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The following afternoon, as arranged, Cristy and Connor were ready to connect to Natalie Irwin in Toronto while Clove and Jacks continued ploughing through Lottie’s jumble of boxes. No more incriminating photographs as yet, and still no explanation for those now posted on their website.

They’d spent the morning combing through early feedback reports from Iz’s supersleuths, as they were calling the social media back-up team, while discussing Cristy’s concern that she’d been followed home last night.

‘If it was someone hoping we – you – might lead them to Symmonds-Browne,’ Connor said, ‘then they surely have to know from the last episode that we have no idea where he is.’

‘And if the guy turns out to be in some sort of protection scheme,’ Jacks added, ‘then we’re never likely to find him.’

‘Frances Rush also suggested,’ Cristy reminded them, ‘that being told he can’t be a person of interest at this time could be a subtle way of warning us off. Exactly which one of the SLD directors is doing the warning, and who exactly primed him, or her, for it, is anyone’s guess, but I’m expecting things could become a little less subtle in the coming days.’

‘If the lowlifes the Nice-Matin sent us are involved,’ Clover said, ‘then I can’t see them bothering with subtle at all, but hey, what do I know about how gangsters operate? I just don’t want to be face-to-face with any of them on a dark night. Are we thinking they’re behind the trashing of this office?’

Having no idea, Cristy shrugged as she checked an incoming text.

Can I take a rain-check for this evening? Flying to Paris later, hope to be back on Saturday. Robert.

Disappointed, although relieved she wasn’t the one having to call off their drinks this time, she texted back, No problem. Just let me know when works for you. C.

‘There’s an iMessage here released by one of the supersleuths,’ Jacks said, reading from the feedback reports. ‘It could – at a stretch – lend some credence to Symmonds-Browne being in witness protection. It says, “Dear Hindsight Team, I believe George Symmonds-Browne is my neighbour here in Naples living under another name. He isn’t alone. If you want to know more please message me back.”’ He glanced up to find everyone looking at him.

‘Naples?’ Connor echoed. ‘Not the most obvious place to go if you’re trying to avoid mafia types. On the other hand, if you’re in bed with them, so to speak …’

‘“He isn’t alone” is another stand-out for me,’ Cristy said. ‘Message this person back, Jacks, and say we’d love to know more. Then get in touch with the supersleuths to find out what in particular made them release this one to us, and are there any more like it?’

By mid-afternoon they were still awaiting replies. However, Natalie Irwin had just connected, a sweet-faced woman in her late forties, with shiny black hair and large brown eyes, so all focus was now on her.

After introducing herself and Connor, and thanking her for agreeing to chat with them, Cristy said, ‘Would you mind if we start recording right away?’

‘Sure, I was expecting it,’ Natalie replied with a smile that revealed a pierced tongue and small white teeth. She had retained her native Yorkshire accent, albeit slightly uplifted by a Canadian twang. ‘Sorry I couldn’t do this sooner, kids and commitments, you know how it goes. Anyhow, I’ve had time to do some digging to remind myself of dates and places, that sort of thing, so with any luck I’ll be able to help you in some way. I know I couldn’t find Lukas when I tried, so I’m hoping you’ll be better at it than I am.’

Receiving a nod from Connor, Cristy asked Natalie to identify herself for the recording, and began by taking her back to how she and Lukas had first met.

NATALIE: ‘Oh that’s easy, it were in Minehead. I was working at Butlin’s, the holiday camp, and I ran into him a couple of times on the beach or in town. We got talking, he told me he was looking for his sister who he thought was in the area. When I found out he had no money and was sleeping rough I started smuggling him into my quarters so he could get some decent sleep while I was working. I’d take him food as well, and then we managed to get him some shifts, and before too long he had his own room and a proper job. He was a great guy. He had a way with him that kind of cheered you up, if you know what I mean. Always positive, up for a laugh and joke, interested in what you had to say. I remember when he found his sister and how much he cried with happiness. He wanted me to meet her, and I was up for that, so we made it happen, only a few times, it has to be said. I saw her little girl more because Lukas would bring her into the camp. A proper little cutie, she were. And his sister, wow, she were a real looker, she were.

