Another deep breath, subduing panic. ‘The manager didn’t know who to believe, because she’d only just met me this morning and she called me into the hall to say the children’s granny had come for them, and I looked outside into the back garden and there was Evan with some of his friends, and this woman said, ‘“So, where’s Evan?” and she was looking right at the group he was in, and I thought if she didn’t even recognize him … and hadn’t Marcy said his granny was abroad?
‘I didn’t like the look of her, though of course I may be quite wrong, and she may be perfectly all right. So I said we should call the police, and she said I was a stupid little girl and ought to be reported to the authorities and the manager said they needed a signature and they went into the office, so I ran outside and picked up Evan and looked for somewhere to hide him while I phoned you. And I couldn’t see anywhere except for this plastic Wendy house at the end of the garden, and we’ve scrunched into it, hiding and I can hear them searching the garden and calling for Evan, and he’s so frightened! And so am I! Can you come and get us, please! And … oh dear, I’d better keep quiet or she’ll hear me.’
Susan screamed down the phone. ‘Coralie! Hold on! Don’t let her take the children!’
Rafael said, ‘What’s wrong?’
Susan was on her feet. ‘Coralie! She’s at the nursery! The children’s granny has turned up to take them away!’
‘Ellie’s not back yet!’
‘I know! It must be someone pretending to be her. How soon can we get there?’ Susan hoisted Fifi higher in her arms and made for the door.
‘I’ll take the Beast!’ Rafael brushed past her and out of the front door, just as he was, no helmet, no leathers.
Lesley was slowly getting to her feet. ‘What’s happened?’
Susan gabbled, ‘We’ve got to go! The nursery says Ellie’s arrived to collect the children! Can you give me a lift?’
Lesley said, ‘Yes, but …’ She was on her feet. ‘What’s the address?’ And to her sidekick: ‘You drive!’
Susan couldn’t remember the address, if she’d ever known it. ‘Dunno. Follow Rafael!’
He started up his motorbike. Was turning out of the drive. Lesley hurried Susan to the police car. Rafael would get there quicker than them … wherever it was …
Susan hoicked Fifi on to her hip and tumbled into the back of the police car. No baby seat, of course. Susan fastened a seat belt around herself and Fifi, even as Coralie came back on the phone.
Coralie was crying. ‘Susan, they’ve found us!’
Susan could hear shouting and banging. Angry voices. Someone kicking at the playhouse?
Susan sad, ‘We’re on our way! Listen, Coralie! The children’s grandmother is in Canada. Whoever that woman is, she’s not Ellie. Tell the nursery people that. Rafael’s on his way, and so is Lesley!’
Lesley ordered her sidekick to put the siren on!
They raced around the corner and …
Lesley shot out, ‘Where is this place?’
Susan gulped. She couldn’t think. She must have heard … she’d heard where it was yesterday or the day before, hadn’t she? ‘Off the Avenue. Along the bus route, I think. I can’t remember. Coralie, are you still there?’
Coralie was gabbling. ‘Evan, it’s all right. Don’t cry! They’re on their way. They’ll be here in a minute …’ More banging. Shouted threats.
Coralie was sobbing. So was Evan.
Would they be in time?
‘There!’ Susan pointed. ‘Rafael’s bike, ahead of us in the traffic!’ Susan’s heart was thudding. She knew, she just knew that the children were in danger, though why …? Why would anyone target a child? And surely it couldn’t have anything to do with Evan’s death …?
Ellie would be praying by now.
The nursery was in this street, wasn’t it? But which number …?
It was a quiet street of big houses.
They slowed to a crawl. Rafael’s bike had disappeared … or was that it, ahead?
The windscreen wipers were switched on. An early morning mist was becoming more insistent.
Susan clenched her hands into fists. She closed her eyes tightly and thought, what Ellie would do? Dear God, if you are there …? You didn’t want children hurt … Not that I know why anyone should …? But, please?
Without warning the police car swung across the road and double-parked, shutting in Rafael’s bike, which had been left across the pavement. A hedge and high railings protected a strip of garden in front of a large house with brightly coloured children’s pictures in the front windows. Another car was doubled-parked in front of them, but facing the other way.
