by Susan Lewis
Leo’s pen was poised. ‘Your brother’s name?’
She knew she had to tell them, it would look suspicious if she didn’t, but it was all right, Gary wasn’t from around here so it wouldn’t mean anything to them. Unless they looked him up. All hell would break loose if they did that. ‘Gary. Gary Perkins,’ she said hoarsely.
DS Lawrence was looking at her again, so piercingly that Suzi felt she was being pinned to some sort of confession she didn’t even know she was making. What was it about that woman’s eyes?
‘Here’s my card,’ Leo said, handing one over. ‘If you remember anything else give me a call.’
Assuring him she would, she watched from the open door as they walked down the road towards Alfie’s Pie Shop, no doubt discussing what she’d said. Or maybe what she hadn’t said, and heaven knew there was plenty of that, but no way was she going to start telling them about the rumours she’d heard concerning some of the foreign girls who’d worked at the park going off to become strippers, or worse, because they had nothing to do with Sophie, even if they were true. And she really didn’t believe they were.
Taking herself through to the back she found her brother perched on one of the beds with his head in his hands.
‘Did you hear all that?’ she asked, surveying him with unease.
He nodded.
‘Please tell me you weren’t with Sophie Monroe last Sunday night,’ she demanded fiercely.
He looked up. His guilty expression was answer enough. Slapping him round the head she cried, ‘What the hell were you thinking? You know damned well how old she is . . .’
‘Stop it, just stop,’ he growled, jumping to his feet. ‘It’s not my fault she’s gone and run off . . .’
Her eyes were flashing wildly. ‘You know what this place means to me . . .’ Her voice broke on a sob. ‘I can’t go back to where I was before, spending all my days thinking about how it would be if they hadn’t gone . . . if that psycho bitch . . .’
‘Ssh, ssh, I’m sorry,’ Gary murmured, trying to hug her. ‘I didn’t mean to cause any trouble . . .’
Pushing him away, she said, ‘No, you never do, but you just can’t seem to stop yourself.’ She looked at him in despair. ‘Why did you have to go near her? If they don’t find her, they’re going to think you had something to do with it . . .’
‘I swear, I didn’t do anything . . .’
‘They will find her, won’t they?’ she pressed.
‘Course they will.’
She wanted to believe him, more than anything in the world she wanted it to be true, but she had a horrible feeling about this. She couldn’t put it into words, it was just there, lodged in her like a stone, and she had no idea how to get rid of it.
‘What about the girls who used to work here?’ she asked. ‘Do you reckon Sophie’s gone with one of them . . .’
‘No, I don’t,’ he broke in irritably. ‘Apart from anything else she’s too young.’
‘Says who?’ Suddenly, not knowing what else to do, she grabbed the phone. ‘I have to call Jackie Poynter.’
‘What for?’
‘I have to tell her what’s going on.’
‘Do you seriously think she doesn’t know that already?’
‘Jackie, it’s me, Suzi, at the salon,’ she gulped as she made the connection. ‘Yeah, I’m good, thank you. Well, actually . . . You know you asked me to keep you up to speed about the Sophie thing . . .’
‘She’s got everyone doing that,’ Gary grumbled.
Turning away Suzi said, ‘Yeah, that’s right, the police have been at the camp all morning. No, that’s just it . . . It was only uniforms earlier, but a couple of detectives are going about asking questions now . . . I honestly don’t know how seriously they’re taking it, but if CID’s on the case I reckon they must be stepping it up. OK, OK, I will. Whatever I hear. Thanks. Sorry to interrupt your holiday,’ and ringing off she turned back to her brother.
‘You’d better start praying that girl shows up,’ she told him, ‘because that’s the only chance we’ve got of getting through this without both our lives falling apart.’
