by Lucy Daniels
She really ought not to, Mandy thought. If she was tired from night work, her mum must be worse. But the sun was shining outside the window and York was only an hour away. Hadn’t Helen just said it was quiet? They could always contact her if the situation changed.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I’ll keep my phone on,’ she added.
The drive was tedious. Mandy got stuck behind several tractors, a horsebox and finally, a large lorry. Usually, she wouldn’t mind such obstacles; they were part of country life, after all. But today, it felt like fate was trying to stop her from getting to York and sorting out even just one of the things that had gone askew in her life. The thought of all the things she had to worry about weighed heavily on her mind.
A three-hour round trip and all I’ll have sorted is the scales.
They would have new kennels at the veterinary supply centre too. But they were so expensive, it was pointless even thinking about them.
Then, as Mandy descended towards the city, a thought struck her. The council planning offices were in York. Maybe she could pay a visit whilst she was here?
It would be good to get that issue taken care of …
It was not easy to find a parking space near the council offices. Eventually, she found a spot in the car park in Queen Street and headed round on foot to the graceful stone buildings that housed the planning department. It took her several minutes to find the right door and by the time she had walked halfway round the building, she was beginning to feel warm. Inside, the air was a little cooler. There was a queue at the reception desk and Mandy’s heart sank.
How long is this going to take?
The man at the front seemed to be getting frustrated. He had a piece of paper, which he was showing to the receptionist, his finger jabbing at the text. ‘This is what I’m talking about,’ he said. His voice was angry.
Mandy reached into her pocket and pulled out her mobile. There were three bars on the signal. If she was needed, Helen could call her.
‘I need to know when it’s going ahead.’ In spite of herself, Mandy’s eyes were drawn away from her phone. If she was feeling warm, it was nothing to the way the man at the front of the queue was looking. His face was scarlet and a trickle of sweat ran down from his forehead. He looked almost as if he was going to burst into tears. There were three people ahead of Mandy in the queue. Two of them seemed to be fascinated with the pattern of the tiles on the shiny floor. The third had his eyes closed.
‘There’s nothing I can do.’ The woman behind the desk had a nasal voice. ‘You’ll have to go to the orange zone. I don’t deal with dates.’
Mandy wondered for a moment whether the man would explode, but he seemed to deflate instead. Picking up his paper, he trudged off towards a distant door at the far end of the hallway.
The queue shuffled forwards a few inches. More questions. More nasal deflections. Pink Zone. Green Zone. Blue.
Mandy had worked out her strategy by the time she reached the front of the queue. She would be super-polite, she decided. It must be boring for the nasal woman to stand there all day directing people. ‘Hello … Wendy.’ Mandy managed a bright smile as she looked up from the name badge on the woman’s lapel. Wendy had mousey hair, tied up in a messy bun and a green jacket over a pink blouse with a fussy bow. Bright blue beads completed the garish effect. Mandy found herself speculating on whether Wendy had an item of clothing for each of the colour-zoned sections she seemed so keen on. ‘I wonder if you can help me. I’d like to see some plans for a furniture factory that’s going to be built in Welford, please.’ If she was polite enough, perhaps she would get some help here and not be zoned.
Wendy had her head on one side. She looked as if she was considering. Mandy rushed on. ‘I was hoping you might be able to give me some details first. It’s a company called Westbow and I want to contact them about their plans. I’ve written to them, but I’d much prefer it if I could phone.’
‘Where did you say it was again?’
Mandy wasn’t sure how anyone could ask a question with so little interest.
‘Welford Village,’ she replied. ‘It’s north west of here, up beyond Walton. The company’s Westbow Holdings. I need to get in touch with them.’
‘Purple zone.’
Mandy waited for a moment for some sign of interest in the blank expression opposite. Perhaps if she gave Wendy some time, she would come up with more information. She dredged for another smile, but only achieved a grimace. Wendy’s mouth widened into a stubborn line and she turned her eyes to the computer screen on the desk in front of her. ‘Welford Village. Purple zone,’ she said, her eyes fixed on the monitor.
The words held a finality that Mandy found it hard to ignore. ‘Where is the purple zone, please?’ Mandy asked.
