‘You’ll see,’ Lizzie said.

‘This is preposterous! What is your problem, young lady?’ Nell demanded. ‘Stop playing games. We’ve better things to do with our time.’ She turned and fumbled her way to the lounge door.

‘I wouldn’t,’ Pat Vern said.

Nell turned back sharply. ‘I wouldn’t?’ she repeated. ‘That sounds like a threat to me, Pat?’

‘No, Nell. Of course it’s not.’ He sounded exasperated already. ‘But you need to stay. Eliza has things she wants clearing up. She deserves to hear from you, too.’

‘Hear what? Look, Pat, I appreciate this must be a difficult time for Tina and you,’ Nell said, pointing a finger at the silent Tina. ‘But dragging up what happened to poor Jonie, without being able to bring any kind of closure, is mean. It’s selfish. And Eliza – Lizzie – is only here to witness more distress, and to try and vindicate her abusive, murdering bastard of a father!’

Lizzie heard a gasp from Muriel’s direction. That woman was something else. How could Muriel be so offended by a bit of bad language after what she’d done?

‘Who said I couldn’t offer any closure to Tina?’ Lizzie said.

Shocked faces all turned to look at her.

‘As I said,’ Lizzie continued. ‘You’re here for a reason. That reason is to uncover the truth. Although I’m aware some of you know aspects of the truth, others only know very little of it.’

‘Go on, Lizzie,’ Tina said. Her voice was a small sound from the corner of the room. Lizzie nodded to her.

‘Okay.’ Lizzie gave a feeble smile. An attempt to soften what was to come. Some of the later revelations would hit Tina hard. She looked to Pat, who tilted his chin in acknowledgement before wrapping an arm around Tina.

‘You lied, Anna,’ Lizzie said as she turned, directing her mobile phone light onto Anna. Lizzie watched as Anna’s face seemed to lose its shape – the muscles slackening. She wasn’t enjoying seeing Anna’s discomfort, but it was a necessary part of the reveal. Lizzie allowed the words to hang for a few beats, then added: ‘Little Bella Fisher didn’t tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Did she?’

Chapter Eighty-Seven

1989

En route to Bovey Police Station

Friday 21st July – 36 hours after Jonie Hayes’ disappearance

Muriel took the narrow roads slowly to avoid the Dartmoor ponies and to allow her time to pull in for any cars coming from the opposite direction. And to give her time to go over the script with Bella. She had to get it right.

‘Again,’ she said. ‘You need to sound more confident.’

‘I’m tired, I can’t.’

They passed Haytor, the car juddering over a cattle grid. Bella’s head banged rhythmically against the passenger window, but her blank stare never wavered.

‘You must, Bella. Now, from the beginning: where were you when you first saw Billy’s truck?’

She sighed. ‘Fine. Jonie and me were heading to the park, so we walked along Elmore Road, and that’s when I saw Billy Cawley’s truck.’