Page 211 of The Hallmarked Man

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‘When did Tyler leave Ironbridge?’ asked Robin.

‘Months,’ said Dilys. ‘Months ago.’

‘Must’ve been… May, Dilys?’ said Griffiths. ‘I know it wasn’t long after Chloe’s birthday.’

‘They was supposed to be friends, but she left and never stood up for him,’ said Dilys, for whom this seemed a very sore point.

‘Only because she was off inter—’

‘Looking at his phone, all the time. Defending himself, he said. On the internet. I told him, “stop looking at what they’re saying, you’re only upsetting yourself”.’

‘Have you heard from him since he left, Mrs Powell?’ asked Robin.

‘He whatsitted me,’ she said, gripping and releasing her hands in her lap. ‘But then he stopped.’

‘You mean WhatsApped?’ suggested Robin tentatively.

‘Yer,’ said Dilys.

‘Can you remember when the messages stopped?’

‘What?’ said Dilys, scowling as she raised her hand to her ear.

‘Could I see the messages?’ asked Robin more loudly.

‘What for?’

‘To see the dates,’ said Robin.

Griffiths lifted Dilys’s bag off the floor and gave it to her. Mumbling under her breath, Dilys fumbled in its depths, at last retrieving an old Nokia. Breathing laboriously, she stabbed at the buttons, and after a protracted wait, handed the phone to Robin, who looked down at a short series of messages.

Tyler Powell

Hi gran hope your ok

Dilys Powell

my knees so bad I cant hardly walk

Tyler Powell

I’m sorry can’t you call Doris?

Dilys Powell

I can’t be bothering Doris all the time. when are you coming back?

Dilys Powell

are you ignoring me?

Dilys Powell

Ignorant bastard

Dilys Powell

after all ive done for you

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