by D. S. Butler
“Morning,” I said, heading for the coffee machine. “Is everything all right?”
“Toby Walsh seems to have disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” I froze, my hand in mid-air, reaching for a mug in the cupboard.
“Yes, our investigation has revealed he’s been embezzling money.”
“From Steve?”
“From Steve and from their clients.”
I leaned back against the kitchen counter. Poor Steve. He really didn’t need this on top of everything else. How could Toby do something like this to him?
“What does that mean for Steve’s business?”
Lizzie shrugged. “Well, it’s not good news.”
I looked around the large kitchen and then through the window to the beautiful back garden beyond. This house had to be worth a fortune. And its upkeep couldn’t be cheap. I wondered how this would affect Steve financially. Would he be forced to sell Yew Tree House? Would he struggle to provide for Sienna?
I slid my mug beneath the coffee machine and waited as it growled to life, pouring rich, dark coffee into my mug.
It sounded like I might have to change my plans. Then a more serious thought occurred to me. “This embezzlement… It won’t get Steve into trouble, will it?”
“There’s no evidence Steve was involved.”
I carried my mug over to the kitchen table. “What happens now?”
Lizzie looked up from her phone. “We’re trying to locate Toby Walsh. He can’t hide forever.”
“I heard raised voices earlier. I guess Steve hasn’t taken the news well.”
Lizzie tilted her head to the side and then sighed. “Yes, I had to give Steve some bad news this morning. We’ve been trying to trace Toby, and one of their mutual friends has reported his yacht is missing. It could be a coincidence… But it also could be Toby took the yacht and is trying to escape to the continent.”
I could see why that would make Steve angry. Not only had Toby been cheating him and stealing from him, now he was trying to flee, and to make matters worse, it looked like he might get away with it.
“Angie won’t be in today,” Lizzie said. “Steve told her not to come to work this week.”
“Oh, I see.”
Was that because Steve was worried about paying Angie’s salary, or was he worried she might spread gossip? If that was the case, I thought he underestimated her. I was sure Angie Macgregor was a loyal woman.
I finished my coffee and conversation with Lizzie, and then went upstairs to check on Sienna. I was surprised she hadn’t been woken by Steve and Lizzie discussing the Toby Walsh situation.
I knocked softly on her bedroom door, but there was no answer. I pushed the door open and saw her bed was unmade, but there was no sign of her. The door to her en suite bathroom was shut, so I guessed she was in there. I’d turned to leave when I heard the sound of retching.
My first thought was that the stress of the situation had raised her anxiety levels to such an extent it was making her physically ill, but that thought was immediately followed by another.
Morning sickness.
I waited until she came out of the bathroom, feeling like I was spying on her, but unable to walk away. If I was right, she was going to need my help.
Sienna opened the bathroom door, and when she spotted me, her eyes widened.
I got straight to the point. “Is there something you should tell me?”
The guilt on Sienna’s face convinced me her sickness wasn’t down to anxiety.
“When was your last period?”
Sienna gasped. “Oh my God! I’m not talking to you about this!”
She marched over to her bed and climbed under the covers.
“You don’t have a choice. Is it Zach’s?”
Fat teardrops rolled down Sienna’s cheeks, making me feel like a bully, but she couldn’t just ignore this. It wasn’t going to go away.
“We’re going to have to tell Steve and your grandmother and Aunt Janet. They need to know as soon as possible.”
“They do not! And you can’t tell them if I don’t want you to.”
I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. “You’re under age, Sienna. This is serious. If the baby is Zach’s, then he could be in real trouble.”
“It isn’t! And I don’t want to tell anyone yet.”
I tried to talk to her and get her to open up, but she buried her head beneath the duvet and refused to respond.
In the end, I left her in her bedroom and went back downstairs. Steve’s office door was still closed, and I hesitated in the hall. Should I tell him now? He already had a lot to deal with this morning, and I wasn’t sure how he would take this news.
