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policewoman.’
    ‘Oh, goodness! What on earth will people think?’ Cotter’s hands flew to his face.
    ‘What people think is the least of your worries, sir. May I remind you that you are here because your car has been identified as the vehicle used in a child abduction and the T-shirt we found in the back is identical to one bought by one of the girls involved.’
    ‘Girls? I thought you said one girl.’
    ‘Two were abducted initially, but one escaped.’ Fitzgerald didn’t understand the lie. ‘Are you claiming not to know about this, sir? It’s been all over the news, in the papers …’
    ‘We very rarely watch television,’ Cotter explained. ‘I don’t like it very much. I think it’s a bad influence on people. The things they show …’
    Fitzgerald conceded the point. Half the stuff on the box these days was pure rubbish. ‘No computer?’
    ‘No,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘Oh, no. I use one at work, of course, but I don’t use the Internet.’
    ‘What about the church accounts? You said you were treasurer.’
    ‘All on paper. Real books of account, kept the traditional way.’ He straightened up in his chair as he said this, held his head high.
    ‘And you haven’t seen a newspaper either?’
    ‘I would have done if I’d been to work. I buy the Daily Mail from the newsagent on Sea Road every morning. But I didn’t … I stayed home to … oh, Joyce! Can I see Joyce? I miss my wife, I want to see her.’
    ‘That won’t be possible, sir. You’ll be held here in custody while our investigation progresses.’
    Cotter visibly sagged in the chair when he was told that. ‘Held? Custody? Where?’
    ‘In a cell, sir.’
    ‘Like a criminal?’
    ‘Exactly like a criminal, sir.’
     
    ***
     
    ‘What’s this Ebenezer Tabernacle, then? Do you know?’
    Fitzgerald nodded. ‘It’s one of those happy-clappy places,’ she told Winter.
    ‘Born again,’ said Winter with distaste.
    ‘Yup. Bunch of hypocrites.’
    Winter snorted. ‘Aren’t they all? Scratch the surface and they’re all as bad as each other. The number of people who’ve died because of religion …’
    ‘And now we can add little Annie to the list.’
    ‘Have they found something?’
    ‘Fitzgerald shook her head. ‘Not yet. There’s no sign of her at the house and the wife doesn’t know anything about it. He must have her stashed somewhere. Might be part of a gang, for all we know.’
    ‘He doesn’t seem the type, though, does he,’ mused Winter. ‘He seems genuinely afraid. And no computer. No buddies on the Internet to egg him on.’
    ‘Well, that does seem odd these days, but don’t forget kids were being raped and murdered long before television or the Internet. It’s hardly something new.’
    ‘True. I’m still not sure about him, though.’
    ‘Rob, they found the T-shirt in his car. Ten to one there’s DNA evidence once forensics get through with it. Those kids were in that car. His car. I’d stake my bloody career on it.’
    ‘What about the little lass who got away? Is she going to have a look at him?’
    ‘We’ve got her coming in tomorrow to see if she can identify him. With a bit of luck, that’ll be another nail in his coffin. Fucking pervert.’
    ‘You seem pretty confident it’s him.’
    ‘I am. I just hope if that kiddie’s still alive, he tells us where to find her before she starves to death.’
     

Chapter 4
    ‘It’s okay, Tina, there’s nothing to be scared of,’ said Ruth. She had driven Tina and her parents to the police station so that Tina could try to pick George Cotter out of a line-up. ‘We’ll all be in a room together with Karen. She’s the one who’s been asking Mr Cotter all the questions. Mr Cotter and some other men will be in the room next door.’
    ‘Will I have to go in and see them?’ Tina asked.
    ‘No. There’s a window between the two rooms. On their side, it looks like a mirror, so you can look at them, but they can’t see you.’
    ‘Like on the