At the same time as Emily was knocking on Patricia Patterson’s door in Bury, Ridpath and Sophia were standing outside 245 Havistock Road in Sale.
The house looked exactly the same as the Ryders’, except a new extension had been added to the side, expanding the kitchen and creating a larger bedroom above.
‘What do you think?’ asked Sophia.
‘Not overly confident. People usually add extensions when they buy a house, not after they’ve lived there a long time.’
They knocked on the door. A young voice shouted from the inside, ‘I’ll get it.’
An eleven-year-old opened the door. Ridpath showed him his warrant card. ‘Can I speak with your dad?’
‘Dad, it’s the police… again.’
He walked away from door, leaving Ridpath and Sophia standing there. Eventually, a man in his thirties wearing a brown cardigan and slacks ran down the stairs. ‘It’s about time you lot came, he’s been playing his music at three a.m. again.’
‘Sorry?’
‘Him next door. Woke the bloody kids and the wife. I’m not having it any more, either you lot sort it out or I will.’
‘Sorry, Mr…?’
‘Trevor. Keith Trevor. I called the station this morning. Spoke to a Sergeant Kerrigan.’
‘Mr Trevor, we haven’t come about the noise next door. My name is Detective Inspector Ridpath, and this Sophia Rahman.’ He showed his warrant card. ‘We’re here about a family with the surname Brooks or Briggs who lived here in 2009.’
‘You haven’t come about the noise?’
‘Sorry, not our department. We’re looking for this family because they may be able to help us find a girl who went missing in 2009.’ Ridpath didn’t want to mention the hands at the moment.
‘Dorothy, do you remember the Brooks or the Briggs, used to live here?’ he shouted over his shoulder.
A woman came to the door wiping her hands on a tea towel. ‘I thought they were here about the noise.’
‘Not their department, apparently.’
‘Well, he’s the police, isn’t he? Can’t he do something about it?’
‘I’ll call Sergeant Kerrigan if you want? Make sure he sends somebody this afternoon. You rang Sale Police Station?’
‘Yeah, they’ve been here before. Doesn’t have much effect though.’
Sophia stepped forward. ‘If I were you I’d apply for a noise abatement order through the local council. My mum had the same problem with her neighbours. It’s a statutory nuisance and if someone breaks an abatement order about noise from their home they can be fined up to £5,000. Far more effective than some poor copper knocking on their door.’
‘Through the local council?’
‘Yeah, I’d record him the next time he does it. The local council has to act.’
‘OK,’ said the woman. ‘You were asking about the Brooks?’
Ridpath nodded.
‘I think they were the owners of the house before. Some letters still come here with their name on. But I’m not sure when they lived here. There’s been two owners in the last three years.’
Ridpath sighed. ‘OK, thanks for your help.’ He turned to go.
The boy’s voice came from the hall. ‘You’re looking for Mr Brooks? He helps out in the local food bank where I volunteer. He said he used to live in our house.’
Ridpath stopped and turned back, asking tentatively, ‘Do you know where he lives?’
‘Yeah, they didn’t move far, just to the bungalows at the end of the street. Number 387.’