Chosen Child (31 page)

Pulling Soraya behind him, Rick started along the path,
feeling lighter in spite of his headache. It was so lovely; the ever-changing
blue of the ocean as it surged and swelled, stretching on and on to be replaced
by the lighter blue of the sky – the best view in the world. And this might be
his last walk in freedom for – well, that would depend what they convicted him
of, wouldn’t it? He should memorise this scene, build it up layer by layer in
his memory – something to picture during his imprisonment.

‘I’m thirsty. I want my juice.’ Soraya wrenched her hand
free and sat down on a rock to open her rucksack.

Rick plumped down on the turf beside her. They were in full
sunlight here and it was blinding. His head shrieked and he lay flat, pulling
his cap across his eyes as some slight protection, and listening as Soraya
grunted in her efforts to open the carton of juice. A slurping sound told him
she’d succeeded, and Rick felt the world drifting away. The odd seagull cry… the
sound of the waves as they crashed into the rocks… the wind rustling through
the long grass beside him. Such a peaceful place, a beautiful place, sun and
sea and the elements.

When the juice was finished Rick tottered to his feet and
they went on. The path was almost deserted; a lot of people missed this section
out because it was challenging. But the views were stunning, and even in his
weakened state Rick was able to appreciate the seascape in front of him.

‘I want to go back now. I want to go to Mummy.’

The same old whine, and something snapped inside Rick. He
lowered his face to Soraya’s. ‘Just do as you’re damn well told. If you don’t
we won’t ever go back. Got that?’

The terrified expression was back, and she nodded. Rick
wheeled round. On, on.

He staggered, feeling the heat on the back of his neck, oh,
that sun. It was high in the sky, beating down without mercy. His head was
pounding in spite of the sun cap and dark glasses, and when they came to a bend
where the track crept round a rock, sickeningly close to the edge, the vague
nausea in Rick’s middle became acute.

‘Sit down and wait,’ he told Soraya. He dived behind a spur
of rock and vomited violently. For a few seconds he felt better, but as soon as
he straightened up the sickness returned. Rick leaned on the rock, vomiting and
retching and spitting, and then gradually began to feel more normal. Apart from
his head – that was still pounding. He turned back to the track and Soraya.

She was gone. And apart from this rock, there was nowhere
she could be hiding. Panicking, Rick stared round, pain stabbing through his
eyes as his head moved left and right. Where the hell was she? But of course
she’d gone back, back to the café where Mummy was supposedly coming to meet
them. He stumbled a few steps in that direction, then voices behind him made
him flop down on the scrubby grass by the track and pull his cap well over his
eyes.

It was a middle-aged couple and two teenage boys. Lucky
parents, going hiking with their sons. Rick raised his hand in reply when they
greeted him in passing, then rolled onto his front, smelling the sweetness of
the warm grass and shading his eyes from that terrible sun. It was over. His
legs were trembling and there was something wrong with one eye – he couldn’t
hurry after Soraya. She would reach the café before him and everyone there
would witness whatever scene played out then. He wouldn’t get away as lightly
as he’d done in the snack bar yesterday, when they’d met the bikers.

He stood up, then turned left and continued along the track.
He’d go on to Mousehole and contact the police there. They might even be
waiting for him, if Soraya told her story at Lamorna. They might catch him up
before he ever got there.

On and on he blundered, stopping every so often to look out
over the blueness of the Atlantic. He should have been happy here. A family
man… For long minutes he followed the path through merciless sunlight, then a
blessedly shady part with bushes and trees appeared before him. Rick dropped to
his knees in cool dimness and rolled into a ball. He would have a little sleep
here and then he’d go on.

Darkness swirled around his head, and he sank into it.

Saturday 2nd August

‘They’ve found a body, Suze.’

Amanda waited, fingers sliding on the phone as Susie sobbed
down the line. This was worse than telling her mother-in-law that Gareth had
disappeared in the first place; then at least the poor soul had been able to
hope her son would turn up again. Susie ranted on about Gareth having done
nothing to deserve any of this, Amanda murmuring, ‘I know, I know,’ and
fighting to keep hold of her composure. Eventually Susie’s diatribe came to a
halt and Amanda made her suggestion.

