The Little Runaways

by Cathy Sharp

  She was just leaving when she saw Carole snatch the book up and place it back in the medicine cupboard. It looked as if it was Carole who had been altering the figures – and she was annoyed because she thought Sally might have seen what she’d done.

  Going back down to the ground floor, Sally was lost in thought until she saw a group of children gathered about Angela. They were talking noisily and some of them were weeping. Sally saw that Angela had something in her arms. She gave a little cry of distress as she realised that it was the children’s pet, Tiddles, its body completely limp.

  ‘Where did you find him?’ she asked. ‘The poor little thing looks just about dead.’

  ‘He had been shut in a cupboard in the cellar,’ Angela said, clearly distressed. ‘When I asked Blake if he’d seen it he said he hadn’t but he had a look and then thought he heard something and opened this cupboard. He can’t understand how it happened, because he says he hardly ever uses that cupboard. It should be locked, because he keeps axes and sharp instruments for the garden in there.’

  Sally lifted her brows but Angela gave a little shake of her head. ‘I’m going to have to take Tiddles to the vet’s,’ she said, and looked at the upset children. ‘We shall do what we can to help him, but he is very ill.’

  ‘Do you know where the nearest vet is?’ Sally said.

  ‘I’ve rung for a taxi. I’m sure he will be able to take me. I’d better go – do what you can to help the little ones …’

  Sally nodded and then gathered up the children, putting her arms around Betsy as the girl wept. ‘You mustn’t get too upset, children. Angela will do what she can for Tiddles. He was a naughty cat to run away and hide in the cupboard.’

  Even as she tried to comfort the grieving boys and girls, Sally was conscious of someone staring at them. She turned her head and saw Terry watching. He saw her look at him and grinned, a horrible leer on his face that chilled Sally. She didn’t have proof; it was impossible to know for certain, but she was sure in her own mind that he’d deliberately shut the cat in that cupboard and left it to starve to death out of spite.

  She took the smaller children away to the schoolroom, noticing that Terry stood apart from them just watching them until his sister called him and he ran off. If Sally was sure her suspicions were right she would tell Sister Beatrice, but she would be asked for proof and all she had was a gut feeling that Terry knew more than he should about the cat’s suffering …

  THIRTY-SIX

  ‘Where have you been?’ Sister Beatrice asked when Angela returned to her own office nearly two hours later. ‘I’ve been looking for you. I wanted to ask you about the staff rota.’

  ‘I’m sorry but I couldn’t let you know,’ Angela said. ‘Tiddles was found shut in a cupboard and close to death from dehydration and starvation. I took the poor creature to the vet immediately, but he told me it was too late to do anything and the kindest thing was just to put it to sleep.’

  ‘Oh, how vexing,’ Sister said. ‘I suppose the children will be upset over the wretched thing. It’s the reason I do not normally encourage pets, because when they become ill or die the children start crying over it. Cats are reasonably clean creatures once they’re housetrained so I turned a blind eye to the adoption of that kitten. Blake should be more careful.’

  ‘I’m not sure it was his fault …’ Angela hesitated. ‘It may have been shut in there deliberately.’

  ‘Not one of the children?’

  ‘I have no proof. It’s just a suspicion.’

  ‘Please tell me, Angela. I need to know everything that happens here.’

  ‘Well, just over a week ago I saw the cat scratch a boy and he kicked it but I shouted and stopped him …’ Angela paused. ‘And some days later, I found all the sugar and salt pots in the dining room had been tampered with. I took them into the kitchen and washed them and filled them again. When I returned them to the dining room, I saw a boy run from the door. I believe he’d been watching me refill the pots.’

  ‘You did not think fit to tell me?’ Sister glared at her.

  ‘I’m sorry, I realise I should have done,’ Angela said. ‘At the time I did not connect the two, nor did I think it more than a silly prank. I was going to tell you but you weren’t here and then something came up and it went out of my mind. I believed there was some sort of quarrel between this boy and one or two of the children, and imagined he thought it funny to trick them into putting salt in their tea or sugar on their chips …’

  ‘It appears that there is a great deal going on that I have not been informed of,’ Sister said, annoyed. ‘Are you going to tell me who this boy is that you suspect of shutting that poor animal in the cupboard?’

