Mo Hayder: Poppet

AJ looks at her pretty face, her wide-set eyes, her pale-blonde hair. He thinks about Stewart barking at her when she first arrived at Eden Hole Cottages.

Stewart knew. And now AJ does too.

‘Hello?’ Melanie repeats. ‘I said, shall we get on with it?’

AJ has thrown the security room into uproar. The Big Lurch is staring at him, his eyes bulging, and Linda and her senior are having a long, angry conversation with the commander. She keeps shooting AJ hostile looks through the doorway. Eventually the conversation breaks up. Linda fires AJ a resentful scowl and steps aside, shaking her head. She tucks her shirt back into her belt, glancing around the room for some confirmation that this is all out of order. The commander comes into the pod and stands next to AJ, one hand on the desk, the other on the back of the chair, leaning in so he can speak to AJ in a low voice. ‘The language you were using wasn’t very helpful. I thought we’d reached an agreement about what you would and wouldn’t say?’

‘I promise – no more swearing. I promise.’

‘I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt because this is your environment – please don’t let me down.’

‘I won’t.’

‘One more chance.’ He raises his eyebrows. ‘OK?’

AJ nods.

‘Can we get this over with?’ Melanie repeats from the seclusion room. ‘Please?’

The commander retreats to the doorway. AJ keeps him on the edge of his vision, where he can monitor him. He flicks the mic on again. ‘Yes,’ he says steadily. ‘We’ll get it over with, Melanie, when you tell the truth – the real truth.’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘You heard me. Explain why you’ve confessed all of a sudden.’

‘ AJ ,’ Melanie says, with a meaningful glance at Isaac. ‘Do you have to ask me that question? Isn’t it clear ?’

In the staffroom Linda has turned furiously – her hands out in disbelief. But the commander hasn’t moved – yet. His arms are folded, and he is watching AJ like a hawk.

‘Melanie,’ AJ says quickly, before the commander changes his mind, ‘what I’m confused about is why Isaac would think it in the first place. Why would Isaac come up with something like that?’

‘You are joking, aren’t you?’

‘You tell me.’

Melanie’s eyes flicker from Isaac to the camera and back. She points her toes and knees together – like a child who doesn’t know the answer to a question.

‘Melanie?’

‘AJ, I’ve explained. Isaac thinks it because, naturally, I did it.’ Her chin is down, her eyes are locked on the camera, sending the clear message: This is a game we’re playing – now for God’s sake do your bit . ‘I did drive them to their deaths. I did hurt them and I did try to pass it off as self-harm and I did—’

‘Say it again,’ AJ cuts in. ‘But this time, don’t act it.’

Melanie’s mouth opens in disbelief.

‘AJ,’ she says in a hurt tone. ‘Tell me – why aren’t you getting me out of here?’

‘Tell me,’ he replies. ‘Why are you being so theatrical?’

She falters. Then her face hardens. Her feet turn outwards. She sits back and drops her hands at her sides. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘Yes, you do.’

‘You’re insane. Is there anyone else there? Who’s in charge? Where’s Linda?’

AJ glances at Linda, who glares at the commander. But he is standing with his back against the wall, one hand pinching his mouth ruminatively.

‘I want to know who’s in charge,’ Melanie says. ‘Put him on. Or get Linda back on.’

The commander taps his lips thoughtfully, considering his response. At length he pushes himself from the wall. He comes to the desk, leans over to the mic. ‘Yes, Melanie. I’m the most senior police officer here, the commander on this incident. And ,’ he continues before she can cut in, ‘I’m listening. It’s all yours.’

‘ Wha —’

‘You heard him,’ says AJ. ‘Now answer my question.’

There is a long pause. Melanie’s eyes seem to get bigger and bigger by the second. She cannot believe this is happening. Everyone in the control room is absolutely motionless. Linda’s egg timer turns itself over.

Eventually Melanie smoothes her hair back from her face. She takes a deep breath. ‘Sometimes, AJ,’ she says, in a soft voice. ‘Sometimes when we lose someone – the way you lost your mother – sometimes we look around ourselves and all we can see is pain.’

AJ goes cold. ‘This has nothing to do with my mother.’

‘Sometimes when people carry around the sort of pain and the guilt you’re feeling about your mother’s death, it can occasionally get transferred to others. So easy to assume that if we feel guilt, others must too. Maybe that guilt is there because, what … ? Because secretly you wanted her to die? Maybe you’d been a little careless with her medi—’

‘Melanie—’

‘ Careless with her medication. Only you—’

‘Shut up, please.’

‘ Only you know the truth, AJ. What actually happened. But one thing is sure: you’ve attached the guilt you feel about your mother’s death to me, which is why you’re doing this.’ She shakes her head, bites her lip. ‘I’m so sorry. I think you know what I’ve been trying to tell you for a while now.’

AJ is silent for a moment – awestruck by her. She is good, but not quite good enough. She’s a cartoon villainess.

‘I’m not sure I do know,’ he says. ‘What have you been trying to tell me?’

‘I hate to say it like this – it’s too public. I can’t say something that hurtful in a place like this.’

‘Oh, I think you can.’

She sighs. ‘OK – you’re doing this because you know it’s over between us. You know it was never going to be a reality. I mean, me ? With you?’ She makes a face as if she’s seen something particularly noxious which, out of decency, she can’t specify. ‘Especially you know, the earth that didn’t move when we got between the sheets. I can sort of see your point of view – and I can understand why you’d hit back at me like this. It might seem, from an onlooker’s perspective, a particularly hurtful and childish way of doing it – but it’s probably understandable. You have your problems and I can’t pass judgement on that. Now,’ she says calmly, ‘please pass the microphone back to the inspector.’

‘I think I’ll decline that.’

‘No, you won’t.’

‘I will.’

‘I don’t think you fucking will,’ she says. ‘Dick.’

In the security pod an icy silence descends. Every person is transfixed by Melanie’s face. The hardening angles.

AJ swallows. He’s almost got her. ‘Yes,’ he says softly. ‘I will.’

There is a pause. Melanie breathes in and out. She is shaking. Eventually she says in a voice so low it’s barely audible, ‘You wet dick. Get the commander back on the microphone now .’

In AJ’s holster his phone is ringing. He looks down. It’s Jack Caffery’s number flashing on and off.

Timing, he thinks. Sometimes life is about little more than good timing.

BEECHWAY HIGH SECURE Unit is visible from miles away – blazing like a beacon with the blue emergency lights flashing on and off, strobing through the trees like lightning. As Caffery winds his way up the drive the usual faces emerge in his headlights: the divisional first-response cars, ambulances, three plain cars he takes to be local CID – and a support-unit armoured Sprinter van.

He’s not sure what to expect. He has sent through a directive not to arrest Melanie Arrow until he arrives – he wants to be there when that happens. She’s currently in a containment cell.