‘Sure.’ Tina shrugged, turning to Jonie. ‘That sounds like fun,
doesn’t it?’
‘If you say so.’ Jonie’s response appeared indifferent.
‘What’s wrong with you lately?’ Mark cut in. ‘You’re only ten
and already acting like your mother does when it’s her time of
the month.’
‘Mark!’ Tina jabbed a finger into his ribs.
‘Well, it’s true. You’re young and pretty, Jonie – not like your
mother – why so miserable?’ He winked at Tina.
‘Dad. It’s boring in this village. There’s literally nothing to
do. I’m not miserable, I’m fed up.’
‘So, a barbie will give you something to do, then, won’t it;
something to look forward to. You can be in charge of the music,
get a playlist together, and let the King of the Barbies do his
magic.’
Jonie smiled.
‘Oh, my goodness, be careful, honey,’ Mark said, rushing over
to her, placing his hands either side of her face and squeezing.
‘You almost cracked it then.’
‘Ha. Ha. Very funny.’ Jonie pulled away from him. ‘And King
of the Barbie dolls is more you, Dad.’ She poked out her tongue and skipped out of the back door.
‘Where are you going now?’ Tina shouted after her.
‘Dunno. Out to see who’s around.’
Tina looked at the wall clock, then sighed, looking to Mark
for his input.
‘It’s only five o’clock, not too late?’ he said, as a question,
putting the onus of the decision back onto Tina.
‘I suppose it’s fine for her to go out and play for a couple of
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hours, although it is a school night.’ Her face showed concern.
She ran to the back door. ‘Be back at seven, on the dot, please!’
Tina shouted in the direction of Jonie’s disappearing form as
she ran out of view behind the wall. ‘Do you think she’s okay,
Mark?’ Her brow was creased as she walked back in and leant
against the worktop.
‘A bit moody, but otherwise just our sweet, charming
daughter.’ He laughed.
‘Seriously, though, I’m worried. She’s so snappy, irritable.
You joked about it being the time of the month, but maybe
you’re right – she’s becoming hormonal.’
‘Bit early, isn’t it?’
‘Not necessarily. I got my first period when I was at primary
school.’
‘Maybe time for a mother–daughter chat, then.’
‘Yeah, if I can pin her down. She makes any excuse to be out
of the house, and when she’s here, she shuts herself away, playing music as loud as she can get away with. I wonder if she’s fallen
out with Bella, or another friend.’
‘At her age, it’s bound to happen. Kids fall in and out of
friendships daily, don’t they? Especially girls.’
‘Sexist pig,’ Tina said, shaking her head in mock exasperation.
‘True though, babe. Just sayin’. Us males don’t appear to have
that problem.’
‘I beg to differ.’
‘Oh, well, there are always exceptions. That freak, Billy
Cawley, for one. He’s mega weird now; he must’ve been like it as a kid.’
‘Don’t be so mean. If he had a difficult time when he was
growing up, it would explain why he’s not interested in bonding
with you lot now, as an adult. I mean, it is slim pickings in this village – perhaps he just dislikes you all. Being a loner doesn’t make you weird, Mark.’
‘Oh, right. And that’s what you ladies have been chatting
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about at the Mapledon Meetings, is it? How he’s not weird at all, just misunderstood, or some such twaddle.’
‘Actually, I’m a little fed up with everyone’s attitudes towards
Billy, and I don’t join in with the discussions about him. In fact, after the last meeting, I might not bother even going again.’
‘Really? That bad. The witches out for him, are they?’
‘You can joke, but it does feel a bit like that if I’m honest.
The guy’s never actually done anything wrong, has he?’
‘Well, I for one think maybe he should be cut some slack. If
everyone wound their necks in, let him get on with his life, the
village kids would give him a break too. They only play those
Knock, Knock games on him because they’ve heard what their
parents say about him. It’s the adults at fault. We should be
leading by example, not teaching our kids to bully other people.’
‘It’s not bullying, for Christ’s sake!’
‘What would you call it, then?’
‘Keeping our village safe. That’s what I’d call it. You’d think
the same way if anything ever happened to any of the kids.’
‘But it hasn’t!’
‘No. Because we’re keeping a close eye.’
Tina raised her hands in defeat. ‘Whatever. But you know,
this kind of behaviour might well push him into doing something
he wouldn’t have if everyone had just left him alone.’
