I Visit a Grieving Mother

It’s over two months now since the discovery of the body of Chloe Franklin in the burnt-out car in a service road off the bypass on September 15th.

Back in September when I visited Dennis and he showed me his tea plants, Dennis had told me that Sue was visiting Dorothy, the grieving mother of the dead woman.

In fact, Sue has seen her almost every day since the tragedy happened.

She has taken on all those tasks that suddenly become necessary in such cases.

I didn’t know they were so close.

She helped to call relatives in those desperate hours after the mother received the terrible news. The mother was distraught and the police care officer who was with her advised her to get a friend to help with the task. That’s when Sue got the tearful call.

Sue has been shopping for her because Dorothy cannot face people yet.

Last week Sue drove her way down to the south coast and they spent the day in Weymouth, away from nearby places where she might be recognised and asked about her daughter.

Most days Sue sits with Dorothy for the morning and then makes her lunch. The father of the girl – they are separated – has returned to Qatar where he is working on a big construction project.

So she is alone and her only child is dead.

Sue has asked me to visit with her today. She said that Dorothy wanted someone to explain things to her, basic things.

Like, What happens at the inquest? What will it be like when the trial starts? How should she speak to journalists?

(A third person has now been arrested and the trial has been set for April. The inquest has not yet taken place).

I am sure she has been told all this before, but maybe Sue thinks I can help shepherd them through public events like the inquest and trial and this is a way of introducing me. There don’t seem to be other relatives available.

This morning the mother was pale and wearing a light blue housecoat. She seemed distracted, kept glancing out of the window into the back garden as if expecting to see something or someone there.

All I could see was a small caravan covered with bands of green mould.

I don’t think it can have been used for five or six years.