For Better For Worse (38 page)

With Lu-Lu ‘helping’ Judith get Edward into the pram, Lottie rang the hospital. ‘Detective Truman and Sarah are on their way back home,’ she said as she put the receiver back on its rest.

‘I’ll pop in on the way and tell Annie,’ said Judith. Lu-Lu was quite happy to go with Mrs Mitchell, but they put on her walking reins, ‘just in case’. There was a lot of waving and blowing of kisses but the three of them were soon on their way. They were so taken up with playing a game of peek-a-boo that Mrs Mitchell didn’t notice the solitary black Bentley following her at a distance.

*

The journey back to Worthing had been difficult. Bear longed to comfort Sarah, but under the circumstances he could do little more than squeeze her hand. He knew the moment he touched her romantically he would never be able to hold himself in check. She sat next to him, dry-eyed. It’s the shock, he thought to himself. There were still questions to be asked. Kaye hadn’t told them anything about the accident: why she was with Henry or how the car came to crash. The Horsham police had ascertained that the car was brand spanking new. It had been frustrating that she had lost consciousness after she had spoken to Sarah. She hadn’t been able to tell him anything of significance. The sister had explained it was because she was so weak. The accident itself, her underlying illness and the fact that she had lost so much blood; everything conspired against her. Kaye never stood a chance. In the early hours of the morning, she had died.

As they neared Worthing, although she was visibly upset, Sarah began asking questions. ‘I still can’t believe what she said about her daughter.’

‘Did you know she had a child?’

‘No … well, yes,’ said Sarah. ‘We were having a heart to heart once and she told me she’d had a baby.’

‘Henry’s?’

‘As a matter of fact, no,’ said Sarah. ‘She told me she was already pregnant when she married Henry, but she told us that the baby was stillborn.’

‘But Henry told her that the baby hadn’t died,’ said Bear.

‘He must have done,’ Sarah frowned. ‘She once told me that she’d almost died herself, but surely they would have told her if the baby had lived?’

‘She could have been confused,’ said Bear.

‘She didn’t seem confused to me,’ said Sarah. ‘Desperate yes, but not confused.’ She glanced across at him. ‘Didn’t you think she sounded very scared when she told us to keep Henry away from Edward?’

‘As a matter of fact, I did,’ said Bear.

‘I still don’t understand what happened all those years ago,’ said Sarah. ‘Kaye told me that she’d had a Caesarean birth and was out of it for a few days. If she was right about Henry, he must have done it because he didn’t want the baby.’

‘In that case, he’s a very dangerous man.’

They fell silent. Bear was more anxious than ever to get Henry into custody. He was a man out of control. Who knew what he’d do next? Sarah was remembering the man she had married and comparing it to his behaviour towards Jenny that night when they’d gone to Annie’s place in Horsham. Then there was what he’d done to Jenny’s plait. Dear God … it was like something out of a horror movie. It was like he was two different people.

‘I’ve got Kaye’s suitcase in the back,’ said Bear. ‘I’m going to have to go through it. The local bobbies said she had some paperwork with her.’

Sarah nodded. After a little while she said, ‘Kaye and Henry married in 1930. The baby was born a few months later. Is it possible to find out if what she said was true … that the baby lived? I know where her marriage certificate is kept. There may be other personal papers.’

‘It’s possible,’ said Bear. ‘Leave it with me and I’ll see what I can do.’

Sarah nodded, satisfied.

‘Sarah,’ said Bear cautiously, ‘you do realise that with Henry missing and Kaye dead, we’re going to have to treat this accident as suspicious. The police will want to search the house.’

Sarah was silent for a while and then she said, ‘I have no right to object anyway. I’m only a lodger and now that this has happened, when it’s all over, we’ll all be homeless again, I guess.’

‘Don’t do anything until the Will is read,’ said Bear. ‘Sit tight for as long as you can.’

‘Whatever happens,’ said Sarah quietly, ‘would I be allowed to arrange her funeral?’

‘That’s up to the next of kin,’ said Bear.

‘As far as we know, Henry and Lottie are her only living relatives,’ said Sarah.

*

The shop was crowded when Judith arrived. The queue was out of the door. Judith could see Annie busy serving customers with sweets. Today was the day sweet rationing officially ended. At this rate, the shopkeepers would be hard put to keep up with the demand. She put the pram brake on and left Edward with Lu-Lu tied to the pram handle by her walking reins outside while she pushed her way into the shop.

