Now what did she do? Stepping back, she glanced at the windows upstairs and down, all dark, like blind eyes watching her. Sophie shuddered as a cold shiver ran the length of her spine. She’d thought her gran might be in there. Obviously, she wasn’t. She had a listen. Not a sound, bar the plop-plopping she kept hearing from the water, which was totally spooking her. The wind whipping the trees were giving her the collywobbles, too.
And the crunches on the gravel she could swear she could hear behind … ‘Crap!’ Sophie nearly shot out of her trainers as some prehistoric looking bird with a wingspan of yards took off in the distance to swoop low over the weir.
She didn’t like it here. Growing more apprehensive as she stood alone in the unfriendly night, Sophie looked sharply over her shoulder, definitely hearing something behind her now, a scuffling and shuffling, like a … ‘Oooh, God,’ … if it was a water rat, she was gone. Outta there.
She didn’t fancy going back the way she’d come, though. Nervously, she peered back across the locks to where the taxi had dropped her off, and then blinked, then blinked again, then swallowed.
Oh no. Oh no. She took a step back, away from the pale apparition floating petrifyingly along the footbridge. Oh, G— ‘Gran!’ Sophie scowled and planted her hands on her hips as Dee came into view. ‘What the bloody hell are you doin’, Gran? You almost gave me a heart attack.’
‘Going home,’ Dee said, bypassing her to head for the front door, Chloe in her arms.
‘I gathered,’ Sophie said, reaching for Chloe, who at least had her denim jacket on over her jim-jams. Her gran too had a coat on over her nightie, which Sophie supposed was slightly less embarrassing than it might have been.
‘But how did you get here?’ she asked as Dee ferreted in her coat pockets.
‘By taxi, obviously,’ Dee informed her. ‘I haven’t sprouted wings yet, much to Jonathan’s disappointment.’
‘Right.’ Sophie rolled her eyes. ‘Um, Gran, how’re you going to get in?’
‘Key,’ Dee announced, producing said key from her coat, bobbing under the scaffolding and letting herself in.
‘Right.’ Sophie nodded resignedly as Chloe jiggled and said, ‘Sophie, wanna wee-wee.’
‘Hurry up then, Sophie,’ Dee gestured her on in, ‘before the child wets her knickers.’
‘I think I already did.’ Sophie sighed, ducked, and shuffled inside.
Assuming the High Street had already been checked, David double-checked it anyway, hoping that Dee had realised it was way too late and cold to be wandering around with Chloe and decided to come back home. Waiting in a doorway, possibly, making sure Jonathan’s car wasn’t around?
David slowed at all likely doorways, then cruised to a stop as he noted a parked police patrol car, also noting the premises it was parked outside of – Jonathan Eden Investment Management Services, no less. Strange they should be calling here when the shop Andrea’s apartment was over, and presumably the address Eden would have given when he’d called, was the other end of the High Street.
‘I’ll just have a quick word. See if they have any news,’ David said to Ryan, whose complexion had drained of all colour, he noticed. Yes, Eden most definitely had a lot to answer for. And answer he would if David got hold of him.
It didn’t take long for him to establish the police were not looking for Dee and Chloe. David had wondered about the police being so keen to attend a callout regarding a grandmother gone missing with her own grandchild when they’d only been missing for … what, a couple of hours? It didn’t add up to David. This did though. Apparently, it was Eden they were looking for. In regard to a certain other premises, David pondered, one that had conveniently caught fire? Eden hadn’t called them. That much was clear. There was no way he would want the police sniffing around now, which is why Andrea’s phone had got lost in his bloody pocket.
Yes, the man most definitely had some questions to answer, and David would like no better pleasure than to put those questions to him, preferably in some secluded location. ‘No news,’ he said, offering Ryan a small smile as he climbed back in the car.
Ryan nodded, holding eye contact with David briefly, before looking away. ‘Just don’t tell me no news is good news,’ he said, gazing out of the passenger window, composing himself, David guessed.
‘We’ll find ’em, Ryan, don’t worry,’ Jake said, placing a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. ‘We won’t give up until we do. Will we, Dad?’
‘We won’t, Jake,’ David assured his serious-faced son.
‘That’s what mates are for, right, Jake?’ Ryan said, even now trying to look out for Jake, David realised. He didn’t know who Ryan’s father was or where he was, but he’d missed out big time.
