Alfonso could not reasonably deny the
possibility. Maybe even the probability. But he continued to explore all avenues.
‘Couldn’t Daisy have just run off?’ he asked. ‘On her own?’
‘She’s never run off before. Never. Well, not for more than a minute or two. It’s been hours now, Fonz. I’m worried sick.’
‘Oh my God,’ said Alfonso again. ‘Do you really think someone’s taken her?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Tiny. ‘I just don’t know.’
‘Oh shit,’ said Alfonso. ‘Look, don’t worry. I’ll get one of the others to pick up Marlena. If necessary, I’ll swap shifts with someone at work and do it
myself.’
There was yet another brief silence at the other end of the line.
‘No,’ said Tiny. ‘I’ll do it. Really. It’ll give me something else to think about.’
‘But don’t you want to carry on looking?’
‘I don’t know where else to look, to be honest. Anyway, Billy’s coming home early from work. He can take over. He may bring some new ideas with him. That’s what I’m
hoping for, anyway.’
‘Well, if you’re sure.’
‘I’m quite sure, yes.’
‘Maybe Daisy will have turned up by then.’
‘Maybe she will,’ said Tiny. But he didn’t sound at all convinced.
Later that day Greg received a call from George.
‘Have you heard about Marlena?’ asked Greg straight away.
‘Yes. It’s awful. I’m so sorry. Alfonso called me last night. I should have been in touch to see if I can do anything to help, only . . .’ George hesitated. ‘Only
something’s happened. Chump’s disappeared.’
‘Are you sure?’
Greg was a dog person, and would have been devastated if anything happened to his and Karen’s pair of Westies, but unlike George, and indeed Tiny and Billy, he’d owned dogs all his
life. When he was a kid people had still just let their dogs out on the street to exercise themselves. As a rule, Greg didn’t worry too much about dogs appearing to go missing. He also knew
that George’s Maltese terrier was a rescue dog with an unknown past.
‘Of course I’m sure.’ George sounded tetchy. ‘I took him to Lincoln’s Inn Fields mid-morning. One minute he was there at my feet, the next he was gone.’
‘Couldn’t he have gone off chasing something? That place is full of squirrels.’
‘Yes, and Chump’s terrified of them. He might be quite an old boy now, but you know what a baby he is. God knows what went on in his little life before I had him. He’s scared
of his own shadow. Sticks to me like glue.’
‘So what happened?’
‘My phone rang. We were by a wooded bit and Chump was sniffing about. I took the call because it was Marnie next door. You know how I look out for her. She can’t get about much any
more. She rang to ask me to get some shopping for her, but I think she was lonely and just wanted to chat. I couldn’t get rid of her. When I eventually did, there was no sign of Chump. At
first I thought he must be behind a bush or something, you know, doing his business. But no. I looked everywhere. No sign of him.’
‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m in the park. I’ve just come back here. I went home to make sure he hadn’t taken off for there, and I’ve got Marnie waiting in my place just in case. So I
thought it was best for me to be here. I’m making myself stay where I last saw him. That’s where he’d be most likely to return to, looking for me, isn’t it?’
‘Probably.’
‘Would you help me, Greg? Nobody knows this area like you do.’
Greg cursed. He had his own problems. But George knew he was a dog person, and Greg responded accordingly.
‘Sure I will, George,’ he said. ‘Where are you exactly?’
‘I’m by the bandstand.’
‘I’ll be there in fifteen.’
Greg lit a cigarette as he made his way along Long Acre. At least the walk gave him the chance to have a smoke. Karen thought Greg had given it up, but although he’d cut down he still
couldn’t quite kick the habit. He found his
possibility. Maybe even the probability. But he continued to explore all avenues.
‘Couldn’t Daisy have just run off?’ he asked. ‘On her own?’
‘She’s never run off before. Never. Well, not for more than a minute or two. It’s been hours now, Fonz. I’m worried sick.’
‘Oh my God,’ said Alfonso again. ‘Do you really think someone’s taken her?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Tiny. ‘I just don’t know.’
‘Oh shit,’ said Alfonso. ‘Look, don’t worry. I’ll get one of the others to pick up Marlena. If necessary, I’ll swap shifts with someone at work and do it
myself.’
There was yet another brief silence at the other end of the line.
‘No,’ said Tiny. ‘I’ll do it. Really. It’ll give me something else to think about.’
‘But don’t you want to carry on looking?’
‘I don’t know where else to look, to be honest. Anyway, Billy’s coming home early from work. He can take over. He may bring some new ideas with him. That’s what I’m
hoping for, anyway.’
‘Well, if you’re sure.’
‘I’m quite sure, yes.’
‘Maybe Daisy will have turned up by then.’
‘Maybe she will,’ said Tiny. But he didn’t sound at all convinced.
Later that day Greg received a call from George.
‘Have you heard about Marlena?’ asked Greg straight away.
‘Yes. It’s awful. I’m so sorry. Alfonso called me last night. I should have been in touch to see if I can do anything to help, only . . .’ George hesitated. ‘Only
something’s happened. Chump’s disappeared.’
‘Are you sure?’
Greg was a dog person, and would have been devastated if anything happened to his and Karen’s pair of Westies, but unlike George, and indeed Tiny and Billy, he’d owned dogs all his
life. When he was a kid people had still just let their dogs out on the street to exercise themselves. As a rule, Greg didn’t worry too much about dogs appearing to go missing. He also knew
that George’s Maltese terrier was a rescue dog with an unknown past.
‘Of course I’m sure.’ George sounded tetchy. ‘I took him to Lincoln’s Inn Fields mid-morning. One minute he was there at my feet, the next he was gone.’
‘Couldn’t he have gone off chasing something? That place is full of squirrels.’
‘Yes, and Chump’s terrified of them. He might be quite an old boy now, but you know what a baby he is. God knows what went on in his little life before I had him. He’s scared
of his own shadow. Sticks to me like glue.’
‘So what happened?’
‘My phone rang. We were by a wooded bit and Chump was sniffing about. I took the call because it was Marnie next door. You know how I look out for her. She can’t get about much any
more. She rang to ask me to get some shopping for her, but I think she was lonely and just wanted to chat. I couldn’t get rid of her. When I eventually did, there was no sign of Chump. At
first I thought he must be behind a bush or something, you know, doing his business. But no. I looked everywhere. No sign of him.’
‘Where are you now?’
‘I’m in the park. I’ve just come back here. I went home to make sure he hadn’t taken off for there, and I’ve got Marnie waiting in my place just in case. So I
thought it was best for me to be here. I’m making myself stay where I last saw him. That’s where he’d be most likely to return to, looking for me, isn’t it?’
‘Probably.’
‘Would you help me, Greg? Nobody knows this area like you do.’
Greg cursed. He had his own problems. But George knew he was a dog person, and Greg responded accordingly.
‘Sure I will, George,’ he said. ‘Where are you exactly?’
‘I’m by the bandstand.’
‘I’ll be there in fifteen.’
Greg lit a cigarette as he made his way along Long Acre. At least the walk gave him the chance to have a smoke. Karen thought Greg had given it up, but although he’d cut down he still
couldn’t quite kick the habit. He found his
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