Gifthorse: The next instalment of the riveting Marnie Walker series

by Leo McNeir

  “Hi,” said Marnie. “What news from the front?”

  “All quiet,” said Anne. “Well, apart from the church bells. Dominic’s Lexus is still in the car park, and there’s been no movement at the pub.”

  “Good.”

  “What about Maurice? Was he pleased to hear his brother-in-law was looking for him?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Still not keen to come out of hiding?” Anne asked.

  “No way of knowing,” said Marnie. “I’ve been down as far as the first lock and there’s no sign of him. He’s gone.”

  Chapter 41

  Karen Brodie

  Marnie and Anne had barely had time to reach their desks on Monday morning when the phone rang. It was not yet eight o’clock when Anne picked up the receiver. Molly Appleton from the shop sounded agitated.

  “Sorry to phone you so early, Marnie, but I’ve just had a call from Dominic Brodie’s wife.”

  Alarm bells sounded. “His wife?” said Marnie.

  “She’s very worried. Apparently, her husband hasn’t come home. She tried the pub but they said he’d left yesterday morning soon after breakfast. I didn’t know what to tell her.”

  “So what did you say?”

  “I said he’d been in touch with you, but more than that I didn’t know.”

  “I suppose she asked for my phone number.”

  “Well, yes.”

  “And you gave it to her.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do. Do you know where he is, Marnie?”

  “No idea. I assume he left here yesterday morning to go home.”

  After disconnecting, Marnie outlined the situation to Anne.

  “You know, Marnie, I think we should give up interior design and open a missing persons bureau.”

  “I thought we already had,” Marnie said, as the phone began ringing again. “I’ll get it. I think I can guess what’s coming next.” She lifted the receiver. “Walker and Co, good morning.”

  “Can I speak to Marnie Walker, please.”

  A woman’s voice, anxious but not quite bordering on hysterical. Time enough for that, Marnie thought.

  “Speaking. What can I do for you, Mrs Brodie?”

  “What? Oh, yes … Karen Brodie. How did you –”

  “You’re phoning about your husband.”

  “Do you know where he is?”

  Marnie explained about Dominic’s visit to Glebe Farm.

  “Where did he go after leaving you?”

  “He said he was going home.”

  “You sound as if you’re not sure about that, Mrs Walker.”

  “To be honest, I think he may have gone looking for Maurice.”

  “Did you tell him where he could find Maurice?”

  “No. And before you ask, I don’t know where Maurice is. He isn’t where I thought he’d be.”

  “You mean he’s disappeared again?”

  “You could say that.”

  “And now Dominic is missing, too. Oh God, what am I going to do?”

  “You’ve tried his mobile, of course.”

  “Yes. It’s set to voicemail. Oh dear God …”

  “I hate to say this, Mrs Brodie, but I think your next port of call should be the hospitals in Northampton and Milton Keynes.”

  “You mean you think something’s happened to –”

  “I’m just thinking what I would do in your circumstances, that’s all. You could also check with the county police.”

  Silence on the line. Marnie could imagine the worried woman at the other end. She had had to face up to the death of her sister-in-law with her baby, the disappearance of Maurice and now the disappearance of Dominic. Marnie had been determined to keep out of the Brodies’ lives, but now, confronted by the palpable anguish of Karen Brodie, her resolve wilted.

  “Look, Mrs Brodie, Karen, I’ll do what I can to help.”

  “What can you do?”

  “I’ll drive round all the places where he might’ve gone and let you know if I have any luck.”

  They exchanged phone and mobile numbers and hung up.

  *

  Anne was in the front passenger seat of the Discovery with the road atlas on her lap as Marnie drove north up the dual carriageway beyond the village. In her jacket pocket Anne carried her mobile plus a pen and notebook. Back at Glebe Farm, Ralph was proof-reading the final chapters of his book and had offered to sit in the office to take phone messages. If anything urgent cropped up he would ring them at once. Before setting off, Marnie had gritted her teeth and postponed two meetings for that morning. She was not in the best of moods.