‘I always thought she had a housekeeping job further along the coast – I didn’t know about any of the “Russian bride” stuff until way later when it came out in the local paper. They was all long gone by then, but before that, whenever I saw her, I can’t say she ever seemed, you know, scared or anything, but then, like, one day she was, and so was he. I don’t know what happened, all he ever told me was that she was going to be moving on, and then a few weeks later, just like that, he’d gone too. I was proper upset, I can tell you. I never dreamt he’d take off without saying a word when we’d been such good friends, but that’s what happened.’

CRISTY: ‘During the times you saw Janina did she ever talk about having to leave Sasha, or being forced to give her up? Did Lukas ever mention anything like that?’

NATALIE: ‘Sasha – that was her name, I’ve been trying to remember. Anyway, no way can I see Janina leaving her, they was bonded at the hip, and Sasha adored her uncle … You should have seen the pair of them together. He was like a big kid himself when he brought her into the camp, dead proud of her he was. No, if Janina ever gave her up – and I guess what you’re saying in your pods is that Sadie Winters is Sasha – I’d lay money that someone forced her to.’

CRISTY: ‘We posted some shots on our website last night of Lottie Winters with Janina and the man she was working for. Have you seen them?’

NATALIE: ‘I have, and if you’re asking do I recognize the other two, I can tell you I don’t remember seeing either of them before.’

CRISTY: ‘OK, going back to when Lukas disappeared, was that the last you heard from him?’

NATALIE: ‘No, actually. I got a postcard about six months later from somewhere in Lithuania – I can’t find it I’m afraid, chances are I didn’t keep it – but in it he said he was sorry about bailing the way he did, apparently the authorities caught up with him and he’d been deported. He was staying with his sister now until he could get back to England.’

CRISTY: ‘His sister being Janina?’

NATALIE: ‘That’s what I thought until he turned up in London one day a few years later, three or four, could even have been a bit longer than that. I was working front-of-house in a theatre at the time, so yeah, it would have been around 2005. It turned out he’d been with his older sister, Audra, since being shipped out, but now his country had joined the EU it was possible for him to get to England legally. So he was back to find Janina because they hadn’t heard from her since she’d left Minehead.’

CRISTY: ‘Did he tell you then why Janina had left Minehead?’

NATALIE: ‘Not that I recall. And I didn’t say anything about what I’d read in the paper. You just wouldn’t, would you, over something like that?’

CRISTY: ‘Do you know if he ever found her?’

NATALIE: ‘Not that I ever knew of. He went everywhere searching for her, and the bloke whose house she’d been staying at in Kylve, but he couldn’t find a trace of either of them anywhere. I remember him saying something about a couple of women who lived, or were staying on Exmoor, but he never knew their names and when he went to the house he thought was theirs they weren’t there any more. To be honest, I didn’t really know what that was about, but I could see he was ready to grasp at any straw. It was a horrible time for him. He was proper scared about what might have happened to his sister and niece, but it was like no one knew anything and the police, typically, weren’t interested. I reckon it was because he was foreign, they don’t admit that sort of thing, do they? They just said they had no record of his relatives ever being in the country so had no way of knowing if they were still there, or if they’d left again.’

CRISTY: ‘Do you know if he told them about George Symmonds-Browne?’

NATALIE: ‘I don’t, I’m afraid, although I guess he must have. I mean, why wouldn’t he? Even so nothing ever came of it. Lukas was drawing blanks everywhere and it carried on like that way after I left and moved here, to Canada. I felt really bad for him and wished there was more I could do, but I’d met Ian by then, my husband, and we had our own lives to be getting on with. I mean, I stayed in touch with Lukas, I didn’t just drop him. He’d write me a line – and then an email when we started sending them – a couple of times a year to ask how I was doing and to say where he was living and what he was doing. He was still in England, and had all sorts of jobs, delivery driver, hotel porter, builder, plumber’s mate, you name it, and he lived all over. I think he had a couple of long-term girlfriends, but the one who stands out for me was Evie. He was obviously really keen on her, and as far as I know he was still with her the last time I heard from him.’

