Family Secrets (19 page)

‘I
hope you’ll be all right,’ said her mother anxiously. ‘You must come home if you can’t cope. Promise me you will?’

‘I’ll
be fine Mum. Don’t worry. I’ll call the police again later and see if they’ve any news. I doubt they’ll even have bothered looking anymore.’

‘I’m
so sorry love. Try to concentrate on your work and don’t worry. I know it’s easy for me to say but you know what I mean.’

‘Thanks
Mum. I’ll see you this evening, unless they find him, of course. I don’t suppose Mr Greenhalgh will be particularly sympathetic but hey, so what?’

It
seemed
a very long day. Each time the phone rang, she picked it up, half expecting it to be the police with some news. Before she left that evening, she dialled the number again and asked her usual questions. She got the same answers ... nothing.

‘Where
are you Joe? It’s been three days since you left me.’ She made the same comment over and over again but never got any satisfaction. Wearily, she packed up her briefcase and left the office. Maybe there would be something the next day. A phone call from him.

Sorry
...
I
went
to
stay
with
Charlie
or
Billie
or
someone
...
hope
you
weren’t
worried
.

Some
chance.