The Truth: sequel to I Will Find You

by Catherine Lambert

  “He’s just another customer; when he’s had his coffee, I’ll ask him not to come in here again, O.K.?”

  “O.K,” Marney turned her back and stood behind the counter as Lydia served him coffee.

  The young man sat in silence as he sipped his drink with slow deliberation. When Lydia judged sufficient time had elapsed for him finish his coffee, she approached the table.

  “Look,” she began hesitantly. “I don’t know your name, but

  He interrupted her. “Ewan Phillips.”

  “Ewan, you’re upsetting my sister,” she paused. “Why are you following her?”

  “I’m not, she just seems to like the same places as me, and this is the only cafe for miles,” he picked up his cup and noisily drained the remaining contents.

  “Well, it would be better if you found somewhere else to have a coffee,” Lydia snatched the empty cup from the table.

  “What if I don’t want to?” he leaned forward almost touching Lydia’s arm. Feeling intimidated by his closeness, she pulled away.

  “You won’t be welcome here,” she turned to leave.

  “Why’s that; we’re practically family,” he stood up and walked towards the door.

  “What did you say?” Lydia spun around as he disappeared through the door.

  “He’s gone then,” Marney reappeared from behind the counter.

  “Yeah, he’s gone.”

  “Did you tell him not to come back?”

  “I told him, but I don’t think he’ll take any notice,” she wiped the table and sat down.

  “Would you mind getting my handbag from the back sis?” Lydia called over her shoulder.

  Marney dropped the bag next to Lydia’s chair and slumped down wearily.

  “What did he say?” she asked.

  “Who?” she replied absent-mindedly taking the mornings post from her bag.

  “The stalker, who do you think?”

  “Oh, he just said it was a coincidence that he keeps bumping into you, and there’s no other cafe for him to go to,” she missed out his parting remark.

  “He’s a liar,” Marney crossed her arms tightly across her chest and frowned.

  “Just forget about him, I don’t think he’ll be back,” Lydia turned a letter over and over in her hand, delaying opening it.

  Marney looked puzzled. “That’s not what you said a few minutes ago,”

  “I’m sorry can we discuss this later; I’ve got more important things on my mind than your potential boyfriends,” she ripped the envelope open and snatched the type written letter from it.

  “He certainly isn’t that,” she seemed amused by Lydia’s remark, and smiled.

  Marney watched her sister as she read the contents of the letter she was holding. Her brow was wrinkled and her facial muscles taut with tension. After a few minutes, she folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope. She remained silent prompting Marney to reveal the contents.

  “Bad news sis?” she asked.

  “You could say; the bank manager has frozen our Business account,” she looked up.

  “What does that mean?”

  “We’ve exceeded the over-draft limit. I can’t pay the bills or your wages,” Lydia replied bluntly.

  “What are we going to do?” Marney realised the severity of the situation for once.

  “We’re definitely going to have to sell the cafe unless I can get a loan or borrow some money from someone. I shall have to speak to the bank manager first and see how much time we’ve got.”

  Marney had never seen her sister look so troubled and reached out to touch her hand.

  “Don’t worry sis, I’ll sort something out,” Lydia smiled half-heartedly.

  Over the next few hours, a trickle of customers filtered in and out of the cafe. Lydia was very downcast and Marney respected her concerns and made little conversation.

  Half an hour later, Marney took a personal call on her mobile after which, she tapped Lydia on the shoulder.

  “That was Maddie on the phone. She’s invited me to a get together tonight with her friends from work. It’s only a meal and a few drinks. Would you be able to look after Heidi? I know you’ve got a lot on your mind and I wouldn’t normally ask, but I could do with a break.”

  “Yeah, you go It’ll take my mind off this mess for a few hours,” she replied despondently.

  “Thanks Lyds,” Marney skipped off towards the kitchen with a pile of dirty plates in her hands and began to stack them in the dishwasher. Lydia stood behind the counter deep in thought, as the sound of Marney singing faintly, drifted towards her. The rest of the afternoon dragged slowly by with very little trade and at four thirty, Lydia cashed up.