CRISTY: ‘When was that?’

NATALIE: ‘August 2015. I’ve been trying to find the email, but I’ve changed provider since then, and moved house, but I remember he told me that he’d been contacted by George Symmonds-Browne. It took me a while to work out who that was. When I did I felt kind of excited for him, and worried, obviously, given what I knew about the bloke. Anyway, maybe it meant he was going to find out something about his sister at last, but then I read on and it was really weird, because it turned out this GSB had offered him an amazing job and he was going to take it.

‘And that was that. Nothing since. Obviously I emailed straight back to ask what was going on and what the hell sort of job was he talking about given GSB’s rep, but to this day he’s never answered.’

Needing a moment to assimilate, Cristy nodded for Connor to take over.

CONNOR: ‘Do you still have the address he emailed from?’

NATALIE: ‘Sure, I’ll send it to you, but it’s defunct now, just bounces back, and same goes for the old mobile number I had for him.’

CONNOR: ‘What about his sister, Audra? Do you have any contact details for her?’

NATALIE: ‘I wish. I tried finding her, but none of the Audra Andrises I got in touch with knew him. That’s if they spoke English at all, and not many of them did so I didn’t hear back from all of them. I think she was married, so she probably had a different name.’

CRISTY: ‘Did Lukas ever send you any photographs when you were still in touch that might indicate where he was when he took them?’

NATALIE: ‘Oh yeah, Lukas at Blackpool Tower; Lukas and Evie paddleboating on a lake somewhere; Evie with a Beefeater; both of them outside Buckingham Palace … He used to send snaps more regularly than he did messages, I guess as a way of keeping in touch and letting me know he was still alive. That’s why I’ve been so worried since everything suddenly stopped.’

CRISTY: ‘OK. Can I take you back to the time you were all in Minehead for a moment? Did you ever meet any of the other so-called “Russian brides”?’

NATALIE: ‘No, like I said I didn’t even know about them until way after it was all over.’

CRISTY: ‘Did either Janina or Lukas ever talk about Sasha’s father?’

NATALIE: ‘Never got a mention. I presumed he was someone she’d left back in her own country, or later, I thought he was probably one of the scumbags who trafficked her. Could have been just a random punter. I never liked to ask.’

CRISTY: ‘Is there anything you’d like to say to Lukas, in case he listens to this podcast?’

NATALIE: ‘Yeah, sure, be in touch you crazy bastard! I need to know you’re OK. Same goes for you Janina, wherever you are. I really cared about you guys, still do, so give me a break here and call or message. You know how to find me, Lukas, the mobile number hasn’t changed.’

Cristy looked around to see if anyone had anything else to add. They all shook their heads, so Connor stopped the recording and Cristy said, ‘I can’t thank you enough for this, Natalie. You’ve added something very special to the series by bringing Lukas and Janina to life in a way no one else has been able to so far, apart from Robert, the doctor Janina met a couple of times.’

‘Yeah, I heard his interview. Sounds like an interesting guy, his mother came over well too. I guess you still don’t know what really happened with those sisters? Myself, I reckon that finding a child on the beach stuff is bullshit, and I especially do now you’ve posted those shots of one of them with Symmonds-Browne and Janina. What the heck was all that about, is what I’d like to know?’

‘So would we,’ Cristy responded. ‘I’ll let you go now, but if anything else comes to mind you think might help us, you know where we are. Your interview should be in the next episode, so please let us know if Lukas, or anyone, gets in touch after that. Or before.’

‘Let’s hope it happens. I’ll sleep a lot easier if I could be sure he’s not out there somewhere, six feet under.’

As she disappeared from their screens, Jacks gave it a moment and said, ‘In case anyone’s interested, I’ve heard from the supersleuths. Apparently the “Naples” message got forwarded because we didn’t mention anything about the theory of witness protection, or identity switch, in the pod, so it was decided this one could have some cred.’

