Why was it so important for you to see me? he asks. I saw you at the station the other day.
Maddie pushes back the hair from her face. Her eyes are extraordinary, bright green with flecks of gold. Nelson tries to remember what Cathbads eyes are like, just your average set he thinks, nothing like this.
I wanted to stop you, says Maddie. I know Liz is innocent. She used to babysit for the little ones sometimes. She wouldnt hurt a fly.
Shes a friend of your mums isnt she?
Yes. Liz was training to be a nurse but she did some babysitting to make extra money. She used to look after the boys, and Scarlet when she came along. She became a family friend. Mum wasnt very well after Scarlet and Liz was really kind. Used to take us all out to give Mum a break. I was twelve when Scarlet was born and I thought I was grown up but I wasnt really. Liz understood that. She used to talk to me. I could tell her things I couldnt tell Mum and Dad. Stuff about school, friendships, things like that.
Nelson remembers Maddie in the days after Scarlets disappearance. They had questioned her, he remembers, but she was out on the day that her little sister vanished. Scarlet had been playing in the garden with her seven-year-old twin brothers. One minute there and the next minute gone. Lost forever. For almost the first time, he wonders what that was like for Maddie. She was older, she may have felt responsible, she was certainly aware of her parents suffering. Its interesting too that Delilah hadnt been well after Scarlets birth. Liz would have witnessed this. Shed been kind, Maddie said. Was she also storing up symptoms for later? How long after Scarlets death were Lizs children born? Hell have to check.
Im sure Liz was kind, he says, choosing his words carefully. If she did this thing, it was probably because she was ill.
Is that what youre saying? says Maddie quickly. Its all down to post-natal depression?
I cant discuss the case with you, says Nelson. You know that.
Mum cried for years, says Maddie, glaring at Nelson as if it was his fault. Literally for years. Can you imagine what that was like?
No, says Nelson. I cant.
She blamed herself because she wasnt watching Scarlet. I heard you asking her "How long was it before you realised that Scarlet was missing? You mean you left her alone all that time? Why werent you checking on her?". Jesus, it was like she was in court. Guilty of having five children and a shabby house. Guilty of having wind chimes and talking about Brother Sun and Sister Moon. I saw it all in your face.
Is that fair, wonders Nelson. He had certainly thought Delilah casual to the point of neglectful. Hed disapproved of her bare feet and the aromatic smell of Alans cigarettes. Had it shown in his face? But he had never underestimated her loss and grief. He had almost killed himself trying to find Scarlet.
Hows your mum now? he asks. I heard shed moved away.
Shes better, says Maddie. She has to function for Oceans sake. Shes only four.
Of course, there was a baby. Ocean. Jesus wept.
Wheres she living?
Blackburn.
Nelson is jolted by this. Blackburn is near his territory. Nelson was born and brought up in Blackpool and, whilst he now accepts that he will probably never live there again, he still thinks of it as home. The thought of Delilah being so close is curiously disconcerting. As if his past is tracking him.
Do you see much of … your dad? You know he lives up north now?
Maddie smiles. Cathbad? I cant think of him as Dad. Yes, Ive been seeing quite a lot of him. Alan will always be my dad but Cathbads a pretty special person.
Nelson cant deny this. Hes a one-off, is Cathbad.
It was his idea that I should talk to you, says Maddie, turning her mermaids eyes in his direction. He said youd be sure to help me.
Did he now?
Yes. He says that you share a psychic bond.
And the worst thing is, Nelson thinks this might be true.
CHAPTER 12
Weve come to the beautiful city of Norwich to discover the truth about one of Victorian Englands most notorious murderesses. A woman whose name still strikes terror into the hearts of mothers and children everywhere. Mother Hook. The so-called baby farmer who killed her charges for profit. The hook-handed killer who slaughtered innocent children and wrote their names into a ledger chillingly entitled The Book of Dead Babies.
Corinna Lewis stops and pauses impressively, staring into the camera. Ruth, who is dutifully standing in the trench for an action shot, reflects that there is little sign of Danis even-handed approach in the presenters script. What had Dani said? That Corinna wasnt one for subtlety. Ruth amuses herself by cataloguing Corinnas favourite words: terror, slaughter and chilling are definitely three. She also likes shadowy, horrific and innocent. So far all these words, except the last, have been used to describe Mother Hook.