I made a snap decision and told Lizzie I was going out for a little while.
I had a plan.
I drove to Zach’s parents’ house on Barkham Road. There was only one car on the drive – Zach’s old Renault Clio. His parents had probably left for work already, luckily for him.
I rang the bell and waited, but Zach didn’t answer quickly enough for me, and I hammered on the door.
Eventually, he opened up. His eyes were like slits as he squinted against the bright sunlight. He wore a crumpled black T-shirt and black sweatpants, and his normally carefully-styled hair was shooting up in all directions.
“Have you only just got out of bed?”
“It is the school holidays, Abbie.”
“I had a job in the holidays when I was in school,” I said, regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth. I was nagging him already, and I hadn’t got to the main point of my visit yet. “Can I come in? We need to talk.”
“Um, okay.” He shuffled backwards and I stepped into the hall. The stairs were immediately in front of me, and to the left, was a large sitting room.
Zach led the way and sat on a grey two-seater sofa beside the window.
Instead of sitting in one of the armchairs, I sat beside him on the sofa, looking him directly in the eye. I wanted to study his facial expression when I asked him about Sienna’s pregnancy. That way I’d be able to tell if he was lying to me.
“Sienna is pregnant, Zach,” I said. “Did you know?”
His sleepy eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Are you sure?”
I nodded and repeated my question. “Did you know?”
He shook his head vigourously. “No, she didn’t tell me. I had no idea. Poor Sienna. She must be so stressed right now.”
“So what are you planning to do about it?” I asked, leaning back against the cushions and crossing my arms.
“What am I planning to do about it?”
“Yes, this isn’t just Sienna’s problem. It’s your responsibility, too, plus we can’t forget the fact that Sienna is underage, Zach. You could be in trouble.”
“But… You don’t think…” He stared at me in horror. “It’s not my baby.”
He was so convincing it made me pause. “But…” I trailed off. Now it was my turn to be confused.
Zach leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I did try to tell you before. Sienna and I are just friends.”
“I just thought you were keeping things secret.”
Zach rolled his eyes.
“Are you absolutely sure?” I hadn’t been involved in Sienna’s life as much as I should have been over the past few years. Since coming back to the UK, I’d never heard her mention anyone apart from Zach.
“Of course, I’m sure. Look, Abbie.” He linked his fingers together and stared down at his hands. “I’m not really into girls.”
“Oh.” I let his words sink in for a moment, digesting the implication of what he’d just said. If the baby wasn’t Zach’s, then whose was it?
Had Nicole known about this?
Zach knew Sienna better than anyone. Surely he would know who Sienna had been seeing recently.
“If you’re not the father, Zach, then who is?”
He frowned and shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
; “She can’t be that far along,” I said, thinking aloud. “It has to be somebody she’s been seeing over the last few months.”
“I didn’t think she’d been seeing anyone, except…”
I turned to him. “Go on. Except what?”
“Well, before the summer holidays started, she was in a really good mood, really happy, and I thought maybe she’d met somebody, but she just laughed it off when I asked her.”
I put my head in my hands. This was getting worse. I was going to have to tell Steve, Marilyn and Janet as soon as possible.
If I’d discovered Sienna’s secret a couple of days ago, I would have gone straight to Janet, but after finding that photograph of Nicole with her eyes scratched out, I didn’t feel like confiding in Janet about anything. Then again, I couldn’t deal with this alone.
I said goodbye to Zach. Sitting in my car, I used my mobile to dial Steve’s number. There was no answer.
Swearing under my breath, I called Janet.
When she answered, I told her everything, and Janet listened in utter disbelief as I told her I suspected Sienna was pregnant.
“Steve doesn’t know yet. I can’t get hold of him.” I felt guilty saying that. I probably should have spoken to him before I left the house. “I’m going to pick up a test, just in case it’s a false alarm.
