Chapter Sixty

Six years earlier, in the midst of pandemic lockdown, DI Yasmin Brooks arrives at the Black household to revisit the 2005 disappearance of Claire Connolly. She meets Stuart Tucker, confirms that Allen Black no longer lives there, and learns Jessamine is bedridden. Annie Black joins, composed but guarded, as the detective begins formal questions.

DI Brooks briefly interviews Daisy, showing her a photo of Claire. Daisy does not recognize Claire and states her birth date. Brooks then reveals a critical inconsistency: Daisy has school and NHS records but no birth certificate or passport, and no hospital birth record exists. Annie attributes the omission to a problematic home birth and prolonged delays tied to family complications, refusing to identify the father.

Brooks cites a neighbor, Sara Aalto, who reported movement and a female voice by the rear fence on the potential day Claire vanished. She adds that a recent search behind the property uncovered a bag containing a plectrum, guitar strings, and a receipt dated the disappearance day. On this basis, Brooks requests a full search of the house and garden.

Annie denies permission and insists on a warrant, while claiming the investigation is misplaced. Brooks warns that officers will monitor the property and asks that nothing be moved. After Brooks leaves, a visible police presence appears outside.

Inside, Annie calls her lawyer, researches legal options, and frantically rummages through papers, unsettled by Brooks’s hint of further evidence. Stuart keeps his distance, observes Annie’s panic, and privately acknowledges that the house’s long-suspected secret may soon be exposed.