Devious Intention, page 3
“Hi, is it possible to get a coffee and a ham salad sandwich?”
“Of course it is. Why don’t you make yourself comfy, and I’ll bring it over to you when it’s ready? Are you on holiday?”
“Long story short, I was, but I had an accident. Now I’m looking for my family. I know that sounds a little jumbled, but don’t expect me to explain any more than that,” she replied with a tight smile.
“Oh dear, so sorry to hear that. I hope it won’t spoil your stay too much in our wonderful county.”
“I hope so too. I used to come here all the time as a kid, with my mum. I’d hate anything to sour the childhood memories I have.” She pointed at a table in the corner. “I’ll sit over there.”
“Pick up some leaflets of what’s on offer in these parts on your way, love. Once you meet up with your family again, you’ll need to find some exciting places to visit, won’t you?”
“Thanks, I will.” She stopped at the console table against the far wall and picked up several tourist-information leaflets that caught her eye, then she settled down on the wooden bench seat near the window. In between flicking through the papers, she glanced out the window and watched the world continue to function in a way that she should have but was unable to without her family by her side. A mother walked by, holding her daughter’s hand. The girl carried a doll, the way Sophie always did when they walked through the town together. The loving scene brought tears to Louise’s eyes.
“Here you are, dear. Enjoy your lunch. Oh my, you’re crying.” The woman looked over her shoulder at the empty bar. “I’m a good listener if you need to talk to anyone—you look so sad.”
“That’s kind of you. I’m not sure I could bear going over the details again, if I’m honest. I’ll feel better after I’ve eaten this, I’m sure. Thank you.”
The woman nodded and retreated back behind the bar. Every now and then, Louise cast an eye her way and saw the woman staring, concern furrowing her brow. Louise picked up her sandwich and took a bite. How she managed to get it past the lump that had formed in her throat, she couldn’t imagine.
Before long, the regular punters began filtering into the pub. All of them eyed her with interest, some more than others. She turned to look out the window and spotted the mechanic heading towards the pub. That was all she needed. Once he started telling everyone about their little incident, she would be the talk of the public lounge bar in no time.
“Hello, Frank. The usual?” the barmaid greeted him.
“Yes, ta, Lucinda.” He jumped up on the stool, his head swivelled her way, and he nodded slightly to say hello.
Louise raised her coffee cup in his direction and finished the last bite of her sandwich before pushing the plate into the middle of the table. The man whispered something to his friends at the bar, and they all looked her way. She shifted uncomfortably under their gaze, her heartbeat increasing every second. Louise swiftly picked up one of the leaflets and bowed her head, pretending to read the contents while all the other patrons in the pub scrutinised her. She was reminded of a scene from the film An American Werewolf in London, when the main characters entered the pub on the moor. Crap, don’t let this lot be a bunch of weirdos like in that film, please!
She could only bear to stand the unwanted glances for another five minutes, then she walked up to the bar, smiled at the barmaid, and asked for her bill.
“Here you go, dear. That’ll be twenty pounds please?”
A few of the customers sniggered when Louise’s mouth dropped open in disgust. “What? For a cup of coffee and a crummy ham sandwich? Are you sure?”
“That crummy sandwich was made from homemade bread and the best cooked ham from the local butcher. Have you seen the prices he charges? Twenty pounds, or I’ll call the police.” She sneered, her warm smile long forgotten.
Louise forced back the tears and rummaged in the envelope she’d tucked in her jeans pocket. She threw some notes and coins on the counter then watched the woman count every single penny.
“That’ll do nicely. Enjoy the rest of your day,” she said, dismissing Louise.
She couldn’t leave the pub quickly enough. The chilling laughter that followed her made her bones shudder. Why do people keep turning on me? At first they seem okay, can’t do enough for me—and then bam! It’s as if a red mist descends all of a sudden.
