by Rebecca Bryn
‘Anytime, Alana. She’s a joy.’
She closed the gate behind her, and Tony carried Saffy back towards The Haggard.
‘Alana!’
She hurried after him, anxious to get inside and bolt the door before Mum caught up with her.
A hand grabbed her arm. ‘Alana, stop. I need to take Saffy home.’
She rounded on Mum. ‘She is home.’
‘You can’t seriously expect me to let you have her, here? I have to take her now, before…’ Mum reached for Saffy who held out her arms to be taken.
‘Before what? Before I tell the police what you did? What are you planning to do, leave the country with my daughter? That’s abduction, Mum, or didn’t you realise that? I suppose you think taking Saffy from me now is for her own good.’ She turned to Tony. ‘Mum was drunk when I last saw her. She confessed to abducting me.’
Mum’s voice was a whine. ‘I didn’t know what I was saying. I’m the only mother Saffy knows.’
‘My mother died without knowing if I was alive or dead. Was it for my good you took me from her, or for yours?’ She put her face close to Mum’s. ‘I’m Saffy’s mother. What gave you the right?’
Tony stepped in. ‘We should take this indoors. We’re attracting attention. You don’t want child snatch drama at village of death splashed all over the tabloids.’ He opened the cottage door and sat Saffy on the sofa. ‘I think we need to discuss this calmly and rationally over a cup of tea.’
Saffy climbed off the sofa and ran towards Mum. She stepped between them and scooped her daughter into her arms. ‘Mum, you’re in no emotional state to care for Saffy. Tony and I can give her a proper family, now.’
Mum looked around the room, her expression betraying mixed emotions. ‘You’re back together?’ A slow smile spread across her face. ‘He knows you slept with his brother? That Saffy is Mike’s bastard?’
Tony moved towards Mum, his fists clenched, his voice a low growl. ‘Gweneth, I never liked you, but I put up with you for Alana’s sake. You’re a poisonous, manipulative bitch. Get out of this house, now.’
She couldn’t have put it better herself. ‘I was prepared to let you be Saffy’s Nana. I won’t have you poisoning her against us.’ She took Mum’s car keys from her pocket and thrust them at her. ‘I’m going to make sure you pay for what you’ve done. Give me the keys to the Mini and go home while you still can.’
Mum handed her the keys and smiled. ‘You think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you? Let me tell you, lady, you know nothing.’
Shadows darkened the window. She opened the door.
Dad hugged her. ‘Well done, Alana. The sculptures are amazing. I knew you could do it.’
‘Dad… Emma…’
Dad saw Mum. ‘Is there a problem here?’
‘Mum was just leaving.’
‘Gweneth?’
‘Keep your hands off me. I’m going. You haven’t heard the last of this, Alana. Saffy belongs with me.’ She glared at Emma. ‘I did what I thought was right, gave my life to this girl, looked after her daughter, and this is the thanks I get. If she sends me to jail, her precious father will go down with me.’
Another knock at the door stopped her tirade. Dad and Emma exchanged glances. How much had Dad told his new love? Greg and Maddy stood outside, hand in hand.
Maddy’s smile faded when she saw Alana’s expression. ‘What’s happened?’
‘I can’t explain, not right now. Come in, both of you.’
Mum’s face wore several expressions. ‘You’re… You’re Gregory?’
Greg looked surprised. ‘You know me?’
‘You look just like James did thirty years ago.’
‘You knew my parents?’
‘This is my mother, Greg. She was brought up in this house, with Siân.’
‘Your parents lived across the green.’ Mum pointed in the direction of Rhiannon’s cottage: her finger shook. ‘Nerys… she was ill… I have to go. I can’t stay here.’ She held out her arms. ‘Please, Alana, let me take Saffy. She isn’t safe here.’
‘Mum, I won’t let my life be ruled by what happened thirty years ago.’
‘But you don’t know where Nerys is. She killed… Don’t you realise how dangerous she could still be?’
‘We don’t believe Nerys killed anyone.’ Maddy stepped to Greg’s mother’s defence. ‘We know there was a conspiracy to frame Nerys and we won’t rest until we know the truth.’
