Dear Dawn (I know you are Zoe now but wanted to call you that name just once),
I can’t pretend it wasn’t a shock to hear from you. I’ve always thought about you, though, and I’m glad that your adoption was a happy one. I’m afraid I don’t feel able to meet with you just yet. I haven’t told my husband and children about you and I still don’t feel ready to do so. One day, I’m sure, our time will come.
You deserve to hear the story of your birth. I met Derek at the bank where I worked. He was older than me and seemed glamorous and sophisticated. We started an affair (an awful word but what’s the alternative?) but I didn’t know he was married. I only found out when I fell pregnant with you. Derek refused to leave his wife and I couldn’t face life as a single mother. They were different times then. My daughter is a wonderful single parent but I didn’t have her courage. My parents were furious and I went into an ‘unmarried mother’s home’ to have you. I was only allowed to see you once. You were a beautiful baby and it broke my heart to say goodbye to you. I named you Dawn after Sleeping Beauty. I was told that your foster parents were good people and I managed to find out where they lived. I even went to their cottage one day but wasn’t brave enough to knock on the door. I took a photograph of the house– little knowing how important it was going to be to my family– and have often looked at it over the years.
Shortly after your birth, I met Arthur and married him. He was already a Christian but we were both Born Again fourteen years later. God has been such a comfort to me. I hope He is in your life. We have two children. Simon is married with two grown-up sons. Ruth is a very successful archaeologist (she has written books!!) and she has a lovely daughter, Kate. I do hope you can meet them all one day.
God bless you.
Your mother
Jean
Ruth finishes this letter in a haze of tears.Our time will come. A wonderful single parent. It broke my heart to say goodbye to you. She has written books!!
She thinks she loves her mother more for those two exclamation marks than for anything else.
Chapter 43
The next morning, Tanya interviews Hugh Baxter in the largest custody suite. His solicitor, Shobna Harris, is present only via Zoom, which is the way they have to do things these days. But Tanya is taking no chances and there’s an ‘appropriate adult’, a social worker called Belinda Carter, sitting two metres away from Hugh. Shobna is on screen wearing a neat white blouse and black jacket. Tanya wonders if she has her pyjamas on underneath. Tony is also in the room and everyone is masked except Hugh who says he is exempt for medical reasons. Nelson is watching through the two-way mirror.
‘This is DS Tanya Fuller. With me is DC Tony Zhang. We’re interviewing Hugh Everard Baxter under caution in the presence of his legal representative, via Zoom, and Belinda Carter, acting as an appropriate adult.’
Hugh Baxter blinks at her. He has mild blue eyes, but Tanya is not taken in by this or by his sparse comb-over. When she’d apprehended Baxter last night, he had flashed her a look that was pure evil.
‘Do you understand that this is an interview under caution?’ she says. ‘You have the right to silence but it may harm your defence if you do not mention something when questioned that you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.’
Hugh looks towards the screen and Shobna nods. He says, ‘I understand.’
‘Do you know Zoe Hilton? She’s a practice nurse at Westway Surgery.’
‘I do go to Westway. I have angina and high blood pressure.’ Hugh gives Tanya a pathetic look, which she ignores.
‘And do you know Zoe?’ Tanya pushes a photograph across the table.
‘I think I recognise her.’
‘On Tuesday, thirty-first of March, did you telephone Zoe and ask her to meet you at Steward’s House tourist information centre? I should remind you that we have your phone records.’
‘I can’t remember,’ says Hugh.
‘And, when Zoe arrived at Steward’s House, did you imprison her against her will in the cellar?’
‘No!’ Hugh sounds shocked. ‘I wouldn’t do that.’
‘We have CCTV footage that shows you entering Steward’s House on Wednesday the first and Thursday the second,’ says Tanya.
‘CCTV?’ Hugh sounds as if he’s never heard of it.
‘You’re on camera,’ says Tanya. The footage arrived that morning. She thanks God for the cathedral’s security system. ‘We have photographs.’
‘I don’t remember,’ says Hugh.
Tony leans forward, his voice full of sympathy. ‘Would you like a glass of water?’
‘Yes please,’ says Hugh quaveringly. Tony pours a glass from the jug on the table.
‘Mr Baxter,’ he says, ‘you were good friends with Avril Flowers, weren’t you?’
