‘No,’ Joe said. ‘I don’t, I’m afraid.’

‘If they see me with you, they may think it was you who put it there.’

Joe didn’t understand the logic of that, but it was a reminder. They were at war.

‘Stay here,’ Trude said. ‘Give me half an hour, to get away.’

He watched as she weaved her way through the oats, a small podgy figure in a poppy dress with short brown hair. He felt a surge of sadness, as if his skin had been peeled back, exposing him, defenceless, to the world. He started to run. He had to talk to her.

‘Trude!’

She dropped out of view, and he heard the gate shut.

‘Trude.’ He sat down in the field, held his knees tight close to his chin, rocked from side to side. He shut his eyes, the poppies of her dress floating around him like petals on the feast of the Visitation. He knew he would have to choose. Please God, he found himself saying, let me be wise and brave.

Chapter Nine: Dora

CHAPTER NINE

DORA

London: June 1985

Half of her wanted nothing to do with Barbara Hummel again. The other half wanted to know who she was, how she’d come by the photos, what she wanted with Dora. The meeting in the café by the British Museum had churned up memories, even though she hadn’t told Barbara a thing, and they hissed and squirmed like the serpent himself, tempting her to find out more, your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

She didn’t have the woman’s address. Well, Dora reasoned, if she makes contact again, then she might agree to see her. If not, so be it. At least now she was aware, and if the woman was a con artist, she’d be on her guard. She couldn’t sleep. She’d taken to double-checking the lock on the doors again before she went to bed, lay counting the hours, her head swimming and sweating. Don’t fight insomnia, Doralein. She could hear Uncle Otto’s voice as he soothed her each night in those early days. It fights back. She’d had to go to the doctor. They didn’t give out barbiturates anymore. There was this new stuff, Valium. The demons only came at night, she said, and she needed to be in a deep, dreamless sleep when they visited.

A letter came two weeks later.

I am so sorry if my questions disturbed you and I won’t bother you again. If, however, you change your mind, and wish to get in touch with me I am staying with friends in Richmond and can be contacted at the above address and telephone number. I will be in the United Kingdom for the summer, on and off, travelling mainly between London and Jersey.

Dora rang the number after breakfast.