CHAPTER FOURTEEN
‘Well, it’s clear she was trying to portray Sadie as a nutjob,’ Connor reflected when Cristy reported the conversation to the team the next morning.
‘And – presuming we’re all agreed that there’s nothing wrong with Sadie – the only reason I can see for Mia doing that, is because whatever she’s hiding is pretty damned bad. Remind me what she said again?’
Checking the notes she’d made right after the call, Cristy read aloud, ‘“I have spent many years protecting my niece and I’m not going to stop now.” Obviously I asked for an explanation of that, but she just started in about my reputation, and asked how I thought Sadie was managing to find Lottie’s story in order. ’
‘Because Sadie herself is writing it?’ Clove said incredulously.
‘Even if we believed that,’ Jacks said, ‘and I don’t think we do, there have to be far easier ways of trying to find out about your past. Going to all this trouble would be just, well, nuts!’
‘Although you have to admit,’ Clover put in, ‘it is weird that the story is “being found” more or less in order.’
‘That’s if you discount the possibility of there being other extracts covering the in-between times,’ Cristy pointed out.
‘For instance, there could be something about Mia’s shopping trip to pick up supplies for their new charge, or more about what was in the envelope.
That hasn’t come to light yet, and I presume it exists.
Having said that, in my opinion, what we’ve read so far has been written by a more mature hand than Sadie’s, and the style seems consistent with some of Lottie’s published short stories. ’
‘Anything in them to warrant further investigation?’ Connor wanted to know.
‘Nothing that I’ve come across so far. Most are set in foreign lands … I get the impression she’s drawn on her personal experience of working with NGOs and charities to create certain aspects of the stories.’
‘Anything set on Exmoor, or Guernsey?’ Clove wondered.
‘Not recognizably so, and no characters that stand out as being based on Sadie or Mia.’
‘Remind me when she gave up being published,’ Connor said, checking the board to see if it was there.
Finding it, he read out, ‘“Last book 2005, discuss with editor Felicity Green, returning UK Feb first. Can speak sooner if necessary.” So did something significant happen in 2005 to make her want to pull out? Sadie would have been how old by then? Seven. So well settled in Guernsey and at primary school.’
‘Do you want me to set up a Zoom with Felicity Green?’ Jacks offered.
After considering it, Connor said, ‘Hold fire for now. It’s feeling like a bit of a distraction when what we really need is to get to the bottom of what went on in May of 2000, and why Sadie was left on the beach.’
‘If she actually was left on the beach,’ Cristy stated. As everyone looked at her, she said, ‘I’m just putting it out there that she might not have been. But as we’ve no idea what’s true or false about that scenario, I guess we keep going with it for the time being.’
‘But what’s making you doubt it?’ Clover wanted to know.
She shrugged. ‘I suppose it just seems so unlikely, far-fetched even, and what I’m wondering is if Lottie wrote it to try and establish an early false record of how Sadie came to them.’
‘In order to cover up … what?’
‘The fact they had her, of course, but I have no theories yet on who, why, what, or when; I’m simply saying that I think we need to keep open minds.’
‘Do we mention any of this to Sadie?’ Connor asked.
‘To be honest, I think she has her own doubts. Remember she – and Anna – were the first to suggest she might have been bought, and Lottie’s version is really all about abduction. That’s bad, obviously, but the alternatives are a whole lot worse.’
After a brief spell of reflection, Jacks said, ‘So where do we go from here?’
Turning back to the whiteboard and its list of those they wanted to interview, Cristy said, ‘One of us needs to have a chat with “Corny” – Cornelia – the long-time housekeeper for the sisters at their Guernsey home, the Villa des Roches. Apparently she lives in Cobo Bay now, on the island’s west coast, with a small menagerie including a mute parrot. ’
‘Chances are she’ll be prepped by Mia,’ Connor warned. ‘What about Mia herself? Is it worth trying to talk to her again?’
Cristy’s eyebrows rose. ‘After her call last night I wouldn’t be surprised if our next communication with her is via her lawyer … Which reminds me, I’m guessing we still haven’t received anything from David Gaudion regarding the aunts’ finances?’ She was looking at Jacks.
‘You’re right, we haven’t,’ he confirmed. ‘I’ll chase it.’
‘I don’t think we’ve made a decision yet,’ Connor pointed out, ‘on what we tell Sadie about her aunt’s call last night.’
Having already made up her mind on that, Cristy said, ‘She needs to know what Mia said about “protecting” her. She’ll almost certainly challenge her aunt over it, and hopefully end up in a position to be able to report back with something useful.
Incidentally, Robert Brinkley’s happy to talk to her about Janina and Lukas.
