by El Edwards
I frowned. “What sort of thing?”
“Flipping the van.”
“Shaun!” Beverly scolded. “Charlie doesn’t want to hear details like that.”
But Beverly was very wrong. Details like that were exactly the sort of thing I wanted to hear about, especially when they came from Shaun’s mouth. Rob had shown me the piece in the paper. It couldn’t have been more than a couple of sentences long, light on details and no photos. There definitely hadn’t been any mention of flipping the van so how had Shaun known that? Excitement bubbled inside me and it took all my control not to look at Rob and grin. I kept my expression neutral as I reassured Beverly it was fine.
“It’s all a blank to me.”
“Do they think you’ll get any of those memories back?” Shaun asked.
I shook my head. “Doubtful. There was so much swelling.” I shrugged. “Not to worry. Like you say, it’s probably best I don’t know.”
We made small talk for a few more minutes but then I yawned. Beverly took the hint and they said their goodbyes.
“Do you want me to go too?” Rob asked.
“Absolutely not. I need to talk to you, right now.”
“But I thought you were tired?”
I winked. “I’m a great actress. Now go and check they’ve left the ward. You and I have got work to do.”
FIFTY-TWO
Rob categorically refused to plot or scheme with me until I was officially discharged from hospital so I spent the next couple of days doing everything I could to prove I was well enough to be allowed home. The only downside to the sudden improvement in my health was Rob’s inability to stop the police officers from interviewing me. After Shaun’s visit with Beverly, I’d been able to tell Rob enough that he now believed I was being framed but with nothing more than circumstantial evidence, I needed to tread carefully.
“Just tell them everything and let them talk to Shaun,” Rob had said.
“Sorry Rob, but I can’t.”
“You can’t prove you weren’t drinking,” he said.
“And they can’t prove I was so I don’t really see what the problem is.”
“The problem is it’s your word against that of two police officers.”
I shrugged. “Tell them to come in. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Ten minutes later they left my room, convinced that there was more to my story than I was giving them, but with no evidence of a crime, their hands were tied. Two hours after that, Rob pulled up outside the front of my little home, back in good old Gloddfa Bont. Louise and Grace were waiting for me at the door with my mother standing behind them.
“Welcome home Mum!” Louise said. I winced as she gave me a squeeze. “I’m so sorry.” She dropped her arms quickly and helped me into the house.
“What did I tell you?” My mum was frowning. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what she’d told them.
“Yes Gran, sorry Gran.” Louise winked at me as Grace gave me a gentle hug.
Rob trailed behind us carrying my bag. “I think I’ll leave you in the capable hands of these fine young ladies.” He grinned at my mum and I saw her blush. She’d always had a soft spot for Rob and he liked to play up to it.
“Will you come back in the morning?” I asked. I’d been discharged on the strict instruction that I was to rest but if I didn’t talk to Rob about my case soon, I was likely to go crazy.
“Yes, but not until late morning. I want to hear that you’ve had a good sleep first.” He turned to Grace and Louise. “Think you can persuade her not to overdo it?”
“Leave it to us.”
“Easy.”
Satisfied that I wasn’t about to sneak out of the house any time soon, Rob said his goodbyes and left. My mum closed the door behind him and looked ready to make herself comfy but I needed to get back to normality as quickly as possible.
“Actually Mum, I think we can probably manage from here. I really appreciate you being with the girls though.” I leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, hoping she’d give in graciously and not create a scene.
“Well if you’re sure, it would be nice to get back to my own bed. I dread to think what will have become of my house plants.”
She bustled around, collecting her bag and saying goodbye to the girls, but within ten minutes, she too was gone. I walked into the living room where Louise and Grace were sitting together on the sofa. Louise scooted over and patted the cushion next to her. I sank onto the sofa in the middle of my girls and gave them a hug. It was good to be home.
At half past eleven the following morning there was a knock on the door. Rob was standing on my front door step, a bunch of flowers in his hand.
“Who are those for?” Grace asked as she let him in.
“Who do you think, stupid!” Louise said. “Thanks Rob, they’re lovely. Shall I put them in some water for you?”
I nodded and then pulled on my jacket.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Rob was frowning. “You’re meant to be resting.”
“I was hoping I could rest in the passenger seat of your car while you take me for a little drive.”
“And where would we be driving to exactly?”
“Nowhere in particular,” I said. I kissed Louise and Grace on the head, then before Rob could protest, walked out to his car.
He followed behind and opened the door for me. “Bollocks! Where are we actually going?”
I eased myself into the car before replying. “I need to get a car.”
“Not yet you don’t. You have days of recuperating ahead of you.”
“But Gloddfa Bont’s miles from anywhere. I feel like I’m a kid again, having to get a lift from my dad!”
Rob smiled. “Quite right too. Need to make sure you’re not getting into any mischief.”
“Can we at least go and look at the options? Then when I’m ready to buy, I’ll know what I want.”