  ‘I don’t know he did it,’ Angela reminded her. ‘But I did see him run from the dining room that day – and I did see the cat scratch him. Terry is someone who doesn’t make friends easily, and perhaps he just wanted to upset the other children … he might not have realised what would happen to the cat.’

  ‘Terry …’ Sister looked thoughtful. ‘I see. That makes a difference. You are certain that you saw him run away after you’d changed the salt pots?’

  ‘Yes. He glanced back for an instant …’ Angela felt awful, because she suddenly realised that she was very much at fault for not having told Sister sooner. ‘I thought Terry was getting better, making friends – but since the day that he threw the porridge over Mary Ellen he has stopped going down for his meals. I don’t think he talks to any of the other children except his sister. I’m sorry, I should have told you immediately.’

  ‘Well, we all make mistakes. None of what you’ve just told me is conclusive and it doesn’t add up to much, even when you put it all together – but because we know that Terry is such a fragile and disturbed child you ought to have kept me informed.’

  ‘Yes, I’ve realised that and I do apologise. It won’t happen again.’

  ‘Well, as long as you understand why these small things must be reported, even if they seem insignificant, we shall say no more of it. Mark Adderbury feels that Terry needs special treatment, which he cannot receive here, and he is going to be moved soon – but that is confidential, Angela. I had hoped the boy was improving but there is a possibility that he could prove dangerous. These small pranks are merely those of a young lad taking a silly revenge. In the case of the cat it is unfortunate, very unfortunate, but like you I think perhaps he did not understand what would happen, and maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt.’

  ‘Of course.’

  Sister nodded. ‘Now, to the reason I wished to see you, Angela. Firstly, I was going through the staff rota – have you made changes?’

  ‘No, certainly not,’ Angela said, puzzled. ‘I never interfere with the rota.’

  ‘Well, someone has,’ Sister said. ‘Fortunately, Jean asked me if she could change her duty, because she needs to visit the dentist, so I went over it to see what could be done – and I discovered that Sally had been booked in to work all day and then the late shift at night. I would never have made such a mistake. I was able to change Jean’s duty and give her that shift so it worked out very well – but we might have been left with no cover, because Sally couldn’t possibly have worked so many hours all at once.’

  Angela was studying the rota Sister Beatrice had referred to. ‘I can’t understand it,’ she said. ‘That rota was on my desk waiting to be typed up – but I can see that an eraser has been used. You have crossed out Sally’s name and inserted Jean’s – but an eraser was used just here …’

  ‘Well, it is a mystery,’ Sister said. ‘I cannot think I made the mistake – but thankfully, it was found in time.’

  ‘Yes, that was fortunate,’ Angela said.

  ‘There was something more – ah, yes. I have arranged for the builders to come in next week on Thursday 11th. I prefer that the children are out so that they will not get in the way or come to harm. I know it is short notice, but can you arrange for yourself and some of the carers to take all t
he young children out on a trip that lasts all day? The older children will be at school until after the workmen have finished, and when they return they can congregate in the new wing until teatime, which will be later than usual.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Angela agreed. ‘I’ll take them to a museum in the morning or the waxworks, then have some lunch and perhaps we’ll all go to see a children’s film and then have tea before we come back – if that would be all right?’

  ‘Do you have enough money in the treats box?’

  ‘Yes, I think so,’ Angela said. She would have no hesitation in paying for the cinema and tea herself, but she kept this to herself. ‘The museum is free of course – and the waxworks doesn’t charge us very much, because we have a special rate.’

  ‘Very well, I shall leave it to you. Take as many of the staff with you as you wish. It will be a treat for them as well, and the more adults the easier it will be to keep control of the children.’

