phone every two or three hours asking if there was any news and repeating her offer to sell her flat to pay off their debts.
“Dad’s kind of disappeared,” said Will.
“How do you mean
disappeared
?”
Will explained.
Dan sat down in the nearest chair. “I thought he was having problems recently, but when I asked him if there was anything bothering him – well, you know what he’s like.”
Will and Lucy nodded. They did. Their dad would prefer to make a joke rather than admit he had a problem.
Dan sat up straight suddenly. “Do you know, a funny thing happened to me last night. It’s partly why I’m here. I was coming up the Canongate, late-ish, gone ten, and I was pretty sure I saw your dad.”
“You did?” cried Louisa.
“It was dark and a bit foggy so I could easily have made a mistake. I called his name but when he didn’t stop I shouted, ‘Hey, pal, it’s me, Dan.’”
“What did he do then?” asked Will.
“He ran off. Down a close or whatever. As I said, it was dark and murky.”
“You don’t know which close?”
Dan shook his head. “I thought then I must have made a mistake. But now …”
“But to begin with, you really did think it was him?” pressedLucy.
“I did. I really did.”
“What was he wearing?” asked Will. “Could you tell?”
Dan frowned. “Not exactly. Darkish clothing. But he was definitely wearing trainers, that I did see.”
So it was certainly not the ghost of Ranald Cunningham, born in the eighteenth century! Trainers had not been invented then. They remembered that their father had come back for his trainers, amongst other things.
“Half the men in town wear trainers,” said Dan. “Though after what you’ve told me, I feel convinced that it was him.”
“He’s hiding from us,” declared Will.
“Why should he want to do that?” cried Lucy.
“Maybe because he feels ashamed.” Dan shrugged. “Feels he’s let you down.”
“We don’t think that,” said Lucy.
“No, but he might. I think he will.”
“If only we could find him! We could tell him we don’t mind.”
“He must be staying somewhere nearby,” said Will slowly.
But where?
They were pondering the question when their mother came home. She was as pleased to see Dan as they had been and accepted amicably the fact that they had told him about their dad. She seemed to have become resigned to the idea that the news would gradually spread. She asked Dan to stay to supper and he told her how he thought he’d seen Ranald the night before. She shook her head and said she didn’t know what to think. Her head ached from thinking.
“Why don’t we go out and see if there’s any sign of him now?” suggested Lucy.
“You can’t hang around in this weather,” objected her mother.“Besides, I don’t like you down there after dark.”
Dan said he’d be willing to go with them. They could sit in his car and keep watch for a while. “You never know, Ranald might come out…”
Their mother was dubious. “But where on earth can he be staying?”
“What about a B&B?” suggested Lucy.
“I don’t think there are any at the foot of the High Street or the Canongate, though I suppose there could be.”
“A hotel?” said Dan, then he shook his head. “No, I can’t imagine it.”
“He wouldn’t be able to afford it. I suppose he wouldn’t be—”
Dan finished the sentence. “Sleeping rough? Hardly think so, Ailsa. Temperatures are dropping to below zero at night.”
“Mum, let’s give it a go, please,” pleaded Lucy. “We don’t know what else to do, do we?”
Their mother finally gave in. The inaction was getting to her as much as to them. She told them to make sure they had their mobiles with them, which meant she would phone if they were away too long. As they went out she reminded them that they had their homework to finish. What does homework matter, thought Lucy, when your dad’s missing? She couldn’t get a picture of him curled up in a doorway
“Dad’s kind of disappeared,” said Will.
“How do you mean
disappeared
?”
Will explained.
Dan sat down in the nearest chair. “I thought he was having problems recently, but when I asked him if there was anything bothering him – well, you know what he’s like.”
Will and Lucy nodded. They did. Their dad would prefer to make a joke rather than admit he had a problem.
Dan sat up straight suddenly. “Do you know, a funny thing happened to me last night. It’s partly why I’m here. I was coming up the Canongate, late-ish, gone ten, and I was pretty sure I saw your dad.”
“You did?” cried Louisa.
“It was dark and a bit foggy so I could easily have made a mistake. I called his name but when he didn’t stop I shouted, ‘Hey, pal, it’s me, Dan.’”
“What did he do then?” asked Will.
“He ran off. Down a close or whatever. As I said, it was dark and murky.”
“You don’t know which close?”
Dan shook his head. “I thought then I must have made a mistake. But now …”
“But to begin with, you really did think it was him?” pressedLucy.
“I did. I really did.”
“What was he wearing?” asked Will. “Could you tell?”
Dan frowned. “Not exactly. Darkish clothing. But he was definitely wearing trainers, that I did see.”
So it was certainly not the ghost of Ranald Cunningham, born in the eighteenth century! Trainers had not been invented then. They remembered that their father had come back for his trainers, amongst other things.
“Half the men in town wear trainers,” said Dan. “Though after what you’ve told me, I feel convinced that it was him.”
“He’s hiding from us,” declared Will.
“Why should he want to do that?” cried Lucy.
“Maybe because he feels ashamed.” Dan shrugged. “Feels he’s let you down.”
“We don’t think that,” said Lucy.
“No, but he might. I think he will.”
“If only we could find him! We could tell him we don’t mind.”
“He must be staying somewhere nearby,” said Will slowly.
But where?
They were pondering the question when their mother came home. She was as pleased to see Dan as they had been and accepted amicably the fact that they had told him about their dad. She seemed to have become resigned to the idea that the news would gradually spread. She asked Dan to stay to supper and he told her how he thought he’d seen Ranald the night before. She shook her head and said she didn’t know what to think. Her head ached from thinking.
“Why don’t we go out and see if there’s any sign of him now?” suggested Lucy.
“You can’t hang around in this weather,” objected her mother.“Besides, I don’t like you down there after dark.”
Dan said he’d be willing to go with them. They could sit in his car and keep watch for a while. “You never know, Ranald might come out…”
Their mother was dubious. “But where on earth can he be staying?”
“What about a B&B?” suggested Lucy.
“I don’t think there are any at the foot of the High Street or the Canongate, though I suppose there could be.”
“A hotel?” said Dan, then he shook his head. “No, I can’t imagine it.”
“He wouldn’t be able to afford it. I suppose he wouldn’t be—”
Dan finished the sentence. “Sleeping rough? Hardly think so, Ailsa. Temperatures are dropping to below zero at night.”
“Mum, let’s give it a go, please,” pleaded Lucy. “We don’t know what else to do, do we?”
Their mother finally gave in. The inaction was getting to her as much as to them. She told them to make sure they had their mobiles with them, which meant she would phone if they were away too long. As they went out she reminded them that they had their homework to finish. What does homework matter, thought Lucy, when your dad’s missing? She couldn’t get a picture of him curled up in a doorway
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