The Danger. Part 16

"Whathappened?"Isaidwithanamountof.a.gitationappropriatetothe circ.u.mstances.

Hepaused,thensaid,"Canyoubeoverheard?"

"Yes."

TheClerkhimselfwaslisteningwithhalfanearandAlessiawithboth.Twoor threeotherpeoplewerelookingmyway.

"Right.Iwon'texpectcomments.There'sbeenaboykidnappedfromthebeachat WestWittering.That'saboutanhour'sdrivealongthecoastfromBrighton,I'd guess.Goovertherep.r.o.ntoandtalktothemother,w.i.l.l.you?"

"Whereisshe?"Isaid.

"IntheBreakwaterHotel,BeachRoad,climbingthewalls.Ipromisedherwe'd havesomeonewithherintwohours,andtohangon.She'sincoherent,most unhelpful.WehadatelephonecallfromHoppyatLloyds,thefathergotintouch withhisinsurersandgotpa.s.sedalongachaintous.Thefather'shad instructionstostaybyhishometelephone.TonyVine'sonhiswaytohimnow.

Canyoutakedownthenumber?"

"Yes,hangon."Ifumbledforpenandpaper."Fireaway."

Hereadoutthefather'snumber."HisnameisJohnNerrity."Hespelledit."The child'snameisDominic.Mother's,Miranda.Motherandsonwerealoneinthe hotelonholiday,fatherbusyathome.Gotallthat?"

"Yes."

"Gethertoagreetothepolice."

"Yes."

"Hearfromyoulater?Sorryaboutyourdayattheraces."

"I'llgoatonce,"Isaid.

"Breakaleg."

IthankedtheClerkoftheCourseandlefthisofficewithAlessiastilllooking distressedonmybehalf.

"I'llhavetogo,"Isaidapologetically."Canyoupossiblygetaliftbackto Lambourn?WithMikeNoland,perhaps?"

Eventhoughshehadherselfearliersuggestedit,shelookedappalledatthe ideaandvigorouslyshookherhead.Panicstoodquiteclearlyinhereyes.

"No,"shesaid."Can'tIcomewithyou?Please...Iwon'tbeanuisance.I promise.Icouldhelp...withyoursister."

"You'reneveranuisance,butIcan'ttakeyou."Ilookeddownatherbeseeching face,attheinsecuritystillsoclosetothesurface."Comeouttothecarwith me,awayfromthesecrowds,andI'llexplain."

Wewalkedthroughthegatesandalongtothecarpark,andIsaid,"Ihaven't anysisters.Therewasnocrash.Ihavetogoonajob...achild'sbeen kidnapped,andIhavetogotohismother,sodearestAlessia...wemustfindMike Noland.You'llbesafewithhim.Youknowhimwell."

Shewashorrifiedandapologeticandalsoshaking."Couldn'tIcomfortthe mother?"shesaid."Icouldtellher...herchildwillcomeback...asIdid?"

Ihesitated,knowingthesuggestionstemmedfromhernotwantingtogohomewith MikeNolandbutalsothinkingthatperhapsitmadesense.PerhapsAlessiawould indeedbegoodforMirandaNerrity.

Ilookedatmywatch."Mrs.Nerrity's.e.xpectingme,"Isaidindecisively,and sheinterruptedsharply,"Who?Whodidyousay?"

"Nerrity.MirandaNerrity.But..."

Hermouthhadliterallyfallenopen."ButIknowher,"shesaid."Oratleast, I'vemether...HerhusbandisJohnNerrity,isn'the?"

Inodded,nonplussed.

"TheirhorsewontheDerby,"Alessiasaid.

Iliftedmyhead.

Horses.

Somanyhorses.

"Whatisit,"Alessiasaid."Whydoyoulookso...bleak?"

"Right,"Isaid,notdirectlyanswering."Getinthecar.I'dbegladforyouto come,ifyoureallymeanit.b.u.t.there'sagoodchancewewon'tbegoingbackto Lambourntonight.Wouldyoumindthat?"