  “First stop Blisworth?” Anne asked.

  “Yes. I’m sick of bloody Blisworth.”

  “I was wondering,” Anne began, “wouldn’t it be funny if we found Dominic with Maurice on his boat?”

  “If we do,” said Marnie, “I’ll be tempted to chuck the pair of them in the canal and have done with it.”

  Anne laughed. “Oh, Marnie!”

  “What?”

  Still laughing. “Nothing. What’ll we do, walk down the towpath and see if anyone saw Dominic yesterday?”

  “Yes,” Marnie sighed. “Assuming we can find anyone to ask. Also, we ought to ask if anyone saw where Maurice went.” She sounded exasperated. “That family!”

  They turned off the main highway and took a country road towards their first destination.

  “Marnie, what d’you think has happened to Dominic?”

  A pause. “I think I’m expecting to find he’s had an accident, and it must’ve been serious if he hasn’t made any contact with his wife.”

  “A car accident,” said Anne, “rather than falling into the canal?”

  “Anne, frankly I haven’t a clue.”

  “So we do some canal hopping and see what happens?”

  “Canal hopping,” Marnie repeated. She smiled for the first time that morning. “Yes. That’s what we’ll do.”

  Canal hopping occupied the next two hours, with Anne being dropped off to walk the towpath while Marnie drove to meet her at the next road intersection. They discovered that a man answering Dominic’s description had been asking questions along the canal, but no-one had any recollection of seeing Maurice. Dominic’s search seemed to have been fruitless.

  After covering the section below Stoke Bruerne, they stopped in the car park beside the bottom lock. Marnie stood on the lock gates peering to the south while Anne pored over the atlas on the bonnet of the Disco. Marnie stepped down onto the lockside and walked over to the car.

  “The words wild, goose and chase spring to mind,” she said. “I’ve no idea where Dominic could’ve gone, and we’re not going to find Maurice.”

  There was a despondent silence in the car as they drove home. Marnie and Anne were both at a loss to work out what to do next. They did not know it, but the decision was about to be taken out of their hands.

  Ralph looked up from his typescript when they walked into the office. He had the slightly unfocused expression that Marnie had often noticed when lost in concentration on his work. Ralph stood up and went to fill the kettle. While the water boiled he produced a list of phone messages. Marnie remarked that he had not asked if their trip had been successful.

  “No need,” he replied. “I can see your faces.”

  Marnie sat at her desk, studying the messages.

  “Thanks for holding the fort, Ralph.” She eyed Ralph’s stack of papers on the desk. “I hope it wasn’t too distracting for you.”

  “It was fine,” he said. “A pleasant interlude from being shut up in splendid isolation in my study. And now I’ve had a bonus.”

  Marnie studied his face. “A bonus?”

  “Yes. I’m promoted to tea boy. Things are looking up.”

  Marnie was about to deliver a withering riposte when she saw his expression change. Ralph’s gaze shifted to a position somewhere over her shoulder. Marnie swivelled in her chair to see WDC Cathy Lamb entering the office. Ralph picked up a
mug and waggled it in her direction. Lamb shook her head.

  “No thanks, professor. Flying visit.” she said.

  “What’s up?” said Marnie.

  “You know a man called Dominic Brodie?”

  Marnie’s heart froze. Anne’s jaw dropped.

  “We do,” said Ralph. “What’s happened, Cathy?”

  “He’s been involved in what appears to be an accident.” She studied their faces.

  “What sort of accident?” Ralph asked.

  “A car crash.”

  “Where was this?”

  “Between Blisworth and Roade.”

  “Where?” Marnie sounded incredulous. “Blisworth and Roade?” she muttered slowly, trying to reconcile the location in her mind. There was no canal between Blisworth and Roade.

  “Does that strike you as odd?” said Lamb.

  “Why should it?” Marnie replied quickly.

  “You tell me.” Lamb looked at Ralph. “It’s interesting, professor, that you immediately asked where the accident took place.”

  “It’s also interesting, “said Marnie, “that you said it appeared to be an accident. And why have you come to talk to us about it?”

