Cold Cold Sea

by Linda Huber

  ‘Good girl, Olivia. And now I think it’s time we phoned your mum and dad, don’t you?’

  Chapter Ten

  Joe, cross-legged on the floor watching cartoons, laughed loud and long, a happy child’s laugh. Maggie smiled at the sound.

  ‘Funny, is it?’ she called through from the kitchen.

  ‘Mm-hm.’ Joe was still engrossed.

  Maggie went to join him. She hadn’t seen much of him today. She loved the time she spent with her son, and knew that sharing the laughter, the tears, the work and the play -that was what being a parent was all about. She sat watching as the cartoon cat chased the mouse round and round the garden. Suddenly a dog leapt out of nowhere and flattened the cat. Maggie and Joe both jumped, then laughed together.

  Livvy would have laughed too, Maggie thought wistfully. Livvy had laughed a lot.

  Colin came through from the hallway. ‘Sounds like fun,’ he said, flopping down on the sofa beside Maggie.

  It was times like this that Maggie couldn’t help but feel grateful for her family. In spite of everything, they were together.

  The cartoon came to a close, and Colin stood up. ‘I’ll put the pizzas in the oven,’ he said. ‘Is there anything to go with them?’

  The phone rang, and Joe went to answer it.

  ‘Yes,’ said Maggie. ‘I bought some coleslaw and there’s a lettuce too, you could - ’

  ‘Mum? It’s Inspector Moir.’

  Maggie looked at Colin, watching his face turn white. They had spoken to Howard only yesterday. Maggie felt her legs go weak, and the knot, even now never far from her middle, twisted painfully. Colin put his arms round her as she reached for the phone.

  This was it. The moment she had been waiting for, an end to all the uncertainty, the waiting, the hoping. Maggie swallowed hard. Goodbye, Livvy, oh God Livvy, I loved you so much.

  ‘Howard?’ It came out as a hoarse whisper.

  ‘Maggie,’ he said. ‘We’ve got her, Maggie, she’s alive, she’s with me now. She’s not hurt, Maggie, she’s scared and bewildered but she’s not hurt at all. Maggie? Do you understand? We’ve got you Olivia back.’

  Chapter Eleven

  Still dazed, Katie sat with Olivia on her knee, listening while Howard phoned the Grangers and then a colleague at police headquarters. Rain was coming down hard outside, the heavy clouds looming overhead and turning the afternoon dark. The policewoman had left, waving cheerfully to Olivia, and Howard was grinning too when he returned to the kitchen. Katie smiled back shakily, knowing that tears were a lot nearer the surface than smiles. Her heart was still pounding away, and she could only imagine what was going through Olivia’s head right now.

  ‘All sorted,’ said Howard. ‘Mum and Dad’ll be here in an hour or so. A police helicopter’s going to bring them to collect you, Livvy, and it’ll take you all home again too, if you like. Or a police car. You and Mum and Dad can choose.’

  Olivia’s eyes were as round as saucers. She looked up at Katie. ‘I’ve never been in a helicopter before,’ she said confidingly.

  Katie cuddled her close. ‘Neither have I,’ she said. ‘See how important you are? Everyone wants you to be back home with your real mum and dad just as quick as possible.’

  Olivia nodded thoughtfully, then heaved a great sigh. ‘The daddy here was nice too,’ she said.

  ‘He helped you, didn’t he?’ said Katie. ‘That was good. But he knew all the time that you weren’t Hailey, so it was very wrong of him not to let you go home. And the mummy here was very bad to take you away in the first place. They were both wrong, but you didn’t know that, did you?’

  She couldn’t bear thinking about how frightened Olivia must have been, especially in the days before Phillip Marshall arrived home. It didn’t make her proud to think that a child in her class had been fighting such a terrible private battle all this time - and she hadn’t realised.

  Howard leaned towards Olivia.

  ‘Livvy, why don’t you have a look around and see if there’s anything you want to take home with you? Some toys maybe?’

  Olivia thought for a moment, then slid off Katie’s knee and ran upstairs.

