by Karen Moore
Hanna felt a kick to the back of her seat. She turned round to find Eva wriggling with excitement at the thought of seeing Nerys and her growing collection of animals again. “Tell me again about the hip people,” she asked.
“The hippies who used to live in the hills, you mean?” Rhys smiled. “There are still New Age travellers living in these parts…”
Eva’s eyes grew wide in wonder as Rhys launched into one of his many stories. Hanna’s thoughts turned to Nerys, and wondered yet again how she managed to look after her menagerie and run her pottery business. Lars couldn’t be much help; he was either busy painting in his studio or away touring with one of his exhibitions. The animals were clearly Nerys’ domain.
The familiar landscape made her thoughts turn back to those early days when they’d just arrived, and, inevitably, back to Luciano and their reason for being there in the first place. And all that had happened since – Eva being kidnapped, having to go back to Sicily to rescue her from her captives…
“So, is that okay with you?” Rhys glanced at her, his voice cutting through her thoughts.
“What? Sorry, I was miles away…”
“I’ll drop you off at Nerys’, then I’ll pop over to the cottage to see what’s going on. Shouldn’t be too long and I’ll be back in plenty of time for lunch. OK?”
“Fine,” Hanna said. “That’ll give us a chance to get around all the animals first, won’t it, munchkin?”
Eva beamed and bounced up and down on the seat, clapping her hands in delight. “Great! Are we nearly there yet?”
“Yep. Just a few more minutes.” Rhys drove on, past the turning to her old cottage. As they rounded the bend, Nerys’ place came into view, darkly silhouetted in splendid isolation against the distant hills.
The drizzle had stopped now, and the sun was starting to fight its way through the thinning clouds. Hanna opened her window a crack. A faint sweet smell wafted through, along with the melodious strains of birdsong. The hedgerows were peppered with summer colour, and the slopes glistened after the rain. A kestrel hovered overhead, stalking its prey. A place of such beauty and inspiration, thought Hanna. It was easy to see its attraction for a creative couple like Nerys and Lars, especially after living in London.
Her mind drifted back to Luciano. There’d been no more news from Ceri. She wasn’t sure if that was a good – or bad – sign.
Chapter Five
Rhys parked the truck in the yard next to the outbuilding that Nerys had converted into a pottery studio. As Brady, her chocolate Labrador, ambled up, Bryn started barking. Rhys let him out of the truck, and he bounded over to the other dog. Brady watched placidly as if indulging a puppy, while Bryn raced around him. Eva was about to join in the melée when Nerys appeared in a long, baggy dress in a vivid tropical print, her unruly hair tied back by a matching scarf.
“Lovely to see you all again!” she said, hugging each of them in turn. “And thanks for coming so quickly. Come on in. I’ve just made a pot of coffee.”
Hanna smiled. Nerys never changed. She was always chatty, so chatty that at times it was hard to get a word in. Maybe it was overcompensation for all the time spent on her own. They followed her into the cottage while Eva stayed in the garden, playing with the dogs. Nerys led them into the kitchen where the aroma of fresh coffee filled the air.
“Sit yourselves down.” She started to pour coffee from a cafetière into heavy earthenware mugs. “There you go. And help yourself to Welsh cakes. Still warm, straight out of the oven.” She pointed to a plate on the kitchen table.
Rhys’ eyes lit up. “Yum, my favourite! Don’t mind if I do,” he said, helping himself.
“So, what’s all this about the cottage?” said Hanna, keeping an eye on Eva through the window. “You sounded worried.”
“Well, maybe I’m overreacting, but there’s been a lot of traffic on the road up here of late. As you know, it only leads to the turn-off to your old cottage and then on to our place. They’re certainly not coming here, although some of them have overshot the turning and ended up at ours by mistake.”
“When you say ‘they’, who or what do you mean?” asked Rhys, between mouthfuls of Welsh cake.
