Gone Astray (7 page)

‘Is it something to do with a boy, perhaps? Is there someone she likes?’

‘She’s never had a boyfriend – well, not while she’s been living here.’

‘No one she fancies at school?’

Kathryn shook her head. ‘We go to an all-girls school.’

‘Outside school then?’

Lily finally spoke up. Her voice was reed-thin. ‘Rosie doesn’t go out. Her dad doesn’t like it. He’s only just started letting her have sleepovers.’

‘So why didn’t you want to leave her alone, Kathryn?’

Kathryn wiped her eyes on her sleeve, leaving smears of mascara fanned towards her temples. She stared at the ceiling.

‘You need to tell me why,’ urged Maggie. ‘You were so worried about her that you didn’t want to leave her alone and now she’s missing. I can see you feel like you
have to protect her but you’re not helping Rosie if you don’t tell us the truth. It may make all the difference to finding her and we can’t afford to waste time.’

Tears began to roll down Lily’s face. ‘Just tell her.’

After what felt like an age, Kathryn nodded. ‘But do her parents have to find out?’

‘Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?’

‘Please, you can’t say anything,’ Kathryn moaned. ‘Rosie will kill us if they find out.’

Lily let out a sob and buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she cried.

‘Stop it, Lily, you’re not helping,’ said Kathryn crossly.

Maggie watched them carefully. There was usually one girl within a friendship group who was the leader and something told her it was Kathryn in this one. She sat back, happy to wait until one of
them was willing to speak up. DI Gant said one of the reasons she excelled at being an FLO, why she had sailed through the training and why he liked using her, was that she had infinite patience.
Maggie could sit quietly for hours if that was what it took to get an answer from someone. The groundwork was laid in her childhood, growing up in Lou’s wake and always having to wait to go
second.

‘I want to tell you but Rosie doesn’t want her mum and dad to know, does she, Lily?’ When Lily didn’t react, Kathryn said more firmly, ‘Isn’t that
right?’

Lily nodded dolefully.

Maggie leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. ‘Look, I can’t promise her parents won’t find out. It might be too important for them not to know. But what I can
promise is that I’ll make sure Rosie knows neither of you wanted to tell me but I made you.’

Kathryn seemed satisfied with that but Lily kept her eyes fixed on the floor.

‘I shouldn’t have left her because when she’s on her own she hurts herself,’ said Kathryn.

Maggie’s pulse quickened. ‘How?’

‘The blood in the back garden? We know it’s Rosie’s and we know how it ended up there.’ She took a deep, dramatic breath. ‘Rosie cuts herself.’

Unburdened of the secret, Kathryn slumped back on the sofa and put her forearm over her eyes. Lily didn’t move. Maggie watched them for a few moments, trying to decide if Kathryn was being
straight with her, wondering if there was anything they’d have to gain from lying.

‘Are you saying Rosie is a self-harmer?’

Kathryn lowered her arm slowly. Her eyelashes had clumped together in little spikes.

‘Yes. Rosie cuts herself until she bleeds. And she does it all the time.’

Maggie thought about the patch of blood on the lawn and the splatter line down towards the firs. Could Rosie have accidentally cut herself too deeply this time? It was possible. But why, she
questioned herself, would she then climb over the fence at the bottom of the garden? Why not go back into the house to get help? Either way, Umpire needed to know about this.

‘Thank you for being honest with me. I know it’s hard because you don’t want to feel like you’re telling tales but I think what you’ve told me is really helpful.
I’ll just need your contact details now, in case we need to speak to you again.’

Lily reacted with horror. ‘But I only ever hang out with Rosie after school, I don’t know anything! Why will I have to be questioned again?’

‘It’s okay,’ said Maggie soothingly. ‘It’s nothing to be anxious about. We’ll just need you to give a statement about what you’ve told me. You can have
your mum and dad sit in on the interview if you want.’

‘Will you do it?’ asked Lily anxiously.

‘I don’t know. It’ll be up to the officer in charge.’

Family liaison officers were known to take formal statements during a case – the role did not preclude them from being part of the investigative team. The only issue was how involved
Umpire wanted her to be. Maggie took the girls’ details to pass on to him, including phone numbers for their parents.

‘You’re better off speaking to my mum. My dad’s in New York,’ said Kathryn sullenly. ‘He works away a lot.’