  Katie covered her face with both hands. ‘The more I think about it,’ she said through parted fingers, ‘the more I realise that she gave me so many hints, the whole time. In her family picture she drew her real family. And she got the shakes once when another girl called Olivia came in. And the lost teddy, and the cat... And that awful bruise, Howard, she was badly bruised, you know, twice at least. And those birthday photos... dear God, she’s only four, isn’t she?’

  ‘Stop, stop,’ said Howard. ‘Look at it as being a hundred piece jigsaw. Olivia gave you maybe ten pieces, you couldn’t possibly see the entire picture. And I can see she trusts you, otherwise I’d have called for police psychologists and doctors. We’d have bundled her into a chopper and flown her straight home if she hadn’t had you. But this is much better. She can wait with someone she likes and trusts, and her folks will come and collect her. That way she’ll have closure here and it’ll be much less traumatic. Thanks to you.’

  Katie reached for a tissue and blew her nose. ‘Thanks,’ she said. Maybe one day she would believe him.

  They sat in the kitchen, Katie telling Howard all she could remember of the ‘ten jigsaw pieces’ that ‘Hailey’ had given her. It was all so obvious now.

  Olivia came back downstairs, and Katie’s stricken heart leapt.

  The little girl was carrying everything she had made at school over the past months. Drawings, paintings, clay birthday cake - it was all there. And the Halloween mask, and the shell box...

  ‘I can’t get my gull down, I want him too,’ she said. ‘And my plant you gave me, it’s up on the bathroom window ledge.’

  Howard held out his hand. ‘Come and show me. I’ll help you,’ he said. ‘We’ll just have time before Mum and Dad get here.’

  ‘I’ll make coffee when the Grangers arrive, shall I?’ said Katie. ‘They might be glad of it.’

  Howard nodded and went off upstairs with Olivia. Katie examined the coffee machine then texted Mark, glad when the answering text came just seconds later. Mark would wait at home until she called. At least that was one less thing to worry about.

  Howard and Olivia reappeared with the gull and the African Violet. There was a tension about the policeman’s chin that hadn’t been there before, and Katie raised her eyebrows.

  ‘Livvy, I think I left my mobile by the washbasin,’ he said steadily. ‘Could you get it for me, please?’

  The child ran off, and Howard turned towards Katie.

  ‘There’s blood on her pillow and on the bed sheet,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Ask her what happened, would you?’

  Olivia returned with the mobile and Katie managed to ask the question, fighting to keep her voice steady.

  ‘Livvy sweetheart, Mr Moir’s a bit worried you might have been hurt - he saw some blood on your bed. What happened, darling?’

  Olivia was silent for a moment, but her voice when she did speak was matter-of-fact.

  ‘She hit me this morning and my nose bled.’

  Katie examined the child’s nose. Now she was looking for it, it was slightly swollen, but nothing to indicate a serious injury.

  ‘That was bad of her, Livvy,’ Howard said. ‘We’ll get a nice doctor to have a proper look at you when you get home. Make sure you’re not hurt at all.’

  ‘I’m fine,’ said Olivia. ‘I want to put my stuff in a bag now.’

  Katie rummaged around for plastic bags and helped Olivia pack everything up. She lifted the lid off the shell box to wrap it in kitchen paper and was startled to find a package of Diazepam inside.

  ‘Livvy, what are these?’

  ‘Those are the pills I had to take. But I don’t take them now.’

  Howard reached out and took the pills, his face tight. ‘The doc’ll see about this too.’

  Eyes brimming with tears, Katie went back to her kitchen paper. Olivia p
robably hadn’t had many of the pills recently, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t harmed her.

  ‘Is that the lot now?’ she asked, wrapping the last of the belongings.

  Olivia stood still, then touched her shorn head, tears spilling from her eyes.

  ‘I want my hair back,’ she said.

  Katie bent and kissed her. ‘Oh sweetheart, it’s such a pity but it’ll grow again, don’t worry. Listen! Can you hear that?’

  A car had drawn up outside, and voices were shouting over the noise of the storm that had quickly gathered pace. Howard went to the door, and Olivia flung her arms round Katie’s neck.

  ‘Come on, darling,’ said Katie, blinking furiously as two tears escaped and ran down her own cheeks. ‘Let’s go and meet your mum and dad.’