‘Someone on that team is doing their job,’ Connor commented approvingly.

Agreeing, Jacks said, ‘I’ve also heard back from the anonymous sender. I’ll put it up for you all to read, but here’s what it says if you want to record it for a drop in.’

Receiving a thumbs up from Connor, he continued,

JACKS: ‘“Sorry, my mistake. Please ignore last message. Good luck.’”

Cristy regarded him thoughtfully. ‘That was a fast about-turn,’ she commented. ‘Any way of tracing the sender?’

‘I’m on it,’ Jacks replied, ‘and I’ve tried messaging again, but so far being blanked. Interesting aside, the English, what little there is of it, is pretty damn perfect. Which isn’t to say Italians can’t speak our language fluently, just making the point, is all.’

‘And Brits do live in Naples,’ Cristy reminded him. ‘OK, let’s see how you get on trying to track our Napoleon friend down. That’s not what you call natives of Naples, is it?’

‘Neapolitan or Napolitano,’ Connor provided.

Grinning, Cristy turned back to Jacks as Clover asked if there was anything else from the supersleuths worthy of follow-up.

‘Nah, only stuff we’d have rejected out of hand if we were doing the job,’ he replied. ‘A lot of fan mail apparently, especially for you, Connor.’

Connor started. ‘Me?’ he protested. ‘Tell them to bin it, right now.’

‘I think it all goes into folders in case we need to refer to it. Anyway, sounds like you haven’t looked at your profile page on the website in the last twenty-four hours. Iz has posted some of the “at home” shots of you with Jodi and Aurora, and now there are lots of women out there wanting to have your babies.’

Cristy gave a snort of laughter as Connor groaned and sank his head into his hands.

‘If it makes you feel any better,’ Clover said, ‘they’re pretty good. All very tastefully done – and ,’ she added, meaningfully, ‘they’re going to appear in one of the upmarket colour supplements at the weekend. So I think Iz has done you proud.’

Clearly not ready for any sort of Iz praise yet, Connor said, ‘OK, can we get back to what we’re supposed to be doing here …’

‘Oh my God!’ Cristy suddenly cried, seeing who was calling her. ‘It’s Mia. Quick, set up to record … We’ll worry about permissions after.’

‘Is it video?’ Connor asked, hitting the keys.

‘Yes. OK, I’m clicking on now.’ It took the usual few seconds for the connection to stabilize, but as Cristy started to speak she was stopped by the sight of Mia. The older woman’s face was taut and stark white, her eyes seemed to blaze, and her hair was backcombed so haphazardly she surely couldn’t have used a mirror to prep it.

MIA: ‘You’re a wicked, wicked woman, Cristy Whatever-your-name-is. I don’t know how you live with yourself doing the things you do, interfering in other people’s lives, making wildly offensive accusations, speaking to people who know nothing , and now you’ve gone too far. Those photographs are fake and you know it. You’ve doctored them, used them to sensationalize and scandalize, because that’s what you people in the media do. What I want to know is why you’re tormenting my niece this way? She doesn’t deserve your cruelty. She’s a good girl – misguided, and angry with me, but safe from things that will only hurt her. The way you’re exploiting her is disgusting and shameful. So please leave us alone and stop this evil persecution.’

CRISTY: ‘I’m sorry you feel this way, Mia, but I can assure you Sadie’s welfare and the truth of her life matter a great deal to us. And the photographs aren’t fake. We have the originals along with the negatives, so I’m afraid your sister did meet with George Symmonds-Browne and Janina Andris. Did you know about it?’

MIA: ‘I don’t have to answer your questions, nor do I have to believe a word you say. I’m telling you those photographs are forgeries …’

CRISTY: ‘Perhaps I can bring them to you so you can see for yourself …’

MIA: ‘I don’t want you in my home, and I don’t want you near my niece again. If you don’t heed my wishes there will be terrible consequences for you.’

