Tideline by Penny Hancock

But now she felt a slow terror build within.
    Maybe Maria was right. She had been too laid back. Not just laid back though, in some ways, downright negligent. She had not asked where he was going when he went out. Had not worried what time
he came in. She’d treated him like one of her boys but he wasn’t one of her boys. He was young and innocent and naïve and sweet natured. All these thoughts made her so
uncomfortable she had to stand up and move. She hurried back through the park, her head down, dreading what lay ahead.
    ‘You’ve contacted everyone he knew?’ Inspector Kirwin glanced at each of them in turn. She was short and plump and looked too homely to be an inspector, Helen
thought. Alongside her sat a boy, a police constable she introduced as Josh, who barely looked Barney’s age.
    Helen and Mick exchanged glances. They were at the kitchen table sipping tea. Maria, dressed impeccably as usual, nevertheless looked exhausted. It was clear she hadn’t slept a wink. She
was biting her thumbnail, unable to sit still.
    ‘We could go through Barney and Theo’s mobile contacts, and then our phone book,’ Mick suggested.
    ‘You haven’t done that yet?’ Maria stood up, her face drained of colour.
    ‘We only began to think there was something amiss yesterday evening. It was late. We could hardly phone people at that hour.’
    Helen looked at Inspector Kirwin across the table for affirmation.
    ‘You’ve had all morning,’ said Maria. ‘I don’t believe this.’
    ‘There are, believe it or not, other things in our lives apart from Jez!’ Helen blurted before she could stop herself.
    ‘Helen!’ Mick glowered at her.
    ‘We’re just as upset and worried as you are, Maria,’ said Helen. ‘He’s our nephew. But to keep apportioning blame . . .’
    ‘No one’s blaming anyone.’ Mick glared at Helen and Helen pursed her lips.
    ‘From what you’ve told me,’ said Kirwin, ‘there’s still a strong possibility he’s on his way back home to Paris. You say he was expected some time this
weekend but he hadn’t said exactly when.’
    ‘He said Saturday,’ said Maria. ‘But he’s left his things here. I know Jez. He’d have been in touch if he changed his plans. He knows I worry if he’s late. He
always phones or texts.’
    ‘Unlike our two,’ Helen couldn’t help muttering.
    ‘What was that?’
    ‘I said unlike Barney and Theo.’ Helen didn’t mean to sound bitter, but she realized the minute she’d spoken that it was how it had come out.
    Mick stared at her. ‘Drop it,’ he said.
    Kirwin glanced from one to the other of them.
    ‘Was there a feeling of animosity at all towards your nephew? Did he give rise to any conflict while he was staying with you?’ she asked.
    Mick shook his head.
    ‘Not at all,’ he said.
    ‘He’s lovely,’ said Helen. ‘It’s been a joy having him to stay.’
    ‘Which one of you saw him last?’
    Mick looked at Helen and shrugged.
    ‘I left for work at, oh, 7.30 on Friday morning. I assumed he was in bed.’
    ‘He was,’ said Helen. ‘He came into the kitchen for a glass of water just before I left. About quarter to eight. I went off to work as usual. I do a half day on Friday so I
came home at lunchtime. He went out again at about three thirty I think.’
    ‘Do you know where he was planning to go?’
    Helen decided her irritable words before Jez left were best not mentioned.
    ‘I don’t remember. He was in and out such a lot. Off to rehearse in Barney and Theo’s band. And he had a couple of interviews last week.’
    ‘Those were over by Friday!’ said Maria. ‘I can’t believe you don’t know that.’
    ‘Of course I know,’ said Helen. ‘But he’s nearly sixteen, Maria. He was very responsible about getting himself where he needed to be at the right time. You have to trust
kids, you can’t breathe down their necks all the time.’
    What a suffocating mother Maria was. No wonder he’d gone off on his own for a bit, rather