by El Edwards
“Emphysema. Her parents were both heavy smokers.”
“Were?”
“They died, before Claire moved here. She doesn’t talk about them much.”
A lump formed in my throat. I had a challenging relationship with my own mother but missed my dad terribly.
“Will she get better?”
“I don’t think so. The oxygen helps though.”
“Life expectancy?” My words came out in a whisper. There was something about Claire that had captivated me. I wanted to believe she could get better, live a long and fruitful life.
Beverly shrugged. “She’s not getting any worse so, who knows?”
I was surprised to hear her speak so dismissively. With her passion for charity work I’d expected her to be more concerned about her neighbour and friend.
“She mentioned she used to come round here, before she got sick, and watch the dog.”
“Did she tell you I had two of them? Long before her time.”
I nodded. “She did. Do you have someone who watches her for you now? Family friend maybe? Another neighbour.”
I watched Beverly for any flicker of emotion and her face remained neutral but I saw a flush of pink on her neck. She shook her head. “Not any more.”
“But there was someone?”
She opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, the kitchen door burst open and Rob appeared looking animated.
He looked from me to Beverly then back to me. “Sorry to interrupt. Charlie, could I have a word? Out here?”
I raised an eyebrow at him and he shook his head.
“I’ll be out in a minute. We were kind of in the middle of something here.” I gave Rob what I hoped was a look, willing him to understand that now really wasn’t a good time.
“It’s kind of important Charlie.” He returned my look with one of his own. I knew better than to ignore that look and stood up.
“Be right back Beverly.”
I followed Rob out into the hallway. “What was all that about?”
He reached behind me and closed the kitchen door before leaning in and whispering. “There’s a pair of size eleven footprints out the back.”
“You dragged me out here to tell me that? Are you mental?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief out of my voice. She’d been about to tell me about the man Claire had seen. It was the first sniff of a lead I’d had in this whole case.
“Think about it Charlie. I don’t know if Beverly has big feet but I’ll bet they’re not size eleven.”
“So what?”
“So, that means someone’s been here. Maybe the same someone who made off with her precious pup.”
“Maybe. Or it could just be footprints belonging to her fancy man. Didn’t think of that, did you?”
“She has a fancy man?” He glanced behind me at the closed door. “She doesn’t look the type. Are you sure?”
“No, but I was about to find out, before you came blundering in.”
“Sorry. But hey, at least now you’ve got an easy way to ask her about it.”
“Oh no you don’t!”
“What?”
“Don’t you dare pretend that you did me a favour. I was managing very nicely by myself thank you very much. I called you here to look for prints, not to trample all over my case.” I turned to go back into the kitchen but then stopped. “Did you find any?”
“Any what? Prints?”
“Yes.”
“Some, but they might only be Beverly’s. Too soon to tell.”
“Better get back to it then eh?” I gave him a wink and went back into the kitchen.
When I walked in I found Beverly sitting exactly where I’d left her, her head in her hands. When she heard me come in she looked up and smiled weakly. Her eyes were red and she looked like she might burst into tears again at any second. I felt a wave of compassion and rushed to her side.
“Oh Beverly, whatever is the matter?”
Her body shook as the tears came and I found myself unable to do anything except pat her arm gently. I knew she was fond of her pup but instinct told me this was about more than Tortoise.
SEVEN
Given my less that illustrious track record with men, I knew I was probably the wrong person to be giving Beverly relationship advice but as I listened to her describe the way this particular creature had crawled in and out of her life on a schedule to suit only himself, I couldn’t keep quiet.
“What a creep!”
Beverly looked shocked but then her face softened. “But you don’t know him Charlie. It’s difficult for him, he has a busy time with work. Never knows where he’ll be from one week to the next.”
“Sounds like an excuse to me.” I was mad on her behalf but wanted to at least give the appearance of being reasonable. “What’s his name? What does he do for work?”
“His name’s Shaun. And I’m not really sure. Something to do with computers. I think he fixes them or something. But he has to travel because there’s not much work around here.”
He sounded like a cad, a good for nothing rogue, albeit a rogue with a pretty face and bucket loads of charm if the look on Beverly’s face was anything to go by. Having to travel to find work was also too convenient an excuse for my liking but I was prepared to temporarily give him the benefit of the doubt if it meant Beverly would continue talking.
“Where’d the two of you meet? I don’t imagine he’s much of a charity shopper.”
Beverly blushed. “Promise you won’t laugh?”
I held up two fingers. “Scouts honour.”
“I found him on the Internet.”
I kept my expression bland. “A dating website?”
“Not exactly. I wrote an open letter on my blog, listing out my requirements, and he sent me an email. Introduced himself. Invited me out for dinner.”
“You have a blog?” This time I couldn't keep the surprise out of my voice.
Beverly shrugged. “Of course. Doesn't everyone?”
I was forced to acknowledge, not for the first time, that appearances could be very deceptive. I’d had Beverly written off as a forty-something technophobe. She'd swallowed the line about a job in computers too easily. The charity shop was like something out of the dark ages. How was it possible for me to get a person so wrong?
