Page 273 of The Running Grave

‘They showed them a different child?’

‘Exactly. He answered to Jacob and told them a nasty lady called Robin—’

‘He used your real name?’

‘Yes,’ said Robin hopelessly. ‘Vivienne must have talked. I answered accidentally to “Robin” one day – I passed it off as a nickname and I’m sure she believed me at the time, but I s’pose – anyway, the fake Jacob told the police I’d taken him into a bathroom and… and done things to him.’

‘What things?’

‘Asked him to pull his pants down and show me his willy. He claims that when he wouldn’t do it, I hit him round the head.’

‘Shit,’ Strike muttered.

‘That’s not all. They’ve got two adult witnesses saying I was rough with the children at the farm and kept trying to take them off on my own. The police wouldn’t tell me who they are, but I said, if it was Taio or Becca, they had good reason to want me incriminated on a child abuse charge. I explained I was there to investigate the church. I had the feeling Harding – that’s the man – thought I was cocky or something, coming from our agency.’

‘There’s a bit of that about,’ said Strike. ‘Patterson’s an old mate of Carver’s, as I found out from Littlejohn. Were the police recording the interview?’

‘Yes.’

‘How did it end?’

‘They told me they’ve got no further questions at the moment,’ said Robin. ‘I think the female officer believed me, but I’m not sure about Harding. He kept going back over the same ground, trying to make me change my story, and he got quite forceful at one point. I asked them whether anyone was going to go back to the farm and find the real Jacob, but obviously, as I’m now a person of suspicion, they weren’t going to tell me that. What the hell have the Waces done with that boy? What if—?’

‘You’ve already done as much for Jacob as you can,’ said Strike. ‘With luck, you’ve worried the police enough to make them do another search. Eat your crisps.’

Robin ripped open one of the packets and did as she was told.

‘I already knew the church must’ve identified us,’ said Strike. ‘Fergus Robertson just called me. Apparently my Wikipedia page has been given a UHC makeover.’

‘Oh no,’ said Robin.

‘It was inevitable. Someone found that plastic rock, and Taio got a good look at me at the perimeter fence before I hit him. Now we’ve just got to try and limit the damage.’

‘Have you read the Wikipedia stuff about you?’

‘Not yet, I haven’t had time, but Robertson gave me a good idea of what’s on there. I might need a legal letter to get it taken down. Matter of fact, I know just the bloke I can ask for advice.’

‘Who?’

‘Andrew Honbold. He’s a QC. Bijou’s partner.’

‘I thought you and Bijou were—?’

‘Christ, no, she’s a fucking nutter,’ said Strike, forgetting he’d pretended he was still seeing Bijou when he and Robin had been at Felbrigg Lodge. ‘Honbold’s fairly well disposed to me at the moment and as defamation’s his speciality—’

‘He’s well disposed to you?’ said Robin, thoroughly confused. ‘Even though—?’

‘He thinks Bijou and I had nothing more than a couple of drinks and she’s not going to tell him different, not when she’s pregnant with his kid.’

‘Right,’ said Robin, who was finding this onslaught of information dizzying.

‘Murphy booked an early flight yet?’ said Strike, who hoped not.

‘No, he hasn’t managed to get one,’ said Robin. ‘So it’ll be Sunday.’

‘And he’ll be all right with you heading to Thornbury on Monday, will he?’

‘Yes, of course,’ said Robin, ripping open a second pack of crisps. ‘He’s back at work himself Monday morning. Mind you, he might ditch me once he finds out I’m facing child abuse charges.’