They both continued eating in silence, Anna’s brain working overtime. Lizzie could well be right – they didn’t know all that went on back then. But she still believed that Billy Cawley was responsible for abducting Jonie Hayes. After all, she’d witnessed it – the police had taken her statement and that had been a key piece of evidence. Perhaps Lizzie didn’t know that. After swallowing the last piece of baguette and washing it down with the rest of the tea, Anna leant forwards on the table, resting her chest on her folded arms.

‘You do know I saw it, don’t you?’ she ventured.

‘Saw what, exactly?’

‘Jonie Hayes getting into Billy’s truck. Him driving out of the village.’

Lizzie’s eyes squinted. ‘So, you were the one.’ Lizzie shifted, moving her body back, away from Anna.

Anna frowned. ‘The one?’

‘You were child B. The major witness. The only witness,’ Lizzie said, her voice cold, monotone. A shiver ran the length of Anna’s spine, despite the summer sun beating down on her.

‘Well, yes. I assumed you knew.’

‘No. You weren’t identified; how would I know?’ Lizzie’s words sounded sharp, snappy.

The whole tone, the atmosphere of their lunch, had altered, and Anna now felt even more uncomfortable. She wanted to get the attention off herself.

‘I suppose you wouldn’t. Although you are a journalist, and you do seem to have found out where my mother lived easily enough, so no doubt your contacts could’ve found out that information?’

Lizzie’s frown grew deeper, but her eye contact didn’t waver.

‘Fair play.’

She didn’t expand. With an attempt to hold Lizzie’s intensity of eye contact, Anna asked the burning question.

‘So, who told you the address?’

‘No one,’ Lizzie said without hesitation.

Anna’s pulse picked up. ‘Then how …’

‘I’ve been there before.’

‘You said you didn’t remember anything about Mapledon, only the school when you saw it. Why on earth would you have remembered where my house was? I was never friends with you.’ Maybe Muriel was right then. It had been Lizzie who’d hammered the doll’s head to the door.

‘No. That’s right. I didn’t. But seeing your mother sparked something and I just knew where to go.’

‘Do you remember when and why you went to my house?’

‘Your mum, and someone else I think, took me there. But no, I don’t remember exactly when. I certainly don’t know why.’

‘Who was the other person?’

‘Look, Anna. I don’t really remember. I think the best person to ask is Muriel, don’t you?’

Yes. And she was going to ask more besides. What had her mother been up to? And why hadn’t she ever told Anna about Lizzie being at their house?

Chapter Forty-Seven

2019

Lizzie

Two missed calls showed on Lizzie’s mobile. Both had been while she’d been lunching with Anna Fisher – whose surname she’d found out was now Denver. One was from Dom, the other, Rob. Both had left voicemails. She plugged her mobile in to charge; she’d listen to them later. For now, she wanted to go online and do some more background reading of the Cawley case. The more she spoke to Mapledon’s inhabitants, the more she became aware there were secrets to uncover here. And she wanted to be the one to do it. Lizzie opened her laptop, and with the view of the fields calming her, began to compile some new files, labelling them: