by El Edwards
As I came over the other side of the hill I became aware of someone calling my name. I looked round and saw Louise waving at me like a mad thing. I waved back then started in her direction.
“Look who’s there Missy. It’s Lou. Have you missed her?”
I took the dog’s silence for agreement and hurried her in Louise’s direction. Just as I reached her, Grace came into view so I gave her a wave and hugged Louise. “What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you back for ages yet.”
Louise leaned in and whispered in my ear. “Tricia’s doing our heads in.”
I couldn’t help but smile and silently whisper a prayer of thanks. Not wanting to appear smug though, I feigned innocence. “Oh, why’s that?”
“She’s just so fussy. Wash your hands. Wipe your feet. Knife and fork together. Elbows off the table. It’s impossible.”
I decided not to mention that those were actually pretty reasonable requests and instead just nodded my sympathy.
“Did you tell her about Tricia?” Grace had finally caught up to us.
“She did. Sorry you’ve not had a nice time love.”
“Oh it wasn’t all bad. Our room’s pretty decent.”
Louise nodded. “It’s just a shame it’s in the same house as her.”
“So where are they now?” I had a sudden thought that made me panic. “You didn’t leave them in the house did you? I have my white board out.” I hated the thought of him nosing through my stuff.
“We’re not amateurs Mum.” Louise rolled her eyes at me. “They’re in the pub.”
“Come on then, time to face the enemy.”
Amidst cries of ‘do we have to?’ and ‘but mum’, we walked to The Bont. I tied Missy to a post outside next to a bowl of water. “Sorry Missy, not for dogs. We won’t be long.”
“Can I stay with Missy?” Grace asked.
“No!” I steered her gently but firmly into the pub where we could see Jonathan and his soon to be Mrs Me standing at the bar doing their best not to look uncomfortable. Although Jonathan had lived here for many years while we married, there wasn’t a soul who hadn’t heard the story about the day I caught him inflagrante on the sofa. As such, he elicited none of the warmth you might usually expect from a village you once called home. Instead he was treated as an outsider, held at a distance and mocked, just a little too loudly. I couldn’t condone such behaviour but, after all that he’d put us through, it made me smile far more than was decent to see him treated so.
For the second time that week I plastered a smile on my face and made an effort to play the affable ex-wife. I was determined to see the back of the pair of them as soon as humanly possible though and when Rhys behind the bar offered Jonathan a top up, I shook my head at the former and he quickly withdrew. It took them less than ten minutes to take the hint and with promises to the girls to see them again soon, Jonathan and Tricia were on their way. I resisted the impulse to do a little happy dance and instead told the girls to find us some menus while I took Missy back to our house. I was hungry and could think of no better way to welcome them home than dinner in The Bont.
“Glass of red please Rhys. And make it a large one.”
“You sure that’s wise Charlie love? You know what you’re like.”
“Ah but it’s Sunday, day of rest, and I intend to spend what’s left of it resting under the weight of a very large wine glass.”
“Right you are,” said Rhys. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
By the time our food arrived I was on my second glass but it was doing wonders for my nerves around the trip to Barnstaple and before we’d even got to dessert, the girls were fully briefed and completely on board with my plans.
“You won’t tell your dad will you?” I looked from Louise to Grace, determined to impress upon them the seriousness of the situation.
“Course not. He might make us stay with him.”
“Ugh! My lips are sealed!”
I pulled them into a slightly soggy hug and took it in turns to plant a kiss on their heads. “What did I ever do to deserve such good kids?”
“Just got lucky I guess Mum,” said Grace with a wink.
“Oi!”
She was right though, I did feel incredibly lucky. I just had to hope lady luck would follow me to Barnstaple.
TWENTY-EIGHT
Two days later and I was pulling up outside Ryan’s place where Toby had been sleeping on the sofa. My Travelodge reservation had been for Monday night but I’d had to change that owing to the rather large drill in the side of my head when I woke up Monday morning. There had been absolutely no way I could contemplate driving for miles with a hangover so Tuesday it was. It also meant I had an extra day with the girls before abandoning them again. They were still nagging me about decorating the house for Christmas and I’d promised we’d do it as soon as I got back from Barnstaple.
I pressed the buzzer for Ryan’s flat and crossed my fingers that he’d be home. True to form, no one answered, so I went straight next door and knocked. When the old lady saw me her face brightened.
“Charlotte love. How good to see you. Come in, come in. You’re not allergic to cats are you?”
I smiled and confirmed that I was fine with cats. She made me sit in her best room while she made a pot of tea. The room looked like it was barely used. It was immaculate with little lace covers on the sideboard and coffee table and a floral three piece suite organised around the table in a half circle. It was like something out of Good Housekeeping magazine circa 1963. I noticed a pair of china cats on the mantlepiece and would have sworn they were the ones my mother had been raving about after watching Antiques Roadshow.
The old lady soon came in carrying a silver tray heavily laden with all the makings of a very fancy cup of tea. I stood up to help her.
“Put it on the table there would you love. Thank you.”