Archaeologists digging in the grounds of this ancient castle, continues Corinna, made a chilling discovery. The bones of a woman with a hook for a hand. Im at the dig now with Dr Phil Trent, Head of Archaeology at the University of North Norfolk. Phil, tell me about your find.
It was my find, thinks Ruth, as she digs and scrapes, conscious that the cameras may be on her. She can hear Phil talking in his new TV voice. One of the researchers told him to smile just before he spoke, it makes your voice sound really warm. By the sounds of it, Phil has been grinning away for hours.
It was really exciting, Corinna, he says (Use Corinnas name urged the researchers). I knew at once that it was something really significant. It was the right age, for one thing, and it was a woman. Then I saw the hook and … well … wow.
Well wow, thinks Ruth. Is that the sum of your intellectual input? A PhD in archaeology, years of experience and research. Well, wow. And its impossible to tell the age of bones just by looking at them. Carbon 14 tests can give a clearer picture but they can be out by as much as a hundred years. The only real clues are in the context, the objects found in the earth beside the body. Phil wont mention this, its far too boring. Besides, the most significant find is still on Ruths bedside table.
Do you get frightened, Phil, looking at the skeleton of such a monstrous figure?
Phil laughs modestly. Well, Im an old hand at digs but I have to confess there was a slight frisson, here. He pats his chest.
Cut! Danis voice rings out from behind the camera. Dont bang your chest, Phil. It makes the microphone boom. Lets take a quick break folks.
Ive been trying to tell Phil not to bang his chest for years, thinks Ruth, straightening up. She thinks that Phil looks rather chastened. Dani is talking to him and she can see him nodding vigorously. Probably agreeing to do a full-frontal striptease for the cameras. She can tell just by Phils body language that hes in awe of Dani. Hes standing just that little bit too close and laughing just a little bit too loudly. Shona said that shed be along later to watch the filming. Ruth will be interested to see her reaction. Ruths friend Shona, once a glamorous free spirit, has been in a relationship with Phil for almost three years and they have a baby son, Louis. Ruth is fond of Shona but she doesnt always trust her. She wonders how much Shona trusts Phil.
Ruth hopes that therell be more interruptions and that they wont get round to her interview today. Dani had said that filming would take four to six weeks but theyve been here all day and, as far as Ruth can see, theyve only shot about ten minutes of film and most of that was Corinna telling the horrific/terrifying/chilling story of Mother Hook.
Good game, isnt it? Frank is leaning into the trench. He is wearing jeans and a check shirt and looks rather like an intellectual Indiana Jones. Ruth is sure that this is deliberate. Frank is also due to be filmed today.
Does it always take this long? Ruth climbs carefully out of the trench. The runners usually provide tea and coffee in the breaks and she doesnt want to miss out. Its surprisingly tiring, standing still for hours.
Were doing well, says Frank. Danis good at moving things along.
What do you think shes saying to Phil?
Probably telling him to cut down on the theatrics and put in some history. Shes going to be spitting mad at Corinnas script.
Cant she tell her to change it? Shes the director after all.
Its not that simple. Corinnas quite a big star and the Women Who Kill programmes are always heavy on blood and gore. Thats one reason why Ive never done one before.
Why did you do this one then?
Because Dani asked me. Ive done a few history programmes with her. She really knows her stuff.
What about Corinna? Have you worked with her before?
No, but I know of her. She used to be quite a well-known actress but then had a career break to bring up her children. Now shes becoming famous all over again.
Shes certainly making it all sound very dramatic.
Yes, says Frank. Its a bit over the top for me, I must admit. But youd be surprised how the most serious people become drama queens when theyre on camera. Look at Phil.
Hes always like that.
Frank laughs and takes two polystyrene cups from a passing runner. You wait till its your turn.
Im dreading it.
Youll be great. Just be yourself.
People always say that, says Ruth. Its surprisingly unhelpful.
Frank! Suddenly Dani is beside them, a tiny figure in jeans and combat boots. Can I have a word?
Sure, says Frank, not moving away from Ruth.
Dani glances at Ruth and obviously decides that she is harmless. What do you think of Phil?
Hes not telling us much, says Frank.
No. I think hes a bit of a tosser. We need someone with a bit more weight. She turns (rather unfortunately, as far as Ruth is concerned) to Ruth. What about you? Aslan said you were good.