‘I’d like to come to Glasgow if you’ll have us for a bit. It
isn’t good for Jaden, being in the middle of this. I never know when we might
meet someone and they’ll say something that’d frighten him. He understands a
lot now.’

Susie was silent for a moment before she spoke again. ‘You
can come and welcome, hen, but I’ll come down to you for a few days first. I
need to hear what the police have to say. Are they sure it’s him?’

Jaden cried out from his cot in the middle of Amanda’s
explanation, and she was glad of the excuse to end the call.

‘They expect to confirm it soon. I have to see to Jaden –
you book your flight and we’ll talk in half an hour or so.’

Maybe it
would
be better to have
Suze here to help with the police, she mused as she dressed Jaden then sat him
down with a piece of toast. Suze wouldn’t make a mistake about what she knew,
so having her here to do most of the talking would be an advantage. Then later
they could go back to Glasgow together – they could arrange the funeral in
Glasgow.

The thought of what was left of Gareth being buried or
cremated made her stomach churn, although the morning sickness was more or less
over. She was seventeen weeks pregnant tomorrow, realised Amanda, looking at
the kitchen calendar. If – no,
when
they went to
Glasgow she’d need to get antenatal care organised there. But that shouldn’t be
a problem and a big city hospital would have the added benefit of anonymity.
When Susie called back to say she’d be arriving in Newquay late that afternoon
Amanda was able to sound suitably grateful.

‘I’ll pick you up at the airport, and I’ll make sure we can
talk to the police either today or tomorrow. I’m so glad you’re coming, Suze.’

She was, too, thought Amanda as she smeared sun cream over
Jaden’s face and arms. ‘Nana’s coming,’ she told him, and he nodded seriously.
Did he understand? It would be interesting to see if he recognised Suze. She
held out her hand. ‘Come on, lovey. Let’s go and see if Soraya’s home yet.’

Jaden’s face lit up. ‘So-soa!’

Love surged through Amanda. What a sweetie he was.

As soon as they turned into Cedar Road Amanda saw the police
cars in Ella’s driveway. Oh – they were still investigating. But she could
still walk past and see what there was to be seen.

No new activity was evident in Ella’s garden, however, and
Amanda was striding towards the corner when she heard her name. Oh no. Ella’s policeman
neighbour was in his garden. Reluctantly, she turned back, meeting him by the
fence.

‘Ella’s gone into town to hire a car,’ he said, looking at
her in his direct way.

Amanda gripped the buggy, her brain whirling. Did he suspect
anything? It seemed best to concentrate on Ella.

‘Oh, I wish she’d said. I could have run her places.’

‘I offered too, but she wants to be independent.’

‘Will she get back into her house soon?’

‘They’re finishing up now. She doesn’t care much about that,
though, she’s so worried about Soraya.’

Amanda looked at Jaden in the buggy. She knew how she’d feel
if he was missing. ‘I can imagine. I don’t suppose they’ve told her it was
Gareth yet?’

He stood there, his face expressionless – you could tell he
was a policeman.

Amanda’s middle churned anew. ‘Didn’t you know?’ What had
she done? But he must know… or was this a trap?

‘I’m not on this team, you know, and I’m on leave at the
moment.’

Amanda stared dumbly at Owen. What a fool she was.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘No harm done.’

‘We’re going to Glasgow soon,’ said Amanda, trying
desperately to move the conversation away from Gareth’s body. ‘My mum-in-law’s
coming down today and when we’ve organised things with the police we’ll be off
up north.’

‘Good idea.’

Amanda turned the buggy round. She’d been stupid, but it
would be all right. ‘I’ll maybe see Ella later, then, to say goodbye.’

She crossed back over the road to make it look as if she had
a particular reason for walking along Cedar Road this morning, and scooted
round the corner as quickly as she could.

It might actually be better if she never saw Ella again.

Saturday 2nd August

Ella bobbed up and down on the balls of her feet as the clerk
in the car hire office completed his paperwork then handed over the key. Now
she was mobile again without having to depend on the neighbours. The car was
larger than their own but easy enough to manoeuvre, and she negotiated the town
centre and drove up the hill without incident.

