The CID car pulled up outside the house within two minutes of receiving the call. Matt got out the car and breathed a deep breath.
"You'll do fine. You can lead the questions." Mickey reassured him as they walked towards the house.
Mickey rang the doorbell. They were greeted by Mel who showed them through to the living room. Claire was a lady of medium build and jet black hair.
"Mrs Phillips? DC's Mickey Webb and Matthew Collins we are here about the reports of your missing child." Mickey said this was the most serious Matt had seen Mickey all day.
Matt and Mel sat on one sofa whilst Claire sat on the other.
"Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee? Squash?" Claire asked.
"Tea would be lovely." Mickey said.
"How about I go make it whilst you talk to these guys, Claire" Mel said before she left, she took Leon with her too.
"So Mrs. Phillips." Matt began.
"Claire. Please call me Claire." Claire spoke softly.
"Claire. I know you may well have been through this with PC's Taylor and Ryder but we just need to through again, it must be horrible, I'm sorry but it's just necessary. Could you just tell me about your missing child, Lydia is it? Describe her to me. What was she were wearing? It would also be great if I could get a recent photo of her as well so I can circulate it so everyone knows who to look for, also so if it reaches the point we can give to the press and media so they can print and broadcast it in the morning papers and news." Matt reassuringly said, he needed Claire to trust him.
"Lydia. She's only just turned thirteen, it was birthday whilst we were on holiday a couple of week ago. Stupid I know grown up enough really to look after herself, but she was in the garden and I could see her. She was feeding her rabbits. I went upstairs to put some of her clothes away and I came back, and she'd gone. I didn't phone the police straight away because I thought maybe she'd gone to the newsagents or to one of her friends. The newsagents is only around the corner, it's so close it doesn't bother me that she doesn't tell and its run by some family friends Hugo Rogers and his wife. A couple of her friends live close by but if she gone there I'll always get a text. But then 30 minutes turned into 45 minutes and then an hour. Then I began to worry because she'd usually text by now, so I went to the newsagents and they hadn't seen her and neither had her friends. That's when I called the police." Matt could see she was struggling when Mel returned with tea.
"It's ok. We will do everything to try and find Lydia safe and sound." Matt reassured Claire.
"I feel like I've failed her. I spent so trying to protect her and now she's gone." Tears started to roll down Claire's cheeks.
"You have not let your daughter down at all the chances are she has gone out somewhere and forgot to text." Mel said with an approving smile.
The front door opened and in came running a small boy and man who followed.
"Mummy." The boy ran and hugged Claire.
"Hi I'm Dan, Claire's husband and that's Harry our son." The man introduced himself to Mel and Matt.
"Hi, I'm PC Mel Ryder. We've also got PC Leon Taylor and DC's Mickey Webb and Matthew Collins," Indicating them each in turn. "We are investigating the disappearance of your daughter. Have you any idea of where she might have gone?" Mel asked.
"I don't know this is so out of character for her. I don't know where she would have gone if it wasn't to one of her friends." Dan said trying to think of anyway Lydia might have gone.
"Any favourite places? Friends from school?" Matt said trying to get some more information.
"She doesn't really have a favourite place to go when she is angry or sad. As for friends her best friends are the ones she's most likely to visit and I've already spoken to them and they haven't seen her." Claire said making everyone jump.
"Thank you anyway. Have you got a recent photo of Lydia and a description of her, distinctive features and what she was wearing today would be great." Matt said when he realised that this line of enquiry wasn't going anywhere.
"She has shoulder length light brown hair with brown eye and one green eye, about 5 foot 5, no noticeable marks apart from her eyes. She was wearing a white vest top with a grey fleece jacket, jeans and her red converse trains." Matt sat and recorded all of this into his notebook. "As for a picture this is the most recent from when went on holiday a couple of weeks ago." Dan picked up a picture from the chest of drawers behind him.
"That's brilliant. Do you mind if we keep hold of it so we distribute it to our officers and I'm sure your aware, if needed the media." Mel said holding the picture.
"That's fine whatever you need. Just as long as you find Lydia." Claire said.
"We'll see ourselves out." Mel said as she, Leon, Matt and Mickey left the living room and out the house.
They all drove back to the station. Both cars parked up and they got out they were greeted by Smithy.
"You four straight up to CID briefing room. Max is waiting for you." Smithy shouted as they got out the car.
They raced up to CID. They were greeted by DS Max Carter.
"What have you got?" Max asked.
"An 13-year-old IC1 female named Lydia Phillips has been missing for now an hour and 45 minutes. Hasn't been seen by seen by any of her friends. The informant was her mum, Mrs Claire Phillips. Description of her and her clothes along with a picture." Matt said as he pushed open the door of the briefing room.
All four of them sat at the desk with Max in the briefing room when DI Manson and Superintendent Jack Meadows came into the briefing room as well.
"What's the situation?" Jack asked.
Max explained what was going on everyone was wondering what was the best way to go about finding the missing teenager. Smithy had also joined them by this point.
"Smithy get all units back here for a briefing in 20 minutes. Max you'll brief the rest of the office. Matt, you and Mel you get back to the Phillips, you've both interviewed Claire and built up a relationship with her and her family. Find out the addresses of her friends that live locally and see if there is any CCTV that we could use trace Lydia's last movements."
"Sir." Matt and Mel said in turn of each other.
"Leon and Mickey, I want you to go around to this shop run Hugo Rogers see what you can find out about the family. Let's not make this last any longer than it needs to." Neil said standing up.
Smithy rose and put his radio up to his mouth. "All units from Sierra Oscar briefing with DS Carter, DC's Webb and Collins at 1300 hours."
Mel drove her and Matt back around to the Phillips to find out some more information.
"Claire, we've just got a few more questions that will help with our inquiries."
"Of course anything to help."
Matt and Mel went into the living again and they sat on the sofa with Claire again.
"Claire you said that Lydia had some friends that lived close by. Do you have names and addresses so we can speak to them about Lydia's disappearance?" Mel asked.
"Yeah of course. Niamh and Erin Collins who live at number 46 on this road and Scarlett Roberts who lives at 128 on the street behind this one you can get to it if you cut down the alleyway just down the road." Claire said.
"Just one more thing. What school does Lydia go to?" Matt asked.
"Deansgate Comprehensive." Claire added.
"Thank you. Uniform will be down later along with a couple of officers to organise a door-to-door." Matt said as they let themselves out.
"Why did you want to know what school Lydia went to?" Mel wondered.
"To find out her behaviour at school and find out about other friends that her parents might not know about." Matt replied.
"Clever, see this is why you're the detective and I'm the lowly PC. There's no camera's on this street as its all residential, so we'll be relying on neighbours to see if they saw anything. Come on let's get these addresses up to CID and we might make it to Max's briefing." Mel unlocked the car and drove them both back to the station.