Upstairs from where the women watched the footage on the TV news, Donna Cook had awoken from her drug-induced coma, alerted by some sixth sense. As she walked into the living room and sat down, she knew that she had to see this. There might be some detail only she could spot that would bring her baby back to her. No one tried to shield her from the TV–it would have been useless anyway, she’d have fought past them. She had fantasized about killing the boys who had abducted her Matthew, and as she watched the grimy film she was paralysed with hatred. Something gnawed deep in her soul, it niggled: a small detail, but it was important. If she could just sit down for a moment, and stop the pounding in her head, she would remember it. WPC Sam Jones watched as the young mother staggered to a chair. Sitting on the edge she bit a nail and watched the superintendent at the police press conference. Sam’s stomach turned as she noticed the bald, bleeding patches on Donna’s scalp. The police doctor had judged that Donna’s mental health was too fragile to sanction a public appearance and, looking at her, Sam wholeheartedly agreed. The first nail was finished–Sam worried that Donna didn’t have enough fingers to last through the duration of the press conference. The superintendent appealed to the public for help in identifying the two teenagers who had abducted little Matthew Cook.

Donna became agitated as she watched, biting her nails and pulling at her hair. She gripped the arms of the chair until the whites of her knuckles showed.

‘No,’ she shook her head as she struggled to get her words out. ‘No…he’s wrong. That man’s wrong.’

Sam looked at her. ‘Why? What has he said that’s wrong?’

Donna Cook tore her eyes away from the screen and looked at the policewoman. ‘They shouldn’t be looking for two teenage boys. One was a girl. You should be looking for a girl and they’re younger, much younger. Can’t you see? They’re just kids. Watch the tape! You’re looking for kids.’

Chapter Twenty-One

Sam watched the eyes of the family liaison officer settle on her–she knew this was her call. Donna Cook had obviously been interviewed a number of times since her child was abducted, but more information could come out at any time, and this definitely looked like one of those times. Sam moved over towards the seat where she was glued to the television. The news had moved on, but the young mother had not. She held a picture of Matthew in her hands as she stared blankly at the TV screen.

‘What do you mean, Donna?’ the WPC asked. ‘Do you recognize something from the footage? Do you know who they are?’

‘I don’t know who they are, no.’