Tyler cut around the back of the hospital and up the hill past the helicopter landing pad. Hannah Peel was playing in his ears, a trippy soundtrack to a sci-fi movie that hadn’t been made. He skirted the edge of the trees that ran along Craigmillar Castle Road, the open field to his right, the Barratt building site beyond. So much open space around here still, gradually getting swallowed by houses and offices. To his left he could see the highest crennellations of the castle, remembered being up there in the dark with Flick, staring out over the sleeping city. He wondered what she was doing right now.
He stepped away from the road and followed the rough path through the trees to the edge of his school, then out onto the road and down to Craigmillar Primary. They’d got out twenty minutes ago so there were just a few mums left blethering outside the gate, their kids mucking around in a muddy puddle next to the bushes. But twenty minutes wasn’t too bad, Miss Kelvin would have kept Bean in as usual. He tried to think how he would explain to Bean what had happened to Angela.
He got to the classroom, knocked on the open door and went in. Miss Kelvin was putting the little chairs up on the desks, clearing the place for the cleaners. Tyler glanced around then caught the teacher’s eye, and the look on her face made his stomach sink.
She stopped with a chair in her hand, her fingers gripping the plastic. ‘She’s gone.’
‘What do you mean, you just let her wander off?’ Tyler looked around the room as if Bean might pop up from under a desk and surprise him.
‘She said you were outside waiting,’ Miss Kelvin said, her voice wavering. ‘I presumed that if you weren’t there she would come back in.’
‘You didn’t check?’
Miss Kelvin was on the verge of tears. ‘The playground’s busy at home time, you know that. I’m sorry, but it’s not really my job. There are thirty children in this class.’
Tyler stared at her and wondered how old she was. Maybe about the same age as Barry. He tried to imagine her and Barry having a conversation, but he couldn’t bridge the gap in his mind, they were from different universes.
Miss Kelvin put the chair down and stood there, arms by her side.
Tyler looked around again, tried to think. ‘I’m sorry, it’s my fault.’
‘Would she just have walked home?’ Miss Kelvin said.
Tyler nodded, Bean was a sensible kid, she wouldn’t walk off with strangers. He thought about the Holts outside the hospital. Deke had said, ‘look out for your family’. Half an hour later his little sister was missing.
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘She’s probably on her way home.’
If only he’d come the other way from the hospital, he would surely have walked right into her.
‘Maybe her mum came for her?’ Miss Kelvin said.
Tyler let out a laugh, picturing Angela in the hospital bed. ‘No.’
‘Is there anyone at home when she gets there?’ Miss Kelvin said. So many questions and Tyler didn’t have any answers.
‘I’d better go find her.’
He was already halfway out the door when Miss Kelvin called after him.
‘Let me know she’s safe.’
He ran out of the playground, picking up speed as he turned along Greendykes Road, the downward slope forcing him forward, his trainers slapping on the concrete, mums with little kids staring at him as he passed. One he recognised, Aisha with her mum, holding hands, their arms swinging in unison. He slowed as he reached them.
‘Aisha.’
Her mum jumped at his voice, pulling her daughter closer.
He was breathing hard from the exertion. ‘Have you seen Bean? Bethany?’
He was talking to both of them, looking from one to the other.
Aisha looked confused. ‘Not since class.’
He stared at her mum, who was beginning to realise he’d lost her. ‘Sorry, I haven’t seen her. Can I help?’
Tyler swallowed and shook his head. ‘If you see her, bring her home. It’s Greendykes House.’
He ran on, round the building site until he was at the tower. She wasn’t waiting outside. She didn’t have keys but maybe someone let her in.
He went inside and jumped in the lift, tried to get his breathing back as it chugged up the floors, frustrated at suddenly being motionless. He burst out of the lift doors and into the flat, went through every room, even checked under the beds, no sign of her. He went next door, his heart racing, and thudded on the door. Just the dogs barking, no answer. He thumped again but that just got the dogs more agitated. Still no answer.
‘Barry? Kelly?’
She couldn’t be inside, surely, it didn’t make any sense. He thought about trying to hammer the door down, but that was a non-starter. He tried to think. She wouldn’t be at a friend’s house, would she? No mum would take her and not mention it. Maybe Barry or Kelly had her somewhere else. But why? And it couldn’t be the Holts. If they knew anything, they would’ve killed Tyler at the hospital. The dogs were scratching at the inside of the door, slobbering and barking, yelping as they fell over each other. He couldn’t think. Then it came to him. The dogs.
He ran down the stairs and burst out of the front door, running again, feeling the dampness in his armpits, the breath in his lungs burning as he gulped in air, along the road again to the derelict house. He slapped the wall with his palm as he headed round the back. The cardboard sheet was still in the window frame, which made him frown. He ripped it out and peered in. Too dark, couldn’t see anything, couldn’t hear anything over his own heartbeat and breathing.