  “Let’s go and pick Heidi up,” she took off her apron and cap, and picked up her jacket and bag.

  Lydia drove to their parent’s home in silence, but as she pulled into the drive she turned to Marney.

  “I’m not going to tell mum and dad about the cafe yet; you know what mums like she’ll be phoning me constantly.”

  “O.K, I’ll leave it up to you,” Marney opened the passenger door and hurried up the steps to the front door.

  CHAPTER FOUR.

  After feeding and bathing Heidi, Marney tucked her into her cot and crept gently out of the room. Downstairs, Lydia scrapped the remains of a half-eaten pizza into the bin and flicked the kettle on.

  “Do you want a cuppa,” she called from across the room as Marney began to tidy Heidi’s toys away.

  “No thanks, I’m going to take a shower and get ready,” she pushed the toy box into a corner.

  “I’ve switched Heidi’s monitor on, but I don’t think she’ll wake up. If she does just give her a drink,” Marney smiled

  “I know what to do sis, don’t fuss.”

  “O.K. then, I’ll go and take a shower,” Marney replied, not expecting a response.

  In less than an hour, Marney appeared in the doorway transformed back into her pre-motherhood elegance. There was a twinkle in her eye, and a spring in her step as twirled around. She was wearing a new red calf length skirt, a black silk blouse and matching shoes, which as usual were ludicrously high. Her lipstick and nail polish matched the deep crimson clutch bag tucked snugly under her arm.

  “You looked gorgeous,” Lydia was impressed and was slightly in awe of her elegance and style.

  The sound of a car horn blasting in the street prompted Marney to grab her jacket.

  “I should be back before eleven; I’ll ring you when we leave the restaurant,” she picked up her mobile phone and dropped it inside her clutch bag.

  “Have a nice time and don’t drink too much, you’ll regret it in the morning,” Lydia called out as the front door closed quietly behind her.

  Determined not to dwell on her impending financial ruin, Lydia picked up a newspaper and began to read the headlines. Unable to concentrate, she discarded it and against her better judgement, flicked through the accounts again. No matter how many times she studied the depressing figures, the results remained the same. She could find no other solution than to sell the cafe as quickly as possible. The thought of selling her business was heart-wrenching; she had put her heart and soul and all her savings into the venture, and now she was on the cusp of losing it all.

  What would she do after the event? The prospect of being employed was daunting. Her thoughts were interrupted by her mobile phone ringing in the silence, and she reached out to look at the screen. It was her friend Izzy, and she cringed when she realised she hadn’t confirmed their night out. Composing herself, she answered as cheerfully as possible.

  “Hi Izzy, I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you, it’s been hectic in the cafe and now I’m baby-sitting.”

  “It’s O.K, I was phoning to say we’ll have to postpone until next week; Ginny’s got a stomach bug, and Kate can’t get the night off from work. Are you free next Friday Lyds?” she asked.

  “I’m free most nights Izzy,” she forced an insincere laugh.

  “O.
K. I’ll let you know the details early next week. Anyway, how are things with you and Marney?”

  “Better now Heidi sleeps through the night, but Marney finds it hard at times.”

  The conversation continued for several more minutes before Lydia terminated the call on the pretext of hearing Heidi crying. Frankly, she was not in the mood for light-hearted conversation; her head was spinning with problems and she needed to think clearly. Leaning back on the sofa, she picked up the remote control and scrolled down the channel list. Finding nothing that held her interest, she stabbed the power button and picked up a magazine. It was now almost ten o’clock and she was already beginning to feel tired. Hoping the caffeine in a cup of coffee would fend off her fatigue, she made her way to the kitchen. As she stirred in the sugar, she noticed a shadow dart across the window. Unsure of what to do, she pulled back the curtain and peered through a small gap. Someone was walking down her drive, and then out of the garden.

