The Silent Ones: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller(16)

‘I’m just saying, it’s clear she’s feeling confused!’ Chloe’s face burned. This was her daughter, and she couldn’t possibly be involved in hurting the old lady. She wouldn’t let them shut her up so they could try to put words into a little girl’s mouth.

Brianna took a breath. A strained, expectant hush settled over the room. Both detectives sat up straighter in their seats Chloe’s throat tightened.

But her heart sank when the silence continued. This wasn’t like her daughter at all. With Brianna, what you saw was what you got. When she felt sad, she’d cry; when she was angry, she’d shout, and when she was worried, she’d say so.

Maddy, on the other hand, was a sulker. Many a time Chloe had seen her refuse to speak to Jules and Tom when she was in one of her moods. She could be a stubborn girl. She could be sneaky, too. Like the day they’d all gone to Scarborough back in May. The girls and Josh had built sandcastles and appointed Grandad Ray as the judge. He’d picked Brianna’s. Maddy had smiled and congratulated her cousin, but later, as they all left the beach and headed towards the fish restaurant on the promenade, Chloe had looked back to see her trampling Brianna’s sandcastle into the ground.

When she’d raced to catch them up, her mood had brightened considerably.

Brianna’s heel began thumping on the floor again.

‘Take your time, Brianna,’ March urged her. ‘You’re doing really well.’

Brianna began to cry. She looked up at Chloe with swollen, bloodshot eyes.

‘Right, I think that’s enough.’ Chloe stood up and bent forward, cradling Brianna’s head in her arms. ‘We’re getting nowhere fast here. What happened to Bessie Wilford was obviously some kind of tragic accident. You must be able to see that my daughter isn’t capable of anything remotely violent.’

‘Ms Voce, I have to insist that—’

The tap on the door startled everyone. A uniformed officer craned his head into the room and beckoned Neary over.

Carol sprang up from her chair and offered Brianna a box of tissues, but Chloe waved her away and reached into her own pocket to pull out a used one.

‘She can’t cope with this pressure for much longer.’ She glared at DS March, who sat back without comment and watched her with a neutral expression. ‘She’s confused and very upset about what happened. This line of questioning is too rushed. Too aggressive.’

‘Perhaps a break is in order,’ Seetal finally piped up.

As Chloe dabbed her daughter’s watery eyes, too furious to speak, she registered that the senior detective had returned to his seat, but she didn’t look up at him. Her priority was to get Brianna out of this stuffy room and back home as soon as possible.

She would also suggest to Juliet that they find another lawyer. This time, one who actually did something to justify her fee.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Neary whispering something in his colleague’s ear. The corners of DS March’s mouth twitched downwards in disapproval. Neary exhaled noisily and ran a hand over his thick sandy hair.

‘We will take a short break,’ he said gravely. ‘Carol will get the girls something to eat and drink and then we’ll need to continue with—’

‘Surely you can see she’s had enough for today?’ Chloe snapped, jutting her chin out as she stroked Brianna’s fine hair. ‘Look at the state she’s in – it’s obvious she didn’t do anything wrong. So as her parent, I say no more.’

Neary held her stare. ‘That, I’m afraid, Ms Voce, is no longer your call.’





Ten





Juliet





The door to the family room opens and DC Carol Hall comes in.

‘I’m going to look after the girls. I’ll get them something to eat and drink while you all take some time out,’she says, laying her hand supportively on my upper arm. ‘Just holler through to the desk sergeant if you need me.’

Tom nods. ‘Thank you.’

I’m beginning to warm slightly to the woman, although I can tell that for some reason, something about her really irritates Chloe.

I give my daughter a hug as she passes. Tom reaches out and ruffles her hair.

‘Stay strong, kid,’ he says in the silly voice they use with each other at home, but it rings hollow and Maddy doesn’t react.

She doesn’t sob, doesn’t cling, doesn’t beg me to stay with her. She just takes Carol’s hand.

This whole process has changed her in a terrifyingly short length of time. Her behaviour is totally out of character in a way I wouldn’t have believed possible only this morning.

I can see an awful desperation in her eyes, a pain I just can’t reach or soothe better. She’s ten years old. She’s not equipped with the tools needed to get through this relentless pressure; she doesn’t know how to steady herself, control her emotions.

It’s crushing me to watch her slowly fading away.

Conversely, when I look at my niece, Brianna, she seems to have an innate ability to distance herself from what is happening. Her eyes look slightly unfocused, as if she’s managed to detach herself from the sharp edges of reality. She kisses her mother and leaves quietly, holding Carol’s other hand. She doesn’t seem nearly as distressed as Maddy.