by Joanna Neil
No sooner had the thought sparked in her mind than she started to act on it. She rapidly took several snapshots of the scene, quelling a sudden uprising of guilt by telling herself that there had been no fatalities, and that she would be foolish to miss this chance of a story. This was her livelihood after all.
Then, while she waited for the policeman to come and question her, she took out a notepad and started to draft the article.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’
She jumped as Ben’s voice sounded in her ear. ‘I’m sorry. What do you mean?’
‘I saw you taking photos. How could you do that? Don’t you have any sense of propriety?’
‘It’s my job,’ she said, on a defensive note. ‘I write for the local paper.’
His expression was cynical. ‘Is that supposed to be an excuse? Don’t we have enough people behaving like ghouls, feasting on other people’s tragedies?’
‘You don’t know anything about the way I write,’ she said, her voice taut. ‘Why should you assume the worst?’ She glowered at him. ‘Anyway, shouldn’t you be concerning yourself with your patients?’
‘You’re right.’ He glanced over at the ambulance where the paramedic was getting ready to close the doors at the back of the vehicle. ‘I can see that I’m just wasting my time talking to you.’
He walked briskly over to the ambulance and climbed in the back without a second glance in her direction.
Sarah watched the vehicle pull away, aware of a slow tide of dejection washing over her. How would he react when he discovered that she was going to be living next door to him? He had already formed the worst possible opinion of her.
She pressed her lips together. Most likely, once he was over the initial shock, he would simply leave her to her own devices.
That suited Sarah well enough. She had enough problems to cope with, without having to fathom the mindset of a reclusive neighbour.
CHAPTER THREE
‘I WANT you to come into the house now, Emily,’ Sarah called from the kitchen. ‘I’m just getting your supper ready, and then it will be time for bed.’
Emily, though, wasn’t taking too much notice of what she was saying. The overgrown garden was proving too much of a temptation, with its sheltering shrubs and lots of hidden nooks and crannies, and so far she had only managed to explore a small part of it to her satisfaction.
Moving to the cottage had been a great adventure as far as Emily was concerned, and in a way that was a relief for Sarah, because she had been worrying about what effect changing homes would have on her.
The phone rang as Sarah was about to go and bring the child into the house, and she hesitated before deciding to answer the call. Keeping an eye on the little girl through the kitchen window, Sarah picked up the receiver.
‘How are you getting along?’ Carol asked in a cheerful tone. ‘Have you managed to make any more headway with the unpacking? I know Emily was keen to look through all the boxes.’
‘I’m nearly there,’ Sarah told her. ‘Emily thought it was a treasure trove, finding the toys that you had passed on to her, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for giving me all that bed linen and the bits and pieces for the kitchen. It was so good having you here to help out this afternoon. I don’t know how I would have managed otherwise. Emily’s really excited. She seems to have taken to the place, but she did make me promise that I would bring her back to see you at the weekend.’
‘That would belovely.’ Sarah couldfeel the smile that must be on Carol’s face. ‘Actually, I might see you before then. I’ve just realised that I have a couple of good-sized rugs stored up in the attic that might come in useful for you. I had them cleaned before they went up there, so they should be in a reasonable condition, and they might make the place look a bit more cosy. I could bring them over tomorrow some time, if you like.’
‘That would be great,’ Sarah said.
‘I’ll do that, then. Perhaps I’ll even get to meet your neighbour. Has there been any sign of him yet?’
Sarah winced. ‘Not so far. He’s been out all day. I’m not quite sure how he’s going to react when he finds that we’ve moved in next door to him. I expect that he thought nobody would want to take the place on.’
They chatted for a while longer, until Sarah glanced out of the window and realised that she could no longer see Emily in the garden.
‘I’m going to have to go and look for Emily,’ she told Carol. ‘She’s been playing outside for the last half-hour, but it’s growing dark now and I need to keep track of her in case she finds a way to get from the garden out into the fields. There’s a good fence, but you know her. I wouldn’t put it past her to find a way to climb over.’
‘She’s certainly a bundle of mischief,’ Carol agreed. ‘You go and find her. I’ll give you a ring in the morning.’
Sarah hung up and hurried out into the garden. ‘Emily, where are you?’ she called.
There was no answer, and Sarah began to look around. It wasn’t a particularly large garden, but the trees and shrubs cast shadows over the ground now that the light was fading, and there were so many corners that were hidden from view by trel-liswork and rustic pergolas that it took several minutes of searching before she realised that Emily wasn’t anywhere to be found.
A feeling of panic ran through her. She had checked the fence earlier to make sure that there weren’t any gaps in it, hadn’t she? Now she looked to see if Emily had used anything to help her to climb up, but there was nothing resting against the fence, except for the twisted stems and branches of climbing plants.
Alarmed now, Sarah called out again. ‘Emily, I need you to tell me where you are. I’m not playing hide and seek.’
She ran her hand along the top of the fence and at one point discovered a slight indentation. It was a concealed gate, made to look as though it was part of the fence, and the bolt was on the other side. Leaning closer to get a better grip, she felt one of the panels give way slightly as her foot touched its base.