Spotting two uniformed officers interviewing the staff at Alfie’s Pie Shop, Andee and Leo decided to leave them to it, and turned off down a leafy avenue of the camp’s more elite caravans where the sun was sparking off windows and kids were charging about a brightly painted playground. A large notice declared: Children Must Be Accompanied by an Adult. This was nothing like the kind of site Andee recalled from her childhood, when freedoms had abounded and the caravans had seemed to rejoice in their shabbiness, each one different to the next, not only in size, shape and colour, but in character too. Back then there had been no tarmacked roads running between them, or smart wooden decks attached like patios, only lumpy grassland and tented lean-tos for shade. These gleaming vanilla boxes were a trailer-park version of Wimpy homes, with each van – or villa as these red-zone residences were apparently called – seeming to have rolled off the same factory line as its neighbour. Given their size she could imagine they were pretty luxurious inside, which was great for those who holidayed this way, but she would always have a soft spot for sofas that doubled as beds, tables that folded away into cupboards and camping stoves that blew off blokes’ eyebrows rather than be lit.
‘Gary Perkins,’ she said, as they strolled into the yellow zone, where the caravans, though still big, bore more of a resemblance to those she remembered. Penny had always liked the blue ones, whereas she and Frank had preferred those with two or more colours. ‘The name rings a bell, but I can’t think why. Does it mean anything to you?’
Leo shook his head. ‘Weird that he was hiding out the back.’
Andee couldn’t disagree. ‘We’ll get one of the uniforms to have a chat with him, if they haven’t already. So, what did you think of the sister?’
He shrugged. ‘She seemed on the level, I guess.’
‘There’s something sad about her,’ Andee commented thoughtfully. ‘Behind all that orange tan and the Bambi lashes is a sad person trying to make her way in the world.’
Leo glanced at her in surprise. ‘Her and most of the rest of us,’ he retorted.
Andee cocked him a look. ‘Are you sad, Leo?’ she asked tenderly.
‘You don’t know the half,’ he sighed.
Guessing she probably didn’t, she said, ‘You know what bothered me the most about Suzi Perkins – in fact about everyone we’ve spoken to today – is how unconcerned they seem about Sophie.’ She pondered that a moment, wondering if unconcerned was the right word. Deciding it would do for now, she went on. ‘It was particularly noticeable in Suzi, considering she’s supposed to be a friend of Sophie’s parents.’
‘So what are you saying?’
What was she saying? ‘That Sophie’s a human being, a child even, with a heart, feelings that can be hurt, and everyone seems too wrapped up in their own lives to remember that. Given her age she’s probably particularly sensitive and is doing her best to hide it with all this promiscuity and aggression we’ve been hearing about.’
‘She wouldn’t be the first.’
‘Indeed she wouldn’t, but running away can be a cry for attention, and if that’s what this is then no one, apart from her parents, seems to be reacting.’
‘She’s not answering the phone, or going online,’ Leo reminded her.
‘Possibly because she wants to cause a fuss. She needs to know someone has cared enough to call the police, and that the police, in turn, are taking her disappearance seriously.’
Leo arched an eyebrow. ‘You might be able to sell that to me, but I don’t think Gould will buy it as a reason to up the game.’
Knowing he was right, Andee inhaled deeply.
Bringing them back to practicalities, Leo said, ‘The kids on the beach Suzi told us about. Do you want me to find out who they are?’
She nodded slowly. ‘They could still be staying here, if not there’ll be a record of whoever rented the caravan.’ She gla
nced at her phone as it rang, her heart already tensing in case it was Martin. It turned out to be Gould who no doubt wanted an update on the robberies on Wermers Road, which, according to the DC who’d reported to her this morning, were happening in broad daylight.
How the hell were these people getting out of the stores without setting off any alarms? It had to be an inside job, but in every store?
Deciding to deal with Gould when she returned to the office, she let the call go through to messages, and quickly read a couple of texts that had arrived while she was at the salon.
Dad’s just arrived. Staying at Grandma Carol’s today so we can be with him. Love you. Axxx
Cancelled my driving lesson tonight so you don’t need to take me. Decided to stay here with Dad and Grandma Carol. Probably be home tomorrow. Lx
Clicking off, she tried to gather her thoughts. For some reason she wasn’t finding it easy today. It could be the heat, or more likely the memories of Penny that kept causing a pure and present ache in her heart. Or the fact that Graeme was due back tomorrow night and Martin was now in Kesterly. He’d texted last night to say it had been too late to call by the time he’d got her message, but could they meet?
