Free Make Believe by Cath Staincliffe Page A

child abduction?’ she said.
     
    By the time Janine started the interview proper after making introductions for the tape, Mrs Wray had already made her displeasure clear, sighing and shuffling in her seat, twirling her hair around her fingers.  Even yawning.
    ‘ You’ve been up to your old tricks, Mrs Wray.  Attacking property, threatening Clive and his family,’ Janine said.
    ‘ Second family,’ Felicity said.
    ‘ We’ve read some of the messages you sent him,’ Janine picked up the transcript and quoted, ‘“Your life won’t be worth living.  Your slut and her brat can rot in hell.” This all started up again after he brought Sammy round.’
    ‘ What did he expect?  Rubbing my face in it.  He knew I resented that child,’ she said.
    ‘ Resented, past tense?’ Janine said.
    ‘ You think he’s still alive?’ Felicity said.
    ‘ Do you know any different?’ Janine said seriously.  It was hard to believe the woman was still being so cavalier.
    ‘ She put you up to this, didn’t she?  Trying to blame me.  She was the one that lost the child.  She took Clive and now she’s still persecuting me.  She knows where Clive really belongs, that’s why.’
    Janine refused to be drawn.
    ‘You are aware that we are searching your property?’ Janine said, ‘Is there anything you’d like to tell me about, anything we might find?’
    Felicity Wray gave a little shake of her head, ‘Only that it seems to be a dreadful waste of police resources.’
    Felicity Wray maintained her big show of finding the questions tiresome but Janine felt she enjoyed the attention, a chance to perform as the wronged woman, the victim in her very own soap opera.
    Was she just a narcissist, interested only in her own tribulations, indifferent to the fate of a small child or the hell that the supposed love of her life was going through?  Or was this self obsession of a much darker nature?  Jealousy led people to commit terrible acts.
    ‘I’d like to ask you again, did you enter Withington Park on the nineteenth of April?’
    ‘ No.’
    ‘ Did you take Sammy?’
    Felicity Wray rolled her eyes.  ‘No.’
    ‘ Do you know where he is?’
    ‘ No.’
    ‘ We are entering your details into a video identification parade to see if any witnesses at the park remember seeing you there.’
    Felicity Wray shrugged.  ‘Knock yourselves out,’ she said.
     
    ‘What do you think?’ Richard asked her as they waited in her office while the video parade was carried out. 
    Ja nine raised her hands, palms up.  Search me.   Nothing untoward had been found at Felicity Wray’s house, so far.  A more detailed examination of the premises was still in progress. 
    ‘ She’s cracked enough,’ Richard said.
    ‘Let’s see what we get out of the line-up,’ Janine said.
    Millie Saunders came through the incident room, and knocked on Janine’s door.
    ‘ Yes,’ Janine said.
    There was a look of exasperation on Millie’s face.  ‘My phone’s in meltdown.  Local press have got wind of an arrest. Half of them are camped outside.  Is it true you’re questioning the ex-wife for the abduction?’
    ‘ We are,’ said Janine.
    ‘ Thanks for the update,’ Millie said sarcastically.
    ‘ We have been rather busy,’ Janine said.
    ‘ I should be told of all major developments,’ Millie said.  ‘This is a major development?’
    At exactly the same moment as Janine answered no, Richard said y es.             
    Millie shook her head in disgust, gave a humourless laugh.  ‘Final answer?’ she said.
    ‘ There’s a lot of speculation flying about at this stage,’ Janine said.
    ‘ Well, unless you give me something to work with, that speculation is going to be all over the airwaves as well.  Or shall I put the calls through to the incident room?  To the horse’s mouth?’
    For one delirious moment Janine consider ed telling Millie Saunders to bugger off.  Instead she took a steadying breath and then said coolly to