A Murderer's Heart (12 page)
******
Anne had been sitting on her own in Jenny and David’s kitchen staring into the unused cup thinking about the dreadful turn of events.
David was still upstairs with Jenny, and Meakin had left saying he would be in touch when there was some news.
If?
She felt the lump that had formed in her throat threatening to choke. She tried to focus her mind away from what could have happened to the girls. Nowadays, nothing was withheld from the newspapers – every crime was always promoted in the most gruesome detail. Nobody was spared the awfulness of what could happen to a child – this sold newspapers, the public had a right to know after all!
Anne’s own training and experience also told her that no child was truly safe. There always could be someone waiting in the wings ready to whisk them away for their sick pleasures.
She had always tried to be professional when she treated her patients, but it was difficult when it involved a child. Though it usually came to light that the abuser had once been abused, it never made it any easier. Never one to agree with mob rule or vigilantes, she could understand the motives behind it – when children were involved emotions ran highest.
She needed to talk to someone.
She rang Sam.
After the second ring he answered.
“Sam Nichols.”
His warm voice was immediately comforting.
“Sam, it’s Anne, I...oh dear.”
Tears caught her unawares.
“Anne, what is it? Calm down and tell me, what’s the matter? Where are you?” Sam’s voice held a note of panic. Anne was always able to control her feelings, it was necessary in her job. Something dreadful must have happened for her to sound like this.
Haltingly, between sobs, Anne explained where she was and why.
“Listen, I’ll be right over. Everything will be fine. Don’t worry, I’ll be there soon. Anne, can you hear me?”
“Yes, okay, Sam, thanks, I was hoping you’d come.”
She hung up the ‘phone and went to make yet another drink.
In an unbelievably short time, Sam arrived.
He must have broken every speed limit, she assumed, as she opened the door.
David came dashing down the stairs hoping it may be good news, but stopped half way when he saw it was Sam.
“Hello, Sam – you’ve heard?” he said.
“Hello, David, yes, I’m so sorry. Anne rang me. Is it okay for me to be here?”
“Of course, thanks for your concern. Listen, I must go back to Jenny. The doctor has given her something but she’s not asleep yet. I’ll come down when she is.”
He rushed back up the stairs.
Immediately Sam held Anne in his arms, knowing how much the twins meant to her.
Tears leaked down her face again.
Good dependable Sam, her friend, her rock. Thank God he was here.
They broke apart and went into the kitchen. Yet another pot of tea had gone to waste.
Sam took in the situation, sat Anne down, this time making coffee for the two of them. He found some brandy, and poured in a generous measure.
Anne soon held the steaming cup between her hands, grateful for its warmth. She felt so cold – had done ever since the devastating news.
But Jenny must feel ten times as bad!
“Drink it!” Sam ordered.
He tasted his own.
This was dreadful. How could it have happened?
He looked across at Anne’s pale face hating what he saw. His heart ached for her, knowing how much she loved those children.
“What’s going on?”
She sipped the coffee and told him all she knew.
So much had taken place in such a short time.
He knew of course about Mrs Armstrong, but was ignorant of the murder of Alan Burgess. She told him of Jenny’s stalker and all that Meakin had said. When she had finished telling him about the twins’ disappearance, tears had once more begun to form and silently rolled down her face.
When she’d finished her coffee, he made her another – this time without the brandy.
Sipping more slowly, she began to feel better, easier, more in control. She knew she must, if she was going to be of any use to Jenny and David.
“Thank you, Sam; you’re a good friend. It’s all such a shock, I still can’t believe it.”
Sam noticed some of her colour had returned.
“It’s a lot to take in. It seems to me that you can only concentrate on one thing at the moment and that’s finding the children. You say that it took only moments?”
“Yes, according to Jenny, she’d gone to bring the car round, not wanting to wait until the rain had stopped. And when she came back, they were gone.
“Apparently, Polly, the girl who works at the cinema, hadn’t seen a thing. One second they were there, the next….”
Anne looked down at her cup; she could feel her emotions taking control.
Sam extended his hand and covered hers.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay, they must have wandered off. You know how quickly these things can happen.”
His brown eyes looked deeply into Anne’s, willing her to believe him. They had to be okay. He refused to consider anything else.
David came into the kitchen looking like he’d aged twenty years.
He sat down on one of the chairs while Sam made him a coffee, laced with brandy.
He drank it gratefully.
“Jenny’s finally asleep,” David told them. “She fought it but the medication was stronger. I hope she’s going to be okay. You know how much she cares about the twins. Oh God...my babies!”
David put his face into his hands and broke down.
Sam stood behind his chair and held onto his shoulders, saying nothing.
What was there to say?
Wiping his ravaged face, David looked embarrassed.
He had to be strong; Jenny mustn’t see him like this.
He drank a second cup of coffee.
“You make a good cup, Sam,” David acknowledged, smiling briefly.
“Anne and I want to stay, if that’s okay?” Sam told him.
“There’s no need, really. We’ll let you know if there’s any news,” David responded.
“I’m not going anywhere, David,” Anne stated.
