Cut to the Bone

by Roz Watkins

  ‘Was he fixated on someone that summer?’ I asked.

  ‘Bex, of course. It was all about Bex. And then Daniel hurt his back and went to hospital, it was such a terrible night. His clothes all covered in mud. I don’t know what went on that night but it was an awful thing, and he would never tell me.’

  I felt the strange lightness that I sometimes get in my head when we’re near to a breakthrough. ‘His clothes were covered in mud?’ I pictured the map. The little gravestone. What had happened that night? Was this the secret in the village? The reason that Daniel, Anna, Gary and Kirsty were forever bound together, stuck in Gritton.

  ‘Yes, covered in mud. And Daniel would never say why. He wasn’t the same after. I know I drank too much in those days, after Charlie. Before I found a better way. But I remember how he changed.’

  ‘You said you didn’t want Daniel to associate with the Nightingales. Why was that?’

  ‘Those girls had the devil in them, especially the older one. The way they got the boys doing their bidding. I don’t know what happened that night, but it would have been down to them.’

  ‘Have you any idea what happened? Why Daniel’s clothes were so dirty?’

  ‘I knew it was bad. So bad I had to leave the village and never come back. So bad I had to stop having contact with Daniel because what if I found out? I didn’t want to tell on my poor boy. They’d find a way to blame him, just like he’s being blamed for Violet. So I didn’t say anything. But now he’s missing and I’m telling you. So you can work out the truth and use it to find my boy.’

  Jai chucked the remains of his tea into my spider plant in an over-flamboyant manner, and leaned against my windowsill. ‘We know Daniel has these fixations. He was fixated on Bex. Maybe he was fixated on Violet in the same way.’

  ‘He obviously didn’t kill Bex,’ I said. ‘And according to the DNA evidence, he wasn’t her rapist.’

  ‘But something happened that night. Involving Daniel. I spoke to Bex again. She’s adamant she doesn’t remember anything else, and I believe her.’

  The door opened and Craig stuck his head in. ‘We’ve got it. The evidence that Daniel Twigg killed Gary Finchley. We found Daniel’s phone. He sent a text to Gary asking him to meet in the woods the night Gary was killed, and fibres from his overalls were found on Gary’s clothes. And one of his hairs.’

  ‘What time was the text sent?’ I said.

  ‘Two p.m. Gary texted back to ask why Daniel Twigg wanted to meet, but there was no reply. And we found Daniel’s overalls – the ones that had left fibres on Finchley – in a bin not far from Daniel Twigg’s caravan. His boots were in his van, and they had blood on them, which we’ve analysed and found to be Violet Armstrong’s.’

  ‘Right.’ I wanted them both to go. I wanted to crawl under the table and cry for the person I’d thought Daniel was. That person hadn’t been real. He’d been entirely my creation. ‘Thanks, Craig,’ I said, and he headed off.

  ‘That’s it then,’ Jai said. ‘We just need to find Daniel Twigg.’

  ‘We still don’t know for sure that Violet’s dead,’ I said. I’d lost Daniel and my father. I had to hang on to the possibility that Violet might, just might, be alive. ‘What if Daniel became obsessed with her, and he’s kidnapped her and is keeping her somewhere? He could be with her now.’

  Jai raised an eyebrow.

  ‘There are a few things that bother me about Violet’s drive to the abattoir,’ I said. ‘Is there a chance someone else drove that car? Mrs Ackroyd didn’t see the driver and there’s nothing on CCTV to identify who was behind the wheel.’

  ‘It’s not impossible,’ Jai said. ‘I managed to speak to Izzy. She didn’t know how far forward Violet has her seat, but she was sure Violet didn’t mind driving down narrow lanes. Nobody knows what route she normally took.’

  ‘Right. So why did Violet go that particular way to the abattoir? Maybe she didn’t. Maybe someone else drove that way precisely because there’s a camera. Because they wanted us to think Violet went to the abattoir. They might have known about insomniac Mrs Ackroyd – in a village that size, it’s possible. Also, Anna said Violet’s car was parked slightly further round than normal. Maybe it wasn’t her who parked it.’

  ‘But if she’s still alive, what’s with all the blood in the pig trough?’

