Contents ( 71)
- THE
- DAUGHTER
- MICHELLE FRANCES
- PROLOGUE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
‘Yes. About that article. I think it might have been about something else.’
‘Something else?’ repeated Grace.
Kate paused. ‘I . . . you may not know this, but Becky always wanted to be an investigative journalist. Someone who would root out the truth. She liked stories that exposed corruption or wrongdoing.’
Grace smiled.
Kate ploughed on. ‘I went to see all the other families here in the village that Becky had been visiting. Not just the ones you mentioned, there were others, too.’
‘Right. I’m still not following.’
‘Did you know that there are five cases of cancer just in the few streets in the south of Ramsbourne?’
Grace frowned. ‘Five?’
‘Yes.’
‘I don’t understand. What has this got to do with us?’
‘I think the reason Becky was here is that she was investigating something serious. I think she was trying to prove a link between the illnesses in the village and –’ Kate turned her eyes to the field of glowing yellow – ‘that.’
Grace followed her gaze. Could see nothing. ‘What?’
‘The crops. Or rather, what’s sprayed on the crops. The pesticides and herbicides.’
‘What?’ Grace laughed. ‘No. I mean, I know it doesn’t smell too good, but it can’t be dangerous. It’s right outside. Near our home. I mean, it’s a metre or so from the garden. It’s going on our food. No, this is all wrong.’
‘Have you ever heard of something called glyphosate?’
‘Er . . . yes . . . vaguely. Isn’t it some sort of weedkiller?’
‘It’s a chemical used in a large number of pesticides and herbicides. It’s classified by the World Health Organization as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. There are other chemicals too. Sometimes – quite often – they’re mixed up. Various combinations are sprayed.’
‘I don’t understand what you’re telling me. We’re being poisoned by what’s going on the crops? You do realize how mad that sounds?’ challenged Grace.
‘I know it sounds far-fetched. But there’s scientific evidence that exposure to pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases, too. Parkinson’s, birth defects, damage to the nervous system.’
Grace shook her head stubbornly. ‘But . . . this can’t be right. Not here. You must be talking about somewhere overseas. Where the regulations aren’t as tight. No one would allow something like that to happen here.’
‘I know it’s hard to take in,’ said Kate anxiously. ‘But I think they have – they do. I’ve been looking into it.’
‘Hang on, but what about the doctors? Why haven’t they picked this up? No one’s once said that Arnie is ill because of what they’re putting on the crops at the end of our garden.’ Grace was struggling. ‘And the children play outside all the time.’ She suddenly became triumphant. ‘No, no, you see, they both do, so why is one ill and not the other?’
‘I don’t know. I’m sorry, Grace, I wasn’t sure what was best to do but I really do believe this is what Becky was investigating. I thought you ought to know.’