“Neither am I,” agreed Sam.
David gazed at them both.
“Well, okay, if you’re sure? There’s a large sofa in the other room, it’ll be more comfortable than in here. Why don’t you go in there? I must go back to Jenny. I’ll stay with her. Shout if you need anything. Listen, will you take care of any ‘phone calls? I want Jenny to sleep, so I’ll turn off the extension upstairs, seeing as you both insist you stay. And thanks – you’re good friends.”
He walked quickly from the room; they could hear him climb the stairs, this time far slower as if his body were made of concrete.
The two left in the kitchen only stared at each other, then as if by telepathy, cleared the mess of cups and stains before silently walking to the other room.
The ‘phone rang.
Nipping back into the kitchen, Sam reached it first.
An immediate smile brightened his face.
“Thank you, thank you!” he said, put down the ‘phone and then grabbed Anne around the waist and swung her round saying, “They’ve been found – they’re okay!”
David had come bounding down the stairs.
“What, what’s happened?”
Putting Anne down he turned to David and said, “That was Inspector Meakin, the girls have been found.”
“Are they...?”
Sam interrupted. “They’re safe and well. Meakin is bringing them here now. They’re okay, David, they really are.”
David slumped onto the step behind only to jump up again and dash back upstairs.
Anne found herself in Sam’s arms again, but this time with pure joy in her heart.
******
The girls were asleep by the time they arrived home and didn’t look any the worse for their adventure.
Having been taken straight upstairs to bed, Jenny held them, tears of relief on her face.
David watched his wife, knowing that what she had been through would only serve to make her anxieties worse.
Something would have to be done – he would talk to Anne; she would know the best way forward.
Deciding she couldn’t leave them, Jenny delved into the blanket box before throwing a duvet onto the floor.
Telling her he’d be back soon, David made his way back into the kitchen to join the others.
Anne was sitting on the bench, Sam and the Inspector opposite.
Meakin was drinking coffee.
David sat next to Anne and stated, “Jenny is staying with the children but before I go up, I need to talk to you, Anne.”
She could guess what he was about to say.
“You know what this has done to her. She’ll need help. She’ll have to come to terms with this, or she’ll smother the girls with paranoia. I’m scared about what this’ll do to us all. She was nervous enough before, but this…”
Anne patted his arm. He seemed to have aged ten years.
“Don’t worry, David. I know she’s going to require some support. This is enough to scare anyone – she’ll have the help she needs....I’ll make sure of it. I know someone she can talk to. Everything will be fine, I promise. The girls are home, that’s the main thing. Just concentrate on that. Jenny will be okay.”
He nodded; a weak smile on his face, then turned to Inspector Meakin.
“Do you know what happened?”
“Not precisely. Apparently, in the moments that no-one was looking, the girls must have wandered out of a side door. They think the staff entrance was left open by mistake and the girls left that way. It seems the only means by which the girls could have left the building without being seen. The young woman who works behind the sweet counter was caught up with a customer and never noticed them leave their seats. Children are known to be very quick about these things. You must realise that, Mister King?”
He paused, giving David time to take in the news.
“Yes, I remember being scared to death when we’d taken them to the beach one time,” David said. “Jenny and I had only turned round to set up the chairs, when suddenly Sally was splashing in the water. We’d joked that they needed to be on a lead the whole time. Jenny is usually so careful about such things. But yes, they are very quick.”
Meakin continued his tale.
“Somehow, they’d strayed into the shopping area further down from the cinema. Most of the shops were closed at that time. We don’t know what happened exactly in the time they were missing, though it seems odd that nobody saw two small children walking about on their own.
“Luckily, it was the owner of Genelli’s that noticed them. He was sweeping around the front of his shop, ready for closing, when he saw them ambling toward him. They didn’t seem too worried, and were chatting to each other. That in itself seems a little unusual, after all, they’d been missing for two hours, I would have thought they’d want their mother by then and been upset.
“However, Genelli recognised them. He told us that Jenny often popped in and brought the girls with her, saying they loved to explore – and he always gave them a lollipop at the end of their visit. He knew there must be something wrong; Jenny would never leave them on their own like this. He took them into his shop, gave them a lollipop and then called us.
“That’s all we know. The details of this episode do seem strange. I know it’s not unusual for children to go missing but…I can’t put my finger on it. My instincts tell me there’s something not quite right about all this. But that’s my worry, not yours.
“Still, it’s ended happily. Your girls are absolutely fine. They never said much to Genelli, and our children’s officer said they are really too young to give details of their adventure. They may say various things over time – if you notice or hear anything unusual, could you give me a call? Only
they
know exactly what happened.”
Meakin stopped speaking and looked at the other three faces in turn.
David’s showed relief and some puzzlement, while Anne’s held alarm; she felt the familiar knot in her stomach. Sam’s face was inscrutable as usual.
Meakin noticed how often Sam looked over at Anne; his concern for her, obvious.
Anne needed to voice her unease, regardless of how it might worry David.
“Do you think it has anything to do with the person who has been stalking Jenny?” she asked.
