I stood by the front window, my hands clasping one of Steph’s miracle cure teas, as I stared out at the doll. We’d left it exactly where it was, haunting the entrance to our once-happy home.
“The police will be here soon,” Steph said as she sat down on the sofa with her cup of tea. She seemed to have commandeered Teigan’s pink “Tea and Smiles” mug as her own. I had told her it was Teigan’s, but she kept using it as if it were any old cup. I sighed, as I didn’t have the energy to get into an argument about it.
“Okay.” I took a sip of my tea, picturing DS Clarke arriving at the house, examining the creepy doll and analysing the message. I imagined him asking questions and Steph rushing to answer.
Steph.
I turned my head and watched as she scrolled through her mobile phone with one hand, Teigan’s mug in the other. My early lie to the police rang in my ears.
“Steph?”
She looked up from her phone. “Yeah?”
“Do you want to go out for a run or something?” My voice came out all jittery and awkward, like I was trying too hard to be nonchalant.
Steph frowned. “I don’t know … do I?”
Long-winded implausible excuses swam round my head. I let my shoulders shrug as the truth came out. “I lied. I said I didn’t have any family. I’m sorry, I just don’t want him to get distracted by finding out you exist.”
Initial surprise flashed onto Steph’s face, followed by a hint of rejection. “Oh. Right.” She stood up from the sofa and put the mug down on the side. “No worries. I’ll take myself elsewhere for a while.”
Silence echoed around the room as she shut the front door behind her. I stared as Tonks moseyed up to the door and started scratching.
“Don’t you go making me feel worse,” I mumbled.
It wasn’t long before DS Clarke and DC Reynolds were in the front room with me, sitting on the sofa taking notes as I hovered by the window. I still couldn’t sit down, shifting my weight from foot to foot. Something about the way DS Clarke was looking at me made me feel paranoid.
“It’s very interesting that this has happened on your doorstep today in particular, Ms Walker,” said DS Clarke. He looked tired — exhausted, even — the grey bags under his eyes deepening.
“Why? What’s so special about today?”
He rubbed the side of his temple with his hand, possibly trying to coax away a threatening headache. “We have a potential suspect. He was nearby Chapelfield Gardens around the time Teigan disappeared. He also lives very close to the last known location of the number that appeared to belong to someone Teigan had been in some kind of relationship with. He, uh …” DS Clarke trailed off, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
“He what?”
He stood up, as if he needed to be on the same level as me for what he was about to say. “He’s a self-confessed paedophile, although he claims he’s never acted on his desires.”
The bile gurgled up into my mouth, burning my throat along the way. I swallowed it back down, the disgusting acidic taste making me shudder. “A paedophile?” The word sat on my tongue like poison.
“Yes. We seized his laptop last night and the tech team have been searching it today. They found a file of, um, indecent images. We arrested him just over an hour ago, just before we got your call.”
Was this the guy? The one who had given her the bracelet? Why the hell hadn’t I noticed? I had literally given workshops on how to spot if a young person was being groomed for sexual exploitation.
DC Reynolds stood up and held out a photograph towards me, her face full of pity. I took a breath and looked at the person in front of me. He was undeniably tall, dark, and handsome. I shuddered — it would be all too easy for someone like this to charm a young, impressionable teenager.
“Do you recognise him?” asked DS Clarke.
I stared hard at the picture. Nothing. I wanted more than anything to have some sudden realisation of who he was, for this to all fall into place and for Teigan to be found. But there was nothing. Nothing except the bright eyes of the man who had charmed my daughter into danger.
Vomit rose up within me again, and I couldn’t swallow it back down this time. I ran through the kitchen and into the bathroom, lifting the toilet seat just in time.