‘So he might get away with it?’
‘You can’t think like that. There’s a team of people doing everything they can to gather the necessary evidence to put him away. Karen Fitzgerald and Rob Winter are doing their utmost to get a confession out of him, even just to trip him up so that he says something that puts him at the scene. They’re all good people, they know what they’re doing and, believe me, they’re highly motivated. They want to find Annie as much as you want her found.’
‘I doubt that.’ Derek rubbed his eyes. ‘It’s not that I don’t appreciate what everyone’s doing, it’s just … Christ, I wish I could question him. I’d fucking beat it out of him, the bastard.’ He slammed his fist into his hand and Tina jumped at the violence of the gesture.
‘I’m sorry, Dad,’ she whispered. ‘It’s all my fault.’
Derek put his arm around Tina and hugged her. ‘Don’t be frightened, love.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘You didn’t mean for any of this to happen.’
Ruth left to go to the police station shortly afterwards, wanting an update on the case. It was all well and good speaking to people on the phone, but you could learn a lot more face to face and the detention clock was ticking. Barring a breakthrough that meant they could charge Cotter, Hardcastle would be in the Magistrates’ Court in the morning asking for more time.
Ruth waved to a uniformed officer as she climbed into her car. There was still a police presence outside the house; the threats against the family were being taken very seriously indeed.
***
‘He’s proving much tougher than we expected,’ Karen Fitzgerald told Ruth over a cup of tea in the canteen.
‘He doesn’t look up to much,’ Ruth mused.
‘Ah, but he’s not on his own.’ Ruth raised her eyebrows and Karen grimaced rather than smiled in response. ‘Our man has got God on his side.’
‘God abducts little girls, now, does he?’
‘Cotter reckons his faith is being tested. He still insists he’s innocent and has no idea where the T-shirt came from. He says it’s all a test from God and when he passes it, he’ll gain a deeper spiritual understanding and have a more important position in heaven to look forward to. It’s like this is his promotion board. Fucking freak.’ She took a sip of her tea. ‘I had to physically restrain Rob Winter earlier today. I thought he was going to lamp him one.’ She yawned. ‘When he’s not being questioned, he sits in his cell, praying. Fucker can pray like my ma-in-law can nag. Non-fucking-stop.’
Next morning, Ruth was back at the house. With no developments to speak of in the search for Annie, the tabloids were using stories about the family to fill up their columns. They had spoken to neighbours, workmates, friends, family, anyone they could think of to try to get some insight into the family and their lives. More than one had pictures of Penny smoking and drinking at the back door and at the little patio table. There was even a picture of Tina, her face obscured by the ever-present bunny, along with a psychologist’s insight into the burden of guilt the little girl must be carrying.
The post brought no nasty surprises, which was a welcome change. Late morning, a florist’s van pulled up, but to Ruth’s relief it was a bouquet and a card from Penny’s workmates. She had been on full alert to intercept the delivery woman had it looked in the slightest like a wreath that was being delivered. People did some strange things when kids went missing. Blamed the parents, even if they’d done nothing wrong.
Early afternoon, Fitzgerald turned up with bad news. The forensics results had provided no help whatsoever in the case against Cotter. There was no sign of anything in the house or in the car. No fingerprints on the T-shirt or the bag it had been in, nothing at all.
‘We had our gloves and hats on,’ Tina told Fitzgerald. ‘It was chilly coming home. That’s why I had to leave my T-shirt; it slipped out of my hand when I tried to pick it up because I had my gloves on.’
‘Was there nothing on Tina’s clothing?’ Ruth asked.
Fitzgerald shook her head. ‘Nothing that tied her to that particular car. A couple of fibres were found that showed she had been in a Ford car, but it could have been any Ford car of that model or period. Unfortunately, the lack of evidence means that the magistrate has denied us a warrant to keep Cotter in custody any longer. We’ve had to let him go.’
‘You’re joking.’ Derek threw his hands up. ‘How can that be right? He’s guilty, got to be.’
‘At least he can look after Annie now.’ It was Tina who had spoken. ‘If he’s the only person who knows where she is, he needs to be free to look after her. She must be hungry, and lonely, and scared.’