I’m not sure how much further it’ll take us in the overall discovery process, but it could be good emotional stuff that the listeners will engage with as long as Sadie’s OK with us recording it. ’
‘When are they getting together?’ Clover wanted to know, preparing to write it up on the board.
‘Perhaps you could follow up with Robert,’ Cristy replied.
‘It would be great if it could happen at, or near, the house on Exmoor. I’m sure Sadie will be keen to meet Gita again, presuming Gita’s up for it, and I can’t see why she wouldn’t be.
I’m inclined to leave that with you, Clove, and if you can tie it in with an arrangement to meet with the retired detective from around those parts … Any more news on that front?’
‘Ah yes, I have a name now – ex-Detective Sergeant Catherine Shilling. She’s living in the Chew Valley these days, so kind of on the way to Minehead.’
‘Has she given you a sense of what she can tell you?’ Connor asked.
Clover’s eyebrows waggled as if she had great news to impart. ‘I haven’t actually spoken to her yet,’ she admitted, making them laugh and groan. ‘But I’m told she’s happy to talk. I’ll set something up as soon as I’ve nailed down Sadie and Robert.’
Turning to Cristy, Connor said dryly, ‘I thought you’d want to see Robert again.’
Cristy’s eyes narrowed at the tease. ‘I think I’ll just ignore that,’ she told him, ‘and, Clove, I’ve changed my mind about the detective. I think she’s someone Connor and I should talk to just in case she has a lovely little bombshell to throw into the mix.’
‘No probs,’ Clove agreed, writing Catherine Shilling’s details on the whiteboard.
‘OK, Jacks, an update on where you are with your enquiries?’
With a grimace, he said, ‘Afraid still no word from Edwin Prosser. I’ll send a follow-up right after this, and obvs I’ll continue pursuing other possible avenues of contact.
Same goes with my HR person at Butlin’s, but definitely not giving up on her yet.
Also, still reading the organized crime report that Clove has dumped on me.
Depending on where Janina and Lukas were from, it’s quite possible they weren’t in this country legally back in 2000 so that’s going to make them even harder to trace, especially if there was gang involvement. ’
‘But Lukas had a job,’ Cristy pointed out. ‘I can’t see a company like Butlin’s hiring an illegal …’
‘Maybe not knowingly. But who knows what might have happened at the local level, or what sort of papers he might have had when he came, false or otherwise. Same goes for Janina. If they were trafficked, sorry to say this, their names might not even be Janina and Lukas.’
‘Oh God,’ Cristy groaned, ‘please don’t tell me that.’
‘I’m just flagging it up, but definitely working with what we have for now. It’s always possible, once we’ve dropped the next episode, someone will get in touch with more info.’
‘Why? What’s in the next episode?’ Meena asked from the door.
Turning to her, Cristy said, ‘Robert and Gita Brinkley’s interviews where Sadie’s mother and uncle are named. It could trigger something for someone. It’s also when we’ll put the images of Janina and Lukas with Sadie on the website. Anyway, to what do we owe this pleasure?’
‘Actually, I was just passing and thought I’d drop in. No Iz this morning?’
‘The question no one was asking,’ Connor informed her.
Meena chuckled. ‘As if words might rub the lamp and whoosh, there she is?’
‘Something like that.’
‘Well, you seemed happy enough to drink her champagne last night, and you might like to know that when I spoke to her half an hour ago she was buzzing with the stats she has so far. I believe some platforms are still reporting, and obviously we’re expecting the numbers to go up, maybe exponentially, over the coming days, weeks, as the downloads increase.
But, suffice it to say, you’re off to a blinding start, both domestically and internationally. ’
‘Yay!’ Clover cheered, as they gave themselves a round of applause.
‘So you have to give Iz credit for getting you the right publicity,’ Meena continued. ‘Aren’t you doing more interviews for her today?’
‘Connor is,’ Cristy replied, checking her watch. ‘In fact, you probably ought to be going, Con, you don’t want to be late.’
As he shot her a look, Jacks said, ‘What’s happening?’
‘It turns out,’ Connor replied tersely, ‘that Iz, last night, managed to sweet-talk Jodi into a family photoshoot, thereby exploiting my six-week-old daughter for our sponsors’ gain.’
‘For Hindsight’s gain,’ Meena corrected.
‘Whatever, it just better not end up in HELLO! magazine, is all I can say. And how did she manage to get a photographer so fast, that’s what I’d like to know.’
‘More proof of her superpowers?’ Cristy suggested. ‘And try to smile. You look so much more like Clark Kent when you do.’
Slanting her another mean look, he began to gather up his things.