by El Edwards
I smiled again. Ouch! “Hello,” I whispered.
“Do you know where you are?”
“No. Am I dead?”
He laughed. “Nice try, but no. You’re in the hospital. In Barnstaple.”
“Did I miss Christmas?” I’d promised the girls I’d be home in time for Christmas. If I’d missed it I might as well be dead.
Rob shook his head. “It’s still Saturday. Daft cow, you’ve only been out about ten minutes!”
Oh. “Toby?”
“Toby’s fine. In fact, we’ll have to wait and speak to the nurse, but I think you can see him. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”
Ha! As if. I watched as Rob walked out of sight then closed my eyes. I must have drifted off to sleep again because the next thing I knew I heard voices in the room with me. It was Rob and someone I didn’t know. Rob was trying to persuade the other person that I was well enough to travel.
“But she’s drifting in and out of consciousness. We really can’t let her travel in her condition.”
“I’m only snoozing,” I said in another whisper.
Rob must have been looking at me and had seen my mouth move because as soon as I spoke he was in my face again. “Sorry, we missed that. What did you say?”
“I said, I was only snoozing. I want to go home.”
“See?” said Rob with triumph. “She wants to go home. Best place for her.”
The stranger wasn’t convinced but eventually, after another hour or so of observation, it was agreed that I could go home, on the condition that I went straight to my nearest local hospital if I felt even vaguely unwell.
“And no walking. Take her down to the car park in a wheel chair.”
A wheel chair arrived and I watched as Rob collected my bag from the cabinet next to the bed and hooked it over the handle of the chair. With my belongings all gathered up he turned his attention to me and carefully guided me into the chair.
“Your carriage awaits Ms Diamond.” He wheeled me carefully out of the emergency department and along a corridor. He looked round to make sure no-one was watching and then leaned into me and whispered. “But first, we have to make a little detour.”
The lift doors pinged open and Rob pushed me out and into another corridor. I looked around but didn’t recognise this part of the hospital.
“Where are we?”
“You’ll see,” he said. And with that he pushed me onto one of the wards.
He left me parked in the middle of the corridor while he flirted with one of the nurses behind the desk but he was soon back and wheeling me along the ward to one of the side rooms. A figure was standing at the end of the bed, her back to us, but when she heard us come in she turned and smiled broadly.
“Charlie! Look at you!”
I smiled and then winced. “Hello Abigail.”
“What’s happened to your voice?”
“Just a temporary side effect,” Rob explained on my behalf. “On account of her wind pipe being squashed apparently.”
“Goodness! Sound awful!”
She didn’t wait for a reply. Instead she came round the side of the bed and hugged me.
I heard myself groan.
“Ooh, sorry!” Abigail let go of me and then stood to one side for me to see the figure in the bed. “Charlie, I’d like you to meet Toby Rogers, my husband.”
“Nice to meet you Toby,” I whispered.
He didn’t say anything, just nodded his head in greeting. He looked like he'd escaped from a concentration camp. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes had sunk into his face. The skin on his forearm was dotted with cigarette burns and his hair appeared to have been pulled out in clumps. I knew he’d heal and the hair would grow back but right now he was like a shadow of his former self.
“How long are they keeping him in,” Rob asked Abigail.
“Just overnight. Doctor says if we’re very lucky we can go home tomorrow. He’ll need lots of bedrest of course, and plenty of TLC, but we’ll be home in time for Christmas.”
I looked at her and saw her eyes were wet with tears. All she’d wanted, since the first time I’d met her, was her family all together again in time for Christmas and now it was actually happening, I could hardly believe it.
“How will you get home?” I asked.
“Toby’s dad’s going to come and get us.”
“You don’t want us to hang on? There’s room in the car with us if you like?”
“You’ve already done so much, both of you. It’s fine.” She smiled, and then added in an undertone, “I think Saul will be glad to escape. Our Lucy can be a bit of a handful.”
Rob and I both pretended to look shocked, as if this was complete news to us. I didn’t think Abigail bought our act but she didn’t seem to mind, she was far too happy basking in the glow of her valiant husband’s return. She gave me another hug, promising to catch up properly after Christmas, and we said goodbye to Toby. His eyes locked onto mine and for the briefest of moments I thought I caught a look of fear in his eyes but when I looked again it was gone. I smiled, wished him a speedy recovery, and ten minutes later we were in the car and on our way towards home. Christmas Eve in Gloddfa Bont. What more could a girl wish for?
SIXTY-FOUR
It was a week later, when I was sitting at my kitchen table enjoying a mid-morning coffee, that I heard a car pull to a stop outside my house. I wasn’t expecting visitors. The girls had gone to their dad’s house for the day. My mother had taken herself off on a cruise of Scandinavia. Even the dog was otherwise engaged, snoring loudly in the middle of my bed. I looked out of the window and saw Rob walking up my path carrying the largest bunch of flowers I’d seen in all my life. I scrambled to pull a dressing gown on over my PJs and then opened the front door.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too!” He sounded huffy. “Is that really any way to speak to your dinner date?” He handed me the flowers. “Here, stick these in some water before they start to droop.”