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Chapter Sixty-Four
2019
Anna
Tuesday 16th July
After her mother’s revelation about videoing Eliza and informing
social services about the alleged abuse, they’d all sat in silence around the table. As a teacher, Anna had undertaken child safe-guarding training to gain awareness of the signs of child abuse
and neglect, how to detect them, and what steps they should
take if they suspected one of the kids in the school was a victim.
Thankfully Anna hadn’t needed to put those steps into action
thus far in her career. Her mum had probably done what she
thought was the best thing at the time, despite it seeming rash
and inappropriate now – it wasn’t as though she’d had any training relating to spotting the signs and the best way to handle suspected abuse.
Now, having decided that it was time for Muriel to see the
notes they’d already received, Anna retrieved them from the shed
and spread the pieces of paper out on the dining table, flattening each with her palms. The three of them stared downwards, taking
them in. Having listened to what her mother had told them, it
now seemed obvious to Anna that the notes were aimed at Muriel.
She’d been the one instrumental in getting Billy Cawley’s
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daughter put into care. As much as it was a terrible thought, what Muriel had done could have been the catalyst for what Billy
did next: abducting and killing Jonie Hayes. It certainly explained why parts of a doll were now being hammered to her front door.
It was some kind of message, a sign that Billy blamed her.
The trouble was, did he now want revenge for it? For taking
away the only thing he’d had left in the world?
She wondered how his conviction for Jonie’s murder fitted
in with this, though. Was Billy just beginning? He
could be
working his way through the people he felt had wronged him.
In which case, Anna imagined there was a long way to go yet.
Next he’d probably want revenge on who he saw as responsible
for getting him sent to prison.
Unless, of course, he was killing two birds with one stone on
that front. Muriel and Anna in one hit. She didn’t really under-
stand why he’d be concerned with Anna, though. She’d merely
told the police what she’d seen. He was responsible for his actions, not her. An entire jury had decided his guilt. Not one
young girl. Why should she suffer?
Muriel, she could understand.
The villagers had suggested, even speculated in the press, that
Billy took Jonie as direct retaliation for Eliza being taken from him. So why did he take Jonie, and not Anna? Had she been
lucky? Is that why Auntie Tina was so bitter? That would make
sense. Tina suffered terribly from something Muriel had done.
And Muriel’s daughter had escaped.
She’d be pissed too.
‘There’s more to come, then,’ Lizzie said, her fingertips
pushing the bits of paper around the table.
‘I’d guess so. As I said earlier, I think we’re going to get the
entire doll. Perhaps the idea is for us to put it back together
again. Rebuild it.’
‘The reverse of what I used to do to them.’ Lizzie gave a sharp
laugh.
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Anna nodded. She’d almost written Lizzie off as the culprit, but now wondered if it was some kind of symbolism. Lizzie had
been abused, felt as though she’d been taken apart, now she
wanted to rebuild herself. And maybe to do that, and gain
closure, she had to face her past, her abusive father, and put
Polly back together. She may have been the only doll to have
survived when Lizzie was in Mapledon, but what about when
she’d been taken into care? Her life then must’ve been filled
with upset and turmoil, with no understanding of what had
happened to her or why. Maybe Polly, who’d once been her
beloved doll – a final, parting present from her dying mother
– had come to represent everything bad that had happened to
her. All the evil.
It was a theory. Probably far out; too outlandish. And it was
one that Anna was unable to share at this point in time. But
she probably shouldn’t rule Lizzie out just yet.
There were a couple of people Anna would love to talk to
about it all. She’d already decided to visit Pat Vern later. Now
she added Robert and Nell Andrews to her list.
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Chapter Sixty-Five
2019
Lizzie
Lizzie hadn’t asked for further details; she didn’t want to hear
any more. The images conjured up by Muriel describing how
her eight-year-old self used Polly to depict what Billy had done
to her were enough. A sick ache crushed her insides. She was
glad she couldn’t remember it. Any of it. The strange thing was
that, during her time in care, she’d been told much of what had
happened and knew she’d been taken from her father because
he wasn’t looking after her properly, but mostly it had been
focused on what her father had supposedly done to Jonie Hayes,
not to her, his own daughter.
And what she had heard she’d firmly placed in a compartment at the back of her mind, never to revisit. Part of her hadn’t
believed the tales. They’d come from people who couldn’t have
really known – it was all speculation, gossip. They couldn’t be
trusted to tell her the truth, or give an accurate account – too
much had been written in the tabloids and people believed what
they wanted, added more shocking and ‘interesting’ details to
those known. Did Muriel have any reason for lying to her now?
Lizzie couldn’t see what an old woman would gain from it,
especially as it made her look bad too. Why would she put herself in the firing line? No, Lizzie had the distinct feeling Muriel was 236
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scared. Afraid her past actions were coming back to haunt her now.
