The extras are gathered by the trench, milling around and tripping over cables. Ruth recognises a couple of faces from local archaeology groups – they will certainly know how to dig – but the others are a motley collection of history buffs and people who just fancy being on television. Some of the older ones have brought shooting sticks and thermos flasks, obviously used to the rigours of filming. The younger ones are taking photos of each other and squealing whenever a furry microphone goes past.
Dex appears, camera on his shoulder like a monkey. What a circus, he says.
Hows it going? asks Frank.
Dex shrugs. All right. Dame Judi Dench over there is giving a command performance.
Ruth guesses that hes talking about Corinna. Theres no sign now of any special understanding between the two. How much more is there to film? she asks.
Just the digging scene, your mate in his tent and then Franks words of wisdom.
Ruth wants to tell him that Phils not her mate. Before she finds the words, Dani prances over, carrying a megaphone.
All right Ruth? Without waiting for answer. Lets get this show on the road.
Dani needs to stand on a box to be seen. Watching her, Ruth thinks of a boy prince leading his army into battle.
Right everyone, she shouts. Im going to film you digging this trench here. This is Ruth. Shes a famous archaeologist. Ruth is glad that its too dark for anyone to see her blushing. Shes going to tell you how its done.
Ruth does her best: she tells them not to sit on the side of a trench to trowel back carefully and to keep the sides of the the trench sharp and clean. She explains that digging is both methodical and incremental. Everything has to be done with the utmost care because every little piece helps put the picture together.
Two runners divide the extras into groups. One set is told to get into the trench, the other is led away to work in Phils tent. Ruth can hear Phil shouting, with no need for a megaphone. Now folks, look at me …
Ruth prepares to climb into the trench. Normally shed be wearing coveralls but she was pleased when Dani said that this wouldnt be necessary. All the same, its getting chilly, maybe she should put on her new cagoule. She runs her hands through her hair, which has already lost its careful curls. Oh well, with any luck itll be too dark to see her properly. Ruth pulls the cagoule over her head. While shes still struggling to free herself from its waxy folds, a voice says, Ruth?
Ruth forces her head out through the top. Her hair is now completely ruined. A woman is standing in front of her. She looks vaguely familiar, tall and attractive with a fashionable elfin haircut.
Ruth Galloway? Im Liz Donaldson.
Donaldson? For a moment Ruths mind is blank and then she remembers. Liz Donaldson. Cathbads friend. The woman wrongly accused of killing her babies.
I just wanted to thank you for trying to help me, Liz Donaldson is saying.
I didnt do anything much, says Ruth, but Im glad it worked out in the end. She winces, thinking that this is a poor way to describe Lizs husband being charged with the murder of their child. But Liz doesnt seem to notice, Cathbads told me all about you, she says. I came here especially to meet you.
This seems slightly strange to Ruth but she smiles politely. In the distance she can hear Phil asking for complete silence please.
Cathbad says that youre close to DCI Nelson, says Liz.
I know him, says Ruth cautiously.
Suddenly Liz leans forward. Just for a second, her face changes completely, as if she has pulled on a mask. Well, tell him this. Hell never know the truth. And hell never know the truth about baby Michael either.
And she turns and disappears into the crowd.
CHAPTER 33
Nelson is on his way home when Ruth calls. He doesnt really want to go off-duty, not with Michael still missing, but he has to get some sleep or hell crack up. He was up all last night and he knows that soon hell reach that pitch of tiredness when hell start making mistakes. But at the moment he feels hyper-alert, as if every nerve is tingling. His skin feels prickly and loud noises make him jump. When he got into his car the door gave him an electric shock and its as if the volts are still surging through his bloodstream.
His phone is on hands free but he still swerves into the road when it rings.
What is it? Is Katie OK?
Shes fine. Shes with Simon.
Simon?
My brother. Impatiently. Look Nelson, Im at the castle doing some filming. Ive just seen Liz Donaldson and she said something a bit weird. It might be nothing but, then again, it might not.
Im on my way, says Nelson. Hes already looking for a place to do a U-turn.
Liz Donaldson. She is linked to both Justine Thomas and to Judy. Judy was the lead officer on her case and made an effort to bond with her. Clear as day, Nelson can see Liz leaning towards Judy in the room smelling of lilies and death: Do you have children? Keep him safe. Liz knew that Judy had a child. She may have resented him – and Poppy too – simply for being alive. He can see Liz as if shes still sitting in front of him. The intelligent eyes and strong jaw. The short hair.