“I really hope it is,” Janet said. “I’m not going to tell my mother until we know for sure. I’ll meet you at Yew Tree House.”
I thought about objecting and then changed my mind. Sienna would be angry with me for telling Janet, but she’d soon need her Aunt’s support and be grateful she had a family to rally around her.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
I picked up a pregnancy test from Jats Pharmacy opposite Creswell’s garage on the way back to Yew Tree House. When I put the bag on the passenger seat, I wondered if it was a false alarm. Had I jumped to conclusions? Maybe Sienna had eaten something that didn’t agree with her. She wasn’t showing yet…
Then I remembered the guilty look on Sienna’s face and sighed. No, I hadn’t been mistaken. I drove past the doctor’s surgery. We’d soon be making an appointment there if my suspicions turned out to be correct.
When I finally arrived back at Yew Tree House, I parked between Lizzie’s Volvo and Janet’s Mazda and noticed Steve’s Mercedes had gone. Where was he? Had he spoken to Sienna and stormed off to cool down?
I let myself in and found Janet and Lizzie talking urgently in the hallway. They looked agitated.
Janet’s face fell when she saw me. “I thought you were Sienna.”
“Isn’t she upstairs?”
“No,” Janet said coldly, shooting a fierce look at Lizzie. “She’s gone off somewhere.”
“On her own? Where is Steve?” I asked.
“Steve left first,” Lizzie explained. “He’s determined to find Toby Walsh. He thinks looking through Toby’s London office might provide answers. Sienna left shortly afterwards.”
“You just let her go?” I asked in disbelief, putting the paper bag containing the pregnancy test down on the hall table.
“She is not under house arrest, Abbie!” Lizzie said defensively.
I was being unfair. She didn’t know about Sienna’s pregnancy. Neither did Steve. I should have told them before I left. I’d handled this badly.
With a groan of frustration, I fished my mobile out of my bag and phoned Zach as Lizzie wandered off to the kitchen, muttering, “I’ll make us all a cup of tea so we can calm down.”
When Zach answered, I asked, “Where’s Sienna?”
“Um, is this a trick question?”
“Zach, she’s not here. I’m worried. Just tell me if you know where she is.”
“I don’t. I sent her a text message after you left, but she hasn’t replied yet.”
“If you’re lying to me—”
“I’m not. I swear.”
“Do you have any idea where she might be?”
“Maybe the park. She likes it there, says she feels safe.”
Okay. I could check there. It was a start. A plan of action.
“I’ll come with you,” Zach offered.
“There’s no need. But let me know if you hear from her.”
I hung up and gave Janet a quick summary of the situation, then said, “I’ll go to the park and look for Sienna.”
Janet gave me a brusque nod, but I could tell from the tense way she held herself that she was as worried as I was. “I’ll stay here, in case she comes home.”
I drove to the park and left my car parked in the lay-by. My stomach was in knots as I walked briskly to the entrance gate. I paused just inside the park to scan the playing fields.
The park covered a large area, and today, I couldn’t help wishing it was a bit smaller. To my left, were the tennis courts and the Memorial Hall. To my right, was the playground for small children and the bench where Eric Ross had sat and watched Sienna. Today, the bench was empty. Directly ahead of me, were playing fields and a large cricket pitch. I didn’t immediately spot Sienna so I started to walk slowly around the perimeter. Kids were hanging around in small groups, enjoying the last days of the summer holidays.
In the furthest playing field, a large tractor-mower chugged along with a low rumble, and the sweet smell of cut grass surrounded me. A few feet away a group of teenagers squealed with laughter.
I stared at them, but didn’t recognise any of their faces. Sienna’s coppery hair, should stand out and be easy to spot.
Come on, come on. Where are you?
As the minutes passed, my panic grew. I couldn’t explain it…but I had a gnawing fear something terrible was going to happen if I didn’t find Sienna soon. My mouth was dry and my heart was fluttering in my chest as the sun beat down on my head.