Determined to do all he could, in the absence of any kind of a father, David started the engine, took a right, and a left, all eyes on pavements and passers-by as they went. No sign of the old lady.
Sighing, he took another road, then, ‘Got a text!’ Ryan said as David paused at a T-junction. ‘It’s Sophe.’
‘And?’ David waited, holding his breath.
‘Weak signal. At the cottage. G&C safe,’ Ryan read. ‘She means Gran’s cottage! Take a right.’
Relieved, David exhaled, and did as bid, taking a right heading for the main Worcester Road.
‘It’s by Diglis Locks, on the River Severn. You can park opposite, and then we approach it on foot over the locks.’
‘The locks?’ David wasn’t sure he liked the idea of Dee climbing over lock gates with a toddler.
‘It’s an old British Waterways cottage,’ Ryan explained. ‘Only accessible via the towpath, at least until they’ve finished the renovations. David,’ he hesitated, ‘do you think Jonathan was right, about Gran needing to go away, I mean?’
David tensed his grip on the wheel and glanced sideways at Ryan, debating. Should he tell him? Some, he decided, but not all of it. The fire and probable cause of it, he’d leave out. He couldn’t justify dropping that kind of bombshell without being sure that’s why the police wanted to ‘have a word’ with Eden. The rest? If Andrea wanted nothing to do with him again, so be it. But she’d need someone to look out for her. David reckoned Ryan might be man enough to do that.
‘Truthfully …’ David tugged in a breath. ‘… no, Ryan, I don’t. I think it was Dee who was right thinking she needed to get away from Jonathan.’
Sophie read the document Dee handed to her, then re-read it and blinked at her gran, puzzled. ‘I don’t get it. What’s it supposed to prove?’
‘It’s a forgery,’ Dee said, her chin jutting determinedly. ‘Jonathan never invested Eva’s money. This …’ She jabbed a finger at the evidence. ‘… proves he intended to defraud the old bat out of her cash. He knows I have it and he wants it back. But I’m …’ She jabbed her finger at her chest. ‘… not about to let him have it.’
‘Sophie, want upsies,’ Chloe demanded, hanging onto Sophie’s jumper.
‘Inaminit munchkin.’ Sophie looked from the piece of paper to her gran and back worriedly. The document didn’t look like a fake, but then what did a fake look like? If it was genuine though, it must mean Jonathan had stolen the money, she supposed. ‘Is that why you thought he was trying to do away with you, Gran?’ She eyed Dee, concerned.
‘He’d do anything to get that back, Sophie, you mark my words.’ Dee wagged a finger at her. ‘And then, if he couldn’t bump me off, he wanted me shipped off to some old fogies home where everyone would think I was totally gaga. Well, I’m not, so there!’
Dee stopped jabbing and wagging fingers to fold her arms, defiantly.
‘I know you’re not, Gran.’ Sophie felt her cheeks flush up to her emo anime hairdo.
‘He’s not taking Chloe either,’ Dee said, somewhat placated but still adamant. ‘Thought he’d “say hello to her”, wants to “say goodbye to her”, my eye. Do I look like I was born yesterday?’
Sophie looked her gran over, more worried than ever now. Jonathan had said he was going awa
y, but … he wouldn’t take Chloe. Would he?
‘No, Gran, you don’t,’ she assured her. ‘Come on,’ she said, giving her a firm hug, ‘let’s find somewhere we can all sit and cuddle up together until Ryan gets here.’
The document still in her hand, Sophie reached to pick up a jiggling Chloe, and then froze as a torch beam illuminated a thousand dust motes through the window.
‘Crap!’ Sophie gulped back her racing heart. ‘That’ll be Ryan.’ She looked towards the front door, relieved for the first time since forever to be setting eyes on her annoying brother.
‘But it might not,’ Dee whispered, clutching her arm as the torch beam swept the walls. ‘It might be him.’ At which she turned to flee to the kitchen.
‘Gran, wait!’ Sophie hissed, struggling to get hold of Chloe, who’d given up on the jiggling and was gearing up for a tantrum. Oooh, Gran! ‘Come on, Chloe, let’s go find Granny, shall we?’
‘No want to,’ Chloe whined and dug her heels in.
‘Chloe, come on munchkin,’ Sophie tried to lift her, eyeing the door in panic as the door handle rattled.
