.
Gary’s phone beeped with a text. He read it. ‘OK – the other two CARD agents have just arrived at the hotel. It’s been a long day. Ren and I will get checked in, have something to eat, get some rest.’
Eat. Rest. Noooo!
