1983

‘Strangled?’

He shook his head: ‘A sudden and unexpected shock can also be enough to stimulate the vagal nerve and cause death -’

‘She died of fright?’

‘Or hunger.’

‘When?’

‘I can’t be precise yet,’ he said. ‘But -’

‘Approximately?’

‘Within the last 72 hours.’

‘Where?’

‘Initial examination of particles from the skin and nails have revealed the strong presence of coal dust.’

‘Local?’

He nodded.

‘Underground?’

He nodded.

I looked down at my hands -

History and lies.

They were standing at the end of the corridor, black shadows under the white lights -

‘Under the spreading chestnut tree -’

I walked down the corridor towards them.

They were waiting for me.

‘Mr and Mrs Atkins,’ I said.

They were staring at me.

I gestured to the four grey plastic seats against the cracked magnolia wall. I said: ‘I think we should sit down.’

There were staring -

‘I’m very sorry to have to tell you that we have found a little girl and -’

They were waiting -

‘The little girl is not alive.’

They held each other’s hands in their own. They squeezed them.

‘The body was discovered earlier today in a disused room at the old Redbeck Cafй on the Doncaster Road.’

They both looked at the linoleum. They shook.

I had nothing more to say to them.

Mr Atkins looked up. Her father said: ‘How did she die?’

‘It would appear she died from a combination of a lack of food and water and -’

They were both looking up at me now.

‘Fright.’

‘When?’

‘Possibly within the last 72 hours but -’

Mrs Atkins’ mouth was open, contorted and screaming and howling -

She was slapping and scratching and punching me, trying to murder me -

Murder me -

Murder me -

Murder me -

Murder me -

I wished her mother would murder me -

‘Where I sold you and you sold me.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said.

‘Can I see her?’ asked Mrs Atkins, quietly.

I looked up.

WPC Martin had her by the arm, trying to ease her away.

I nodded.

Dr Coutts opened the door.

He switched on the overhead lights.

They flickered and then came on.

She was lying under a sheet on a gurney in the middle of the room.

Dr Coutts pulled back the sheet as far as her shoulders.

They stepped forward.

They fell on her.

Chapter 56

They take you naked into a ten by six interrogation room with white lights and no windows. They sit you down behind a table. They handcuff your hands behind your back. They throw a bucket of piss and shit across your face. They hose you down with ice water until you fall over in the chair. Then they leave you alone.

You are lying on the floor, handcuffed to the chair.

You can hear screams from other rooms -

You can hear laughter -

Dogs barking.

The screaming goes on and on for what seems like hours.

Then it stops.

You close your eyes.

You have dreams -

And in your dreams -

In your dreams, you have wings -

But all these wings in all your dreams -

Are huge and rotting things -

The room red.

The door opens. Three men in suits come in. They are carrying chairs.

One man has a grey moustache. The other is bald but for tufts of fine sandy hair:

Moustache and Sandy.

The last man you know:

Maurice Jobson; Detective Chief Superintendent Maurice Jobson -

Thick lenses and black frames:

The Owl.

They pick you up. They sit you in the chair. They undo your handcuffs.

‘Put your palms flat upon the desk,’ says Sandy.

You put your palms flat upon the desk.

Sandy sits down. He takes a pair of handcuffs from the pocket of his sports jacket. He passes them to Moustache.

Moustache walks around the room. Moustache plays with the handcuffs. Moustache sits down next to Sandy. Moustache puts the handcuffs over the knuckles of his fist. Moustache stares at you.

Maurice closes the door. He leans against it, arms folded. He watches you.