“Dinner date? Since when?”
“We had a deal. Don’t you remember?”
I thought about it for a moment and then smiled. “Ah yes, now you mention it, I do seem to remember something about you taking me for dinner when I prove that Toby didn’t just run away. Thank you very much.”
I took the flowers, ran a sink of water, and put them in it. They’d have to wait for Louise to come home to go in a vase. She was much better at arranging them than me.
“Only thing is, I’m not dressed.” I opened my dressing gown and flashed my Snoopy PJs at him.
“You’d better get a move on then Cinderella. I’ll make myself a cuppa while I wait.”
I didn’t need telling twice. I ran up the stairs and jumped in the shower. Half an hour later I came back downstairs wearing my favourite glittery sweater dress and long black boots. Rob gave an appreciate whistle.
“You scrub up nicely, fair play.” He offered me his arm and together we walked to the car.
It wasn’t until we were sharing dessert that he finally mentioned Abigail and Toby.
“Did you ever find out what the connection was between Toby and Ryan?”
After being pulled off me by Rob when he stormed the science lab with the police, Ryan had been arrested and was currently awaiting trial at Her Majesty’s pleasure. He’d been questioned by police as part of the investigation but, so far at least, was refusing to say anything. I’d been to see Toby and Abigail a few days ago and while Abigail was making coffee, had spoken to Toby about what Ryan had said that day.
“You’re not going to believe this but it was completely random. It started with Ryan trying to do Toby a favour but after Toby got pissed that night and started bragging about his wife and kids, that’s when Ryan started to see Toby as a meal ticket.”
“And the story about Toby beating him up because he ‘broke the code’?”
“Complete pack of lies. Toby put him up to it. Toby wanted to know what I had on him so he p
ersuaded Ryan to lead me on a bit, steal my bag. The ransom note was Toby’s idea too. When he found out the insurance wouldn’t pay out he wanted to come home, thought the ransom demand could pay off his debts. It all got out of hand when Ryan nicked my van. That’s when Toby started to get cold feet. By then it was too late for Ryan, his mind was made up, so when Toby told him he’d changed his mind, he turned on him.”
“I take it Abigail doesn’t know any of this?”
“After what she said to us in the car, I think she has her suspicions but no, he hasn’t told her the whole story, not yet at least.”
“Will you tell her?”
I shook my head. “It’s not my story to tell. I did my job, I found Toby Rogers. The rest is up to them.”
“I guess that means you really were right about everything all along.”
“Everything?”
“The perfect marriage with the perfect kids? I guess this proves there’s really no such thing.”
Ah that. “You know, I’ve been thinking about that.
“Go on?”
“I’ve come to the conclusion that perfect is massively overrated. We’re all just making it up as we go along, doing the best we can. I think this year I’m ready to embrace the mess.”
“I’ll drink to that!” said Rob, and then he stole the last bite of cheesecake.
“Oi pig!”
“Who are you calling pig?”
And so the evening continued, all talk of Abigail and Toby set aside for another day. All things considered, it was a very satisfying ending. I wouldn’t want to be Toby when Abigail and her father eventually learned the truth about his disappearance, he had an awful lot of explaining to do, who knew if they’d make it after that. As for me, I meant what I said to Rob. Life was messy but maybe it was about time I stopped running from it. With two teenage daughters, a crazy dog and friends like Rob, I didn’t know what the new year would bring, but I was certain it wouldn’t be boring.
BEVERLY
You’ve just finished reading Abigail. If you loved it, you’ll be delighted to learn that Charlie has a new client on the horizon … Beverly.
Because even the criminal underclass need pets!
When Charlie Diamond offers to help find charity shop manager Beverly’s missing Tortoise, she expects to have the case wrapped up in a week. After all, with such little legs, how far can one animal get? But little does she know she’s about to undertake her most challenging investigation to date when she accidentally stumbles into the middle of a drugs ring.
Why are the criminal underclass suddenly interested in domesticated animals? Who's really calling the shots? And will Beverly's pet ever come home?
Available in paperback and on Kindle right now. Turn the page for a sneak peak …
ONE
“What kind of person would allow a five year old to wander around outside without phoning the police?”
I smiled at the lady in front of me. “Sure, a five year old child but …”
“No buts Charlie.” She shook her head firmly. “It doesn’t make any difference. I had to call them.”
“I understand. And what did they say?” It didn’t take much imagination to guess exactly what they said.
“They took some details but they couldn’t promise to spend much time on it.”
I watched as she started pacing up and down in front of me. I’d only come into the charity shop to fix her staff toilet. When I’d asked Beverly if she was having a nice day I was only making small talk, but it was clear I’d inadvertently stumbled onto the one topic of conversation guaranteed to excite her.
“Is it possible she just wandered off?” I asked.
“She’s a sausage dog Charlie. Her legs are tiny, it’s not like she could have gone far. I’m telling you, someone’s stolen her.”
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from smiling. When she’d told me about the tiny dog she’d named Tortoise I’d thought she was joking, but from the way she paced up and down, it was clear she was far from kidding. I stood up from where I’d been kneeling and gave her toilet a flush.