After fifteen minutes, I reluctantly left the park. She wasn’t there, and I had no idea where to look next.
I tried to think through the options logically as I made my way back to the car. Perhaps she’d gone to hide out in Zach’s grandmother’s shed again… But that seemed unlikely now. I’d found her there once, so if she really didn’t want to be found, she wouldn’t use the same hiding place. Had she gone to the river where Nicole had been shot? I shivered. I really hoped not.
I was almost at the car when I spotted a familiar figure.
It was Sienna’s friend, Jessica Richardson, walking along the pavement on the other side of the road. She was wearing small, fitted, denim shorts and a tight, cropped, white T-shirt.
Calling out, I ran across the road to talk to her. “Jess! I’m looking for Sienna. Have you seen her?”
When I got closer, I saw Jessica had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot and watery. Tears had smudged her eyeliner, and her nose was bright red.
She sniffed and shook her head. “No, not today.”
“What’s wrong?” I put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder.
She looked down at the floor. “I can’t tell you. It’s too embarrassing.”
I looked into Jessica’s red rimmed eyes. “You can trust me.”
Smiling reassuringly, I gave her hand a squeeze.
She blinked at me and her lips quivered. I wasn’t sure what had upset her, but it looked like something major. Then again, teenage girls could overreact to drama.
I was worried her tears could have something to do with Sienna. “Maybe I can help.”
“I feel stupid,” Jessica said, dropping her gaze down to the floor.
“I’m worried about Sienna, Jess. Does this have anything to do with her?”
Jessica’s forehead puckered in confusion. “Oh, no, it’s nothing like that.” She took a deep breath in, then said, “I went to see Mr Owens. He told me to come to his house today to pick up a copy of a play…but then he…” She trailed off and wouldn’t meet my concerned gaze.
That probably wasn’t a bad thing because my concern must have been written all over my face. The mention of Jason Owens had set off alarm bells.
If Sienna was pregn
ant and Zach wasn’t the father… Then who was? It wouldn’t be the first time a teacher had used their position to take advantage of a student.
I felt sick. I tried to swallow but my mouth felt too dry.
Focusing on Jessica, I asked, “It’s okay. Tell me exactly what Mr Owens did?”
“He said I was special,” Jess said in a shaky voice. Her lower lip wobbled as her tear-filled eyes met mine. “You think I’m stupid, don’t you? It’s just he made me feel so important. Like I really was something special.”
“You are, Jess. You don’t need me or Mr Owens to tell you that. Has he ever tried anything with you?”
Jessica’s cheeks flushed scarlet, and she looked at me wide-eyed and horrified. “No! I mean, all the girls in our drama group have a crush on him, but… I just… It made me feel important when he asked me to come to his house…”
I looked down at her tight fitting T-shirt, and her extremely short denim cut-offs. She had a tell-tale line of foundation at her jawline where she hadn’t quite mastered blending her make-up yet. She’d been out to impress.
Had she gone to see him and found herself out of her depth? Had he scared her? Or done something worse?
“What happened when you went to his house, Jess?” I asked gently.
Jessica put her fingertips to her forehead and sighed before shaking her head. “I can’t tell you. It’s too embarrassing.”
Frustrated, I tightened my hold on her shoulders, and she flinched.
“You’re hurting me.”
Instantly, I released my grip. “I’m sorry. It just makes me angry that you’re feeling guilty about something that isn’t your fault.”
Jessica sniffed, wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “He asked me to go to his house. I didn’t just turn up unannounced… But when I got there, he was acting really strangely and ordered me to leave.”
I frowned. This hadn’t been the explanation I’d expected. “So you didn’t even go inside his house?”
Jess shook her head forlornly. “No, he told me to go away.” A big tear rolled down her cheek. “It was so humiliating. When I reminded him he’d asked me to come, he said I was being ridiculous and then shut the door in my face.”