I know where you live, p.27
I Know Where You Live, page 27
‘I thought we were a team, Seth? We talked about it and you agreed to come here. You even said it would be good for your promotion prospects to work with the Toulouse development team.’
‘Maybe I did. But I wasn’t expecting something like this, was I?’
‘Oh, Seth, how could anyone ever expect something like this?’ Even as she spoke the words, Penny knew she was being a liar and a hypocrite. And a coward. When was she ever going to tell him? Each time she tried, something got in the way. And now he seemed angry most of the time. She wasn’t used to seeing Seth angry and she didn’t know how to handle it. Curtis was always angry so she’d learned how to deal with him. She had a whole list of rules she’d recite in her head.
Respect his personal space.
Use non-aggressive body language
Take time to think before I speak.
Be calm and talk in a lower tone than his. That one was always easy.
Focus on the future instead of the past.
That was the kicker, right there, hearing Seth hark back to the past. Hearing him blame her. It was alarming to see such a change in him. She’d waited too long to tell Seth her real reason for wanting to leave the States. To tell him now would only make him angrier and she couldn’t bear that.
‘I’m gonna take Angeline out,’ said Penny. ‘Maybe buy her an ice cream in the square, if that’s okay?’
Seth’s eyes were back on the screen. ‘Sure,’ he said, without looking up. ‘Good idea.’
‘You want anything?’
This time he looked straight at her before he spoke. ‘Only one thing, but I doubt you’ll find him in the Place Carnot.’
‘That was cruel, Seth. And unworthy.’
When he didn’t reply, she told herself he hadn’t heard, but it didn’t make her feel any better.
Angeline loved sitting in the pretty square. The waitress brought her two balls of ice cream in a stemmed glass bowl. ‘With a paper parasol,’ she said, ‘because little girls all love parasols.’
‘Thank you,’ said Angeline. ‘And thank you, Mommy.’
‘That’s okay. You deserve a treat. You’ve been such a good girl. I know this is horrible for you, Angel.’
‘You know the person that borrowed Ethan?’ Angel had never abandoned her original explanation for her brother’s disappearance.
‘Yeah?’
‘Do you think they might come and borrow me too?’
‘That’s not going to happen. I promise you.’
‘But that’s not fair.’ Angel folded her arms and scowled. ‘Ethan’s having fun. And he got to be on TV.’
Penny sighed. She was all out of answers. The best she could think of to say was, ‘Eat up your ice cream, please, before it melts.’
Angel fiddled with the tiny parasol, opening and closing it over and over. ‘It’s not nice, you know, when you and Daddy fight.’
Penny reached for her daughter’s cheek and touched it with the back of her fingers. ‘Oh, sweetie,’ she said, trying to sound upbeat, ‘we’re not really fighting.’
‘It sounds like it to me, Mommy. Daddy sounds angry.’
‘He’s not angry with you. You know that, don’t you? Daddy loves you so much.’
‘Is Daddy mad at you, Mommy?’
What to say? It was important to make this child feel as secure as possible right now and if that involved lying to her, so be it. ‘No, silly. Daddy’s not mad at Mommy. He loves Mommy. He’s angry at the person who borrowed Ethan. Daddy wants his L’il Buddy back now. That’s all.’
Angel licked her spoon. ‘So do I, Mommy.’
‘Me too. Hey, when you’ve finished up there, why don’t we go and see if we can pick you out a nice new jacket for school. It’s getting chilly in the mornings. Shall we do that?’
Angel nodded enthusiastically.
‘Oops, hang on. My phone’s ringing. Let me get this. It’s Daddy.’
‘Penny, the police just rang. They’ve got Sophie.’
68
Sophie knew she’d made a mistake the moment she’d asked to see Inspector Morand.
Mom had been one hundred per cent behind her decision to go to the police, once she’d heard the full story. Apart from a sharp intake of breath when Sophie told her how much money Miss L had deposited in the bank account, Mom had been calm, reassuring and non-judgmental. If this was unconditional love in action, Sophie wanted more. She could use some right now, in fact. Whatever emotion the three police officers in the room felt for her, she wasn’t getting any love.
