Anna couldn’t extinguish the feeling of unease she’d had when Lizzie had driven her and her mum straight to their front door that morning. And until she had evidence to the contrary, she wouldn’t rule out the possibility Lizzie was involved in the macabre mutation of the Knock, Knock ‘game’ that had begun on Friday. Lizzie and her dad could be doing it.

‘When did you first arrive in Mapledon again?’ Anna asked, then took a bite of her baguette.

‘Saturday. I hadn’t opened the solicitor’s letter for a few days, then I ummed and ahhed about coming. But then I got a call that made my mind up for me.’

‘Oh? How come?’

‘It was someone saying they knew his plans.’

Anna’s heart dropped. ‘Who?’

‘They didn’t say. It was a woman’s voice, and it came to the landline, not my mobile.’

‘Did they say how they knew?’ Anna’s throat tightened. She put her baguette down, unable to take another mouthful just yet.

‘Nope. But they knew I was a journo because they said I’d be interested in the story.’

‘You’re a journalist? You didn’t mention that.’ Anna’s discomfort about being continually on the back foot wasn’t doing her stress levels any good.

‘Freelance, yes. But I’m not here after some sensationalist story, Anna. I’m just here for the truth.’

‘The truth? I don’t understand.’

‘I’m not sure what exactly went down the day Jonie Hayes went missing, Anna. But I am sure there was more to it than you or I know.’

‘I don’t think there was. The evidence pointed to your dad, and I am sorry for that – it can’t be easy for you knowing what he did – but there was no other explanation for what happened.’

‘Because the police, and the people of Mapledon, stopped looking, Anna. They assumed they had their guy, and as you say the evidence pointed to it being him, so they wrapped it up, no further questions asked.’ Lizzie looked Anna straight in the eye. ‘I’m here to start looking again.’

‘But why now? Why not before, when he was in prison?’

‘Because I was one of those people who’d spent all those years believing he’d done it. Assuming he’d taken Jonie and then murdered her, dumping her body. Because that’s the story I’d been fed.’

‘And now you don’t? Just like that? What changed your mind?’ Anna’s questions tumbled over themselves, her mind racing.

‘During my childhood, moving from one foster home to another, I was told various things about why I’d been removed from my father’s care. Initially, it was the straightforward “after your mum died, he was unable to cope and he neglected you” line I was given. As I got older, though, that story developed; things were added on. I was told other, less straightforward things – stuff I don’t want to get into right now. So, over the years I built a picture of what my time with Billy must’ve been like, what kind of person he was … and what a monster he must be to have killed a child. When I was driving here all I could think about was how I was going to “put William Cawley to rest”.’ Lizzie made air quotes with her fingers. ‘And up until today, that remained my plan. But I felt something … odd … today. I’d say it was a memory, but it wasn’t tangible – it was a feeling, something deep down, buried, rather than an actual memory. A sense, a knowing, that all was not as it seemed. Whatever happened here, we don’t know the full story.’ Lizzie bit into her lunch. It appeared she’d said all she was going to say for the moment. It was as if she’d delivered her speech and now wanted Anna to chew it over.