The Cold Cold Sea (32 page)

‘She hit me this morning and my nose bled.’

Katie examined the child’s nose. Now she was looking for it, it was slightly swollen, but nothing to indicate a serious injury.

‘That was bad of her, Livvy,’ Howard said. ‘We’ll get a nice doctor to have a proper look at you when you get home. Make sure you’re not hurt at all.’

‘I’m fine,’ said Olivia. ‘I want to put my stuff in a bag now.’

Katie rummaged around for plastic bags and helped Olivia pack everything up. She lifted the lid off the shell box to wrap it in kitchen paper and was startled to find a package of Diazepam inside.

‘Livvy, what are these?’

‘Those are the pills I had to take. But I don’t take them now.’

Howard reached out and took the pills, his face tight. ‘The doc’ll see about this too.’

Eyes brimming with tears, Katie went back to her kitchen paper. Olivia probably hadn’t had many of the pills recently, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t harmed her.

‘Is that the lot now?’ she asked, wrapping the last of the belongings.

Olivia stood still, then touched her shorn head, tears spilling from her eyes.

‘I want my hair back,’ she said.

Katie bent and kissed her. ‘Oh sweetheart, it’s such a pity but it’ll grow again, don’t worry. Listen! Can you hear that?’

A car had drawn up outside, and voices were shouting over the noise of the storm that had quickly gathered pace. Howard went to the door, and Olivia flung her arms round Katie’s neck.

‘Come on, darling,’ said Katie, blinking furiously as two tears escaped and ran down her own cheeks. ‘Let’s go and meet your mum and dad.’

The helicopter lurched sickeningly as it rose into the night sky. The heavy rain was no match for the sharp, quick blades. Maggie reached for Colin’s hand and closed her eyes. She had always hated flying, and this throbbing machine seemed altogether too fragile to risk her life in. But she had to, because it was the quickest way to get to Livvy.

For the first time since Howard’s phone call, Maggie found herself with time to think. Livvy was alive. She was coming home. They had told Joe and watched his eyes grow huge and his face white before a beaming smile burst out of him.

‘Mummy! Livvy’ll be home in time for Christmas!’

‘She’ll be home in time for bed,’ Maggie told him, hardly realising it herself. She and Colin phoned their parents, then Maggie phoned Sue, who immediately offered to come and stay with Joe while Maggie and Colin were away. They would put Olivia’s bedroom back in order, she promised.

After that there was only just time to pack a bag with Livvy’s favourite blackcurrant drink, a packet of biscuits, and Old Bear, of course, cold to touch now after his long sojourn in the attic. A police car arrived to take them to the helicopter, and the driver had more news than Howard had given them.

‘She’s been staying in Polpayne, in a family, as their daughter. Then this afternoon the couple had some kind of accident, and the hospital contacted someone to look after the little girl. She got on to a relative, who said the child in the family had died a couple of years ago, and so it all came out.’

Maggie struggled to take in the words. Livvy was alive.

‘And is she okay? You’re sure she hasn’t been hurt?’

‘We’re pretty sure,’ said the policeman kindly. ‘Bound to have been a bit muddling for her, though.’

And how, thought Maggie. But they could cope with muddles, if that was all that was wrong. She could hear her own heavy breathing and consciously made herself relax. The one thing she had never allowed herself to dream of was happening. She was on her way to fetch Olivia. To bring her home. They had arrived at the helipad beside the hospital at Plymouth, and she was ushered into this horrible, tiny helicopter. Everything was so loud, she could hardly hear herself think. But nothing mattered at all now except the fact that she was going to get her little girl.

‘It’s windy, but don’t worry, we’ll make it alright,’ shouted the pilot, slamming the door shut behind him.

Maggie felt as if her stomach was on one of those ghastly rides at an adventure park, being twisted and turned and shaken upside down, and she found time to be glad that she hadn’t eaten that evening yet. It
was
windy, but she concentrated all her energy into waiting, just waiting to be with her daughter.

Another police car arrived for them when they landed, and Amanda Donnelly, beaming from ear to ear, drove them through dark, wet streets, past a little harbour, then up a hill where they stopped in front of a large white house.

