Page 66 of The Altar Girls

It was shut tightly with a piece of timber slid through a ring. She extracted it, aware that she had no authority to be upstairs in the Kiernan house, let alone to touch anything. That had never stopped her before. She lifted the lid, and the sight within caused her to almost choke.

‘Come here, princess. I won’t hurt you. Let me help you.’

She reached in and lifted up the child. Clothed only in a vest and knickers, Bethany shivered, her body trembling all over. Her eyes were red-rimmed and raw from crying, her lips cracked from lack of water.

‘Oh Bethany, what’s going on?’ Lottie cradled the child to her chest, feeling only a bundle of bones and her heart broke into pieces. How could anyone do this to a defenceless little human being? Her heartache was quickly replaced by anger, but she had to keep it subdued. She could not frighten the girl. She grabbed the duvet from the nearest bed and wrapped her up.

Bethany’s eyes widened, filled with terror.

‘I’m not going to hurt you, sweetie. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.’ Lottie wondered how she would keep that promise. The law sided with the family, and she was convinced now that this family could not be trusted.

‘Mammy?’ Tears spilled uncontrollably as Bethany sobbed.

Lottie held her close and smoothed down her raggedy hair. It smelled unwashed. She could understand Ruth grieving for Naomi, but this neglect was beyond comprehension. The words from Boyd’s email about the medical records and his conversation with the family’s previous doctor surfaced. Had this child been physically abused?

She made to leave the room.

Bethany twisted her head. ‘No… no… I have to stay in the box. Mammy’s mad at me.’

‘You will never stay in a box again, sweetheart.’

Without a plan or a thought for the consequences, Lottie entered the kitchen. Isaac jumped up and rushed towards her. His eyes filled with tears and he held out his hands, pleading for his daughter.

‘Darling Bethany, what did she do to you?’ he sobbed.

‘Yeah,’ Ruth said. She made to stand, but Martina stayed her with a hand on her arm. Venom laced the mother’s tone as she hissed, ‘That woman was upstairs. She did this to our little girl.’

Isaac swung around. ‘I meant you, Ruth. What did you do to Bethany? I should never have done what I did to Julian Bradley, because it meant they were left alone with you. How could I have been so stupid?’

Bethany’s eyes had brightened at the sight of her father. ‘Daddy! You’re home,’ she squealed.

Lottie quickly assessed the situation and saw that the child felt no fear of danger from her father. She handed Bethany, still wrapped in the light duvet, over to Isaac. He hugged the little girl tight to his chest and smothered her thin face with kisses, all the while stroking her hair.

‘I’m never leaving you again, never in a million years.’

A child’s cry rang out from upstairs.

‘I’ll get Jacob,’ Ruth said, without moving. It was as if she knew what was coming from Lottie’s mouth before she said it.

‘You’ll stay where you are.’

Isaac looked back at his wife and shook his head. ‘We’ll go see your little brother, won’t we, pet?’

‘Yes, Daddy.’

‘Wait,’ Lottie said. She found a beaker on the draining board and filled it with water, then handed it to the little girl. ‘I think she’s thirsty.’

‘Thank you, Inspector,’ Isaac said. ‘I’ve lost one daughter, but you may have helped save the other. I’m grateful to you.’

He headed out of the kitchen, and she heard his steps on the stairs and the little girl giggling louder than the baby’s cries.

She pulled out a chair and sat facing Ruth.

‘I didn’t kill Naomi, if that’s what you’re thinking.’

‘Can you prove you didn’t?’ Lottie wasn’t buying any of her crap.

‘Isn’t it your job to prove I did? Anyway, I didn’t. It’s a sin to take another life.’