Walking along the high street, with the early-afternoon sun warming her face, she wracked her brain to think of someone she could contact for help. The police had been useless, so there was no reason to get in touch with Bould to find out what information he’d gathered about her family. The man clearly didn’t believe her. If only she could remember Georgina’s parents’ names, then maybe she could make contact with them to get her friend’s phone number, but there was very little chance of that happening, given the state her head was in.
She’d walked the length of the street and reached the end of it without coming up with a possible solution as to where to turn to next. With barely thirty pounds left in the envelope, she had few options but to remain on foot for the rest of the day. And what happens then? Where will I stay this evening, if I don’t come up with any answers or find Matthew? She sat down on the low stone wall at the end of the street, her heart heavy with loneliness. A couple with a young child sat on the wall next to her, eating ice creams. She listened to them chatting to the little girl, and the scene played a merry tune on her heartstrings.
The little girl jumped off the wall and stood in front of her. “Hello, lady, wanna lick of my ice cream?”
Louise leaned forward and touched the girl’s cheek with her hand. “That’s very kind of you, sweetheart, but I’ve just had my dinner and my tummy is a little full right now. You enjoy it all yourself.”
The woman sitting on the other side of the young man left the wall and took the girl’s hand. “I’m so sorry. She loves speaking to strangers. Cally, what have we told you about that?”
“Aww… I only asked,” the little girl said, appearing a little upset.
“Please, there’s no harm done. It’s the kind of thing my own daughter would do if she saw someone sitting alone.”
The young woman smiled and motioned for her partner to move over so that she could sit alongside Louise. “Are you on holiday?”
“Yes, well, I’m supposed to be. It’s a long story.”
“We have time to listen if you want to share. I’m Ellen Brazil. My friends call me Ellie, and this is my fiancé, Brian, and his daughter, the mischievous Cally.”
“Oh, so she’s not your daughter, then? She’s the spitting image of you, has the same nose. I’m Louise Gillespie.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Louise. No, Cally isn’t mine, although she’s very much part of our family. She’s going to be a bridesmaid at our wedding.” Ellie pointed up the road.
“Really? Here?” Louise asked, her gaze going to the church with the large spire at the top of the high street.
“Yes, we thought we’d be different and get married while we’re on our actual honeymoon.” Ellie laughed and pecked her fiancé on the cheek.
“How wonderful. Where are you from?”
“Worcester. This is the first time we’ve had a real holiday together, or any kind of break since we started our own business. We weren’t together then, but we’ve grown to be inseparable over the years. A lot of that has to do with our work. It can be a little intense at times.” Ellie grinned broadly.
Louise felt comfortable and safe for the first time that day, and knowing that the two people she’d just met weren’t locals considerably lifted her mood. “I don’t wish to appear nosey, but can I ask what kind of business you’re in that has brought you two together?” She raised a hand to stop Ellie from replying. “Please don’t tell me you run an online dating agency. That would be so ironic.”
Ellie laughed. “No, we run a missing persons’ business.”
“Don’t forget we’ve just branched out into PI work,” Brian added, dabbing a little ice cream on the end of his daughter’s nose, making Cally squeal with delight.
Louise’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.” She looked heavenwards and closed her eyes for the briefest of moments to speak to her parents. Thank you!
“Nope. We’re totally kosher. When we sat down, you appeared a little down. Is everything okay?”
She was tempted to spill her troubles, but Louise was also aware that the kind strangers were on holiday and really wouldn’t want to be bothered by her dilemma. “You’re on holiday, supposed to be off duty, remember?”
“Yes, but we’re like the police—on duty twenty-four-seven if needed.”
Louise expelled a large sigh, unsure whether she should continue the conversation or not. However, desperation won out. “I’m lost. Not personally, you understand. Lost in that, I just don’t know who to go to for help.”
Ellie turned to Brian, and Louise’s heart almost ground to a halt. But when Ellie turned back and smiled broadly, Louise knew she was doing the right thing. “If we can help, we will.”
“You don’t know how wonderful it is to hear you say that. I bet you regret it after I fill you in on what’s happened to me. It’s a little hard to believe, even to me.”
