Page 97 of Guilty Mothers

‘For what?’

‘For the guy fishing over the other side to go. He talked on the phone, and then he packed up and left. There was a man with a black Labrador too. I waited for him to leave and then I did it.’

He himself had seen a man with a black Labrador at the fishing pool the day before when he’d been talking to Ahab. Presumably he was a regular there. But how could Olivia have known that?

‘What did you do?’ he asked.

‘I sneaked forward a bit at a time and then I pushed him in. I pushed him hard. He struggled, and I kept my hand on his head. He tried to reach out. I stamped on his hand. He went limp and then just disappeared. I went home and reported him missing a few hours later.’

The level of detail in her story was compelling, given what they already knew to be true. But could Olivia really have held James’s head underwater? Pushing someone was one thing, but this was someone she professed to have loved. Could she really have held him down until the breath left his body? Could she have stamped on a hand that was reaching out for help?

Despite the questions in his mind, she was offering a convincing account of what had happened.

Except for one thing.

‘What did you do with his stuff?’

‘His wh-what?’

‘The fishing equipment. What did you do with it?’

Panic flashed across her features. ‘I threw it in. I picked it all up and threw it in after he’d disappeared from view.’

‘I’m sorry, Olivia, but I don’t think that’s what happened at all,’ Penn said. Why would she be admitting to something that they knew was totally incorrect? Only the murderer knew where the fishing gear had really gone.

‘It is. I’ve told you the truth. I’ve confessed. I’m not going to change my story, and now I’d like to speak to my lawyer.’

SIXTY-FOUR

Stacey had sent the details she’d uncovered about the abduction to the boss and was awaiting further instruction. She knew the boss was with Katie, and in the meantime, she was focussed on ensuring all the alibis for the girls were solid.

The boss had told her to disregard Katie, so her name had been officially crossed off the list, leaving Lottie and Toyah. She supposed she only needed to prove the whereabouts of each girl for one of the murders and that would rule them out of all three…but then again, would it?

She remembered watching a TV crime drama a few years earlier where a group of three adults, who had met as abused children, had killed each other’s abuser so that they could each have an airtight alibi. Was it possible that Toyah’s night out was designed to keep her away from the house? They already knew that Judith’s information had been passed between Katie and Lottie. What if Toyah was lying and she too had been in touch with Judith, who clearly had a hatred of all mothers?

Even in her own mind, the theory was outlandish and something that belonged on the television, but she’d be happier if she could rule out all the girls for all the murders.

She began by sending an email to the Fox and Hounds pub in Dudley where Toyah had been on the night her mom was killed. From experience, she knew they had a good CCTV system. Confirming Toyah’s presence and when she left would rule her out of the murder of her own mother.

Twenty minutes later, she sat back and reviewed what she’d learned. With information gathered from the police statements, social media and conversations the boss had had, she could deduce the following about Lottie’s movements, thanks to the fact she enjoyed sharing her daily running achievements through her Fitbit.

Sheryl Hawne – Tuesday morning – at the gym – tagged by a friend.

Andrea Shaw – Tuesday night – late shift at work – to be checked.

Sally-Ann Davis – Thursday morning – running a 5-mile circuit that went nowhere near her mother’s crime scene.

Only one alibi needed to be confirmed for Lottie, but pinning down any of Toyah’s movements was not as straightforward.

The ringing of her phone disturbed her from the next part of her task.

‘Yeah, boss,’ Stacey said, answering the call.

‘Track down the Anderson family. Speak to the mother. We need to find out if she recalls any distinguishing marks on the baby’s body.’

‘Do we have one to check against?’

‘A mole on the left shoulder, but don’t lead her. She has to state that without any prompting. If so, without giving anything away, invite her to come and talk to us at her earliest convenience.’