And then her eyes shifted, looking at something over his shoulder, and so he turned and saw who had come into the room behind him, and his world came crashing down again.
It was not how Hannah had expected to solve this case. But sometimes that’s how things went. A stroke of luck. Being in the right place at the right time. Seeing or hearing something that caused all the tumblers to click into place and unlock the secrets.
She had her killer.
This was one in the eye for Devereux and for Devereux’s superiors and for anyone else who had doubted her ability. This case had been foisted on her by people who had fully expected – perhaps even wanted – her to fail. She had proved them wrong, and it felt amazing.
Or at least it should have felt amazing.
Because look who the killer is, she thought. Look beneath that huge, powerful, manly exterior and see that he is still just a child. Someone who still gets excited by comics and toys and birthday cake and fish fingers. Someone who has pictures of a fantasy hero on every wall and on their duvet and their lamp and their pyjamas.
Someone who saved my life.
Not my problem, she told herself. I’m a police officer. I have a duty to carry out. Let the courts sort out the details.
‘Mr Timpson,’ she said. ‘I know what happened. I’ve just made a telephone call to my colleagues, and they’re on the way. I have to tell the three of you that I’m placing you all under arrest on suspicion of the murder of Joseph Cobb. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if—’
She didn’t get to finish, because Scott Timpson had just pulled out a gun.
*
Hannah put her hands up.
‘Scott, don’t be silly. Put the gun away.’
Gemma shrieked his name, but he turned the gun on her and she backed away. Daniel stood where he was, looking bemused but not scared.
Hannah tried again: ‘Scott. This isn’t helping the situation. Please put the gun down and let’s talk about this.’
She could see that something had snapped inside Scott, as though he had already been stretched to breaking point and this latest turn of events had given him that final shove.
‘I tried,’ he said, his lip quivering. ‘I tried so hard. Not for me, but for them.’ He waggled his gun from side to side, indicating his wife and son. Gemma flinched as the gun danced in front of her.
‘I did everything I could,’ he continued. A fat tear escaped down his cheek. ‘I was protecting them. You have to understand that.’
‘I understand, Scott. I know you were only trying to do what was right. But we can’t discuss it properly while you’re waving a gun around, can we?’
‘I had to save Daniel. You’ve got a kid, right? You should know what that feels like.’
The words stung. She hadn’t protected Tilly. She hadn’t saved her.
This isn’t about me, she told herself.
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘I get what you’re saying. And I’m sure once we sit down calmly and look at all the facts of the case—’
‘NO!’ Scott cried. He suddenly closed the distance between himself and Daniel, then put the gun to the back of his son’s head. Gemma yelled his name again. Daniel remained still, apparently oblivious to the extreme danger he was in.
Hannah raised her hands again. ‘Scott. Don’t do this. I’m begging you. We can work this out.’
‘We can’t. You know what happened. You know what Daniel did. You’re going to hurt him, and I can’t allow that.’
‘We’re not going to hurt him, I promise.’
‘Liar!’
‘I’m not lying. Daniel told me that Joey Cobb attacked you first. You had to defend yourselves.’
‘That’s not what you’ll say when you get us to the police station. You’ll say we overreacted. You’ll say we went too far.’
‘No. Things just got out of hand. I know that. You didn’t mean for any of this to happen. And Daniel certainly didn’t. There’s a thing in law called diminished responsibility. It’s when somebody has special circumstances and can’t be held responsible for their actions. All that will be taken into account.’
Scott shook his head. ‘I’ve read up on this. I’ve seen too many examples of the system failing people like Daniel. People who will never be able to read or write who still get sent to prison or mental hospitals. Even if he isn’t convicted, they’ll say he’s a danger to the public. They’ll take him away from us. It will destroy him. I can’t put him through that.’
‘Scott. Please listen to me. He’s your son. Taking his life is not protecting him. He deserves to live like everybody else.’
‘EXACTLY! Like everybody else. Tell them that. Tell all the people who call him names. Tell the kids who tease him and throw things at him. Tell the people who hounded us out of our last home. We want to be left alone, that’s all. We want to be treated like normal people. Like everyone else.’
He was crying freely now. His finger was whitening on the trigger. Hannah had a horrible feeling she was powerless to prevent this death. Images of Suzy Carling running in front of a train flashed into her mind.
Not again. Please don’t let that happen again.
‘Scott—’ she said.
‘Look at him,’ Scott interrupted. ‘What do you see? A big man in his twenties. Strong. Powerful. So powerful that we had to give him a rule to stop him from touching other people. That’s what the courts will see, too. What they won’t see – what nobody ever sees – is the real Daniel. There isn’t a harmful thought in his head. He only ever wants to please people. He loves animals, even though we can’t let him have a pet. If everyone was like Daniel, the world would be a better place. Why is it that people always have to destroy what they don’t understand?’
Hannah searched for an answer, but none came.
And then it stepped out in front of her.
