No Child of Mine (48 page)

‘I was just about to,’ Alex replied, feeling her insides tightening with the dread of a no. ‘Actually, if there’s a problem with it, I’ve decided I’ll take some unpaid leave anyway.’

‘Oh Charlotte, I don’t want you to get into trouble. As I said, I can easily entertain myself in the day and see you at night.’

Alex’s expression had turned wry. ‘Do you realise what you just called me?’ she asked.

There was a moment before Anna said, ‘Oh gosh, did I say Charlotte? I’m sorry, I really wasn’t ...’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Alex assured her – and it didn’t, she realised. After all, it was just a name.
Her name
.

Anna was saying, ‘It’s how I’ve thought of you all these years, obviously, and the name was your dad’s choice. Charlotte. Or Lottie Lollipop, as your grandfather used to call you.’

Touched by her grandfather having a special name for her, Alex said, ‘Listen, I’m sure my boss will be his most understanding self once I tell him why I want to take a bit of time off, so let me ring the office now and see what I can do.’

In the end it took over half an hour to get through to Tommy, who sounded less than his usual jolly self when he came on the line. ‘That bloody Prince family are doing my head in,’ he grumbled. ‘A fortnight ago we couldn’t
even get in the door, now the bloody mother never stops ringing me, and deciphering what she’s saying in between all those cuss words is like trying to get my head round some Ikea instructions. So, now, whatever this is about, please make it good, because it’s only Monday and I need the week to be off to a better start than this.’

Alex’s voice was brimming with laughter as she replied, ‘Then let me do my best. I have some news, some pretty amazing news actually, but for the time being I’d like it to be just between us.’

‘You’re going to tell me you’ve won the lottery – and that you’re remembering who your friends are so
I
can help you pop all those corks.’

‘If I had, then believe me, I’d be paying off your mortgage, buying you a great big fancy car and flying you round the world so many times it’d make your head spin. But that’s for next week. For this week, are you ready for this?’

‘Getting there.’

‘You need to be sitting down.’

‘Practically horizontal.’

‘OK, here goes. I’ve heard from my mother – I mean my real mother. In fact, she’s
here
in Mulgrove. She came to see me yesterday and ...’

‘Whoa, whoa,’ he cried urgently. ‘This is seriously big news, pet, and I couldn’t be happier for you. Just one thing though, you have checked her out, I hope ...?’

Alex’s heart sank. ‘Tommy, don’t do this,’ she groaned. ‘I know you’re only being protective, but wait till you meet her, then you’ll see there’s no way she’s anyone but who she says she is. And let me ask you this, what would anyone gain from trying to pretend they were my mother – apart from a whole heap of trouble?’

‘Actually, you’ve taken the words out of my mouth. There wouldn’t be much more to gain than that, so as a devoted believer in your instincts I guess I’ll go with them. So where is she now?’

‘Still sleeping off her jet lag. She lives in New Zealand and only flew in yesterday.’

‘Yikes, it’s going to take her days to feel normal again. I know, I’ve done that flight. Anyway, down to the real
reason you’re calling, which has to be because you’d like to spend some time with her. Am I right?’

‘You’re a mind-reader. Do you think we can swing it? I’m not asking for my whole caseload to go to someone else or anything drastic like that. I’ll carry on with my home visits, it’s just the paperwork and meetings ...’

‘It’s OK, I get the picture and I know you won’t let the kids down, which is what really matters. So drop me an email outlining what cover you need and I’ll sort something out.’

‘Tommy, if I’ve never told you this before, I’m telling you now, I love you. Oh, and there’s something else I’ll put in the email; however, in a nutshell for now, it seems Ottilie Wade has developed vulvovaginitis and I’m worried it might have been brought on by something a bit more sinister than bubble bath.’

‘Mm,’ Tommy commented darkly. ‘How many times have we heard that as an excuse before?’

‘Too many. I’ve tried to bring the appointment with the paediatrician forward to this week, but the best I could manage was the waiting list.’

‘OK, leave it with me, I’ll see if I can pull some strings. Incidentally, now may, or may not be the time to tell you that the merger of our two hubs is about to be made official. The head of social services is issuing a press release tomorrow.’

With a pang of unease, Alex asked, ‘Anything about jobs?’

‘Apparently fourteen are going across both bases, but don’t you start worrying yourself about that now, you’re far too good at what you do for anyone to want to lose you.’

