Blink(69)

The door opens and, with the help of a stick, an old lady stands there. Nancy doesn’t recall her face but she thinks it may well be Evie’s grandma. If she remembers correctly, she had been there, a far sprightlier woman then, on the day of the stinging incident.

‘Oh!’ The lady’s hand flies to her throat when she takes in the uniformed officer and DI Manver’s ID. She staggers and leans awkwardly against the doorframe.

‘Come on, PC Holt,’ the DI hisses at the younger officer. ‘Quicker on your feet now.’

PC Holt coughs and steps quickly inside, allowing the old lady to lean heavily on her and move back a step.

Nancy remains standing outside the front door. DI Manvers is speaking to the elderly lady in low tones, but she cannot decipher anything that is being said because her head is full of white noise.

After a few moments, the group at the door begin to move inside the house. PC Holt helps the old lady through and DI Manvers silently beckons Nancy inside, closing the door quietly behind her.

The group shuffles into the sitting room, where the husk of another woman sits, slumped in the corner of the couch.

Her brown hair is shot through with grey and her lips and skin look parched, as if something has sucked the very lifeblood out of her. For a moment, Nancy doubts she has ever seen her before and then she sees a glimmer of who this person used to be when hope stirs in her face at the sight of DI Manvers.

The small room is gloomy, the blinds pulled low and curtains pulled to, shutting out as much natural light as possible without plunging the room into full darkness. Piles of neatly folded newspapers line the floor against two of the free walls and Nancy catches sight of Evie’s photograph and dramatic headlines on numerous editions.

DI Manvers introduces everyone.

‘I’m Anita,’ the old lady murmurs. ‘And you know my daughter, of course.’

‘We’re here because we think we have some news, Mrs Cotter,’ he says softly. ‘About Evie.’

‘Have you found her?’ the woman croaks, sitting up with difficulty. A luminous quality temporarily lights up the dullness of her eyes and she fixes them on Nancy. ‘Is Evie coming home?’

‘Do you know where she is?’ Anita asks. ‘Is Evie alive?’

‘I’m afraid, as yet, we can’t say if that’s the case.’ DI Manvers looks at his feet.

‘Then do you think Evie is . . .’

‘At this point, we don’t know.’

‘Then why are you here?’

‘We’re unable to verify the facts at the present time for reasons we’ll explain later,’ DI Manvers continues. ‘But it has been brought to our attention that there is a stroke victim, a female patient, in Queen’s Medical Centre—’

‘What’s that got to do with Evie?’ the younger woman cries out, jabbing a finger at him. ‘Just spit it out. Please.’

‘The person I am referring to has in her possession a photograph of Evie with a digital date stamp from after she went missing. In the picture, Evie looks a little older and her hair has been dyed brown,’ DI Manvers explains.

‘I – I don’t understand.’

‘Mrs Cotter, we think this woman could be the person who abducted your daughter three years ago.’





60





Present Day





The Nurse





A strangled gasp escapes from Toni Cotter’s mouth. Her hand claws at her throat as if something invisible is squeezing the very life out of her.

Nancy rushes over, sits next to her and gently pulls away her hand. Deep welts rise on Toni’s skin, like someone has scribbled all over it with a dark red crayon.

PC Holt stares.

‘Can you get Toni a glass of water?’ Nancy asks her and she scuttles, almost thankfully, out of the room.

Anita sits down heavily in a chair, staring at the floor.

‘Who is this person?’ Toni Cotter whispers. ‘Has she told you where Evie is?’

Nancy watches as DI Manvers takes a breath, steeling himself to explain the worst. That they know now who took Evie but the woman is as good as dead.

‘This woman is paralysed following a stroke,’ he says gently. ‘She can’t speak or move. She is currently on a respirator as she cannot breathe unassisted.’

Both Toni and her mother stare at him. Uncomprehending.

‘We don’t know if she’ll survive.’ He glances at Nancy.

‘But she has Evie’s picture; she must know where she is,’ Toni says, her voice raspy. ‘I want to see it, I want to see my daughter’s face.’

‘We have the photograph, Mrs Cotter,’ says DI Manvers. ‘We also have a photograph of the stroke patient in question. When you feel able, we’d like you to look at both pieces of evidence.’

‘I’m ready now.’ Toni Cotter sits up straighter, looks at Nancy and nods. ‘I’m ready right now.’

PC Holt appears with a glass of water.

‘We’re ready,’ Anita confirms quietly.

‘Let’s take it nice and slowly,’ DI Manvers says, glancing at both women in turn. ‘Please, drink your water, Mrs Cotter, we’re in no rush. I appreciate this is a very traumatic time for you both.’