  Lydia was certain that the intruder was a man dressed in jeans and a long jacket, with the hood pulled over his head. His hands were thrust deep into the pockets, and he made no attempt to conceal himself or rush away. As he passed through the gates at the bottom of the garden, the light from an over-head street lamp silhouetted his facial profile, but there was insufficient time to identify any positive features as he disappeared. Feeling vulnerable and anxious, she let the curtain drop and checked the back door to make sure it was locked and bolted, then repeated the procedure for the front door. The locked doors did little to appease her angst, and she began to wander from room to room checking all the windows. Knowing the house was secure, eased her anxiety slightly, but it increased as she re-called Marney’s experience that morning, and now she wished she hadn’t been so dismissive. What if she was right? If someone had been in the house, and Marney disturbed him, he could have returned.

  On impulse, she snatched her mobile from the table and keyed in 999. After she had relayed the details of the incident to the operator, she was informed of an imminent visit as soon as a patrol car was available. The instant she ended the call she wondered whether she had over-reacted. With no time to contemplate her rash decision, a knock sounded on the front door. After relevant identification, Lydia led the two young police officers, Barlow and Khan into the kitchen, where she offered them a drink, but her offer was declined.

  “Now er,” one of the officers began, then glanced at his note book. “Mrs. Nevin, can you tell me what happened?”

  Now regretting her actions, Lydia began to doubt what she had seen, but relayed the sequence of events. After a barrage of mostly relevant questions, the two officers checked the area around the front garden and driveway then turned their attention to the back. A few minutes later, they returned to the house.

  “There’s no sign of the intruder Mrs. Nevin,” P.C. Khan announced.

  “I know that I watched him walk away,” Lydia pointed out.

  Ignoring her derogative remark, P.C Khan spoke again.

  “This parcel was left on the step,” he held it out for her to take.

  “That’s the second one in two days,” she took it and turned it over in her hand.

  “It’s addressed to my sister,” Lydia noticed Marney’s name written on the plain brown packaging.

  “From her boyfriend?” P.C. Barlow asked with raised eyebrows.

  “No, she doesn’t have one at the moment.”

  “So, what was in the previous parcel,” he continued to question her.

  “It was a toy for her daughter; a late birthday present,” Lydia explained.

  “Looks like it could be another one.”

  Lydia now felt completely foolish, but she was ill at ease over who could be sending the gifts.

  “I’m sorry I called you out; my sister should be home shortly,” she glanced at the kitchen clock and was surprised to see it was almost eleven o’clock.

  “We’ll say goodnight then Mrs. Nevin, and don’t hesitate to call us again if you experience any further problems.”

  Lydia followed the two officers into the hall and opened the front door. She had barely sat down on the sofa when her mobile phone rang. Marney’s name was flashing across the screen and she sighed with relief.

  “Hi, Lyds,” she said in an excited voice, “have you been O.K with Heidi?”

  “Of course, she hasn’t made a mummer; what time will you be back?” She did not want to spoil her sister’s rare evening out by telling her about the police visit; she would find out soon enough.

  “Just a minute Lyds,” Lydia heard her sister talking to someone in an agitated manner.

  “What do you want?” she raised her voice.

  Lydia strained to hear the muffled altercation.

  “Are you alright Marney?” she asked in an anxious tone.

  “Yeah, it’s nothing, I should be back in about twenty minutes; see you soon.”

  Lydia placed the phone on the coffee table and went upstairs to check on Heidi. As she entered the room, the little girl moved her head to one side, and Lydia watched for a few minutes before returning to the lounge. Reclining on the sofa, she flicked the television on to the late news and began to relax. Within minutes she was fast asleep. Unaware of how long she had slept, Lydia woke suddenly and sat upright on the sofa. The house was in silence and an intense sense of panic pulsated through her entire body. Her heart thudded violently in her chest as she glanced at the clock and realised it was three thirty in the morning. Dashing upstairs, she pushed open Marney’s bedroom door and stared in horror at the bed which had not been slept in. After searching the rest of the house, her fears were realised. Marney had not returned. Bolting down the stairs almost losing her balance, she snatched her mobile phone from the coffee table and scrolled down to her sister’s number. Despite repeated frantic attempts to contact Marney, her calls were all transferred to the messaging service. With trembling hands and for the second time that evening, she keyed in 999.