‘Nooo want to,’ Chloe wailed.
‘Chloe?’ Jonathan’s voice came from outside.
‘Want Dad-dee,’ Chloe wriggled, and …
‘Crap!’ Sophie lost her grip on her as the front door banged wide.
‘What the bloody hell’s going on?’ Jonathan demanded. ‘Come here, baby.’ He swept a snotty-nosed Chloe up into his arms and glared at Sophie furiously.
‘Nothing. I …’ Sophie stuttered, torn between turning tail after her gran and nipping past him through the front door. ‘We—’
‘Sophie?’ Andrea came in behind Jonathan, eyeing her accusingly. Far from being relieved, Sophie felt as if she’d been tried, judged and was about to be executed. Hello, not guilty, she wanted to point out, but guessed by the look on both their faces they weren’t about to start listening.
‘Gran,’ she waved an arm behind her, ‘she—’
‘Silly, senile old fool, ought to be bloody well locked up,’ Jonathan seethed, taking a step forward.
‘She’s not senile. She’s …’ Sophie stopped, her eyes falling on the document Dee had gone to such pains to keep secret lying barely six inches from Jonathan’s feet. Oh, way to go, Sophe. She closed her eyes as, following her gaze, Jonathan bent to sweep the document up before she could make any attempt to try to reach it.
Straightening up, Jonathan locked eyes with hers, a question in his, Sophie noticed. He wasn’t sure whether she’d seen it! ‘She’s worried that’s all, about why she keeps forgetting things,’ she went on, deciding playing ignorant was definitely her best option. ‘Like she could forget she’d got Chloe in her arms when she walked out the door, barmy old bat. She’s driving me mental, I swear.’
Sighing audibly, Sophie puffed up her purple fringe, rolled her eyes sky-high and turned for the kitchen.
‘Why didn’t you ring us, Sophie?’ Andrea said behind her. ‘I’ve been out of my mind with worry. I told you to—’
‘Oh, right.’ Sophie turned back, arms folded demonstratively. ‘Like, have a go at me, why don’t you? I only flipping found her, didn’t I? There’s no signal, is there, obviously.’
With which Sophie shook her head and turned to strop on to the kitchen. ‘Act like normal,’ she whispered in her gran’s ear.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
‘Jonathan’s.’ Ryan indicated the car, already parked on the opposite side of the lock to the cottage.
‘I gathered.’ David pulled up alongside it, trying to work out what the best course of action might be. The man might be guilty of no more than fraud, as if that wasn’t bad enough. Was he really desperate enough to want to silence an old woman, though? Yes. David reminded himself of another old woman Eden had left lying on her doorstep. How desperate would he be now the police were involved was the worrying question.
Tugging in a breath, David looked towards the dark expanse of murky, green water in the locks. Wide-beam locks, allowing access to the River Severn. David wasn’t much into boating but he was au fait enough with the area to remember these were two of the deepest locks in the country, twenty feet or so wide, ninety odd feet long and at least eighteen feet deep. Beyond them, the river. In flood, fast-flowing and deadly.
Perfect conditions for Eden to claim some kind of tragic accident, David realised, trepidation growing inside him. ‘Let’s go and make sure they get back across safely, hey?’ Giving Ryan an encouraging smile, he reached to grab his torch from the glove compartment, indicating Jake with an incline of his head as he did.
Ryan got the drift. ‘Jake,’ he said, twisting to face him, ‘you need to be our lookout.’
‘Aw,’ Jake was already half out his door, ‘but I want to come.’
‘Seriously, Jake,’ Ryan locked eyes on his, ‘we need someone to stay here, in case they come back. If they do, you need to text us, like, immediately, particularly if anyone is looking stressed or upset. You with me?’
‘Ah, right. Got you.’ Jake nodded and settled back in his seat.
Thankfully, thought David. His son near the water in these conditions was the last thing he wanted.
‘And keep the doors locked, Jake, okay?’ David instructed him as he and Ryan climbed out.
‘Yup,’ Jake nodded, dropping the central locking as David closed the door.
‘Cheers, Ryan,’ David said as they headed for the footbridge, one of those white, metallic things that moved underfoot, and which he wasn’t really comfortable with, but at least it was better than walking over the actual lock gates. Heights, he thought it better not to mention to Ryan, were never really his thing.
