‘What have you dragged me into here? For Christ’s sake, Mother – I’ve got Carrie to think of. Being here all week away from my daughter has been bad enough. But now I find you’ve been keeping things from me, and probably knew the whole time what this fucking Knock, Knock game was all about – and don’t you dare chastise me for swearing, I have every right – but somehow it’s me who needs to confess? Me who this person wants to seek some kind of revenge on? How is that fair?’ Anna ran out of breath.

Her head was swimming with false knowledge, with disjointed memories – with an anger she realised now had been germinating for a long time. Whatever had happened in Mapledon all those years ago, whatever lies had been told, whatever truths buried – Anna knew her mother was behind them all. And now Anna was going to pay the price. This woman who’d been leaving the doll’s parts, the notes, clearly believed it to be Anna who needed punishing.

What was next?

‘Dad,’ Anna said. A sudden, clear memory shot into her brain. ‘He was late home the day Jonie went missing. I remember you asking him why he was late. But then he left again. I was upset at the time, didn’t think about it. Where had he been and where did he go?’

‘I don’t remember.’

‘Yes. You do.’ Anna stood up, walked into the lounge and began pacing. ‘The necklace.’ Anna frowned, then went to the dining table to retrieve the small cloth ball that had been stuffed in the doll’s torso. She walked back in, coming to a stop in front of Muriel. ‘It was found in Billy Cawley’s bungalow. It was one of the key pieces of evidence, apart from my witness statement.’

Muriel stared unresponsively at Anna.

‘I had an identical necklace. I remember Jonie’s dad giving them to us at a barbecue that summer. He said he’d got the same ones for the “terrible twins”. But I don’t remember anyone ever mentioning that when the necklace was found in Billy Cawley’s place.’ Anna took the silver necklace from the cloth, shoving it in Muriel’s face.

‘It wasn’t your necklace they found,’ Muriel said, taking a step back. ‘So, there was no need to mention it.’

‘How do you know that, though?’

‘Because you had yours, obviously.’

‘But I didn’t.’ Anna shook her head. ‘I can’t remember ever seeing it again after Jonie went missing.’

‘Well, your memory of that time has always been hazy – you said it yourself. You just can’t remember having it. But you did.’

‘No …’ Anna said, her mind now in overdrive. ‘You took mine, didn’t you?’ A sudden and shocking realisation hit her. A dizzy sensation swept over her. ‘Did you make Dad put it inside Billy’s bungalow so the police would suspect Billy of taking Jonie?’ The accusation sounded incredulous, even though she was the one saying the words. She prayed she was wrong.