‘Actually, your mum’s still here, with my colleague DC Small. Do you want me to get her?’

Kathryn shrugged. ‘If you want.’

Maggie returned two minutes later with Sarah, who shot across the room to her daughter’s side.

‘What have you been saying?’ she snapped.

For a second Maggie thought she was talking to her and was annoyed at her for questioning the girls. Then she saw that her anger was directed at Kathryn. The teenager shrank back in her
seat.

‘I didn’t say anything, Mum. She was just asking us about how well we know Rosie.’

Sarah folded her arms across her chest and glared at her daughter. ‘If you’re causing trouble again—’

‘She’s not,’ Maggie interjected. ‘She’s been really helpful.’

Sarah ignored her and gestured at Kathryn to stand up. ‘Come on, it’s time we left the police to it. That goes for you too, Lily. Isn’t your grandmother expecting
you?’

‘They might need to be interviewed again at some point.’ Maggie handed Sarah her business card. ‘If you have any questions, please give me a call. I’m here to help
Rosie’s friends as well as her family.’

‘Thank you,’ said Sarah grudgingly.

As they went to leave, Lily turned to Maggie. ‘Rosie’s really lovely,’ she said timidly. ‘She’s never horrible to anyone and she doesn’t deserve
this.’

It was only after they left that Maggie thought about what Lily had said. If she and Kathryn were convinced the blood loss was caused by her self-harming, what exactly did Rosie not deserve?

Lesley struggled to catch her breath as she paced around the dining room. With Sarah gone at Maggie’s behest, it felt like the walls were closing in on her and the air
was being sucked out of the room. She tried to take deep breaths but her chest constricted as though crushed by the weight of her fear and when she spoke all she could manage was a ragged gasp.

‘Why hasn’t Maggie come back? Why is she taking so long?’ she asked Belmar, who stood by the French doors as if he was guarding them.

‘I’m sure she’ll be back soon.’

‘That’s what you said a minute ago.’

Belmar didn’t answer but glanced at the door leading to the hall. He’s doing it again, Lesley thought. Every time she asked him what was going on, he looked to the door. Was
something happening out there, was that why he kept checking?

‘Is there something you’re not telling me?’ she croaked as panic forced the breath from her lungs again. ‘Is that why Maggie hasn’t come back yet? Can you please
find out where she is?’

‘I think I should stay here until she gets back.’

Lesley had never struck another person in her life but Belmar’s refusal to act made her want to slap his face so hard she had to clench her fists to stop herself. As she did, an intense
heat surged through her body and she swayed on the spot.

‘Oh—’

‘Are you okay, Mrs Kinnock?’

‘I think I’m going to faint.’

Belmar darted forward and grabbed her arm. ‘Come and sit down.’

‘Please find out what’s going on,’ she said as he lowered her into a chair.

‘If you’re not well I should stay—’

‘Please,’ she implored him again. ‘I’m going mad not knowing.’

He caved. ‘Okay, but can you stay put until I get back?’

Too weary to argue, she nodded.

As he left the room, Lesley slumped over and put her face in her hands. Her skin felt clammy because it was warm inside the house and she was so exhausted she imagined she could fall asleep just
sitting there like that. But her mind wouldn’t let her rest and she began to cry again as it confronted her with image after image of Rosie looking terrified and calling for help that
wouldn’t come. The idea of someone causing suffering to her child was more than she could bear. For months she’d worried about the attention Rosie received because of their win and that
something like this might happen. She should’ve listened to her instinct and been there to protect her. That was her job as her mum, the only job that mattered, and she’d failed
her.

There was a knock on the door. Belmar entered first, clutching a glass of water. Behind him followed Maggie with a tall, striking man in a black suit who she’d spoken to earlier. He
introduced himself again as Detective Chief Inspector Will Umpire, the officer in charge.

He took a seat at the dining-room table next to hers. Maggie and Belmar also sat.

‘I want to thank you for your cooperation so far,’ he began. ‘I know it can’t be easy—’

Lesley held her hand up to stop him. She didn’t want to hear any more platitudes or apologies. Already she was sick of them skirting around what needed to be said.

‘Just tell me what’s going on. Is it Rosie’s blood?’

