Shaking my head to get rid of such disloyal thoughts, I stroked my bruised cheek and thought again about Clarabelle and what she’d told me about her daddy being a good, kind man. The little girl had no reason to lie. Mother said she was confused but I wasn’t so sure, especially not now. Mother had never me hit before. I’d never dreamed she would.

I looked at my bedroom door and snagged my lip between my teeth. I had to know if Mother was lying or making mistakes. I had to know the full truth. About everything.

Fearful Mother might be back any second, I dashed out of my room and hurried along the landing.

Clarabelle’s room was quiet.

‘Clarabelle? It’s Mirabelle. Want to talk?’

A rustling sound came followed by her voice, which was bright and chirpy. ‘Mirabelle? Hi! I’m glad it’s you. Can we play I Spy?’

‘What?’

‘I Spy. Can we play it? Please? I’m bored. I’m asposed to do colouring but I don’t want to any more.’

‘What’s I Spy?’ I said.

‘You don’t know what I Spy is?’

‘No. Tell me.’

‘OK. It’s where you say a letter and I have to say a word with that letter.’

‘P.’

‘No, silly! You have to say, “I spy with my little eye, something beginning with P.”’ She giggled. The sound made me feel warm inside. I was relieved to hear her sounding happier than before, and less sleepy.

‘All right,’ I said, ‘I spy with my little eye, something beginning with P.’

‘Hmmm,’ she said excitedly, ‘I know! Paper! Am I right?’

‘Yes,’ I lied, still not understanding the game.

‘Can we play again?’

‘I need to ask you a question first. When did you first see Mother?’

She was quiet for a while. I heard a clicking sound coming from her room.

‘At the supermarket. She told me to come with her. She said she was Mummy’s friend and Mummy wanted me to go with her, because Mummy was poorly, but …’

‘But what?’

‘But it was funny.’

‘Why? What was funny?’ I pressed.

‘When I was in the car, Mother gave me a sweetie that didn’t taste nice and I heard Mummy shouting my name. I wanted to say bye to Mummy and I waved and then my head went all funny.’

After a beat, she asked if we could play I Spy again, but I couldn’t speak.

I mumbled that I had to go back to my room then staggered across the landing. Inside my bedroom, I hurried over to my bed, slid a trembling hand inside my pillowcase, pulled out the newspaper article and read.

Sunday, 5 June 1966

Girl, Three, Goes Missing in Salisbury

Police are searching for a missing three-year-old girl who they suspect was abducted in a supermarket near her home.