But what had her mother done with the doll’s head? Anna had forgotten to check last Saturday when she’d come back from the shop as she’d been too relieved to find it gone from the front door. But now, given the latest parts, she wanted them together in a safe place while she figured out what to do next. Whether to inform the police or, at the very least, Pat. Although now he might not be of any real assistance. He was with Tina; he was too close. He was involved, and therefore not objective – but still, he could have a better memory of the events of July 1989 from an official perspective. Anna had called Lizzie, partly in desperation – because she felt she wanted someone to show, someone her age and who might be able to help her put the pieces together – and partly to watch her reaction. See if there was a glimmer of guilt – a sign that would give her away as the culprit. The Knock, Knock game that had been relentlessly played on her father now being played out by his daughter – there was a certain irony to that. Anna had assumed the game was being played on Muriel, but in fact it might be aimed at Anna herself. She’d been one of the key players of that game back then – her mother didn’t have anything to do with that.

Maybe this was Lizzie’s way of getting Anna here, back in Mapledon, to exact revenge against her. Muriel could merely be the conduit; the target was really her. She’d have to be careful around Lizzie. Trust was a luxury she couldn’t afford. But first, she needed the head. Which meant asking her mother where she’d put it. Anna hadn’t looked inside the head’s hollow, and to her knowledge neither had Muriel – there was probably a note stuffed inside that too, which they’d missed. It could hold vital information.

‘Mum, when you took the head off the door, where did you put it?’ Anna asked as soon as she walked into the kitchen.

‘Oh. Where’ve you been? You were gone ages; I was worried.’

‘Next door, having coffee with Sandie, like you told me to do. No need to have been worried.’

‘Well. You two certainly seemed to have a lot to talk about then!’ She seemed put out. Jealous even.

‘It’s been twenty years, Mum. We had a lot to catch up on. And you never told me Pat was with Tina now,’ Anna said, suddenly side-tracked.

‘Didn’t think of it. Not particularly relevant is it?’

‘I guess not. But would’ve been nice to know. Strange though, isn’t it? How long after Mark’s passing did that happen?’

Muriel’s gaze faltered. She slipped away, her mind elsewhere. Irritation growing, Anna went back to her original question. ‘Didn’t you put the doll’s head in the shed?’

‘No. I threw it right in the bin. Disturbing-looking thing, didn’t want to keep it!’