Then what? Does it mean Bob and Ruth knew who Iona was? Does it mean he killed her?

‘Then they can find out what happened to Iona,’ I finish.

Ange shakes her head as she moves to stand.

‘You have to want that.’ I grab her arm. ‘We have to go to the police.’

‘No. We don’t,’ she says firmly.

‘Why not?’ I cry.

‘What I did was illegal.’

‘This is murder. What could be more important?’ I’m incredulous that she’s lost two children but is still refusing to talk. ‘What’s more important than putting your daughter’s killer behind bars? The right person,’ I add.

‘I owe people,’ she cries. ‘Okay? I owe too many people.’

‘So?’

‘So …’ She pauses. ‘If I confess, I have no chance of paying them off.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘I just can’t talk to the police,’ she hisses.

‘Are you being blackmailed? Is it the people who took your baby? You think they can help you?’

‘This has got nothing to do with you,’ Ange snaps.

‘Of course it has! My brother could be locked up for something he didn’t do.’

Ange turns away from me.

‘Are they still paying you? You want their money more than knowing what actually happened to your daughter?’ I say, though I already know the answer to that. This is a woman who didn’t even notice Iona was missing for twenty-five years; she’s hardly going to care now.

‘You know I’ll go to the police now, though, don’t you?’ I say as she pushes herself off the bench. But she doesn’t appear to be listening any longer as she walks off across the green. ‘Wait!’ I run after her.

‘You don’t know what you’re dealing with.’ Ange pulls her arm away as I try to reach for it.

‘You’re scared,’ I say as she steps on to the road without looking. ‘I get that, but you don’t need to be.’ I check for cars, hurrying to keep up with her. At her house she slips past the open gate and on to the short path.

‘You know nothing about my life at all.’ Ange glares back at me, her eyes wide with fear, her hand reaching for the low brick wall that separates one terraced house from the next.

‘I’m sorry, but I do have to talk to the police, Ange. Helping my brother is too important, and now I know my family had nothing to do with it—’

‘You know, my Iona wasn’t a stupid girl,’ she interrupts. ‘You say she thought my Scarlet was your sister?’

‘Yes, but I know she wasn’t—’

‘But why did Iona think she was?’ Ange asks.

‘I’ve got no idea, she was obviously wrong.’