“We’ve seen a dirty white transit van a couple of times. No markings on the side. Difficult to tell if it’s the same one or not. And when we’ve been walking Brady over that way, we’ve seen fleeting glimpses of several young black women at the cottage. No more than girls really. But not in a family-type situation; no men with them. It seems strange in this neck of the woods, out of place somehow…”
“I’ll go over there now and take a look,” said Rhys, finishing his coffee. “You two stay here. I won’t be long. Back for lunch.”
Armed with his car keys, he made for the front door before anyone could protest, waving a cheery goodbye. Hanna heard him rev up the Isuzu truck and accelerate off down the track.
Turning to Nerys, Hanna said, “So, how are things with you? How’s the pottery going, and what’s the latest animal count?”
Her friend smiled. “The pottery’s going well. I’ve found some new outlets, one in Conwy, another in Caernarfon, plus one on Anglesey. Lars has a couple of commissions on the go, with pressing deadlines. He’s in the studio working at the minute, but he’ll join us for lunch. As for animals, they just seem to increase…”
Hanna laughed. “Not on their own, they don’t! This place is becoming more of an animal sanctuary than a home! Come on, tell me about the latest additions. Eva will want to see them, for sure, as well as all the other residents.”
“Well, we’ve got two new cats in addition to Tabitha, our tabby. They’d been living outside and were quite feral, but slowly they started venturing into my studio and soon after into the cottage. They still like to hunt though, so you might not see them today. But there’s a new star attraction. C’mon, I’ll show you. Eva will love them.” Nerys stood up and beckoned Hanna to follow her out of the back door.
“Let me get Eva. She won’t want to miss this.” Hanna opened the kitchen window and called her daughter. Eva ran over immediately, eager to see the new members of the household. Together, they crossed the back garden down to the pond, home to a variety of ducks and geese that quacked and honked in a flurry of activity as they passed. Hanna could tell that Eva was tempted to stop but her curiosity spurred her on. Past the chicken coops and pig pens, they were heading for a field that at first glance looked empty. As they approached, Hanna could see two furry animals, one chestnut brown, the other fawn, grazing contentedly.
Eva whooped with joy. “Ooh, they’re so cute! What are they? Can I pat them? Are they friendly?”
Nerys laughed. “They’re alpacas, Eva. They are friendly, but they have to get to know you first and learn to trust you. Once this happens, we can put them on a halter and take them for a walk, if you’d like?”
“Could we, really? That would be awesome!” Eva jumped up and down in delight.
Hanna frowned, unsure of this idea and at the same time, wondering where her daughter had learned the word ‘awesome’. Not from either Rhys or herself, that was certain. Instead of pursuing the issue, she heard herself asking, “Why on earth are you keeping alpacas, Nerys?”
“Because, as Eva says, they’re cute and cuddly and have great personalities. I can sell the wool too. It’s much in demand. Aren’t they lovely?”
Eva was easily persuaded, Hanna less so.
“What are they called, Auntie Nerys?” asked Eva.
“The brown one is Eric and the lighter coloured one is Lulu. Here, you can feed them these if you like.” Nerys handed Eva a plastic bag full of carrot sticks. “Shake the bag to get their attention.”
Eric and Lulu stopped grazing and pricked up their ears at the sound. It must have been something they were used to, for they began to make their way cautiously across the field. Hanna had to admit they were cute, and couldn’t resist joining in.
“Put a couple of sticks on your hand and hold it out flat for them,�
� said Nerys, shooting Hanna a reassuring glance. “They won’t bite, they’ll just nuzzle your hand as they’re eating.”
Eva did as she was told, with a serious face. The alpacas approached and nibbled the titbits, making her dissolve into giggles. “Oooh, that tickles!”
Nerys put a finger to her mouth. “Careful, Eva, you don’t want to make a noise that might scare them.”
“Sorry,” said Eva, the serious face returning.
Lulu came over to Hanna and daintily picked at the morsels in her hand. Hanna couldn’t resist gently stroking its neck. The animal readily accepted the caress as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“You’ve done this before,” said Nerys, watching her.
