The Doll's House

48

‘You’re not in trouble, Lianne. But you will be, if you don’t start talking.’

Helen was already in a dark mood and the teenage girl’s refusal to talk was only exacerbating her bad humour. When she had burst into the room to confront Nathan Price, she had found him manhandling a teenage girl. A teenage girl who was definitely not Ruby Sprackling.

‘You’re telling us that Nathan Price is a friend of the family.’

‘That’s right.’

‘And do friends of the family usually pop round when you’re home alone?’

Nothing in response.

‘We’ll find out either way. Your parents are coming in – if they can confirm that Nathan Price is a friend of the family -’

‘You haven’t told them, have you? About him?’ Lianne interrupted.

There was real alarm in her face now. Helen felt bad about lying, but needs must.

‘I didn’t have much choice, did I, Lianne? If you won’t talk to me…’

‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’

‘So talk to me. I know you’re scared. I know that he hurt you.’

A livid bruise covered the girl’s right cheek.

‘But he can’t touch you here. Tell me what’s been going on and I swear he won’t come near you ever again.’

Helen held her hand out to the young girl. Lianne looked at it, then dropping her gaze to her lap, muttered.

‘I met him on Friday night.’

‘Where?’

‘Revolution.’

Sanderson shot a look at Helen, but was ignored.

‘And?’

‘He bought me drinks you know. Asked me stuff.’

‘He took an interest in you.’

‘He was nice. He had money too. So we chatted until midnight, then went off.’

‘Where, Lianne? It’s really important you tell me -’

‘We went to his van, ok?’

‘You slept with him?’

‘What do you think?’

‘How old are you, Lianne?’

‘Sixteen.’

‘How old are you?’ Helen repeated more forcefully.

‘Sixteen.’

‘Lianne…’

‘Fourteen, ok, I’m fourteen.’

The girl started to cry. Helen reached out to take her hand and this time the girl didn’t resist.

‘How long did you stay with him?’

‘A few hours.’

‘He was with you the whole time?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Then what?’

‘He dropped me home.’

‘What time was that?’

‘Just after four o’clock.’

‘Just after four a.m. Are you absolutely sure?’

‘I saw the clock as I came in. I was pleased – my folks are dead to the world at that time.’

Helen concluded the interview shortly afterwards, the young girl having agreed to make a formal statement about the events of Friday night. There was some comfort in the fact that Nathan Price would face criminal proceedings – sex with a minor was a serious offence that would land him on the Sex Offenders Register – but it was of little solace to Helen. Lianne Sumner had just cleared Nathan Price of any involvement in Ruby Sprackling’s disappearance.

Like it or not, they were back to square one.