For a moment, she wondered if Wendy was going to blank her altogether, but without looking up, Wendy snapped, ‘Down the stairs. Follow the corridor round to the right. Take the fourth turning on the left.’
Mandy was glad that her memory was good. By the time she had walked downstairs and found her way through the maze of passages it would have been easy to become disoriented, but she found the purple zone on the first attempt. All she had to do now was locate the factory plans. She walked round several displays, searching hard, but couldn’t find any reference to the mysterious Westbow Holdings. Perhaps Wendy had sent her to the wrong place. Perhaps on purpose.
‘Can I help you?’ The dark-skinned man who had watched her weave three times round the room was approaching. His name was Devan, according to his badge. He raised his eyebrows at Mandy with a smile.
‘I’m trying to find out about a company called Westbow Holdings,’ Mandy explained again.
‘And there are no details out?’ he asked. When Mandy shook her head, he walked over to consult his computer.
‘I’m ever so sorry,’ he said, having worked his way through several screens of information. ‘It looks like the consulting period for that project is over. Permission has been granted, it says here.’ He turned the monitor and pointed to the entry on the screen.
It was odd that she hadn’t heard anything about it, Mandy thought. The area was so close to her parents’ land. Perhaps there had been a letter and it’d been misfiled or binned by Adam or Emily without anyone looking closer – and if she was honest with herself, she suspected she wouldn’t have given it a second thought either if it hadn’t been for the squirrels. ‘Wouldn’t they have to tell us?’ she asked.
Devan shrugged, his face sympathetic. ‘Impossible to say, I’m afraid,’ he told her. ‘For permission to be passed, all the rules should have been followed. There aren’t any details on contact requirements.’
‘Well, can you find out who owns the company?’ Mandy asked.
‘I’m really sorry.’ From his face, Mandy could see that Devan was telling the truth, ‘but I can’t tell you that.’
‘Well, can you see whether a wildlife survey was carried out?’ Mandy asked. ‘It’s in a protected area. I think there are red squirrels living there.’
Devan looked again at his computer screen. He seemed to be scrolling through all kinds of records, though Mandy couldn’t make out what. Finally, he looked up and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said again. ‘Those should be on here, but I can’t find them. There’s a glitch. I can’t see inside the Westbow folder.’ Mandy felt frustration building up inside her. This was all such a big mess! How could a computer error be getting in the way of protecting endangered wildlife? She was about to say something to that effect when she saw Devan’s face. He looked so downcast at his failure to help, that Mandy felt sorry for him. She sighed to herself. It wasn’t his fault if the system was impenetrable. She would have to persevere with writing or try to find out if anyone else in the village could throw any light on the mystery.
‘Thanks anyway,’ she muttered.
Mandy felt better as she escaped into the sunshine. Even in her gloom, she hoped the weather would hold – the Spring Show next Saturday
would be wonderful if it was bathed in sunshine like this.
She would buy the scales next, she decided. Andersen’s medical and veterinary equipment warehouse was not far away. The shop windows she passed were bright with outrageous colour schemes. Mandy looked down at her own well-worn jeans and utilitarian blue jumper, both slightly stained from the morning feeding and cleaning. She couldn’t remember the last time she went shopping for clothes and she suddenly felt quite scruffy and drab on the smart city streets. But really, she reflected, it all came back to time and money. She didn’t have enough of either to be worrying about what she looked like.
The equipment warehouse was chilly after the afternoon warmth. Mandy hunted up and down the aisles for the scales she needed but couldn’t find them. She flagged down a passing sales assistant and asked where the cat scales were.
An apologetic frown crossed the assistant’s face. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid we just sold our last set. We can order some in for you, but they won’t be here for a few days.’
Mandy sighed. Looks like nothing’s getting sorted this trip. ‘Okay, can I order them, please?’
Chapter Twelve
There was a fine drizzle falling when Mandy arrived at Rainbow Hill on Sunday morning. She jumped out of the car onto the cobblestones of an attractive yard. Purple and white petunias filled three white-painted wooden tubs and there was an old stone water trough in the corner that was filled with clean water.