I gave Beverly a smile. “Tell me more about this blog of yours. What made you think your ideal match would be reading your blog anyway?”
“I couldn't be sure, but I get several thousand hits a day, not all from Wales admittedly, but still, I knew there was a chance.”
“This is crazy.” I shook my head. “Sorry, I'm just struggling to get a handle on this. You're not what I expected, you know?”
Beverly smiled again. “I hear that a lot. It's what he used to say too.”
“Used to?”
Her eyes dropped and I saw her expression change. “He stopped calling round about two weeks ago.” She looked like she might cry.
“Until then it had been regular?”
She nodded. “As regular as his job allowed.”
“What a creep!”
This time Beverly didn't argue with me.
“What do you think?”
Rob and I were sitting in my car outside Beverly’s house. His colleagues had gone and I’d said my goodbyes to Beverly so now I wanted to know if he’d found anything.
“I'm not sure what to think. No signs of a forced entry. There were a few prints which we’ll try and match, but if you hadn’t told me she’d been robbed, I’d never have known from the state of her house.” He turned to face me. “Any theories?”
Still unconvinced that there wasn’t more to Rob’s interest than he was letting on, I felt myself hesitating. I hadn’t met Beverly’s Shaun so it felt wrong to throw accusations around but there was something about the idea of him that made me feel uneasy. He fitted Beverly’s dream description a little too perfectly for my liking. And I felt like shaking her. Writing a letter and publishing it on the Internet? Who does th
at?
“Charlie?” Rob had a curious expression on his face.
"What do you want me to say?"
"Well you could start by telling me what's really going on.”
"Ha!” He had a bloody nerve. "I will if you will.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why did you really agree to help me out today?”
“That’s what we do isn’t it? You ring and tell me to meet you and I jump to attention.” He sounded weary.
“I don’t think that’s fair. No-one forced you to help me. It’s not like I had a gun to your head!”
I could feel myself getting angry with him. Our arrangement suited him as much as it did me, and if anyone should feel hard done by, it certainly wasn’t Rob. I knew he was holding out on me, I just didn’t know why yet. Before I could say anything else, Rob leaned over and planted a kiss on my mouth.
“Oi!” I shoved his arm.
He sat back lazily, looked at me and grinned. He was so bloody infuriating, I felt like smacking him on the mouth, not kissing him.
“What was that for?” I said.
“Nothing. I just didn’t want to get into a fight with you.”
“So you thought you’d invade my personal space instead? You’re mental you are!”
“At least now you’ve got something to be angry about. That’s got to be better than fighting for no good reason.”
I didn’t know what to say. We’d been friends for years, gone out to dinner as friends more times than I could count. They’d never been the slightest hint of romance between us. I’d always thought of him as more like an older brother than a potential suitor. Bollocks, whispered a voice in my head. You liked it and you want him to kiss you again. You’re just angry because he won’t tell you his secrets.
“I’ve got to go. The girls will be home soon and I need to put their tea on.” Before he could react, I leapt out of Rob’s car, put my head down, and headed straight to my van opposite.
“Charlie!” I heard Rob calling my name but I pretended not to notice. By the time I looked up again he was a dot in my rear-view mirror.
EIGHT
I was in a foul mood by the time I got home and walking into a kitchen that looked like a disaster zone did nothing to ease my grumpiness. My head was aching and the scratchy feeling in my throat held the promise of a cold. Grace took one look at me and swiftly went upstairs but Louise, silly girl, was apparently determined to help turn my day around with her charm and witty banter.
“Cheer up Mum, it can't be that bad.”
“Humph!”
“Would a cup of tea help?” When I didn't say anything she nudged me on the arm playfully. “Come on, how often do you get an offer like that?”
“Coffee please.” I forced a smile and watched as she clattered her way around our little kitchen. Not for the first time I wondered if now was finally the time to start the building work I’d been putting off for years. I wouldn’t leave our home in Gloddfa Bont, the neighbours had become like family to us, especially since my ex-husband’s departure, but the girls weren’t getting any smaller and our kitchen was very quaint. I looked up to see Louise watching me.
“What are you thinking Mum?” she asked, as she handed me the coffee.
“Not a lot. Just wondering is this kitchen’s too small for us.”
Louise looked around at the cluttered surfaces. “It’s not the size that’s the problem. We’re just a bit messy.” She came over to where I was sitting and gave me a hug. “Sorry Mum.”
“What was that for?”
Louise shrugged. “All this, you shouldn’t have to come home to such a mess. I’ll talk to Grace. I’m sure we can do better.”
I felt a twinge of guilt. They’d been through a lot. The last thing they needed was a crazy mother to add to the mix. “It’s alright Lou, the two of you are great. Really. I’ve just had a long day.”
I reached over and was about to return her hug when the phone rang.
“I’ll get it.” Louise jumped up. “Hello? Oh, hi Gran!”
Speaking of crazy mothers … I signalled to Louise, willing her to understand that I really didn’t have the energy to deal with mine today.