Maggie started to shake. She couldn’t help herself. Colin supported her up the path, gusts of wind blowing her hair all over the place, and then the door opened and Howard was there, smiling broadly, and Maggie realised she had never seen him smile like that before. Behind him was a woman, younger than she was and smaller, and there in her arms was Olivia.

‘Livvy!’

Maggie almost fell forward. Olivia was clutching the woman. The child was pale, her hair was so short and she was all eyes, but dressed in a beautiful blue and white dress, and she was looking at them. Not smiling, not speaking - just looking.

‘Careful, Maggie. She’s fine, but give her a minute,’ said Howard, gripping her elbow.

‘Let’s go into the living room,’ said the woman, turning towards a door. ‘Then you can sit with your mum and dad on the sofa, Livvy, and let them see you’re okay.’

It was all Maggie could do not to wrench Olivia away from this other woman. But Olivia obviously needed time, and thank God, now they
had
time.

‘Livvy. Oh Livvy darling, here we are at last, they brought us as soon as you were found. Are you alright, sweetheart?’ Maggie said, trying desperately to sound calm.

The woman sat Olivia down on the sofa and Maggie perched gingerly beside her. She almost didn’t dare touch her child, but all at once Olivia turned and climbed up into her lap and began to cry. Maggie felt Colin’s arms go round her too, and here she was at last, holding her Livvy safe. There was nothing else to do except be thankful.

‘I’ll make coffee,’ said the woman. ‘You need some time alone.’

Howard left them too, and Maggie sat there in Colin’s arms and holding Olivia, comforting her sobbing child. She had got her world back.

‘It’s going to be okay, Livvy,’ she said. ‘You’re coming home.’

Gradually, the sobs subsided until Olivia was silent, cuddled right up against Maggie.

‘Alright?’ said Maggie, forcing her own tears back. She kissed Olivia. ‘You must have been so frightened, darling, but we’ve got you safe now.’

Olivia looked from her to Colin and gave a little smile. Maggie blinked furiously.

‘Who’s the lady?’ said Colin, and Olivia sat up straighter.

‘And what about the people who kept you here?’ said Maggie, pulling out a tissue and wiping her eyes.

‘That’s Miss McLure, she’s my teacher,’ said Olivia, and Maggie was simply thrilled to hear her daughter’s voice. Olivia sounded
comfortable
. She might have been frightened and distressed, but she was able to be comfortable now. Another band slackened round Maggie’s insides.

‘A school teacher?’ Colin gave an almost laugh. ‘They sent you to school?’

Miss McLure came in with a coffee tray, and Maggie looked at her. This woman had discovered that Livvy was in the wrong place. She would never be able to thank her enough.

‘Miss McLure, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much for helping Livvy.’ She turned to Howard who had followed Katie back in the room. ‘Can you please tell me what’s been going on here?’

She wanted to know everything, every detail of her child’s life over the past months. The very first part of the story almost defied belief, though.

‘This woman took Livvy right up to the top of the cliff path and Colin and I
didn’t notice?
’

‘Maggie,’ said Howard. ‘One thing I’ve learned from police work over the years is that unbelievable things happen right under people’s noses every day of the week, without anyone being any the wiser. And you know that most of the path isn’t visible from the beach. My guess would be that Jennifer Marshall saw Olivia somewhere, in a shop or wherever, was struck by the resemblance to her own child, and followed you home. She may have been watching you for days, waiting for an opportunity to take Olivia.’

Maggie shuddered. Watching them for days.

‘We haven’t been able to question the Marshalls yet,’ Howard said. ‘But we’re fairly sure Livvy was kept drugged at a different place. We don’t know yet where that was. But then they moved here to Polpayne shortly afterwards, and Livvy became Hailey Marshall and started school. And Katie has more or less saved her sanity, I’m sure.’

‘Mrs Marshall was alone here with Olivia at first,’ said Katie McLure. ‘She always struck me as being a very emotionless kind of person. Then when Mr Marshall came back from staying in America he looked after Hai - I mean Olivia more, and that was better for her. He was warmer, much more normal. It’s unbelievable he went along with it all. I just wish I’d twigged to what was going on a whole lot sooner than I did.’

Olivia jerked upright on Maggie’s knee. ‘Am I going to school on Monday?’

‘Sweetheart, I’m afraid we live much too far away for you to go to school here,’ Maggie said. ‘But don’t worry. If you want to you can go to pre-school in Carlton Bridge after Christmas.’

