FARNDEN HAD QUIETENED DOWN, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE still one or two unfamiliar cars parked near the Hickson house. Josie came out of the shop to bring in the buckets of flowers that had not been sold. Only two bunches left. That was good. Maybe Mum would like a bunch, and one for Gran. She had still made a profit.
“Evening, Josie!” A fresh-faced policeman approached, and Josie grinned.
“Hi, Matthew!” she said. “You’re still on duty I see. Busy day in Farnden for your lot. Still, it’s good news, isn’t it. Young Jack home safe again. We’ll all sleep easier tonight.”
“What are you doing later? I’m finished here now, and just have to go home and change. Fancy a meal at the pub in Waltonby? New management, apparently, and the food is really good. What do you say?”
Josie beamed. “Wonderful idea,” she said. “I think we all need a bit of a treat, after the last forty-eight hours. I hope Paula Hickson is able to relax, poor soul.”
“Your mother’s just gone in to see her. We had instructions from Hunter… special permission…” His smile was knowing, and Josie looked crossly at him. “That’s quite enough of that, PC Vickers,” she said. “Go away and forget you’re a policeman, and I’ll be ready in an hour. Oh, and love you, as the kids say.”
LOIS HAD FELT CONSPICUOUS AS SHE MADE HER WAY UP PAULA’S garden path. Those unfamiliar cars were not casual callers. They were on the watch. She supposed Cowgill was expecting Jack’s father to show up sooner or later, though she did not agree. Surely he would stay well out of the way? Unless, of course, it had not been him who’d taken Jack.
“Mrs. M! Come on in. Am I glad to see you! It’s been such a day, and we’re all at sixes and sevens. I apologise for the mess and muddle…”
“Don’t be silly, Paula. Here, let me give you a hand. Two New Brooms should make quick work of this lot!”
Frankie was duly tucked up into his cot, and the twins were bathed and sat like angels in their pajamas drinking hot milk. Jack Jr. was nowhere to be seen, and Lois did not ask. She would find out soon enough.
“He’s asleep again,” Paula said, without being asked. “After talking to that nice policewoman, he was really tired. Not eating anything yet. So I thought the best thing was to let him sleep.”
“Quite right,” said Lois. “He’ll get his appetite back soon enough. Did he talk to you at all, after the policewoman had gone?”
Paula shook her head. “No, not really. But…” She hesitated, frowning.
“But what?”
“Well, I’m not sure, Mrs. M, that what he told the policewoman was the truth. I know I shouldn’t doubt my own son, but you know what he’s like. It all came out smooth and pat, like he’d rehearsed it. I’ve got to know over the years when he’s lying.”
“And you think he was lying this time?”
Paula nodded, her lips clamped together. Lois saw that she was again on the verge of tears, and changed the subject.
“Oh, by the way, Gran sends her love,” she said. “Wants to know if there’s anything she can do. She can be a nice old thing, sympathetic and not too nosy. That is, if she really tries!” She chuckled, and Paula’s pale face broke into a smile. “It feels like the first time I’ve laughed for months,” she said. The sound of footsteps coming downstairs caused her expression to change. She turned to the door, where Jack Jr. stood yawning. “Ah, here he is,” she said. “I hope we didn’t wake you, luvvie. Would you like something to eat now?”
He didn’t answer for a few seconds, but stared at Lois. Then he said perhaps he’d try a sandwich.
“Ham?” said Paula. Jack shook his head.
“Chocolate spread?” said Lois, and there was a glimmer of a smile.
“Cor, yeah. We got any, Mum?” he said.
Paula went into the kitchen to prepare the sandwich, and Lois suggested Jack should sit down and chat for a minute or two. He looked at her suspiciously, but perched on the edge of the sofa.
“I got a rocket from Derek,” Lois said casually. “For not locking my van. Still, it was a good job I didn’t. You were completely knackered.”
“I could’ve managed,” he answered. “Plenty of traffic along that road.”
“Glad you feel so grateful,” said Lois with raised eyebrows. “Come on, Jack, give a little.”
The chocolate sandwich arrived, and Jack began to eat, nibbling at first, but then wolfing it down. “Can I have another, Mum,” he said.
“Please,” said Lois, automatically.
Jack stood up, upsetting his plate. “Shut up!” he shouted. “You’re not my mum, nor anything to do with me. You got no right to come in here asking me questions about what happened!”
Lois gazed at him calmly. “I haven’t asked you a single question about that,” she said. “Anyway, I haven’t time to waste. I must be going, Paula. Let me know if you need anything. Shall I tell Gran you’ll be in touch?”
Paula frowned. “Sorry about-well-you know… Thanks a lot for coming round, and for everything. I’ll be back at work very soon, I hope.”