Rob sighed. “Alright then.” He started the engine and headed out of the village. “One of the lads in the station knows a bit about cars. We could ask him to tag along, check under the bonnet for you.”
“How about we do that when I’ve found one I like?”
Rob agreed and took me to one of the car outlets off the M4. Half an hour later we were back in his car, speeding away from the place as if our lives depended on it.
“Bunch of crooks!” Rob grumbled.
“I thought that last one was really nice. The red one?”
“It was at least two grand over priced. Forget it, you’re not getting a car from a place like that. I’ll come to Gloddfa Bont and drive you around everywhere myself if I have to.”
But you wouldn’t always take me where I actually want to go. I kept that thought to myself and just smiled. “Since we’ve got a bit of time, do you think you could do me one more favour?”
Rob sighed again. “Now what?”
“Don’t be like that. I just want to see the place where I had my accident.”
“Why?”
“To see if it jogs any memories.”
“You told Shaun that the doctor said that wouldn’t happen.”
“Yeah, that was a lie. I think you’ll find I remember an awful lot more than I let on to our Mr O’Leary. Come on, I’ll show you.”
Rob turned the car round and we were soon headed to a very familiar part of town.
FIFTY-THREE
I wasn’t sure if I’d recognise the spot exactly but I needn’t have worried, there were skid marks on the road and one part of the hedge had been completely flattened. Seeing the evidence of my accident laid out in clear view made my insides wobble.
I felt Rob’s hand on my arm. “You sure this is a good idea?”
I nodded and led him to where the hedge had been destroyed. “I don’t remember this at all though. This is where the van landed?”
“Yep, although it’s not quite as horrific as it looks. You did a full spin but landed on the side. Upside down isn’t quite so pretty.”
I winced and tried not to think about it. “How do they know I did a spin?”
Rob pointed at the marks on the road. “While you were laid up in the hospital, we had a whole team of experts down here with their tape measures. They can find out all kinds of things. Speed, direction of impact. It’s clever stuff.”
“Sounds it. What about the other car?”
“Nothing yet. If it wasn’t for the paint on the side of your van, we wouldn’t have known there’d been a third party involved.”
“Well, that and the fact that I saw it.” I felt indignant.
“Number plate?”
My cheeks flushed with colour. “I didn’t think of it at first and by the time I did, he was too close to see it.”
“Shame. What about the driver?”
“We’ve been through this already. It was Shaun.”
Rob sighed. “But without a description of the driver, we’ve got nothing.”
“Go round to his house, or his parent’s house. Look in the garage or something. I bet you’ll find a black beat up car in there.”
“Even if you’re right, I can’t go marching in there without a warrant and I’m not going to get a warrant based on a throwaway comment he made when you were drugged up to your eyeballs on pain medication.”
“You heard him too!” I couldn’t understand why Rob was being so thick. “And I wasn’t on that much pain meds. I know what he said.”
Rob didn’t say anything. He walked back to his car and started the engine. I waited on the side of the road for a few minutes, looking at the carnage and whispering a thank you to anyone who might be listening. I ached all over, my legs still looked like someone had beaten them with a club and then done a dot to dot on them, and I was starting to worry the headaches I’d been getting every night might never go away, but I was alive. Judging by the scene in front of me, that was no small miracle. I walked back to the car and we drove to Gloddfa Bont in silence.
“I won’t come in,” Rob said, when he pulled up in front of my house.
“Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Maybe. I’ve got a bit of work to catch up on though.” He smiled. “And you need to rest.”
I gave him a mock salute and walked back into the house. After what I’d seen that afternoon, resting was the last thing on my mind.
When I woke the following morning, I was itching to get to work. I got showered and dressed as quietly as I could, keen not to wake the girls, and then rang Rob to ask if he’d give me a lift to Burry Port. His reply was brief and to the point. “No. Stay at home and rest.”
Not wanting him to suspect I wasn’t doing as I was told, I of course agreed then walked the short distance from the house to the bus stop.
By the time the bus arrived, my body was starting to ache and I wondered if maybe public transport hadn’t been such a good idea after all, but having paid my fare I was on my way. Half an hour later and we were still miles away. It seemed like every two hundred metres, the bus stopped to pick up yet another passenger. The driver had made it his personal mission to greet every single person joining the bus with joy and delight. It was infuriating. No wonder public transport is dead in this country! I considered asking the driver to stop so I could phone a taxi but I hadn’t got a new phone yet so I was forced to stick with the original plan and practice patience.
Finally, just when I thought I couldn’t take it any longer, I saw the sign announcing our arrival in Burry Port. I knew it would be a few more minutes before we arrived at the bus stop but I felt myself relax. I was almost back on the case. I gazed out of the window as we meandered along the road, taking in the view. It was quite a pretty little place. Suddenly I realised the road we were on was going to take us past the road that led to the old hotel. I sat up straight in my seat, keen to see if I could spot the hotel from this angle.
