The Accidental Guest (9 page)

‘Perhaps she won’t notice tonight and I can have another look around tomorrow.’

‘Maybe you dropped it in the snow?’ Gina suggested. ‘When it melts we can take a look outside for you.’

‘I’d appreciate that. Here…’ he pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and began to scroll down a list. ‘I’ll give you my phone number in case it turns up. Is that ok?’

‘Of course.’ Hannah pulled an envelope from a pile on the shelf and turned it over to write his number on the back. ‘I’ll let you know if I find anything.’

‘Brilliant. Well, I’d better go home and face the music,’ he said.

‘Good luck,’ Gina smiled.

As they saw him to the door, Hannah burned to ask him the question that she knew would draw a disapproving look from Gina. Eventually, she could stand it no longer. Gina could disapprove as much as she wanted, but she had to know.

‘The guy you took from here…’ she began.

He turned on the front doorstep to face her. ‘The man with no name?’ he smiled. ‘I don’t think he was in accident and emergency for long. I think he was taken onto a ward not long after we left him.’

‘Do you know which ward?’

‘I couldn’t tell you. It’s likely one of the assessment units. They don’t stay long on those, though. After that I don’t know which one he’ll be moved to; it depends on what they decide is wrong with him, but I expect they’ll keep him overnight for observation in light of his injuries.’

‘His head wasn’t that bad, was it?’ Gina asked.

‘Not on the outside, but it’s not normal to forget who you are, is it?’ he said.

‘I suppose not,’ Gina replied.

‘So he didn’t manage to remember anything while you were with him?’ Hannah put in.

‘Not a dickie bird. I’d say he almost wanted to forget. It takes some doing to erase everything from your head so completely.’

Hannah nodded. She was thoughtful for a moment. ‘We were going to phone tonight but do you think it’s worth me going to visit tomorrow?’

The man gave a faint look of surprise. ‘You could, though I’m not quite sure how you’d find him in either case.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You don’t know his name. If you don’t know his name how will you know who to ask for?’

‘And I suppose it might confuse him even more if we turn up, mightn’t it?’ Gina looked carefully at Hannah. ‘It might be wise to
leave well alone
.’

‘You’re probably right,’ the paramedic said. ‘Although I’m sure he’d appreciate a friendly face in his position. I know I would.’

Hannah realised that she had probably got as much information as she was going to get tonight. She was sure he would help more if he could, but he probably wasn’t allowed to. After he had bid them a cheery farewell, Hannah closed the door with a sigh.

Jess grinned as she looked from her to Gina and back again. ‘Weirdest. Christmas. Ever.’

*

Hannah rolled over and glared at the clock by her bed. It was just past seven, but she’d already been awake for an hour, annoyed with herself that she couldn’t just go back to sleep. She’d had enough brandy the evening before to comfortably floor her – at least, it would have done on a normal night – but something was keeping her awake.

There was no point lying in bed any longer, and knowing that a mountain of unwashed dishes festered in the sink downstairs because she’d been too tired and too drunk to care about them the night before, Hannah threw her legs over the side of the bed and into her slippers. So much for her usual lazy Boxing Day lie-in.

Peering through a crack in the curtains, she inspected the weather as she tied her dressing gown. Yesterday’s snow still lay deep, the dents of their footsteps glistening on the path from the light of her garden lamp, and the lane was quiet and still under its muffling blanket. It was so peaceful Hannah realised she was actually quite glad she was up to see it after all. She started to think about transport. She didn’t fancy her chances of driving; the snow was still deep despite the fact that the sky looked clear and promised no more. On a normal day the snow ploughs would be out and, failing that, one of the neighbouring farmers would do the job with a tractor. But it was Boxing Day and who cared about ploughing snow today? She could safely assume that buses would have the same problem as her car – and it was a pretty scant service from here on a normal working day – and while there was a little station running the short train route less than a twenty-minute walk from her house, there was never a service on the day after Christmas. Gina would say she was crazy for wanting to get to Millrise today and there was no reason for her even to try. If Hannah tried to explain the
reasons why she felt compelled to make the journey, Gina would say she was even crazier. Hannah couldn’t explain it, and it
was
crazy, but she needed to go all the same.

