Liar Liar

135

‘Where is he?’

Naomie looked from Helen to Sanderson, then back to Helen again. Was she looking for a soft touch – a place of sanctuary? She wouldn’t find one today. Helen had her on the back foot from the moment she revealed the real name of her lover and accomplice – she could see Naomie trying to work out how they had cottoned on to Ethan when she’d given them nothing – and Helen was determined to press home her advantage.

‘His name’s in the press now. We’ve put out an All Ports Warning. He’s got nowhere to run. He’s obviously not going to go back to his parents, so tell me where he might go.’

‘I don’t know,’ Naomie replied, shaking her head vigorously.

‘Yes, you do, and if you care for him, you’ll tell us now.’

‘Forget it.’

‘Do you have any idea what will happen to him, if we don’t get to him first?’ Sanderson interrupted. ‘The people out there are angry and scared. What if they spot him, confront him. What if others pile in? You’ve seen what happens to paedophiles on estates, you know what mob justice looks like? Do you want that for Ethan?’

It was an unpleasant line of questioning, but for the first time the recalcitrant Naomie looked like she was considering offering them something, so Helen seized the opportunity.

‘I know you have feelings for Ethan. That’s why you called the fire service so quickly after you set light to his parents’ house, isn’t it?’

Naomie hesitated, then offered a brief, reluctant nod.

‘You love him and you wanted to save him.’

‘And I did the right thing. Neither of us thought it would spread that fast.’

‘So help us to help him. Only we can guarantee his safety now.’

Naomie was teetering now between her loyalty to Ethan and the force of Helen’s logic. Helen tried one last throw of the dice.

‘Despite everything, I know that you’re not a bad person. I know you have goodness in you. We found a half-built bonfire in the basement of his mother’s office block today. Ethan was about to put the lives of a hundred people in danger. Did you really sign up for that?’

Naomie shrugged, guilt playing across her features.

‘Of course you didn’t,’ Helen conceded. ‘But Ethan did. And we stopped him. And I’m very worried about what he’ll do now that we’ve stopped his little game. I know you’ve felt powerless and overlooked in your life, but it is now in your gift to help us. So I’m asking you to do the right thing. Help us bring your Ethan in safely.’

Naomie hung her head and sobbed quietly.

‘Think about it,’ Helen told her, determined to make one last push. ‘Think about what you’ve done. Karen Simms, Denise Roberts, Agnieszka Jarosik and little Alice Simms. She was just a little kid, Naomie. Six years old, her whole life ahead of her. You stole that from her – you and no one else. And I think you owe it to her family and all the families you and Ethan have hurt to end this now. I can’t have any more deaths on my conscience and neither can you.’

There was a long pause, during which Naomie continued to stare at the floor. Helen looked at Sanderson – had she even heard what she’d said? – then Naomie suddenly spoke, muttering a single word that changed everything:

‘Ok.’