that but Lily kept her eyes fixed on the floor.
‘I shouldn’t have left her because when she’s on her own she hurts herself,’ said Kathryn.
Maggie’s pulse quickened. ‘How?’
‘The blood in the back garden? We know it’s Rosie’s and we know how it ended up there.’ She took a deep, dramatic breath. ‘Rosie cuts herself.’
Unburdened of the secret, Kathryn slumped back on the sofa and put her forearm over her eyes. Lily didn’t move. Maggie watched them for a few moments, trying to decide if Kathryn was being
straight with her, wondering if there was anything they’d have to gain from lying.
‘Are you saying Rosie is a self-harmer?’
Kathryn lowered her arm slowly. Her eyelashes had clumped together in little spikes.
‘Yes. Rosie cuts herself until she bleeds. And she does it all the time.’
Maggie thought about the patch of blood on the lawn and the splatter line down towards the firs. Could Rosie have accidentally cut herself too deeply this time? It was possible. But why, she
questioned herself, would she then climb over the fence at the bottom of the garden? Why not go back into the house to get help? Either way, Umpire needed to know about this.
‘Thank you for being honest with me. I know it’s hard because you don’t want to feel like you’re telling tales but I think what you’ve told me is really helpful.
I’ll just need your contact details now, in case we need to speak to you again.’
Lily reacted with horror. ‘But I only ever hang out with Rosie after school, I don’t know anything! Why will I have to be questioned again?’
‘It’s okay,’ said Maggie soothingly. ‘It’s nothing to be anxious about. We’ll just need you to give a statement about what you’ve told me. You can have
your mum and dad sit in on the interview if you want.’
‘Will you do it?’ asked Lily anxiously.
‘I don’t know. It’ll be up to the officer in charge.’
Family liaison officers were known to take formal statements during a case – the role did not preclude them from being part of the investigative team. The only issue was how involved
Umpire wanted her to be. Maggie took the girls’ details to pass on to him, including phone numbers for their parents.
‘You’re better off speaking to my mum. My dad’s in New York,’ said Kathryn sullenly. ‘He works away a lot.’
‘Actually, your mum’s still here, with my colleague DC Small. Do you want me to get her?’
Kathryn shrugged. ‘If you want.’
Maggie returned two minutes later with Sarah, who shot across the room to her daughter’s side.
‘What have you been saying?’ she snapped.
For a second Maggie thought she was talking to her and was annoyed at her for questioning the girls. Then she saw that her anger was directed at Kathryn. The teenager shrank back in her
seat.
‘I didn’t say anything, Mum. She was just asking us about how well we know Rosie.’
Sarah folded her arms across her chest and glared at her daughter. ‘If you’re causing trouble again—’
‘She’s not,’ Maggie interjected. ‘She’s been really helpful.’
Sarah ignored her and gestured at Kathryn to stand up. ‘Come on, it’s time we left the police to it. That goes for you too, Lily. Isn’t your grandmother expecting
you?’
‘They might need to be interviewed again at some point.’ Maggie handed Sarah her business card. ‘If you have any questions, please give me a call. I’m here to help
Rosie’s friends as well as her family.’
‘Thank you,’ said Sarah grudgingly.
As they went to leave, Lily turned to Maggie. ‘Rosie’s really lovely,’ she said timidly. ‘She’s never horrible to anyone and she doesn’t deserve
this.’
It was only after they left that Maggie thought about what Lily had said. If she and Kathryn were convinced the blood loss was caused by her self-harming, what exactly did Rosie not deserve?
7
Lesley struggled to catch her breath as she paced around the dining room. With
‘I shouldn’t have left her because when she’s on her own she hurts herself,’ said Kathryn.
Maggie’s pulse quickened. ‘How?’
‘The blood in the back garden? We know it’s Rosie’s and we know how it ended up there.’ She took a deep, dramatic breath. ‘Rosie cuts herself.’
Unburdened of the secret, Kathryn slumped back on the sofa and put her forearm over her eyes. Lily didn’t move. Maggie watched them for a few moments, trying to decide if Kathryn was being
straight with her, wondering if there was anything they’d have to gain from lying.
‘Are you saying Rosie is a self-harmer?’
Kathryn lowered her arm slowly. Her eyelashes had clumped together in little spikes.
‘Yes. Rosie cuts herself until she bleeds. And she does it all the time.’
Maggie thought about the patch of blood on the lawn and the splatter line down towards the firs. Could Rosie have accidentally cut herself too deeply this time? It was possible. But why, she
questioned herself, would she then climb over the fence at the bottom of the garden? Why not go back into the house to get help? Either way, Umpire needed to know about this.
‘Thank you for being honest with me. I know it’s hard because you don’t want to feel like you’re telling tales but I think what you’ve told me is really helpful.
I’ll just need your contact details now, in case we need to speak to you again.’
Lily reacted with horror. ‘But I only ever hang out with Rosie after school, I don’t know anything! Why will I have to be questioned again?’
‘It’s okay,’ said Maggie soothingly. ‘It’s nothing to be anxious about. We’ll just need you to give a statement about what you’ve told me. You can have
your mum and dad sit in on the interview if you want.’
‘Will you do it?’ asked Lily anxiously.
‘I don’t know. It’ll be up to the officer in charge.’
Family liaison officers were known to take formal statements during a case – the role did not preclude them from being part of the investigative team. The only issue was how involved
Umpire wanted her to be. Maggie took the girls’ details to pass on to him, including phone numbers for their parents.
‘You’re better off speaking to my mum. My dad’s in New York,’ said Kathryn sullenly. ‘He works away a lot.’
‘Actually, your mum’s still here, with my colleague DC Small. Do you want me to get her?’
Kathryn shrugged. ‘If you want.’
Maggie returned two minutes later with Sarah, who shot across the room to her daughter’s side.
‘What have you been saying?’ she snapped.
For a second Maggie thought she was talking to her and was annoyed at her for questioning the girls. Then she saw that her anger was directed at Kathryn. The teenager shrank back in her
seat.
‘I didn’t say anything, Mum. She was just asking us about how well we know Rosie.’
Sarah folded her arms across her chest and glared at her daughter. ‘If you’re causing trouble again—’
‘She’s not,’ Maggie interjected. ‘She’s been really helpful.’
Sarah ignored her and gestured at Kathryn to stand up. ‘Come on, it’s time we left the police to it. That goes for you too, Lily. Isn’t your grandmother expecting
you?’
‘They might need to be interviewed again at some point.’ Maggie handed Sarah her business card. ‘If you have any questions, please give me a call. I’m here to help
Rosie’s friends as well as her family.’
‘Thank you,’ said Sarah grudgingly.
As they went to leave, Lily turned to Maggie. ‘Rosie’s really lovely,’ she said timidly. ‘She’s never horrible to anyone and she doesn’t deserve
this.’
It was only after they left that Maggie thought about what Lily had said. If she and Kathryn were convinced the blood loss was caused by her self-harming, what exactly did Rosie not deserve?
7
Lesley struggled to catch her breath as she paced around the dining room. With
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