Page 183 of Murder in the Family

You said before that both his parents are dead. Is Rebecca still in touch with anyone round here, do you know?

REVEREND CORMIER

(shaking his head)

Not that I’m aware. There aren’t many of her generation left around here. Most of the young people move away the first chance they have.

JJ NORTON

(reaching to shake his hand)

Thank you, Reverend, you’ve been very helpful.

CUT TO: Studio. Team are sitting round the table.

BILL SERAFINI

Hats off to you, JJ. In less than a week you achieved something I haven’t managed in over twenty years.

HUGO FRASER

And we’re certain this Jonah McKenna is the man we’re looking for, are we?

JJ NORTON

Well, we’d need DNA from a family member to be sure, so as it stands everything hinges on finding Rebecca. We could then do a comparison with what the Met have on file for ‘Luke’.

MITCHELL CLARKE

Did you try MSF?

JJ NORTON

We did, but we haven’t turned up anything so far. Tarek’s also getting in touch with the Red Cross and Médecins du Monde, and some of the religiousorganizations like Christian Aid. But thus far, no luck.

(looking round the table)

But we do still have the photo of the house ‘Luke’ had in his wallet, and as far as I can see, the only way he could have evengot holdof that, never mind kept it, was because he was, in fact, Jonah McKenna—

ALAN CANNING

(dismissively)

That would never stand up in court—

JJ NORTON

(ignoring him)

—andwe also havethis.

He nods to Tarek who taps his keyboard. Two IMAGES appear side by side on the main screen. On the left, a close-up of Jonah from the Junior Church photo of him with the other children. On the right, one of the wedding pictures taken of ‘Luke’ at Dorney Place. The faces have been lined up to be exactly level. Tarek taps the keyboard again and the left-hand image of the boy begins to change.

JJ NORTON

As you can see, Tarek managed to get hold of some rather cool age-progression software.

Jonah’s face gradually evolves from child, to youth, to young man. The final image is annotated as ‘Age 25’. The resemblance to ‘Luke’ is startling.

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