Cristy watched her on the screen, expecting her to ring off now, probably to call her lawyer, if she hadn’t already. However, she simply looked around the room she was in, almost as if tracking a fly, or perhaps no longer sure about where she was.

CRISTY: ‘Are you OK?’

Mia’s eyes came back to the camera and peered in fiercely.

MIA: ‘You are besmirching my beloved sister’s reputation, and mine, with all your lies. She is very unhappy with you and it’s never been wise to get on the wrong side of Lottie.’

This time the screen did go dark and Cristy sat back in her chair, inhaling deeply as the final words continued to land. ‘Wow!’ she murmured. ‘So what do we make of that?’

‘She’s clearly nuts,’ Clover offered, ‘but at least she didn’t threaten any sort of legal action. It’s what I was waiting for.’

‘Me too,’ Connor said, ‘although we should still brace ourselves for it and make sure our lawyers are up to speed with everything. What do you think about using it in a pod?’

Cristy shook her head doubtfully. ‘Even if we got clearance, given her mental instability it’s likely we’d be accused of gross insensitivity, or worse – and frankly, I don’t want to get bogged down in proving the photos’ authenticity to the world at large. We know they’re genuine, so I say no to using Mia’s weirdness against her, at this time. Let’s think about whether we want to show the video to Sadie.’

After deliberating it Clover said, ‘How about we just send the audio? The woman looked such a fright it actually feels wrong to share it, even with her niece.’

*

It didn’t take Sadie long to get back to them.

‘She’s said it all to me already,’ she told them, sounding tired and upset, ‘and I quickly gave up trying to reason with her. She doesn’t want to hear it, so she won’t. As far as she’s concerned – or maybe as far as Lottie’s concerned, I can’t be entirely sure who she thinks she is today – the photographs are fake and that’s that.’

‘How would you feel about using it in a pod?’ Cristy asked. ‘I don’t think the video would be a good idea …’

‘God no! I saw what she was like after she called you, so let’s at least spare her the indignity of the world seeing her like that. As for what she said, if you think it’s appropriate to use it, then why not?’

Surprised, Cristy added it to the clipboard for future use and looked up again as Sadie said, ‘Can I ask if anyone’s come forward about the photos yet?’

Knowing how hopeful she remained in spite of everything, Cristy’s heart went out to her. ‘As soon as anyone does we’ll let you know,’ she assured her, ‘but I can’t help worrying about how prepared you are for a … difficult outcome.’

Sadie’s laugh was tired and humourless. ‘Probably not prepared at all,’ she admitted, ‘but it doesn’t matter. We have to keep going.’

Not arguing, only worrying more, Cristy said, ‘I take it you haven’t found anything else of interest in Lottie’s rooms?’

‘No, but here’s some good news. David’s heard from the safe-cracker. Apparently, he’s in Ireland at the moment, due back here on Friday, and he’s saying that going by the images David sent him he shouldn’t have any problem getting us access.’

Concerned now about what Sadie might find inside, Cristy said, ‘Maybe you shouldn’t be alone when you open it.’

Sounding anxious too, Sadie said, ‘I must admit I am quite nervous about it, probably because nothing else has been locked away. So I’ll ask Anna to be with me for the great unveiling.’

Cristy smiled at the attempted humour, and almost hated herself as she said, ‘How would you feel about recording it as it happens? Or would that seem too intrusive until you actually know what’s in there?’

‘You mean you’d come over and be with me?’

‘If you like.’

After a moment, Sadie said, ‘I don’t know. Can I think about it?’

‘Of course.’

‘I’m probably getting worked up over nothing, but instinctively it’s feeling as though I should find out what’s in there before I decide whether or not I want to share it.’

*

‘That makes sense to me,’ David said later when they spoke on the phone. Cristy was taking a different route home this evening, along Cumberland Road to the top of Bathurst Parade where the Louisiana pub loomed like an old-fashioned steamboat next to the basin. ‘There’s no knowing what dark secrets Lottie could have stored in that safe, and there’s no doubt she had them.’

