by Karen Moore
“And at least that way, we won’t be involving ourselves directly.”
He nodded. “OK, seems like a plan.”
“And no sleuthing when we’re away. This trip’s a chance to forget all about it for a few days.”
***
Hanna had always wanted to go to Dublin, but the thought of the ferry crossing put her off. It had taken some time before Rhys finally managed to persuade her that the Irish Sea wouldn’t be as rough as she’d imagined, not during the calmer summer months. And when Eva heard about the red panda cubs at Dublin Zoo, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Hanna’s last ferry journey had been a nightmare. She’d caught the overnight boat from Naples to Palermo when a gale-force wind had appeared out of nowhere. The usually calm Mediterranean Sea became a mass of angry waves that buffeted the ship for several hours until it was eventually able to dock. She clearly remembered passengers wailing, and the pervasive stench of vomit. Not an experience she was keen to repeat any time soon.
But this time was different, with a relatively calm sea, and only a slight breeze. They were able to venture on deck in the hazy sunshine to get some air. Eva was as excited as if they’d taken her on a first-class cruise ship, running from one side of the ship to the other, and Bryn couldn’t stop barking.
And the excitement didn’t stop there. Their accommodation, an apartment in an old converted woollen mill close to the city centre, was more than they could have hoped for. Exposed brickwork and beams, floor-length windows, squidgy grey velour sofas, Hanna couldn’t believe their luck, particularly with having Bryn in tow. Not many places accepted dogs.
Their break in Dublin promised to be a welcome distraction from recent events.
***
And it was. Each day was a whirlwind of trips: to the zoo, bus and ghost tours, exploring Grafton Street and walking along the River Liffey, even enough time for Rhys to sneak off to the Guinness factory. And lots of traditional Irish fare to savour: slow-cooked lamb stew, succulent sausages and colcannon, mouth-watering burgers, soda bread and bannock. Not forgetting a special birthday tea for Eva – fish and chips for her, steamed mussels for them, followed by ice-cream sundaes. The only reminder of home and events of the previous few days was a text from Sergio to confirm his arrival the day after they got back.
Before they knew it, their long weekend was over, and it was time to come home.
They boarded the ferry for the return crossing and had just settled down on deck when Rhys jumped up, as if startled.
“Are you OK? What is it?” asked Hanna, standing up and trying to follow his line of vision.
Rhys strained his neck, trying to see through the throng of people.
“I… I can’t see her now. For a moment, I thought I saw that woman from the cottage…”
Hanna scanned the crowd of summer visitors but failed to see anyone who might fit that description.
“Perhaps it was my imagination,” he said apologetically.
Eva tugged at Hanna’s sleeve, pointing out to sea. “Look, look over there! I can see fins!” Hanna turned her head and looked out to sea.
“Where? I can’t see anything.”
“Over there, there!” Eva jumped up and down with excitement, continuing to point in the same direction. All Hanna could see was the endless swell which was starting to make her feel a little queasy, when a dolphin surfaced briefly before disappearing again into the waves.
“Oh, wow! How great to see a dolphin!” Hanna said.
They scoured the surface for any more sightings, but the dolphin had vanished. Eva’s face fell.
“He must have got separated from his family and friends in the pod and is searching for them,” said Rhys.
Eva’s face fell even further.
“But he’ll be fine,” added Rhys quickly, “It’s quite common for this to happen, but they usually find their way back okay. We’ve been very lucky to have seen him at all. You did well to spot him.”
A faint smile from Eva.
The rest of the crossing proved uneventful, although the wind was getting up and they had to seek shelter inside. Hanna was thankful she’d taken her seasickness medication which seemed to be keeping her on a more-or-less even keel.
It was only when they returned to the car shortly before arriving back at Holyhead that Hanna noticed Rhys staring intently out of the windscreen.
“Have you spotted that woman again?” she asked.
Rhys nodded and pointed at the vehicle several cars in front. A white van, with the back doors open, where a stout, middle-aged black woman was ushering a group of young black teenage girls into the back. The sight brought them back to reality with a sickening jolt.
