Hope to Die

LK: And did intimacy take place that night?

CR: Yeah, we had sex.

LK: Did you use protection?

CR: No, I was on the pill.

LK: And yet you still fell pregnant.

CR: Yeah, well, it happens.

HL: And where did the intercourse take place?

CR: At his flat.

LK: And that was where?

CR: A block about ten minutes away. Council, I think.

LK: [passes over a photograph]

This block, correct? Adelaide Court?

CR: If you say so. It was dark, and he didn’t tell me the name.

LK: What number was the flat?

CR: I’ve already told you all this. I don’t know the number, just that it was on the top floor.

LK: Did you go there again?

CR: No. The only other time we did it was in the park.

LK: I should tell you that we have obtained occupancy records for Adelaide Court for the period in question and there was no one called Baker living there. Either on the top floor or anywhere else.

CR: So? Loads of people sub-let.

LK: Officers have also questioned tenants who were living there at the time and no one remembers seeing you.

CR: I’m not bloody surprised. I went there once at, like, midnight.

JM: [intervening]

Camilla, if this man forced you – if there was any sort of assault –

CR: He didn’t rape me, if that’s what you’re getting at.

JM: I can arrange for you to see a trained counsellor –

CR: Jesus, it was just sex, OK? I liked him, he liked me. It didn’t mean anything.

LK: Not until you got pregnant, anyway.

CR: Yeah, well, that wasn’t the plan, was it.

LK: And you say that this Mr Baker was going to register the child’s birth?

CR: Right.

LK: Do you know if he did that?

CR: I assume he did. I haven’t spoken to him about it.

LK: Have you spoken to him at all?

CR: No.

LK: Not at all? You gave a virtual stranger your baby and just left it at that?

CR: Look, I just wanted to move on, OK? The kid was with its father, he was safe, I just wanted to forget about the whole thing.

LK: We’ve accessed UK Records Office data for all baby boys registered under the surname ‘Baker’ on the day your child was born, and for the six-week period after that date. None of them is your child.

CR: [silence]

LK: We’ve also reviewed all baby boys listed as born at Birmingham and Solihull General Hospital for the same period under any surname. Again, none is your child.

CR: Look, if Tim’s fucked up, then you should be talking to him, not me.

HL: We’d very much like to. He’s proving rather difficult to find.

CR: I don’t see what you expect me to do about that.

LK: If something happened to the baby, if there was some sort of accident, now’s the time to tell us.

CR: [silence]

*Duration of silence confirmed as 51 seconds*

LK: Is there something you want to tell us?

CR: No.

LK: Did you do something to the baby?

CR: No!

LK: Did you kill the baby?

CR: Of course I didn’t! I would never ever harm my baby.

HL: We can’t find the child, we can’t find the father –

CR: Look, can we turn off the tape?

LK: No, I’m afraid that’s not possible.

CR: [becoming distressed]

You’re going to tell my parents, aren’t you?

HL: We have to conduct a thorough investigation –

CR: [wailing]

And it’s all going to come out and everyone will know – you’re going to destroy my life -

JM: I think we should take a break now, Inspector.

LK: Interview suspended at 12.17.

* * *

They’d barely got through the door before he started; Margaret hasn’t even had a chance to take off her coat. She fumbles wearily for a chair. The kitchen is cold; there’s condensation on the windows.

‘They said he was Camilla’s baby – our grandson.’ She’s not looking at him and he takes a step closer. ‘Did you know? Did you know?’

She says nothing.

‘Peggy – I want an answer.’

She starts to pull off her gloves. ‘Of course I didn’t know. How could I know?’

He starts to pace the kitchen. ‘I went along with what you said – I’ve stuck to the story –’

‘It isn’t a story – it’s the truth – he broke in and threatened you – threatened us –’

He turns to her, exasperated. ‘For heaven’s sake, you know that’s not what happened – he was angry, yes, but he wasn’t trying to rob us, he wasn’t asking for money. I’ve been thinking about it – I think he was trying to tell me something –’

‘He was shouting – I heard him –’

He stops, looks at her, his face suddenly white. ‘He called me Grandad. I thought it was just an insult, but –’

‘You’re talking nonsense and you know it.’

But he doesn’t seem to be listening. ‘You know what this means, don’t you? If he really was Camilla’s baby – that baby – it means she’s been telling the truth, this whole time. Just like she always claimed. She wasn’t lying –’

Margaret makes a contemptuous noise and turns away. ‘Perhaps not about that –’