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Authors: Priscilla Masters
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vanish from their own hand. I could divine the card they’d memorised or produce a bunch of flowers from an empty hat. I could do things they, with all their GameBoys and sophistication, couldn’t understand. I impressed them. I could catch them out.” He ended his speech in a note of self-satisfied malice.
“I see.”
“They’d let me near their children as long as I was wearing the Uncle Joshua clothes. But when I wasn’t they reported me as though I was a malicious vagrant.” He looked affronted.
“And Madeline?”
“She was the only one,” Baldwin said slowly. “The only one who saw through my outfit. I was cleaning off my greasepaint in the van one day after a kiddie’s party while she was waiting for her mum to come and pick her up from the party. Her mother was always the last to come and fetch her. She came and knocked on the window.” He smiled. “Sat in the van with me until her mother arrived. She is a lovely little girl. One day I happened to be passing her school when the children were coming out and she knew me straightaway. Such a clever little thing. She smiled at me. The only one.” A lonely sadness imprinted deep lines across his face. “As though I was her very special friend.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Korpanski stuck his head round. He was looking excited. There was a tautness about his face. Joanna knew that look. He believed he was on to something. She excused herself from Baldwin and joined Korpanski in the corridor outside.
He hung on until she had closed the door behind her.“They’ve found a hair in Baldwin’s van,” he said. “On the front seat. Straight, very dark brown. Four inches in length. Nice bit of root for DNA. No hair colourant.”
The image of straight brown hair framing the solemn face fitted. Yet she shook her head. “He’s just told me - voluntarily - that she sat in his van one day.”
Mike blinked. “He’s clever, Jo,” he said. “You have to hand it to him. He’s very smart.”
“Smart or innocent.”
Mike grabbed her arm. “Don’t get hoodwinked by these people, Jo. They get close to children because they’re clever. It’s how they do it. They’re conmen.”
She returned to Baldwin.
“Did you say you first met Madeline at a children’s party?”
“Yes.” Baldwin was becoming almost co-operative. He was beginning to relax in her presence. Starting to trust her.
“Can you remember the name of the child whose party it was and roughly the date?”
“Christmas time,” Baldwin said. “I can’t remember the exact day.”
After
Christmas had been when Baldwin had begun to haunt Horton Primary. Joshua, the clown, had attended a children’s party and befriended a five-year-old child. So the chain of events had been set up which had led directly to today.
“And the name of the little boy or girl whose party it was?” She didn’t even know whether it bore any relevance.
Baldwin looked shifty. “I don’t know the child’s name. The parents’ name was Owen. I think the little boy is in the same class as Madeline. I’ve seen him there. Noisy child.”
Joanna thought for a moment. They would check out Baldwin’s statement as they checked everything. But there was no point or reason for him to lie.
Baldwin cleared his throat noisily, as though to remind her he was still there.
She met the full force of his goat-eyes. “Why did you keep going back to Horton School - even after we’d warned you off?”
“Do I have to have a reason?” He was getting cocky.
“Frankly, in the light of recent events - yes.”
“To see the children.” Baldwin almost whispered the words.
But she knew it wasn’t children - in general. One child. One small girl. Madeline. Who must have obsessed him. He didn’t fool her. She leaned across the table. “Why?”
He didn’t answer. She had to repeat the question. “Why did you want to see the children?”
“I just like them.” She knew he was sliding away from
“I see.”
“They’d let me near their children as long as I was wearing the Uncle Joshua clothes. But when I wasn’t they reported me as though I was a malicious vagrant.” He looked affronted.
“And Madeline?”
“She was the only one,” Baldwin said slowly. “The only one who saw through my outfit. I was cleaning off my greasepaint in the van one day after a kiddie’s party while she was waiting for her mum to come and pick her up from the party. Her mother was always the last to come and fetch her. She came and knocked on the window.” He smiled. “Sat in the van with me until her mother arrived. She is a lovely little girl. One day I happened to be passing her school when the children were coming out and she knew me straightaway. Such a clever little thing. She smiled at me. The only one.” A lonely sadness imprinted deep lines across his face. “As though I was her very special friend.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Korpanski stuck his head round. He was looking excited. There was a tautness about his face. Joanna knew that look. He believed he was on to something. She excused herself from Baldwin and joined Korpanski in the corridor outside.
He hung on until she had closed the door behind her.“They’ve found a hair in Baldwin’s van,” he said. “On the front seat. Straight, very dark brown. Four inches in length. Nice bit of root for DNA. No hair colourant.”
The image of straight brown hair framing the solemn face fitted. Yet she shook her head. “He’s just told me - voluntarily - that she sat in his van one day.”
Mike blinked. “He’s clever, Jo,” he said. “You have to hand it to him. He’s very smart.”
“Smart or innocent.”
Mike grabbed her arm. “Don’t get hoodwinked by these people, Jo. They get close to children because they’re clever. It’s how they do it. They’re conmen.”
She returned to Baldwin.
“Did you say you first met Madeline at a children’s party?”
“Yes.” Baldwin was becoming almost co-operative. He was beginning to relax in her presence. Starting to trust her.
“Can you remember the name of the child whose party it was and roughly the date?”
“Christmas time,” Baldwin said. “I can’t remember the exact day.”
After
Christmas had been when Baldwin had begun to haunt Horton Primary. Joshua, the clown, had attended a children’s party and befriended a five-year-old child. So the chain of events had been set up which had led directly to today.
“And the name of the little boy or girl whose party it was?” She didn’t even know whether it bore any relevance.
Baldwin looked shifty. “I don’t know the child’s name. The parents’ name was Owen. I think the little boy is in the same class as Madeline. I’ve seen him there. Noisy child.”
Joanna thought for a moment. They would check out Baldwin’s statement as they checked everything. But there was no point or reason for him to lie.
Baldwin cleared his throat noisily, as though to remind her he was still there.
She met the full force of his goat-eyes. “Why did you keep going back to Horton School - even after we’d warned you off?”
“Do I have to have a reason?” He was getting cocky.
“Frankly, in the light of recent events - yes.”
“To see the children.” Baldwin almost whispered the words.
But she knew it wasn’t children - in general. One child. One small girl. Madeline. Who must have obsessed him. He didn’t fool her. She leaned across the table. “Why?”
He didn’t answer. She had to repeat the question. “Why did you want to see the children?”
“I just like them.” She knew he was sliding away from
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