CHAPTER FOURTEEN #3
‘Yes, of course. Anything.’
Sadie looked so eager to comply and fearful of not being believed that Cristy could feel herself starting to soften. ‘The extracts you’ve given us so far seem to be telling the story in order, so am I right in thinking you found them all before you and Anna approached me with the first one?’
The girl’s dismay was so apparent that it was admission enough.
‘Talk me through it,’ Cristy encouraged.
Sadie took a breath, lowered her head and looked so guilty and ashamed as she met the camera lens again that it was hard not to feel sorry for her. Depending, of course, on what she had to say next.
‘I came across the third one first, during the pandemic,’ she said quietly.
‘That’s the single page where the envelope turns up and they get all worried about what’s inside.
I found it a bit weird that Lottie had used our names for a story like that, but it was so short and seemed to go nowhere that I decided it was just an idea that she’d jotted down to work on later and never went back to.
I forgot about it even, until I found the box with the toys and a note.
Seeing that note – Her name is Sasha, she will be two years old …
Well, you know what it said, and I … I felt sick inside, because I just knew that it was about me, and whoever had written it had meant to come back for me but somehow, for some reason, they hadn’t. ’
‘Did you find the photographs of your mother and uncle at the same time as the note?’ Cristy prompted, recalling that they’d been in the box Sadie had brought to Bradford-on-Avon.
‘No, they came later … I can’t remember now if it was before, or after, the chapter where Edwin turns up at the house, I only knew that when I saw them I felt certain I was looking at my parents.
I swear I wasn’t making it up when I said I remembered a man in a hat …
I know we think now that he was my uncle, but at the time I was sure he must be my father. ’
‘So exactly how long have you had everything you’ve shown us so far?’
Sadie was shamefaced all over again. ‘I found the latest extract, the one that ends with Lottie having an idea, a few months ago.’
Recalling how shaken she’d appeared after reading it aloud, and her initial claim that she’d only come across it four days before, Cristy said, ‘I’m not sure whether to admire your acting skills or simply to call this all to a halt right now …’
‘No, no, please don’t do that,’ Sadie jumped in. ‘I’m sorry, I really am.’
‘But how can we trust you, Sadie, when you’ve misled us …’
‘But only about when I found things. Everything else is true, and please remember that when I read out the last one I’d only just heard Robert and Gita Brinkley’s interviews. That’s why I was so emotional …’
‘But why the hell didn’t you hand it all over as soon as we met?’
Colouring, Sadie said, ‘I was afraid you might just dismiss it, or think I was some sort of fantasist. And as the pages don’t prove anything, I thought …
Oh God, I thought if I drew it out, gave them to you bit by bit, it would give me some time to find more, if there is more, but I still don’t know if there is. ’
As a tear dropped onto her cheek, Cristy sighed and said, ‘I want you to know, Sadie, that if we hadn’t already posted the first episode I really would be calling everything off right now.
This level of duplicity and manipulation is unforgivable, and not one of us sitting in this room now takes kindly to being made a fool of … ’
‘That wasn’t my intention,’ Sadie cried desperately, ‘and I’m sorry, I really am …’
‘How long were you intending to continue with the charade?’
‘I – I didn’t have a plan, exactly, but I knew I’d have to tell you if I didn’t find any more …’
‘And apparently you haven’t. So what now?’
Sadie regarded her helplessly, her face a picture of guilt and despair.
Cristy looked from Connor to the others and back to the screen. ‘If we do carry on,’ she said, ‘I want your solemn word that there will be no more deception, and if there is anything else you’re holding back, I need to know now.’
‘There isn’t, I swear, but I’m still looking. You’ve seen for yourself how much there is to go through …’
‘OK,’ Cristy cut in, needing to move things along, ‘when you come over to talk to Robert Brinkley maybe you could drive and bring some boxes with you so that we can help with the search.’
Sadie was already eagerly nodding. ‘I’ll get Jasper to rent a van, we’ll be able to fit more in that way and if it’s too much we can always bring it back again.
Oh God, thank you for not giving up on me.
I know I’ve handled it all wrong, I just …
It’s hard to express how much it means to me, having your support … ’
Cristy’s hand went up. ‘Your apology is accepted, so let’s deal with other things. We’re considering coming to interview your old housekeeper, Corny, unless you think we’ll be treated to a Mia-inspired account of your life on the island.’