  Angela stared at the office door as Sister Beatrice closed it behind her. Fortunately, there were not many patients in the sick room, although of course they and the nurse on duty would have to remain at St Saviour’s, but Sister obviously thought that the emptier the place was the better for the builders. She smiled as she started to review her plans for the big day out. She would look and see what films were showing at the moment – a Walt Disney cartoon would be best, because all the children would love that.

  She would have to take both Terry and Nancy, of course, but he should be all right, as long as Nancy was there. Angela had hoped she was wrong about him, almost sure he was simply recovering from a terrible experience, but now she wasn’t so convinced. If Mark had told Angela he was thinking of having Terry moved to a secure unit where he could have special treatment she would have known what to expect … but they’d only spoken briefly since the night they’d cooked at her apartment. She suspected he’d been going out with Carole quite a bit, but it wasn’t really her business what Mark chose to do with his spare time …

  Angela would have liked to tell Mark her suspicions about what Terry had done to the cat, but didn’t feel she could just telephone him and ask him over as she had previously. He was still her friend, but he’d seemed a little remote the last time they’d spoken … which, of course, he would be if he were falling in love with another woman. The thought was surprisingly hurtful to Angela but she told herself not to be foolish.

  If Mark was arranging for the boy to be moved there was no problem, though she would be sorry to see Nancy leave. The girl was beginning to be happy here and to fit in, and she would hate to move to another home, but if her brother was sent away, she would no doubt wish to go with him.

  Because her mind was busy with other things Angela simply didn’t have time to worry about the mistake in the rota. Perhaps Sister had made the tiny slip herself.

  Nancy looked at Terry. He’d been sitting staring out of the window for ages, a grin on his face that made her want to shake him. Why was he looking so pleased when every other child at St Saviour’s was in tears over that cat?

  A chill ran down Nancy’s spine as she recalled an incident that had happened in the lanes where they lived a year or so earlier. Several cats had been found dead, poisoned people said, but one had been mutilated, its front paws cut off. No one ever discovered who had killed the cats, but Pa had complained that someone had stolen the arsenic he’d used for killing rats in the garden. Pa had accused Terry of taking it, and he’d given him a good hiding. Nancy had comforted him afterwards, but something Terry said when he was crying had worried her.

  ‘I hate cats, Nance. I’m glad they’re all dead.’

  ‘But you didn’t take that poison, Terry? You wouldn’t do such a wicked thing as to kill people’s cats, would you?’

  ‘No, Nance. I never took it – Pa’s rotten. He’s always blamin’ me.’

  Nancy had believed him then. She would never have thought her brother capable of hurting anything … well, perhaps he might pull the wings from a butterfly trying to catch it, but putting poison down for people’s pets … no, her little brother would never do that. But that was before the fire, before she’d seen Terry standing there staring at the flames shooting up the door of their parents’ bedroom and seen the terrible look in his eyes.

  ‘You didn’t shut that cat in the cupboard, did you, Terry?’

  Terry turned his head to look at her and for a moment the gleeful expression in his eyes made her go cold all over, and then in an instant it was gone and they filled with childish tears.

  ‘Don’t be horrid to me, Nance. You know I never done it … I hate things to be imprisoned, you know I do.’

  ‘I know. I’m sorry, love, but it’s just … well, I know you go down into the cellar sometimes. I thought you might have done it, by accident.’

  ‘You don’t love me no more,’ Terry sobbed. ‘Everyone hates me. I wish I were dead. I want to go home and be with Ma …’ Tears streamed down his face, mixing with snot from his nose. ‘I never meant Ma to die, Nance. I want her … I want her …’

  ‘Oh, Terry, don’t,’ Nancy said, and put her arms about him, kissing the top of his head. She felt a wave of protective love overwhelm her. Terry hadn’t set fire to the door of her parents’ bedroom on purpose; he couldn’t have done. She was wrong to think it, wrong to think that he might have shut that cat away because it had scratched his hand … because his hand still bore red marks from where it had lashed out at him. Cats and dogs never liked Terry; they hissed and barked and he’d been bitten twice as a very small boy. It was no wonder he didn’t like them, but he wasn’t really a bad boy and he wouldn’t do the things her mind kept telling her he might have done. ‘I’m sorry. I do love you, Terry. I love you more than anyone in the world and I’ll always look after you.’