Crouching down to examine it more carefully, she realised that the wooden slats moved to one side when they were touched in a certain way, probably because some of the nails that should have held them in place from the other side were missing. Was it possible that Emily had squeezed her way through the panels and gone into the neighbouring garden?
She had to find out. Undoing the bolt, she opened the gate and went through.
Like the house it belonged to, this garden was a huge contrast to hers. It was wide, for a start, and it had been beautifully landscaped, with a velvet green lawn and low stone walls. There were curving pathways that led through ornate archways into areas beyond. Sarah followed one of the paths, peering into the shrubbery on either side.
‘I don’t believe this is happening,’ she muttered to herself.
‘Is something wrong?’ The deep voice came from somewhere behind her and Sarah swung around to face her neighbour.
‘Yes,’ she said, recovering herself. ‘There is, there definitely is, or I wouldn’t be here, would I?’ She flung the words at him, almost as though they were a challenge. Dismayed at being found in the wrong place at the wrong time once more, she stared at him.
‘I wouldn’t know about that,’ Ben said. ‘Going on past experience, all manner of things spring to mind.’
She gritted her teeth. Why did she have to deal with him, of all people, here and now? Wasn’t it enough that she was out of her mind with worry over Emily? ‘Before you start grilling me all over again, this isn’t what you think.’
‘I wasn’t intending to do anything of the sort,’ he said in a low drawl, and to her surprise, his mouth made a wry, amused shape. ‘To be honest, nothing you do surprises me any more. I’m sure you’ll fill me in on the details when it suits you.’
Her blue eyes glittered with frustration. ‘I’ve lost Emily. She must have come through here, because there’s nowhere else she could have gone. She wouldn’t have been able to do that if you had looked
after your fence properly.’
She looked around in desperation, calling out, ‘Emily, I need you to come here—now.’
His dark brows lifted. ‘I’ve no idea what you mean. The fence is fine, as far as I’m aware.’
‘No, it isn’t—that’s just the point. The slats are loose on your side. I checked it earlier and I thought it was all right, but it isn’t, and now she’s gone, so I came in through the gate.’ She came to a sudden halt, gathering her breath. ‘And why would you need a gate in the fence anyway, if the cottage belongs to somebody else?’
‘I don’t think I’m following any of this.’ He looked perplexed. ‘Are we talking about a dog? What kind of dog is she? I suppose she must be fairly small to get through a break in the fence.’
She sent him an exasperated look. ‘No…Emily’s not a dog. She’s my little girl. She was playing in the garden, and then she wasn’t, and I don’t know where she could be, except here. She’s only two years old, going on three. It’s not her fault. She wouldn’t know that she was doing anything wrong.’
He frowned. ‘I didn’t realise that you had a little girl.’ He shook his head. ‘I dare say I should have thought of the possibility.’ He glanced towards her ringless left hand and Sarah’s fingers curled into a fist.
She hadn’t been wearing a ring when the paramedics had found her all those months ago, but there had been a thin, pale line on her finger, which pointed to the fact that she must have worn one at one time. It was another unanswered question about her past, and one that she would rather not deal with here and now.
‘I have to find her.’ She waved her hands about her in an agitated gesture.
‘Of course you do.’ He reached out and placed the palms of his hands over her shoulders, gripping her firmly, so that she stared at him in shock. ‘But first of all you need to calm down, and deal with things one at a time. How long has she been missing?’
‘A few minutes.’ She tried to gather her breath, but her lungs felt as though they were constricted. ‘I was in the kitchen, and the phone rang, and then when I looked back she wasn’t there.’
‘All right, take a few deep breaths and get yourself together. We’ll both look for her. She can’t have gone far.’ His warm hands still circled her shoulders and she realised that he wasn’t going to let her go until she showed some sign that she was in control of herself.
‘Yes,’ she managed. ‘You’re probably right.’ She pulled in a deep breath. ‘I’m fine. You can let go of me now.’
‘Are you sure?’
She nodded. ‘I’m sure.’
‘OK.’ He slowly released her. ‘Why don’t you go on searching for her on this side of the garden while I go and get a torch from the house?’
Sarah hurried to do that, churned up inside because of the delay. Was Emily hiding from her, thinking that it was a game? Was that why she wasn’t answering?
Ben was only gone for a minute or two, but although she had explored every part of that side of the garden while he’d been gone, she was still no nearer finding Emily.
‘We’ll do this area together,’ he murmured, indicating the far side of the garden, ‘and then, if we still haven’t found her, we’ll retrace our steps. I suppose she might have gone to hide behind the summerhouse.’
Some five minutes later they still hadn’t found the little girl, and Sarah was beginning to feel shaky with anxiety. Ben must have sensed that because he put an arm around her, holding her in a way that was strangely comforting, considering that she barely knew him, and that for the most part they had been at loggerheads. Now, though, he was letting her know that he understood what she was going through, and that he was there for her.
‘Are you quite sure that she isn’t still in your garden?’
She stared at him. ‘Of course I’m sure. Don’t you think I’ve looked?’ She wrenched herself free of his hold, annoyed by the suggestion.
