red and pours two large glasses. ‘Here, get that down you. You’re in shock.’
Ruby takes the glass and starts to drink. The wine makes its way to her head, and she immediately feels woozy. Lewis sits on the edge of the sofa and strokes her legs.
‘I begged you to come with me, but you wouldn’t,’ she says.
‘I had to work.’
She wipes her cheeks with the sleeve of her jumper. ‘If you’d been there, they wouldn’t have dared.’
‘How on earth did they get in?’
She shrugs. ‘The police are still trying to work it out. The detective who interviewed me seemed to think they might have had a key.’
Lewis’s eyebrows rise. ‘Really? Well, that narrows it down a bit. Who has keys? Cleaners … neighbours … builders?’ He tips his glass, thinking. ‘Hang on, the flat used to be a rental, didn’t it? Did Amber and George change the locks when they moved in?’
‘Probably, knowing them.’
‘If they didn’t, it could be a previous tenant. There could be dozens of spares knocking around.’
Ruby jolts. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. Should I mention it to the police?’
‘Not now.’ He pats her. ‘You’ve been through enough for one day. They’re bound to ask Amber and George about it.’
‘My chest is so tight, Lew, there’s this hard lump right here. It’s like a piece of my heart has broken off and got stuck. It really hurts.’
‘Just try to relax.’
‘How can I, when she’s out there somewhere, all on her own?’ She sniffs up more tears. ‘Have you spoken to Amber?’
‘No. Nothing from George, either, but your mother left a message on the answerphone.’
‘Oh?’ She makes a move towards the machine, but he raises his hand.
‘Don’t listen to it. She was very upset; I’m sure she didn’t mean some of the things she said, but I would steer clear of her place for now.’
‘I knew she’d blame me.’ Ruby drains her glass, then holds it out for a refill.
‘Amber and George are staying with her tonight because they can’t go back to the flat.’
‘No, it’s a crime scene.’ Ruby watches the red liquid glug out of the bottle. ‘They took my DNA. I’ve never had that done before. It made me feel so guilty.’
‘You didn’t do anything wrong.’
‘Amber will never forgive me, not even if Mabel’s found safe and well. Nor will Mum. The family’s broken forever. I’m an outcast.’
Lewis shakes his head. ‘How many more times, it wasn’t your fault, just bad luck. If the guy had a key …’
‘We don’t know it’s a guy.’
‘Well, paedos are usually male.’
She rounds on him. ‘We don’t know it’s a paedo! Please don’t say that, I can’t bear it. This is Mabel we’re talking about – our Mabel!’ Her eyes flash angrily.
‘We have to face facts,’ he says, standing up and walking restlessly across the room. ‘That’s what usually happens in these cases. Either the child just vanishes and is never seen again, or they’re found d—’
‘Please, Lewis, just stop!’
He holds up his hands in surrender and returns to the sofa.
They sit in silence for a few moments, each fighting off their own dark thoughts.
‘We’ve got to be positive,’ she continues. ‘We don’t have any facts, not yet. Anyone could have her. They might be looking after her really well.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ he says, but she can tell he doesn’t believe it. ‘The police must have suspicions about who might have taken her. They have lists.’
She takes a sip and swills the wine thoughtfully around her mouth. ‘They seem to think I’ve got something to do with it.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I don’t know, I just got the impression they thought I was lying. Covering up.’
‘That’s insane. Why would you do that?’
‘They can smell a rat, I’m sure of it. Mabel wasn’t taken from a hospital, or lured into a car, or stolen from a caravan or a campsite – she was in her own home, with all the doors and windows closed and no sign of anyone forcing their way in. Whoever took her knew exactly where and when to find her. And what’s more, she didn’t wake up. Which makes me think maybe she was taken by someone she knew.’
‘What are you trying to say, Rubes?’ he asks slowly.
She wrestles the idea reluctantly out of its hiding place. ‘I don’t know exactly. But Amber’s been acting really strangely lately, completely out of character. I put it down to postnatal depression, but I think it’s more than that – or maybe she’s not depressed at all. She’s definitely been