‘Will he be watched?’ asked Penny. ‘Will they follow him when they let him go?’
Fitzgerald nodded. ‘He’s on police bail and he remains a person of interest.’
‘He might lead them to Annie,’ said Tina. ‘It might be a good thing if they let him go.’ Her eyes glittered and she jumped up and down. ‘Annie might be home for tea.’ She hugged her bunny rabbit. ‘Mum? Mum? Can we have egg and chips?’ Tina turned to Ruth. ‘That’s Annie’s favourite, egg and chips and lots and lots of ketchup.’
‘I still want to punch him,’ glowered Derek.
‘Don’t get your hopes up, love,’ Ruth said to Tina. The kid was on the verge of hysterics. ‘These things can take time.’
‘But the longer it takes, the more chance there is that Annie will end up in his freezer! You’ve got to be quick, you’ve got to be!’
‘What’s all this about a freezer?’ asked Penny. ‘I remember you saying something about that the other night.’
‘Hilary’s brother said—’
‘Let’s all just calm down a minute while we decide what to do next,’ said Ruth. ‘I’ll put the kettle on. Tina, why don’t you come and give me a hand?’ She wanted to get the little girl out of the room so she could talk to her one to one, explain things properly, calm her down a little. She resolved to talk to Penny and Derek about getting some counselling for Tina. At this rate, the kid was headed for a breakdown.
***
‘Is that the name you want?’
Annie fidgeted in the uncomfortable clothing, then nodded. ‘Yes, that one.’
‘It’s a good choice. We’ll baptise you soon, my child.’
‘Can my family come to my baptism?’
‘Yes, we’ll all be there. In fact, I’ll be the one to baptise you.’
‘I mean my real family, Mum and Dad and Tina.’
‘We are your real family now. Now and always, God be praised.’
***
Fitzgerald was deeply unhappy about the fact that George Cotter had been released, although in fairness she had to admit that the magistrate had acted quite correctly. On the face of it there hadn’t been sufficient evidence to warrant holding him any longer.
‘We had nothing on him, not really,’ she said to Ruth, having put a call in to her when she got home. Fitzgerald was exhausted. She’d kept going on pure adrenaline and now she was about to crash. She planned to sleep for twelve hours solid.
‘There should still have been something, surely.’
‘You’d have thought so. I can’t believe how unlucky we’re being. The car was showroom-clean.’ She barked out a humourless laugh. ‘Maybe God is on his side, after all.’
‘What’s next, Karen?’
‘We’re watching him, naturally. Especially at night, when wifie’s asleep and might not miss him. Also to and from work; times when he might conceivably disappear for a period of time and go to do whatever he does with Annie.’
‘Do you think she’s still alive?’
‘I fucking hope so, mate.’
***
Annie looked up when she heard the key turn in the lock. She liked the younger people, looked forward to their visits. They made things more bearable. When she saw it was the man, her heart sank. He was carrying some things and he put them on the desk in the corner.
‘Come and sit down here,’ he said. ‘I want you to write a letter.’
‘Who to?’ Annie closed the Bible she’d been given to read and got off the bed.
‘To the people you used to live with. Come on, quickly now.’
‘Mum and Dad and Tina.’ Annie sat at the desk.
The man tutted, exasperated. He was holding a pair of scissors. He grasped a lock of Annie’s hair and cut it off, then put the hair in an envelope.
‘What are you doing? Leave my hair alone!’ she exclaimed.
He slid a notepad and pencil in front of her. ‘Here,’ he said, ignoring her outburst. ‘I’ll tell you what to write.’
Annie picked up the pencil and straightened up the pad in front of her.
‘Put “Dear Mr and Mrs Snowdon”.’
‘When I write a letter, I have to put my address first. At the top, here.’ Annie pointed to the top right hand corner of the paper. ‘Mrs Barry taught me that.’
‘This isn’t that sort of letter. Start with “Dear Mr and Mrs Snowdon”, like I told you.’
‘Then I put the name and address of who I’m writing to here.’ Annie pointed to the left hand side, further down the page. ‘Oh, and I need to put the date here, under my address.’ She looked at him. ‘What’s the address here?’
‘Just do as I tell you.’
‘But you’re wrong,’ Annie insisted. She was proud of knowing how to write a letter.
‘Do as I tell you or God will punish you.’ The man raised his hand. Annie remembered the slap and sting when he had smacked her previously. She put the pencil to the pad.
‘Dear Mum and Dad,’ she said as she wrote. Then she shouted in pain as he smacked her across the legs. ‘Ouch! Why did you do that? I was writing what you said. That hurt!’
Write “Dear Mr and Mrs Snowdon”. That’s what I told you to write, and that’s what you will write. Do you understand?’ He tore the first sheet of paper off the pad as Annie rubbed her sore legs. Her lip trembled, but she didn’t cry. Crying was also punished by slapping.
The man said God punished her, but she was pretty sure it was him, really. She didn’t think the God of her Sunday School classes or Children’s Bible would spend his time slapping little girls. He had a really kind face. Besides, he was more concerned about lost sheep and little lambs, and what widows might do.
She wrote what he had told her to, then carried on as he dictated the rest of the letter to her.
‘You did not deserve to have me as your daughter. You did not look after me and so God has taken me away from you. This will be the only time you hear from me. I am going to be in a better place, with God, and you will never see me again. Goodbye forever.’
‘What name shall I put?’ asked Annie, wondering if she should use the one the man liked to call her or her real name.
‘Sign it “Annie”,’ he said. ‘But that’s the last time you will use that name. Do you understand? You aren’t even to think it. If you do, God will know and he will punish you.’
Annie signed the letter, then the reality of what she had written hit home.
‘What does it mean? “This will be the only time you ever hear from me. I am going to be in a better place, with God, and you will never see me again. Goodbye forever.” When will I see them again? Can I see them soon?’
The man took her hands and shook his head. ‘Look at me, child.’ Annie looked. ‘Do you remember when you got into the car with your sister?’
Annie nodded. ‘I miss Tina,’ she said.
‘When you got in, you were “Annie”, but when you got out again and began your new life here, you stopped being “Annie” and became someone else. Your parents neither loved you nor cared for you. You have a new family now. God chose you for us and us for you. You’ll live in God’s house, child. You’ll follow God’s path.’
Annie began to cry.
***
Next morning, Ruth picked the mail off the doormat at the Snowdon household, as had become the custom. ‘What’s that one?’ asked Tina, watching as she flipped through them all. ‘The one in the little blue envelope. Open that one first. I think it’s from Annie.’
Derek was at Ruth’s side in a flash as he heard his daughter’s words. He took a quick look. ‘She’s right, that looks like Annie’s writing. Penny! Penny! Over here, love!’ Penny flicked her cigarette out of the kitchen door and came to see what the fuss was about.
Ruth took a pair of latex gloves out of her bag and slipped them on, then slit open the envelope. A lock of blonde hair fell out when she shook it, followed by a letter.
Derek picked up the hair. ‘That’s Annie’s, I’m sure of it.’
Penny took it from him, felt the texture with her fingers, then held it to her nose. ‘He’s washed her hair in something,’ she said. ‘Annie’s hair normally smells of apples. This is more like detergent.’
‘Have you got something of Annie’s that would have her fingerprints on it?’ asked Ruth.
‘Can I see that, please?’ Derek reached for the letter with trembling fingers.
‘Sorry,’ said Ruth, holding it away from him, ‘but you mustn’t touch it. It’s evidence.’
‘Of course,’ said Derek. ‘What does it say?’
Ruth scanned it and her heart sank. ‘It’s not her words,’ she told them. ‘Whoever has her must have made her write this.’
‘But what does it say?’ asked Penny.
Derek and Penny sat either side of Ruth and she held the letter out for them to see. Penny read just a few lines, then turned away and started to cry. Derek read it all, as did Tina, who had crept round behind the couch and was looking over Ruth’s shoulder. She crept back and tried to put her arms round her mum, but Penny pushed her away.