‘Turning up how?’
‘In my shoes, in my pockets and books, in places in the grounds where only I went.’
‘What did they say?’ asked Hogarth, helping himself to a handful of cheese puffs.
‘They were offers of help. Help to get children out of the school. The ones who … they were desperate because their parents wouldn’t hear a word against Growan House. Even the ones who had parents who were worried, didn’t know what to do. You see, as I said, the parents and the children — I don’t know if it was encouraged or it happened by itself but — they made a sort of club of themselves. They stopped seeing old friends and even family. They were all so locked into the Dowrkampyers, they couldn’t see a way out when they finally wanted it.’
Elodie looked at Hogarth as though pleading for his understanding ‘Where could they go? They felt lucky to have whatever jobs they had. The Dowrkampyers had power and influence. What if they could get the parents fired and discredited? How could these families make a new life anywhere else from what little they’d got?’
Hogarth nodded. ‘I do see, Elodie. So ...?’
‘That’s where the escape lines came in. They got the children away and then the family. Sometimes both at the same time. They found homes, jobs and schools for them in other places. They were very organised. There were two lines: one east across the border —’
‘The Tamar? The Cornish-English border?’
‘Yes and the other, across the water. To France.’
‘Was it the same person or people running both lines, do you think?’
‘I don’t know. I never saw any faces clearly or ... they wanted to keep me as safe as possible and the less I knew ....’
‘Of course. So how were you involved?’
Elodie drank some tea, then answered,
‘With the east line, I just had to get the children off the Moor to different places on the roads.’
‘On foot? By bus?’
‘George taught me how to drive, and I’d borrow his van. I don’t really know how involved he was, but he gave me the means to be part of the lines, and at least looked the other way. The coast ones were more difficult. I had to get the children to the beach.’
‘At Parhayle?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why the beach and not the harbour?’ Hogarth enquired.
‘Too many eyes, too many lights. The beach wasn’t lit or watched at night. The boats came at least once a month, usually on the Kali moon — the dark moon — sailing by the stars, the tides and currents, at least at first, so there would be no sound from the motor.’
‘Did you meet any members of the escape lines?’
‘They were just A and B: A for the route to the border, B for France. Sometimes the parents would be waiting with the people coming to collect the children, but not always. I just had to get the children to the beach, as I say, but sometimes the children were scared, and I had to go right to the boats with them. The sailors — fishermen, I suppose — had their hoods up so I couldn’t see their face, but I heard the names of the two skippers being called out by their crews. It was the same with the border. I didn’t see the faces of those people either. I had to wait with the children, so they weren’t alone at night. The children were very brave.’
‘Sounds extremely dangerous. You were very brave too,’ marvelled Hogarth.
‘No, Chief Inspector. That wasn’t the part I had to be brave for.’
‘Oh?’
‘I knew whatever spell was put on the children happened in the lab in the crypt. I thought about the notes I’d seen in the office. At certain times the shredder was going all day, and the shredded paper was burned. I knew sometimes the children got better even if they got worse again after. And I knew, during the times they got worse, they were continuing to visit the lab regularly, and, at first, when they were recovering. No conventional medicine helped their conditions, so the only hope of getting them better had to be down there.’
‘Sounds reasonable. How did you get in?’
Elodie smiled. ‘I’m not the sort people notice. Also, the admin staff were used to me running errands. On the next lab visit scheduled for one of the children — Kevin — I followed him and the teacher down there. Stone steps make no noise, especially under stockinged feet. I listened to the words the teacher said at the doors. That’s how they unlocked them. Not with keys but with words. Kevin lagged behind a little, long enough to let me in the first time. No alarms when off.’
‘Do you remember the words?’
‘Yes. I’ll give you the list.’
‘Thank you. Please go on, Elodie.’
‘So, the night an escape was to take place, I went down there and took the child with me. I looked in the big book. Each student knew what the spell was supposed to do. There were pictures so we could find what we were looking for. Oh, it all had to be done so quickly, Chief Inspector! I would find the spell and the antidote. It was all in a strange language, but there were jars and boxes on the shelves, and they were labelled. Very specific and every one of them things I’d never heard of. The concoctions were brewed in a great big bowl, and sometimes all this horrible smelling steam would come up out of it. I
