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"Whathappened?"Isaidwithanamountof.a.gitationappropriatetothe circ.u.mstances.
Hepaused,thensaid,"Canyoubeoverheard?"
"Yes."
TheClerkhimselfwaslisteningwithhalfanearandAlessiawithboth.Twoor threeotherpeoplewerelookingmyway.
"Right.Iwon'texpectcomments.There'sbeenaboykidnappedfromthebeachat WestWittering.That'saboutanhour'sdrivealongthecoastfromBrighton,I'd guess.Goovertherep.r.o.ntoandtalktothemother,w.i.l.l.you?"
"Whereisshe?"Isaid.
"IntheBreakwaterHotel,BeachRoad,climbingthewalls.Ipromisedherwe'd havesomeonewithherintwohours,andtohangon.She'sincoherent,most unhelpful.WehadatelephonecallfromHoppyatLloyds,thefathergotintouch withhisinsurersandgotpa.s.sedalongachaintous.Thefather'shad instructionstostaybyhishometelephone.TonyVine'sonhiswaytohimnow.
Canyoutakedownthenumber?"
"Yes,hangon."Ifumbledforpenandpaper."Fireaway."
Hereadoutthefather'snumber."HisnameisJohnNerrity."Hespelledit."The child'snameisDominic.Mother's,Miranda.Motherandsonwerealoneinthe hotelonholiday,fatherbusyathome.Gotallthat?"
"Yes."
"Gethertoagreetothepolice."
"Yes."
"Hearfromyoulater?Sorryaboutyourdayattheraces."
"I'llgoatonce,"Isaid.
"Breakaleg."
IthankedtheClerkoftheCourseandlefthisofficewithAlessiastilllooking distressedonmybehalf.
"I'llhavetogo,"Isaidapologetically."Canyoupossiblygetaliftbackto Lambourn?WithMikeNoland,perhaps?"
Eventhoughshehadherselfearliersuggestedit,shelookedappalledatthe ideaandvigorouslyshookherhead.Panicstoodquiteclearlyinhereyes.
"No,"shesaid."Can'tIcomewithyou?Please...Iwon'tbeanuisance.I promise.Icouldhelp...withyoursister."
"You'reneveranuisance,butIcan'ttakeyou."Ilookeddownatherbeseeching face,attheinsecuritystillsoclosetothesurface."Comeouttothecarwith me,awayfromthesecrowds,andI'llexplain."
Wewalkedthroughthegatesandalongtothecarpark,andIsaid,"Ihaven't anysisters.Therewasnocrash.Ihavetogoonajob...achild'sbeen kidnapped,andIhavetogotohismother,sodearestAlessia...wemustfindMike Noland.You'llbesafewithhim.Youknowhimwell."
Shewashorrifiedandapologeticandalsoshaking."Couldn'tIcomfortthe mother?"shesaid."Icouldtellher...herchildwillcomeback...asIdid?"
Ihesitated,knowingthesuggestionstemmedfromhernotwantingtogohomewith MikeNolandbutalsothinkingthatperhapsitmadesense.PerhapsAlessiawould indeedbegoodforMirandaNerrity.
Ilookedatmywatch."Mrs.Nerrity's.e.xpectingme,"Isaidindecisively,and sheinterruptedsharply,"Who?Whodidyousay?"
"Nerrity.MirandaNerrity.But..."
Hermouthhadliterallyfallenopen."ButIknowher,"shesaid."Oratleast, I'vemether...HerhusbandisJohnNerrity,isn'the?"
Inodded,nonplussed.
"TheirhorsewontheDerby,"Alessiasaid.
Iliftedmyhead.
Horses.
Somanyhorses.
"Whatisit,"Alessiasaid."Whydoyoulookso...bleak?"
"Right,"Isaid,notdirectlyanswering."Getinthecar.I'dbegladforyouto come,ifyoureallymeanit.b.u.t.there'sagoodchancewewon'tbegoingbackto Lambourntonight.Wouldyoumindthat?"
Foranswersheslidintothefrontpa.s.sengerseatandclosedthedoor,andI walkedroundtoclimbinbesideher.
