Page 155 of Her Last Walk Home

‘You killed Aneta, Laura and John. You abducted and imprisoned Shannon. All that before I even get to what you did to Diana and her grandson.’

‘I think you’ll find that Thomas is the culprit, not me.’

‘You like blaming others, don’t you?’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘You said your stepfather abused you, but from my enquiries, though he is long dead, Michael McCabe was a good man. He ran the Cuan centre with care and attention and?—’

‘Ever hear the saying “what goes on behind closed doors”, Inspector?’

‘Yes, and that’s what you are, a closed door. But I will open you up and get a confession out of you.’

‘Have fun trying.’ Charlie laughed and swung her hair over her shoulder. ‘I hear you have a lovely family. And a grandson. If I was you, I’d be more concerned with them than with me.’

An ice-cold shiver travelled the length of Lottie’s spine. She shook it off. She could not allow herself to be spooked. She had to play to Charlie’s narcissism.

‘I must admit, I admire how you were able to command such adoration and compliance from Thomas. He would do anything for you.’

‘He’s still a ten-year-old at heart. Easy to mould.’

Charlie didn’t seem to realise her admission. Lottie felt she had her snared.

‘You were so young to have to care for him. It must have been difficult for you.’

‘Not at all. I had his inheritance after his father died.’

‘Why did you return to Ireland five years ago?’

‘Magenta. Maggie to you. I wanted her to grow up in my home country.’

Lottie wasn’t buying that. Charlie had come back to wreak havoc on those she believed had wronged her. ‘She is your daughter and Thomas’s?’

‘She has nothing of him. I made sure of that.’

‘She’s a child, and you were moulding her to do your work like you did with Thomas, is that right?’

‘She was turning out just fine until that Shannon bitch wormed her way into her brain. Making her question things.’

Lottie noticed Charlie was so self-consumed she didn’t even ask where her young daughter was now.

‘It was clever how you used the escort agency to lure the girls.’ Come on, Lottie thought, tell me how you did it.

Charlie glowed. ‘I’m a genius. That Cathy one hadn’t a clue what I was at. All she wanted was money. Shallow individual. Once I had control of the site, it was easy to set the girls up withflakes and fakes. I knew where they were and all I had to do was set Thomas on them.’

‘He says it was you who took Aneta last Valentine’s night. Why?’ She had spoken with the broken murderer. His injuries were healing, but she knew he never would.

‘I couldn’t afford for him to fuck it up. I disguised myself, but I should have burned her in the fire all those years ago and then she wouldn’t have come back raking over the ashes.’

‘How did she learn about you?’

‘She found out about Collins after her adoptive mother died. And next thing I know she’s working at Cuan, the one place on earth I hated with a vengeance. Collins should have kept his trap shut.’

‘Gordon didn’t tell her about you. It was Irene.’

‘I should have known!’ A cold glint crept into her eyes. ‘She worked for my stepfather back in the day. I didn’t realise she was involved so deeply.’

‘Didn’t you know that Diana and Gordon asked for her help to get Aneta out of the country thirty years ago?’ Lottie hoped that by goading Charlie she might crack.

---