One of the farmhouse doors opened and a smartly dressed man with friendly eyes appeared.
‘Amanda Hope?’
Mandy smiled and nodded. ‘I am. Peter Warry, I presume?’
‘In the flesh.’ He held out his hand. ‘Sorry about last weekend. My mother was taken ill. She’s on the mend now, but I really couldn’t get away to visit your donkeys.’
‘Oh, I completely understand,’ Mandy said, thinking of Emily as she shook his hand. She looked around the yard again. It was the kind of steading that she loved the most. An old grey tractor stood in the barn under an attractive stone archway. Two goats, one black, one white stood with their feet on the bars of their pen, watching with interest. There was clean straw under their feet and plenty of hay in the rack on the wall.
‘Those two’ll be going out into the paddock later,’ Mr Warry told her. ‘I brought them in for worming yesterday.’ Both goats looked well cared for. Their feet were in good shape, their eyes bright. As if unable to resist, Mr Warry walked over and stroked one and then the other. The animals seemed completely unafraid. ‘I make sure they’re handled plenty,’ he told her. ‘My nieces and nephews are often round.’
‘That’s good,’ Mandy replied, holding out her hand. The black goat reached through the bars and nibbled her fingers.
‘So, you’ll want to see where Holly and Robin will live if they come here.’ Although Mr Warry seemed serious, there was so much warmth in his eyes that Mandy already felt certain he would look after the little donkeys. ‘If we bring them inside, they’ll be in there,’ he showed her a pen that looked very like the one the goats were in, ‘but mostly they’ll be outside in the old orchard.’ They walked over to a metal gate in the side wall of the yard. The steading had been built in a hollow and on three sides was bounded by hills, but on the fourth side the land fell away. Many years ago, someone had planted an orchard. The gnarled trees in the gently sloping field reminded Mandy of those behind Animal Ark. Holly and Robin would feel very much at home, she thought. Beyond the trees, despite the misty rain, she could see right across the Vale of Mowbray to the Pennine hills beyond.
‘I’ve put a few toys in,’ Mr Warry pointed to a thick knotted rope that was tied securely to one of the trees and a large blue plastic barrel that would roll around if pushed, ‘to give you an idea, but those’ll be changed now and then. I know how easily donkeys get bored.’
‘And what about shelter?’ The trees would give them some protection from the wind, Mandy thought, but not from rain or snow. It could be wild up here on the edge of the North York Moors.
‘That’s over here,’ Mr Warry assured her. Mandy followed him as he rounded the corner of the outer wall of the yard. A sturdy wooden structure stood in the lee of the wall. It was enclosed on three sides, with a wide doorway on the fourth. ‘Better protection from the wind round here,’ he explained. It seemed as if he’d thought of everything.
‘It’s great,’ Mandy told him. They walked back out of the shelter. The soft rain had stopped. Across the valley, a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds.
‘Would you like to see Dora the llama, and the cattle?’ Peter Warry seemed so proud of his smallholding, Mandy thought. It would be lovely if he made a success of his children’s farm. ‘Dora’s just over there,’ Mr Warry pointed and Mandy smiled. The llama’s long nose was poking over a tall wooden fence. ‘She’s in with the Belties at the moment,’ Mr Warry said, ‘but I’m going next week to see another young llama called Cupcake. Dora seems to like the cows, but it’d be better for her to have another llama for company.’
They walked to the gate of the enclosure and Dora came to meet them, batting her long eyelashes at Mandy and snuffling at Mr Warry as if to find out if he had any treats. ‘I’ve nothing for you today,’ he told the llama. Reaching up his hand, he scratched her neck and she seemed quite content. Across the field, three Belted Galloway cattle watched them for a moment, then put their heads down and started to crop the grass.
‘As well as the Belties, I’ve a pair of dairy shorthorns,’ Mr Warry said. ‘Also, some sheep. Dorset Horn and Black Welsh Mountain.’ He showed her the remaining animals. In every pen, there was clean water, adequate space and food and safe wooden fencing that would keep predators out, as well as the animals in. In front of the farmhouse itself, there was a duck pond. Several chickens were wandering in the garden, scraping at the ground. It was idyllic, and Mandy had a very good feeling about it.
