‘I don’t believe it.’
The words groped towards Sara through the darkness. And then suddenly the lid was pulled away, and her whole world was blinding light.
A shadow loomed over her.
‘It’s her again.’
Sara winced as she opened her eyes and stared directly up. The policeman’s face was mottled red as he bent over the tub and stared at her.
Strong hands lifted Sara out of the bath and wrapped her in a towel. A woman with thick-rimmed glasses stood next to the policeman, staring at Sara as if she was an apparition.
‘Do you remember me?’ asked the lady, finally, her voice shaky with emotion. ‘I’m Claire. A month ago? I found you. Here.’
Sara looked at her blankly.
Claire was about to say something else when the policeman pointed to a pile of clothes on the floor.
‘Get her dressed,’ he said.
Claire hesitated, swallowing her words, and reached down and picked up the jeans. As she passed them to Sara, a plastic bag fell out of the rear pocket and dropped to the floor.
The policeman picked it up, holding it up to get a better look.
‘It’s the things we found with her last time,’ said Claire. ‘The locket and the picture of the man.’
She took the bag from him and handed it back to Sara.
Sara walked down the stairs, numb. She tried to remember how she had arrived at the house, but her memory dead-ended ten minutes before. Her mind was a flat battery, turning over silently.
Claire and the police officer flanked her on either side.
Sara could hear the police officer whisper to Claire.
‘What’s going to happen to her?’
Claire’s voice was artificially upbeat, as if she knew Sara was listening.
‘I’m going to apply for an emergency protective order. Give the state custody. We’re going to find her somewhere safe, far away from here. No one’s going to get to her again.’