Uh, why was that car parked like that?
It wasn’t a police car, was it?
Lesley was out of the car in a flash.
Susan struggled free of the seat belt. She was still holding Fifi who, so far, was more intrigued than annoyed at being given a ride in a car without being strapped into her baby seat. Illegally.
Well, Lesley wasn’t going to arrest Susan for an infringement of the rules, was she?
Rafael had opened the gate and bounded up the path to a big, solid-looking front door. Ringing the bell. Banging with his fist.
Susan screamed. ‘Round the back! In the playhouse!’
A strange woman came round the corner of the house, carrying a child in her arms.
From behind her they heard someone … Coralie? … screaming, ‘Stop her!’
Rafael reached for the child. ‘Give him here.’
The woman avoided him. Late middle-aged. Unremarkable. Beige clothing, puffy features. ‘Out of my way. My grandchild needs hospital treatment urgently.’
Evan had one arm over his eyes, blocking out what was happening. He was gulping. Sobbing.
Coralie, looking rather the worse for wear, came screeching round the corner of the house. ‘I told you—’
An older woman followed her. Angry face, rigid stance signalling that the situation was out of hand. Fortyish, competent looking. Carrying a white-faced, wailing Jenny in her arms. The manager of the nursery?
What was her name? Mrs Meadows? Mrs Field?
The manager was out of her depth, barely containing her anger at this unprecedented situation. ‘Please, slow down. This is not right, indeed it isn’t. Children cannot be removed from my care without due authorization. Please, put that child down!’
Rafael stepped in front of the woman who was carrying Evan. ‘I think there’s been some mistake. That child has officially been placed in our care and we authorized his attendance at the nursery. So who, may I ask, are you, and what do you think you are doing?’
‘Ridiculous!’ The woman flushed. ‘Out of my way, or I’ll have the police on you!’
Coralie was bobbing up and down, appealing to the nursery manager. ‘Mrs Field, these are the people I told you about, Rafael and Susan, who are looking after the children for the time being. Rafael, tell her that I’m—’
The woman who was carrying Evan tried to step around Rafael. ‘Out of my way! I’m these children’s grandmother and I have every right to remove them from unsuitable premises.’
Lesley was at Rafael’s side, holding up her shield. ‘Detective Inspector Millburn. And my colleague is outside in the car. Let’s all calm down, shall we? What did you say your name was?’
‘Mrs Quicke. Eleanor Quicke. I am these children’s grandmother, and I am taking them home with me, this minute!’
Lesley said, ‘There seems to be some misunderstanding. I know Mrs Quicke well, and I know these are her grandchildren, but I don’t know you. So, as Mrs Field suggests, why don’t you put the child down, and we can talk the situation through?’
A new voice broke in. ‘What’s all this, then?’ A man, tall, well-built, thirtyish, dark of hair and chin. ‘Are you refusing to let a grandmother take her children out of nursery? Social Services will have something to say about that!’ Casual, cheap clothing. Puffy features. There was a family likeness. Mother an
d son?
Lesley turned on him. ‘You have documents from Social Services? Show me.’
‘They’re in the car.’ And to the woman: ‘Give me the child. We’re holding up the traffic.’
It was true that somewhere in the road a driver had started to toot his horn because traffic was building up behind him.
Lesley got herself between the man and the woman. ‘Just a minute. There seems to be some confusion here. I am willing to believe that there are two Mrs Quickes, that this lady has been sent to the wrong address and that Social Services have become involved. The paperwork should tell us what’s what. So, let’s have a look at it, shall we?’
The strange woman’s eyes narrowed. ‘I’m not hanging around waiting for you to sort anything out. I told you, my grandchild needs hospital attention, now! So let me pass!’ She tried to thrust past Lesley.
A mistake. Lesley blocked her.
The woman tried to dodge round Lesley …
The man reached forward to take Evan …
Rafael grappled with the false Mrs Quicke, causing her to loosen her clasp on the child …
Susan, hampered by holding Fifi on her other arm, grabbed Evan, one-handed.
