‘I dunno,’ Jessica said, shrugging her narrow shoulders. ‘I guess I felt like I was betraying her or something. She didn’t do anything wrong.’
‘I know she didn’t, Jessica. Listen, what happened to Caroline was an awful thing, but it could happen again, so what you tell us will make a huge difference. You say you think he was local.’
‘I’m not sure, like, but he must have been if he was around here all the time.’
‘Kate, my daughter is obviously distressed. Perhaps that’s enough.’
‘I realise that, Mrs Barry, but if this man was with Caroline, we need to know everything Jessica can tell us. I don’t like to sound dramatic, but another girl’s life could depend on it.’
Mrs Barry looked at her daughter, then gave a tight nod for Kate to continue.
‘Jessica, is there anything else? Anything at all?’
‘No, not really, except …’ she paused.
‘Except what?’
‘Well, I don’t know if it’s important.’
‘Tell me anyway.’
‘Her chain.’
‘The one with the crucifix?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What about it?’
‘It was just a cheap thing, but Caroline liked it.’
Kate held her breath as Jessica spoke, feeling they were getting near to something now. ‘He gave it to her.’
‘Are you sure?’ Kate asked.
‘Pretty sure.’
‘As a present?’
‘Yeah, like it was nothing, it wasn’t anything.’
‘But Caroline liked to wear it?’
‘Sometimes.’
‘Why do you think that was?’
‘I dunno, because it was pretty.’
Kate frowned, knowing there was something else the girl was holding back. She had to be careful here and not spook Jessica into withdrawing again.
‘She didn’t just wear it because it was pretty, did she, Jessica? You know why she wore it, don’t you?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘Well, maybe not, but just say it anyhow.’
‘It was what he said about it.’
‘What did he say?’
‘It’s stupid.’
‘Go on. Please.’
‘He told her it would keep her safe.’
‘Safe from what, Jessica? What would it keep her safe from?’
‘Weirdos, you know what I’m talking about, guys who mess with young kids.’
‘Sexual abuse?’
‘Yeah. It’s all so stupid now, isn’t it? He killed her, didn’t he?’ Her voice rose and her face went pale as she said the words.
‘Jessica, try to stay calm. We don’t know for sure who killed Caroline, but it’s important we know what this man said to her. Did Caroline feel under any threat in that way from someone in her life?’
‘No, I don’t think so. I think she just thought it would help her.’
‘Now think carefully, Jessica. What did Caroline tell you – what exactly did he tell her about the crucifix keeping her safe?’
‘I dunno, religious crap. He said it was a sign of Christ’s unconditional love, how in death he wanted to protect the innocent.’
Kate sat back, Jessica’s last sentence repeating over and over in her head. She thought of biblical words she had learned at school: ‘Suffer little children to come unto me.’
‘Is that it, Jessica? You are not holding back on anything else?’
‘No,’ Jessica replied, shaking her head. ‘That’s it. That’s everything.’
‘Thank you so much,’ Kate said warmly. ‘And thank you, Mrs Barry. You’ve been really helpful, Jessica. This really will help us.’
Ellie
SINCE COMING TO ST MICHAEL’S, I HAVE NEVER SOUGHT personal possessions, I didn’t want anything to remind me of the past. In the beginning, there was no talk of such trivialities. Back then, it was all about punishing me or holding the lunatic back from the edge of madness. It took some time before the undercurrent of anger and pity became more about dealing with the carcass of the person I’d become, rather than the circumstances of its creation.
In here, you’re cut off from the outside world, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come in. It comes in through the faces of those who’ve looked down on me, bearing the imprint of how they viewed and judged my so-called crime. To be fair, some tried to hide it, preferring to cover up how they felt under the guise of their professionalism. Invariably, even the staunchest of them slipped.
Recently, though, the outside world has come in differently. I have my updates from Bridget, snippets from real life as she sees it. There’s the radio that plays in Living Room 1 when we have our meals, the television we watch in the evening in Living Room 2. Sometimes, the outside comes in with the new inmates. Some of them are so young – all of them seem younger than me.