‘Look, Lizzie – I get why you’re doing this,’ Rob said, taking the opportunity to step in. ‘I know I upset you with what I told you the other day. But it’s obvious to see this doesn’t involve us directly.’ Rob motioned from himself to his mum. ‘You’ve got beef with the others; carry on without us. You don’t need to drag my mother into this. She’s done nothing wrong.’

‘And I get why you’re doing this, Rob,’ Lizzie countered. ‘You’re one of them, an insider. And you protect your own. Especially when it’s your own mother in the firing line. I understand. But it can’t keep going on. This hideous lie has been allowed to fester for far too long. Maybe you don’t know what really happened. It’s possible you’re as in the dark as I was.’

‘You’re delusional, love,’ Nell said.

‘No. I think you lot have the monopoly on that.’ Anger and bitterness encased Lizzie’s words. It was becoming harder to remain calm. These people were horrible, an abomination. ‘I said when you arrived, you’re ALL here for a reason, no one is leaving until we’ve heard the truth.’

‘You can’t keep us here, we’re free to leave whenever we want.’

‘Sure – I’m not taking you hostage, if that’s what you think. But then, everyone here is already a hostage.’

No one disagreed. Everyone stayed in the room; their own curiosity, guilt and stubbornness keeping them there. Even Rob.

‘Carry on then, let’s get this charade over with,’ he said. His face belied his words. He knew where this was going, Lizzie realised. He was as defeated as the others, knowing whatever was coming would likely tear the fabric of the village’s carefully constructed image apart.

‘Tell me what made you realise you’d been right all along, Tina,’ Lizzie asked.

‘Billy did. He wrote to me while he was in prison. Told me everything.’

‘How can you believe the man who murdered your daughter?’

‘Stop now, Muriel. Stop,’ Tina said. She gave a half-smile. ‘Please drop the pretence. It’s over. Don’t you understand? You did what you felt you had to do to protect yourself and your family. Now you need to own up to your mistakes. I believed, and do believe, Billy. Because everything he said made sense. I stepped outside of myself, this village, and looked in from a different viewpoint. And like I said, it was obvious then.’

‘What was?’ Rob asked.

‘Who was really responsible for Jonie’s disappearance. Who’d carefully planned a scapegoat, who’d orchestrated the entire thing. Who had planted the fake evidence. Who had tidied up, covered up, and hidden the real evidence.’

‘I’m guessing the answer is Muriel, then.’ Rob sounded as though he was disappointed with Tina’s reasoning.

‘Muriel did all of those things, yes,’ Tina said.

‘This is ridiculous. I’m not listening to more of this garbage.’ Muriel reached for the door, pulling it open, but Pat reached over the top of her, slamming it closed.

‘But not alone.’ Tina put her hand up to silence everyone. ‘Muriel wasn’t the one who did it all.’