Evan was all arms and legs, but she had him safe!
Fifi muttered her discontent at being tossed around.
The woman broke away from Rafael …
She swung at Lesley, who stepped back to avoid her, only to be side-swiped by the man, who landed a punch which lifted Lesley off her feet and left her crashed out on her back on the ground …
The man held the gate open … the woman fled through … and banged it shut behind them …
They were off! Pounding across the pavement and into their car, which immediately set off. The police car was facing in the wrong direction to follow them.
Rafael ran after them, yelling at the police sergeant who, getting the message, frantically tried to do a three-point turn in the road, hindered by oncoming traffic …
They all heard the would-be kidnappers’ car accelerate away. Round the corner and off they went.
FIFTEEN
Monday morning, continued
Rafael rushed back through the gate, to help a shaken Lesley to her feet.
The DI shook herself and winced. ‘Nothing broken.’ But she wobbled on her feet and her eyes didn’t look right. She clutched her neck. ‘Ouch.’ And then: ‘Assaulting a police officer. I’ll get him for that!’ She reached for her phone and gabbled into it, ‘Officer down! Officer down! A man and a woman in a black sedan.’
Susan thought, Lesley’s losing it.
Rafael said, ‘I have the licence number, and we are at …’ He gave the address and licence number of the car. Trust Rafael to keep his cool.
Lesley repeated the information Rafael gave her and, tottering slightly, limped to the gate and leaned on it for support. ‘Our car … where is it? Where did he go?’ Her phone quacked at her. She listened for a moment, and said, ‘Reinforcements on their way. I need to take statements.’ She sounded dazed, not at all her usual self.
Mrs Field was not going to help. Frozen with anger, she rapped out, ‘I think I am due an explanation!’ She was still holding Jenny, who continued to wail. The child wasn’t hurt, but was reacting to the tension.
‘Let me. Poor Cuckoo.’ Rafael took Jenny from the woman and jiggled her up and down. Jenny burrowed her nose into his neck and sniffled to a halt.
Lesley was suffering from shock. She could hardly hold herself upright. She tried to laugh, a high, false sound. ‘I wonder how long my poor sergeant will be, racing up and down the streets, trying to find the would-be kidnappers.’ Was she going to burst into tears?
Evan was stiff in Susan’s arms. And mute. She’d have liked it better if he’d bawled his head off.
Susan whispered in his ear. ‘It’s all right, my love. All over. You’re safe now.’
Evan drew down his arm, which he’d been using to block out his sight of what was happening, and curled himself into Susan’s body. His little heart was beating far too fast.
Coralie wrung her hands, speaking to Mrs Field as much as to Susan and Rafael. ‘I tried to stop her! I thought you’d have told me if their granny was back and was going to collect the children, but I’d never met Mrs Quicke so I didn’t know who to believe! Only, she didn’t know how to pick Evan out of the group and I didn’t know what to do!’
‘You are a very brave girl,’ said Susan, trying to keep her balance while holding the two children. ‘I don’t like to think what might have happened if you hadn’t phoned us. You are a brave, brave girl.’
Coralie was shaking. And crying. ‘The thing was, I ought to have kept my head and not run away to hide. I always thought I’d be so calm in a crisis and look at me!’
Coralie was going to have hysterics, now the worst was over. Susan knew she ought to comfort the girl, but she couldn’t seem to move. She gulped. Her stomach informed her that she’d eaten too much breakfast and that stress was bad for her. Extremely bad for her.
She dumped the two children on the ground, dived for the hedge at the front of the house and threw up.
Mrs Field was not amused. ‘Oh, dear, oh dear. Whatever next? Never in all my days! And what will the gardener say when he sees that mess?’
Susan tried to control the impulse to vomit again. And failed.
Lesley lunged for the porch and straightened herself up by holding on to it. Her knees wobbled, but she tried to retrieve the situation. ‘We’ve all had a nasty shock. I could do with sitting down, myself. Let’s go indoors and sort ourselves out.’