  Chapter Twelve

  The helicopter lurched sickeningly as it rose into the night sky. The heavy rain was no match for the sharp, quick blades. Maggie reached for Colin’s hand and closed her eyes. She had always hated flying, and this throbbing machine seemed altogether too fragile to risk her life in. But she had to, because it was the quickest way to get to Livvy.

  For the first time since Howard’s phone call, Maggie found herself with time to think. Livvy was alive. She was coming home. They had told Joe and watched his eyes grow huge and his face white before a beaming smile burst out of him.

  ‘Mummy! Livvy’ll be home in time for Christmas!’

  ‘She’ll be home in time for bed,’ Maggie told him, hardly realising it herself. She and Colin phoned their parents, then Maggie phoned Sue, who immediately offered to come and stay with Joe while Maggie and Colin were away. They would put Olivia’s bedroom back in order, she promised.

  After that there was only just time to pack a bag with Livvy’s favourite blackcurrant drink, a packet of biscuits, and Old Bear, of course, cold to touch now after his long sojourn in the attic. A police car arrived to take them to the helicopter, and the driver had more news than Howard had given them.

  ‘She’s been staying in Polpayne, in a family, as their daughter. Then this afternoon the couple had some kind of accident, and the hospital contacted someone to look after the little girl. She got on to a relative, who said the child in the family had died a couple of years ago, and so it all came out.’

  Maggie struggled to take in the words. Livvy was alive.

  ‘And is she okay? You’re sure she hasn’t been hurt?’

  ‘We’re pretty sure,’ said the policeman kindly. ‘Bound to have been a bit muddling for her, though.’

  And how, thought Maggie. But they could cope with muddles, if that was all that was wrong. She could hear her own heavy breathing and consciously made herself relax. The one thing she had never allowed herself to dream of was happening. She was on her way to fetch Olivia. To bring her home. They had arrived at the helipad beside the hospital at Plymouth, and she was ushered into this horrible, tiny helicopter. Everything was so loud, she could hardly hear herself think. But nothing mattered at all now except the fact that she was going to get her little girl.

  ‘It’s windy, but don’t worry, we’ll make it alright,’ shouted the pilot, slamming the door shut behind him.

  Maggie felt as if her stomach was on one of those ghastly rides at an adventure park, being twisted and turned and shaken upside down, and she found time to be glad that she hadn’t eaten that evening yet. It was windy, but she concentrated all her energy into waiting, just waiting to be with her daughter.

  Another police car arrived for them when they landed, and Amanda Donnelly, beaming from ear to ear, drove them through dark, wet streets, past a little harbour, then up a hill where they stopped in front of a large white house.

  Maggie started to shake. She couldn’t help herself. Colin supported her up the path, gusts of wind blowing her hair all over the place, and then the door opened and Howard was there, smiling broadly, and Maggie realised she had never seen him smile like that before. Behind him was a woman, younger than she was and smaller, and there in her arms was Olivia.

  ‘Livvy!’

  Maggie almost fell forward. Olivia was clutching the woman. The child was pale, her hair was so short and she was all eyes, but dressed in a beautiful blue and white dress, and she was looking at them. Not smiling, not speaking - just looking.

  ‘Careful, Maggie. She’s fine, but give her a minute,’ said Howard, gripping her elbow.

  ‘Let’s go into the living room,’ said the woman, turning towards a door. ‘Then you can sit with your mum and dad on the sofa, Livvy, and let them see you’re okay.’

  It was all Maggie could do not to wrench Olivia away from this other woman. But Olivia obviously needed time, and thank God, now they had time.

  ‘Livvy. Oh Livvy darling, here we are at last, they brought us as soon as you were found. Are you alright, sweetheart?’ Maggie said, trying desperately to sound calm.

  The woman sat Olivia down on the sofa and Maggie perched gingerly beside her. She almost didn’t dare touch her child, but all at once Olivia turned and climbed up into her lap and began to cry. Maggie felt Colin’s arms go round her too, and here she was at last, holding her Livvy safe. There was nothing else to do except be thankful.

  ‘I’ll make coffee,’ said the woman. ‘You need some time alone.’

  Howard left them too, and Maggie sat there in Colin’s arms and holding Olivia, comforting her sobbing child. She had got her world back.

  ‘It’s going to be okay, Livvy,’ she said. ‘You’re coming home.’