Feeling like an imposter in her own home, she walked through
the ground floor rooms and on upstairs, noticing everywhere signs that things
had been lifted, examined, and replaced in not quite the right places. It was
horrible. The house felt nothing like home and she knew it never would again.

Impossible to go into Soraya’s room. The feeling was every
bit as bad as if she’d given birth to a child and raised her for six years
before losing her. This ache of wanting was worse than the no-child ache had
ever been. Ella couldn’t sit still; she had to be active or she would fall head
first into a deep, dark hole.

At least Mum was coping. After the police visit that morning
Ella had called and given her mother a brief account of what was happening.
Fortunately, Mum agreed to stay in Helston. Mary wanted Ella to come for a few
days too, and Ella agreed – anything was better than being alone in this house.
She would pack a bag and leave as soon as she could.

Upstairs, she opened her wardrobe and rifled through its
contents. Clothes belonging to a different life were hanging here, summer
shirts and blouses from happier days. A stranger’s clothes.

Her mobile buzzed while she was packing underwear and she
fumbled it out of her handbag. Oh please, this could be – but no, it was a
strange number. Hope crashed again.

‘Hello?’ It didn’t sound like her voice.

‘Hi, are you Ella Baxter? This is Jill at Lamorna Café.
We’ve got Soraya here – she lost her Daddy and she asked us to phone you.’

The room spiralled round and Ella plumped down on the bed.
Thank God, oh thank God. Soraya was okay. The relief was as painful as the fear
had been and Ella began to laugh, conscious of hysteria lurking inside her.
‘Oh, thank you – I’ve been so worried. I didn’t know where they were. Can I
speak to her?’

Soraya’s voice was in her ear. ‘Mummy? I want to come home.
Where are you – Daddy said you were coming here for lunch!’

The tone was nothing but peeved and Ella’s almost-hysteria
vanished abruptly. ‘Oh darling, I’m glad you found someone to call me. That was
so clever. Daddy hasn’t been well and the arrangements were a bit wrong, but
I’ll come and get you straightaway. Where did you lose Daddy?’

A sniff. ‘On the walk. He was being silly and I ran away
because I thought you were coming to the café but you weren’t here.’

Another few words with Jill to make sure Soraya was kept in
the café even if Rick came storming in looking for her, then Ella was running
downstairs and out to the hired car. She was out of town before it occurred to
her that it might have been an idea to let the police know Soraya had been
found – and she should have told Owen, too. But it wasn’t far to Lamorna and
she could notify everyone then. Ella drove swiftly, her senses sharp as they
hadn’t been for days. Once at the coast she had to slow down. The road down to
the cove was narrow but thankfully she didn’t meet any other vehicles, and the
gods were on her side today because there was a space right at the harbour.

Inside the café, the first thing Ella saw was a table near
the counter where Soraya was sitting, an empty glass in front of her.

‘Mummy!’ The little girl slid from her chair and ran towards
her. ‘You weren’t here, why weren’t you here? But they gave me a lovely ice
cream!’

Ella sat down with the child hugged on her lap, noticing
that Soraya was holding on tightly too.

‘Sweetie, I didn’t know where to come. Daddy didn’t tell me
and he wasn’t answering his phone. But I’m here now.’ She turned to the woman
behind the counter. ‘Thank you so much for looking after her. I’ve been so
worried.’

And now she should phone the police. But as soon as she did
so the clock would start ticking. St Ives to Lamorna… she’d have thirty more
minutes with her child, once that call was made. Grief swelled in Ella’s throat
and she kissed the hot little head leaning on her shoulder, inhaling the smell
of a strange shampoo. She would take Soraya outside and explain everything
first.

There was no sandy beach here, but Ella sat on a rock and
watched as Soraya threw stones into the sea. This was such a lovely place, the
deep blue ocean going on and on into eternity, and the paler blue of the sky
above. Ella clasped her hands tightly. Please, somebody stop time while she
enjoyed having a child, this child she had chosen. These would be the last
minutes of peace; before the day was out Soraya would be gone from her life and
the fight to get her back would have started.