“Let us be the judge of that. Shall we go and find somewhere less public to chat? What about the pub over there?”
“No! I couldn’t go back in there. Please, they treated me appallingly, robbed me of my money.”
Brian propelled himself off the wall and had reached the edge of the pavement before either of the two women could stop him. “We’ll see about that. Was it a customer?”
“No. I didn’t mean it to come out like that. I just meant that they ripped me off when I paid for my meal. Can you believe a sandwich and a cup of coffee cost me twenty pounds? The thing is, I don’t have any money of my own. I only have thirty pounds left, and that’s the money the staff and the patients at the hospital gave me because they felt sorry for me.”
“Wait, you were in hospital?” Ellie asked, surprised.
Louise nodded. “I’ll tell you all about it when we have a chat, away from here.” She looked over at the pub and shuddered.
Meanwhile, Brian was still enraged by the fact she’d been callously ripped off at the pub. “That’s extortion. I should go and get your money back for you. They’re taking the mick, charging holidaymakers that amount for a sarnie and a cuppa,” Brian said, his nostrils flaring in anger.
Ellie nodded and pulled his arm. “We can sort that out later, Brian. I think we need Louise to tell us about her experience first, then I’ll let you loose on the morons. Why don’t we go down to the beach?”
The four of them left the stone wall and walked towards the nearby beach in silence, all except little Cally, who was still carrying on the cute conversation with her doll. Ten minutes later, the huge expanse of sand greeted them on the blue-flag-rated Gyllngvase Beach. Considering its size, Louise was amazed the beach was almost empty, even if it was only June. “It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?”
“We’ve been here a few days and discovered this place after only a few hours. We’ve virtually camped out here since we arrived,” Ellie replied, her face lighting up as she smiled.
“Is it always this quiet?”
“It has been so far. Tends to get busier later on in the afternoon for some reason, but not much. Come on, let’s head over there, where it’s a little more sheltered.”
Once they had settled near the edge of the beach, beneath the rocky hillside, Louise began to retell her harrowing tale.
“We were really looking forward to coming away for the first time in years. Matthew rarely gets time off from his business, you see. He only managed it this time because he’s just increased the staff at his firm. Anyway, we set off around ten from Hertfordshire and drove non-stop to be here. Sophie was tucked in her child seat in the back of the car, and Matt was driving, while I dozed off. It’s been a hectic few days for me, getting everything organised for the trip and ensuring the garden and household chores were up to scratch before we left.”
“Do you work, Louise?” Ellie asked.
“No, we decided that once Sophie went to school full time, then I would go back to my job at the advertising agency.”
“I see. Carry on.”
“What can I say, except that when I woke up from one of my little naps, I saw a speeding car coming right at us, and Matt didn’t have time to stop. I vaguely remember the squealing tyres that woke me. The next thing I knew, I was being thrown forward. I presume my head hit the windscreen and knocked me out. I was taken to the hospital suffering from concussion.”
Ellie winced when she studied Louise’s face. “Ouch, that does look nasty. And that happened even though you were wearing a seatbelt?”
“That’s the point. I was told at the scene—I can’t recall who told me, as my mind is still a little fuzzy about some things—that I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt at the time. Which is too bizarre for words, as I’ve never got into a car and not fastened a seatbelt in my life before. So why would I do it this time?”
“Can a seatbelt come undone during an impact like that, Bri?” Ellie asked her fiancé.
Brian shook his head. “Not something I’m aware of, or heard of before. They’re installed to prevent events like this from occurring. Maybe you had a faulty one. Was the car regularly serviced?”
“Yes, and it was only a few years old. Matthew has always serviced the cars well, even more so since we’ve had Sophie,” Louise explained.
“Maybe I’ll do some digging into that on the laptop when we get back to the cottage,” Brian said.
“So, I take it the impact knocked you out, Louise?” Ellie queried.
