The Child(98)

Jude had to lean forwards to catch the answer.

“I couldn’t then. Will said everyone would hate me.”

The two friends put their arms around each other. Jude struggled to stay in her seat. It should have been her comforting her child, but Emma hadn’t reached for her.

When they finally let go and sat, leaning against each other, Kate turned in her seat to face them.

“The police will get Will for what he did,” she said, trying to steady her voice. “To you, Emma.

“He may think he’s untouchable after all this time, but there is evidence now, photographic evidence—and I’m sure Soames will have no hesitation in taking him down with him. I’ve met him. He’s a scumbag,” she added.

“She’s right,” Harry said. “We’ll have the bastard’s head on a stick.”

“And for what he did to you, Barbara,” Emma said. “I know he did the same to you.”

Jude stared from her daughter to her former friend.

“How do you know?” Barbara whispered. “Did he tell you?”

“No, I saw your photo in Will’s desk. I thought you were asleep, but it had been taken when you were drugged. I was too young to know what people were capable of, then. I asked Will about it and he said you had sent it to him because you wanted him.”

Barbara gasped.

“He raped me the next day. To shut me up,” Emma said. “He must have known that I could be shamed into silence. I believed him when he said everyone would blame me. I didn’t know any better.”

Jude squeezed her eyes shut. It’d all been lies. His lies, her own lies. She’d done this. She couldn’t blame Emma or Barbara anymore. She’d brought this man into their lives. She was guilty of this. Everything was unspooling in front of her.





SEVENTY-NINE


    Kate


TUESDAY, MAY 1, 2012

Emma shook her head when Kate told her she ought to ring DI Sinclair. That there was news about the tests.

“I know what the result will be. I don’t need to ring him,” she said. “I put my baby in the ground, under the urn. I don’t need him to confirm it.”

Kate rang him, instead, to tell him she was with Emma in Howard Street and to alert him to Will Burnside’s second victim, Barbara.

“I’m coming over now, Kate,” he said. She couldn’t tell if he was angry that she’d got there first. Didn’t matter, did it? As long as Emma was safe.

When he arrived, with his sergeant, a woman in her thirties, they all crammed into the front room and the dog was put in the kitchen.

“Now then,” DI Sinclair said. “This is all getting very complex, but I would like to start with the baby. It’s where all of this began for my investigation. Okay?”

Emma nodded and the others sat back, out of the detective’s gaze.

“I think you probably already know, Emma, that a match has been found between you and the baby’s body uncovered on the Howard Street building site.”

“Kate told me the test results had come back,” she said.

“I’ll discuss that with you later,” he said to Kate, raising his hand to silence her explanations. “Later . . .”

“We are waiting to verify Angela Irving’s DNA results, but it looks like there must have been an error in the tests,” he said. “I’m talking to Mr. and Mrs. Irving in the morning. What I would ask is that you do not reveal the results of your test to anyone, Emma, until all results are in and we can make a proper statement.”

He looked over at Kate to underline his meaning.

“This is a very sensitive matter, especially for the Irvings. They have waited a long time to find out what happened to their child and we must be fair to them,” he added.

Around the room, heads nodded in unison. “So, we understand each other?” he asked. “And that obviously includes you, Kate.”

“Of course,” she muttered crossly.

“It’s late,” DI Sinclair said, “and I think we should meet again in the morning. Could you come to Woolwich police station tomorrow, Mrs. Simmonds? And you, Miss Walker? I understand you both have matters you want to discuss with regards to Professor Burnside. We need to do this properly, not on this ad hoc basis.”

Emma and Barbara said they would, and Kate avoided his eyes.

“Perhaps we could have a quiet word, Kate,” he said. “Outside.”

She followed him out, leaving the women to say their farewells.

“You’ve completely overstepped the mark, Kate,” DI Sinclair said as soon as they reached the pavement. “You’ve put this investigation in jeopardy with your cowboy antics. It was not up to you to tell Emma Simmonds about the DNA test results. It could have caused all sorts of damage.”

Kate knew she’d only told Emma the results were in, but DI Sinclair wasn’t interested in excuses. She should try to defuse the situation by apologizing, but the stress of the evening had left her raw and ready for a fight.

“I have only done my job, Andy. This is what I’m paid to do. I’ve followed up leads and chased down people who might be able to help with your inquiries. And I’ve passed them on to you when asked. My paper has done everything it can to help find out what happened to Alice Irving. Hardly my fault you got the tests wrong . . .”