  ‘Let’s say Daniel took blood from Violet, and shaved her hair, and then put the blood and hair in the trough to make us think she’d been killed and fed to pigs?’

  ‘Wouldn’t the blood clot?’

  ‘Not if he added anticoagulant. I’m going to see if it’s possible to test for that.’ I sighed. This sounded nuts even to me and I had a high bar. Was I just grasping at straws trying to keep Violet alive?

  ‘But why would he do that?’ Jai said.

  ‘So he could keep her?’

  ‘Christ. We need to find Daniel.’

  ‘He’s already being hunted by half the Derbyshire police force, Justice for Violet, assorted do-gooders, and the usual nutcases. So how about we do what his mother suggested, and talk to the people who were there that night in 1999. I don’t know how, but this somehow relates to that night. Let’s talk to Anna and Kirsty.’

  43

  Anna lived in a Victorian terrace in a small row of similar houses set strangely on their own, on the road between Gritton village and the abattoir. I pulled up outside and Jai and I walked up a flagged pathway. Anna opened the front door and stared at us for a moment as if she had no idea who we were, but then gestured us in.

  ‘We’re very sorry for your loss,’ I said.

  ‘Is that the standard-issue wording?’ she said. ‘Or does it depend how close the relative is? Are brothers different from husbands or partners?’

  I didn’t reply, but followed her down a wood-panelled hallway to a room at the back of the house. It overlooked a hedged garden, the lawn scorched to yellow, and the room was bathed in sunlight. Two of the walls were lined with books, and the third featured abstract pictures similar to the ones we’d seen at the abattoir.

  ‘Sorry,’ Anna said. ‘I’m not meaning to be difficult. I’m just upset. Sit down, I’ll get tea.’

  I wanted to grab Anna and shake her until she told us what she knew, what happened that night in 1999. But that wasn’t the way with people like Anna. You had to play the long game or you got nowhere. A few extra minutes at this stage could save hours. I took a deep breath and told myself to chill the hell out.

  It helped that the room had a calm feel, making it seem implausible that there had been so much death in the village. White walls, an oak-planked floor, minimal furniture, and plenty of books. The kind of room that my mirror-me would have – the me who existed in a parallel world in my head and who lived in a serene, organised, cobweb-free house, ate vegetables, and read great works of literature instead of slumping in a near-coma with a glass of wine in front of Bake Off.

  Jai and I sat on a beige sofa by the window. I eyed the books. You could learn a lot from people’s books – it would be such a shame if it all went to e-books. It was an eclectic mix – psychology, art, classic literature, but mainly utilitarian philosophy and books on food and the meat industry. This wasn’t someone who’d gone lightly into running an abattoir.

  Anna returned, put mugs of tea on a wooden coffee table, and perched on a chair opposite us. She’d brought cupcakes and flapjacks with the drinks. I marvelled at the kind of person who could produce cupcakes after her brother had been murdered, or even have cupcakes in the house and not devour them all in one frenzied sitting. ‘I’ve been baking,’ she said. ‘To take my mind off things. The kitchen’s piled high with food I can’t touch. Please eat some of it.’

  I took a piece of flapjack. How could I not? ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Is it true Daniel’s missing?’ Anna picked icing off a cake and dropped it onto her plate.

  ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Do you have any idea where he could have gone?’

  ‘No. Did he kill Violet and Gary?’<
br />
  ‘We’re looking into various possibilities,’ I said, and she caught my eye and nodded slightly, as if to say, Thanks – very helpful.

  ‘There’s a small chance Violet may still be alive,’ I said. ‘And that Daniel may have taken her. So if you have any idea where he might be …’

  ‘Good heavens.’ She shook her head. ‘But I haven’t any idea, no. He rarely even leaves the village.’

  ‘Where does Daniel like to go within the village then? Any special places?’

  ‘Oh … I don’t want to be unhelpful, but I don’t know him that well.’ A sense of information left out.

  ‘Any special places?’ I said again.

  ‘Well …’ She sighed. ‘Maybe the woods.’

  ‘Where you had the barbecue in 1999? The night Lucas was killed?’

  She nodded slowly.