They had listened patiently to her story, recording every word, which was unnerving. She’d gone right back to the beginning, telling them about Miss L’s ad and how she had beaten the other candidates. And been delighted at the prospect of coming to France.
‘Did you find your father?’
‘I regret to say, no, I didn’t get the chance before all this happened.’
‘Tell us more about this Miss Mouche-Chamier.’ He turned to his colleague. ‘Can we run a check on that name?’
‘I think I’ve pretty much told you all I know,’ said Sophie, hoping they couldn’t tell she was lying.
‘And you are adamant you don’t know where this woman is now?’
Sophie nodded.
‘Please, miss, for the tape.’
‘No, I have no idea where she is.’ That, at least, was the truth.
‘Didn’t you think to ask where she planned to go with someone else’s child?’
‘Of course I asked.’
‘And? Did she tell you?’
‘Yes.’ Sophie knew how ridiculous her next words were going to sound, but she had to say them. ‘To, like, feed the ducks.’
‘French ducks? Spanish ducks? English ducks?’
‘Please believe me when I say I had no idea she was, like, planning on taking Ethan out of the country. They were going to feed the ducks here, by the river, in Carcassonne. That’s what we agreed.’
‘And you didn’t ever think it odd that a woman would pay all that money to feed ducks?’
‘I didn’t know anything about the money at that stage.’
‘You knew she was planning on paying you. Didn’t you just tell us that?’
‘Yes, but I’d no idea she meant that much.’
‘Tell us again how much you “found” in your bank account.’ His eyebrows rose at the same time as his fingertips waggled up and down in mid-air.
‘A hundred thousand dollars.’
‘Sorry, could you repeat that, please?’
Sophie knew they’d all heard first time but she cleared her throat and said, ‘One hundred thousand US dollars.’
The cop whistled.
‘I promise you I haven’t touched a cent of it. You can check.’
‘Oh, we will. You can count on it. Sorry, no pun intended.’
Sophie smiled, out of politeness.
‘And this was on top of a monthly salary, you say?’
‘I wouldn’t call it a salary. It was more like an allowance.’
‘As you wish. Why was she paying you an allowance?’
‘So I had something to live on.’
‘But weren’t you working for the Gates family?’
‘Yes, Penny and Seth were giving me a little pocket money each week, plus food and lodgings.’
‘Tell us again how you came to get the job with the Gates family, if you will.’
When Sophie had repeated the story, the cops conferred and then Youngcop asked, ‘What was the contingency plan?’
‘Sorry?’
‘Well, say they hadn’t wanted an au pair. Or they were looking to hire someone qualified?’
‘They didn’t have the money for that.’
‘And Miss L, as you call her, knew all about their financial situation, did she?’
‘She seemed to.’
‘That didn’t strike you as odd? This stranger knowing so much about them?’
‘No, because as far as I knew, she wasn’t a stranger. She was family. Ethan’s grandmother.’
‘Ah, yes, the estranged grandmother who isn’t allowed to see the kids in the States so she pays for you and her to fly all the way to France so she can spend one afternoon feeding the ducks?’
‘I guess it sounds crazy when you put it like that.’
‘What other way can one put it?’
‘But it was never meant to be simply one outing to the ducks. She arranged to see Ethan that day and the following day she was supposed to be meeting Angel.’
The cop pounced like a snake. ‘So you aided and abetted the abduction of two children?’
‘No! It wasn’t like that. She was supposed to take Angeline to buy scrunchies.’
‘To buy what?’
‘Scrunchies. For her hair. Never mind. The plan was, once she got to know Angel and Ethan, she’d meet Penny and Seth and show them how well they all got along. She was planning to plead with them to reconsider their decision to stop her seeing her grandchildren. That’s all she wanted, don’t you see? I felt sorry for her.’ Sophie let her voice peter out.