Mrs Field stepped back into the porch, barring her from entry. ‘Oh no, you don’t! I’ve never had such a thing happen in all my born days. I’ve been running this facility for nineteen years, and never had a minute’s trouble. What, may I ask, are the parents of my children going to say when they hear about this? It could be the end of everything for the nursery! I don’t care who you say you are. I’m asking you to leave, right now! And take those troublesome children with you. I never want to see them again. Oh, and I’ve just thought – who is going to pay for the repair of the playhouse which that woman has wrecked?’
Lesley was making an effort to return to her normal self. ‘Mrs Field, you forget yourself. A serious crime was attempted and only averted by the prompt action of young Coralie here. As I see it, you were willing to let a child in your care be removed without proper authority. Am I supposed to turn a blind eye to your behaviour? One word from me, and your licence is cancelled.’
Mrs Field gaped. ‘No-o-o-oh!’
Susan almost threw up again. She wanted to lie down and die somewhere quiet.
The children? She hadn’t dropped them when she’d felt sick, had she? Oh, how could she!
Ah, Fifi had managed to get to her feet and, wailing softly, was tottering towards her father, who crouched down, ready to pick her up in his free arm.
And Evan? Was Evan all right? No, he was far from all right, but not making a sound. He looked up at Susan. No tears. Yes, he was in shock. His eyes were huge.
Susan held out her hand to him. He stumbled towards her and clutched her leg to anchor himself in a shifting world.
Rafael switched the charm on to save the situation. ‘Inspector,’ he said, giving Lesley her title for once, ‘I’m sure Mrs Field acted most properly, and there is no question of her losing her licence. She saw off the criminals who’d assaulted a police officer. She kept her nerve and thwarted a kidnapping! What a hero she is! When the newspapers get to hear about it, they’re going to be flocking to her door. And, while I do see that it might be good for business, it’s going to be really tiresome for her to have to keep interrupting her daily tasks when reporters want to take pictures of her and the playhouse.’
His charm would have melted the heart of the hardest of businessmen, and it worked on Mrs Field, too. She pulled herself up to her full height and preened. Yes, she really did. ‘Oh, well, if you put it like that.’ And t
o Lesley: ‘Inspector, you don’t look at all well. Come into my office. Perhaps a cup of tea?’ She held the front door wide open.
Rafael dumped Jenny on Coralie. ‘Can you look after Jenny?’
Coralie took Jenny while Rafael, still holding Fifi, came back for Susan and Evan, who still clung to her like a limpet. Susan found she couldn’t move and she couldn’t lift the boy into her arms, either.
Rafael looked down at her with an expression of mingled concern and irritation.
She tried to smile. Didn’t quite make it.
She saw his face change. His eyes narrowed. He was wondering why she’d been sick. His brain clicked through various permutations and came up with the right conclusion. She was pregnant.
His lips tightened. This development was not planned. He was, almost, annoyed.
Then his expression relaxed, and he put his arm more closely around her. He was not annoyed. Tentatively, he was … yes, he was discovering that he was pleased. In fact … his smile morphed into a grin … he was ecstatic.
He kissed her forehead. He was still carrying Fifi, but somehow he managed to detach Evan from Susan’s leg and carried the little boy to the porch and left him there while he returned to fetch Susan.
Once everyone was safely inside the hall, he shut the front door on the outside world.
Now they were in a different world, a world in miniature where children played happily in half-size Wendy houses and sat at low tables in small chairs. There were no more threats and no more tension. In the big, sunny room ahead a motherly-looking helper was measuring out drinks for the little ones.
Susan made a beeline for the only adult chair she could see. Evan followed to press himself against Susan’s side and she put her arm around him.
Rafael knelt beside Susan and kissed her again. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
Susan said in a tiny voice, ‘Sorry. I know you didn’t want another just yet, but …’
‘If she’s anything like Fifi … Well, wow!’
‘It might be a boy.’
‘Fantastic!’
Lesley had sunk on to a baby chair. Her legs sprawled. Her phone slipped from her hand to the floor. ‘The police are on their way. Let them in, won’t you? I should be at the hospital to see if that tiresome girl Lucia has washed up there. Perhaps someone else …? Can you let them in and explain?’
Murder In Law Page 20