  Gradually, the sobs subsided until Olivia was silent, cuddled right up against Maggie.

  ‘Alright?’ said Maggie, forcing her own tears back. She kissed Olivia. ‘You must have been so frightened, darling, but we’ve got you safe now.’

  Olivia looked from her to Colin and gave a little smile. Maggie blinked furiously.

  ‘Who’s the lady?’ said Colin, and Olivia sat up straighter.

  ‘And what about the people who kept you here?’ said Maggie, pulling out a tissue and wiping her eyes.

  ‘That’s Miss McLure, she’s my teacher,’ said Olivia, and Maggie was simply thrilled to hear her daughter’s voice. Olivia sounded comfortable. She might have been frightened and distressed, but she was able to be comfortable now. Another band slackened round Maggie’s insides.

  ‘A school teacher?’ Colin gave an almost laugh. ‘They sent you to school?’

  Miss McLure came in with a coffee tray, and Maggie looked at her. This woman had discovered that Livvy was in the wrong place. She would never be able to thank her enough.

  ‘Miss McLure, I don’t know what to say. Thank you so much for helping Livvy.’ She turned to Howard who had followed Katie back in the room. ‘Can you please tell me what’s been going on here?’

  She wanted to know everything, every detail of her child’s life over the past months. The very first part of the story almost defied belief, though.

  ‘This woman took Livvy right up to the top of the cliff path and Colin and I didn’t notice?’

  ‘Maggie,’ said Howard. ‘One thing I’ve learned from police work over the years is that unbelievable things happen right under people’s noses every day of the week, without anyone being any the wiser. And you know that most of the path isn’t visible from the beach. My guess would be that Jennifer Marshall saw Olivia somewhere, in a shop or wherever, was struck by the resemblance to her own child, and followed you home. She may have been watching you for days, waiting for an opportunity to take Olivia.’

  Maggie shuddered. Watching them for days.

  ‘We haven’t been able to question the Marshalls yet,’ Howard said. ‘But we’re fairly sure Livvy was kept drugged at a different place. We don’t know yet where that was. But then they moved here to Polpayne shortly afterwards, and Livvy became Hailey Marshall and started school. And Katie has more or less saved her sanity, I’m sure.’

  ‘Mrs Marshall was alone here with Olivia at first,’ said Katie McLure. ‘She always struck me as being a very
emotionless kind of person. Then when Mr Marshall came back from staying in America he looked after Hai - I mean Olivia more, and that was better for her. He was warmer, much more normal. It’s unbelievable he went along with it all. I just wish I’d twigged to what was going on a whole lot sooner than I did.’

  Olivia jerked upright on Maggie’s knee. ‘Am I going to school on Monday?’

  ‘Sweetheart, I’m afraid we live much too far away for you to go to school here,’ Maggie said. ‘But don’t worry. If you want to you can go to pre-school in Carlton Bridge after Christmas.’

  She saw Olivia’s face fall.

  ‘Tell you what - we’ll drive over one day next week and visit Miss McLure and your class, and you can say goodbye to the children. How’s that?’

  Olivia still looked doubtful, and Maggie felt hot tears pricking in her eyes.

  ‘Great idea, we’ll have a party,’ said Katie McLure, crouching beside the sofa. ‘We’ll have a “Goodbye Hailey Hello Olivia” party.’

  ‘With a cake,’ said Maggie, warming to the idea. ‘A birthday cake - you missed your birthday.’

  ‘With pink and white candles!’ cried Olivia, her whole face lighting up, and Maggie felt tears run down her face as she clutched her daughter to her heart.

  Chapter Thirteen

  He had no idea how long he had been unconscious. When he came round, Phillip was lying in a hospital bed and all he was aware of at first was a dull pain in his leg and a tightness round his chest. The van. There had been an accident. Where was Jennifer, and what had happened to Hailey? The events of the day crashed into his head and he moaned, then stopped because it hurt.

  Carefully, Phillip moved his head and saw that he was in a room all by himself. He had a drip going into his left arm and there was a bank of monitors beside the bed but they didn’t appear to be switched on.

  The bed sheets were draped on a cage over his legs. His left foot was encased in something, and his head felt tight too. He raised a hand to touch it, and a nurse hurried in.