silently rolled down her face.
When she’d finished her coffee, he made her another – this time without the brandy.
Sipping more slowly, she began to feel better, easier, more in control. She knew she must, if she was going to be of any use to Jenny and David.
“Thank you, Sam; you’re a good friend. It’s all such a shock, I still can’t believe it.”
Sam noticed some of her colour had returned.
“It’s a lot to take in. It seems to me that you can only concentrate on one thing at the moment and that’s finding the children. You say that it took only moments?”
“Yes, according to Jenny, she’d gone to bring the car round, not wanting to wait until the rain had stopped. And when she came back, they were gone.
“Apparently, Polly, the girl who works at the cinema, hadn’t seen a thing. One second they were there, the next….”
Anne looked down at her cup; she could feel her emotions taking control.
Sam extended his hand and covered hers.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay, they must have wandered off. You know how quickly these things can happen.”
His brown eyes looked deeply into Anne’s, willing her to believe him. They had to be okay. He refused to consider anything else.
David came into the kitchen looking like he’d aged twenty years.
He sat down on one of the chairs while Sam made him a coffee, laced with brandy.
He drank it gratefully.
“Jenny’s finally asleep,” David told them. “She fought it but the medication was stronger. I hope she’s going to be okay. You know how much she cares about the twins. Oh God...my babies!”
David put his face into his hands and broke down.
Sam stood behind his chair and held onto his shoulders, saying nothing.
What was there to say?
Wiping his ravaged face, David looked embarrassed.
He had to be strong; Jenny mustn’t see him like this.
He drank a second cup of coffee.
“You make a good cup, Sam,” David acknowledged, smiling briefly.
“Anne and I want to stay, if that’s okay?” Sam told him.
“There’s no need, really. We’ll let you know if there’s any news,” David responded.
“I’m not going anywhere, David,” Anne stated.
“Neither am I,” agreed Sam.
David gazed at them both.
“Well, okay, if you’re sure? There’s a large sofa in the other room, it’ll be more comfortable than in here. Why don’t you go in there? I must go back to Jenny. I’ll stay with her. Shout if you need anything. Listen, will you take care of any ‘phone calls? I want Jenny to sleep, so I’ll turn off the extension upstairs, seeing as you both insist you stay. And thanks – you’re good friends.”
He walked quickly from the room; they could hear him climb the stairs, this time far slower as if his body were made of concrete.
The two left in the kitchen only stared at each other, then as if by telepathy, cleared the mess of cups and stains before silently walking to the other room.
The ‘phone rang.
Nipping back into the kitchen, Sam reached it first.
An immediate smile brightened his face.
“Thank you, thank you!” he said, put down the ‘phone and then grabbed Anne around the waist and swung her round saying, “They’ve been found – they’re okay!”
David had come bounding down the stairs.
“What, what’s happened?”
Putting Anne down he turned to David and said, “That was Inspector Meakin, the girls have been found.”
“Are they...?”
Sam interrupted. “They’re safe and well. Meakin is bringing them here now. They’re okay, David, they really are.”
David slumped onto the step behind only to jump up again and dash back upstairs.
Anne found herself in Sam’s arms again, but this time with pure joy in her heart.
******
The girls were asleep by the time they arrived home and didn’t look any the worse for their adventure.
Having been taken straight upstairs to bed, Jenny held them, tears of relief on her face.
David watched his wife, knowing that what she had been
When she’d finished her coffee, he made her another – this time without the brandy.
Sipping more slowly, she began to feel better, easier, more in control. She knew she must, if she was going to be of any use to Jenny and David.
“Thank you, Sam; you’re a good friend. It’s all such a shock, I still can’t believe it.”
Sam noticed some of her colour had returned.
“It’s a lot to take in. It seems to me that you can only concentrate on one thing at the moment and that’s finding the children. You say that it took only moments?”
“Yes, according to Jenny, she’d gone to bring the car round, not wanting to wait until the rain had stopped. And when she came back, they were gone.
“Apparently, Polly, the girl who works at the cinema, hadn’t seen a thing. One second they were there, the next….”
Anne looked down at her cup; she could feel her emotions taking control.
Sam extended his hand and covered hers.
“I’m sure they’ll be okay, they must have wandered off. You know how quickly these things can happen.”
His brown eyes looked deeply into Anne’s, willing her to believe him. They had to be okay. He refused to consider anything else.
David came into the kitchen looking like he’d aged twenty years.
He sat down on one of the chairs while Sam made him a coffee, laced with brandy.
He drank it gratefully.
“Jenny’s finally asleep,” David told them. “She fought it but the medication was stronger. I hope she’s going to be okay. You know how much she cares about the twins. Oh God...my babies!”
David put his face into his hands and broke down.
Sam stood behind his chair and held onto his shoulders, saying nothing.
What was there to say?
Wiping his ravaged face, David looked embarrassed.
He had to be strong; Jenny mustn’t see him like this.
He drank a second cup of coffee.
“You make a good cup, Sam,” David acknowledged, smiling briefly.
“Anne and I want to stay, if that’s okay?” Sam told him.
“There’s no need, really. We’ll let you know if there’s any news,” David responded.
“I’m not going anywhere, David,” Anne stated.
“Neither am I,” agreed Sam.
David gazed at them both.
“Well, okay, if you’re sure? There’s a large sofa in the other room, it’ll be more comfortable than in here. Why don’t you go in there? I must go back to Jenny. I’ll stay with her. Shout if you need anything. Listen, will you take care of any ‘phone calls? I want Jenny to sleep, so I’ll turn off the extension upstairs, seeing as you both insist you stay. And thanks – you’re good friends.”
He walked quickly from the room; they could hear him climb the stairs, this time far slower as if his body were made of concrete.
The two left in the kitchen only stared at each other, then as if by telepathy, cleared the mess of cups and stains before silently walking to the other room.
The ‘phone rang.
Nipping back into the kitchen, Sam reached it first.
An immediate smile brightened his face.
“Thank you, thank you!” he said, put down the ‘phone and then grabbed Anne around the waist and swung her round saying, “They’ve been found – they’re okay!”
David had come bounding down the stairs.
“What, what’s happened?”
Putting Anne down he turned to David and said, “That was Inspector Meakin, the girls have been found.”
“Are they...?”
Sam interrupted. “They’re safe and well. Meakin is bringing them here now. They’re okay, David, they really are.”
David slumped onto the step behind only to jump up again and dash back upstairs.
Anne found herself in Sam’s arms again, but this time with pure joy in her heart.
******
The girls were asleep by the time they arrived home and didn’t look any the worse for their adventure.
Having been taken straight upstairs to bed, Jenny held them, tears of relief on her face.
David watched his wife, knowing that what she had been
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