It was at times like this when Hannah questioned the wisdom of wanting to live in the country. Letting the curtain fall back into place, she stretched, and decided to go and hunt for the posh hazelnut coffee she kept for special days. She would be drinking it alone for now, but she figured she deserved a little Christmas treat and a quiet hour by herself before Gina and Jess got up and made the place mad again.

*

It was around ten when Gina finally emerged from her bedroom. ‘Wow…’ she said as she came into the kitchen where Hannah was sweeping the floor. ‘What time did you get up? It must have been early to get what we left out last night cleaned up.’

‘It wasn’t that bad really,’ Hannah lied as she leaned the brush up against a unit. ‘Do you want some breakfast?’

Gina put a tentative hand to her head. ‘Maybe just a coffee for now. And a stomach pump if you have one; my body’s protesting my Christmas excesses.’

Hannah laughed. ‘Sit down. Is Jess still asleep?’

‘She won’t be up yet. She sleeps in until midday on a normal weekend, so we probably won’t see her today at all.’

Hannah nodded. Gina was probably more right about this than she knew. She had seen Jess down a lot more than the one bottle of beer Gina had allowed. Not that she was going to give the game away. ‘Let her sleep. She needs it at her age. I seem to recall you being just the same.’

Gina took a seat at the table. ‘I would have been, except that you kept waking me when you got up at stupid o’clock.’

‘You were my big sister. That’s what little sisters do.’

‘Little pain you mean.’

‘You should be happy I looked up to you and wanted to spend time with you.’

‘Now, maybe. Back then I wanted to strangle you.’

‘Was I that bad?’ Hannah asked, filling the kettle. Gina grinned.

‘I suppose you were ok. For a little pipsqueak.’ She propped her head up on a hand and leaned on the table. ‘So, what’s the plan for today?’

Hannah shrugged. She tried to look casual. She had a plan, but Gina wasn’t going to like it. But then Gina didn’t have to come if she didn’t want to. There was nothing to stop her and Jess staying in the house while Hannah went alone; she wouldn’t be more than a few hours and they were perfectly capable of making themselves at home while she was gone. ‘It’s not snowing and it doesn’t look as if there was any more last night.’

‘That’s good. Not that I plan on going anywhere. I was thinking
The Lord of the Rings
, all three films back to back. That should keep us good until bedtime, and we can slot in our Christmas dinner somewhere in between.’

‘We could…’ Hannah began.

‘What?’ Gina looked up sharply. ‘I recognise that tone. You’re going to say something idiotic, aren’t you?’

‘I thought I might go out, get some air.’

‘A walk down the lane? It might kill me but we could try.’

‘A bit further than the lane. I was thinking Millrise.’

‘What for? There’s nothing to see there on normal days, let alone today.’

‘That’s harsh. I happen to think it’s quite a nice little town.’

‘You’ve just described everything I think is wrong with it in that one sentence.’

‘Why are you leaving Birmingham and coming back then?’

Gina frowned, and Hannah knew from her expression it was best not to pursue that thread any further. It had been a low blow really, but sometimes, when Gina criticised her life choices, it made her defensive and say things she wished she hadn’t. It had always been the same, even when they were kids. Hannah paused. And then gave up trying to skirt the issue. It wasn’t as if Gina couldn’t see right through her anyway.

‘I want to go and see if Tom’s ok.’

Gina groaned. ‘Oh, God… I knew this was coming.’

‘Yeah, so you’re about to tell me what you think.’

‘I think you’re asking for trouble.’

‘Ok. Now I wish I hadn’t said anything.’

‘So do I.’

‘So…?’

Gina shrugged. ‘You’ll go no matter what I say, so if you’re looking for some kind of approval, I don’t see the point in this conversation.’

Hannah gave a brief nod. ‘I can’t rest not knowing what’s happened.’

‘Even if you go bombing up to the hospital, you heard what that paramedic said last night. The hospital is a big place. How are we going to find a nameless man amongst all those patients?’

‘That in itself is unusual enough to make someone remember him,’ Hannah insisted. ‘Someone will have taken notice enough to know what happened.’

‘They might. But they probably wouldn’t tell us. I’m pretty sure they have rules about giving information to complete strangers.’

‘They don’t know we’re strangers.’

‘Yes they do. If we weren’t we’d know his name and be taking him home.’

Hannah bit her lip. That actually sounded like a mad but appealing prospect.