Less than a minute later my persistence was rewarded. Not only could I see the hotel from this angle, thanks to the added height of the bus, I could actually see more of the rear of the building than I could when I’d driven past in the car. I don’t know what I expected to see but what I definitely hadn’t anticipated was great plumes of smoke coming from the back of the building. I hadn’t noticed the chimney on my last visit but there was no missing it now as the smoke came pouring out of it. For an abandoned building, it was displaying an awful lot of life. I wondered what Rob and his faceless colleagues investigating the place would make of it. I was itching to get off the bus and investigate right there and then but I knew I couldn’t risk falling through any more floors, not in my current condition. After promising myself that I’d be back, I stuck with the original plan and headed over to the charity shop to see Beverly. I just had to hope Shaun wouldn’t make today the one day he chose to visit his beloved in her place of work.
FIFTY-FOUR
The walk from the bus stop to the charity shop only took a few minutes but by the time I arrived, I was out of breath. As soon as I was completely fit and well, I needed to get into some sort of training regime, unless of course I decided to pack the whole private investigator business in. That wasn’t a real possibility but it had crossed my mind. Plumbing was definitely a lot less dangerous, even if it was a bit dull.
I walked into the charity shop and was greeted by a friendly looking man I didn’t recognise. “Good morning, how are we today?”
“Good thanks. Is Beverly around?” I didn’t want to explain who I was unless I had to, just in case the man knew Shaun. “I just need a quick word.”
“She’s out the back. Let me get her for you.” He walked through the doors that led to the store room and I heard him calling out in a sing song voice as he went. “Bev love? There’s someone here to see you.”
Beverly smiled when she saw me. “Charlie! What are you doing here?”
“I was just passing and I wondered if I could take you out for a quick coffee,” I said. “If you think you can spare her?” I turned to the man who smiled.
“Of course, you girls go and have a catch up. I’ll be just fine here.”
Not waiting to be told twice, Beverly grabbed her jacket and we were soon out the door.
“Where would you recommend?” I asked.
“I know just the place.”
She led us down the main street, towards the railway station. I smiled to myself as she pushed open the door to a little cafe that overlooked the platform. If Rob could see me now. A little home from home.
“How’s this? It doesn’t look like much but the cakes are homemade.”
“This is perfect!”
I followed her to a table in the corner and let her order for both of us. When I pulled out my purse she insisted it was her treat. “It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”
“Nonsense. I didn’t even find Tortoise in the end.”
“Maybe not directly, but I have a feeling that if you hadn’t been trying as hard as you were, she might never have come home.”
There was an edge to her voice that was unfamiliar.
“Is everything okay Beverly?”
She smiled a watery smile. “Of course, why shouldn’t it be?”
I decided against pushing her, the last thing I wanted was to make the poor woman cry, not yet at least. I thought about all the things I wanted to ask her and wondered how she’d react when I told her about Shona. I didn’t have to wait long to find out.
“Well this is nice,” she said when the waitress brought a tray of goodies to our table. We watched her unload the treats. When she was gone, Beverly turned her attention back to me. “Why are you really here Charlie?”
I took a deep breath and then dived right in. “Did Shaun ever mention that he has a sister?”
“A sister? My Shaun? No?” She looked confused. “Whoever told you that?”
“Just something that came up as a part of my inquiries.”
“I think someone’s been pulling your leg Charlie. You’ve met Declan of course but it’s only the two of them.”
>
I shook my head. “You’ve met her. You remember the volunteer you told me about?”
Beverly’s jaw nearly hit the table when I said this. “But that’s just not possible … I would have known. I mean, how?”
She opened and closed her mouth, struggling to process this new information. “And you’re quite sure she’s Shaun’s sister?”
I nodded. “Sorry Beverly, I know this is a shock. Thing is, it’s now even more important that I find her. You sure you don’t know anything that might help me track her down?”
“What’s she done? Tortoise is home now so …”
“This is for a different case.”
“You’ve taken another case already?” She sounded shocked. “But you’ve only just come out of hospital. Are you sure that’s wise?”
I smiled. “You sound like my mother.”
“She sounds like a very wise lady.”
“Do me a favour, if you ever meet her, please don’t tell her that. It’ll only go to her head!”
This made Beverly smile. It was then that I realised it was the first time I’d seen her smile properly for weeks. She’d been delighted when her dog had been found of course, but this was different. It was a relaxed, contented kind of smile. I thought back over my encounter with the lady in front of me, trying to identify when she’d stopped smiling. With a start, I realised it was about the same time Shaun had arrived back from his work travels.
Beverly’s voice got my attention and I realised she was looking at me, waiting for me to say something.
“Sorry Beverly, I was miles away. What did you say?”
“I was just saying that that explains why she looked so familiar. Not that I realised it at the time. But something about her niggled at me. I know why now.”
I nodded. “Her name’s Shona. Is that the name she gave you?”
Beverly shook her head sadly. “She told us her name was Sam. I remember it clearly because that was the name of my cat when I was a kid. I wish I’d known. Maybe I could have helped. She seemed quite mixed up.”