“Mum?” Louise looked in my direction and finally saw me flapping my arms. “Oh, no, I’m afraid she’s not here right now. When? Tomorrow evening? Um …” She looked at me and raised her eyebrows.
I shook my head frantically.
“I’m not sure Gran, it’s quite short notice. No, no clubs tomorrow night. Right. Okay. I see. Yep, I’ll let her know. Bye then.”
“Please tell me you didn’t just accept a dinner invitation for the three of us for tomorrow night?”
“Sorry Mum. I tried, you heard me, but she’s very tricky.”
I couldn’t argue with that. My mother was incredibly tricky and it took a lot more than Louise’s seventeen years of experience to really learn how to handle her.
“Dinner it is then. What time?”
“Six.”
“Fan-bloody-tastic! And before you ask, yes you do have to come.”
I woke the following morning with the voice of my mother nagging in my head. She loved to pester me about getting a proper job and asking when I was going to settle down again. Whenever I saw her it took every ounce of self-control I could muster not to remind her exactly why I wasn't in a relationship any more. She'd idolised Jonathan, blamed me for his indiscretions.
After telling the voice in my head to shut up, I dragged myself out of bed, made breakfast for the girls, then thought about the day ahead. I needed to get some clarity. I felt like I still knew so little about Beverly and her day to day life. I couldn't imagine who would want to steal her pet or why and with no signs of a break in at her home, I found myself faced with the possibility that the dog was merely lost.
After waving the girls off to catch the bus I checked my email for any paid gigs that needed my immediate attention. There was something irresistible about Beverly’s case but I also had bills to pay and couldn’t spend the day looking for a dog if other investigations called. Luckily for Beverly and Tortoise, my inbox was empty.
I decided to drive over to Burry Port and explore the town Beverly called home. Missy needed a walk anyway so she gave me the perfect excuse to nose around. It was a small town and although I wasn't a regular visitor, I knew parking near the harbour would allow Missy space to do her business and have a good sniff. I followed her lead as she encouraged us to head away from the water into the town itself. We walked passed the charity shop, closed, and up onto the main through road. I didn't drive this route often and it was good to see it from a different perspective.
It was as we turned to head back towards the van that I saw the huge building on the hill up ahead. The paint work was faded making it look neglected and unloved but I could see the word ‘HOTEL’ in huge letters on the front. However rundown it was now, it would once upon a time have been a very fancy establishment. The thought of old cars travelling up and down the hill, depositing guests at the once grand front entrance, made me smile.
“Come on Missy, let’s have a look.” I shortened her lead and headed in the direction of the hotel. She whimpered slightly as we approached a cattle grid at the bottom of the hill but after picking her up and carrying her over, she relaxed and together we strode up the hill to the hotel.
As we walked I could hear the noise from the main road below up but up ahead all appeared quiet. We were about to round the corner when a cluster of birds rose up from the trees making a racket. Missy leapt into action, barking and tugging at her lead, convinced she could catch them. From up ahead I heard the sound of voices. Without thinking, I pulled Missy to the side of the path, ducked behind a tree, and waited.
NINE
Missy whimpered and pulled at her lead as we hid together, crouched behind a tree. I was usually the last person to run and hide but something about the tone of the voices had startled me. I knew better than to doubt my instincts, even if M
issy hated being made to wait. I gave Missy another treat, mentally willing her to understand, but she was not to be so easily swayed. I listened again and eventually the voices seemed to have moved further away. After checking the path was clear, we broke cover and headed back in the direction we’d come. I’d go back on my own, I decided. In the meantime, Missy was desperate to be free from her lead so I took us in the direction of the beach where she could run around and use up some energy.
It was a quiet morning, the promise of spring in the air but with dark clouds over head. The beach appeared to be deserted so I took Missy off the lead and wandered along the sand as she sprinted up and down. She wasn’t a dog who liked to chase balls. Instead she simply loved to run and I smiled as I watched her. As she ran, my thoughts turned to the hotel. I couldn’t understand why such a large building would have been allowed to get into its current state. It looked old enough to be of local historical interest and I made a mental note to check the archives in the library. I knew it probably had nothing to do with Beverly’s case, the whole reason I was even here, but old buildings fascinated me. I was keen to find out more about its history.
I heard Missy bark and looked up to see a figure in the distance accompanied by a lanky looking dog. Missy looked back at me and I nodded my permission. She needed little encouragement and was soon bounding in the direction of the other dog. I followed behind her swiftly and was out of breath by the time I caught up to them.
The lanky dog was accompanied by a woman who smiled. “G’morning,” she said. “Don’t fancy the look of those clouds.” She reached out and offered Missy her hand who sniffed it then turned to the other dog.
“Looks pretty grim. I’m hoping we’ll get back before it chucks it down!” I agreed.
We watched as our two dogs ran in circles, playing a game with rules that only they could understand.
“Not seen you here before,” the woman said. “We’re here most mornings.”
“You’re local?”
She nodded. “Live just round the corner, up past the school.”