  We’d already looked for Daniel in those woods, and found no trace of him. But what happened that night? What was the secret? I felt sure it would help us find Daniel and possibly even Violet. I took out a copy of the map we’d found in Daniel’s caravan and showed it to her.

  Anna went very still and clutched the arm of her chair.

  ‘Does that mean anything to you?’ I asked, pointing to the image of the gravestone with the words 1999 RIP. ‘What does that refer to?’

  ‘I’ve never seen it before.’

  ‘But you know what it means, don’t you?’

  I could feel the tension coming from her. I’d met her a few times now and knew she wasn’t one of life’s over-reactors. This was big.

  ‘You need to tell us, Anna,’ I said. ‘This is really important. It might help us find Violet alive.’

  Anna looked down at her hand, which was still clutching the chair arm, knuckles white as bone.

  ‘We know Gary told Violet a secret about the Pale Child. We will find out what it is. We’re asking Kirsty as well.’

  Anna snorted. ‘Good luck with that. Getting the truth out of Kirsty.’

  ‘You buried someone in the woods,’ I said.

  This was a guess. I was expecting a shocked denial. But instead Anna sighed, leaned back and closed her eyes.

  Jai and I sat in silence, waiting.

  Anna popped her eyes open.

  Jai and I were both still, breathing quietly. It was like approaching a wild animal. One false move, startle the creature, and it would bolt, leaving you with nothing.

  ‘You think Violet could be alive?’ Anna said. ‘You think this might help find her?’

  I nodded.

  ‘Yes, we do,’ Jai said.

  Anna’s whole body sank in the chair, as if she was letting go of the tension she’d been holding for years, decades even. Then she gave a sharp humourless laugh. ‘Gary told Violet,’ she said. ‘What an idiot. A besotted, pathetic idiot. After all these years.’

  ‘What did he tell her, Anna?’

  ‘Oh fuck it. I’m so fucking sick of this secret. And of Gritton. Of not letting the others out of my sight. Of everything. Now Gary’s dead anyway, so what’s the point? And Daniel’s gone insane. As for Kirsty … I’m not protecting her. It’s all going to come out anyway when they dig up the woods for that crappy new development.’

  I remembered the signs in the village. Don’t Build on Our Burial Grounds! Stop the Development! I nodded, encouraging her to continue.

  Anna closed her eyes and slowly opened them again. ‘It happened the night Lucas died.’

  I held my breath.

  Jai spoke gently. ‘Go on.’

  ‘It was Bex’s last night before she went home. She’d been here a month, with her dad and Kirsty. I’d become friends with her. We had … quite a good time, but … anyway, we had this barbecue in the woods.’

  ‘“We” being you, Bex, Kirsty, Daniel, Gary and Lucas?’

  Anna nodded. ‘Kirsty was in charge, as usual, the boys doing what she told them. I knew Gary fancied Bex, and Daniel was besotted with her. Bex was being irritating, flirting with them. She got way too drunk, and stoned as well. She wasn’t used to any of that.’

  I nodded. This was in line with what we knew.

  Anna sighed. ‘Have you been told about that night?’

  I put my mug down on the table and sat back. ‘Tell us in your own words.’ I was always annoyed by the TV detectives who put words into people’s mouths. You don’t do that. You wait for them to tell you in their own way. People let things slip out when they choose their own words.

  ‘Bex was practically passed out, and then she sat up and pointed into the woods and said, “It’s the Pale Child.” We’d all been brought up to be scared of the Pale Child. Don’t go into the woods or onto the moor or down to the reservoir. The Pale Child might see your face and then you’ll die. Daniel’s brother, Charlie, had died after seeing her. So although we didn’t believe in ghosts, we were pretty wary of her. But that night we were too drunk and stoned to be scared. I caught a glimpse of someone in white, and we all ran off, not noticing that Bex wasn’t following us. We scampered around the woods looking for this person in white, and Lucas was sure he actually saw her. We ran for ages, you know the way sometimes when you’re drunk, you get a burst of speed?’

  I nodded, although that didn’t happen to me. Bursts of speed weren’t my thing.

  ‘It sounds terrible now, but it turned into a kind of game. We were dashing around in the woods trying to find this thing, but of course we didn’t find her.’

