Chapter 18

Ruth Owen was nothing like Alison had imagined. She came to the door looking flustered but none-the-less perfectly-groomed and manicured, her clothes hanging elegantly on her slender form, her hair cut in the latest style.

"Oh thank you, so much, I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't rung. I thought my friend was picking her up."

I bet you did, thought Alison.

"Come in, Sweetie. I'll make your tea in a minute."

Patsy went in and started up the stairs, casting a look over her shoulder that said volumes.

"Well, right, I'll be off then."Half-way down the path, Alison hesitated and looked back. Ruth Owen was still standing in the doorway smiling her vacuous smile.

"I could drop her off every night, if you like. It's on my way home anyway."

"Oh, would you?"Ruth's smile became a tad more genuine. "I'd be so grateful."She waved her hands about in a brief, meaningless gesture. "I'm so busy, you know, what with ..."

She tailed off, aware that Alison wasn't really listening.

"Well, thank you."And she went inside and closed the door.

I could be anybody, Alison thought. She didn't ask for any identification. She's just entrusted her child to a complete stranger! What a waste of space!

~ * ~

"What I don't understand is why she didn't send me another postcard, just to tell me she wasn't coming back."

Alison and Patsy were sitting on the wall by the school gate, Patsy idly swinging her legs against the brick-work.

"Maybe she was ashamed."Alison dived into her briefcase and fetched out her emergency bar of chocolate. This seemed as good an emergency as any. "Here, have half."

"Thank you."Patsy began eating the chocolate with a singleness of purpose that suggested that Alison had successfully diverted her attention. Then, "Why should she be ashamed? Nobody's going to blame her."

"She might blame herself,"Alison said. "She might think she wasn't brave enough to deal with it. That she should have stayed for your sake. Oh, I don't know. Maybe she thought it really was her job to look after your granny."

"Yes, I suppose so,"Patsy said, finishing the last of the chocolate and carefully inspecting the wrapper and her fingers for any bits she may have missed. "I'd just have liked to have known, though. If I just knew what had happened and where she was so I could write to her."

"Will your mummy mind if you're a little bit late?"Alison said, standing up and bending for her briefcase.

"I doubt if she'd even notice."Alison was captivated by the child's adult turn of phrase. Such a sweetie!

"Then let's go to my place and play with Jessica."

Patsy's face lit up in a beaming smile. "You've got Jessica? I was so worried about her being on her own."

"Sorry, I should have told you before. I brought her home on Monday. She was so lonely in the cottage."Alison permitted herself a small smile. "Your Auntie June's going to have to fight for her when she gets back. None of us want to give her up."

Patsy grinned and jumped down from the wall.

~*~

"I want to go and see for myself."Alison leant forward across the counter. "Can you book me a holiday in the same place?"

Heather looked worried. "You're a teacher. You can't just go haring off to Spain. You'll get the sack!"

Alison smiled. "I didn't mean straight away. Half term."

Heather raised her eyebrows, "I thought it was urgent."

"I thought so too, but I can't risk my job. And anyway, I don't think it's so urgent anymore."

Heather continued to look questioningly at her.

"She had a reason."Alison went on. "A reason for not coming back. It seems her sisters,"she said the word through gritted teeth, "had decided that she was going to become full-time carer for their mother. That's why she went to Spain in the first place - to avoid committing herself for Christmas. I can well imagine that at the last minute, when it was time to go home, she just baulked and decided to stay."

"Not quite Shirley Valentine,"Heather murmured, "but not far off. When do you want to go then?"

Alison got out her school diary. "Half term's from the tenth to the nineteenth."

"Inclusive?"

"No, sorry. We go back on the nineteenth. So, as much as I can get of the nine days."

Heather looked at her screen and started tapping on her keyboard. "I see no reason why you couldn't have the whole nine days,"she said. "Leave it with me and I'll put a package together."

"How much is it going to cost?"Alison asked, thinking of her precious savings.

"Not a lot. Not in February."Heather paused. "Can you drive?"

"Yes, I passed my test last year. My dad bought me lessons for my birthday and I passed first time,"she said, with ill-concealed pride.

Heather smiled at her. "Well done. It took me three goes. So, let's see - you've had your licence for a year?"

Alison stirred uncomfortably on the plastic chair. "Well, about eight months actually."

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

"I think the only thing that's likely to be expensive is the hire car. A lot of companies won't rent to drivers under the age of twenty-five because the insurance is so high. But I'll ring round and see what I can do. Can you -"

"Come back after work?"Alison finished for her. "Of course."

She picked up her briefcase and began to walk out.

"Alison?"

She turned back.

"Are you sure about this? There's still all the other stuff we were worried about. It might be dangerous."

Alison swallowed. She was actually feeling rather nervous about the whole thing, but she felt she couldn't get on with her life until she'd found out what had happened to Miss Blacker. And then there was the child, Patsy, to consider. She had promised her she would do her best to find out and she could see no other way to do it. "Yes,"she said. "I'm sure."