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Chapters (60)
  1. CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR LEIGH RUSSELL
  2. Glossary of acronyms
  3. Prologue
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. Acknowledgements

In the light from a torch, Geraldine and a member of the search team made their way cautiously down the wooden stairs leading to the cellar. The walls were slimy with mould and damp; the smell became almost palpable as they reached the bottom. The constable shone the beam of light around to reveal a hideous crouching figure, covered in filth. His eyes, which were closed against the unaccustomed light, were crusted in filth and mucus and he was standing in a pool of vomit and excrement. A thick chain had been crudely wound around his arms and legs, pinning them to his sides, and preventing him from walking more than a couple of steps.

‘Bloody hell,’ the constable cried out. ‘How long has he been here?’

‘About three months,’ Geraldine replied, struggling to control her nausea. She turned back to the stairs. ‘I’ll send someone down to help you get him out of here.’

Her colleague nodded. ‘He was locked in here by the mother of a baby he killed, wasn’t he?’

‘That seems to be what happened.’

‘I doubt if he’ll be able to get himself up those stairs,’ the constable said, speaking very fast, ‘and it seems a shame to get our hands dirty moving him. Why don’t we just leave him here?’

Geraldine hesitated, fighting the temptation to agree with the constable. With only the word of an insane woman to secure a conviction against him, Pete might evade a prison sentence. But Ella had taken the law into her own hands by punishing Pete herself, and that was a dangerous path to follow. Much as she abhorred the prospect that Pete might escape prison, Geraldine had devoted her life to the pursuit of justice. And that meant that even a villain like Pete had to face a fair trial, whatever the outcome. The other choice could only ultimately lead to chaos where the most powerful would inevitably triumph, regardless of right and wrong.

‘We’ll bring him out to face trial, and let’s hope he spends the rest of his life behind bars where he belongs,’ she said firmly.

‘It’s going to be tricky getting him out of there,’ the constable said. ‘Any attempt to move is going to be agonising for him, after he’s been trussed up like that for so long.’

Geraldine and the constable exchanged a glance of complicity, although neither of them actually smiled.

‘Make him crawl up the stairs,’ she replied.

53

53

After waiting half a morning for the duty solicitor to arrive, Geraldine faced Ella in the interview room and started the tape running. With the preliminaries completed, she began with a direct accusation to see how Ella would react.

‘You stole Jessica’s baby.’

‘No, I never,’ Ella replied at once, her voice rising indignantly. ‘If that’s what she told you, then she’s a liar. I never stole her baby.’