‘’Ere,’ a fat woman complained. ‘Get back in the queue and wait yer turn.’

‘I’m not buying,’ said Judith irritably. ‘I just want to give someone a message.’

But the crowd didn’t like it, probably because they didn’t believe her. ‘Oi, stop her, will you,’ someone cried and people began to push and shove.

Judith protested and fought back until a man grabbed at her coat and pulled her back towards the door. ‘Unhand me at once,’ she cried. ‘How dare you!’

‘Then get to the back of the queue.’

‘I’m not here to buy sweets. I need to talk to someone.’

‘Well, you can wait yer turn like everybody else,’ said the man indignantly.

‘I have to give my daughter a very important message.’

The noise inside and out of the shop was escalating. Children were being trampled on as adults pushed and shoved each other in the crush by the doorway.

‘Now, now, there’s no need to push.’ Mr Richardson came from behind the tobacco counter with his hands in the air. ‘Calm down everybody please. You’ll all get your …’ He was cut off in mid-sentence when somebody accidentally smacked him on the nose and knocked off his glasses.

Annie was trapped behind her counter and could do nothing about it, except shout up the stairs for Mrs Richardson to come and help them.

‘’Ere, I was before you.’

‘Ow! That was my foot you trod on.’

Her employer’s wife seldom came into the shop but she was an able-bodied woman with a commanding voice. ‘Form an orderly queue or we’re shutting the shop,’ she bellowed. It did little to help.

‘Get your elbow out of my ear.’

‘Quarter of pear drops, please.’

‘Watch what you’re doing with that umbrella, mate.’

Judith managed to get far enough inside to catch her daughter’s eye. ‘Annie.’

‘Mum!’

‘It’s all right, darling. Sarah and the policeman are on their way back,’ Judith cried as she was propelled back through the door again.

The angry crowd continued to berate her as Judith walked to the pram. Lu-Lu was standing there, frightened and crying. Judith knelt down to comfort her and wiped her tear-stained cheeks with her own handkerchief. Once the child was calm again, she got to her feet and looked inside the pram. Her heart almost stopped. The pram was empty. Edward was gone.

*

Mrs Goodall put the finishing touches of lipstick on her mouth and rubbed her lips together. She patted her hair and slipped her feet into her best court shoes. It didn’t take long to go from her house to the door of Copper Beeches, and almost as soon as she rang the bell, Lottie snatched open the door.

‘Oh,’ she said as soon as she saw her neighbour. ‘Sorry, but we were expecting someone else.’

‘My dear,’ gushed Mrs Goodall. ‘As soon as I heard the SOS on the radio, I just had to come over to say how sorry I am that dear Kaye is in hospital.’

Lottie blinked in surprise. Mrs Goodall being nice? This was a turn-up for the books.

‘How is she?’ Mrs Goodall went on. ‘Can I come in for a minute?’ There was little point in Lottie telling her it wasn’t convenient. Mrs Goodall had already pushed her way into the hallway. She gave Lottie a polite nod and patted her hair again. ‘When did she go into hospital? I had no idea she was ill.’

The silence hung between them until Lottie said, ‘Actually, she was in a motor car accident.’

‘Oh my dear!’ said Mrs Goodall, putting her hand to her cheek. ‘How terrible. Poor girl.’

Lottie frowned crossly. Something wasn’t quite right. Mrs Goodall had nothing but complaints about them, and now here she was, behaving as if she was Kaye’s best friend.

‘I had no idea Mrs Royale’s husband was around,’ Mrs Goodall went on. ‘I rather assumed he’d been killed in the war. Well, you live and learn, don’t you? I was shocked when I heard it on the radio …’

‘Mrs Goodall …’ said Lottie, taking a deep breath.

‘Now you mustn’t be upset, my dear,’ Mrs Goodall butted in. ‘These things happen. You know I had no idea she’s really Kaye Hambledon, the famous writer. I have admired her plays on the radio for some time.’

They heard the key go in the door, and when it opened, Sarah and Bear came in. They both looked tired, but Sarah looked awful. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was pale.

‘Detective Truman,’ said Mrs Goodall. ‘I was just saying to Lottie that I was so upset to hear about Mrs Royale that I had to come straight over. Have you any more news?’

‘Mrs Goodall, could you come back later? It’s not very convenient right now,’ said Sarah stiffly.

‘Oh, don’t mind me,’ said Mrs Goodall. ‘I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.’