ON HER WAY HOME, LOIS SAW THE ADSTONE CAR GO BY AT SPEED, and realised there were meetings happening all round the village, organising last minute details for the soap box grand prix. It was going ahead now, with only one week to go, and there was great relief that it would not be overshadowed by a missing child from the village. Should she be at one of these meetings? Ah, well, if there was a WI one, they could do without her. The soap box was finished, and now parked up at the hall being test driven by Mrs. T-J. She hoped the old girl wouldn’t crash too many times. After all, a jar of jam is vulnerable.
“How were they?” Gran said, as she came into the kitchen.
“Much better,” Lois said. She had decided to keep to herself Paula’s confidences and the possibility that Jack was lying.
“That child needs a father,” Gran said. “Where is he? You’d have thought he would come forwards now Jack’s back. After all, they’ll catch him sooner or later, and if he gives himself up of his own accord, it’s bound to go easier for him.”
“We don’t know why he’s disappeared, if Jack’s story about a sleepover in Tresham is true.”
Gran pounced. “You mean it may not be true? Lois, what do you know?”
“Nothing more than you,” Lois said honestly. “It could be that Hickson vanished because he knew he’d be suspected, once the news broke.”
“Well, let’s hope he comes back. That poor woman needs a man about the place. Maybe they should get some counselling, see if they could get back together.”
“Maybe,” Lois said. “But shall we talk about something else now? What’s new with the soap box arrangements?”
“There’s a pub entry meeting tonight. Derek’s gone down there.”
“I saw Gavin Adstone on his way. He’s helping the pub lot, isn’t he? Surely they don’t need Derek as well. Oh, yes, now I remember,” she added, “don’t tell me. Our Derek’s a roving coordinator…”
Gran smiled. “Yeah, well, I reckon he’d rather be roving down to the pub than to any of the others. I know there’s a Youth Club one tonight. I saw Hazel in the shop, and she said John has to decide on who’s driving their soap box. It was going to be Jack Jr., apparently, but I doubt if he’ll be allowed to now.”
“I don’t see why not,” Lois said. “It’d be good for him. Take his mind off the past couple of days.” She looked at the clock. “I might slip round and see Kate Adstone. She was talking about helping Paula by collecting Frankie from nursery with Cecilia, and looking after him for a couple of hours. Paula will be needing as much work as I can give her when all this is over.”
It was a lovely calm evening, still warm from the day’s unbroken sunshine. If only it could be like this next week, they should have a really profitable day. And a lot of fun, too. The soap box had brought the village together in the best way. Nothing like a bit of good-natured competition. She thought of the unresolved question of what had really happened to Jack Jr., and decided to leave it until tomorrow, when her brain had cleared.
When she reached Kate’s house and rang the bell, there was a long silence and she began to think nobody was at home. But surely it would be Cecilia’s bedtime? Then she saw the net curtain twitch, followed by the sound of locks and bolts being undone. What on earth was going on?
“Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Meade.” Kate looked worried. “Do you want to come in?”
Lois nodded and walked into the neat sitting room, all the toys now tidied away into a big red plastic box. “I hope you don’t mind my calling,” she said. “I saw Gavin on his way to a meeting, and thought it would be a good time to tell you about Paula.”
“Of course,” Kate said. “Please sit down. Would you like a coffee?”
They talked for a while, and Kate seemed pleased that Paula would entrust her small son with her for a while after nursery. “I did wonder whether she would go off the idea after what happened to Jack. What did happen to him, anyway?”
Lois gave her the authorised version, and skipped on to ask about Cecilia. Assured that the little girl had settled very happily now, she prepared to leave. But Kate said quickly, “No, don’t go yet. It’s so nice to chat to someone when Gavin is out, and I expect your husband is with the lads, too?”
Lois sat down again. “Are you nervous about something, Kate?” she said. “I couldn’t help hearing all those unlockings! Not scared of anyone, are you?”
“No, no,” Kate said airily. “It’s Gavin. He always insists I lock up securely when he goes out in the evenings. Especially since the Hickson business.”
The conversation stumbled on. In the end, Lois said she had to go, as Gran would wonder where she was. “Gavin should be home very soon,” she said. “And look, it’s not really dark yet. Listen to that blackbird! There’s a couple of them calling to each other. Come out here and listen.”
As they stood in the quiet evening, listening to the liquid notes of the blackbirds, the sound of a rough engine broke the spell. Kate froze as a shabby white van drew up outside her gate. The window was lowered, and a voice shouted out, “Twelve o’clock sharp tomorrow, Mrs. Adstone! Be there!” And the van moved off, juddering as it gathered speed.
Kate turned and rushed back in, followed by Lois. “Who was that? Did you know him?”
“No, no, of course not. Never seen him before. Must have got the wrong house. Sorry to have kept you, Mrs. Meade. Goodbye now.” And Kate more or less shoved Lois out of the house and began to lock and bolt the door once more.
Lois shrugged. If Kate Adstone was having an affair with a man in a scruffy van, it was her business. But it hadn’t sounded like that, and Lois was pretty sure it was the right house. He’d used Kate’s name, hadn’t he?