  Lamb paused. “Marnie, let’s not play games, okay? You know this man, right?”

  “He came to see us,” Marnie said, “hoping we could help him trace his missing brother-in-law, Maurice Dekker.”

  “And could you?”

  “Not really, but he worked out that Maurice was staying on a boat on the canal. He went off to look for him yesterday and didn’t go home. We suspected he might’ve had an accident, so we went out just now to ask if he’d been seen.”

  “But you were looking near the canal and missed him.”

  “You didn’t answer my question,” said Marnie. “How did you connect him with us?”

  Lamb reached into her pocket and held up a small object. Marnie could see it was her business card.

  “This was in his wallet,” said Lamb. “You’ve written your mobile number on the back.”

  “I told you. He was here and we agreed to keep in touch.”

  “What happened to him?” said Ralph.

  “His car ended up in a ditch, on its side, almost turned over.”

  “Was he badly injured?”

  “He’s in hospital with head and neck injuries.”

  “How serious are they?”

  “He’ll live. He has a whiplash injury caused when his car spun and crashed backwards into a ditch. He has concussion and his neck’s in a brace.”

  “You’ve informed his wife?”

  “Yes. Now we’re trying to get to the bottom of it.”

  “What do you mean?” said Marnie. “Presumably it was an accident.”

  Lamb looked Marnie straight in the eye. “Mr Brodie says he was run off the road.”

  *

  It was not a real tootle as such. Even though it was Monday, they decided that Sally Ann needed to shake off the cobwebs. It was a frigid day, overcast and threatening rain, but they enjoyed the sound of the diesel banging away below their feet while the landscape slipped by at a leisurely rate.

  Ralph prescribed a shot of brandy in their mugs of coffee, backing up this judgment by pointing out that he was after all a doctor. Anne reminded him that his doctoral qualification was in fact a DPhil in economics, but it did not prevent her from bringing out the cognac bottle. He accused her of being pedantic. Marnie, who was at the tiller, threatened them both with actual physical violence if they didn’t hurry up and give her the coffee. Just being out on the water again had lifted their spirits.

  Although all three of them had plenty of work waiting back at base, they decided to profit from the opportunity to cruise on and enjoy the simple pleasure of boating in each other’s company. Marnie mentally congratulated herself and her companions on not mentioning any member of the Dekker or Brodie families since they had set out.

  Anne was watching the bilge water pumping out from the side of the boat. It gradually became a trickle, and she was leaning forward into the cabin to turn off the pump when she heard a sound from the map shelf.

  Marnie pointed. “It’s my mobile ringing.”

  Anne dived down the steps to retrieve it, passed it to Marnie and took over the tiller.

  “Hallo, Marnie Walker … yes, that’s right … who? Sorry you’re rather faint … I see. Good afternoon, Mrs Brodie,”

  There was a sustained interval in which Marnie concentrated hard on what was being said. Anne mouthed Brodie at Ralph and they both pulled a face. Eventually Marnie spoke again.

  “And you’re there now? … Well, I’m sorry we’re not around to meet you. If I’d know you were coming –”

  Ralph and Anne guessed that Marnie was not going to complete the sentence with I’d have baked a cake. Marnie heard out the interruption before continuing.

  “Yes, I do appreciate that, but I’m afraid we’re not able to get back quickly. It could take us the best part of an hour … Please calm down, Mrs Brodie … yes, I know … it must be very … Look … No, listen …” Marnie rolled her eyes to heaven. ‘… please … just listen. Can you find your way up the A508?”

  Marnie gave directions to the public car park where the road crossed the canal at the Stoke Bruerne flight of locks and disconnected. She looked at Ralph and Anne, her expression glum.

  “Set course for Stoke Bruerne, cap’n?” said Anne in a gruff old-sea-dog type of voice.