Mum glanced at her and back to Maddy. Mum knew the whole sordid truth. She held her breath. She didn’t want Greg to discover she was Cadi this way. Mum’s shoulders straightened. ‘This isn’t the end of this, Alana. I will get Saffy back.’
It was evening before they’d eaten, and their guests left for their B&B. Finally, she and Tony were alone with Saffy. This was her life now, if she could overcome the second obstacle. She couldn’t put it off forever. ‘Will you stay the night?’
‘If you’re sure?’
She’d had this dream so many times she was afraid to sleep, knowing she had to wake. ‘I want to wake up in the morning and know I’m not dreaming.’
Tony smiled. ‘I wish you’d told me… straight away. We’ve wasted so much time.’
‘I should have trusted you. I’m sorry.’
‘You don’t ever have to apologise to me.’
Saffy was lying on the sofa, cuddling a donated teddy Harriet had bought for her daughter’s new baby, and sucking her thumb. ‘We should put her to bed. She doesn’t have a bed. We can’t leave her here.’
‘We can make upstairs safe and use cushions for now. What have you got we can fix across the top of the stairs.’
She tested the signboard Tony had used as a stair gate, for the third time. She’d need to buy proper ones, for the top and the bottom of the stairs, until she reorganised the spare bedroom for her. Saffy had finally fallen asleep on the sofa cushions laid on the floor at the side of the bed. She’d refused to be parted from the teddy. Tomorrow, she would shop for everything she could think of that a toddler needed.
‘She’s settled now, Alana. Come to bed.’
Her eyes stung with tears. Tony was here. Saffy was here. Everything she needed in life was right here. The second obstacle loomed closer. ‘It’s going to be alright, isn’t it?’
Tony reached for her hand and drew her down onto the bed. ‘I love you, Alana. You have to believe that. No-one can come between us.’
Mike was there between them, warm beery breath in her face. You know you’re gagging for it, you cock-teasing bitch. She swallowed. ‘Tony…’
‘We’re going to be fine.’ A soft hand stroked her arm. ‘We can just cuddle if you want. We don’t need to rush things.’
She lay beside him, snuggled into his arms, feeling safe and loved and wanted. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
His lips brushed her curls. ‘We have the rest of our lives, Alana. I can wait until you’re ready. As long as you know I won’t ever let anyone hurt you again.’
She snuggled closer, her heart beating to the rise and fall of his chest, his heartbeat strong and reassuring. Her future awaited: all she needed was the courage to reach out and grasp it. She wouldn’t let Mike ruin her life. She ran a hand down Tony’s stomach and a thrill ran through her as he hardened. ‘Love me, Tony. Love me, now.’
***
Alana woke and turned, reaching towards Tony. The bed was empty, cold. Her heart broke all over again. It had all been a dream, after all. But Saffy had been here… She’d driven to Leicester and fetched her. There were no sofa cushions on the floor. The home-made stair gate was nowhere to be seen. Why did this keep happening?
A noise downstairs made her heart leap. She jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs. ‘Tony?’
‘Saffy was hungry so I made her breakfast. I hope mashed banana and toast was okay? I didn’t want to wake you. I could only find these clothes.’
She flung herself into his arms. ‘I thought…’
‘We have to get
a bigger bed. I hardly slept a wink for your elbows and knees.’
She kissed him. ‘We’ll go shopping after breakfast. Beds, clothes, toys.’
‘Have you checked on the stone circle this morning?’
She hadn’t given it a thought. She flung open the door. The air was soft and the sunshine warm against her skin.
Tony stood behind her, his hands cupping her breasts. ‘Don’t you think you’d better put some clothes on before you go and look?’
‘Oops.’ She ran back up the stairs and threw on jeans and a tee-shirt.
They walked hand in hand to the green, Saffy skipping between them. ‘I can’t see any more damage. It all looks fine.’ A couple of cars stopped across the green. Curious visitors? Possibly word of the sculptures had spread. She didn’t pay them much attention.
