Robert swallowed his fear and took a step into the hallway. He couldn’t hear Eliza’s voice. He really hoped she was home.

The door slammed loudly behind him.

Chapter Fifty-Two

2019

Anna

Tuesday 16th July

The fact her mother was hiding the letters from her made Anna wonder what else she was keeping secret. What could possibly be in them? Not that Anna should be privy to her mother’s private mail, of course. And maybe that’s all it was – the desire for privacy. It’s not like she’d want Muriel reading any letters of hers either. It didn’t necessarily mean they contained anything untoward just because she’d moved them.

But it did feel like that was precisely why her mother had taken them from the drawer. Because she didn’t want Anna finding something out that she shouldn’t. Or something Muriel didn’t want her to know, at least. Curiosity, however, would ensure Anna carried on searching for them. She assumed Muriel had hidden them away in her bedroom now. One of the places Anna wouldn’t go sneaking around in. Or couldn’t, as her mother would know, being that she didn’t leave the house without Anna. So, there’d be little chance for Anna to go rummaging around in her bedroom. Plus, it would be wrong to abuse her mother’s trust in her.

She wished she trusted Muriel.

Too many niggles underpinned their mother–daughter relationship as far as Anna was concerned. Too many incidences that couldn’t be swept under the carpet – irregularities that couldn’t be explained. Having met Lizzie, and heard what she had to say, Anna’s niggles had only increased. With Lizzie saying her memories of her childhood in Mapledon were sparse, and the only thing clear in her head was that she’d been brought into this house by Muriel and someone else when she was a child, Anna felt she might be the only one who could now piece the jigsaw together.

But she could only do that if Muriel were to be compliant – if she openly shared the facts surrounding Jonie Hayes’ abduction and subsequent murder with her. And maybe with Lizzie. The three of them could deduce who was hanging doll parts on Muriel’s door if they worked together. And if it did, in fact, turn out to be Billy Cawley, his own daughter might be the one to stop him. Allow Muriel to live in peace. Allow Anna to go back home, alone, back to Carrie and the life she’d created away from Mapledon – the village of the damned. Anna laughed out loud at this description. But it was an uneasy laugh. Behind the jokey nickname she couldn’t help thinking it was the perfect phrase.

Anna swung her legs out of bed, did her usual stretches to realign her spine and then headed for the shower. She could hear movements from Muriel’s room as she walked along the landing – drawers being opened and closed – she was obviously choosing clothes and getting dressed. Or, maybe she was moving the stash of letters again. She’d need to get her mother out of the house in order to have a good look. It was about time she popped next door for a coffee, Anna thought. She’d try and convince her to do that after breakfast.