Umpire echoed what Maggie had said about more tests needing to be carried out. Lesley nodded but she wasn’t actually listening. The question about the blood wasn’t the one she really
wanted to ask. It was a prelude while she summoned the courage to articulate the question that had been swirling around her head like a maelstrom for the past few hours. The question no parent ever
wanted to ask. But she had to, needed to. This man was in charge of finding Rosie and she had to know what he was thinking.

‘Mr Umpire, do you think Rosie’s dead?’

The room went still and Lesley became aware of two sounds – a pulse pumping wildly in her ears and someone shouting outside, although she couldn’t make out exactly what through the
double-glazing. She saw Umpire exchange a brief glance with Maggie before he cleared his throat to speak.

‘At this stage I have no reason to believe she is.’

‘But what if the blood does turn out to be hers?’

‘We can assume she’s been injured in some way. But while that’s serious, it doesn’t necessarily mean we should be looking for a body yet.’

‘I think I’m going to be sick,’ Lesley moaned.

Belmar passed her the glass of water but the tiny sip she took made her feel even more nauseous. She set it down on the table with a shaky hand.

Maggie leaned across the table. ‘Lesley, if the blood does turn out to be Rosie’s there may be another explanation for how it got there. Have you ever noticed any unusual marks on
her skin, any cuts or grazes?’

Lesley frowned. ‘Marks?’

‘Yes, like her skin’s been cut.’

Lesley felt her own blood drain from her face.

‘You think someone’s been cutting Rosie?’

‘Not exactly—’

Maggie had no time to elaborate, as there was another shout outside, this time louder and clearer. A male voice shouted for DCI Umpire.

The four of them shot to their feet but Lesley was closest to the French doors and reached them first to yank the curtains open.

‘Oh God, no. No, no, no . . .’

A man in a white jumpsuit with cropped silver hair was standing on the terrace holding a large, clear plastic bag. He looked furious. Beside him was a very young-looking officer in uniform who
was puce and panting, as though he’d just run from somewhere.

Lesley heard Maggie behind her.

‘Mrs Kinnock, please come away from the window.’

But it was too late. She had already seen it.

Inside the bag was a miniskirt. Made from a synthetic silver fabric, it was covered in a layer of tulle embellished with dozens of silver sequin stars – and blood.

It was one of Rosie’s skirts.

Lesley smashed her fists against the glass. A deep, guttural moan like an injured animal might make filled the room. The noise grew louder and louder until she realized it was coming from her.
She hit the window again but her body was weak from shock and the noise barely resonated. Then she felt hands grip her shoulders and pull her away. Lesley heard the urgency in Maggie’s
voice.

‘Please come away from the window.’

Her body went slack as she allowed Maggie to lead her across the room. She felt numb, like she’d been given a general anaesthetic and woken up before it’d had time to wear off.
Lesley tried to open her mouth to speak, but her throat had also seized up. She couldn’t seem to make anything function.

‘For God’s sake, shut the curtains,’ Umpire snapped. Belmar yanked them closed.

‘I’m very sorry, Mrs Kinnock,’ said the DCI with obvious contrition. ‘You shouldn’t have seen that.’

‘The blood—’ she rasped.

‘Is it Rosie’s skirt?’ asked Maggie.

‘Yes, but I don’t understand how you’ve found it covered in blood,’ she stammered. ‘She wasn’t wearing it when I went out this morning. She had her shorts on,
a navy pair.’

‘Is the skirt a particular favourite of hers?’ said Belmar.

‘Yes, I guess.’

‘Is there any reason why she might be a bit secretive about wearing it?’ he pressed. ‘You know, changing into it when she knows you aren’t around?’

‘Let’s give her a minute,’ Maggie cautioned, and she made her sit down in a chair.

It was a few moments before Lesley was able to answer Belmar’s question. She roughly wiped her wet cheeks with her palms.

‘I bought it for her about a month ago. Mack doesn’t know she has it. He wouldn’t like her wearing something so short. It wasn’t expensive,’ she felt obliged to
point out. ‘It’s from Topshop.’

‘So she only wears it when he’s not around?’ said Maggie.

‘I suppose so,’ said Lesley warily. She didn’t like the way the conversation was going. It felt like they were ganging up on her. ‘But I can’t see her changing into
it just to revise in.’