He calls the station to ask for backup.
Ruth puts away her phone, thinking hard. She can no longer see Liz Donaldson amongst the crowd of extras. Its completely dark now and the arc lights are illuminating the castle battlements. They are rather sinister, these powerful beams of light shooting into the darkness, they remind Ruth of a Nazi rally. The areas that escape the searchlight seem doubly dark. Ruth climbs into the trench, feeling uneasy.
Come on Ruth, shouts Dani. Lets have you at the front.
Ruth takes up her position and starts to dig. Where is Liz? Is she in the trench behind her or has she melted away, having said what she came to say. Was Ruth mad to call Nelson? Liz has every excuse for seeming slightly unhinged, after all. Its just … Ruth had expected to like Liz Donaldson. Several people had told her that she was a lovely person, but she hadnt liked her. She had found her odd and scary. Hell never know the truth. And hell never know the truth about baby Michael either. Is it possible that Liz has abducted Michael? Maybe she wants, in some deranged way, to replace her lost baby. On paper, Ruth would feel sorry for any woman driven to do something so desperate. But she hadnt felt sorry for Liz. She had been afraid of her.
The scene seems to go on forever, but eventually Dani yells Cut and Ruth climbs stiffly out of the trench. The summer night has turned cold and she pulls up the hood of her cagoule. She looks around for Nelson but theres no sign of him in the shifting crowds. Is he coming or has he decided that shes just a hysterical woman, seeing things in the shadows? Im on my way hed said. She doesnt like to admit it but the sight of Nelson steamrolling his way through the extras would be incredibly comforting right now. She checks her phone. No new messages.
Ruth! She looks up to see not Nelson but Frank, emerging from the huddle around the catering van. His hair gleams silver in the moonlight. He is welcome too, especially as hes carrying two Styrofoam cups of coffee.
Gosh, thank you, she says. Youre an angel.
Am I?
He says this seriously, as if making a genuine academic query. Ruth covers her confusion by taking a long swig of coffee. She chokes.
The angel will now administer first aid, says Frank, patting her on the back.
Thank you, Ruth mops her streaming eyes.
Crying Ruth? says a voice. Its not as bad as that.
Dani has joined them. Ruth has noticed before how she often defers to Frank on set. Now shes asking him what he thought of the earlier segment with Corinna. I thought it was quite good.
When Dani has darted away, in a hurry as always, Frank turns to Ruth. When Americans say somethings quite good they mean that its very good, when Brits say it, they mean so-so. That had me confused for years.
Something clicks in Ruths brain. A tiny piece of a puzzle begun long ago.
Is Dani American?
Yes, says Frank. Shes from Boston originally.
Ruth puts down her coffee and fumbles for her phone. No mobiles on set, shouts someone but Ruth ignores them. Shes not particularly good with smart phones at the best of times and now her fingers are almost too cold to type. Its dark too and the screen keeps going blank. She almost cries with relief when a beam of light illuminates the keypad. She looks round to see Frank shining a torch at her.
I always carry one on night shoots, he explains.
Perhaps he really is an angel, thinks Ruth. Painstakingly she types childminders into search, trying to find the sites that she visited a few hours earlier. Where the hell is it? Why are there so many bloody childminding forums? Oh God, shes scrolled forward instead of back. Has she gone too far? No, here it is.
Its a case from fifteen years ago.
Teenage childminder Danielle White was a key witness for the prosecution in the case of Boston lawyers Charles and Maddison French accused of killing their eighteen-month-old son Jackson. Miss White testified that she had often seen bruises on Jacksons body and had been worried enough to call the police. They didnt listen to me, she says, I was only the babysitter. If they had, it might have saved Jacksons life. Im heartbroken. I really loved that little guy.
She remembers her birthday dinner. Lots of childminders really care for the kids they look after, Dani had said. She had cared but she hadnt been able to save Jackson. Dani doesnt have children of her own, she knows. Does she feel its her duty to protect the babies of working parents like Charles and Maddison French?
Can you put that phone away? Its Martin, the assistant director.
Ruth looks up wildly. Wheres Dani?