‘Yes, I know. Right, here’s your coffee,’ Muriel said.

The fact her mother wasn’t keen to dig up the past was disconcerting. It couldn’t just be that she was concerned about some video she and Nell had made of Eliza to prove Billy was abusing her; that she was partly responsible for Eliza being taken into care. There was something else, there had to be. Another reason she didn’t want this to all blow up, for the police to get involved. Maybe in digging further, Anna would find something far worse.

Was she prepared for that?

Anna sipped the coffee and placed it on the coaster. She ran her fingers through her hair, then got up. ‘Right, come on then, let’s see what we’ve been left.’ She got a skewer from the drawer and stuck it inside the cavity of the plastic leg, hooking the paper out. She took a deep steadying breath, then unfolded it.

SOMEONE KNOWS WHERE SHE IS.

‘Well, that’s obvious,’ Anna said, her shoulders slumping. She was disappointed; she’d hoped for something a little more solid. A clue that might actually point them in the right direction.

‘This is stupid. Whoever is doing this knows absolutely nothing. This proves it. It’s someone who thinks they’re being clever, but they have zero proof of anything and they’re just fishing. Of course someone knows where she is. That evil good-for-nothing Billy Cawley does, and that’s the end of it,’ Muriel said, shaking her head while pacing the kitchen.

‘Calm down, Mum. Come and have a seat.’

‘I can’t. I’m too on edge. And annoyed.’

‘I feel at a loss as to what to do now. Are we going to wait, sit it out? If there’s an end point to this game, I’m not sure we should be sitting ducks, awaiting whatever comes next. This is one game of Knock, Knock I’d rather not play.’

‘You didn’t like playing any of them,’ Muriel said flippantly.

‘No? I can’t really remember.’

‘You hated that Jonie made you play. I remember.’ Muriel looked off into the distance. ‘You used to prefer playing on your own – making dance routines up in your bedroom.’ Muriel gave a short laugh. ‘The ceiling would shake with all your jumping around. You drove your dad nuts.’

‘Is that why he left?’ Anna snapped.

‘Don’t be stupid, of course not.’

‘Why did he, then?’ Now the opportunity to talk about her dad had arisen, she wanted to take full advantage – see if Muriel stuck to her usual lines.

Muriel sighed, and Anna saw tears gather along her lower lids. ‘You know why. Because he wanted to be with the other woman.’

‘Who was she? You never told me anything.’

‘No one you knew. There was nothing to tell. We had our problems and he didn’t love me; it was that simple. He loved you, though.’

‘Well, that doesn’t make any sense now, does it? If he loved me, he would’ve stayed in contact – visited me, or at the very least called. He never even sent me birthday cards. That’s love, is it?’