A search began this afternoon for a teenager from Glenmoore, a busy suburb on Dublin’s east coast. Constance Lawson, 13, was missing when her mother, Jenna Lawson, 35, entered her bedroom this morning. Her parents are uncertain as to what time she left the house but assume it was between midnight and 7 a.m. Her distraught father, Justin, 37, contacted Glenmoore Garda Station and a garda search was launched shortly afterwards.
A popular, intelligent and fun-loving schoolgirl, Connie loves music and is a dedicated fan of the disgraced, one-time hard-rock band, Blasted Glass. Her uncle, Karl Lawson, 35, pictured above at his brother’s house this afternoon, spoke briefly to Capital Eye. Editor of the popular music magazine, Hitz, he intended bringing Constance and two of her friends to an upcoming Blasted Glass gig, when the band play the Ovid in Temple Bar. Her parents, worried about the band’s notorious reputation and the adult content of their lyrics, had refused to allow Connie to attend the gig. A bitter family row is believed to have followed their decision and Connie has not been seen since then.
Connie Lawson is 5 feet 3 inches in height with brown, shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes. A black leather jacket, Levi jeans ripped at the knees, a blue sweater and black ankle boots are missing from her wardrobe. Her parents believe she is wearing them. The Glenmoore Community Centre has been turned into a base for the search and the number of volunteers continues to grow. Gardaí are hopeful that the missing teen will soon be found.
‘I never gave that information to the reporter.’ He handed the tabloid back to Justin.
‘How else would she know about the row?’
‘She must have contacted Tracey or Gillian.’
‘I’ve already checked. Amanda Bowe hasn’t been in touch with them and she certainly wasn’t given that information by the Garda Press Office.’
‘Why would I tell her anything like that? She must have another source. You believe me, don’t you?’
Justin nodded, his shoulders slumping. ‘Constance tells you everything. Can’t you think of anything she said that can help us find her?’
‘For Christ’s sake, Justin, don’t you think I’d tell you if I knew? Look, here’s my phone. Read her texts. See for yourself.’
Justin skimmed the texts and handed the phone back to him. ‘How come she never mentions Ben’s Shack?’
‘We talked about it. I trusted her when she told me she’d left the gang.’
‘You trusted her?’ Justin’s eyes flashed. ‘I wonder how you’d feel if Sasha was a vulnerable teenager and I kept that kind of information from you? If I told you I’d taken her trust at face value?’
Karl tried to imagine his daughter as a teenager, her Dora the Explorer days well behind her. He had no answer to that question and the atmosphere was taut with unspoken accusations when Justin and Jenna left to wait throughout the night for news.
Karl tensed as a sound broke the midnight silence. The sudden thud had come from directly above him but he was unsure what had caused it. He left the bedroom quietly, anxious not to awaken Nicole, who, unlike him, had finally drifted into an exhausted sleep.
The folding ladder leading to the attic had been pulled down and the trapdoor pushed to one side. Last year, he had laid down an attic floor and put built-in presses under the sloping eaves. He intended turning the attic into an office so that he could work from home when Nicole was on day shift at the hospital. The presses were still unfinished and his intention to replace the folding ladder with a spiral staircase had been put on hold when his bank manager refused to extend his loan.
Someone was up there now. Could it possibly be Constance? Heart thudding, he climbed through the open gap. A bare bulb shone dimly down on him as he looked across the floor. Matthew was standing in front of one of the presses, a screwdriver in his hand. Unaware of Karl’s arrival, the boy was trying to push the tip of the screwdriver between the frame and the door.
‘Matthew, what are you doing?’ Karl spoke quietly, afraid the boy was sleep-walking.
Matthew jumped at the sound of his uncle’s voice but he looked fully alert when he turned around to face Karl.
‘I’m looking for Constance,’ he said. ‘She could be hiding up here. It’s the only place left.’
‘Why on earth would Constance be hiding in a press?’ Karl crossed the attic and took the screwdriver from him.
‘She said she was coming to live with you and Auntie Nicole. She’s not downstairs and she’s not in the garden so she must be hiding in the attic.’
‘Look, Matthew, it’s empty,’ said Karl when he had prised the press door open. ‘And it’s far too small for Constance to hide inside.’
The boy sneezed, dust clogging his nostrils, and rubbed his hand across his nose. ‘The guards asked me loads of questions about her.’
‘What did you tell them?’
‘I said she likes our house the best.’
‘Then you told them the truth, Matthew.’
‘Yeah…’ He sneezed again. ‘‘You’re just our uncle. Constance can’t like you more than she likes Daddy.’
Karl put his arm around his shoulders. ‘Your daddy’s very special, Matthew. I’d never try to take his place. Constance didn’t come here. If she had, I’d have sent her home straight away.’
‘I want her to come back.’
‘We all do.’
‘I’m sorry I said “shut up” to her last night when she was crying. Do you think that’s why she ran away?’
‘You’d nothing to do with it, Matthew. And she’ll be home soon—’
‘I didn’t tell the guards that she said your house was better than ours. Was that a lie?’
‘Angry talk isn’t true, Matthew. Don’t worry about the guards. You didn’t do anything wrong or tell any lies. Come on back to bed, like a good boy.’
They entered the spare bedroom. The duvet on Lara’s bunk had slipped to one side, exposing her legs. Her arms were sprawled above her head, as if she had abandoned herself to the realm of dreams. Karl slipped the duvet back over her and settled Matthew into the top bunk.
The rigidity of Nicole’s shoulders when he returned to bed suggested she was awake. She kept her back to him as he eased in beside her and switched off his bedside lamp. She remained silent when he slid his arm over her waist. He was unable to decide if she was staring into the darkness or still asleep. He would tell her about Matthew in the morning. To seek the relief of touch and allow his fear to be consumed by sex was an urge that came and went, an abstract emotion without passion, and Nicole’s stillness warned him not to come any closer.
It rained during the night. Heavy and persistent, it fell until dawn. Was Constance sheltering somewhere? He longed to leave the house and search for her in the beating rain but recognised the uselessness of such an action. He willed the phone to ring with news from the police but it remained silent.
He had been travelling through Australia when Constance was born. He remembered Justin’s jubilation when he rang with the news, forgetting the time difference and awakening Karl in the small hours. Jenna had sounded exhausted but happy. Karl had wanted to be with them in the hospital ward, sharing their joy. Never their terror, never that – but if Constance was not found by tomorrow, what then… what then?
Chapter Four
Day Two