A curtain twitched in the house with too-small windows. Watching her or the strangers? She’d thought Rhiannon must be away, since she hadn’t seen her the previous day when the rest of the village had helped mend the sculptures. She shrugged: there was no law against being eccentric or reclusive. The curtain dropped again quickly. Saffy’s small hands wriggled free and she ran across the green. Tony chased after her and pretended to catch her and, when Saffy fell over, he scooped her up making her giggle.
A memory stirred and faded before she could quite catch it. A feeling of running across the green and being scooped up: happy. She and Bethan must have played here, just as Saffy would. She’d been right to bring Saffy here: with the freedom and the beaches, it was a good place to raise a child and maybe, after last night, there would be a little brother or sister for Saffy. A child born of love. She’d been consumed by death and loss for too long. Against all hope, she would bring living children back to Coed-y-Cwm.
***
Rhiannon dropped the curtain back into place. The sculptures had brought strangers to the village, yesterday and again today. What would they read into the runes? She lifted the curtain again. She was worrying unnecessarily. They’d have to know they were runes, and most people would see them only as images of children.
The visitors walked across to the circle of children. The girl seemed to have a new man. He’d stayed the night. So whose was the child, his? The toddler ran closer.
Bethan. It’s Bethan come home.
The voice took her by surprise: she’d thought Nerys gone, forever. ‘Of course it isn’t Bethan, Nerys. It’s a child the same age, that’s all.’
No, it’s Bethan.
‘Bethan’s dead, Nerys. You have to accept that. She isn’t ever coming home. You’ll drive yourself mad…’
But look at her, Rhiannon. You must see.
‘You’re deluding yourself. Bethan was two, thirty years ago.’
The man and woman were talking to the visitors, intent on the stones. Nerys opened the door. Bethan. ‘Bethan.’
She was going outside? Nerys hadn’t dared go outside since she’d been released from jail. ‘Nerys, no.’
Nerys pushed Rhiannon aside. ‘It’s my baby.’
Nerys, no. She isn’t Bethan. Leave her be. Do you want to go back to jail?
Nerys refused to listen. She ran to the child, picked her up and ran back into the house. She crushed the child to her chest. ‘Bethan, oh, Bethan. My baby’s home. She’s home.’
Nerys, what have you done? She’s not yours. You have to take her back, now.
‘I won’t. Go away, Rhiannon. I don’t need you now. I have my Bethan back.’
Nerys was stronger than she’d anticipated, but she would listen to reason. Think about this, Nerys. How will you look after her if you can’t even go outside?’
Nerys laughed. ‘But I went outside. I can do anything now I have my Bethan back.’
But you’re not her mother. Think how you felt when Bethan went missing. Think about what you said happened to Cadi.
‘I didn’t mean that to happen.’
Siân suffered as much as you did, losing Cadi. I protected you. Siân had no-one to protect her.
Nerys rocked the child on her lap. ‘Hypocrite! It was you killed Siân. If she’d suffered so much why did you do that? I didn’t ask you to.’
Revenge, Nerys. It’s in my nature. You can’t control what I do. Haven’t you realised that, yet?
‘You’re my demon. Father always said I was wicked.’ Am I bad, Rhiannon?
She took advantage of Nerys’ self-doubt to regain control. ‘No, you’re not bad. You’re deluded. Take the child back before it’s too late.’
Nerys reasserted herself: her love for Bethan making her stronger than she could fight. ‘But she’s Bethan. Look at her, can’t you see it?’
Please, Nerys. We’ve been here before. Don’t make the same mistake. Don’t put us through all this again.
***
‘Where’s Saffy?’ Alana swung around in a full circle. Her daughter had vanished. ‘Tony, can you see Saffy?’
‘I’ll check back at the house, or she may have gone to Harriet’s. You check the road.’
‘We only took our eyes off her for a second.’ She broke into a run, panic blinding her. Suppose a car had knocked her over. Hadn‘t there been two cars parked there a minute ago? Suppose someone had taken her? She’d only had Saffy a day and… Mum was right. She wasn’t fit to be a mother.
