Penny! Penny! Over here, love!’ Penny flicked her cigarette out of the kitchen door and came to see what the fuss was about.
Ruth took a pair of latex gloves out of her bag and slipped them on, then slit open the envelope. A lock of blonde hair fell out when she shook it, followed by a letter.
Derek picked up the hair. ‘That’s Annie’s, I’m sure of it.’
Penny took it from him, felt the texture with her fingers, then held it to her nose. ‘He’s washed her hair in something,’ she said. ‘Annie’s hair normally smells of apples. This is more like detergent.’
‘Have you got something of Annie’s that would have her fingerprints on it?’ asked Ruth.
‘Can I see that, please?’ Derek reached for the letter with trembling fingers.
‘Sorry,’ said Ruth, holding it away from him, ‘but you mustn’t touch it. It’s evidence.’
‘Of course,’ said Derek. ‘What does it say?’
Ruth scanned it and her heart sank. ‘It’s not her words,’ she told them. ‘Whoever has her must have made her write this.’
‘But what does it say?’ asked Penny.
Derek and Penny sat either side of Ruth and she held the letter out for them to see. Penny read just a few lines, then turned away and started to cry. Derek read it all, as did Tina, who had crept round behind the couch and was looking over Ruth’s shoulder. She crept back and tried to put her arms round her mum, but Penny pushed her away.
***
‘We got a match on the fingerprints. The letter we received was definitely handled by Annie Snowdon,’ said Ruth.
‘What do you think it means?’ Karen Fitzgerald was studying a photocopy. ‘“I am going to be in a better place, with God, and you will never see me again.”’
‘I hope it doesn’t mean what it sounds like,’ said Ruth.
‘Significant that we got this after we let Cotter go.’
Ruth nodded. ‘It certainly makes him look guilty. Did anyone following him see him do anything suspicious?’
Karen shook her head. ‘He never put a foot wrong, not so as anyone noticed, anyway.’
‘So how the hell did he get to Annie?’
She shrugged. ‘I honestly have no idea.’
‘Does the house have a basement? A garage? A shed? Outhouses? Anything at all, any place he might have that child concealed?’
‘The team went over it inch by inch, from top to bottom. They were in the loft, they had floorboards up, the works.’ She scratched her head. ‘You don’t suppose he could have a tunnel … or a pit dug under the garage … Jesus, there must be something. He’s been in contact with that girl. The letter was posted in the town, he works at the Civic Centre.’
‘Did anyone see him post anything?’
‘They say not. They can’t remember seeing him do anything like that, anyway.’
‘Could the wife have done it?’
‘She hasn’t been across the doors. She’s still not very well and she’s scared of facing the neighbours. The house was pelted with eggs last night. Made a right mess. She hasn’t even been out to clean that up.’
‘Christ, Karen, what the hell can we do? According to this, the kid’s saying goodbye before she goes to live with God. What the hell are we supposed to think?’
***
The television appeal by MC Boyz had given the enquiry a boost and the phones had been red hot with tips, suggestions and sightings. Once more, however, as each one was checked out it came to nothing. Annie Snowdon had simply vanished into thin air.
Ruth was at the Snowdon house when she got a call from a very excited DC Rob Winter. ‘You’re not going to believe this, Ruth,’ he said, tripping over his words in his haste to get them out. ‘It’s Cotter. He’s confessed.’
***
‘You’re kidding!’ PC Dave Cross was hearing the tale from Ian Atkinson.
‘Straight up. Rang Fitzie and said he had something to tell her, then came in and coughed to the whole thing.’
‘So where’s the bairn?’
‘He reckons he suffocated her by accident while he
Ruth took a pair of latex gloves out of her bag and slipped them on, then slit open the envelope. A lock of blonde hair fell out when she shook it, followed by a letter.
Derek picked up the hair. ‘That’s Annie’s, I’m sure of it.’
Penny took it from him, felt the texture with her fingers, then held it to her nose. ‘He’s washed her hair in something,’ she said. ‘Annie’s hair normally smells of apples. This is more like detergent.’
‘Have you got something of Annie’s that would have her fingerprints on it?’ asked Ruth.
‘Can I see that, please?’ Derek reached for the letter with trembling fingers.
‘Sorry,’ said Ruth, holding it away from him, ‘but you mustn’t touch it. It’s evidence.’
‘Of course,’ said Derek. ‘What does it say?’
Ruth scanned it and her heart sank. ‘It’s not her words,’ she told them. ‘Whoever has her must have made her write this.’
‘But what does it say?’ asked Penny.
Derek and Penny sat either side of Ruth and she held the letter out for them to see. Penny read just a few lines, then turned away and started to cry. Derek read it all, as did Tina, who had crept round behind the couch and was looking over Ruth’s shoulder. She crept back and tried to put her arms round her mum, but Penny pushed her away.
***
‘We got a match on the fingerprints. The letter we received was definitely handled by Annie Snowdon,’ said Ruth.
‘What do you think it means?’ Karen Fitzgerald was studying a photocopy. ‘“I am going to be in a better place, with God, and you will never see me again.”’
‘I hope it doesn’t mean what it sounds like,’ said Ruth.
‘Significant that we got this after we let Cotter go.’
Ruth nodded. ‘It certainly makes him look guilty. Did anyone following him see him do anything suspicious?’
Karen shook her head. ‘He never put a foot wrong, not so as anyone noticed, anyway.’
‘So how the hell did he get to Annie?’
She shrugged. ‘I honestly have no idea.’
‘Does the house have a basement? A garage? A shed? Outhouses? Anything at all, any place he might have that child concealed?’
‘The team went over it inch by inch, from top to bottom. They were in the loft, they had floorboards up, the works.’ She scratched her head. ‘You don’t suppose he could have a tunnel … or a pit dug under the garage … Jesus, there must be something. He’s been in contact with that girl. The letter was posted in the town, he works at the Civic Centre.’
‘Did anyone see him post anything?’
‘They say not. They can’t remember seeing him do anything like that, anyway.’
‘Could the wife have done it?’
‘She hasn’t been across the doors. She’s still not very well and she’s scared of facing the neighbours. The house was pelted with eggs last night. Made a right mess. She hasn’t even been out to clean that up.’
‘Christ, Karen, what the hell can we do? According to this, the kid’s saying goodbye before she goes to live with God. What the hell are we supposed to think?’
***
The television appeal by MC Boyz had given the enquiry a boost and the phones had been red hot with tips, suggestions and sightings. Once more, however, as each one was checked out it came to nothing. Annie Snowdon had simply vanished into thin air.
Ruth was at the Snowdon house when she got a call from a very excited DC Rob Winter. ‘You’re not going to believe this, Ruth,’ he said, tripping over his words in his haste to get them out. ‘It’s Cotter. He’s confessed.’
***
‘You’re kidding!’ PC Dave Cross was hearing the tale from Ian Atkinson.
‘Straight up. Rang Fitzie and said he had something to tell her, then came in and coughed to the whole thing.’
‘So where’s the bairn?’
‘He reckons he suffocated her by accident while he
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