It was almost three o’clock by the time Alex carried a very tired Ottilie back to the car, after spending an enchanting couple of hours with her exploring the Dean Valley zoo. It had been obvious from the way her eyes had rounded with amazement at just about every animal they saw that she’d never been to the place before, and it had made Alex’s heart ache and sing to watch her gasping with excitement
and laughing with glee as she gazed at them. The monkeys had scared her a little at first, but she’d soon started throwing nuts their way, and had almost flung Boots along with them at one point, she’d got so carried away.

One of her favourite stops had been at the bear pit.

‘Like Boots,’ she’d told Alex, peering down through the railings to where a lazy-looking grizzly was slumped on a bed of straw.

‘But a lot bigger,’ Alex smiled.

Ottilie blinked up at her. ‘Lot bigger,’ she agreed. She held up Boots so he could see too, and gave a growl.

Below them, impervious to his audience, the Eurasian brown merely shifted his bulk, heaved a draughty sigh and closed his eyes.

‘He’s sleeping,’ Ottilie told Alex.

‘It looks like it.’

‘Boots doesn’t want to sleep.’

‘No, he’s got too many other animals to see. So where shall we go next? To the fruit bats? Or the pygmy hippos? I know, what about the lions?’

Ottilie gave another growl.

‘That’s right,’ Alex laughed. ‘Lions growl and so do bears.’

After the lions had come a panther with two cubs, and in the cage next to them was nothing at all.

‘This is where the tiger lives,’ Alex explained, reading from the plaque, ‘but she must be asleep, like the bear.’

When Ottilie didn’t respond she looked down to find her hanging her head.

‘What’s the matter?’ she asked. ‘Are you tired? Have you had enough?’

‘Go now,’ Ottilie whispered.

As she began tugging Alex’s hand, the tiger came padding through from the darkness beyond. ‘Here she is,’ Alex said, lifting Ottilie up. ‘Look at all her lovely stripes.’

Ottilie kept her face buried in Alex’s neck. ‘Go now,’ she whimpered.

Baffled, Alex asked, ‘Why don’t you like the tiger? She’s just like the lion, but different colours.’

Ottilie gingerly turned her head, and Alex tried not to wince at the way her clenched hand had caught some of Alex’s hair at the back of her collar.

‘There, isn’t she lovely?’ Alex said soothingly.

Ottilie stared, transfixed. The beast was close to the front of the cage now, pacing up and down, her magnificent muscles rippling beneath the exotic hide.

‘I think she could be Tigger’s mummy, do you?’ Alex suggested. ‘You know Tigger, from
Winnie-the-Pooh
.’

‘Tigger,’ Ottilie repeated. ‘Naughty Tigger.’

‘He can be a bit naughty at times, can’t he?’

Ottilie pointed a finger. ‘Tigger’s mummy,’ she declared.

‘That’s right. So you see, there’s nothing to be afraid of.’

‘Not tiger, Tigger,’ Ottilie said.

Alex laughed. ‘All right, Tigger. So what next? I know, how about the café? Shall we see if they’ve got any brownies?’

Ottilie’s eyes brightened.

It wasn’t until they were turning into the Wades’ drive a while later that Alex found herself remembering the tiger in the jigsaw on Ottilie’s first day at nursery. She’d reacted oddly to that one too, wanting nothing to do with it one minute, then picking up that very puzzle piece to slot it into place the next.

Wondering what to make of it, she clicked on her earpiece as it rang and to her surprise it was Brian Wade’s voice that said, ‘Ms Lake. I’m told you went to the house this morning after I rang and asked you not to. Can you please tell me why you did that?’

Bristling, Alex replied, ‘I went because I was concerned about Ottilie, who I’m just about to take inside, so if you’ll give me a minute ...’

Grabbing the phone and dropping it in her pocket, she quickly got out of the car, lifted the sleeping Ottilie from the child’s seat that seemed to live permanently in her car now, and carried her to the front door. As usual it was on the latch, but there was no sign of Erica Wade, so she went to lay Ottilie on the sofa and closed the sitting-room door quietly behind her.

‘OK, I’m with you now,’ she told Wade. ‘I’m not sure
where your wife is ... Ah, I’ve found her,’ she corrected, as she walked into the kitchen where Erica Wade was perched on a stool apparently listening to music. ‘If you wouldn’t mind turning that down,’ she requested, pointing at the radio. ‘Ottilie’s asleep next door, and I’m speaking to your husband on the phone. I’d like you to hear what’s being said,’ and taking the mobile from her pocket she disconnected the Bluetooth and switched to speaker. ‘Mr Wade, can you hear me?’