She drove back to Hope Meadows feeling very pleased. It would be great to have a permanent home for Holly and Robin. Nicole was waiting for her in the rescue centre. Mandy was surprised to find none of the cages had been cleaned yet. Nicole was usually faster at chores than Mandy herself!
‘Is everything okay?’ Mandy asked. She opened the door of Brutus’s kennel and the Labrador greeted her, his tail thudding on the wall.
‘Everything’s fine,’ Nicole told her. ‘I was just tidying the big cupboard behind the desk a bit.’ There was a moment’s pause. Mandy was waiting until Brutus calmed down before she put his lead on. She frowned. Why would Nicole clean out the cupboard? What an odd thing to do. Brutus was over-excited still, rushing backwards and forwards. Nicole raised her voice to make herself heard over the racket his paws were making. ‘I was having a look round. Do we have any official stationery yet? You know, with the Hope Meadows logo?’
Mandy felt even more confused. Whatever could Nicole want with writing paper? ‘We don’t have any proper stationery,’ she replied, glancing up at Nicole, who looked quite pink. Brutus remembered himself and sat down at her feet, his tail brushing the floor. Mandy reached down and attached his lead then lifted her eyes to speak to Nicole. ‘But we do have some stickers to add to the top of letters. They’re in the little cupboard to the right side of the reception area. Top shelf. Did you need them for something?’
‘No,’ Nicole’s reply came a little too quickly. ‘I just wondered, that’s all.’
‘Can you bring Tablet?’ Mandy asked. Nicole’s face cleared into a sweet smile. The little brown crossbreed was her current favourite.
Out in the paddock, the two dogs rushed around, sniffing in the corners, chasing one another. Brutus really had come a long way, Mandy thought. He had been nervous and likely to snap when he’d arrived, but now he seemed relaxed.
Nicole turned to her. ‘When you go on a house visit like this morning,’ she said, ‘do you take some kind of checklist with you?’
‘Yes.’ Mandy took a sidelong glance at Nicole. She looked much
the same as usual. Why on earth was she interested in the Hope Meadows admin all of a sudden, Mandy wondered? They were busy enough without having to worry about non-essentials. One day she would be able to afford some permanent staff and then it would be different, but for now, she needed Nicole to help with the animals. But Nicole didn’t enlighten her and within a few minutes everything seemed to have returned to normal.
After a quick lunch with her parents, she called to Sky. ‘Just going for a walk,’ she told Emily, who was lingering over a cup of tea. With Sky trotting at her heel, she walked up the short track to the woodland where the twins had found the squirrel. She still hadn’t heard anything back from Westbow. Even if she had, she had no evidence that there were red squirrels there. The little animals were notoriously shy and hard to spot, but if she looked carefully, she might find other signs. She let Sky trot off by herself for a bit as she pulled out her phone and searched. She needed to be ready to snap a photo in an instant. She found an area of tightly packed Sitka spruce. After scanning the high branches, she pushed through into the centre to look for chewed pine cones. Not that it was possible to differentiate between red and grey squirrels that way, but if she could find where they were feeding, it might help her to find their nest. She found one that looked like it might have been chewed a little, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to present it as evidence. She pushed her way back out from under the spruce trees and continued to pick her way through the undergrowth. Despite exploring for a good forty minutes, she found nothing. Even if she did discover evidence, would the council listen to her, she wondered? Though Devan had tried to help, it didn’t seem like the system was set up to be at all transparent.
She found the path again and glanced around. She could hear Sky but couldn’t see her. ‘Sky,’ she called. There was movement in the trees and Sky rushed up and sat down right in front of her. Mandy bent down and buried her hands in the soft fur at the sides of the dog’s face. With a tiny whine, Sky reached up and licked Mandy’s ear, then looked around as if she wanted to explore some more. ‘You’re right,’ Mandy told her. ‘We need to take a different approach.’ Sky regarded her, head on one side as if listening intently. ‘I think we should put up a notice in the post office to see if anyone can help. What do you think?’