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.Can someone look in the vestry?’For a moment, Tom couldn’t remember where the vestry was.At the front of the church, he thought.He turned and stopped dead.Blinked and looked again.Nothing there.But for a second he’d been sure.To one side of the organ, her thin body pressed against the pipes, someone had been watching them.A little girl.25THEY WERE LEAVING THE CHURCHYARD: THE MAN WHO seemed to be in charge of the church now and Millie’s two brothers.And the mother too; not Millie’s mother, she was still running round the family’s garden, shouting and making a huge fuss.No, this was the other mother, the one who’d appeared from nowhere just as the children and the man had left the church.She was carrying Millie in her arms as they turned down the hill.Millie’s parents had seen them.They were running towards the group.Everyone was talking at once, looking at Millie, patting her head, hugging her close.They’d been scared, had thought they’d lost her.They’d take better care of her now.For a while.262 October‘AT FIRST, FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT WASLIKEI WASBACKIN the old nightmare again, do you know what I mean? My little girl was lost and I had to find her.I had to go out and walk the moors, calling and calling, until I found her.’‘It’s OK, Gillian, take your time.Give yourself a minute.’‘I couldn’t think properly.I just wanted to scream.’‘I understand,’ said Evi.‘It must have been dreadful for everyone, but especially for you.’ Yet another search on the moors for Gillian: first Megan, then Hayley, now this latest – Millie, was she called?‘It was,’ said Gillian.‘Take your time,’ Evi said again.Should she mention the search for Megan? She hadn’t heard back from her supervisor yet.‘But then it was like someone flicked a switch and I could see clearly again.The worst had already happened to me.I had nothing to be afraid of, so I was in the best position to help.I know all the hiding places around the town.I’ve been checking them all just about every day for nearly three years and I knew I had the best chance of finding her.’Gillian had been out shopping since Evi had last seen her.She was wearing black trousers that looked new and a tight black sweater.Her skin was improving all the time.‘We’ve plenty of time, Gillian,’ she said.‘Forty minutes before we have to stop.Do you want to tell me what you did?’‘I went out looking,’ answered Gillian.‘On my own, in the dark, because I’m used to that.I walked along Wite Lane, past our old house, up through the fields towards the Tor.Then I came back again because I saw lights on in the church.’‘That shows great strength of character,’ said Evi.‘That you were able to take part in the search, after everything you’ve been through.’Gillian was nodding, still excited.‘And it felt really good, you know, when I saw Alice and Gareth and I had Millie in my arms.They were so grateful and—’‘You found the little girl?’‘Yes – well no – not exactly.I found all four of them, coming out of the church.They were all in a bit of a state.Tom was arguing with his brother about something to do with little girls.I took Millie off Tom because I was worried he was going to drop her.I didn’t notice Harry at first.He was leaning against a wall and in his black clothes he was pretty hard to see.’Evi picked up her water glass from the desk and realized she wasn’t thirsty.She kept it in her hand, swirling the water around.‘And the little girl had just wandered off?’ she asked.‘To be honest, no one’s sure what happened.Millie’s too young to tell us.The official line is that she followed some bigger children out of the party and then found she couldn’t keep up.’The glass was distracting Gillian.Evi made herself put it down.There was a paperclip on the desk.If she picked that up she’d start twisting it in her fingers.It would be another distraction.‘And the unofficial line?’ asked Evi, finding herself curious.‘The family have had a few run-ins with a local gang,’ replied Gillian.‘Who were hanging round while it happened, apparently.The Fletchers think perhaps they took Millie, maybe as a joke, and then it all went wrong.The police have been up but none of the boys has admitted anything.Everyone’s just glad it ended the way it did.’‘And this was past nine o’clock?’ Evi asked.‘Quite late for a little one to be up, wasn’t it?’‘Oh, all the kids stay up late for the Cutting.It’s tradition.’‘The Cutting?’‘That’s what they call it.It’s an old farming thing.Then a party.Everyone’s invited.I was never that keen, to be honest, especially after Pete left.But then, when Harry asked me if I was going to be there, I thought, why not? Except then I was in this big panic about what I was going to wear
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