She hadn’t replied yet, but she would as soon as they’d finished here.
‘Let’s find Barry, get the lowdown on what the uniforms have come up with around the camp this morning,’ she said. ‘Then, presuming the Monroes still haven’t heard anything, we should head over to Estelle Morris’s.’
‘Tomasz? What it it?’ Kasia asked worriedly, as he clicked off the phone and came in from the garden. She hadn’t heard any of the conversation, but from the tone of it, and the worry in his face, it was clear something was wrong.
‘It’s nothing,’ he replied distractedly.
‘Then why are you . . .?’
‘Actually, it’s my mother. They’ve taken her to the hospital.’
Instantly alarmed, Kasia said, ‘What’s happened? Has she had an accident?’
As he shook his head he seemed so agitated that she wasn’t sure he’d even registered the question. ‘She collapsed,’ he muttered. ‘In the street. No one knows why, but they’re doing some tests.’
‘You have to go to her,’ Kasia insisted. ‘She needs you there.’
He dropped his head in his hands. ‘I have so much to do here . . .’
‘It doesn’t matter. She is your mother. If anything were to happen, you would never forgive yourself if you weren’t there.’
His normally gentle blue eyes showed his anguish as they came to hers.
‘Everything will be fine,’ she told him firmly. ‘Mr and Mrs Poynter will understand why you must go, and you have a good team. Wesley will be able to manage them until you get back.’
‘You’re right,’ he said, wiping a hand over his face. ‘I have to go.’
Taking his hand she squeezed it between both of hers and held it to her cheek. ‘I will pray for her,’ she promised earnestly.
Drawing her into his arms he held her tightly. ‘Kocham cie,’ he whispered fiercely.
‘I love you too,’ she whispered back.
After a while he pulled away and cupped her fragile face between his large, workman’s hands. ‘I should go upstairs and book the flight,’ he told her.
Smiling, she said, ‘You can use our new computer.’
It seemed he couldn’t smile too.
‘Would you like me to come with you?’ she offered. ‘I can ask Olenka if she could mind the children.’
His eyes closed as he shook his head. ‘They need you here.’
Of course, but she knew how she would feel if something had happened to her dear mamia. She wouldn’t want to travel alone, and Tomasz had no brothers or sisters to help shoulder the burden.
‘I’ll be fine,’ he assured her, as though connecting with her concern.
‘God and our Blessed Virgin will take care of you,’ she said, touching her fingers to the tiny Medal of the Immaculate Conception at her throat.
He nodded, and turned around as Anton came charging in through the door. ‘Hey, little man,’ he smiled, swinging him up in the air. ‘Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten you.’
‘We’re going to build a house for Ania,’ Anton told his mother.
Feigning surprise, even though she’d heard talk of nothing else since they’d got up that morning, Kasia said, ‘How wonderful. Will she eat all her meals out there and invite friends in to play?’
Anton nodded. ‘She promised to invite me in, and you have to keep promises, don’t you?’ He was looking at Tomasz.
‘You most certainly do,’ Tomasz agreed. ‘Now, I want you to go and make sure you know exactly where we should put the house, while I run upstairs to book a flight.’
Anton’s eyes rounded. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked worriedly.
‘To see my mummy in Poland, but I won’t be gone for long, and I promise, even if we haven’t finished the house before your bedtime, it will be all done and waiting when you get up in the morning.’
As Anton skipped back down the garden and Tomasz went to unpack their new laptop, Kasia returned to folding the washing. Since there were flights to Krakow every day from Bristol, she guessed he would try to get on one in the morning. This would mean him leaving home at around six, and if he received a call-out at one of the Poynters’ businesses between now and then he would have to go. Still, even if it meant staying up all night, she knew he’d make sure the playhouse was finished before he left.