AsIstartedtheengineanddroveoutofthegateshesaid,"TheNerritys'horse wontheDerbylastyear.Ordinand.Don'tyouremember?"
"Um..."No,actually,Ididn't.
"Itwasn'toneofthereallygreats,"shesaida.s.sessingly,"oratleastnoone thoughtso...Hewasanoutsider.Thirty-threetoone.Buthe'sbeenwinningthis yearquitewell..."Shestopped."Ican'tbeartothinkofthatchild."
"Hisname'sDominic,"Isaid."Haulthemapoutoftheglovecompartmentand findthefastestroutetoChichester."
Shereachedforthemap."Howoldishe?"
"Don'tknow."
WespedwestwardsthroughSuss.e.xinthegoldenafternoonandcameIeventually totheBreakwaterHotel,rightonthepebblybeachatWestIWittering.
"Look,"Isaid,puttingonbrakesandpullingoffmytie."Behavelikea holidaymaker.Walkintothehotelslowly.Smile.Talktome.Don'tseemworried.
O.K.?"
Shelookedatmewithpuzzlementturningtocomprehension."Doyouthink...
someone'swatching?"
"Someoneusuallyis,"Isaidastringently."Alwaystakeitforgrantedthat someoneis.Kidnapperspost.w.a.tcherstomakesurethepolicedon'tarrivein hugenumbers."
"Oh."
"Sowe'reonholiday."
"Yes,"shesaid.
"Let'sgoin."
Weclimbed,stretching,outofthecar,andAlessiawanderedafewstepsaway fromthehoteltolookouttotheEnglishChannel,shadinghereyesandspeaking tomeoverhershoulder."I'mgoinginforaswim."
Iputmyarmroundhershouldersandstoodbesideherforafewseconds,then withmesayingteasingly"Mindthejellyfish"wewalkedthroughthehotel's gla.s.sentrancedoorsintoawidearmchair-scatteredlounge.Afewpeoplesat arounddrinkingtea,andagirlinablackdresswasmovingtoandfrobehinda polishedbrowncounterlabeled"Reception."
"h.e.l.lo,"Isaid,smiling."Wethinkafriendofoursisstayinghere.AMrs.
Nerrity?"
"AndDominic,"Alessiasaid.
"That'sright,"thegirlsaidcalmly.Shelookedataguestlist."Room sixty-three...b.u.t.they'reprobablystillonthebeach.Lovelyday,isn't.i.t?"
"Gorgeous,"Alessiaagreed.
"Couldyougivetheirroomaring?"Iasked."Justincase."
Thegirlobliginglyturnedtotheswitchboardandwa.s.surprisedatreceivingan answer."Pickupthephone,"shesaid,pointingtoahandsetonthecounter,and Iliftedthereceiverwithanappropriatesmile.
"Miranda?"Isaid."ThisisAndrewDouglas."
"Whereareyou?"asmallvoicesaidtearfully.
"Downstairs,hereinthehotel."
"Oh...Comeup...Ican'tbear..."
"Onmyway,"Isaid.
Thegirlgaveusdirectionswhichwefollowedtoaroomwithtwinbeds,private bathroom,viewofthesea.MirandaNerrityopenedherdoortouswithswollen eyesandaclutched,soakinghandkerchiefandsaidbetweengulps,"Theysaid...
themaninLondonsaid...youwouldgetDominicback...hepromisedme...Andrew Douglaswillgethimback...healwaysdoes,hesaid...don'tworry...buthowcanI notworry?Oh,myG.o.d...mybaby...Gethimbackforme.Gethimback."
"Yes,"Isaidgently."Comeandsitdown."Iputmyarmroundhershouldersthis time,notAlessia's,andguidedherovertooneofthearmchairs."Telluswhat happened.Thenwe'llmakeaplantogethimback."
Mirandatookaverysmallgriponthings,recognizingAlessiawithsurpriseand pointingtoapieceofpaperwhichlayononeofthebeds.
"Alittlegirlgaveittome,"shesaid,thetearsrolling."Shesaidamanhad askedher.Oh,dear...oh,dear..."
