Ben by Kerry Needham Page B

tackled their intimidating wild weeds – certainly not without making a noisy fuss.
    As she reached the sharp bend in the lane, Mum eased her speed. She’d already covered more ground than she imagined Ben could have travelled in such a short space of time. The second she turned the corner she was confident her grandson would be in sight.
    He wasn’t.
    Mum stared again at the sheer unbroken nothingness of the unmade lane. There wasn’t an animal, a vehicle or a person to be seen. And definitely no sign of a little boy. Ben was only twenty-one months. It was inconceivable he could have made it that far, let alone gone any further. And if he had, he would have answered her shouts.
    She trudged back round to the house and waited for the others to return. They all shook their heads. How could a toddler just disappear? There was only one other explanation.
    Stephen must have taken him.
    I can hear my dad’s voice now: ‘The stupid little idiot. Fancy not telling us he was taking Ben for a ride.’
    Ben didn’t even have a helmet. What was Stephen thinking?
    They kept on running through other ideas but this was the only one that made sense. No one had heard any other vehicles. None of the other landowners had arrived to feed their animals that afternoon. There had been no comings or goings at the house opposite, where the lane met the driveway. Stephen had to have taken him.
    ‘He’s probably taken him to visit Kerry,’ Dad said. ‘Palm Beach is on the way to the garage.’
    Reckless of Stephen though it was, they were all desperate to believe something and that was the most convincing conclusion. They could relax now. Michaelis and Dad had some clearing up and preparation to do for when the building materials arrived, so they’d be another hour. Mum said she wouldn’t wait.
    ‘I’ll take the dog and the pushchair home. Stephen and Ben will probably be back by now.’
    There was no sign of anyone at the caravan but Mum did spot the jerry can full of fuel for the generator. Obviously Stephenhad been back, but Mum assumed he and Ben had gone to the hotel for a swim. She began to prepare dinner. It was almost five o’clock. Ben had last been seen at half past two. Unless he ate at my snack bar, the little fella would be hungry by now.
    Dad and Danny arrived back twenty minutes later. Dad wasn’t worried, but he wasn’t happy either.
    ‘I’m going to wring Stephen’s neck,’ he said. ‘He can’t just take Ben off gallivanting whenever he feels like it.’ Dad said he’d drive to my apartment and if no one was there, onto the hotel, the only places the pair could be.
    Ten minutes later, Dad pulled up outside my little flat. We all had keys for it and, as he turned the key in the lock, he let out a sigh of relief. He could hear the shower. They were there.
    Dad poured a glass of water and made himself comfortable on the small sofa. A few minutes later the bathroom door opened and Stephen stepped out.
    Just Stephen.
    ‘All right, Dad? Have you come for a shower as well?’
    ‘No, I haven’t. Where’s Ben?’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘Is Ben with you?’
    ‘No. Why?’
    ‘You didn’t bring him here on your bike?’
    When he had processed the question, Stephen was offended at the idea. ‘Of course I didn’t, Dad. He hasn’t got a helmet. I never would.’
    Dad’s mind was jelly as the horror set in. He started shaking. Stephen picked up on it a few seconds later. Mum and I were still in the dark.
    ‘Get dressed. Let’s go.’
    As they ran out to the Land Rover Stephen said, ‘I left Ben playing by the door, Dad. I swear I did.’
    Dad said nothing. He knew it was true but he didn’t want to believe him. If his son hadn’t whisked Ben off, then what the hell had happened to him? Toddlers don’t just disappear. He felt sick.
    Mum crumpled when she saw Dad and Stephen return alone. One minute she was holding a knife and plate. The next they were both on the floor.
    ‘No, no, you must have him,