does.”
“He’s a nice chap.”
Kate giggled. “He is; women eat out of his hand.”
“Given half a chance, so would I.” They both giggled with mouths full of toast.
“I’m off.”
K ATE parked her car in her usual place, picked up her bag, got out and as she locked the car, she glanced up at the hills and drew in a deep breath. This weekend she’d go walking—with weather like this, who could resist? There was a slight mist at the peak of Beulah Bank Top. Other than that, it was as clear as clear, looking out across the hills. The wind was slightly blustery but pleasant. Kate dropped her car key, bent down to retrieve it and as she straightened up, caught sight of the mawkish purple of Adam’s car, all by itself at the top of the car park, where the staff never needed to park.
If she’d been electrocuted, she couldn’t have felt greater physical fear. Her scalp prickled and her hair felt as if it stood on end. She staggered to the safety of reception as best she could. Halfway there it occurred to her that he might already be inside, for she was certain he wasn’t sitting in the car. Or was he? Should she look? She glanced briefly over her shoulder. He didn’t appear to be. Joy! Joy was on duty this morning. Joy.
She pushed open the glass door and called out to her, “Has anyone been asking for me?”
Joy looked up. “No. Should they be?”
“No, not really. There’s no one been here, then?”
“No, definitely not. I’m the only one here. My dear, what’s the matter?”
“To be honest, it’s just me being ridiculous.” Nevertheless, she went into the laundry room, which gave her a view of the car park, and Adam’s car wasn’t there. She was definitely going mad. How could she be so stupid? What on earth would he be doing at this side of town at this time in the morning when his office was seven miles out on the other side? Come to that, though, what was he doing in town yesterday, having what he called a late lunch? Being paranoid about time, he would never take the risk of driving so far and back and eating lunch all in an hour. She must have dreamed his car was there. It couldn’t possibly have been.
As she put on her uniform and sorted out her mind for the day ahead, she remembered Miss Chillingsworth and Miss Chillingsworth’s money. Heavens above, she’d never put it in the safe.
Kate went straight to the drawer where she’d put it for safekeeping, pushed her hand under the papers and couldn’t feel the envelope. The phone rang twice for farm calls before she could get back to searching again. She took all the papers out of the drawer and put them back in one by one. No, the envelope hadn’t slipped between anything at all. It was missing. She stood, looking at the drawer. Had she got the right one? Yes, she had. Had she and Lynne put it in the safe and she’d forgotten? The moment Lynne came out of the loo she’d ask her.
“I don’t know anything about any money. We certainly didn’t put it in the safe. I would have remembered. Sorry.”
Joy, watering the plants on the windowsills, overheard and asked what money they were talking about.
Now very worried about the whole incident, Kate went across to Joy to explain what had happened.
“You shouldn’t have accepted the money, you know, Kate.”
“I know that; I was only trying to help. She was worried that Graham wouldn’t do all he could for fear of embarrassing her about the money. Which I don’t think she has, really. I think she’s short but can’t bear the thought of losing Cherub. She only wanted us to know the money was
there.”
Joy emptied the watering can on the last plant, tested the soil with her fingers and said after a moment, “Well, now it isn’t. We have a golden rule, you see. Any money taken during the day must be entered and accounted for
on that day.
Otherwise, with different people being on duty we’d get into no end of a mess. Lynne should have done the sheet last night before
“He’s a nice chap.”
Kate giggled. “He is; women eat out of his hand.”
“Given half a chance, so would I.” They both giggled with mouths full of toast.
“I’m off.”
K ATE parked her car in her usual place, picked up her bag, got out and as she locked the car, she glanced up at the hills and drew in a deep breath. This weekend she’d go walking—with weather like this, who could resist? There was a slight mist at the peak of Beulah Bank Top. Other than that, it was as clear as clear, looking out across the hills. The wind was slightly blustery but pleasant. Kate dropped her car key, bent down to retrieve it and as she straightened up, caught sight of the mawkish purple of Adam’s car, all by itself at the top of the car park, where the staff never needed to park.
If she’d been electrocuted, she couldn’t have felt greater physical fear. Her scalp prickled and her hair felt as if it stood on end. She staggered to the safety of reception as best she could. Halfway there it occurred to her that he might already be inside, for she was certain he wasn’t sitting in the car. Or was he? Should she look? She glanced briefly over her shoulder. He didn’t appear to be. Joy! Joy was on duty this morning. Joy.
She pushed open the glass door and called out to her, “Has anyone been asking for me?”
Joy looked up. “No. Should they be?”
“No, not really. There’s no one been here, then?”
“No, definitely not. I’m the only one here. My dear, what’s the matter?”
“To be honest, it’s just me being ridiculous.” Nevertheless, she went into the laundry room, which gave her a view of the car park, and Adam’s car wasn’t there. She was definitely going mad. How could she be so stupid? What on earth would he be doing at this side of town at this time in the morning when his office was seven miles out on the other side? Come to that, though, what was he doing in town yesterday, having what he called a late lunch? Being paranoid about time, he would never take the risk of driving so far and back and eating lunch all in an hour. She must have dreamed his car was there. It couldn’t possibly have been.
As she put on her uniform and sorted out her mind for the day ahead, she remembered Miss Chillingsworth and Miss Chillingsworth’s money. Heavens above, she’d never put it in the safe.
Kate went straight to the drawer where she’d put it for safekeeping, pushed her hand under the papers and couldn’t feel the envelope. The phone rang twice for farm calls before she could get back to searching again. She took all the papers out of the drawer and put them back in one by one. No, the envelope hadn’t slipped between anything at all. It was missing. She stood, looking at the drawer. Had she got the right one? Yes, she had. Had she and Lynne put it in the safe and she’d forgotten? The moment Lynne came out of the loo she’d ask her.
“I don’t know anything about any money. We certainly didn’t put it in the safe. I would have remembered. Sorry.”
Joy, watering the plants on the windowsills, overheard and asked what money they were talking about.
Now very worried about the whole incident, Kate went across to Joy to explain what had happened.
“You shouldn’t have accepted the money, you know, Kate.”
“I know that; I was only trying to help. She was worried that Graham wouldn’t do all he could for fear of embarrassing her about the money. Which I don’t think she has, really. I think she’s short but can’t bear the thought of losing Cherub. She only wanted us to know the money was
there.”
Joy emptied the watering can on the last plant, tested the soil with her fingers and said after a moment, “Well, now it isn’t. We have a golden rule, you see. Any money taken during the day must be entered and accounted for
on that day.
Otherwise, with different people being on duty we’d get into no end of a mess. Lynne should have done the sheet last night before
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