abuse. I doubt she’s had many romantic bids from boys her own age.
Did all of this – feeling plain, ugly even, and being cruelly treated by her father – did this make her vulnerable to a man like Silas Hyman?
Sarah and Mohsin go into her room.
‘Hello, Rowena,’ Mohsin says. ‘I’d like to ask you a few more questions.’
Rowena nods, but she’s looking at Sarah.
‘As you’re under eighteen,’ Mohsin says, ‘you should have an adult with you to-’
‘Can Jenny’s aunt stay with me?’
‘Yes, if that’s what you’d like.’
Mohsin looks at Sarah and some kind of communication passes between them.
Sarah sits in the chair next to Rowena’s bed.
‘Last time we spoke,’ she says, ‘you said that Silas Hyman was very good-looking?’
Rowena turns away from Sarah, embarrassed.
‘You said you used to watch him…?’
Rowena looks so acutely self-conscious that I feel uncomfortable too.
‘Did you find him attractive?’ Sarah asks, kindly.
Rowena is silent.
‘Rowena?’
‘I had a crush on him from the moment I saw him.’
She turns away so that she can’t see Mohsin, as if she doesn’t like him being there, and he steps further back towards the door.
‘I knew he’d never look at someone like me,’ she continues to Sarah. ‘Men like him never do. You know, the handsome ones.’
She stops talking. Sarah doesn’t butt into the silence, waiting for Rowena. ‘If I could swap being clever for pretty,’ Rowena says quietly, ‘I’d do it.’
‘You also told me you thought he could be violent.’
It’s as if Sarah has slapped her.
‘I shouldn’t have said that,’ she says. ‘It wasn’t right to say that.’
‘Maybe it was honest?’
‘No. It was stupid. I really don’t see him that way at all. I mean, I just guessed that he could be. But we all could be, couldn’t we? I mean, anyone has the capacity for it, don’t they?’
‘Why did you have a crush on him if you thought he might be violent?’
Rowena doesn’t reply.
‘Was he ever violent to you?’ Mohsin asks.
‘No! He never touched me. I mean, not in that way. Not in a bad way.’
‘But he did touch you,’ Sarah says.
Rowena nods.
‘Were you having a relationship with Silas?’ Mohsin asks.
Rowena looks at Sarah, seemingly torn.
‘I’m a police officer asking you a question,’ Mohsin continues. ‘And you have to tell me the truth. Doesn’t matter what promises you’ve made.’
‘Yes,’ Rowena says.
‘But you said he didn’t look at you?’ Sarah asks gently.
‘He didn’t. I mean, not to start with. It was Jenny he wanted. He was besotted with her; flirted with her all the time. She didn’t flirt back, got a little irritated I think. But I was always there. And finally he noticed me.’
‘How did that make you feel?’ Sarah asks.
‘Unbelievably lucky.’
For a moment she looks happy and proud.
‘Going back, Rowena,’ Sarah says. ‘You said he’d never touched you in a bad way?’
She nods.
‘Has he
Rowena turns away.
‘Rowena?’
She doesn’t reply.
‘You said to me that someone can have the angel and the devil inside them?’ Sarah says, coaxing. ‘And that your job is to get rid of the devil?’
Rowena turns to face her.
‘It sounds medieval, I know. You could put it a different way, go twenty-first century and talk about multiple personalities, but the cure’s the same, I think. Just love. Loving someone can cast out the devil or make a person mentally well again. If you love them enough.’
‘Has Silas been to visit you here?’ Mohsin asks.
‘No. It’s over between us. A while ago, actually. But even if we were still together, well, he wouldn’t want Mum to see him with me.’
‘Your mum doesn’t like him?’ Sarah asks.
‘No. She wanted me to break it off.’
‘And did you?’
‘Yes. I mean, I didn’t want to upset Mum so much. I don’t think he understood though.’
‘Was it your parents who told the
‘It was just Mum. Daddy said it wasn’t fair to try and get someone the sack. Not for personal reasons. Said it wasn’t right. But Mummy hates Silas. So she phoned the paper.’
Good for Maisie. Vestiges of the friend I used to know remain intact when it counts. She might not have left Donald but she stood up for her daughter with Silas.
I’m not sure if she knew that her phone call would lead to the bankruptcy of her family. But I think even if she did, she would still have gone ahead.
‘How old were you last summer, when it started?’ Sarah asks.
‘Sixteen. But my birthday’s in August, so I was almost seventeen.’
‘You must have missed him, after you had to break it off?’
Rowena nods, upset.
‘Did he try and get in touch with you again?’
She nods, tears spilling now.
‘Did he ever ask you to do something for him? Something that you knew was wrong?’
‘No, of course not. I mean, Silas wouldn’t do something like that to me. He’s always been kind to me.’
She’s a terrible liar.
A nurse comes in. ‘I need to change her dressings and give her her antibiotics.’
Mohsin stands up. ‘We’ll see you a little later, Rowena, OK?’
Mohsin and Sarah leave.
‘So it’s textbook – abused child goes for abusive partner?’ Mohsin asks.
‘Could stick it up on PowerPoint at the next domestic violence seminar,’ Sarah replies. ‘Some experts think it’s because the abused girl hopes that she can make the abusive partner love her and be kind to her. And that will somehow make amends for her father. She’ll be making her father love her by proxy.’
‘Sounds like bullshit to me,’ Mohsin says. ‘I’ll call the station and get someone down here with the recording equipment. We’ll do it all by Baker’s bloody
Sarah nods.
‘Do you think Silas Hyman asked her to start the fire?’ Mohsin asks.
‘I don’t know. It’s possible but I think it’s more likely that she enabled him to do it. She’s clearly vulnerable to