“Yes, and when I woke up, I was lying on a stretcher. The emergency personnel attending to me informed me that I was driving the car and my husband and daughter were nowhere to be found. They all thought I was nuts—I know they did.”
“Really? So what about the driver of the other car? What injuries did he sustain?”
Louise lowered her head and shook it. “According to the sergeant who questioned me at the scene and later in hospital, there were no other vehicles involved in the accident. He said the evidence at the scene suggested that I was driving and I’d hit a barrier. I couldn’t see the car from where I was; all I saw was a tow truck and the emergency vehicles attending the accident.”
Ellie tutted. “How strange. There was no luggage or child’s seat found?”
“No, nothing. It’s as if my husband and daughter have vanished or, worse still, never even made the trip with me.”
“Do you know how you got out of the car? You said you woke up on the stretcher, right?” Ellie asked.
“That’s right. I have no idea if someone pulled me from the car or not. Perhaps a passer-by did that before calling the police, you know, in case the car went up in smoke. I really don’t have a clue.”
“Well, I think we should try and track down this sergeant and ask him some questions of our own.”
“You believe me?” Louise asked, her heart rate quickening.
“Why not? Yes, you’ve received a bump on the head, but that shouldn’t be enough to discount what you’re saying. I’m appalled this policeman has essentially called you a liar instead of doing all he can to help find your family,” Ellie said, banging her fist into the sand beside her.
“Whoa, I know that bloody look, Ellie. You can’t go in search of this copper and give him what for. They are trained to go by the evidence they’re confronted with; you know that as well as I do. At the end of the day, he’s only doing his job,” Brian replied.
Ellie turned to Louise. “We both used to be serving police officers.” She glanced back at her fiancé. “Yes, I’m aware of that, Brian. However, in my day, if someone pointed out facts to the opposite of what a scene presented to me, then I would have certainly been intrigued to find out why the differences occurred, instead of disbelieving the victim, whether that victim was suffering from concussion or not.”
“I wholeheartedly agree. I’d be foolish not to, hon. However, we’re going to need to handle the situation with a certain degree of sensitivity, considering it’s not on our patch.”
“I hear you, but consider this, partner—we’re freelance nowadays, and that means we don’t have the restrictions we once had when we were serving with the Midlands Police Force.”
Brian sighed. “How did I know you’d worm your way around that particular obstacle?”
Ellie laughed and blew her fiancé a kiss.
Louise smiled at the camaraderie between them, although a little note of sadness tugged at her stomach. Their closeness was touching and made Louise realise that her marriage had been missing that closeness since her miscarriage.
“Hey, what’s that sad face all about? One second you were smiling at our antics, and the next, it was as though a dark cloud had descended over you. Care to share?” Ellie reached for Louise’s hand and gently squeezed it.
“Just thinking—more reminiscing, really. Matt and I used to be as close as you and Brian once upon a time. I miss that! Damn, what am I saying? I miss them—Sophie and Matt—full stop.”
“I’m sorry. It was insensitive of us under the circumstances.”
“Don’t be silly. I love seeing people in love. It makes the world go round, doesn’t it?”
“You said you used to be close to Matt ‘once upon a time’. Can I ask what has changed that?”
Louise swallowed hard. “I had a miscarriage a few months ago. I suppose our marriage has been a little strained since then. That was the purpose of our trip, to recapture what we once had. We used to be inseparable, laughing and joking, messing around all the time.”
“My heart goes out to you, Louise. That must’ve been very hard to handle. Crikey, you’re not having much luck lately, are you?”
“I suppose if you put it like that, I’ve had better periods in my life. I thought losing Mum and Dad so early would be enough heartache to last me for a few decades, but when we lost the baby, it totally rocked my world. I doubted my abilities as a mother overnight. Silly, I know, but I suppose off-balance hormones can affect a person’s well-being more than some of us appreciate. How these women cope with having miscarriage after miscarriage, I’ll never know. I couldn’t put myself through that much heartache.”