“I went on a llama trek some time ago. I must have remembered from then,” Hanna answered.
The alpacas quickly finished off the last of the carrot sticks and trotted back into the middle of the field. Eva reluctantly waved goodbye and went off to find the dogs, who were still romping around in the front garden. Nerys and Hanna turned back towards the cottage.
“Eva must meet Rufus before you go,” said Nerys.
“Rufus?”
“He’s a lionhead rabbit. And so adorable, she’ll want to take him home.”
“Might be better not to show him to her, then,” said Hanna. “That’ll be the next thing on her wish list, and we’ve already got a boisterous dog and a cantankerous cat. She’ll be thinking that your place is the norm, and we’re the poor relations with only two animals.”
***
Hanna glanced at her watch. Rhys had been gone for a little over an hour. Maybe he’d found something of interest after all. Eva was calmer now she’d seen all the animals, except for the two new cats which were nowhere to be seen. Hanna was helping to set the table for lunch. Nerys carried a large, brightly-coloured ceramic bowl over to the table.
“Smoked mackerel and beetroot salad for lunch, followed by summer berries and ice-cream. Hope that’s okay for everyone?”
“Sounds delicious,” said Hanna. She looked at her watch again. “I’m wondering where Rhys has got to. He should be back by now…”
At that moment the back door opened, and a voice called out, but it was only Lars. He came into the kitchen, dressed in shorts and a polo shirt so spattered with paint that it was difficult to make out their original colour.
“Great to see you, Hanna,” he said, grinning and giving her a hug. “Where’s the rest of the gang?”
“Rhys has gone over to the cottage to take a look around, and Eva…”
As if on cue, laughter rose from the garden where Eva was still playing with the dogs.
“Still as obsessed with animals as ever?” he asked.
Hanna smiled. “Absolutely, she’s always nagging us to be more like you two and get more pets. You’re a hard act to follow.”
“Well, she’s always welcome to come and visit any time, you know that. She can give Nerys a hand cleaning them out and feeding. That might put her off a bit. Let me go and get cleaned up before lunch.” Lars turned and made for the stairs.
“You know, I’m really grateful to you for offering to look after Eva and the animals while we’re over in Sicily for the wedding,” said Hanna. “Are you sure they won’t be too much trouble?”
Nerys smiled. “’Course not. It’ll be fun! Eva loves being here, what with all the animals and dabbling with the clay in the pottery. We’re looking forward to it. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her.”
“I’m a bit concerned after what happened before.”
“Don’t be. It’s all in the past. You go and enjoy yourselves…”
The sound of tyres crunching over gravel could be heard outside. Hanna looked out of the kitchen window as Rhys pulled up in the yard and jumped out of the pick-up. “Here’s Rhys now,” she said, opening the back door.
“How did you get on?”
Rhys frowned. “Nothing, no sign of anyone. The place looks deserted and there weren’t any fresh tyre marks on the track. I waited for a bit, but still nothing. I even parked up some distance away and went back on foot. Maybe it was the wrong time of day to go. Perhaps I need to go in the evening or at the weekend.”
Nerys looked disappointed. “Sorry, I’ve brought you up here on a wild goose chase. You’ve had a wasted journey. I was so sure you’d see something. We’ll keep track of the times of any future sightings and keep you posted.”
“No worries. Any excuse for a visit and to sample your hospitality,” said Rhys, planting a kiss on Nerys’ cheek. “It’s such a lovely part of the world.”
“You’d say that about anywhere in Wales,” Hanna pointed out.
Rhys nodded, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Yes, cariad, you’re right, I probably would. So, where’s this lunch you promised us, Nerys? I’m starving!”
***
It was late afternoon by the time they left. After a good lunch and a walk across the hills with the dogs, they were all feeling quite tired. Eva curled up with Bryn in the back of the truck. Hanna’s eyelids soon started to droop but flew open when Rhys swerved sharply to avoid a white transit van approaching them at some pace in the middle of the road. The jolt threw her to one side, her seatbelt restraining her and preventing any real damage. Their pick-up ground to a halt as the van thundered past.