Sadie grimaced. ‘It might be best if you could arrange things so that neither she nor Mia know you’re coming. I’d be there, obviously, to introduce you to Corny – it might scare her otherwise, if you just turned up – but at least that way we’d know that she hasn’t been told what to say by Mia.’
‘OK, we’ll talk some more about it after you’ve met with the Brinkleys. Have you arranged a time and date with Robert yet?’
‘Yes, we’re coming over the day after tomorrow, and meeting in Minehead.’
‘How are you feeling about that?’
Sadie’s eyes closed as she inhaled deeply.
‘Nervous, a little bit excited … I know, obviously, that they can’t tell me where my mother is now, or my uncle, but the fact that Robert met her, actually spoke to her …
’ She broke off, took a moment and started again.
‘He sounds like a nice man in his interviews, and when I spoke to him on the phone.’
‘He is and you’ll love his mother. Clover and Jacks will be there to record your chat, but only if you’re comfortable with it.’
‘I’m sure that’s fine. Are Clover and Jacks listening now?’
Cristy nodded for Connor to switch everyone into the call. Moments later they were all on the screen with Clove and Jacks waving a friendly hello.
‘I’m sorry I’ve messed you all around,’ Sadie told them earnestly. ‘Thank you so much for giving me a second chance.’
Before she could get into any more apologies, Cristy said, ‘There’s something else your aunt told me during our FaceTime chat and, frankly, it’s what’s really keeping us all on board.’
Sadie frowned.
‘She said she’s been protecting you from something all these years, and she’s not going to stop now.’
Sadie’s frown deepened as bright spots of colour flared in her cheeks. ‘Did she say what it was?’
‘No, but feel free to ask her and if she’ll tell you …’
‘She won’t.’
‘I suspect you’re right, but whatever she says, we’ll be interested to hear it.’
‘Of course. I’ll let you know right away, provided she hasn’t locked me up again. But don’t worry, I’ll be on my guard next time I’m there and, anyway, Jasper will be with me to help load the van.’
*
Two hours later, as Cristy walked home in the dark, the call she’d been waiting for finally arrived.
‘Dad’s furious with me,’ Anna confided, sounding stressed and sorry. ‘He said I had to call right away to explain myself and to make sure you don’t think Sadie is entirely to blame.’
Having suspected Anna had played a bigger role than Sadie had let on, Cristy said, ‘I’d find your apology easier to accept if your father hadn’t pushed you into it.’
‘Oh, he didn’t. I mean, I was going to call you anyway, and I would have right after Sadie rang me, but then Ludo, Rosie’s boyfriend, had a melt down and no one knew how to handle it.
Dad had to hold him down while I rang Ursula, that’s Ludo’s mum, and she took forever to come …
It was a nightmare; I think he wanted to kill us … Ludo, I mean, not Dad.’
Reminded of how life went on regardless, Cristy said, ‘What set Ludo off?’
‘A bat, would you believe? He’s got this collection, baseball, tennis, golf, cricket – I know they’re not all technically bats, but it’s what he calls them and he’s super proud of them.
He won’t let anyone touch them, even his mother, but he brought them over to show us today, and Laurent and Rosie used one to play rounders and the next thing we knew Ludo was going off on one and trying to attack them.
So, that’s the reason I’ve taken a while to call, I’ve been trying to comfort Rosie with Dad doing is best with Ludo and Ursula. ’
‘And how’s Rosie now?’
‘Much calmer and apparently she isn’t going to marry him if he behaves like that again.’
Smiling, Cristy said, ‘Does that mean he’s proposed?’
‘No, I think she did, but anyway, I can’t see Dad or Ursula allowing it, especially after this.
’ Barely pausing for breath, she said, ‘Back to Sadie and our stupid plan to eke out the extracts and stuff. I don’t think she’d have done it if I hadn’t put it into her mind, and I only did because I was afraid if we gave it to you all in one go you’d turn us down. ’
‘Then you were wrong on both counts, first for not being completely honest, second for assuming it wouldn’t be enough to interest us. It’s an intriguing case with some pretty serious crimes at its heart.’
‘Really? What crimes exactly?’
‘We’re still working on that.’ It would be crazy, not to mention unfeeling, to tell Anna at this stage how strongly she suspected they were going to uncover at least one murder – probably Janina’s.
Anna would be sure to confide in Sadie and until they had more to go on there was absolutely nothing to be gained from shattering a young girl’s dream of one day finding her mother alive.