Chapter Nineteen
Up ahead, the driver of the white van started the engine and pulled slowly off the ferry car deck and headed away from the terminal towards Holyhead town centre. Rhys and Hanna’s Cactus joined the convoy, all moving in the same direction towards the A55.
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Hanna, glancing sideways at Rhys who was focusing on the van in front, almost hidden now by an HGV with an Irish number plate. “You’re tempted to follow the van back up to the cottage.”
Rhys smiled ruefully. “Is it that obvious? You know me too well.”
A mournful wail sounded from the backseat, echoed by a soft canine whine. “Are we nearly home yet?” asked Eva, rubbing her eyes. She was tired now and growing ever more fractious.
“We will be soon, munchkin. Not long to go now,” said Hanna soothingly.
“What if I drop you off at home and go up there on my own?” said Rhys.
“And achieve what exactly?” asked Hanna, feeling slightly irritated. Whatever was going on at the cottage, she didn’t want them getting involved any more than they had to. “We’ve got a rough idea now what they’re up to. Sergio’s coming over tomorrow, and he’ll have all the time in the world to follow it up properly without us having to get more involved.”
“Yes, you’re right,” Rhys agreed reluctantly. “I’ll check the surveillance camera footage when we get home and catch up with the past couple of days.”
They continued in silence, following the rest of the ferry traffic until they reached the A55 which linked the town and the island of Anglesey with the North Wales mainland.
“That’s strange,” said Rhys, as the traffic began to disperse. “The white van’s disappeared. There’s no sign of it. We didn’t see it turn off anywhere. Where the hell’s it gone? Maybe they’re not heading straight for the cottage after all.”
***
At Eva’s suggestion, they picked up takeaway pizzas for supper on the way home. It was a good idea as they were all hungry and tired. Hanna was glad she didn’t have to start cooking when they got home. They ate the pizzas straight out of the box, sitting cross-legged on the lounge floor. Eva started yawning halfway through hers but managed to polish off most of it. She announced she was off to bed almost immediately afterwards and disappeared into her room. Rhys looked at Hanna with raised eyebrows; she usually wanted to stay up as late as possible, especially during the school holidays.
Hanna laughed. “All the excitement of the last few days must have proved too much. Must say I feel pretty whacked, too. Don’t think I’ll be far behind her.”
“I’ll just make a start on the surveillance footage,” said Rhys, opening his laptop. “What time did Sergio say he’s arriving?”
“His flight gets into Manchester late afternoon. He should be here for dinner, by the time he clears customs, collects his hire car and drives down.”
“Right, I need to get a move on then. I won’t have much time tomorrow as I’ll be back at work.”
Hanna frowned. “But aren’t you tired? You did all the driving, after all.”
“Don’t worry about me, cariad,” Rhys grinned, catching her arm as she passed by. “I still have loads of energy!” As if to demonstrate, he drew her closer to him and they exchanged a brief passionate kiss befor
e he pulled away again. “Away, now! Don’t distract a man from his work!”
“Fine, I’ll clear up and leave you to it,” replied Hanna with a smile as she began to pick up the pizza boxes from the floor.
***
After tidying up, Hanna settled down on the sofa to read a little more of the novel she was halfway through. Rhys was glued to his laptop, scrolling through the footage.
“Found anything of interest?” she asked.
“Not as yet,” he mumbled, his eyes not leaving the screen. “There’s still a bit to go through.”
Hanna tried to focus on her book, but she ended up reading the same passage several times without taking in the words. After an hour or so, she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and asked again.
“Well,” he said, turning to her, “I’ve not watched it all, but there’s a definite pattern emerging. The older woman seems to be staying at the cottage now with the girls. Every now and again, she ventures out with one of the men in the van to do food shopping. The girls are there during the day, but leave in the van at about the same time every evening and return late on. It’s quite difficult to make out what’s going on properly once it gets dark, as the camera doesn’t have decent night vision. You can just about make out the headlights of the van and blurry figures. It looks as if the same number of people return, but I can’t be sure.”