‘Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to take another look, would it?’ He didn’t wait for her to agree with him, but walked off in the direction of the fence and went through the gate. Not knowing what else to do, Sarah followed.
‘It isn’t as though it’s that big a garden,’ she said. ‘I’ve checked everywhere.’
‘Hmm.’ He was looking around. ‘Did you think to look in the shed?’
‘Yes,’ she said crossly, ‘I did, even though I don’t believe she could manage the door.’
‘What about the dog kennel?’
‘Dog kennel?’ She frowned. ‘I told you, I don’t have a dog.’
‘Maybe not, but there is a kennel. Haven’t you seen it?’
She shook her head, looking baffled. ‘Where would that be?’
‘The last time I saw it, it was underneath the old tarpaulin at the back of the shed. I don’t suppose you would have clambered over all the rubbish at the back there, because you would assume that there was no space for anything beneath all that junk.’
‘I did look over there, but all I could see was old chairs and pieces of wood and general clutter.’
‘Well, let’s take a look now.’ He handed her the torch. ‘Shine that in the general direction of the back of the shed while I move a few things. It’s quite possible that a small child could have squeezed through the gap to get to the kennel.’
‘I didn’t know that the old gentleman who lived here had a dog,’ she murmured.
‘He did for a time.’
While he was talking, he was busy moving junk out of the way, and Sarah was amazed to see a large wooden kennel gradually appear. The opening to the kennel was slightly hidden from her view, and now she moved forward to take a look inside.
‘Oh, thank heaven,’ she said on a breathy sigh of relief. ‘She’s here… She must have been here all the time.’ She turned round to face him, a smile widening her mouth. ‘She’s fast asleep, curled up in the corner.’ She reached out and touched his arms, squeezing him gently, full of the joy of finding her little girl. ‘Thank you so much… I just would never have thought that she would be here.’
If he was startled by her enthusiastic reaction, he recovered soon enough, and stepped back so that she could crouch down and lift out the sleeping child. A moment later she straightened up, the little girl nestled safely in her arms. Sarah bent her head and gently kissed her cheek.
‘I’ll take her back into the house.’ She glanced up at him. ‘Would you like to come in with me, and I’ll put the kettle on?’ The euphoria of finding Emily meant that the words were out of her mouth before she had time to reconsider, but within moments she was feeling a chill of caution.
The last time she had seen him, he had accused her of ghoulish behaviour because of her work for the newspaper, and his opinion of her must be really low.
Regardless of that, he had helped her to look for Emily, but how long would it be before it dawned on him that she and her daughter had moved in for good and that his splendid isolation was gone for the foreseeable future?
That was something that worked both ways, wasn’t it? But, whatever their differences, the invitation had already been uttered.
‘That would be good, thanks. It seems like hours since I’ve had anything to drink, and I’m feeling quite parched.’
He pushed open the back door for her so that she could go through with her precious bundle. Once in the brightly lit kitchen, Emily began to stir.
‘Did I been sleep?’
‘Yes, sunbeam, you have.’
Emily stretched and stared about her, and when she saw Ben, her eyes grew large. ‘Who is you?’ she said.
He smiled. ‘I’m Ben. I live next door.’
‘In the big house?’
He nodded. ‘That’s right.’
‘I found a little house,’ she told him. ‘It was as big as this.’ She spread her arms wide to show the extent of it.
‘I know you did. That’s where we found you. You were lying in the dog kennel, fast asleep.’
‘It’s the doggie’s house?’ Emily was astoni
shed by that piece of information.
He nodded. ‘It was, but not any more. I think you’ll be able to play in it from now on.’
Emily beamed a smile at him. ‘Where’s the doggy?’
‘He’s not here any more.’
She seemed content with that, and when Sarah set her gently down on the floor, she hurried away to find her toys. ‘I go play,’ she said.
‘Yes, but not for long,’ Sarah warned. ‘You need to have your supper and get ready for bed.’
She glanced at Ben. ‘Sit yourself down,’ she said, pointing to a chair by the table, before busying herself with the kettle. ‘How did you know that the kennel was there, behind the shed?’
‘I’ve always known about it. The house I’m living in was my parents’ home originally, and the kennel belonged to our Labrador. That was a long time ago, though, and my mother suggested that I pass it on to Alfred for his dog.’
‘Your mother?’ She stopped what she was doing and stared at him.
He gave a wry smile. ‘I do have one, you know. Don’t we all?’
Her expression wavered, and he looked at her curiously. ‘I… Yes, of course,’ she murmured. A familiar tide of helplessness washed over her. What did she know about her parentage? To cover her unease, she filled the kettle with water at the sink and then flicked the switch. ‘What happened to your mother? Do you mind me asking?’
He shook his head. ‘Some time after my father died, my mother realised that she wanted to live in a house that was smaller and more manageable, so she moved to the nearby village. I’ve always liked this area, so I bought the house from her.’
‘That sounds like a sensible idea all round.’ She studied him as he eased his back against the sturdy wooden chair and thrust his long legs out before him. He was wearing casual clothes, black trousers and a cotton shirt that was open at the collar. He looked faintly weary, and she remembered that he’d said it had been a long while since he’d had anything to drink. Perhaps he hadn’t eaten either.