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  Through her hysteria and choked sobs, Lydia eventually succeeded in explaining the nature of her emergency to the operator after which, her body began to tremble as tears welled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She became light-headed and grasped the edge of the table to steady her trembling body. Dropping the phone carelessly onto the surface of the table, she slumped down on the sofa to await the police officers second visit. How much time had passed by was difficult for her to assess, but it felt like hours as she sat alone in the silence not daring to imagine what could have happened to her sister. When a knock finally echoed through the house, she jumped violently kicking out her leg and spilling dregs of cold coffee across the carpet. Disregarding the spillage, she rushed to answer the door.

  Three officers stood on the doorstep, and she quickly invited them in. An elderly plain clothes officer introduced himself as D.C.I. John Gordon, together with his two P.C.’s Maddie Clarke, and Harry Adams. P.C. Clarke was extremely attractive with deep brown eyes, high cheek bones and a natural flush to her cheeks. Her auburn hair was tied in a bunch at the back of her head, and her beauty radiated despite the lack of any make-up. Young P.C. Adams possessed no redeeming features other than his ginger hair and very fair freckled skin.

  “Please sit down,” Lydia smiled nervously at the elderly D.C.I. who was immaculately dressed in a charcoal grey suit, white shirt and deep red tie. Clean shaven with a florid complexion, his blue eyes had a calming effect on her. It was difficult to determine his age, but it was obvious he took pride in his appearance and worked to maintain a trim figure. He was also well-spoken with a distinguished manner; and she took comfort from his demeanour. With their notebooks poised in their hands, the two young police officers awaited their superior officer’s questioning to begin.

  “In your own time Mrs. Nevin, tell us exactly what happened prior to your sister’s disappearance,” he spoke gently and clearly. Lydia swallowed hard and bit her top lip.

  “O.K, but there’s not much to say; my sister went
out with some friends and said she’d call me when they were leaving the restaurant. It was about ten to eleven when she phoned. I made a drink, watched T.V. and fell asleep on the sofa. When I woke up at three thirty, she wasn’t here,” she explained.

  “So, it’s possible they went on to a club, and your sister stayed with one of her friends?” Inspector Gordon asked.

  “No, she wouldn’t do that; she’s got a baby and she would have let me know if she was planning to stay over,” she replied emphatically.

  “What about boyfriends?” he continued.

  “She doesn’t have one at the moment.”

  “How can you be so sure,” P.C. Clarke asked

  “We live in the same house; if she had a boyfriend she’d be on the phone constantly or inviting him over here; she likes to show off her boyfriends,” Lydia was becoming irritated from the constant barrage of questions.

  “O.K. now what was she wearing when she went out?” Inspector Gordon asked.

  “That I do know,” Lydia replied confidently, and described the striking skirt, blouse and matching accessories.

  “That’s good; now we’ll need a list of the friends she was with; and would you mind if we take a look at her room?” he continued.

  “I don’t know who she was with, but you can look at her room.” She stood up and walked towards the door with the three officers following behind.

  Inside Marney’s room, they checked cupboards and opened drawers.

  “What exactly are you looking for?” Lydia asked.

  “Anything that might help us with our enquiries; do you have a recent photograph of your sister?” Inspector Gordon added.

  “I don’t have many, my sister downloads them onto her laptop, but I think I’ve got a couple you could have,” she replied vaguely. “I’ll have a look downstairs,” she turned and left.

  After what seemed a suspiciously drawn out period of time, the officers finally reappeared in the lounge doorway.

  “I’ve found two photographs,” she passed them to the inspector.