‘No probs,’ Ryan said, over his shoulder. ‘Oh, and in case I forget to mention it, you’re all right, too. Looking out for my mum and stuff,’ he added, with a nonchalant shrug.
‘My pleasure,’ David assured him, his eyes on his feet as the bridge bounced underneath him.
‘Do you like her?’ Ryan asked out of the blue as they hit the path.
David dragged his hand through his hair. ‘And some,’ he admitted, realising it must have been pretty obvious to everyone, Sally included, probably even before he knew it himself.
‘Okay. Well, just so you know, I’m cool with it,’ Ryan said, blowing out a steamy breath and nodding them on.
David wasn’t sure Andrea was actually cool with it. ‘Cheers, Ryan,’ he said with a smile, assuming that was definitely some kind of approval.
‘Wait.’ David caught Ryan’s arm a yard or so on. Ryan followed his gaze, his relief palpable, as he, too, spotted the yellow beam of an oncoming torchlight.
‘Is it them, do you think?’ David asked.
‘Not sure,’ Ryan squinted into the darkness, and then laughed as Sophie’s unmistakeable tones drifted towards them.
‘Yeah, right. Cheers, Sophe,’ she grumbled loudly to herself, ‘we’re really, really grateful. Of course we’ll buy you some new trainers to replace the ones you’ve totally ruined looking out for your little sister and your gran.’
‘Sophie, I’m grateful. We both are,’ Andrea assured her. ‘I’ll buy you two pairs of—’
‘I don’t need looking out for,’ Dee’s voice cut across her. ‘It’s him you should be looking out for.’
‘Do you think we could have a little less chat and concentrate on getting back?’ Jonathan asked irritably.
Ryan shook his head. ‘Yep, definitely them, I’d say.’
And from the fairly normal tone of the conversation it seemed that everybody, including Chloe, was accounted for. David breathed a sigh of relief. He would have a word with the guy. He’d already decided to do that, when he could get him on his own out of earshot of Andrea – and anyone else, a forceful word being what David had in mind. For now though, he just wanted to make sure Andrea and her family got back home safely.
‘Having a strop again, I see, Sophe,’ Ryan said as the group approached, Sophie heading it. ‘What’s
up? The damp weather wilted your spikes?’
‘Oh, ha-di-ha-ha. Shut it, dipstick,’ Sophie imparted. ‘And stop shining that bloody light in my face. Mum, tell him.’
Ryan squinted at her askew, then down to his torch, which was aimed at the ground.
‘Act normal,’ Sophie whispered as he glanced back at her. ‘Don’t let Jonathan take her,’ she added quickly.
‘Shit.’ Ryan exchanged meaningful glances with David.
Worriedly, David looked past Sophie to where Dee, followed by Andrea and Jonathan, approached, Jonathan holding onto Chloe, he noted. Surely he wouldn’t try anything here, though, would he? Was he seriously thinking of absconding with his own daughter?
‘David?’ Andrea paused in front of him.
‘Hi.’ David smiled, his gaze on Jonathan, who, as David suspected he might be, seemed reluctant to stop. ‘Ryan needed a lift, so I thought I’d help.’
‘Excuse us,’ Jonathan said, skirting around them. ‘I think my daughter’s had enough fresh air for one night.’
‘Davie,’ Chloe said, stretching her arms out to him as they passed. ‘Want Davie.’ She flexed her little fingers, determinedly.
‘You can’t, baby. Mummy’s got him,’ Jonathan said, pointedly. ‘Let’s get in Daddy’s car, shall we, where it’s nice and warm.’
David twirled around, watching his progress, noting Sophie and Ryan already on the bridge ahead of him.
‘I’ll take her,’ Ryan said, taking a step towards Jonathan. ‘I’ve got a new app on my phone I want to show her.’
‘You can show her later. She’s tired.’ Jonathan held Chloe just that little bit tighter.
He was, David realised, half-disbelieving. The bastard really was going to … Uh, uh. ‘Eden!’ he shouted, causing Jonathan’s step to falter.
David moved towards him. ‘Let Ryan have Chloe, okay?’
Jonathan turned back. ‘Or what?’ he asked, eyeing him narrowly.
‘Or so help me—’ David dragged his hand through his hair.
Learning to Love Page 32