‘None of that is true, is it?’
Sophie shook her head.
‘For the tape, please?’
‘No, it turned out not to be true, but I had no idea at the time. I had no way of knowing her true intentions. I believed her.’
‘With regrettable consequences. Let us hope, not tragic.’
There was a pause. If it was designed to give her time to feel even more of a shit human being, it worked.
‘Now, could you please tell us about the phone you mentioned earlier?’
‘What would you like to know?’
‘The make and model and perhaps some of the phone numbers that might be in your contacts.’
‘It was the latest iPhone. Four? I don’t know. I’m not really interested in that geeky stuff.’
‘And whose numbers did you have in it?’
‘That’s easy. There was only one. And you know whose that is.’
Inspector Morand turned to his colleague and spoke quietly.
‘Please, can I go now? I’ve told you everything I know.’
‘Unfortunately for you, mademoiselle, that’s what you said the last time. We will be keeping you here, I’m afraid, for the moment.’
Sophie wished with all her heart she had stayed on that train. She’d be waiting to board her transatlantic flight by now.
As if he had read her mind, the cop said, ‘By the way, it’s just as well you did decide to break your journey here instead of going to Toulouse for your flight. Even with your new hairstyle, you wouldn’t have got out of the country. Every airport in France is on the lookout for you.’
‘I’d have been arrested?’
‘But of course. You did the right thing, mademoiselle. It would not have looked good if you’d been caught trying to flee the country. But please, tell me, why the change of heart?’
‘I’ve worked out who Miss L is.’
69
Ethan was worn out by their walk. Walk was hardly the word for it. Trek was more appropriate. It was certainly too much for little legs like Ethan’s. Diane was glad she had taken the stroller. She’d not have managed otherwise. As it was, she had to carry Ethan for the last stretch. Fortunately, access to the spot was fairly straightforward, give or take a few low branches. And it had not been as difficult to find as she’d anticipated. The directions on the local website were excellent. The setting was exactly as she’d imagined it. Perfect for her needs.
It was getting dark when they finally made it back to the cottage. Diane was relieved to close the door behind her and lock it for the night. She’d had a bit of a scary moment, at one point, when she thought she’d lost her way. Faced with the choice of a night spent outdoors or calling the emergency services, Diane wasn’t sure which way she’d have gone. She preferred not to think about it. They’d made it and that was all that mattered.
Dinner was some toasted bread with beans on the top. Ethan was grumpy and insisted on picking up each individual bean between his tiny finger and thumb and popping it in his mouth. As a result, the meal took a while and they were both nodding by the time he’d had enough.
She’d have liked to skip bath time but she wanted to check Ethan’s arm and the bath seemed the easiest place to get a good look. The skin around the bite was a bit pinker than the rest of his forearm and she could see a mark where he’d been bitten. He wouldn’t let her examine it closely but he seemed happy enough, so Diane decided not to bother him with the antiseptic cream she’d found in the bathroom cabinet.
‘A good night’s sleep for you, young man, and in the morning you’ll be right as rain.’
‘Wight as wain,’ Ethan repeated, as she got him ready for bed.
Diane yawned, exhausted by her hike and shaken by the events of the day. Still, with the video posted and the perfect spot found, it had been worthwhile. She hoped the footage would cost Lucie Jardine another night’s sleep.
As she tucked the duvet tight under his chin, Ethan said, ‘Mommy?’
‘You’ll see Mommy soon. I promise.’
And he would. All Diane had to work out was how to get her there.
She cursed Sophie for losing that phone and wondered what the police had done with it. Was it sitting in a forensics lab somewhere waiting to be examined? Was it speeding its way to Carcassonne by special courier? She hoped it was languishing forgotten on a shelf in airport lost property.
When she woke in the morning she was surprised to see how long she’d slept. There was no sound from the child.
She pulled on her dressing gown and padded barefoot to Ethan’s tiny bedroom, planning to say, ‘Boo!’ and surprise him. He was still asleep, worn out by their hike. Diane tiptoed out and went to the bathroom, grateful for the chance to shower in peace.
