‘Okay. Anna Finchley thinks Kirsty might know more about where he is, so we’re going there. But in the meantime, could you follow up another lead for me? Anna claims there are human remains in the woods. In the old burial ground, where it was marked on that map. The map’s not super-precise, so could you liaise with her to find the right spot and get it checked out?’

There was a moment’s silence and I wondered if we’d lost the signal. Then Fiona spoke. ‘Violet’s remains?’

‘No, no, sorry. Not Violet. Historic.’

‘Whose then?’

‘We’re not sure yet.’

I thanked Fiona and ended the call.

‘Let’s think about this,’ I said. ‘If Anna’s right, then the Pale Child that they saw in 1999 was real. A real boy. And now the Pale Child is back, and it’s another real child, related to Violet.’

‘Someone must know who these children are,’ Jai said. ‘Anna reckoned the boy who raped Bex was thirteen or fourteen. If that same boy was the “Pale Child” Charlie Twigg saw before his death in 1995, he’d only have been nine or ten back then. He must have lived locally, maybe in the village itself.’

‘If so, how come nobody knew who he was? A boy running round in a dress – there’d have been talk about it. And why did nobody report him missing after his death?’

‘Maybe his existence was a secret,’ Jai said. ‘A secret child. I know … it makes no sense.’

‘I think Kirsty Nightingale might know who he was,’ I said. ‘Based on Anna’s description of the way she reacted to his death.’

We took the road that went past the reservoir, heading for Kirsty’s farm.

‘God, this heat!’ Jai said. ‘It’s like the weather’s been taken over by a madman. What happened to nice, normal summer days?’

‘Maybe God’s pissed off with recent events in politics. It’ll be water turning to blood and plagues of frogs next.’

‘I think I’ve already got that going on in my basement.’

‘I need to see this basement. Though I expect it’ll be a big disappointment.’

‘I’m getting a sump pump. You’ll have to see it soon if you want to witness the full spectacle.’

‘Ooh, a sump pump! How would Suki feel about me delving around in your basement?’

I looked up and the bell-mouth spillway at the edge of Ladybower Reservoir caught my eye. It dragged my attention against my will, as if pulling me towards it. I caught sight of a flicker of white.

‘Yeah … About Suki … Hang on, what was that?’ Jai slowed the car.

‘I only saw a glimpse. What did you see?’

‘It looked like a girl. Dressed in white. Blonde hair. Running over the dam.’

‘Like the Pale Child, you mean?’

46