David touched her shoulder and spoke quietly. ‘She was locked in, Nina, but the key was in the door. We need to find out if she knows where Wright has gone – she didn’t answer when I asked.’
Nina stroked the hair from Naomi’s face. ‘Do you know, sweetie?’
Naomi shook her head then burst out crying, and Nina couldn’t prevent her own tears.
For a few moments she and Naomi hugged and sobbed together, then Nina wiped her eyes. Time for supermum.
‘Sweetheart, you’re safe now. We’ve got you. Naomi – are you hurt? What did he do to you?’
The million dollar question, and Nina leaned back to look into Naomi’s face. Her daughter was pale and wide-eyed with fear, her face tear-streaked and filthy, and she was clutching Nina with shaking hands. Hell, no child’s hands should ever have to shake like this.
‘He kept grabbing me and pushing me around,’ she whispered. ‘And he wouldn’t tell me where we were or nothing, he was horrible, Mummy, why did he do that?’
Nina stroked the tangled honey-coloured hair back from the pale face, feeling the tightness inside her gut begin to ease. It didn’t sound as if Paul had abused Naomi, but the girl’s use of the word ‘Mummy’ showed how insecure and frightened she was. Nina swallowed. What, oh what was she supposed to say to make the situation less frightening for her child?
‘I think he’s a – he’s not normal, lovey, he’s not well. Darling, did he touch you under your clothes? Did he make you touch him? Did he – ’ Hell, Naomi wasn’t a baby, she would know the word – ‘Did he assault you?’
Naomi burst into noisy tears and Nina could barely make out what she was saying. ‘No. But he kept pushing me around everywhere and shouting and then laughing. And at the first house he took photos of me and he said they were the before photos, and he was going to use them to catch some bad men who wanted me to look different afterwards – after what, Mummy, what did he mean?’
Nina closed her eyes, hugging Naomi tightly. Christ, Paul could have returned here at any time, and who knows what would have happened to her lovely daughter if they hadn’t arrived here before him. Thank God for Emily and her efforts with the photos.
David Mallony was standing in front of the window. ‘That’s what we’re going to find out, Naomi. The main thing is you’re safe. We’ll get you three out of here now, Nina. The police doctor will check Naomi soon.’
Nina felt Naomi’s body relax a little. David sounded so authoritative and in control, just what they both needed right now. Sam was standing in the doorway, and he moved back as she led Naomi from the room.
‘Sam, thank you,’ she whispered, and he touched her cheek as she passed.
Back at the police station, Naomi told what little she knew and then they were allowed to go back to Sam’s flat, well away from all frightening associations for Naomi. It was a good couple of hours before the wildness in the little girl’s eyes began to diminish. Sam phoned round their families and friends while the same police doctor who’d seen Nina the day before questioned Naomi closely and conducted a brief examination which involved some very personal questions but fell short of removing any of Naomi’s clothing. Afterwards Nina took the doctor into the kitchen to talk. The woman’s first words were what she wanted to hear.
‘She hasn’t been sexually assaulted,’ said the doctor. ‘She spoke quite openly about her experience and what Wright had said and done. She wouldn’t have been able to do that if anything had happened. It’s been a terrible shock for her, though. Naturally. Talk to her about it, but don’t force any confidences, take things at her pace. And it might be an idea to tell her a little about your own encounter with Wright; she doesn’t know anything about that yet and it would give her the feeling that the ordeal wasn’t hers alone. No gory details, though, play it down. I’ll leave some tranquillizers. You can each have one at bedtime and they’ll give you a good night’s sleep.’
Nina went back to the living room, where Sam was with Naomi on the sofa, carefully sitting well round the corner. Naomi had a fat cushion clutched across her chest, but Nina noticed that the trembling had stopped.
‘Come on, you,’ she said, putting a hand on Naomi’s head. ‘Bath time. Sam doesn’t have any smellies that you’d like, but we’ll put a good squirt of my shower gel into the water and you can lie in the bubbles and I’ll tell you about Paul Wright locking me up in a horrible house all night.’
The doctor was right. Hearing about Nina’s imprisonment jolted Naomi out of her own situation. They discussed mental illness and child abuse quite openly, and Nina’s last lingering fear vanished. Naomi’s behaviour in the bath was the same as always, and her body was unmarked. Nina left the girl drying herself with one of Sam’s massive bath towels.
Sam was in the living room with a bottle. ‘Wine,’ he said, pouring her a large glass of red. ‘If anyone deserves it it’s you. Are you okay?’
Nina sipped, then put the glass down and looked at him. He stepped across the room and took her in his arms, holding her tightly, and she could hear his heartbeat and the sound of his breathing. She fitted her forehead against his neck, feeling how their breathing coordinated. In, out. Slowly, she began to relax. Now if she could stay right here for about four months she would be okay again.
‘I feel like I’ve had the biggest fright of my life,’ she said.
‘Well, you’re not alone,’ said Sam. ‘And if I - ’
‘Stop snogging.’ Naomi marched into the room, her face still pale. ‘I’m hungry, I haven’t had anything to eat all day.’
Nina went to hug Naomi. A hug could work wonders; she and Sam had just proved it.
‘Right,’ said Sam, rubbing his hands. ‘What would you like? I could make spaghetti, that’s quick, or pizza, that takes a bit longer, or we could send out for a curry or go for a hamburger – you choose.’
‘Chicken Tikka,’ said Naomi, her head on one side as she considered. ‘And chapatis and normal rice.’
They ate at Sam’s breakfast bar, and Nina was glad to see the colour return to Naomi’s face. The safe routine of having something to eat was helping them both. Although it wasn’t really routine, thought Nina; they had never eaten with Sam, unless you counted the picnic by the river where Naomi had gone off in a strop. The bad mood was a thing of the past today; the little girl was listening to Sam’s account of the beaches he’d been to in Devon with an almost-smile on her face.
‘I want to go to the beach too. When can we go home, Mum?’ she said, mopping up the last of her sauce with a chapati. ‘Home to Arran, I mean.’
‘As soon as they let us,’ said Nina. ‘I’ll talk to David Mallony tonight. We’ll go on Sunday at the latest.’
And how good it would be to be back on the island, back to fresh air and healthy living. Of course they would have to visit Emily first. And Cassie and Glen.
‘Good,’ said Naomi. ‘Will you be coming to see us sometime?’
She was looking at Sam, and for the life of her Nina couldn’t read her daughter’s expression.
‘Maybe I will,’ he said, glancing at Nina. ‘I’ve never been to the islands. We’ll see what we can fix up, will we?’
He gave Nina the ghost of a smile. ‘I’ll bring you the last lot of documents to sign.’
Nina grinned back, feeling that it was forever and a day since she’d been able to grin at him and mean it. ‘You’ll be very welcome, Sam.’