Mum… She tried to bring back the image of the missing car, but it was no use. Had it been a silver Citroen? There was no sign of Saffy in the road. She couldn’t have gone far in the seconds she’d been too engrossed, talking to the couple who’d come to see the stone children, to watch her own daughter.
She ran along the road, not knowing which direction to check first. A car approached and she stood in the centre of the lane, arms outstretched. ‘Have you seen a little girl? My daughter… She’s wandered off.’
The man’s brow furrowed. ‘No. She’s not come this way. How old is she?’
‘Two… she’s only two.’
‘Get in. We’ll drive further on, see if we can spot her.’
‘Thank you.’ She threw herself into the rear seat. They passed the green. Tony was hammering on Stuart’s door. Why hadn’t she thought of that? In a village of curtain-twitchers, someone might have seen which way she’d gone.
They paused at every gateway, looked down every garden entrance. The driver stopped at the main road. ‘How long’s she been missing? Do you think she could have got this far?’
‘No, no way. She’s not been gone more than five minutes.’
‘I’ll run you back. If you don’t find her soon, you’d best ring the police. This village doesn’t have a good reputation for children.’
She pushed down rising fear. ‘It’s possible Mum has her. She doesn’t consider me a fit mother.’
‘Kids that age are always one step ahead of you. The wife used to lose ours in the supermarket regularly.’
They arrived back at the green and she got out. ‘Thank you so much.’
‘I’ll drive back the other way, look through gates, in case she’s climbed through into a field. She may have seen the horses and gone to say hello. You phone the police.’ He gave her a brief apologetic smile. ‘What I said… that was thirty years ago. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. Try not to worry. She can’t have gone far.’
‘Thank you.’ She got her mobile from her pocket and ran across to Tony. She turned back but the car had gone. She should have taken its registration number: he could have bundled Saffy into the boot, unconscious. She jolted to a halt and took a deep breath. ‘You haven’t found her.’
‘Stuart’s checking the track down past the sheds. Harriet’s checking back gardens and garden sheds. You knock on the doors that side of the green, I’ll finish this side.’
‘There was a car here earlier. I didn’t take much notice of it, but it had gone when we realised Saffy was missing. Suppose it was Mum. Suppose she’s taken her.’
‘If she has, they’ll be on their way back to Leicester. I could catch her up if I went now, the speed she u
sually drives. Does she have a mobile?’
‘Dad would know.’
Dad gave her the number and promised he and Emma would come and help search. She rang Mum. No answer. Either Mum was driving, or she didn’t want to talk to her.
‘She’s not answering, Tony. If you don’t find Mum before you get to Haverfordwest, we can be pretty sure the car that left wasn’t her. I’m going to ring the police.’
‘I’ll ring the second I know anything.’ Tony ran to his car and sped away from the village. People Tony had already spoken to came from their houses to join the search.
The more people they had looking, the quicker they’d cover the ground. She rang the police who promised to be there immediately, and then rang Greg. By the time she’d rung off, a siren could be heard in the distance. She sent a silent prayer to any god who was listening. Please, I don’t care about any of the things I’ve asked for, just bring Saffy home safe.
Chapter Twenty-Five
DC Flowers stepped out of the police car: two more police cars drew up behind it. Alana hurried towards him.
He straightened. ‘Have you found your daughter?’
She shook her head. ‘People are checking gardens and sheds. I’ve been up and down the road. My fiancé, Tony’s gone after a car that left the green around the time she went missing. My friends are checking garden sheds.’ She paused. ‘The car… could have been my mother.’
‘When did you first notice your daughter was missing?’
‘It’s been twenty minutes.’
‘And where was she when you last saw her?’
Alana pointed. ‘Just there. We were talking to a couple about the sculptures. They’re helping look for her now.’
‘We’ll speak to them in a minute. How old is your daughter?’
‘Two. Her name’s Saffy. Saffy Harper.’
‘And what was she wearing?’
‘A red jacket. Pink pyjama bottoms. A tee-shirt with giraffes on. She’s got dark curly hair and brown eyes.’
‘Can you describe the car Tony’s chasing?’
‘No, not really. I think it was a pale colour. If it was my mother it’s a silver Citroen C3.’
