‘Okaayyy …’

As Jake had suspected, Murphy was not used to being asked to carry out a paper-based enquiry. Time for him to learn.

‘Start with the Department of Social Services—they would have regulated the place. Once you have that, we’ll need to go through the phone, email and financial records of Amelia MacDonald and Charlotte Murphy. So start the paperwork on that too.’

‘You can’t suspect—’ Murphy clamped his lips tightly.

‘Is there a conflict of interest here?’

‘No,’ Murphy said, with echoes of surly.

‘Murphy, we have to investigate everything and everyone connected to the case without fear of what we might find.’

Murphy nodded somewhat unconvincingly. Jake ensured the constable was occupied elsewhere when the subject of Jake’s first interview entered the station.

*

Charlotte Murphy didn’t enter alone.

‘Good morning, Evelyn,’ said Jake, striving to keep the irritation from his voice.

‘Dad called and said Charlotte might need me here for this.’

‘That was nice of him …’

Charlotte sounded dubious, echoing Jake’s inner senti­ments.

‘But I’d rather do this on my own.’

‘How about a coffee afterwards?’ Evelyn said.

‘Sure!’ Charlotte smiled. ‘Then you can tell me every­thing you know about that hot new guy who’s moved in up at the manor.’

Evelyn turned away from them both as she put her handbag on Jake’s desk. ‘He’s not someone you want to get involved with.’

‘Ooh, sounds like there’s goss. Okay’—she looked at Jake—‘where should I sit?’

‘The interview room.’ Jake led the way then closed the door behind them as Evelyn went to her father’s office. Once they were seated Jake turned on the recording devices.

‘Oh,’ she said. ‘I thought you just wanted to ask some more questions?’

‘I do.’

Charlotte wriggled in her seat. ‘Am I in trouble?’

‘Should you be?’

She glared at him, wide-eyed. ‘I didn’t mean to make Amelia so upset. I don’t think being there when she hurt herself is a crime. It wasn’t bullying.’

Jake considered how to use her guilt over Amelia’s attempted suicide to his advantage.

‘Charlotte, are you aware of what was done to Amelia when she lived at the home?’

‘Everyone keeps hinting at something, but no one will tell me. What’s the big secret?’

Jake glanced at the camera in the corner of the room. ‘I need to ask you a very personal question. Are you certain you don’t want Evelyn here with you?’

‘Whatever it is, just ask!’

‘Before you became an adult, were any changes made to your genitals?’

‘What?!’

Jake let his question sink in.

She sat back, arms crossed across her chest. ‘Are you asking if I was a boy?’

‘No, Charlotte. I’m asking if—when you were living at the girls’ home—anything was done to alter your genitals?’

Charlotte wrinkled her nose in disgust. ‘No! Why would anyone …?’

Jake waited.

‘That’s what happened to Amelia, isn’t it?’ Tears welled in her eyes. ‘Someone hurt her and that’s why she’s like this?’

‘You lived in the same house with her and called her your sister—you must have known something.’