“What the hell…? That bloody van driver nearly had us off the road.” muttered Rhys, looking over in concern. “Are you OK?”
“I’m fine, just a bit shaken.” Hanna’s first thought was Eva. There was no sound coming from the back seat. She turned around, conscious of the twinging pain down one side as she did so. Eva and Bryn had been flung into a corner and both seemed a bit dazed but otherwise unharmed. The little girl whimpered and looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Hanna unfastened her seatbelt and slowly got out of the car and went to join them in the back seat. She hugged Eva tightly to her chest and stroked her hair, trying to reassure her.
“Is she okay?” asked Rhys, watching in the rear-view mirror.
“She’ll be fine. A bit shocked, that’s all.”
“That must have been what Nerys was talking about,” said Rhys grimly. “I only got a quick glimpse, but the van driver looked vaguely familiar. And sitting next to him were two young black girls. I could see them quite clearly.”
Chapter Six
They continued their journey home in silence. Something strange might be going on at the cottage, but Hanna was more concerned that she hadn’t heard from Ceri. She slipped into the kitchen as soon as they got home to call her.
“Ceri, it’s me. Any news about Luciano?”
“Not really. But Sergio’s informant reckons that his younger brother, Giulio, was released even earlier than he was. Not sure about his father. You’re not having second thoughts about coming over for the wedding, are you?”
Hanna hesitated. “I’m in two minds, to be honest. I was nervous enough about returning to Sicily before Luciano got out of prison, but now… Difficult to know if he poses a threat or not. Rhys and I are still planning to come, but I can’t risk bringing Eva. She’s been through enough already. She’s going to stay here with my friend Nerys. If Luciano has got it in for me and hears about you getting married, he’ll guess that I’ll come back for the wedding. I don’t want to endanger you or make any of your guests a target.”
“Don’t worry about that. Sergio’s dad is organising a covert police presence at the wedding and the reception as a precaution.”
Hanna fell silent. She remembered when they’d gone to collect Eva from the kidnappers: the police presence in the quarry hadn’t managed to prevent Sergio’s estranged brother, Pino, being killed. She shuddered. A police presence offered little reassurance.
“In the meantime, both Sergio and his dad are trying to get some intel on Luciano and what he’s up to. We should have some more information in the next few days.”
“Let’s hope so,” said Hanna, feeling unconvinced. She could sen
se Ceri take a sharp intake of breath. “What’s up? How are the wedding arrangements going?”
“Fine, it’s not that.”
“What is it, then?”
A slight pause. “I’m a bit worried about Sergio’s job, that’s all. You know that he’s always chasing down stories of corruption and organised crime. He makes light of the risks and danger he might be facing, but it’s a constant source of worry for me. He’s been offered a job on the mainland, but he’s not keen to go. He seems to have got the bit between his teeth on a story he’s working on and wants to see it through to the end. You know what he’s like…”
Hanna did. She wondered privately why he was so attached to Sicily. Did he enjoy being a big fish in a small pond? If he went to work on a newspaper in Rome or Milan, he’d be the new boy and would have to make a name for himself all over again. Maybe Sicily offered more of an adrenaline rush and he enjoyed the excitement, the thrill of the chase. Or was it something more personal, wanting pay-back for his brother’s death? Pino had got himself involved in organised crime and was a member of the clan that had kidnapped Eva. Luciano and his associates had also been caught up in Pino’s murder. Maybe Sergio wouldn’t rest easy until he felt he’d got retribution.
“I suppose you both need to think about the future, not only about his career but also whether you feel comfortable staying in Sicily, especially if you want to start a family,” said Hanna, trying to choose her words carefully so as not to add to Ceri’s distress. “It’s possible, but you may always be looking over your shoulder, wherever you are.”
“I know,” replied Ceri glumly. “But there’s no easy solution. Sergio loves his job; it’s like an addiction for him. Whether he’d feel quite the same away from Sicily, I don’t know.”