Gina led Julia Dawson and Roy Fisher down the white corridor, passing the Coroner’s office. She knocked on the secure door and made eye contact with a woman of similar age to herself, through the tiny window. She finished her sandwich as she buzzed them in, wiping crumbs from her white coat. ‘Sorry, I’m on my own at the moment,’ she said as she walked over to the stainless-steel work surface. Gina knew that the girl would be ready to present to Mrs Dawson, behind the heavy door.

‘DI Harte. I called earlier.’

The woman gave her a sympathetic smile and led them in.

Roy held Julia’s trembling hand. Since leaving Mrs Dawson earlier that day, the woman had deteriorated. Her lips had bite marks on them. Gina watched as Julia snatched her hand from Roy’s and began scratching, leaving angry red stripes behind. ‘I’m scared,’ she said as she took a step forward.

‘I’ll be here,’ Roy said as he took her hand again, preventing her from scratching any more. Gina wondered if Roy really was there for her or was just going through the motions. She watched as he fidgeted on the spot, his gaze fixed on the side of the room.

The assistant finished with her paperwork. ‘I’ll be with you in a moment.’ She headed down the far end, then through the door, leaving them waiting. The strip light above began to buzz and flickered slightly before finally going off.

Julia’s gaze darted up towards the ceiling. ‘It’s a sign. It’s going to be her, I know it is. She wouldn’t have gone all this time without as much as a call to me. Even though we hadn’t been getting on, she knew I’d worry. She wouldn’t do this to me. She wouldn’t!’ The woman couldn’t hold back the stream of tears any longer.

‘Look, love. That wasn’t a sign. The light is just faulty. It’s just a light.’ Roy placed a protective arm around her.

‘How do you know? You know nothing. You always do think I’m a bit stupid but I know these things, I feel it. It’s her.’

Roy went to hold her but she pushed him back.

‘You want it to be her, don’t you?’

‘Why would you say that? You’re really being silly now. I know we’ve had a bad time of it but I would never think that. Never.’

‘You didn’t like her much, nobody liked her. She was always a nuisance, always too noisy, didn’t concentrate in class. No one knew her like I did. No one else saw the sweet five-year-old I use to watch doing ballet. No one saw how her eyes used to light up when I read to her before bedtime. I know she became argumentative, but teenagers do. You couldn’t see it, Roy, but underneath all that anger, I could still see the little girl she always was. My daughter, my little girl. I just want to go back in time,’ she yelled as she broke down. ‘You must have said something to her, done something. She wouldn’t have left like that.’

‘What the hell are you accusing me of?’

‘I know you had words.’

‘We always had words. Her running away had nothing to do with me.’

She wiped her nose and looked him in the eye. ‘What did you say to her? Something happened and I want to know what.’

Gina continued to watch as their little spat played out. Julia Dawson was convinced that Roy had some hand in Christina running away. She made a mental note to check him out, look a little further into his past.

‘You’re being stupid. Come here.’ He went to place a protective arm over her shoulders but she shrugged him off again.

The assistant beckoned them over. ‘You can come through now. Is there anything I can get you all? Water? Coffee?’

Gina shook her head and placed a gentle hand on Julia’s shoulder. ‘Are you still okay to do this, Mrs Dawson?’

She nodded as she wiped her puffy eyes. ‘Let’s do this,’ she said as she blew her nose and led the way. Roy followed closely, one hand on the small of her back.

The viewing room had been decorated to offer the relatives the calmest experience possible when visiting. The walls were a warm cream and the light was low. A sheet had been pulled right up to the girl’s chin. Julia closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Roy’s gaze searched all corners of the room, everywhere but on the girl. Julia opened her eyes. Slowly, her mouth opened and she fell into a heap on the floor, frantic sobbing turning into laughter. ‘It’s not her, it’s not Christina. Christina is still alive.’

‘Can you please pop down to the station and give a DNA sample? This would really help us in our search for Christina. It is voluntary, of course.’

Julia nodded. ‘We’ll go on our way home, won’t we, Roy?’ The man nodded as he snatched her hand, almost pulling her out of the room. His light, freckly complexion had paled even more.

‘Do we have to? After what we’ve just been through.’

‘Of course we do,’ Julia said. Roy looked away and sighed.

‘Thank you,’ Gina said to the assistant as they left. Little did Julia know that they’d already unearthed a body; another body that could possibly belong to her daughter. This body wouldn’t be as easy to identify.

Gina took a final glance at the young girl that lay on the metal slab, covered in nothing more than a flimsy white sheet, and shivered. Who are you?