  Marnie nodded, grateful to Anne for attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

  “Full ahead both, it is, skipper,” Anne continued in the same vein, pressing down the accelerator. “Scupper the bilges fore and aft, and set the main tops’l full and bye.” For good measure Anne threw in a piratical “Aarrgghh!” that would have done Long John Silver proud. “Course two-two-zero, cap’n.”

  Marnie grinned at her. “Idiot!” she said with affection.

  “So the world has caught up with us in the form of Karen Brodie,” said Ralph.

  *

  Up ahead, Marnie caught her first glimpse of the lock beams and began looking for a suitable place to tie up. There was space aplenty, and she was able to moor just short of the lock gates. Ralph and Anne leapt ashore and made the boat fast before walking along the towpath to meet Mrs Brodie.

  Marnie stayed on board. After switching off the engine, she went below to make sure the interior was tidy.

  Ralph and Anne walked on, stepping round puddles on the lockside. In the car park they at first saw only a campervan but then spotted a small grey Polo tucked into the corner facing the water. Inside sat a single occupant.

  A minute or two later Marnie welcomed their guest on board. Her first impression was of a tall, slim woman smartly dressed in a black trouser suit, with regular features, brown hair with highlights and the confident air of someone who was used to having things placed before her from which she could make choices. Her second impression was of a woman in a state of shock.

  Mrs Brodie declined the offer of refreshment, and it was only the lack of space in the boat that led her to accept the invitation to sit down. Marnie had the feeling she would much rather pace up and down, wringing her hands.

  “Tell me what happened, Mrs Walker.”

  “We don’t know what happened. And it’s Marnie.”

  She introduced Ralph and Anne. Karen Brodie nodded. She did not offer to shake hands.

  “But Dominic came to see you. What happened then?”

  Marnie outlined their conversations. When she ended her narrative, Karen looked out of the window. A pair of Canada geese were gliding past, and for a few moments Karen seemed to be watching their progress.

  “I can’t understand why you wouldn’t tell Dominic how to find Maurice,” she said. “We’re his family. We’re worried sick about him and what he might do. It’s only right and natural that he should be with us at a time like this. He needs us.”

  “Marnie has explained our situation, Karen,” Ralph said quietly. “We passed
Dominic’s letter to Maurice. It’s up to him how he responds. We have no right to interfere with his decisions.”

  “Don’t you think you have a duty to –”

  “No,” Ralph interjected. “I’m sorry, but we don’t have a duty to you or any member of your family. We did all we could in the circumstances.”

  Karen seemed to be fighting back tears when she replied. “Don’t you see, Maurice is in danger.”

  “I’m sorry to be harsh, Karen, but Maurice is a grown man. We must all respect that.”

  Karen turned to face Ralph. “My husband is in hospital after someone ran him off the road.” She spoke slowly and firmly. “Doesn’t that tell you something? Our fear is real not imagined.”

  “Look, Karen,” said Marnie, “Maurice has gone. Even if we agreed to tell you, we don’t actually know where he is or how to find him.”

  “Dom says he’s living on a boat.” Karen looked around the cabin. “How fast do these things go? He can’t be far away. I’m sure you could track him down.”

  Marnie refrained from pointing out that she and her companions had their own lives to lead. “Maurice can go as fast – or as slowly, if you prefer – as Sally Ann, and he no doubt is pressing on at this very moment. He could be days away by now, and we don’t even know in which direction he went.”

  Karen put her head in her hands.

  *

  It was starting to rain again as Marnie steered Sally Ann into her docking area. As soon as Anne and Ralph had dealt with the mooring ropes, the three of them moved across to Thyrsis for tea. An atmosphere of despondency pervaded Ralph’s study. It seemed to have become their default setting.

  “Well?” Marnie set down her cup and stretched both legs in front of her. “What do we think?”

  “More to the point,” said Ralph, “what do we do?”

  “I was wondering about Karen,” said Marnie.

  “Poor woman’s worried sick,” Anne said. “And what about Dominic being forced off the road? What’s that all about?”

  “And where will it all end?” Marnie added.

  Ralph put down his cup. “I take it we’re pretty convinced there really is someone out there intent on harming Maurice and his family?”