‘Are you sure it’s her? I mean – her child is that kind of age now…and she’s called Melanie. I don’t understand…’
‘Well – it’s her alright. Convicted, fair and square in 2009.’
‘I still can’t see it – I can’t imagine her wanting to…harm her own child. I’ve seen her with Mel – she’s been amazing, making special things for her, doting on her – going to see her all those months when she was ill.’
Admittedly, she’d been sharp with me, lately. More than that – rough and mean, at times. But shaking a child to death…she seemed so sweet with Mel.
‘You hear about it all the time,’ he said. ‘Often parents of young babies don’t realise how tender the neck muscles are. I remember my father telling me he came across far more cases than he wanted to believe. A baby cries, the adult has had enough and wants it to stop – one shake is sometimes all it takes.’
Chapter 40
‘D’you think Mel is safe?’ I said, chewing my thumbnail, pacing about in Stuart’s kitchen.
What he’d told me had thrown everything up in the air. I thought about how often the baby had been sleeping – and when she was awake, how often she was crying. Was she at risk? ‘I’ve got to go back,’ I said.
‘Are you sure?’
‘I need to talk to Karen – see Mel – make sure she’s okay.’
He got our coats and reluctantly led me back to the Land Rover. Stuart could see I was nervous; I sat during the drive with my head down and my gloved hands squeezed between my thighs.
‘I’ll stay with you from now on,’ he said. ‘I won’t let you out of my sight, I promise.’
I gave him a bleak smile. My mind was racing about all over the place. All I knew for certain was that I was heading back into the lion’s den.
Karen’s car wasn’t there when we came to the top of the track.
‘Looks like she’s gone out,’ I said.
‘At least it gives us time to think about what to do,’ he said. ‘Come on – deep breath.’
‘You’re back,’ she said. It was Karen who let us in. The other two must have taken the car. She didn’t sound pleased, merely stating a fact. ‘I was worried about you,’ she conceded. ‘Thanks Stuart.’ She nodded at him.
‘I’m fine,’ I said churlishly. ‘And I’m not about to do anything out of character.’
Karen laughed and rubbed my back, but I pulled away. I was looking over her shoulder into the kitchen. Mel was sitting in her highchair having breakfast.
I tipped my head so Stuart would get the message to go into the sitting room and I joined Karen in the kitchen.
‘Where are the others?’ I said, scrutinising Mel for any signs of distress. I couldn’t see much of her face under the hat, but she seemed bright and perky.
‘Mark insisted on borrowing my car. I don’t know where he’s gone. Jodie is still in bed.’
Karen tried Mel with a spoonful of porridge, but she threw out her arm and sent it flying over to the fridge. Karen laughed. ‘Okay – enough porridge, eh?’
I remained standing as she brushed past me and shut the door to the hall.
‘You didn’t say goodbye,’ she said flatly.
‘I was going to phone.’
She glanced at the connecting door to the sitting room and brought her voice down to a whisper. ‘What’s going on? I thought we were in this together?’
‘Karen…’ I didn’t know where to start. I closed my eyes briefly and decided to jump right in. ‘I know you were in prison. I know there was no job in Hollywood.’
Her face hardened. ‘How did you find out?’
‘Stuart told me.’
‘Right,’ she said noncommittally. She leant against the fridge and folded her arms.
‘I know what you did,’ I said in a hushed breath.
‘No – you don’t,’ she hissed, her eyes blazing. ‘I lost my baby. I was falsely accused.’
I shook my head in dismay.
‘Let me explain,’ she said. ‘It wasn’t my fault.’
‘What? Someone else did it?’
‘No – what I mean is – it was never conclusive.’
‘I think you need to explain,’ I said.
‘Sit down,’ she instructed. I stayed standing where I was, but she dropped into the nearest chair.
‘I’m going to get a bit technical, but it’s the easiest way to explain it. When shaken baby syndrome is suspected, pathologists look for three signs – swelling of the brain, bleeding between the skull and the brain, and bleeding in the retina – known collectively as the triad. If all three are present then a conviction is likely.’