“Was Rachel upset about anything before she disappeared?”
“Upset? What did she have to be upset about? She was beautiful, clever and she had lots of friends.”
A perfect life. Except it wasn't.
“I remember her staying at home more in the days before she disappeared,” Jo said, watching her mother for a reaction. “Her friends said she didn't want to go out, turned down invitations to parties and get togethers. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”
“Nonsense,” said Valerie, but something about her expression made Jo push on.
“Come on, mum. I know there was something wrong. What was it?”
“Oh, dear. It was so long ago. Why is this important now?”
“Because it might have a bearing on the case.” She only just kept the exasperation out of her voice.
“It doesn’t. Rachel hadn’t been feeling well, that’s all. She’d been fighting off a virus. It was nothing serious.”
Was that all it was?
“What happened to Uncle Hubert?” She changed the subject.
Her mother twitched involuntarily and dropped a stitch.
“Whatever made you think of him?” She fumbled with the needles.
“I don’t know. I remembered he used to come over a lot when dad was away. We were always going over to their house for barbecues, do you remember? Then Rachel disappeared and you stopped seeing him.”
“I was too distraught to see anyone after she disappeared.” Her voice was a whisper. Jo thought she’d pushed her too far, but she had to know. Although her hands trembled, she remained compos mentis.
“Were you and Uncle Hubert having an affair?”
Her mother didn’t reply, just stared off into the past.
That’s a yes, thought Jo.
She took a deep breath. Her next question could push her mother over the edge.
“Was he abusing Rachel?”
Her mother blinked, but the tears welled up in her eyes.
“Is that what happened, mum?” Jo asked gently. “Did you find out and break up with him? But it was too late for Rachel, wasn’t it? The damage had been done.”
“She was pregnant,” whispered Valerie. Tears overflowed and cascaded down her face.
Jo had never seen her mother cry before. She usually shut down in a sort of glazed numbness, cocooned from the world. This was better.
“Rachel told me one night when I tucked her up. She said it had been going on for months. I was furious. I wanted to kill him.”
Jo felt the rage bubble up inside of her and she took her mother’s hand.
“Then what happened.”
“I went round there and screamed at him in front of Margaret and the children. I couldn't help myself, I was so angry.”
“That’s understandable,” Jo said. “What did he do?”
“He denied everything. Told me it was all rubbish and that Rachel was lying.”
Jo glimpsed a flicker of indignation, although it didn’t burn long enough to ignite.
“What happened?” she whispered.
Valerie shrugged. “Hubert stormed out. I ran home to make sure he hadn’t gone there, but he was too much of a coward for that. I never saw him again.”
“Dad must have been furious.” Her father had been away at the time. What happened after his return was sketchy at best. Jo had flimsy memories of him coming and going, and then he wasn’t there anymore.
“I’d never seen him so angry. Of course, I didn’t tell him who was responsible until he got home. That's when he confronted Hubert.”
Jo’s eyes widened.
Go Dad.
“They had a massive fight. Margaret had to call the police. They both spent the night in jail.”
There’d be a record of that somewhere.
“Why didn’t you tell the police about her pregnancy?” asked Jo. “About Uncle Hubert?”
Valerie shook her head. “I didn’t want everyone to know. I was so ashamed.”
Jo put her head in her hands.
“Mum, how do you know it wasn’t Hubert who took her?” He had more than enough of a motive.
She shook her head. Rachel disappeared the day of the fight. Both your father and Hubert were in police custody.
A nursing sister came to check on them and enquired if they’d like some fresh tea. After that discussion, Jo was tempted to ask her if they had anything stronger.
“Tea would be lovely,” she replied.
When she turned back to her mother, Valerie’s face was wet with tears. Moved, Jo shook her hand. “I can’t believe you never told me any of this.”
“You were too young to understand.”
“But what about when I was older? I had a right to know.”
Valerie didn’t respond. Had she pushed her too far? Caused all those painful memories to come flooding back. Hopefully, her mother wouldn’t have a relapse.
“Hubert should have been prosecuted,” she muttered. “Men like him are predators and need to be locked up.”
Valerie nodded, but the glazed look was coming back. Jo saw her mother zone out and she knew that she’d lost her. Telling her youngest daughter the truth had taken it out of her. There was no point in continuing the conversation.
She got up to leave, kissing her mother on the forehead. “Bye mum, I’ll come and see you again soon.”
No response.
She sighed. Maybe it was better if she didn’t. Her mother couldn’t cope with remembering.
Then, she recalled Michael Robertson.
“Mum, do you remember a boy who Rachel was friendly with? Tall, skinny, with glasses?”
No response.
“Okay, never mind. I’ll see you soon.”
She left her mother sitting there like a zombie, the knitting in her lap, and went to speak to the nurse.
46
“I’ve got the DNA results back,” said Liz.
Rob clutched the phone. “Yes?”
“Not your perp, I’m afraid. It belongs to her father, Cole Nolan.”
Fuck.
“I’m sorry, Rob. I know you were hoping for a lead.”
She didn’t know how much. He sighed heavily. “Thanks, Liz.”
He collapsed into his chair. Fuck. How was it the killer could murder and bury six girls and not leave a shred of evidence?
“She was ten years old,” said Jenny, beside him. Most of the team were in now, only Evan was missing. “What kind of monster rapes his ten year old daughter.”
Rob shook his head. It was beyond comprehension.
“We’ve got him, though. Got his DNA under her fingernails. I’m going to have a word with