Grimacing, Cristy said, ‘I’m actually starting to feel nervous about it myself, so I’m glad Anna, at least, is going to be there once the safe-cracker has done his job.’

‘Indeed. And speaking of Chas – that’s the bloke’s name by the way – he told me something else when I was on the phone to him earlier. It turns out he knew the estate agent who sold Mia and Lottie the house. He doesn’t think he’ll be of as much interest to us as a “good mate” of his who did some work for the sisters back in the day.’

‘What sort of work?’

‘He doesn’t know, or won’t reveal details, but said mate, who apparently has a very respectable printworks based in the Home Counties, is also known in certain circles for being a master penman. I believe that’s an insider’s term for a forger.’

Cristy blinked. ‘Talk me through this,’ she said quietly.

‘I don’t know any more than that, but what I’m thinking, and I just know you’re on the same page, is birth certificates, passports, photographs of fake parents … It could be this guy fixed it all.’

‘Do we know where to find him?’

‘Chas, who’s actually a very good farrier in case you’re interested, isn’t prepared to go public with a name, or an exact location. However, he’s agreed to tell you himself as much as he told me.’

‘Of course we want to speak to him, it’s a dynamite piece of information even without the mate’s input. It kind of backs up what we’ve always known, that the sisters bought Sadie’s identity in order to pass her off as their niece.’

‘Exactly. I think I’m going to owe Chas a drink or two after this.’

Taking the iron footbridge over to the Ostrich pub, Cristy said, ‘You can put it on expenses if you like, given you’re practically one of the team now.’

He laughed. ‘I might just hold you to that. Now, before you ring off, I want to know if anyone’s been following you again, or tried to remove things from your office.’

‘Nothing to report on that front,’ she replied, deciding not to mention the text she’d received earlier advising her not to be afraid. It didn’t mean anything, she was certain of that. It was simply the sort of messing trolls went in for to unnerve or destabilize their victims, and God knew it was a whole lot better than the vicious or depraved sort of fantasies some sickos inflicted on her. Thankfully, they were mostly blocked by the supersleuths these days, with death threats being sent straight to the police. It was a shame, for the whole team, not just her, that one or two wise-guys still managed to get hold of their personal numbers, but they simply did as they’d been advised back in their TV days. They stored the messages in a designated file just in case they were ever needed for further investigation, then got on with their day.

*

It was Friday afternoon and everyone was working quietly on their computers – Jacks still trying to trace the Naples messenger, Clover reaching out to a Vilnius-based journalist to see if he could help find Audra, Cristy and Connor pulling together sound effects and a structure for the next episode. The rain outside was so heavy and persistent it was making them reluctant to leave for the day, so they were all still there just after six when Sadie FaceTimed.

Guessing the safe-cracker had done his job, Cristy alerted the others and quickly clicked on. The instant Sadie’s expression came into focus her insides tightened with unease.

‘What is it?’ Cristy asked. ‘What’s happened?’

Clearly agitated, Sadie said, ‘It’s full of cards and letters … I thought … They seemed sweet at first … They are sweet and passionate and not like anything I’ve read … He clearly loved her one hell of a lot and in her journals … Almost everything in them is about him. You need to read them. She was besotted with him; she talks about leaving me and Mia to be with him.’

‘Who is it?’ Cristy urged, already knowing it must be Symmonds-Browne.

‘She doesn’t call him by name, just says he’s her darling, her one true love, and that’s how he signs himself, but then I found photos of them together … Oh God, Cristy!’ she sobbed. ‘Anna’s just sent one for you to see …’

As it came up on the screen the others murmured their shock.

‘Shit!’ Connor swore. ‘This can’t be right.’

‘That’s what I thought,’ Sadie told him, her eyes desperate as they went to him. ‘It can’t, can it?’

They all looked to Cristy, but she was still staring at the screen, her heart contracted in disbelief and something close to horror. ‘How the hell didn’t we see this coming?’ she muttered, and reached for the phone.