The glow of the love in her heart was as precious to her as the gift of her children, as meaningful as the communion she took every Sunday. She had so much to thank God for, so many reasons to feel blessed. She had never thought it possible to find so much kindness in a man after all she’d suffered at the hands of her husband. Thankfully, he had no idea where she was now, her parents would never tell him, nor would he be sober for long enough to try and find out. It was one of the great tragedies of her country, the number of men who drank themselves to oblivion, many of them ending up committing suicide, or collapsing in the snow and dying of cold.
Tomasz was nothing like that. He was strong and honest and brave and had no need of alcohol or anything else to provide an escape, because he had nothing to escape from.
Tonight she would say a special prayer for his mother – and add another for Tomasz to come safely back to her.
Chapter Four
IT CAME AS no small relief to Andee to discover that Estelle Morris seemed genuinely worried about Sophie. Here at last was someone, other than Sophie’s parents, who apparently cared about the girl and where she might be. This was presuming, of course, that Estelle wasn’t putting on an act, and Andee certainly hadn’t ruled that out yet.
‘I kept saying we ought to ring the police,’ Estelle was telling them as she led Andee and Leo into a front room that smelled, as well as looked, as though it had recently undergone a vigorous sprucing. Estelle’s mother smiled a greeting as they came in. Andee wondered if she’d ever seen so many ornaments. It would hurt her head to try and identify them all: a china sombrero with matching maracas, three wise monkeys from Tenerife, a wooden camel train from Tunisia, and a boogieing crocodile that snapped at her ankles as she passed the grate was as far as she was prepared to go.
‘Did you say that to Heidi Monroe?’ Leo was asking as he perched on the edge of a purple armchair, while Andee took its partner the other side of the gas fire.
Estelle flushed awkwardly. She was a sweet-looking girl with similar purple hair to Sophie’s – no doubt an adventure embarked upon together – and golden-brown eyes that showed how young she really was. ‘No, I only said it to my mum,’ she admitted. ‘I mean, I knew there was a chance she was with her dad, but even if she was I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t answering my texts.’
‘Did you try calling her?’
‘Yeah, loads of times, but I just kept getting her voicemail.’
Andee said, ‘Is there another friend s
he might have contacted, or perhaps gone to stay with?’
Estelle’s eyes went to her mother, who was sitting on the arm of the sofa quietly listening. She was a compact woman with razor-cut hair and the look of someone who prized neatness and order as much as her ornaments. ‘I thought about Tania,’ she said.
Marian Morris seemed doubtful. ‘Estelle and Sophie were quite close to one of the girls who worked at the camp for a while,’ she explained.
‘She left about a month ago,’ Estelle added.
‘We wondered if Sophie might have heard from her,’ Marian continued, ‘but even if she had, I can’t think why she’d go off without letting anyone know where she was going.’
‘Especially not me,’ Estelle added.
‘Do you know where Tania went after she left the camp?’ Leo asked.
Estelle shook her head. ‘She didn’t even tell us she was leaving.’
Leo’s gaze held steadily to hers. ‘Do you know where Tania was from?’ he prompted.
Estelle didn’t seem sure.
‘The Ukraine,’ her mother provided. ‘I’m sure that’s what she said.’
‘So she’s not English?’
Marian shook her head. ‘We enjoyed meeting her, didn’t we Estie?’
Estie nodded. ‘Definitely.’ Then, ‘First she goes off without saying anything, and now Sophie’s done the same.’ She looked so miserable that it was clear she was taking it personally.
‘Do you still have Tania’s number?’ Leo asked.
Taking out her mobile, Estelle scrolled through her contacts. ‘Me and Sophie tried ringing it a few times after she went, but she never answered, so we assumed she’d lost her phone or got a new one.’
As Leo jotted down the number Marian suddenly got to her feet. ‘Goodness, where are my manners? I put the kettle on ages ago. Would you like some tea?’
Deciding it might be a good idea to talk to Estelle on her own for a while, Andee said, ‘That would be lovely, thank you. No milk or sugar for me. My friend here takes both.’