"Howoldwasthelittlegirl?"Iasked.
"What?Oh...eight...somethinglikethat...Idon'tknow."
AlessiakneltbesideMirandatocomforther,herownfacepaleagainandtaut withstrain,andIpickedupth.e.s.h.eetofpaperandunfoldedit,andreadits brutalblock-letteredmessage.
WE'VETAKENYOURKID.GIVEYOURHUBBYABELL.TELLHIMTOGOHOME.WE'LLTELL YOURHUBBYWHATWEWANT.DON'TGOSQUAWKINGTONOONE.NOONEATALL,SEE.IF YOUWANTTOSEEYOURKIDAGAINDON'TGOTONOPOLICE.WE'LLTIEAPLASTICBAG OVERHISHEADIFYOUGETTHEPOLICE.SAVVY?.
Iloweredthepage."HowoldisDominic?"Iasked.
"Threeandahalf,"Mirandasaid.
Chapterten.
MIRANDA,twenty-six,hadlongblondhairfallingfromacenterpartingandon otheroccasionsmighthavebeenpretty.Shestillworeabathingsuitwitha towellingrobeover,andtherewa.s.stillsandonherlegsfromthebeach.Her eyeswereglazedbehindthepuffedeyelidsasiftoomuchdevastatedemotionhad putafilmoverthemtorepelreality,andshemadevaguepointlessmovements withherhandsasiftotalinactivitywasimpossible.
OutofhabitIcarriedwithmealwaysaflatcontainerlikeacigarettecase, whichcontainedamongotherthingsasmallcollectionofpills.Itookoutthe case,openedit,andsortedoutastripofwhitetabletsinfoil.
"Takeoneofthese,"Isaid,fetchingwaterinatoothmugandslidingapill fromitswrapper.
Mirandasimplyswallowedasinstructed.ItwasAlessiawhosaid,"Whatareyou givingher?"
"Tranquilizer."
"Doyoucarrythoseroundwithyoualways?"sheaskedincredulously.
"Mostly,"Inodded."Tranquilizers,sleepingpills,aspirins,thingsforheart attacks.Firstaid,that'sall."
Mirandadrankallthewater.
"Doyouhaveroomserviceinthishotel?"Iasked.
"What?"shesaidvaguely."Yes...Isupposeso...They'llbebringingDominic's suppersoon..."Theideaofitreducedhertofreshdeepsobs,andAlessiaputher armroundherandlookedshattered.
Itelephonedtoroomservicefortea,strong,a.s.soonaspossible,forthree.
Biscuits?Certainlybiscuits.Comingrightaway,theysaid:andwithverylittle delaythetrayarrived,withmemeetingthemaidatthedoorandthankingher forhertrouble.
"Mrs.Nerrity,drinkthis,"Isaid,puttingdownthetrayandpouringteafor her."Andeatthebiscuits."IpouredanothercupforAlessia."Youtoo,"I said.
Theyeachdrankandatelikeautomatons,andslowlyinMirandathecombined simpleremediesoftranquilizer,caffeineandcarbohydratetooktheworstedge offthepainsothatshecouldbeartodescribewhathadhappened.
"Wewereonthesand...withhisbucketandspade,makingasandcastle.Heloves makingsandcastles..."Shestoppedandswallowed,tearstricklingdownhercheeks.
"Alotofthesandwaswet,andI'dleftourthingsuponthes.h.i.+ngle...towels,a beachchair,ourlunchbox,packedbythehotel,Dominic'stoys...itwasalovely hotday,notwindylikeusual...Iwentuptositonthechair...Iwaswatchinghim allthetime...hewasonlythirtyyardsaway...less,less...squatting,playingwith hisbucketandspade...pattingthesandcastle...Iwaswatchinghimallthetime,I reallywas."Hervoicetaperedoffintoawail,thedreadfulsearingguilt soundingjaggedandraw.
"Weretherealotofpeopleonthebeach?"Iasked.
"Yes,yestherewere...itwa.s.sowarm...butIwaswatchinghim,Icouldseehim allthetime..."
"Andwhathappened?"Isaid.
"Itwastheboat..."
