boxes. Matt definitely plays – or played with her head, I’m sure of it.’ An example comes back to me, which at the time, I hadn’t known what to make of. ‘It happened when they started planning their wedding. Mum had this dream of getting married on a beach and Matt had completely gone along with it – or at least, that was what she told me. She and I went dress shopping and bought the perfect dresses for a beach wedding – without shoes, because we were going to be barefoot … Mum had it all planned out. She was so excited, but when she told him, he convinced her they’d discussed it the night before and changed their minds. He couldn’t believe she’d forgotten.’ I shake my head. I hadn’t been able to work out if he was making it up or if she really had forgotten. ‘She was sure she’d provisionally booked it. She said they’d confirmed over email, but when she went to check, the emails weren’t there.’
‘It hardly seems likely she’d have forgotten a conversation about their wedding.’ PC Page frowns. ‘The only other explanation is that he deliberately deceived her.’ She pauses for a moment, looking thoughtful. ‘Actually, there’s a name for this sort of behaviour, where someone is consistently undermined until they reach a point where they question their own sanity.’
‘What is it?’ I ask her. ‘Because that describes exactly what he’s been doing to her.’
‘Gaslighting.’ She looks at me. ‘It looks as though Matt’s been gaslighting your mother.’ Sitting back, she speaks quietly. ‘It explains so much about how she’s behaved and what she’s said to us about him. It’s a form of emotional abuse. A constant wearing down as a means of control. Psychopaths are often very smooth operators. From what you’ve told me, it sounds as though Matt would have known exactly what he was doing to her.’
As she speaks, I feel myself shiver, thinking of the way Matt used to talk to my mother. It wasn’t just his words, but the way he used them – to manipulate. Like when I learned about Walker’s cycle of violence in one of my uni lectures. About the build-up, explosion, remorse, denial, that keep people caught in relationships they’ll never leave. The way love breaks down, becoming abuse, leading to unimaginable consequences. My eyes stare into hers. ‘I’m sure he knew what he was doing. Sometimes, it was like he wanted me to share the joke, behind her back. Except there was no joke.’
‘For whatever reason, it seems you managed to see through him when your mother couldn’t.’ PC Page shakes her head.
Mystified, I nod. ‘But it still doesn’t explain why he was doing it.’
PC Page shrugs. ‘It can be unconscious. A defence strategy, to prevent emotional intimacy. But given what we know about Matt, I’d say he was up to something.’
‘I think it was deliberate. There’s more you may not know,’ I tell her quickly. ‘I’ve been looking at his Facebook profile. To start with, I thought he was targeting women who had money. I’ve been reading about men who do that kind of thing. Anyway, right from the start, he’s tried to persuade my mother to sell her house and she really doesn’t want to. It’s caused so many rows between them. Sometimes, he wouldn’t speak to her for days. But he never gave up.’
PC Page looks confused. ‘Do you know why she was so determined to hang on to it?’
‘It was her home.’ I shrug. ‘It’s taken years to get the garden the way she needs it – for work. I think Matt wanted to get his hands on her money. I’ve been studying his Facebook friends and the way they’re connected. I’m fairly sure that for some time before they were together, he was building a network, making it easy for them to meet.’
PC Page frowns again. ‘That sounds incredibly contrived. Can you prove anything?’
It does sound unlikely, unless you’ve seen what I’ve seen. ‘I can show you what I’ve found, but that’s the trouble.’ I fold my arms. ‘I’m still looking, but so far, other than money, I can’t find any other reason.’
PC Page looks thoughtful. ‘Where are you going when you leave here?’
‘Home. Cath said she’d stay tonight.’
PC Page shakes her head. ‘I’m afraid you won’t be able to go back to the house. It’s been taped off. Sorry, Jess, but it’s a potential crime scene.’
It’s a blow I hadn’t been expecting. ‘Where do I go?’