But, there could be the possibility she was remembering it
wrongly. Or that she’d misinterpreted eight-year-old Eliza’s
actions in the first place.
That’s what her dad had told her, just that morning. ‘ Muriel
Fisher was a meddler, ’ he’d spat. ‘ Instead of messing around in our lives, she should’ve been looking more closely at her own. ’ His words came back to Lizzie now. As did his seething accusation.
‘Are you all right, Lizzie?’ Anna’s concerned voice broke into
her thoughts.
‘Yeah. I’m okay. It all had to come to light one day, eh?’ She
managed a tight smile.
‘Billy’s release has brought a lot with it – unearthed all that
pain and harm he caused. We’re all going to suffer again. He
shouldn’t have been let out,’ Muriel said, sharply.
‘But he has. And now we have to deal with it, and everything
that comes with it. Including this.’ Lizzie flung an arm out, motioning to the pieces of paper on the table. ‘Clearly whoever
is leaving these doesn’t feel the truth is out there. As far as I can make out, they must believe someone else is to blame for Jonie’s disappearance. Not my father.’
‘Do you believe he was responsible, Lizzie?’ Anna asked. Her
eyes searched Lizzie’s.
‘Honestly? I don’t know. I grew up believing he was guilty,
obviously. And I came to Mapledon thinking that too. But then . . .
I, well, now I’m not quite as sure as I was.’ If she confessed to Muriel and Anna that Billy Cawley was back, and that she’d seen
him, there’d be no doubt left in their minds that he was the one
hammering dolls’ bits to the door. And given she was convinced
it was her doll, Polly, being used for this bizarre game, together with the notes, it was hard not to conclude it was Billy.
But there was a little doubt. Something niggled at her like an itch she couldn’t reach to scratch.
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It was too obvious.
But then, didn’t they say the simplest explanation was usually
the correct one?
Maybe she was looking for a different answer because she
was grasping at the chance to get to know her father again after
all these years, and hoping against hope he wasn’t the guilty
man everyone assumed he was.
Not guilty for all of it, anyway.
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Chapter Sixty-Six
1989
Fisher residence
Sunday 11th June – 38 days before
Bella was sitting on the middle stair, elbows digging into her
thighs, chin cupped in her hands. She hadn’t heard her mum
and dad arguing before, not that she could recall anyway. They
thought she was out, having got back from Sunday school and
stripped out of her Sunday bes
t, quickly pulling on her jeans
and T-shirt and diving back out the door to go to the park. But
she’d forgotten her purse that had her pound coin in for some
pop and sweets and so had slipped back in, clearly unnoticed
by her parents.
‘You tell me off for interfering, then do that? What were you
thinking? You’re going to ruin it, undo my hard work!’ Her
mother’s anger burst through her words. Bella could almost see
her dad cowering.
‘Well, make your bloody mind up: you either want my help
or you don’t. Stop picking and choosing what works for you,
Muriel. I’m doing my best to support you here.’
‘Maybe you shouldn’t bother. We were doing all right without
you going to his place.’
‘Yeah, I can see that. Clearly you’ve done a stellar job.’
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Bella was confused. Her dad’s tone was sharp. Did he mean her mum had done a good job? Or was he being nasty? She had a sick feeling in her tummy; she shouldn’t be eavesdropping.
She started to creep back down the stairs; she’d leave again –
they were shouting so loudly they wouldn’t hear her.
The final step let out a loud creak as her weight shifted from
it. She froze.
The lounge door swung open.
‘I thought you were out.’ Her mum’s face was red and blotchy,
as though she’d been crying.
‘I forgot my purse,’ Bella said. She turned to leave.
‘No. Hang on. Come back in.’
Bella’s shoulders slumped. Now she was going to get yelled
at for listening. As she followed her mum into the lounge, her
dad pushed his way past and left, slamming the front door
behind him.
‘I’m guessing you heard all that?’
Bella screwed her eyes up. She wondered if she could say no and
get away with it. But before she answered her mother continued.
‘It was only a bit of a disagreement, nothing to worry about.
But, Bella?’ Her mother took her by the arms and lowered her
face to hers. ‘You can’t repeat anything you heard, okay? It’s
between us. If someone found out, it would just cause problems.
You don’t want your dad getting into trouble, do you? You know
how much he loves you – he’d do anything for you. He’d be so
upset if you told anyone. And so would I.’
Bella frowned. She hadn’t even heard very much. What was