I did as I was told then gestured to the teapot. “Shall I play Mum?”
“Would you love? That would be champion. Milk, two sugars please.”
I poured her a cup and waited for her to sit down before passing it over. She took a sip and smacked her lips together with pleasure. We sat quietly for a few moments sipping tea but when what felt like an appropriate amount of time had passed I turned to the matter in hand.
“I’m really sorry but with everything that was going on the other day, I didn’t ask your name.” I could feel myself blushing.
“Didn’t I introduce myself love? Oh silly me. I’m Muriel. Muriel Flanagan.” She laughed gently. “How’s that for a right proper Irish name? There’s quite a few of us round North Devon as it turns out and not a one of us has ever set foot in the Emerald Isle. Daft!”
I laughed with her. “Well it’s lovely to meet you properly Muriel. And I can’t thank you enough for ringing me. Really, you’ve been a big help.”
Muriel’s face flushed with pride. “Good to know. I wasn’t sure about ringing but right glad I did now.” She nodded to herself.
“So what happened with Ryan? You mentioned he’d taken a beating. Did you see anything?”
“‘Fraid not love. First I knew about it was when old nosy parker ‘cross the street came knocking. Told you his eyes were better than mine didn’t I? Said he’d called the police when he saw the two of ‘em brawling but they never came.”
“The police never came?”
“That’s what he said, but I bet he never called them. That’s just like ‘im to make som’ing up, add a bit o’ spice to his story.”
A nosy neighbour sounded like just the sort of person I could do with getting on my side. If he had actually seen Ryan and Toby fighting he might be able to give me a description. Although if he was unreliable I’d have to be careful about how much time I spent chasing after his stories.
“Do you think he’d speak to me?”
“I’m sure he’d love to, he’ll do anything for a bit o’ drama. Want me to come with you?” She leaned in and spoke in a whisper. “He’s got a bit of
a reputation. Ladies man, if you know what I mean.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine, but thanks for the warning.” I stood up and lifted the net curtain to look out the window. “Which house is his?”
“Number twelve. Roland. You can tell him I sent you if you like.”
“Will do. Let me finish this lovely cup of tea first. I want to hear more about you.”
I poured myself a second cup of tea and settled back in the chair to listen to Muriel’s stories. She might look like nothing more than a wrinkled old lady but when she started telling stories it was like being transported back in time to another world. She hadn’t always lived in Devon, she told me. When she was a little girl her father and mother had moved her and her younger brother to South Africa. I listened, eyes wide with disbelief, as she told me about meeting the man who would become her husband out there and their life together on a whole other continent.
“Have you ever read any of Wilbur Smith’s books?” I asked. “Lots of them are set in South Africa.”
“Oh yes, used to love ‘em. Don’t read much anymore though, cos of me eyes.”
“That’s a shame. You should try an audiobook, have someone read them to you.”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But you didn’t come all this way to sit nattering with a daft old bird like me. Get yourself off over to Roland’s. Will you come back and tell me what ‘e said?”
“If you’d like me to. I need to find Ryan too. He wasn’t in his flat but I don’t imagine he’ll be in work if his face is all messed up.”
“That boy would have to lose both his legs before he missed a day in work!”
“Really?” He hadn’t struck me as the industrious type.
“Needs the money. Gives everything he can to his mum and girlfriend.”
I smiled to myself. Muriel clearly didn’t miss a thing. “How do you know that?”
“I heard ‘im, on the phone. These walls are like paper. Me eyes might be useless but there’s nowt wrong with me hearing.”
“I don’t suppose you ever heard Toby talking to anyone?”
She shook her head. “Sorry love.”
“Never mind, it was a bit of a long shot.” I drained my cup and stood up. “Thanks for the tea. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Just be sure you don’t let him give you the run around. Daft old goat likes to think he’s Inspector Clouseau!”
After reassuring Muriel that I’d make sure he behaved himself I headed outside and across the road to number twelve. Unlike Muriel’s spotless front garden, Roland’s was littered with dead leaves and stray crisp packets. I knocked on the door and crossed my fingers that he’d be home and in the mood to talk.
TWENTY-NINE
My phone burst into life somewhere in the depths of my bag and I shrieked with fright. Cursing myself for not having put it on silent, I fumbled around until I found it. With one last glance at the door of number twelve to confirm it was still closed, I stepped away from the house and onto the pavement to answer my phone. It was an unknown number.
“Hello, Charlie Diamond speaking.”
“Hi Mum it's me, Grace.”
“Oh hiya Grace love. You okay?” I glanced at the door again but if anyone was home, it seemed they weren't accepting visitors.
“Yeah. Just wondering if you know where my kit is?”
“Your PE kit?”
“Yeah.”
“Not a clue. Do you still have a PE kit? I thought you stopped all that when you finished year eleven?”
She didn't say anything and I started to get suspicious. “What's going on? You sure you're okay?”
“There’s a thing at school, try-outs, for the Olympic cycling team.”