Lottie put her hand to her mouth. Bear sensed the problem at once. Now was not the time to cope with a nosy neighbour. ‘I think it best if you go, madam, if you don’t mind,’ he said politely. ‘I’m afraid I shall be here for some time.’

‘You’ll want to hear what I’ve got to say about that man I saw creeping around the garden last night,’ Mrs Goodall insisted.

‘I shall send a constable around to take a statement,’ said Bear. He opened the door wide, making it impossible for Mrs Goodall to stay. ‘Goodbye Mrs Goodall,’ he said pointedly.

‘Well, I’m glad that you are looking into it,’ she said haughtily. ‘I must say, that if you had acted when I first called, you might have caught the wretched man by now.’

As the door closed behind her, Sarah and Lottie exchanged a nervous smile.

‘It’s bad, isn’t it?’

Sarah nodded. ‘Kaye died at about five o’clock this morning.’

‘Oh …’ said Lottie.

They stood together, the silence between them hanging heavily in the air, then Sarah reached out and Lottie went into her arms. As they cried together softly, Bear made his way into the kitchen to make tea.

*

Judith felt her knees buckle as she looked up and down the street. Everything around her seemed normal. Fifty yards up the road, a road sweeper scooped some dirt onto his shovel and lobbed it into his handcart. Several women wandered by, heading in the direction of the town. By Warnes Hotel, a man with a suitcase was getting out of a taxi and giving the driver the fare. Judith scanned the area wildly but she couldn’t see anybody with a baby in their arms.

She crouched down to Lu-Lu. ‘Where’s Edward?’ She was doing her best not to let her highly anxious state frighten the child. ‘Did you see who took him?’

Tears filled the child’s eyes.

‘I’m not cross with you, darling,’ said Judith, ‘but you must tell me if you saw someone taking the baby.’

Lu-Lu’s chin quivered.

‘Where’s the baby?’ Judith’s voice was shrill.

‘You all right, love?’ One of the customers had come out of the sweet shop and was looking at her.

‘The baby,’ said Judith. ‘Someone has taken the baby.’

The woman stared at the crumpled sheet with a blank expression. ‘Who?’

A couple of other passers-by stopped next to the pram.

‘Edward,’ cried Judith. She was beginning to sound hysterical now. ‘My grandson. He’s gone. I left him for one minute while I gave my daughter an urgent message and when I got back to the pram … he was gone!’

‘Perhaps the little girl saw what happened,’ said one of the women bending down to the child. ‘Did you see the nasty stranger what took your little brother?’

Lu-Lu began to cry. Judith picked Lu-Lu up and let her straddle her hip. She couldn’t stand around talking about it. She had to go and look for him. She had to find Edward. She raced along the Steyne, calling to everyone she saw, ‘Did you see someone carrying a small baby? My grandson has been snatched. Have you seen someone with a small baby? My grandson has been taken. Have you seen anyone with a little baby?’ By the time Judith came back up the other side of the Steyne, a small crowd had gathered by the pram.

‘Any luck?’ asked the first woman.

Pale and breathless, Judith shook her head. ‘I’ll have to tell my daughter. I don’t know what she’s going to say.’

‘If you want my opinion,’ someone said, ‘you’d better call the police.’

*

‘Is Lottie all right?’ Bear was still sitting at the kitchen table when Sarah came back downstairs.

‘She’s resting on her bed,’ said Sarah, taking her coat off at last. ‘It’s been a bitter blow.’

‘I’d better report in,’ said Bear, picking up the telephone. ‘Tell them where I am.’

Sarah left him to speak to his superiors in private.

‘It’s a bit of a waiting game,’ he said when he’d finished. ‘We’ve got people searching for Henry, and the local bobby is checking outhouses and barns in the area in case he’s holed up somewhere. We’re also keeping an eye out at the station and on the buses.’

Sarah nodded dully. She lowered herself into a chair and put her head in her hands.

‘The police came here last night,’ he went on. ‘Somebody reported a man hanging about in the garden.’

‘Mrs Goodall?’ said Sarah.

‘The call came from this house,’ said Bear.

‘Lottie never mentioned it,’ Sarah said looking up.

‘Other things on her mind,’ said Bear. ‘Apparently the local bobby found a footprint in the flower bed under the kitchen window. I don’t suppose you can remember Henry’s shoe size?’

‘Nine.’

Bear nodded. ‘The shoe print was a man’s shoe size nine.’

‘This is getting scary,’ said Sarah.

‘There will be extra patrols in the area tonight and all this week,’ he said reassuringly. ‘Please don’t worry. We will get him.’