tell you where she is? I don’t know you from Adam.’
Tom smiled. ‘I think you’d be interested to know her story.’
‘What story? She’s on holiday!’
‘Not just any old holiday, though,’ Tom said, hoping that it would be enough to drop hints and that maybe, that way, he could get the information he required.
‘What do you mean? There’s nothing special about Swaledale.’
Bingo ! Tom tried to hide his joy. Swaledale. Well, that narrowed things down a little. He’d just have to find out where Swaledale actually was.
‘There might not be anything special about Swaledale but I still need to talk to Molly.’
‘And you want me or my husband to tell you exactly where she is?’
‘It would be most helpful.’
‘But why should I?’
Tom gave an inward sigh. Mrs Bailey was proving to be a rather cool customer. ‘Because it might benefit you.’
‘Benefit? How?’
Tom could see he was going to have to be more direct. ‘Mrs Bailey, has Molly come into any money recently?’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Inherited any, for example?’
‘Inherited? God!’ She gave a hearty laugh. ‘You obviously don’t know the Baileys.’
‘Or won any, maybe?’
‘Won? Like the lottery?’
Tom nodded. ‘Anything’s possible.’
‘But she would have said something, wouldn’t she?’
‘You’d be surprised what people do when they win,’ Tom said, as if he knew.
‘How do you know about this?’
‘Just a lead I was given.’
Mrs Bailey screwed her face up in confusion. ‘You’ve got it all wrong. She would have told us if she’d come into money.’
Tom shifted uneasily in the sofa. He could sense that he wasn’t going to get any more information out of this woman. ‘Has she a mobile phone I can contact her on?’ he tried with limited optimism.
‘Molly? You must be joking. She can’t afford one of those.’ As soon as the words were out of her mouth Tom could almost see her brain tick-ticking away, weighing the possibilities.
‘I’d better make a move,’ Tom said, making an effort to separate his bottom from the sunken middle of the sofa. ‘Thank you for your time, Mrs Bailey.’
She stared at him, eyes wide with wonder.
‘Bye then,’ he said, holding his hand out to shake hers. She took it silently and he let himself out of the house.
Most peculiar, Carolyn thought, as soon as the door was shut. Molly – come into money? No! It was ridiculous. Shedefinitely would have said something. They didn’t have any secrets from each other. Did they? Carolyn shook her head. She supposed she should check on Marty.
Heading out of the living room, she almost jumped out of her skin as she collided with him at the bottom of the stairs.
‘ Marty! ’
‘Who the hell was that man?’ he growled. ‘And what’s all this about Molly and money?’
Chapter Fourteen
After scuffing his shoes on the dodgy path again, Tom got back in the car and reached for his road atlas.
‘OK?’ Flora asked without lifting her nose from out of her book.
‘Fine,’ Tom said, quickly finding out that Swaledale was in North Yorkshire. He sighed. More petrol. Still, he supposed he should be grateful it wasn’t in North Wales.
‘Flo, we’re moving.’
‘OK,’ she said, closing her book and doing up her seat belt. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Swaledale.’
Flora giggled.
‘I know. There are some ridiculously named places round here.’
‘I like it.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ Tom said, pulling out and heading towards the A66.
It was almost dark by the time they checked into a small hotel in Hawes. They’d been turned away by a fair few bed and breakfasts, and had been advised to try Hawes which wasn’t exactly in the right direction. Still, he couldn’t have his girl sleeping in the car, could he?
After sharing a packet of Mini Cheddars, and marching Flora into the shower, he thought it time he made a move. He didn’t like leaving Flora alone. Anise would kill him if she ever found out,
Tom smiled. ‘I think you’d be interested to know her story.’
‘What story? She’s on holiday!’
‘Not just any old holiday, though,’ Tom said, hoping that it would be enough to drop hints and that maybe, that way, he could get the information he required.
‘What do you mean? There’s nothing special about Swaledale.’
Bingo ! Tom tried to hide his joy. Swaledale. Well, that narrowed things down a little. He’d just have to find out where Swaledale actually was.
‘There might not be anything special about Swaledale but I still need to talk to Molly.’
‘And you want me or my husband to tell you exactly where she is?’
‘It would be most helpful.’
‘But why should I?’
Tom gave an inward sigh. Mrs Bailey was proving to be a rather cool customer. ‘Because it might benefit you.’
‘Benefit? How?’
Tom could see he was going to have to be more direct. ‘Mrs Bailey, has Molly come into any money recently?’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Inherited any, for example?’
‘Inherited? God!’ She gave a hearty laugh. ‘You obviously don’t know the Baileys.’
‘Or won any, maybe?’
‘Won? Like the lottery?’
Tom nodded. ‘Anything’s possible.’
‘But she would have said something, wouldn’t she?’
‘You’d be surprised what people do when they win,’ Tom said, as if he knew.
‘How do you know about this?’
‘Just a lead I was given.’
Mrs Bailey screwed her face up in confusion. ‘You’ve got it all wrong. She would have told us if she’d come into money.’
Tom shifted uneasily in the sofa. He could sense that he wasn’t going to get any more information out of this woman. ‘Has she a mobile phone I can contact her on?’ he tried with limited optimism.
‘Molly? You must be joking. She can’t afford one of those.’ As soon as the words were out of her mouth Tom could almost see her brain tick-ticking away, weighing the possibilities.
‘I’d better make a move,’ Tom said, making an effort to separate his bottom from the sunken middle of the sofa. ‘Thank you for your time, Mrs Bailey.’
She stared at him, eyes wide with wonder.
‘Bye then,’ he said, holding his hand out to shake hers. She took it silently and he let himself out of the house.
Most peculiar, Carolyn thought, as soon as the door was shut. Molly – come into money? No! It was ridiculous. Shedefinitely would have said something. They didn’t have any secrets from each other. Did they? Carolyn shook her head. She supposed she should check on Marty.
Heading out of the living room, she almost jumped out of her skin as she collided with him at the bottom of the stairs.
‘ Marty! ’
‘Who the hell was that man?’ he growled. ‘And what’s all this about Molly and money?’
Chapter Fourteen
After scuffing his shoes on the dodgy path again, Tom got back in the car and reached for his road atlas.
‘OK?’ Flora asked without lifting her nose from out of her book.
‘Fine,’ Tom said, quickly finding out that Swaledale was in North Yorkshire. He sighed. More petrol. Still, he supposed he should be grateful it wasn’t in North Wales.
‘Flo, we’re moving.’
‘OK,’ she said, closing her book and doing up her seat belt. ‘Where are we going?’
‘Swaledale.’
Flora giggled.
‘I know. There are some ridiculously named places round here.’
‘I like it.’
‘Let’s hope so,’ Tom said, pulling out and heading towards the A66.
It was almost dark by the time they checked into a small hotel in Hawes. They’d been turned away by a fair few bed and breakfasts, and had been advised to try Hawes which wasn’t exactly in the right direction. Still, he couldn’t have his girl sleeping in the car, could he?
After sharing a packet of Mini Cheddars, and marching Flora into the shower, he thought it time he made a move. He didn’t like leaving Flora alone. Anise would kill him if she ever found out,
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