  I was leaning closer to Anna, willing her to tell us what she knew. The Pale Child had been in my mind for so much of the last few days, hovering at the edge of my consciousness, taunting me with questions about her identity, what she wanted. I was sure she was at the heart of this. She could lead us to Violet.

  ‘It started to rain,’ Anna said. ‘And we realised Bex wasn’t with us. So we walked back to the bonfire. And …’ She took a deep breath. ‘I didn’t believe my eyes at first. Thought I was hallucinating even though I’d hardly smoked. It made no sense … Sorry. I need another drink. Wait a minute.’

  Our intense focus had been too much. I cursed myself for not keeping it in check. Anna jumped up and left Jai and me sitting in her bright living room, minds full of the Pale Child.

  44

  Bex – October 1999

  Her dad and Kirsty were gone. Bex was still on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t make herself move, as if leaving the scene of the conversation would mean she’d accepted the conclusion.

  ‘So the rapist gets away with it, my baby gets killed, and my life gets ruined,’ she said.

  Aunt Janet reached a hand over and placed it on Bex’s arm. ‘Now, come on, Bex – your life won’t be ruined.’

  ‘I think Dad and Kirsty know who did it. Why would they let him get away with it?’

  ‘Oh, Bex, they don’t know anything. They don’t want him to get away with it any more than you do, but sometimes it’s best to let things go. Do you have any idea which of the boys it was?’

  Bex pictured the three of them, faces uplit by the orange flames of the fire. Sinister now in her memory. ‘No. I mean … I believe Kirsty when she says it wasn’t Lucas. And I can’t imagine Daniel … I suppose Gary is the most likely, but that’s not fair. Daniel was angry with me because I’d laughed at him. The truth is I don’t know.’

  ‘Look, Bex, if you knew for sure …’ Janet hardened her face. ‘Even if you knew for sure, I still wouldn’t encourage you to go to the police. But I’d help you.’

  ‘Help me do what?’

  ‘Hunt him down and kill him.’

  Bex looked up. Caught her aunt’s eye. Laughed nervously.

  Janet said, ‘I’m only half joking. You know the conviction rates?’

  ‘I should have reported it at the time,’ Bex said. ‘While there was still evidence.’

  Janet poured more tea for them both. ‘Don’t let your life be ruined by this. How you react to it is in your own hands.’

  ‘But it’s not fair. He’s the one who
caused all this, and he gets away with it.’

  ‘Life’s not fair. You may as well get used to it. But he won’t be a happy person, whoever raped you. That’s not the action of someone who’s okay. Console yourself with that.’

  ‘I still don’t want to kill my baby.’

  ‘Bex,’ her aunt snapped. ‘Stop it! It’s not a baby. It’s smaller than a blueberry. They miscarry all the time at this stage. If human life’s so bloody precious, nobody told nature.’

  Catching the expression on her aunt’s face, Bex asked ‘Aunt Janet, did you …’

  ‘I didn’t have a miscarriage, I had an abortion. And it did not ruin my life. Okay?’

  Bex swallowed. She’d been so wrapped up in herself. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It was years ago, Bex. It’s fine. It was a contraceptive failure and neither of us wanted a baby. It wasn’t the easiest decision, but once it was made, it really wasn’t that huge a deal. That’s what I’m saying. It absolutely won’t ruin your life. Don’t give that amount of power to the rapist.’

  ‘You didn’t want kids and then you ended up lumbered with me anyway,’ Bex said.

  Her aunt sighed. ‘I always thought I could be happy with kids or happy without kids. I’ve loved having you, but I didn’t want to bring one into the world, okay?’

  Bex smiled. ‘I’m like a rescue dog then. Adopt don’t shop.’

  ‘I suppose if you choose to see it like that, yes.’

  Aunt Janet was so sure of her opinions. Bex knew she could never be that strong. ‘Okay,’ she said. ‘I know what you say makes sense.’ She couldn’t explain. Nobody would understand how good it felt not to be alone. ‘It’s not just me. And …’ She wiped a tear away. ‘Sorry, it’s silly.’

  ‘Oh love.’ Janet shook her head slowly. ‘You feel like it’s two of you again?’

  Bex nodded, trying not to sob with the relief that her aunt was beginning to understand. ‘It never ever felt right,’ she said. ‘It being just me.’