Page 68 of Don't Believe A Word

‘Are you thinking he’s Sadie’s father?’

‘There were so many men coming and going from that place back then, traffickers, punters … It might well end up proving impossible to find out who the real father is. We’re hoping to have more luck with the uncle, now we have his name and something that resembles a lead.’ She sipped her coffee and continued. ‘Our detective told us that the girls had seemed to have a certain amount of freedom while they were at the farm, which would tie in with Janina’s visits to Minehead to see her brother.’

As Robert took this in he leaned forward to pick up his cup, his large, olive-skinned hand closing around it and making her think of what he did for a living. It was both easy and hard to see him as a surgeon. Certainly he’d be one with a good bedside manner, while the thought of such strong, masculine fingers working on such a delicate and vital part of the human body made her feel oddly light-headed.

‘What I’m thinking about now,’ he said, seeming unaware of her scrutiny, ‘is the day I came across Janina in the woods, when she was so upset. She never did tell me what was wrong, but if she was planning to give Sadie up, or to leave her for a while … The note said—’

‘I should probably tell you,’ Cristy interrupted, ‘strictly between us of course, that we’ve begun asking ourselves if the beach scene was real. If it wasn’t, it obviously calls into question the note’s authenticity.’

His eyebrows rose in apparent surprise.

‘It could have been written by one of the aunts as part of an elaborate plan to explain why they kept the child. In other words to throw any future investigation off the scent by carefully constructing a plausible alternative to how Sadie came to them – if you can describe it as plausible, and I’m not entirely sure about that. We’re considering the possibility that they actually “arranged” to have the child brought to them while they were in Somerset.’

He frowned. ‘By whom?’

‘A singularly unpleasant individual called Matis Albescu, or one of his thugs, and initial research shows that there were plenty of them from all over Eastern Europe. Albescu himself was Romanian, and is known to have brought girls to George Symmonds-Browne at Mannycott Farm around the time Janina was there. We’re thinking he could have been behind her trafficking and that one of his operatives, or maybe Symmonds-Browne himself, made a deal with Lottie for the child.’

Robert’s expression was solemn as he shook his head in dismay. ‘To think she could have been going through all that when I met her,’ he murmured. ‘Hardly surprising that she didn’t mention it, she’d have been too afraid to if they were threatening her family back home. Were they?’ he asked, looking at Cristy again.

‘It seems likely, although we know her brother was in Minehead at the same time as she was. Obviously that doesn’t mean there weren’t others back in Romania, or wherever they were from, and it still could have been anywhere. The good news is that we now know the brother’s name, largely thanks to you. And according to one long-time resident of Kylve who used to be the vicar there – our researchers interviewed him while they were down that way – a young man in a “rakish sort of trilby hat” was a regular visitor to the farm. He – the vicar – remembers Janina and the “hatted man” combing the beach for fossils that the little girl collected in a bucket. Unfortunately, no one knows at this point exactly what Lukas’s role might have been in Albescu’s set-up, but he clearly wasn’t making a secret of his association with Symmonds-Browne. As we know, he seems to have left the area around the same time as his sister, and the vicar thinks it was sometime in May 2000, which is when Lottie claims they “found” Sadie on the beach.’

‘Did the vicar ever see “the hatted man” with just the child and no Janina?’

‘A very good question. Let me know if you’re ever in need of a job. Fortunately Clove thought to ask it, and he thinks it’s possible, but it was so long ago he can’t be certain. I guess you’re wondering if Lukas delivered his niece to the sisters, and maybe picked up the money?’

He nodded.

‘A horrible thought, but where men like that are concerned nothing can be ruled out. On the other hand, he might have taken her there, because he knew what happened to the children of girls in captivity, and so this was his way of saving his niece from a life of servitude or worse.’

‘In which case he’s more of a hero than a villain. I can see that sitting a lot better with Sadie than the alternative.’

‘Of course, but whichever way we look at it, I’m afraid that finding either him or Janina is not going to prove at all straightforward.’

‘And could end in terrible disappointment.’

‘Indeed.’

Robert checked the time and said, ‘I hate to say this, but I need to be going. Am I allowed to ask for a repeat get-together?’

She smiled. ‘I don’t see a problem with that. And if, by any chance, you should be interested in helping us to go through some of the boxes Sadie and Jasper brought with them …’

‘What do they contain?’

‘Lottie’s papers, journals, photographs, short stories … Decades of the stuff apparently, and in no particular order. If nothing else they might help us to gain a better insight into the woman herself and whether or not she was as scheming and cold-blooded as we’ve currently cast her.’

‘But don’t you get the impression the aunts cared for Sadie?’

‘Yes, I do, they just don’t appear to have provided her with any real sort of anchor. In a material sense, yes, without question. But a true understanding of a child’s needs, of her cultural heritage and what it might mean to her … You have to say that was missing.’

He glanced at the time again, and rose to his feet, gesturing for Cristy to stay where she was. ‘I’m sorry to dash – I’ll get this – but do count me in for some box searching, probably not this week though. I’m going to be in Geneva until Thursday, back here sometime on Friday. Obviously I’m contactable if you feel I can help with anything at a distance.’

‘And maybe next time we have coffee,’ she said, ‘you can tell me more about you?’

He grinned. ‘It’s a deal. Sorry to bail on you now, but it’s been great to see you.’

After he’d gone Cristy remained where she was, her thoughts seeming to follow him as she wondered where he was going, who he was meeting … Maybe his daughter, a colleague, an old friend … There was no denying that he intrigued her quite a lot more than many people had of late. He’d also, bizarrely, left her feeling glad she’d messaged David last night, instead of worrying if she did so she might not hear back.

There was no need for you to apologize, but thanks anyway. No harm done. Anna told me about what happened with Ludo. I hope Rosie is feeling better by now. Please send her my love. Just wondering how you’re getting on re the Winters sisters’ financial situation? Cx

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