WILSON: ‘You’ll have to ask them, but as far as I know, none of them ever came forward. Too scared, probably, and who can blame them? It takes real courage to stand up to that sort of evil, and even when you do, you end up not being believed.
‘But I know what I saw. I’ve never forgotten it, and now, finally that wicked girl has confessed to her sins. May the Good Lord forgive her and have mercy on her soul, because I can’t see who else she’s going to get it from. Certainly not me or those poor twins.’
CHAPTER NINE
‘I’m guessing you didn’t believe any of that shit,’ Connor remarked as he and Cristy returned to the car.
‘Not a word,’ she replied, and lowered her hood as she slipped into the passenger side. ‘You could tell he was getting off on it … All those naked cavortings, horns and phalluses …’ She shuddered. ‘In his dreams … I feel like I need a hot shower now.’
Backing out of the space next to the Ivorsons’ garage, Connor said, ‘I can’t believe Clove and Jacks didn’t see straight through him.’
‘It’s my guess they did and decided to share,’ Cristy said dryly. ‘To return the favour, we’ll get them to check with the local authority whether there were any similar complaints at the time. That should be fun, trying to explain a satanic cult to a Gen Z connectivity specialist from the perspective of a local pervert.’
Laughing, Connor said, ‘Connectivity specialist? Is that what they call telephone operators these days?’
‘Something like that.’ After checking her phone and findingCan’t waitfrom Kinsley, and a flurry of chat between her children on WhatsApp, Cristy closed her eyes and let her head drop back against the seat. She felt so tired all of a sudden, so incredibly weary, as if everything in her was shutting down …
When she looked up again, they were minutes away from the studios.
‘You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?’ Connor challenged as he turned along the cobbled lane and into the car park.
Embarrassed that she’d dropped off, especially as her mouth had clearly fallen open, she straightened up too quickly and immediately felt dizzy. What the heck was wrong with her? Groaning inwardly as she recalled her fluctuating hormones, she said, ‘Sorry, I … What were you saying?’
‘I was telling you about my daughter’s latest teeth,’ he replied. ‘As her godmother, I thought you might be interested.’
‘I am. Definitely. Why, what’s happening to them?’
‘Well, they just keep showing up. She must have at least forty by now.’
Laughing, Cristy flipped his arm and climbed out of the car. ‘Looks like she’s here,’ she commented, spotting his wife’s car next to her own. ‘Were you expecting them?’
‘Not this early, but Jodi’s working later, so chances are she’s come to remind me that I’m in charge tonight. You could join us if you like. Me, you and Aurora. I’ll cook.’
‘While I do the nappies and bath-time? Count me in. I might ask Aiden if he wants to join us. Matthew’s in Davos this week, as is David actually, and the last I heard, they’re meeting for dinner tonight. Strange world, isn’t it?’
The instant they walked into the office, Aurora gave a shriek of delight and waved her little fists in the air as Cristy went to scoop her into her arms.
‘My angel,’ Cristy cooed into her silky soft baby neck, acutely aware of the two other babies whose images were on the whiteboard behind her. ‘It’s lovely to see you.’
‘Da, da, da, da,’ Aurora chortled, grabbing Cristy’s cheeks and blowing bubbles against her lips.
‘Lovely.’ Cristy laughed and held out an arm to hug Jodi as she came to join them, supermodel figure and glowing looks fully restored a year after giving birth. ‘I hear you’re leaving Daddy in charge tonight?’ she said.
‘I’ve got a meeting for a story in Weston,’ Jodi explained,dabbing drool from the baby’s chin. ‘Green shoots and new piers – don’t ask, but the contributor’s fantastic, a real eccentric the audience is going to love.’
‘For your pod or for a news insert?’ Cristy asked, trying to keep out of Aurora’s grasp. She needed to remember that Jodi had returned to making herHappypods now and loved what she did – right here in Bristol, her hometown. What right did she, Cristy, have to try and tempt her husband into changing their world? Where was it going to leave them if she, Cristy, bailed and left them to fend on their own?
Belatedly spotting Iz, their sponsorship liaison rep, watching and beaming from her little desk in the corner, Cristy handed the baby to Connor and shrugged off her coat. ‘Hi. I didn’t realize you were coming today, Iz. How are you?’
‘Yeah, I’m great thanks,’ Iz gushed, starting to get up, sitting back down, then finally launching herself awkwardly at Cristy for a hug. ‘I’ve missed you guys since the last series ended. Now, with a real biggie in the works for the next, I thought I’d come and check out progress in person.’ With her shiny round face, multicoloured hair and fast-blinking eyes, she was so guilelessly keen and desperate to be liked that Cristy hugged her twice.
Connor said, ‘We don’t need checking up on, Iz. We’ll call when we’re ready to discuss—’
‘Sorry,’ Iz broke in hastily, ‘I didn’t express myself well. Not checking up, just touching base, and Clove and Jacks have been filling me in on what’s been happening since my initial chat with Cristy. The Nicole Ivorson case, no less. Wow!’ She danced a little jig, shoulders hunched, fists pumping. ‘And you have history there, Cristy. This is going to be amazing – I know it. We’ll have sponsors falling over themselves … Any thoughts on when you might start the uploads?’
‘Give us a chance,’ Connor protested. ‘She only got out a week ago, and we’re still pretty scant on details of conditions etc, including where she is.’
‘And whether she’ll talk to us if we do find her,’ Cristy added, turning to Clove and Jacks. ‘Any news to share?’