“Sounds like fun.” If you like that kind of thing. Before today, Grace hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in cycling. We’d bought her a bike, taught her to ride it, just like all responsible parents up and down the land before us, but that was when she was about ten.
“But I can’t do it without my kit.”
“When do you need it? You remember I’m in Devon, right?”
“This afternoon. Yeah.” She didn’t say any more so I just waited. Two could play at this game. She probably wanted me to give her my credit card number so she could buy something online but I wasn’t falling for that one again. I had to believe there was a reasonable alternative and that’s when I had an idea.
“Why don’t you ask one of the teachers if you can borrow kit? Explain you haven’t got any.”
“Ewwww! No chance! Have you seen the scanks that wear that kit? Stop it before I vomit!” I heard wretching sounds down the phone.
“Don’t be so overdramatic. It gets washed after someone uses it.”
“Doubt it.”
“Well I’m about two hundred miles away Grace. I couldn’t make it back to you in time even if I wanted to so you’re going to have to figure this out for yourself.”
“Do you think Dad would get me kit?”
“I’m not dragging your father out of work to take you shopping for kit because you’ve decided on a whim that you want to take up cycling!” Besides which, ringing Jonathan would mean having to tell him I was leaving the girls alone overnight. We’d promised that was to remain our little secret.
“So now what?”
“Now you have to decide exactly how important this cycling thing is to you. If it’s that important, you’ll borrow kit. If not, you won’t. Simple really.”
“But …”
“No buts Grace. There’s nothing else I can say on the matter. Make a decision and if you decide to do it, good luck. Let me know how you get on. I have to go now though, got work to do.”
Without waiting for her to reply I pressed the button to end the call, put my phone on silent and hid it back at the bottom of my bag.
Family drama over, I walked towards Roland’s front door but before I could knock it was opened by an elderly man with a shock of bright white hair.
I smiled. “Roland?” He nodded. “Charlie Diamond,” I said. “Did Muriel mention that I might call round?”
“No but you might as well come in. I’ll lose all the heat if we standing here yapping with the door open.”
Roland’s house was like a mirror image of Muriel’s but instead of leading us into what would have been his front room, I followed him all the way back to the kitchen. In the corner was a small television with a comfy chair in front of a makeshift table made out of overturned apple boxes on top of which stood a small tea-cup with a single daisy in it. Roland pointed to the chair.
“Sit down. I’ll put brew on.”
My insides groaned. I knew that before I could drink any more tea I really needed to visit the little girl’s room. I hated using other people’s toilets but was feeling fairly desperate.
“Sorry to be a nuisance but do you think I could use your bathroom? It was a long journey down and, well you know how it is.”
“Don’t like the public lavs eh girl? Can’t say I blame you. Up the stairs, first door on the right. Just mind the flush, it’s a bit of a bugger.”
When I walked back down the stairs after using the toilet I heard a voice calling me from one of the other rooms off the hall.
“In here. Thought it’d be more comfy.”
I followed his voice into the lounge and sat on the sofa opposite him. The air smelt slightly musty and I assumed he only came in here when he had visitors. I pulled a notebook out of my bag and took the lid off my pen.
“Muriel told me you saw Ryan from next door to her get beaten up last week?”
“Ai. The two of them were shouting, throwing punches about, making a right racket. I’m amazed she didn’t hear it.”
“Did you see the other one? Get a look at his face.”
“Yeah, he was older. Scruffy looking.”
“Eye colour? Hair?”
“Blue probably. Hair was sort of brown and sticky up.”
“Probably?”
“He was far away.”
>
“Would you recognise him again if you saw him?”
“I should think so. Never forget a face.”
“But until last week, you’d not seen him before?” I pulled Toby’s photo out of my folder and handed it to him. “Could this be him?”
He looked at the photo and his eyes widened. “I know this man.”
“You do?”
“He was hanging round ‘ere a few weeks back. Ask Muriel, she’ll know who I mean. He was staying with Ryan.”
“But this wasn’t the man you saw last week?”
“No.” He shook his head firmly.
“Are you sure? Imagine the man in the photo looking scruffier. Could it have been him?”
“Well his hair’s the same colour but this man were taller. Bigger build.”
Satisfied the old man was telling the truth I thanked him for his time, gave him my card in case he thought of anything else, and went back in the direction of Muriel’s house. I needed to find Ryan and ask him why he’d told Muriel that Toby had beaten him up. It was obvious now that he’s lied and I wanted to know why.
THIRTY
I turned off the radio as I pulled into McDonald’s car park. After finding a space with a view of the restaurant I sat in the van for a moment to watch the movements of the people inside. Muriel hadn’t been able to confirm what time Ryan had left for work that morning but she seemed convinced that he’d be here so after thanking her once again for all her help and promising that I’d come back after seeing Ryan to give a full debrief, I’d headed straight here.
While I watched the people milling about inside I rang Abigail’s house. I’d not spoken to her since Rob and I had come back from meeting Toby’s parents and she deserved a quick update. A glance at the time confirmed she should be back from picking the kids up from school so I dialled her number.