Hanna mulled this over before replying, “What I don’t get is that if a new group of girls arrived from Ireland, what happened to the previous ones? There’s not enough room in the cottage for one group, let alone two. Where do they sleep? There aren’t enough beds for all of them.”
“That’s one for Sergio to look into. I’ve had enough for one day. Time to turn in,” Rhys said, switching off the laptop and closing the lid. He stood up, stretched, and yawned almost in the same movement. “Hopefully, he’ll be able to get to the bottom of what’s really going on and provide us with some answers.”
Chapter Twenty
Hanna was up early the next morning, early enough to have a coffee with Rhys before he left for work. She had a busy day ahead, preparing for Sergio’s arrival that evening. He’d only visited them once before in their new home, not long after they’d moved in. Ceri had come over on her own a couple of times since then, as Sergio was always pursuing some story or other he couldn’t tear himself away from. Hanna wanted to prepare a traditional Welsh dinner to welcome him, so the first task was a quick dash to Tesco after breakfast to stock up on food for the next few days.
“But I don’t want to go shopping,” said Eva, sitting at the table, still in her pyjamas, and playing with her cereal. “I want to stay here and play in the garden.”
“We need something nice for dinner tonight when Uncle Sergio arrives. You can’t stay here on your own. We won’t be long, and you can help me choose the menu. You can have a quick look around the toys too, if we have time,” cajoled Hanna.
Eva’s face lit up at the mention of Sergio, who she’d taken a real shine to during his last visit. “Is Auntie Ceri coming too?”
“Not this time, sweetheart. And Uncle Sergio will be busy working most days. He’s not come for a holiday.”
The little girl’s face fell again.
“But he’ll be here for a couple of days so you will see him,” said Hanna hastily before Eva became difficult again. “Now, go and get dressed and we’ll be off.”
***
The quick dash to Tesco wasn’t quite as quick as Hanna would have liked. Dragging a reluctant youngster round the aisles was no joy. Not even the toys held any appeal for Eva that day. Boring, boring, she declared, until she spotted boxes of brightly-coloured pansies.
“Mummy, Mummy, look at those flowers with the smiley faces!” she said, tugging at Hanna’s sleeve with excitement. “They look so happy, just like people! Can I have some to put in my garden? Can we get some, pleeease?”
Hanna laughed. She’d always liked pansies herself; they reminded her of growing up in a small Lancashire village in the hills. Pots of pansies waving in the breeze, either side of the front door to their little terraced house. Happy flowers, happy times.
“Aren’t they lovely?” she replied. “Yes, of course we can get some. Which colours do you like?”
Eva deliberated for ages, weighing up the various colour combinations. Finally, she picked her favourites: one, a vivid yellow and apricot mix, the other, a deep pink with paler faces. A school project earlier in the year had sparked her interest in gardening. Hanna had cleared a small patch in the garden just for her. After sowing a few seeds and forgetting to water them, the attraction had quickly waned. Eva’s attention seemed to flit from one project to another at alarming speed these days. Hanna reminded herself that this was probably the sign of an enquiring mind, a positive rather than a negative. Perhaps she’d grow up to be a starter, not a finisher, more of an ideas person. Anyway, Hanna was happy to see her enthusiasm rekindled.
The food shopping finished, they loaded up the car, Eva insisting on putting the boxes of pansies on her lap for the journey home. She then addressed them as if they were new pets, launching into an explanation of where they were going and what their new home would be like.
“You’ll have to look after them you know, just like Bryn and Cosmo,” Hanna said, trying to keep a straight face. “They’ll need water, and food every so often.”
“Food?” asked Eva. “How do they eat? They don’t have mouths.”
Hanna had to laugh this time and proceeded to explain to her wide-eyed daughter how you fed plants.
“We’ll have some lunch, then I’ll show you how to plant them,” Hanna promised. “You can do that while I get the spare room ready for Uncle Sergio.”
“Deal!” said Eva, a broad smile lighting up her face.
