Mummy’s Little Girl: A heart-rending story of abuse, innocence and the desperate race to save a lost child
Dani felt herself cringing inside as she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Moments later, her mum was there in the room, the madness having returned to her eyes.
‘What have you been saying? What lies have you been saying, you stupid little girl?’
‘Nothing,’ Dani whimpered. ‘I never said anything. I promise.’ But she could tell her mum didn’t believe her. Her mum never believed her – why should she start now?
Suddenly she heard the social worker’s voice again. ‘Mrs Sinclair, please. This isn’t in anyone’s interest—’
‘Oh, shut up!’ Dani’s mum shouted. ‘What’s it got to do with you anyway?’
‘Mrs Sinclair.’ The social worker’s voice was suddenly startlingly firm. ‘Your foster daughter has just made a full disclosure of substantial physical abuse. First thing tomorrow morning I’m going to apply to the courts for an Emergency Protection Order, but in the meantime, I intend to remove Dani to a place of safety. You can either let me do my job or you can obstruct me, in which case I will call the police.’
Kate’s ultimatum hung in the air as Tess Sinclair looked between her foster daughter and the social worker, her lips thin and her eyes flashing. ‘All right, all right!’ she spat finally. She cast a poisoned look in Dani’s direction, and then stamped back down the stairs.
Everything seemed to be a blur as the social worker walked back into Dani’s room. ‘Now listen to me, Dani,’ she said. ‘I’m going to take you somewhere else, so we need to pack a few things.’
Dani felt sick. ‘I don’t want to. Where are we going?’
‘Somewhere safe. Just for a little bit, until things settle down here.’
‘But I don’t want to go anywhere else.’
‘As I say, it’s just for a little bit. You’ll be able to come back home soon.’
‘I was only joking,’ Dani tried desperately. ‘It wasn’t really my mum. It was these boys, on the way to school—’
But the social worker gave her such a piercing look that there was no way she could maintain her lie, and she simply dissolved into a flood of tears. Kate took her in her arms and held her gently.
‘Will I see my brother and sister again?’ she asked weakly.
‘Course you will, Dani. Just as soon as we’ve sorted everything out. Come on. I’ll help you pack a few clothes.’
Ten minutes later, Dani had packed a small bag. There wasn’t much in it – some underwear, a couple of tops, a pair of trousers and some pyjamas – but she made sure that her teddy bear, the one that had seen her through so many tearful nights, was safely stowed away. Then, with an encouraging look from the social worker, she followed Kate downstairs.
Mum was in the kitchen, smoking a cigarette and looking steadfastly out of the window.
‘We’ll be in touch, Mrs Sinclair. Would you like to say goodbye to Dani?’
Dani’s mum glanced over her shoulder at them. She curled her lip spitefully and almost looked as if she was going to say something; but in the end she just took another drag on her cigarette and looked back out of the window. Dani felt her face crumple into a confused frown as her foster mother’s indifference stung her like little darts.
‘Come on, Dani,’ Kate said quietly. ‘Let’s go.’ She took the girl’s hand. As they left the kitchen, Dani looked back over her shoulder, hoping that her foster mother would have a change of heart and at least give her a goodbye cuddle. But Tess Sinclair remained where she was, cigarette in hand, facing resolutely in the other direction.
James and Rebecca were in the front room. They sat quietly, side by side, on the sofa, their faces a picture of incomprehension.
‘Where you going, Dani?’ James asked.
‘Don’t know,’ Dani replied.
‘Are you coming back?’
‘Of course she’s coming back, James,’ the social worker butted in. ‘Just as soon as she can.’
James’s eyes grew wide, and he didn’t seem to know what else to say. He shuffled a bit closer to his sister. Rebecca said nothing. She just watched in silence as Dani approached them and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.
‘Bye, James,’ Dani whispered. ‘Bye, Rebecca. I’m sorry your wand got broke.’ Rebecca looked down at the ground.
‘Come on, Dani,’ Kate said gently. ‘You’ll see your brother and sister soon.’
And with that, they left the house.
The social worker’s small red car was waiting outside. Kate opened the boot and put Dani’s clothes inside; then she opened the back door and waited for her to climb in. Dani, however, found herself rooted to the spot. This little house was where she had spent all her life – at least, all of it that she could remember. Suddenly she was being taken away, and it gave her a horrible feeling. A cold feeling. Somehow what her foster mother had done to her didn’t matter – she wanted to go back. If only she had the words to explain it.
Whether or not the social worker could tell what she was feeling, Dani didn’t know. But as she stood there looking back at the house, she felt Kate take her gently by the shoulders and manoeuvre her into the car. Had she been less timid, Dani would have struggled. But she didn’t. She strapped herself in and let Kate close the door. There was something ominous about the way it banged shut.
As Kate walked round to the driver’s entrance, Dani looked back towards the house. Through the glass, she could see the silhouettes of two children, their faces pressed against the living room window, watching them depart. Then another figure, taller than the others, appeared behind them, pulling them away and closing the curtains.
The engine started, and the car moved off.
From her seat in the back, Dani could see herself in the rear-view mirror. As she stared at her reflection, she hardly recognised the face – bruised, battered and totally terrified – that was staring back at her.
Dani Sinclair looked like a stranger, even to herself.
As they drove, the social worker made some phone calls, jabbering away on her mobile, clearly talking about Dani and making arrangements but saying things that the little girl didn’t understand. Not that she was listening much. She just stared out of the window of the moving car, the shock of what had just happened seeming to numb her.
‘How are you doing, Dani?’ Kate called after a while, a sense of forced cheerfulness in her voice.
‘Where are we going?’ Dani asked. She knew she sounded sulky, but she couldn’t help it.
‘Not far from here now. I think you’ll like it.’
‘Where am I going to sleep?’ Dani persisted.
‘It’s called Linden Lodge.’
‘Is it a home?’
Kate fell silent for a moment. ‘That’s not really a word we use, Dani.’
‘Is it a home, though?’
‘It’s residential care. There are fourteen or fifteen other children there, some of them the same age as you. And plenty of grown-ups to look after you. You’ll like it there.’
Dani wasn’t so sure. The idea of being forced into a place with other children she didn’t know filled her with apprehension.
‘Is my mum going to be in trouble?’ she asked meekly.
Again that silence. ‘Your mum needs some help, Dani. That’s all. We’re going to try