out a few fires.”
“Well, the owner of Jenkins Photography thinks it was a bit more than that. He’s in the burns unit at Trelowarren, if you want to go and enjoy his gratitude in person. I heard about your mum, Sergeant. How is she?”
“She’s fine.” Gideon sidestepped a scuffling and banging of car doors, determined to let Cornwall look after itself for a few minutes at least. “She woke up a few hours ago, right as rain. Nobody’s quite sure what happened.”
“I’m so pleased she’s all right. I’m sorry to disturb you yet again, but this is a follow-up on an issue from last night. You reported having seen a lady from Dark, a Jana Ragwen, in one of the warehouses up on Gwidder Hill?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gideon considered the truth, then decided he’d do better as a copper if he wasn’t strapped down in a psych ward next door to Dev Bowe. “She’d got herself up into the rafters somehow. There must have been a way back down, because when I went back to check on her, she was nowhere to be seen. Have you been in touch with her daughter?”
“That’s the strange thing. We sent a constable around there this morning to see if the old lady had made her way home. Madge Ragwen not only refused to report her mother missing, she seemed completely unconcerned about her disappearance. Said it was time—and I quote—for the old bird to fly.”
We’ll soon need a new witch at Dark. A conversation overheard through a baby monitor, unreal and like an echo from years ago now. Still, Gideon suddenly wanted to be back upstairs with his daughter and Lee. “Will there be an investigation?”
“She’s elderly and vulnerable, so the Penzance squad will conduct some enquiries around the places she was last seen there. If I know you, you’ll do the same at Dark, whether you’re on leave or not.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Gideon hung up. He could see his mother’s side-ward window from here, and there seemed to be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, more than could be accounted for by Zeke, Lee and Eleanor. Frightened Ma had taken a turn for the worse, he ran back indoors, dodging the smokers and wheelchairs. He made short work of the four flights of stairs: pounded down the corridor, where an odd silence was emanating from the room despite the extra people. He darted inside, braking sharply at the sight of the strange tableau around his mother’s bed.
Eleanor was still in pride of place, her mortification turning to pleasure in the fuss the old lady was making of her. Zeke and Lee had been giving Tamsyn her breakfast, to judge from the state of their sweaters, and Tamsyn was sitting in Zeke’s arms, clutching her plush ball. So far so good, but the sheepdog with a helium balloon attached to its collar was harder to explain. Isolde gave a grunt of joy at the sight of him and shot across the room, all her manners forgotten. Gideon absorbed the impact as best he could, ruffling her ears and beginning to laugh at the absurd silver balloon with its One Today! message emblazoned in bright pink. “Hello, you. What’s all this, then?”
Sarah Kemp stood up from the end of Ma’s bed. She had one infant by the hand, and Wilfred, the new boyfriend, had charge of the other. Lorna came romping up after the dog. “Gideon! That’s what you’re supposed to say.”
“What is, chick?”
“ What’s all this, then .” She dipped her knees, tugged at imaginary braces. “And this. Evening, all .”
She was hilarious. He couldn’t work out why no-one else was laughing. Sarah’s smile was distinctly watery as she gestured the little girl back to her side. “Ignore her, Gid. She’s been watching Carry On movies.”
“How did you sneak the dog in here?”
“We took our chances and ran in when there was a crowd around the reception desk. It was probably stupid, but...”
That was the ruckus Gideon had heard in the car park. “Of course it wasn’t. Thank you.”
“Well, I went round to yours this morning to get some
“Well, the owner of Jenkins Photography thinks it was a bit more than that. He’s in the burns unit at Trelowarren, if you want to go and enjoy his gratitude in person. I heard about your mum, Sergeant. How is she?”
“She’s fine.” Gideon sidestepped a scuffling and banging of car doors, determined to let Cornwall look after itself for a few minutes at least. “She woke up a few hours ago, right as rain. Nobody’s quite sure what happened.”
“I’m so pleased she’s all right. I’m sorry to disturb you yet again, but this is a follow-up on an issue from last night. You reported having seen a lady from Dark, a Jana Ragwen, in one of the warehouses up on Gwidder Hill?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Gideon considered the truth, then decided he’d do better as a copper if he wasn’t strapped down in a psych ward next door to Dev Bowe. “She’d got herself up into the rafters somehow. There must have been a way back down, because when I went back to check on her, she was nowhere to be seen. Have you been in touch with her daughter?”
“That’s the strange thing. We sent a constable around there this morning to see if the old lady had made her way home. Madge Ragwen not only refused to report her mother missing, she seemed completely unconcerned about her disappearance. Said it was time—and I quote—for the old bird to fly.”
We’ll soon need a new witch at Dark. A conversation overheard through a baby monitor, unreal and like an echo from years ago now. Still, Gideon suddenly wanted to be back upstairs with his daughter and Lee. “Will there be an investigation?”
“She’s elderly and vulnerable, so the Penzance squad will conduct some enquiries around the places she was last seen there. If I know you, you’ll do the same at Dark, whether you’re on leave or not.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Gideon hung up. He could see his mother’s side-ward window from here, and there seemed to be a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, more than could be accounted for by Zeke, Lee and Eleanor. Frightened Ma had taken a turn for the worse, he ran back indoors, dodging the smokers and wheelchairs. He made short work of the four flights of stairs: pounded down the corridor, where an odd silence was emanating from the room despite the extra people. He darted inside, braking sharply at the sight of the strange tableau around his mother’s bed.
Eleanor was still in pride of place, her mortification turning to pleasure in the fuss the old lady was making of her. Zeke and Lee had been giving Tamsyn her breakfast, to judge from the state of their sweaters, and Tamsyn was sitting in Zeke’s arms, clutching her plush ball. So far so good, but the sheepdog with a helium balloon attached to its collar was harder to explain. Isolde gave a grunt of joy at the sight of him and shot across the room, all her manners forgotten. Gideon absorbed the impact as best he could, ruffling her ears and beginning to laugh at the absurd silver balloon with its One Today! message emblazoned in bright pink. “Hello, you. What’s all this, then?”
Sarah Kemp stood up from the end of Ma’s bed. She had one infant by the hand, and Wilfred, the new boyfriend, had charge of the other. Lorna came romping up after the dog. “Gideon! That’s what you’re supposed to say.”
“What is, chick?”
“ What’s all this, then .” She dipped her knees, tugged at imaginary braces. “And this. Evening, all .”
She was hilarious. He couldn’t work out why no-one else was laughing. Sarah’s smile was distinctly watery as she gestured the little girl back to her side. “Ignore her, Gid. She’s been watching Carry On movies.”
“How did you sneak the dog in here?”
“We took our chances and ran in when there was a crowd around the reception desk. It was probably stupid, but...”
That was the ruckus Gideon had heard in the car park. “Of course it wasn’t. Thank you.”
“Well, I went round to yours this morning to get some
Similar Books