She saw Olivia’s face fall.

‘Tell you what - we’ll drive over one day next week and visit Miss McLure and your class, and you can say goodbye to the children. How’s that?’

Olivia still looked doubtful, and Maggie felt hot tears pricking in her eyes.

‘Great idea, we’ll have a party,’ said Katie McLure, crouching beside the sofa. ‘We’ll have a “Goodbye Hailey Hello Olivia” party.’

‘With a cake,’ said Maggie, warming to the idea. ‘A birthday cake - you missed your birthday.’

‘With pink and white candles!’ cried Olivia, her whole face lighting up, and Maggie felt tears run down her face as she clutched her daughter to her heart.

He had no idea how long he had been unconscious. When he came round, Phillip was lying in a hospital bed and all he was aware of at first was a dull pain in his leg and a tightness round his chest. The van. There had been an accident. Where was Jennifer, and what had happened to Hailey? The events of the day crashed into his head and he moaned, then stopped because it hurt.

Carefully, Phillip moved his head and saw that he was in a room all by himself. He had a drip going into his left arm and there was a bank of monitors beside the bed but they didn’t appear to be switched on.

The bed sheets were draped on a cage over his legs. His left foot was encased in something, and his head felt tight too. He raised a hand to touch it, and a nurse hurried in.

‘Good, you’re awake. Do you remember what happened?’

His throat hurt when he spoke. ‘It was a van. We were hit by a van in the car park.’

‘That’s right. We gave you a short anaesthetic to get you sorted. You’ve got seven stitches in your head so don’t touch it, and your leg’s broken, it might need an op but it won’t be today. You’ve got a couple of broken ribs too so lie still. Nothing dangerous, though, don’t worry. This is the orthopaedic ward. You’re in the side room at the moment but I expect they’ll move you through to the main ward soon.’

‘My wife and my - the children?’

‘I’ll go and find out for you.’

She patted his shoulder and left, and Phillip stared after her. She couldn’t know about Hailey, or she wouldn’t have been so kind. What a mess he was in. Would he be prosecuted? Charged? Of course he would. And Jennifer, what would happen to her? And Hailey?

The nurse would find out about that and there would be no more kindness or patted shoulders, because he had done an appalling thing. They would all despise him and they’d be right. He wouldn’t blame them. What was he going to do? There was no-one he could turn to for help. Christ, he had assisted his mad wife to abduct and hold a child, who would help him? If only he could turn the clock back.

The nurse returned with an older woman a few minutes later. Both their faces were grave, and Phillip braced himself for contempt.

But the news wasn’t what he was expecting.

‘Mr Marshall, I’m Sarah Campbell, consultant orthopaedic surgeon. I’ve been overseeing your treatment since your arrival.’

As she spoke she was checking his pulse. The nurse stood silently to one side while the doctor sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him. Phillip nodded, his mouth dry.

‘I’m afraid I have some very bad news for you. Mr Marshall, your wife was brought in with some very severe injuries, and I’m afraid we were unable to save her. Jennifer died a little while ago in the A&E department, but I can assure you she didn’t suffer. I’m very sorry.’

He stared, then nodded, aware that panic was making his heartrate increase. Jennifer was dead. He was alone now. No Gran, no wife, no child. Tears burned hotly in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks. The nurse wiped them away before giving him a tissue in his hand.

Sarah Campbell stood up. The kind expression was still there.

‘We’ll leave you alone for a while now. There’s a police officer coming to see you about the girl who was with you, but that can wait a little.’

She squeezed his hand and left, the nurse following on.

Left alone, Phillip lay struggling to breathe calmly. Sobbing hurt his ribs. An image of his wife before Hailey had died, before the Black Patch, swam in front of his eyes. He had failed her. Her death was his fault too. If he’d got help as soon as he’d returned she would still be alive today. Hailey who was Livvy would have gone home and maybe he’d have been able to see her sometime.

It was about fifteen minutes later when they came back, and he knew by their faces what had happened. Now they knew; someone had told them all about the child who wasn’t his daughter. The nurse didn’t meet his eyes as she checked his foot from the bottom of the bed, and the doctor spoke briskly and coldly.

‘The police officer’s here and I think you can manage to speak to her for a few minutes. Ring if you feel it’s too much for you.’