Turning the knob quietly, he stepped through to the landing.
‘It’s four o’clock,’ Tina whispered as she followed him.
‘I know, and I haven’t slept a wink, have you?’
She shook her head. ‘But at least the children have.’
‘Fancy some tea?’
‘I don’t fancy going into that kitchen. I wonder why Bethan hasn’t telephoned.’
‘Because she hasn’t any news.’
Tina fell silent. Something in Will’s tone reminded her that there was news besides good and she realised she’d been hoping – no expecting – to hear that Diana was going to be fine.
‘The children all right?’
‘Sleeping, Constable … ?’
‘Hopkins, sir.’
‘Is my uncle around?’
‘Sergeant stopped by to pick him up, sir. He was needed elsewhere.’
‘For something more important?’ Tina enquired acidly.
‘I wasn’t privy to whatever it was, Mrs Powell.’
‘Come on, Tina, let’s sit down.’
‘My orders are not to let anyone in the kitchen until after the detectives look it over in the morning, sir.’
‘That’s all right, we’ll go into the parlour.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m not even allowed in the kitchen to make tea.’
‘In that case we’ll have to make do with something stronger.’ William produced a hip flask from his top pocket and offered it to the constable.
‘Not allowed on duty, sir.’
‘No one’s here to see. Go on …’
The boy didn’t need any more urging. He finished the capful William handed him and looked disappointed when William took the flask along with himself into the parlour.
‘This wasn’t quite what I had in mind for my first night back,’ he said, sinking his face into his hands as he sat alongside Tina on the sofa.
‘I still can’t understand what happened. There’s no way Diana could have fallen through that window. The chair was in the way.’
‘There’s no point talking about it …’ He shot up as he heard voices at the door. Diving out into the passage, he looked from Huw to Bethan.
‘Let’s go into the parlour,’ Huw suggested, sniffing the air in front of Hopkins and giving him a hard look.
‘There’s no real news.’ Bethan covered Tina’s hand with her own as she sat next to her. ‘All I can tell you is that Diana’s survived the operation but she has a skull fracture and we won’t know the extent of her injuries until she comes round, which could take days or even, I hate to say it, weeks.’
‘And Ronnie?’ Tina asked.
‘He came round but he became hysterical when I told him he couldn’t see Diana so we had to sedate him again.’
‘I’m sorry, love.’ Huw patted Tina’s shoulder clumsily as he looked to William. ‘But we’ve got to be practical. Bethan and I thought it might be an idea to move the children.’
‘Now?’
‘It’s best they leave before the neighbours are about. If you two pack their things we’ll take them to my house. I know Myrtle’s not up to looking after them and I have to work, but we’ve three spare bedrooms as well as a parlour we never use, so I thought that perhaps you two could stay there with them until your mam comes back, Will. Knowing her, she’ll want to take care of Billy and Catrina for the time being, and as Dino’s bought that house in our street Billy and Catrina won’t have far to move when Megan does come home. In my opinion, the less upset they have to cope with after this night the better.’
‘They and you are welcome to stay with me,’ Bethan offered.
‘Thanks, Beth, but as Uncle Huw said, it makes more sense to take them to his house. Mam will be home like a shot when she hears about this and she’ll want Billy and Catrina with her.’
‘Are you going to telephone her?’
William looked at his watch again.
‘I am, but not this early. What do you think, Uncle Huw? Eight o’clock.’
‘Knowing Megan, big as you are, she’ll put you over her knee if you make it any later.’
‘Then we’d better get Billy and Catrina’s things together,’ Tina
‘It’s four o’clock,’ Tina whispered as she followed him.
‘I know, and I haven’t slept a wink, have you?’
She shook her head. ‘But at least the children have.’
‘Fancy some tea?’
‘I don’t fancy going into that kitchen. I wonder why Bethan hasn’t telephoned.’
‘Because she hasn’t any news.’
Tina fell silent. Something in Will’s tone reminded her that there was news besides good and she realised she’d been hoping – no expecting – to hear that Diana was going to be fine.
‘The children all right?’
‘Sleeping, Constable … ?’
‘Hopkins, sir.’
‘Is my uncle around?’
‘Sergeant stopped by to pick him up, sir. He was needed elsewhere.’
‘For something more important?’ Tina enquired acidly.
‘I wasn’t privy to whatever it was, Mrs Powell.’
‘Come on, Tina, let’s sit down.’
‘My orders are not to let anyone in the kitchen until after the detectives look it over in the morning, sir.’
‘That’s all right, we’ll go into the parlour.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m not even allowed in the kitchen to make tea.’
‘In that case we’ll have to make do with something stronger.’ William produced a hip flask from his top pocket and offered it to the constable.
‘Not allowed on duty, sir.’
‘No one’s here to see. Go on …’
The boy didn’t need any more urging. He finished the capful William handed him and looked disappointed when William took the flask along with himself into the parlour.
‘This wasn’t quite what I had in mind for my first night back,’ he said, sinking his face into his hands as he sat alongside Tina on the sofa.
‘I still can’t understand what happened. There’s no way Diana could have fallen through that window. The chair was in the way.’
‘There’s no point talking about it …’ He shot up as he heard voices at the door. Diving out into the passage, he looked from Huw to Bethan.
‘Let’s go into the parlour,’ Huw suggested, sniffing the air in front of Hopkins and giving him a hard look.
‘There’s no real news.’ Bethan covered Tina’s hand with her own as she sat next to her. ‘All I can tell you is that Diana’s survived the operation but she has a skull fracture and we won’t know the extent of her injuries until she comes round, which could take days or even, I hate to say it, weeks.’
‘And Ronnie?’ Tina asked.
‘He came round but he became hysterical when I told him he couldn’t see Diana so we had to sedate him again.’
‘I’m sorry, love.’ Huw patted Tina’s shoulder clumsily as he looked to William. ‘But we’ve got to be practical. Bethan and I thought it might be an idea to move the children.’
‘Now?’
‘It’s best they leave before the neighbours are about. If you two pack their things we’ll take them to my house. I know Myrtle’s not up to looking after them and I have to work, but we’ve three spare bedrooms as well as a parlour we never use, so I thought that perhaps you two could stay there with them until your mam comes back, Will. Knowing her, she’ll want to take care of Billy and Catrina for the time being, and as Dino’s bought that house in our street Billy and Catrina won’t have far to move when Megan does come home. In my opinion, the less upset they have to cope with after this night the better.’
‘They and you are welcome to stay with me,’ Bethan offered.
‘Thanks, Beth, but as Uncle Huw said, it makes more sense to take them to his house. Mam will be home like a shot when she hears about this and she’ll want Billy and Catrina with her.’
‘Are you going to telephone her?’
William looked at his watch again.
‘I am, but not this early. What do you think, Uncle Huw? Eight o’clock.’
‘Knowing Megan, big as you are, she’ll put you over her knee if you make it any later.’
‘Then we’d better get Billy and Catrina’s things together,’ Tina
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