  ‘Promise me, Nance,’ he said, looking up at her with the eyes of a frightened little boy. ‘You won’t let him send me away? Pa was going to have me shut up for ever, somewhere they would beat me and starve me. You won’t let him do that, will you?’

  Tears were trickling down Nancy’s face as she held her beloved brother in her arms. It was all Pa’s fault. He’d said such things to Terry, threatened to send him to an asylum, and he’d abused them both. Even if Terry had thrown his oil lamp at the door, he hadn’t known what he was doing; he couldn’t have done! She tried to push away the suspicions that haunted her. Terry wasn’t evil; but he did have a temper, just like Pa and it was possible that he’d done something foolish without realising what would happen. And if that door hadn’t been locked their parents might have got out … but Nancy couldn’t bear to think about that. It wasn’t Terry’s fault if he wasn’t quite right in the head. He couldn’t help being the way he was. His true nature was sweet and loving and Nancy was going to protect him for as long as she could.

  Mary Ellen knew who had shut poor Tiddles in the cupboard and she was going to do something about it. She’d wondered if she should tell either Miss Angela or Sally, though she wasn’t a snitch – but it wasn’t right that he should get away with this. She would tell him what she knew in front of his sister and Nancy would know what to do.

  Her mind made up, Mary Ellen marched up to their room and thrust the door open. Terry was alone and standing at the window staring out at the garden, but he swung round as she entered and then he grinned at her. He knew why she’d come and he was laughing because of what he’d done to poor Tiddles.

  ‘Why did you do it?’ Mary Ellen demanded, too angry for caution. ‘You’re a rotten devil, Terry Johnson, and I’m going to tell your sister. You deserve to get the cane for this. If it were up to me you’d go to prison and they’d never let you out again …’

  At this, Terry’s mood turned and she saw the blaze of fury in his eyes. He looked so strange and she was suddenly frightened of him. She wanted to run away, but she couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but stare at him, mesmerised by the wild look on his face.

  ‘I hate you,’ he muttered, and sh
e saw spittle on his mouth, the gleam of hatred in his eyes. ‘I wanted to punish all of them for turning up their noses at me – but you more than all the others. It’s your fault Billy doesn’t like me any more. If you weren’t here he would be my friend again …’

  Mary Ellen swallowed hard and took a step backwards just as he sprang at her. His body knocked her off balance and she felt herself slam into the side of the bed and then she was lying on it and Terry had his hands around her throat. She struggled as hard as she could, pushing at his fingers as she tried to force them apart, but she was finding it difficult to breathe and Terry seemed so strong. He was wild and strange and the look on his face terrified her. She tried to cry out but no sound came and Mary Ellen was terrified. Terry wanted to kill her …

  ‘What are you doing?’ Nancy’s voice stopped Terry. The pressure on Mary Ellen’s throat was released and she could breathe again. He jerked away and then moved back, leaving her lying on the bed, and she saw a dazed, frightened expression in his eyes.

  ‘He attacked me …’ she whispered.

  ‘Terry, how could you?’ Nancy asked, and came up to them, pushing him out of the way and helping her up. ‘You mustn’t hurt Mary Ellen like that … are you all right?’ Nancy looked so upset as she asked that Mary Ellen nodded, even though her throat felt sore.

  ‘Yes,’ she croaked. ‘He killed Tiddles, Nancy. I know he did it – and he admitted it. He hates me – it’s because I told Billy that he kicked Betsy and Billy told him not to. Billy wouldn’t have fallen out with him over it if he’d said sorry …’

  ‘It’s a lie, Nance,’ Terry said, and for a moment he stared at Mary Ellen as if he hated her, and then turned and ran from the room.