Miles catches me looking at him and smiles.

It really is no contest, I think wearily. Even I would be hard-pressed to decide in our favor. I glance sideways at Pete, wondering if there’s anything I can do to prepare him for the worst.

After the psychologist, it’s Lyn Edwards’s turn. She seems nervous as she comes to the witness box. I’m surprised by that: Court appearances must be a regular part of her job.

“Ms. Edwards,” the judge says when Lyn has read out the affirmation, “is there anything you’d like to add to your written report before you take questions?”

Lyn says hesitantly, “There is, actually, madam. But I’m not absolutely sure whether the rules of disclosure allow me to.”

The judge raises her eyebrows. “Does it have a direct bearing on the interests of the child?”

Lyn nods. “I believe it does, madam. It concerns some video footage I was sent last night.”

“Then I’m going to ask both parties to leave the courtroom, while their representatives discuss whether or not it’s admissible.” The judge nods at us, then the Lamberts. “If you’d be so kind as to wait outside. The usher will call you back when we’re ready.”

* * *

—

   FOR THE SECOND TIME, we all troop out. This must be some last trick Miles has pulled, I think, some theatrical flourish to round off the proceedings. I look over to where he sits on the other side of the foyer. His face is blank, which seems strange. If this is something he’s planned, wouldn’t he be savoring the moment? But he just seems impatient to get back inside.

Next to him, Lucy fiddles nervously with her pearls.

“Any idea what it can be?” I ask Pete.

“Beats me,” he says, mystified. “But Miles has been leaking stuff to Lyn all along, so it must be him.”

Eventually the usher calls us back and we resume our seats. “Thank you for bearing with us,” Marion Wakefield says pleasantly. She looks at Lucy. “Mrs. Lambert, I’m going to allow Ms. Edwards to describe the video clip that she referred to earlier. If at any time you want a break to discuss this matter with your legal representatives, or to see the video, feel free to ask. But please bear in mind that if you do request to see it, then the other side, as well as myself, will necessarily be shown it, too.” She nods at Lyn. “Please proceed.”

“The video appears to be taken with a camera placed on a shelf in Mr. and Mrs. Lambert’s playroom,” Lyn begins. “It shows Mrs. Lambert sitting with Theo at the table. She’s doing a drawing with him—a drawing of what she describes as a safe place. She tells him that really, there’s no safer place than their house, because of its thick walls. And she tells him that, if he’s ever asked to draw a picture of a place where he feels safe, he should draw the house where she and Miles live, and put the three of them inside it. And finally she says, if he draws a picture like that, his daddy Moles will be proud of him.”

There’s a short silence. “And what conclusion do you draw from this?” the judge asks.

“I believe she was coaching him in preparation for my visit.” Lyn has the grace to look shamefaced. “It is possible to find old CAFCASS reports online, if you look hard enough—they’re meant to be confidential, but parents sometimes ignore that and post them on various forums. And of course, there are only a small number of techniques you can use to elicit very young children’s feelings, so it’s not hard to work out how we might do it.” She looks from the judge to Pete. “Mr. Riley did tell me once that the applicants had been coaching Theo. At the time I assumed he was exaggerating.”

   “Thank you, Ms. Edwards.” The judge looks at Lucy again. “Mrs. Lambert, ordinarily you would give your evidence toward the end of the proceedings, but given what Ms. Edwards has just told us, I’m going to ask you to come to the witness box now.”

Lucy’s hands are shaking so much, she can barely hold the card with the oath on it, and her voice is little more than a whisper.

“Do you have any comment to make on what Ms. Edwards has described?” Judge Wakefield asks when she’s managed to reach the end.

“Well.” Lucy touches her pearls. She looks anguished. “I wasn’t coaching him, not exactly. I just wanted him to do well. I mean, he only gets one chance with CAFCASS, doesn’t he, and it would be awful, just awful, if he didn’t manage to say the things I know he really wanted to. So I simply tried to give him as much help as possible.” She shoots Miles a desperate glance, but his face is impassive. “Because we do want his daddy to be proud of him, don’t we? Really, it’s no different from getting some private tutoring before you take an entrance exam.”

This time the silence seems to stretch out forever. Marion Wakefield doesn’t say no, it’s very different, it’s falsifying evidence and contempt of court and probably a whole bunch of other things, too. Neither does she ask a follow-up question. She just leaves Lucy sitting there, stewing, while she writes herself a lengthy note.

   Eventually she looks at Anita. “Unless you have questions for Mrs. Lambert about this specific issue, Ms. Chowdry, I suggest we move on.”

* * *

—

IT MUST HAVE BEEN one of the nannies, I realize. Tania, most likely. Once Michaela had warned her about the nannycam, Tania must have found a way to access the footage. Perhaps initially it was just to make sure there were no incriminating shots of her drinking coffee or scrolling through Facebook. But when she was abruptly fired to make way for Jill, she must have started looking for something that would allow her to take revenge.

For her own sake, I hope she’s safely back in France.

The next part of the hearing is strangely subdued, as if nobody wants to start being bombastic when Lucy still looks as if she might burst into tears. The Lamberts’ barrister has clearly decided that the best thing he can do is to carry on as if nothing has happened. And after a while, it almost seems to work. Even I find myself wondering if what Lucy did really makes much difference. After all, trying to work out Theo’s wishes from one hastily scribbled drawing was always going to be a nonsense. And all the other factors—my drinking, the accusations against Pete, the fact Theo was thrown out of nursery on our watch—are still there.

But I can’t help feeling that, while things looked completely hopeless before, now we have a chance.

98

   MADDIE

   NEXT, MILES IS CROSS-EXAMINED by Anita. She’s good, but she makes little headway. He’s unflappable and courteous—the very model of a cooperative witness. And it’s hard to argue with the main thrust of his argument—that he and Lucy love Theo, and as his natural parents, believe they’re best placed to make decisions about his future. What loving parent wouldn’t want the same?