He clambered in, careful of the broken glass in the frame, and landed inside with a thud and a puff of masonry dust. Opened his eyes wide to get used to the dark, then spotted Snook over in the corner by the dog basket. He heard a whimpering noise.
‘Bean?’
He walked over, saw the dog and her pups more clearly, but no sign of Bean. He leaned down and scratched behind the dog’s ear. ‘Where the fuck is she?’
He straightened up and looked around. Went to the window and stared out over the waste ground at the back of the castle.
Then his phone rang.
He swallowed as he took it out of his pocket.
On the screen was the alias he’d plugged in for DI Pearce’s number.
He answered. ‘What?’
‘Guess who I have with me?’ Pearce said.
‘You bitch,’ Tyler said. ‘I was worried sick.’
‘She’s fine,’ Pearce said. ‘Come and meet us for a coffee.’
The Starbucks at Fort Kinnaird was new – dark wood and uncomfortable plastic chairs, overly cheery staff, huge glass frontage looking out at a traffic jam and Primark.
Pearce sat at a window table with Bean, who was halfway through a syrupy caramel milkshake. She grinned when she saw him, a cream moustache across her upper lip. ‘Hi.’
Pearce gave him a knowing look as he sat down.
‘What have I told you about going off with strangers,’ Tyler said to Bean.
She frowned and sucked milkshake through the straw. ‘But she’s a policewoman. She showed me her badge.’
Pearce put her hands out in front of her. ‘I’m here to serve.’
‘How dare you,’ Tyler said.
Pearce widened her eyes. ‘What? It’s lucky I was there. No responsible adult to pick her up from school. She could’ve got into all sorts of trouble.’
Tyler shook his head. ‘Leave us alone.’
Pearce leaned forward. ‘This is just the start. I want Barry.’
Bean perked up. ‘What about Barry?’
Tyler frowned and looked at her. ‘Nothing. Go get a napkin from the counter, you’ve got cream all over your face.’
She took the straw from her cup and sucked it as she traipsed across the café.
‘You’re fucking unbelievable,’ Tyler said.
‘Give me what I want and you’ll be safe.’
‘You can’t keep us safe.’
‘The police are the best chance you have.’
‘You don’t believe that any more than I do.’
Pearce leaned back. ‘Maybe I’ll take you in for questioning right now. Get social services to look after Bean.’
Tyler narrowed his eyes. ‘You wouldn’t dare.’
‘Wouldn’t I?’
‘You say you’re trying to help us, but it doesn’t feel like that.’
Pearce shrugged. ‘I can only do so much if you don’t cooperate.’
Bean came back, making exaggerated swipes at her face with a napkin.
Tyler stood up. ‘Come on, Bean, we’re going.’
‘Can I bring my milkshake?’
Pearce lifted the cup and handed it to her. ‘Of course, dear. You look after your big brother, you hear?’
Tyler stared at her for a moment then took Bean’s hand and left.
The cardboard sheet was still away from the window frame, Tyler hadn’t replaced it in the rush to head to Starbucks. He lifted Bean through the opening and placed her carefully on the floor inside, heard Snook whine.
He looked around, breathing in the fresh air, then pulled himself through the opening and dropped into the darkness. It took his eyes a few moments to acclimatise. Bean ran over and sat down next to Snook on the mattress, picked up one of the pups and stroked it in her lap.
‘Bean?’
He went over. She looked up with tears in her eyes. In her lap was the sick puppy, motionless and curled into a ball.
‘She’s dead,’ Bean said. ‘Peach is dead.’
Snook let out a keening noise and licked at the pup in Bean’s lap, who didn’t respond.
The other two puppies shuffled nervously around their mum, sensing something was off.
‘Why did she die?’ Bean said.
Tyler crouched next to her and stroked the puppy’s head. It already felt cold, or at least not as warm as a living thing. He brushed tears away from Bean’s cheek.
‘There’s nothing we could do,’ he said. ‘Sometimes little ones just aren’t strong enough.’
‘We didn’t look after her properly,’ Bean said, her voice hard.
‘No,’ Tyler said. ‘It’s not our fault.’
‘Then it’s Snook’s fault,’ Bean said, staring at the dog. ‘She wasn’t a good mum.’
Tyler put a hand on Bean’s shoulder. ‘Look at me.’ He waited until she held his gaze. ‘It’s not anyone’s fault. Snook is a good mum. Look at the other two puppies, they’re fine, aren’t they? Sometimes these things happen. It’s just life.’
Bean stared down at the dead puppy in her lap, played with its ear between her thumb and finger.
‘Then life’s not fair,’ she said.