Page 80 of The Altar Girls

Ruth Kiernan was sitting on a chair, plaiting her long tresses, when Lottie came into Interview Room 2, the smaller and older of the station’s interview rooms. She’d been waiting for a solicitor, but was now declining his services.

‘Are you sure about that, Ruth?’ Lottie asked.

‘I can’t afford one and it’s taking too long for you to get someone for me. I need to get home to my family.’

‘That’s not going to happen any time soon. I’ve put in a call to child services.’ She hadn’t done it yet, but Ruth didn’t need to know that. Studying the woman’s demeanour, Lottie thought maybe it would be a good idea to prioritise that call.

Ruth continued to plait her hair, and when she reached the end, she took a bobbin from her wrist and spent ages twisting it around the braid. Lottie waited her out. At last the woman lifted her head and stared.

‘Nothing you do will bring her back,’ she said evenly.

‘I know that, but won’t you find comfort in knowing her killer is caught?’

‘It won’t bring her back,’ Ruth repeated. ‘She is with the Lord now.’

God give me strength! Lottie forced a smile. ‘Her killer isn’t.’

‘He is with the devil.’

‘Ruth, I need to talk about your children. Can we do that?’

‘Sure.’

‘Did you hurt them?’ Straight to the point.

Ruth bit her lip and shook her head before lowering her eyes.

‘Look at me, Ruth. I need to know the truth.’

‘I did not kill my child.’

‘Okay. But in the past, did you hurt Naomi?’

A shoulder shrug, like an uninterested teenager.

‘Talk to me, please.’

‘What I did or didn’t do did not kill her.’

‘But it might help us.’

‘Won’t help me.’

‘Why did you hurt her?’

‘She needed to learn the way of the Lord. And punishment is one of His teachings.’

‘I think that might be a Church teaching, not the Lord’s,’ Lottie said, not having a clue if that was correct or not.

‘I was trying to save her soul and she tested me. Really tested my patience.’

‘A small child tested you and you broke her wrist?’

‘You make it sound bad. I only do what is best for their souls.’

‘Give me a break.’

‘You have no faith. I knew that the minute you walked into my house. The devil is perched on your shoulder. I can see him.’