***
Hanna hastily prepared a lunch of houmous, served with warm pitta breads, a tomato salad, and a pitcher of homemade lemonade. She piled everything onto a tray and took it into the garden where the hazy sunshine had warmed the air enough to eat outside. Eva bolted her food down, smearing houmous across her face and all over her fingers. She was restless and fidgety, keen to make a start on planting her precious pansies. Hanna made her wash her face and hands while she rummaged through the shed for a trowel. Eva’s ‘garden’ was simply a patch of bare soil, dotted with the odd piece of slate and some shells and pebbles that Eva had brought back from the beach.
“You’ll have to clear away all the stones and shells first to make room,” Hanna said, kneeling down next to her daughter. “Then, you’ll have to dig holes for each pansy to go in, like so…” She demonstrated. “You need to be very careful with each pansy, so you don’t damage the roots. When they’re planted, you’ll need to get the watering can and water them in. That way they’ll feel at home.”
Eva nodded. “OK. Let me do it now.”
“Right. Shout if you get stuck.”
“I’ll be okay,” her daughter answered, brandishing the trowel in a determined fashion.
Hanna smiled. As she cleared away the lunch plates, she wondered for the umpteenth time whether she wanted another baby. Would it be good for Eva? There would be a bit of an age gap. Would it be good for Rhys and her? Rhys was really keen, and she was tempted. Perhaps if it were a little boy this time?
After washing the dishes, she made a start on the spare room, clearing her work papers away from the desk and moving her laptop into the bedroom, before making up the spare bed. She vacuumed the rug and left a pile of clean towels on the chair next to the bed, before attacking the lounge and bathroom, while keeping an eye on Eva. Each time she checked, she found her little daughter absorbed and talking to her new ‘friends’.
By mid-afternoon, the cottage was sparkling clean and tidy. Hanna looked round in satisfaction. As a finishing touch, she went into the garden and picked a bunch of brightly-coloured phlox to put in a vase on the mantelpiece. Perfect.
Time for a coffee. As she switched the kettle on, her mobile beeped
. A text from Sergio to say there was a slight delay with the departure of the flight, but he hoped to be with them for about 7.30pm. A quick break, then she’d make a start on dinner.
Chapter Twenty-One
Later that day, Eva was listening to a CBeebies bedtime story about a dancing cat when Bryn uttered a low growl. He padded over to the porch, his growl intensifying into a sharp bark. A car door slammed. Eva jumped up and ran to the front door.
“Sounds like Sergio’s arrived,” Hanna called up the stairs. Rhys was getting changed, having not long returned from work. She rose from the sofa where she’d been idly flipping through a magazine. Through the window, she could see Sergio getting a small case out of the boot of his hire car. She reached over Eva to open the front door, Bryn barking frantically at her heels. Rhys thundered down the stairs.
“Salve, Hanna,” said Sergio, a beaming smile on his face, He threw his arms round her in a bear hug, and kissed her on both cheeks, nodding to Rhys and Eva behind her. “Lovely to see you all again.”
“And you,” said Hanna, as he turned to embrace Rhys and then scooped Eva up into his arms, much to her delight. She immediately dissolved into a fit of giggles.
“Come on in. How was the journey?” Rhys asked.
“Fine. We ran into a tailwind, so the flight made up time. I only had cabin baggage, so I passed straight through passport control to pick up the hire car. A bit of traffic on the roads, but nothing major.”
He balanced Eva in his arms and followed them into the lounge, bending down to pat Bryn at the same time. “Mmm, what’s that delicious smell? I could eat a horse!”
Hanna smiled, remembering his legendary voracious appetite. “I thought you’d be hungry, so I’ve prepared a little Welsh lamb supper to welcome you. Should be ready in about ten minutes or so.”
“Time for an aperitif, then. G&T?” asked Rhys.
“Perfetto, just what I need!” Sergio set Eva down and collapsed onto the squishy sofa with a smile. He seemed pleased that Rhys had remembered his favourite tipple.