Before he left the office, Thrupp gave her a list of all the performance reviews she needed to complete before the end of the month.
“Before you start on that, though, there are some checks I want you to make on the following case reports before they can be filed.”
Duly chastened, she played humble, making a note of all the most urgent case numbers and clicking open the first file in readiness as he watched. The moment the door shut, she sat back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair, letting it down and twisting it back up again. She binned the Forensics envelope containing the faulty DVD, took the original from the desk drawer and inserted it into the computer. Seeing those shadows on the floor of the maternity ward again was no less unsettling, especially as she was no closer to finding out if they were indeed shadows, or nothing but a fault in the recording. She copied the footage onto a USB flash drive, thinking she could at least check it again at home. Maybe something would occur to her. Harper put the flash drive in her satchel, turned back to the screen and began inputting data to the first of Thrupp’s long list of supposedly urgent report forms.
CHAPTER TWELVE
How to Protect Your Child
1. Placing a key next to an infant will prevent him from being exchanged.
2. Women may never be left alone during the first six weeks following childbirth, for the devil then has more power over them.
3. During the first six weeks following childbirth, mothers may not go to sleep until someone has come to watch the child. If mothers are overcome by sleep, changelings are often laid in the cradle.
Jacob Grimm
JULY 20TH
SEVEN DAYS OLD
EARLY EVENING
The sun was just starting to dip, taking the edge off the heat. Lauren sat on the couch, feeding both boys at the same time, one baby tucked under each arm, two perfect heads resting lightly in her hands as they suckled. She’d not located the big feeding pillow in time, so Riley was propped on top of the solid block of an unopened pack of nappies while Morgan made do with a too-small cushion, which meant she was wonky, uncomfortable. If she could just somehow push another cushion under her left arm. But she couldn’t, not without dislodging one or both of them. There was no part of the couch not covered in muslin cloths, packets of wipes, baby clothes, toys, Lauren and babies. She was settled in. Stuck. Patrick was hiding upstairs somewhere. She couldn’t reach the TV remote and she wanted a cup of tea. And she needed the loo, but that, all of that, would have to wait.
“Pat-rick,” she hollered, making both babies open their eyes wide in surprise though they stayed latched on. “Hello you,” she said to Morgan, and then to Riley, as two pairs of eyes drifted shut at the speed of soft-closing fire doors. From somewhere above her head, there was a groan.