‘None of it makes any sense.’ Maggie felt sick.
‘She told the psychologist that after what she did, she couldn’t live with herself.’
‘Well, she clearly blames herself for what happened.’
‘That’s an understandable reaction, yes. But in this case, the psychologist said she was referring to something that happened during the time she was missing, like she wants to talk about it but can’t.’
Maggie paused, thinking. She’d seen the sadness in Rain’s eyes, felt something essential had changed. But that was hardly surprising, given what she’d been through. ‘I see,’ she replied quietly. ‘I’ll try to talk to her, but Rain won’t ever be pushed.’
‘I understand,’ PC Wyndham replied. ‘Anyway, as you know, we arrested Mr Rodway and he’s now been charged with sexual activity with a child. With Rain.’ The officer paused. ‘It’s a very strong case.’ She took a breath, hesitating. ‘We have photographic evidence.’
‘Photographic evidence?’ Maggie leant against the wall, her head bent back. ‘The bastard took fucking pictures of her?’ She banged the wall with her fists as more tears came and the implications sank in. Would he have shared the photographs online?
‘Actually, the pictures were taken by a third party. And not in the way you might imagine, if that’s any comfort. It strengthens our case enormously.’
Maggie tried to process what she was hearing but couldn’t. She touched her forehead, shaking her head, kicking the wall with her foot.
‘And just so you know, Mr Rodway has been released on conditional bail.’
‘You let him out?’
‘He’s obviously banned from talking to witnesses and being alone with children. And sometime soon, Rain will need to make a video statement for court.’
Maggie was nodding, trying to absorb everything. All she wanted was to block out what he’d done to her daughter, but she didn’t know how. And what did it all mean for Claire, the rest of the family? The repercussions felt endless, made her feel sick.
‘Your liaison officer will still be in touch, and Rain will receive victim support, plus counselling services are available. And we’ll be in close contact, of course, in case there’s anything else she wants to tell us about.’
Maggie just kept nodding. It was all too much to take in. She watched as PC Wyndham walked off, going up to Claire and taking her aside. Claire glanced back, giving her a sad smile and, before she disappeared from sight, Maggie managed a small smile back.
With a couple of deep breaths, Maggie took a moment to compose herself before going back into Rain’s room, avoiding the knot of people in the corridor. She couldn’t face talking to anyone yet. She didn’t feel real, praying that she would wake up from this nightmare and that everything would be back to normal – whatever normal was. She closed the door and sat on the bed, watching Rain who was now dozing. She leant forward, kissing her forehead. ‘I really, really like it when you call me Mum,’ she said, curling up beside her.
Chapter Sixty-Nine
‘Lucas Baby Number One’ Claire read on his ankle tag as she held him. She stared down at the wriggling little bundle, all searching and curious expressions. She didn’t know how she managed the smile as Jason took yet another photograph of her and her new nephew. Inside, she was shaking to the core, unable to rid her mind of what PC Wyndham had just told her in the corridor. The disgusting revelation about her husband – how would she ever be able to call him husband again? – had shattered her life into a million pieces. Holding this precious new life seemed so at odds with the monstrous crime he’d supposedly committed. She was being so gentle with the baby, yet all she wanted to do was get hold of Callum and rip him to pieces.
Claire peeked at the face of the wrapped-up baby girl cradled in her grandmother’s arms, wondering if Shona saw what she saw reflected there – the furrowed and serious brow, the dimpled cheeks, the long fingers – all so reminiscent of Lenni. She turned to Jason, who was sitting right beside her. She drew in a breath, about to speak, but stopped.
‘I know,’ he said. ‘I thought exactly the same thing the moment she was born. Mum saw it too.’
‘They’re beautiful,’ Claire said, forcing another smile. She handed Baby One back to Jason and then prised Baby Two off her grandma. She thought Greta looked remarkable after such a short and sharp labour and wouldn’t be surprised if she was back at work in a week. Claire thought how different their lives were, how much she’d always loved country living, the Old Stables, her family, her parents close by, her job, Russ the dog, the cats… Callum had been an integral part of all that and she’d never once considered him not being in her life. But now it was gone, destroyed in an instant by his… God, she didn’t even know what to call it, would never understand what he had done.
Her mind flooded with horrible and intrusive thoughts – of him hurting Rain in that way, how terrified she must have been, how she would be feeling now. It was all unthinkable. The man she’d married, trusted for twenty years, was a criminal of the worst kind. She’d never been a violent person, but this had changed all that. Something powerful was rising inside her, something she knew she had to let out.
* * *
Shona left the others at the hospital and took a taxi back to Trevellin. She was worried about leaving Patrick alone too long. He wasn’t answering the house telephone and she wanted to tell him the good news – about the babies as well as Rain being found. Besides, she was concerned he’d forget to take his medication.
The taxi left a trail of dust as it pulled down Trevellin’s long drive. It hadn’t rained in several weeks and the ground was hard and cracked – almost as if it was irritated. There was an eerie orange glow to the sun today, perhaps from the fine skim of high cloud shielding the landscape from the summer glare. Shona paid and got out of the car, staring up at the place she’d called home for as long as she could remember.
‘I don’t really want to sell you,’ she said to the old building, not feeling in the least bit stupid. The house had its own character and she wouldn’t have been particularly surprised if it had replied.
Inside, she felt another wave of worry when she didn’t see Patrick sitting in his chair reading the paper. ‘Pat, I’m home…’ she called out, wandering through the downstairs rooms. ‘Are you here? I have lots of news.’ She went upstairs to look, but he wasn’t there either.
‘Oh, Pat,’ she said, her heart kicking up a gear. How she wished he’d carry the phone she’d bought him, but he was so stubborn, telling her he had no need for it. She went back into the kitchen. His medication was untouched on the counter and the note she’d left was still lying in exactly the same place. She went out into the courtyard, calling for him, listening out for his reply, but she heard nothing apart from the occasional cluck of a hen. Back inside, she saw his hat was missing from the hook in the boot room. His stick wasn’t in the umbrella stand either, and his slippers lay discarded on the tiles.
‘Oh, Pat,’ she said again, wringing her hands. He wasn’t usually gone this long. Enough was enough. He wouldn’t be going anywhere unaccompanied again. She grabbed the phone, dialling Claire’s number. ‘Darling, it’s Mum. Listen, I don’t know what to do…’
Chapter Seventy