Angel Kiss - Laura Jane Cassidy [67]
‘Did you know a girl called Jane?’ I asked. ‘Do you remember … her name was on that note Colin found in the attic … and guess what …’ I reached into my patchwork bag to show Lydia the porcelain doll.
‘… it’s a coincidence but I named this doll ‘Jane’ and then won her at the fête.’
I’ve never seen anyone look so shocked.
‘Oh my goodness. I can’t believe it. This looks exactly like Beth’s doll,’ she said, taking it from me. ‘Where did you get it?’
‘This was Beth’s?’
‘Yes, or one exactly the same. She called it Jane,’ said Lydia, stroking the doll’s black hair. This was Beth’s favourite doll. She called her Jane because that was her birth name.’
‘Birth name …?’
‘Yes, she was adopted. She found out her real name when she was nine. She was rooting in her parents’ room and came across the adoption papers.’
The clues started to slot together in my mind. Things started to make much more sense. Beth and Jane were the same person! I’d been right in thinking they were connected, but I’d never have guessed this. I could hardly believe it. It was a relief to know that there hadn’t been two murders.
‘She didn’t tell anyone but me,’ Lydia continued. ‘Whenever we played games she’d use Jane as her make-believe name. She carried it on into her teens. Whenever we wrote notes in class to each other we’d use our play names. She’d use Jane and I’d use –’
‘Audrey.’
‘Yes. Audrey Hepburn was my idol. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that was my note you found. I just hate being reminded all the time … It’s so hard for me to talk about her. I feel so guilty.’
‘Because of your fight?’
‘I didn’t mean to fight with her, you know,’ said Lydia. ‘I was just upset. When Beth got a boyfriend she didn’t hang around with me as much as she used to. Obviously, she had to spend time with her boyfriend, but I didn’t take it very well. I was used to doing everything with her. We’d been best friends since we were babies. The Cullens used to live two doors down, where the café is now. But when Ali was born they moved to a bigger house up by the mines, but we still saw each other every day. We even took violin lessons together.
When Des came along, instead of hanging out with me every night, she’d just call to visit me one or two nights a week. And some weeks I wouldn’t see her at all. I was jealous. Then one day, it was coming up to Christmas, Beth cycled down to my house and knocked on my door. She was just back from a trip to England with her parents, visiting relatives. She took out this little egg-shaped thing from her pocket, wrapped in tissue paper, and gave it to me. It was the porcelain egg. She’d brought it back from England for me.
‘I asked her if she wanted to go to the cinema that night – there was a new movie out that I really wanted to see. But she said she couldn’t, that she’d already made plans with Des. Then she asked me if I wanted to go Christmas shopping with her that day. She said she was going to cycle into Carrick to buy presents. I knew she was expecting me to say yes. I knew by the look on her face that she didn’t expect any other answer. So I said no. I said I’d already made plans with my mam and there was no way I could go. We had a fight and she went to Carrick on her own. And that was the night she was murdered. I’ve never forgiven myself for that, Jacki. I’ve never forgiven myself.’
‘You can’t blame yourself, Lydia.’
‘Oh, I blame myself for a lot more,’ she said.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Nothing. Forget I said anything. I shouldn’t even be talking to you about this.’
‘You can tell me, Lydia. I won’t tell a soul. I promise. Do you know something?’
‘I …’
‘What do you know?’ I said, my heart beating faster, aware that I might finally get some answers.
‘I know who killed Beth,’ she said, holding back tears. ‘Because … because he tried to kill me too.’
I wasn’t expecting that. I was so shocked I had to sit down.
‘I was sort of going out with him,’ said Lydia. ‘Even though he was meant to be with one of my friends. One day we drove up to the mines and he picked me a bunch of flowers and told me how pretty I was.