“There, all done.” I thought about my plans for the rest of the day and made a decision. “Now, how about you make us both a cuppa and you can tell me all about Tortoise. Maybe I can help?”
“Would you? Oh Charlie, that would be wonderful. Thank you!”
Without waiting for a reply she rushed out of the room in the direction of the staff kitchen. I carefully packed away my tools and, not for the first time, wondered how I managed to get myself into such crazy situations. I glanced at a business card in the bottom of my bag. Charlie Diamond, private investigator. I sighed. Wrong card, again. Although maybe it was a sign. I’d been talking about packing in the plumbing business for ages now. It seemed about right that my first plumbing gig in a month should lead to more investigative work. Best investigator this side of the Severn Bridge, or that’s what I liked to tell myself. My specialty was missing persons, I had a knack for tracking down the untrackable, but looking for a missing pet? This was new, even for me.
With one last glance around the room for stray tools, I picked up my bag and headed in the direction of the staff kitchen. Business was quiet and maybe a little distraction was just what I needed. I had a ‘no find, no fee’ policy but that didn’t extend to animals. This would simply be a bit of fun on the side, a chance to keep my hand in. Besides, there was something endearing about Beverly. If I could reunite her with her beloved pet, today would be a very good day.
“Tell me again how you got conned into this?” My daughter’s eyes were wet with tears.
“It’s not funny! And I didn’t get conned. I just wanted to help.”
“Oh Mum, you’re impossible!”
Grace called up the stairs to her sister. “Hey Lou, have you heard about Mum’s latest case?”
Before I could stop her, Grace had run up the stairs and into Louise’s room, apparently to fill her in on my dog hunt. I knew I should be thankful my daughters were sharing a joke, even if it was at my expense, but after losing most of the afternoon to Beverly and her dog, I was tired and my head had started to throb. All I really wanted was a long soak in a hot bath but there was dinner to prepare and the washing to put on. The joys of being a domestic goddess, I thought.
I was about to put the oven on when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and smiled. It was Rob, my favourite local police detective. “Hi Rob …”
“Is that Charlie Diamond, pet detective?”
“Oh ha, bloody ha! I take it someone told you about Tortoise.”
“Is that her name?” He laughed. “It just keeps getting better and better!”
Rob and I had a history that stretched back far longer than I cared to remember. He was my go-to guy when I needed some inside information. In exchange for which, I put up with his teasing. It was a good dynamic that worked for both of us although there were occasions, like right now, when I found myself wishing he wasn’t quite so all-knowing.
“How did you find out? Beverly told me your lot weren’t that interested.”
“Not interested in the welfare of a much-loved member of the community? How dare you!” He was laughing again. “I’ll have you know I was only ringing to offer my assistance. If there’s anything I can do, any help at all that you need, I’m only a phone call away.”
“Yeah right! You just wanted to take the piss!” I laughed and felt myself weakening. “It’s alright, I’d have done the same. So who told you?”
“Beverly came into the station, ‘bout an hour ago, told Trev on the front desk that she didn’t need our help any more, that she had a professional on the case. You can imagine how well that went down. When Trevor pushed her for a name she showed him your card.”
Oh brother! “No pressure then.”
Rob laughed. “None at all.”
“All I said was I’d ask around, do a bit of digging. Made no promises, I just wanted to help.”
“Heart of gold, that’s you Charlie
.”
“Soft touch you mean!”
“You said it, not me. Now listen, there’s something else.”
“Oh?”
“Thing is, this isn’t the first animal to go missing.”
“No shit Sherlock! Have you seen the number of cat posters round town?”
“I don’t mean the cats. There’s been others. A few micro pigs.”
“Micro pigs? You’re kidding, right?”
“I wish I was. Google them, they’re really cute. Anyway, the point is, if you hear anything, come straight to me.” He paused. “Gotta go Charlie, that was the boss calling. Just remember what I said.”
And with that, the line went dead.
TWO
When I walked into the kitchen the following morning to find the table set and fruit chopped, I got the first inkling that my daughters might be up to something. I could count on one hand the number of mornings I’d seen them up before ten on a Saturday and the last time we’d eaten breakfast together at the table was when they were about six. Most mornings breakfast consisted of Louise grabbing a banana as she rushed out to catch the bus. Grace was so scatty about breakfast I’d started giving her extra lunch money, making her promise to get a snack at break time.
“What’s going on?” I pressed my hand against Louise’s head. She didn’t feel hot.
Grace smiled sweetly and directed me to a chair. “We don’t know what you mean. Coffee?” She held up a pot and I nodded.
“Please.” I looked from Grace to Louise. “Well? What’s going on?” I asked again. “Why are you two up?”
“Why shouldn’t we make our favourite mother a nice nutritious breakfast ahead of a busy day?”
“Busy day? Who said anything about a busy day?” I mentally ran through my agenda for the day. I was pretty sure there was nothing taxing planned. I needed to knock on a few doors later but that was about it. It was then that the penny dropped. “Oh I get it, this is about the dog again, isn’t it?”