‘For that matter…’ Gina continued, ‘he may well have already been claimed. He could be on his way home as we speak.’

Hannah opened her mouth to argue, but then closed it again. She didn’t have an answer, because Gina was right, as she always was. But she still had the irrational urge to drive to the hospital, and she knew that it wouldn’t go away until she’d seen for herself that Tom was safe.

‘You’re still thinking about going, aren’t you?’ Gina frowned at her over the rim of her cup. Hannah gave a slightly apologetic nod; but because she also felt utterly vindicated she wouldn’t apologise, even though she felt the nuisance she was making of herself. Gina sighed. ‘Give me time to pull myself together and I’ll get dressed.’

‘You don’t need to come.’

‘What? Let you go and make a total tool of yourself with no back up? Not likely. Someone’s got to talk some sense into you when you don’t get anywhere and it’s time to admit defeat. Besides, the roads are still dangerous and I’d rather be with you in case you run into trouble on the way there.’

‘What about Jess?’

Gina took a sip of her coffee. ‘We’ll leave her to rot in bed. We’ll be there and back before she’s up and I doubt she’ll even know we’ve been anywhere at all.’

*

An hour later, Hannah had checked visiting times at Millrise General (as everyone still called it, though it now had some fancy and longwinded name that defied anyone who wasn’t a world memory champion to remember it) on their very useful website. She might not get to
visit, and he may not even still be on a ward, but it was worth being prepared just in case. She and Gina were huddled in coats and boots at the front door. Hannah fingered her car keys anxiously. She hated driving in snow, but although she wasn’t looking forward to it, there was no way she was backing out now, not while she had Gina onside.

‘I still think you’re both mad,’ Jess said. She stood before them, still in her pyjamas, twirling a tendril of bed-knotted hair around her index finger.

‘You could come if you don’t want to stay on your own. It would be an adventure,’ Gina said with an impish grin that took twenty years off her.

‘Not bloody likely,’ Jess returned. ‘I’ll sit by the fire and eat all your chocolates while you’re gone.’

‘Don’t you bloody dare!’ Gina shot back. Jess laughed.

‘How long will you be?’

‘A couple of hours.’ Gina glanced at Hannah for confirmation.

‘I hope it won’t be too much longer than that,’ Hannah said. ‘As long as we can get through the snow ok.’

‘I reckon as soon as we get off the tracks and onto the main roads it will be fine,’ Gina said.

‘Probably,’ Hannah agreed, ‘it usually is. We’ve got to get to them first, though.’

Gina gave Jess a brief kiss on the cheek. ‘Be good. And if you must eat chocolate please don’t eat them all.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ll leave you the strawberry creams.’

‘Oh, you little witch!’ Gina squeaked as Jess giggled. And with that, Hannah and Gina stepped out into the still late morning.

The snow had hardened, and it crunched under their boots as they made their way down the drive.

Hannah’s little yellow Citroen looked as if it had been iced like a Christmas cake. ‘The car will take some clearing,’ she said.

‘I don’t think that’s going anywhere,’ Gina said, angling her head at the marooned vehicle.

‘It’s certainly more frozen in than I thought it would be.’

‘We could get the kettle; melt the snow?’ Gina suggested.

‘I don’t want to risk it freezing up again even more solid. The damn thing is temperamental enough as it is and I’m half expecting it not to start… I think we’ll have to dig it out.’

‘God, I wish I’d brought my car now instead of getting the train.’

Hannah gave a rueful smile. ‘I don’t suppose you were expecting to have to go on a crazy mission.’

‘True.’

Hannah planted her hands on her hips and appraised the mound of snow that contained her car. Finally, she let out a sigh. ‘I don’t suppose it’s going to dig itself out; I’d better go and find some kind of implement in the shed.’ She was about to make her way around the back when there was a shout from the lane. She turned to see George. ‘Good morning!’ she called. ‘How was Trixie when you got back to her yesterday?’

‘Oh, she was just about holding on,’ George smiled. ‘But she’s a good little girl and she’d do her best not to make a mess in the house no matter how long I was gone.’

‘Come to get your car?’ Hannah asked.

George nodded. ‘I’m waiting for Paul Hunter’s lad to come down with his tractor from Holly Farm. He said he’d help me dig it out so I could get it back home.’