Once dressed she headed along the little corridor, singing, ‘Wakey, wakey, Ethan.’
The little boy had not stirred since she’d last looked in on him. Fear made her push him, a bit roughly, but she’d heard of tragedies happening while small children slept.
Ethan stirred but did not wake.
She leaned over him saying, ‘Come on, sleepyhead. It’s morning. Time to get up.’ She caught his arm and gave it a little shake. Ethan screamed. His eyes shot open and he burst into tears.
‘Oh, I’m so sorry, little one. I forgot the doggy had bitten your poor arm. Will you let Mawmaw see?’
But Ethan was too distraught to listen. He crawled into the corner and protected his sore arm with the other. The sight tugged at her heart.
‘Let me see please, Ethan. Is it very sore? Shall we put some nice ointment on it to make it feel better?’
‘No,’ he shouted and backed further away from her.
Reverse psychology needed here. She’d leave him alone and he’d come to her. Maybe she could nip downstairs and get a drink of juice to entice him from his corner. The sight of him cowering there like some beaten puppy was too heart-wrenching for words.
It crossed her mind that now would be a good time to make a video for his mother. She despised herself for the thought.
‘I’ll go and fetch some yummy juice. You must be thirsty after that long sleep. Would you like to go potty, Ethan?’
She predicted the answer and she wasn’t wrong. She left to fetch the juice.
When she came back, Ethan had slumped over. She ran to him and grabbed his arm, pushing up his pyjama sleeve before he could protest. His skin had turned red, not pink, and it felt hot to the touch. He pulled his arm away before she could inspect the wound, but she caught sight of some yellowish matter where the dog’s tooth had caught him.
Diane was no nurse, but she knew an infection when she saw one. Why hadn’t she listened to those people who told her to go straight to hospital yesterday? She’d given the infection almost twenty-four hours to get a hold.
‘Look, Ethan, would you like a drink of apple juice?’ She held the cup to his lips but he turned his face away. She seemed to remember hearing somewhere it was important to keep people hydrated if they had a fever. She touched his forehead. It was hot, like his arm. What was she going to do? She couldn’t call a doctor, even if she knew where to phone.
Aspirin was recommended for lowering a temperature. She’d give him some aspirin and wait a while. It was less than a day since the bite. That wasn’t long enough to heal, even for a kid.
‘You stay here, Ethan, while Mawmaw fetches something to make you feel better.’ Ethan looked like he was going nowhere.
The bathroom cabinet had no aspirin. Paracetamol? Was that the same thing? Oh, Lord, why hadn’t she thought to bring her own kit, filled with child remedies? How naïve of her to think she could look after such a small child without something going wrong. She spotted a pack of sticking plasters. Maybe he’d like one of those. Kids liked sticking plasters, didn’t they?
Ethan was having none of it. He wouldn’t swallow the pill and he refused to let her touch his arm with ointment. Not even a large sticking plaster would encourage him out of his corner.
‘Would you like to come downstairs with Mawmaw and we’ll see if Bob the Builder is on TV?’
No reaction. His little eyelids drooped as if he was still sleepy and yet that wasn’t possible. He’d already slept for more than thirteen hours. Perhaps the elixir was still in his bloodstream.
She was way out of her depth here. Maybe she should run to the farm and fetch Mary. She must have seen a few bites in her time, living among dogs and cats. She’d know what to do. Or her son, the internet expert, would.
The internet. Of course.
Diane tried for a Wi-Fi signal and this time, glory be, she got on. Turning that router on and off last night had done the trick after all.
Diane keyed in ‘dog bite’ and got five million results. She clicked on the first, then the second and a third. All bore the same message. Seek medical advice as soon as possible, ideally immediately. There was further information about washing the wound, etcetera, but Diane could read no more. She was already panicking. She’d got this so wrong. How could she have been so careless with this little boy’s health?