‘Yes, I can hear you,’ he replied irritably. ‘Exactly what is going on ...?’

‘You told me this morning,’ Alex interrupted, ‘that Ottilie had a cold, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, Dr Aiden informs me that she has vulvovaginitis, which you didn’t mention at all when we spoke.’

As Erica’s eyes drifted to the dusk outside, Brian Wade said, ‘We both know, Ms Lake, that if I’d told you what the problem really was, you’d do exactly what you are doing now and leap to conclusions that are as wrong as they are repugnant.’

Feeling the rug whipping out from under her, Alex found herself lost for a response.

‘So, if you’ve quite finished playing the snooping policeman,’ Wade continued sharply, ‘I’ll ask you to respect my wishes in the future and not force my daughter to go out when she is not in full health.’

As the line went dead Alex clicked off her end and looked at Erica, who might or might not have been listening, it wasn’t possible to tell.

‘I’ll be here at the same time on Wednesday,’ Alex told her.

Erica didn’t look up, so leaving her to it Alex decided not to risk waking Ottilie by going into the sitting room, and returned to her car.

‘He really put me in my place,’ she was telling Tommy a few minutes later as she drove away from the house. ‘I felt so foolish.’

‘Well, you do need to be a bit more careful, pet,’ he told her, ‘nothing’s been proved yet, so we have to try and keep an open mind. What did Mrs Wade have to say?’

‘Her usual nothing. I’m not even sure she was on this planet, and I’ve just left Ottilie with her, which isn’t filling me with confidence.’

‘Well, the child spends most of her time with her mother, and no harm’s come to her yet.’

‘I don’t like that word “yet”,’ Alex retorted, ‘and I definitely don’t like the way Mr Wade has just slithered out of his own lie. OK, he might be telling the truth about why he didn’t come clean with the vulvovaginitis, because he’s right, I did jump to the worst-case scenario – an occupational hazard, as we know – but the way that man goes about things ... Incidentally, did you have any luck with the paediatrician appointment?’

‘Not so far, but I’m still on it. When’s her health visitor going in again? Remind me who it is.’

‘Vicky Barnes, and she’s due in tomorrow. I sent her an email earlier giving her the heads up about today, and asking her to get back to me after she’s been round there in the morning.’

‘Good. Let me know what she says. So now, you’re on your way home I take it?’

Alex only wished she could have said yes, because the last thing she wanted right now was to go and view another flat fit only for depressives or drunks, but as soon as she’d finished her check on Gemma Knight it had to be done.

Fifteen minutes later, having had her appointment with Gemma Knight moved to the same time tomorrow, her heart was sinking to her boots as she pulled up outside a semi-derelict house with a pile of builder’s debris in the front garden, and no curtains that she could see at any of the windows. Deciding she wasn’t going to waste her time going inside, she made a quick call to the landlord’s agent, who it turned out hadn’t even left her office to meet her yet. Alex told her she couldn’t make it anyway, and thankfully set off on the journey home.

‘Hi, it’s me,’ she said, when her mother picked up the phone.

‘Oh, what a relief,’ Anna replied. ‘I wasn’t sure whether to answer or not. Do you mind that I did?’

‘No, of course not,’ Alex assured her, though actually
she had found it a bit weird, but how else would she have got to speak to her if she hadn’t picked up?

‘How are you?’ Anna asked. ‘Did you have a good time at the zoo?’

‘We did. I think Ottilie was a bit thrown by some of the animals, but in her typical way she rallied. Tiny as she is, she has the most incredible spirit. Anyway, how’s your day going? I’m on my way home now.’

‘Lovely, but I don’t think dinner will be ready for a while. I’ve only just got back from the supermarket. Boy, have they changed since I left. You can get almost anything these days, but I did come up a bit short with a couple of ingredients. No worries though, I know how to work around it. What time shall I expect you?’

‘In about half an hour, and the good news is, my team leader, Tommy, is OK about me scaling down my commitments. Luckily I don’t have too many meetings scheduled for this week, and no court appearances, so it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem at the office. There are just the home visits, and as things stand I only have half a dozen or so of them in the diary at the moment.’