Chapter 64

Stacey had sent the details she'd uncovered about the abduction to the boss and was awaiting further instruction. She knew the boss was with Katie, and in the meantime, she was focussed on ensuring all the alibis for the girls were solid.

The boss had told her to disregard Katie, so her name had been officially crossed off the list, leaving Lottie and Toyah. She supposed she only needed to prove the whereabouts of each girl for one of the murders and that would rule them out of all three…but then again, would it?

She remembered watching a TV crime drama a few years earlier where a group of three adults, who had met as abused children, had killed each other's abuser so that they could each have an airtight alibi. Was it possible that Toyah's night out was designed to keep her away from the house? They already knew that Judith's information had been passed between Katie and Lottie. What if Toyah was lying and she too had been in touch with Judith, who clearly had a hatred of all mothers?

Even in her own mind, the theory was outlandish and something that belonged on the television, but she'd be happier if she could rule out all the girls for all the murders.

She began by sending an email to the Fox and Hounds pub in Dudley where Toyah had been on the night her mom was killed. From experience, she knew they had a good CCTV system. Confirming Toyah's presence and when she left would rule her out of the murder of her own mother.

Twenty minutes later, she sat back and reviewed what she'd learned. With information gathered from the police statements, social media and conversations the boss had had, she could deduce the following about Lottie's movements, thanks to the fact she enjoyed sharing her daily running achievements through her Fitbit.

Sheryl Hawne – Tuesday morning – at the gym – tagged by a friend.

Andrea Shaw – Tuesday night – late shift at work – to be checked.

Sally-Ann Davis – Thursday morning – running a 5-mile circuit that went nowhere near her mother's crime scene.

Only one alibi needed to be confirmed for Lottie, but pinning down any of Toyah's movements was not as straightforward.

The ringing of her phone disturbed her from the next part of her task.

‘Yeah, boss,' Stacey said, answering the call.

‘Track down the Anderson family. Speak to the mother. We need to find out if she recalls any distinguishing marks on the baby's body.'

‘Do we have one to check against?'

‘A mole on the left shoulder, but don't lead her. She has to state that without any prompting. If so, without giving anything away, invite her to come and talk to us at her earliest convenience.'

‘Even if she confirms the mole, you don't want me to tell her that her child is alive?' Stacey asked.

‘No way. We've got to get our ducks in a row on this one. It's growing more complex by the hour. Got it?'

‘On it,' Stacey said before ending the call. She'd considered updating the boss on the progress of her alibi checking, but she needed one last piece of data.

From the information she had, she couldn't account for the whereabouts of Toyah either during the murders of Sheryl Hawne or Sally-Ann Davis.

Her final search would be the CCTV for the night of Andrea's murder, and the footage had just come into her inbox.

She opened the file that matched the search parameters she'd given, the period from 10.45p.m. to 11.15p.m. Toyah's statement read that she left the pub around eleven. Evidence of her leaving then would certainly rule her out. By that time, her mother had already been dead.

The pub was an old-fashioned establishment, and the camera above the exit looked down a corridor leading to the toilets, a main bar and a smaller room often called a snug. The corridor was the route to everywhere as well as the fire exit at the end of the hallway, meaning you couldn't leave the place without being caught on this camera.

Stacey allowed the video to play and saw people going in and out of the toilets, crossing rooms carrying pints of beer, others heading out front for a quick smoke with their last half before closing time.

Around ten minutes into the footage, the mass exodus began as people streamed into the corridor, shrugging themselves into their jackets, reaching into pockets for their car keys. A steady throng of people passed beneath the camera to head home, but so far Toyah Shaw wasn't one of them.

A couple of minutes of nothing passed before the owner appeared with his keys behind two men. He was nodding and agreeing with whatever they were saying as he shepherded the stragglers to the front door, which he locked and bolted behind them.

No sign of Toyah on any of the footage she'd viewed, which brought one question to the front of Stacey's mind.

Had they overlooked the person who had been their poster child for pageants all week?