school by four thirty so anytime before then," Oliver said.
"She was here this morning," May added.
Hawking nodded slowly.
"Her room's been ripped apart," Oliver said frantically, gesturing to the stairs.
"What if she's been hurt?" May said, her eyebrows knitting together.
Hawking didn't respond but instead began climbing the stairs so they hurried after him. "Which room is your mother's?"
Oliver led him along the corridor and gestured to the door on the right. He gulped, feeling his mouth go dry as he caught sight of the devastation beyond the doorway.
Hawking moved ahead of them and glanced into the room, nodding as he took in the scene. "Okay. Perhaps you'll leave me a moment to do a sweep of the room?"
Oliver gazed at him in surprise. "Don't you want to take a statement? O-or ask us about places she might be or enemies she might have?" he stuttered, overwhelmed with worry.
Hawking raised a single eyebrow at him. " Does she have any enemies?"
"Of course not," May snapped.
"Well then," Hawking said. "We'll get to the questions once I have completed my investigation. Thank you." He dismissed them, disappearing into the room.
Oliver moved to follow the man but May pressed a hand to his shoulder and shook her head. He gritted his teeth and let out a sharp breath of frustration through his nose, letting her lead him back downstairs.
As they descended to the hallway, the doorbell sounded once more.
Oliver ran towards it, desperately hoping he would find his mum standing outside waiting to explain everything. He flung open the door to find a policewoman there and his stomach dropped with disappointment.
"Hello, I'm Officer Welling I've come about a report of a missing person. Can I come in?" She had sharp, angular features and dark hair that was tied in a knot at the back of her head.
"What?" Oliver frowned in confusion. "There's already an officer here."
"There is?" Welling asked, furrowing her brow.
The officer lifted her radio and pressed a button, making a short jingle of noise. She spoke into the receiver and waited for an answer.
" You're the first to respond. No other officer on the scene. Over ."
"There's a guy upstairs," May insisted.
Welling nodded. "Show me where he is. Perhaps there's been some confusion."
They led her upstairs and Oliver gestured to his mother's room. "Mum's stuff's been destroyed. The other guy is investigating it."
Welling nodded and walked ahead of them, disappearing into the room.
She exited a moment later. "There's no one in there. And what items were destroyed exactly?"
Oliver sprinted past her and stopped dead as he gazed into the bedroom.
It was in perfect condition as if the room had never been ransacked and there was no sign of Officer Hawking anywhere.
May appeared beside them and gasped. "What's happened? How has it all been put back together?"
"What's going on here? You kids aren't winding me up are you? It's an offence to waste police time."
"We're not ," May said in a panic, turning to her. "Our mum's missing."
Welling frowned. "When did you last see her?"
"This morning before school," May said.
"Her car's in the drive and I tried ringing her but her phone's in the kitchen. She never goes anywhere without it," Oliver said.
"Okay guys. Well everything looks pretty normal here, there's no sign of a break-in so I'm sure you don't need to be alarmed. No doubt she's got held up somewhere or she's just popped round to a neighbours' house," Welling said calmly.
"No. She wouldn't. Why would she be out this late and not ring? And her room was destroyed! That guy must have fixed it somehow," Oliver said, becoming breathless with his anger.
"You need to take a deep breath and calm down. Can you ask a relative to come and stay with you?" Welling asked.
"We don't have any relatives," May said, shaking her head.
"A friend then or perhaps a neighbour?" Welling suggested.
"We don't need to ring anyone. We need to be looking for our mum," Oliver snapped.
"A person
"She was here this morning," May added.
Hawking nodded slowly.
"Her room's been ripped apart," Oliver said frantically, gesturing to the stairs.
"What if she's been hurt?" May said, her eyebrows knitting together.
Hawking didn't respond but instead began climbing the stairs so they hurried after him. "Which room is your mother's?"
Oliver led him along the corridor and gestured to the door on the right. He gulped, feeling his mouth go dry as he caught sight of the devastation beyond the doorway.
Hawking moved ahead of them and glanced into the room, nodding as he took in the scene. "Okay. Perhaps you'll leave me a moment to do a sweep of the room?"
Oliver gazed at him in surprise. "Don't you want to take a statement? O-or ask us about places she might be or enemies she might have?" he stuttered, overwhelmed with worry.
Hawking raised a single eyebrow at him. " Does she have any enemies?"
"Of course not," May snapped.
"Well then," Hawking said. "We'll get to the questions once I have completed my investigation. Thank you." He dismissed them, disappearing into the room.
Oliver moved to follow the man but May pressed a hand to his shoulder and shook her head. He gritted his teeth and let out a sharp breath of frustration through his nose, letting her lead him back downstairs.
As they descended to the hallway, the doorbell sounded once more.
Oliver ran towards it, desperately hoping he would find his mum standing outside waiting to explain everything. He flung open the door to find a policewoman there and his stomach dropped with disappointment.
"Hello, I'm Officer Welling I've come about a report of a missing person. Can I come in?" She had sharp, angular features and dark hair that was tied in a knot at the back of her head.
"What?" Oliver frowned in confusion. "There's already an officer here."
"There is?" Welling asked, furrowing her brow.
The officer lifted her radio and pressed a button, making a short jingle of noise. She spoke into the receiver and waited for an answer.
" You're the first to respond. No other officer on the scene. Over ."
"There's a guy upstairs," May insisted.
Welling nodded. "Show me where he is. Perhaps there's been some confusion."
They led her upstairs and Oliver gestured to his mother's room. "Mum's stuff's been destroyed. The other guy is investigating it."
Welling nodded and walked ahead of them, disappearing into the room.
She exited a moment later. "There's no one in there. And what items were destroyed exactly?"
Oliver sprinted past her and stopped dead as he gazed into the bedroom.
It was in perfect condition as if the room had never been ransacked and there was no sign of Officer Hawking anywhere.
May appeared beside them and gasped. "What's happened? How has it all been put back together?"
"What's going on here? You kids aren't winding me up are you? It's an offence to waste police time."
"We're not ," May said in a panic, turning to her. "Our mum's missing."
Welling frowned. "When did you last see her?"
"This morning before school," May said.
"Her car's in the drive and I tried ringing her but her phone's in the kitchen. She never goes anywhere without it," Oliver said.
"Okay guys. Well everything looks pretty normal here, there's no sign of a break-in so I'm sure you don't need to be alarmed. No doubt she's got held up somewhere or she's just popped round to a neighbours' house," Welling said calmly.
"No. She wouldn't. Why would she be out this late and not ring? And her room was destroyed! That guy must have fixed it somehow," Oliver said, becoming breathless with his anger.
"You need to take a deep breath and calm down. Can you ask a relative to come and stay with you?" Welling asked.
"We don't have any relatives," May said, shaking her head.
"A friend then or perhaps a neighbour?" Welling suggested.
"We don't need to ring anyone. We need to be looking for our mum," Oliver snapped.
"A person
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