Foranswersheslidintothefrontpa.s.sengerseatandclosedthedoor,andI walkedroundtoclimbinbesideher.

AsIstartedtheengineanddroveoutofthegateshesaid,"TheNerritys'horse wontheDerbylastyear.Ordinand.Don'tyouremember?"

"Um..."No,actually,Ididn't.

"Itwasn'toneofthereallygreats,"shesaida.s.sessingly,"oratleastnoone thoughtso...Hewasanoutsider.Thirty-threetoone.Buthe'sbeenwinningthis yearquitewell..."Shestopped."Ican'tbeartothinkofthatchild."

"Hisname'sDominic,"Isaid."Haulthemapoutoftheglovecompartmentand findthefastestroutetoChichester."

Shereachedforthemap."Howoldishe?"

"Don'tknow."

WespedwestwardsthroughSuss.e.xinthegoldenafternoonandcameIeventually totheBreakwaterHotel,rightonthepebblybeachatWestIWittering.

"Look,"Isaid,puttingonbrakesandpullingoffmytie."Behavelikea holidaymaker.Walkintothehotelslowly.Smile.Talktome.Don'tseemworried.

O.K.?"

Shelookedatmewithpuzzlementturningtocomprehension."Doyouthink...

someone'swatching?"

"Someoneusuallyis,"Isaidastringently."Alwaystakeitforgrantedthat someoneis.Kidnapperspost.w.a.tcherstomakesurethepolicedon'tarrivein hugenumbers."

"Oh."

"Sowe'reonholiday."

"Yes,"shesaid.

"Let'sgoin."

Weclimbed,stretching,outofthecar,andAlessiawanderedafewstepsaway fromthehoteltolookouttotheEnglishChannel,shadinghereyesandspeaking tomeoverhershoulder."I'mgoinginforaswim."

Iputmyarmroundhershouldersandstoodbesideherforafewseconds,then withmesayingteasingly"Mindthejellyfish"wewalkedthroughthehotel's gla.s.sentrancedoorsintoawidearmchair-scatteredlounge.Afewpeoplesat arounddrinkingtea,andagirlinablackdresswasmovingtoandfrobehinda polishedbrowncounterlabeled"Reception."

"h.e.l.lo,"Isaid,smiling."Wethinkafriendofoursisstayinghere.AMrs.

Nerrity?"

"AndDominic,"Alessiasaid.

"That'sright,"thegirlsaidcalmly.Shelookedataguestlist."Room sixty-three...b.u.t.they'reprobablystillonthebeach.Lovelyday,isn't.i.t?"

"Gorgeous,"Alessiaagreed.

"Couldyougivetheirroomaring?"Iasked."Justincase."

Thegirlobliginglyturnedtotheswitchboardandwa.s.surprisedatreceivingan answer."Pickupthephone,"shesaid,pointingtoahandsetonthecounter,and Iliftedthereceiverwithanappropriatesmile.

"Miranda?"Isaid."ThisisAndrewDouglas."

"Whereareyou?"asmallvoicesaidtearfully.

"Downstairs,hereinthehotel."

"Oh...Comeup...Ican'tbear..."

"Onmyway,"Isaid.

Thegirlgaveusdirectionswhichwefollowedtoaroomwithtwinbeds,private bathroom,viewofthesea.MirandaNerrityopenedherdoortouswithswollen eyesandaclutched,soakinghandkerchiefandsaidbetweengulps,"Theysaid...

themaninLondonsaid...youwouldgetDominicback...hepromisedme...Andrew Douglaswillgethimback...healwaysdoes,hesaid...don'tworry...buthowcanI notworry?Oh,myG.o.d...mybaby...Gethimbackforme.Gethimback."

"Yes,"Isaidgently."Comeandsitdown."Iputmyarmroundhershouldersthis time,notAlessia's,andguidedherovertooneofthearmchairs."Telluswhat happened.Thenwe'llmakeaplantogethimback."

Mirandatookaverysmallgriponthings,recognizingAlessiawithsurpriseand pointingtoapieceofpaperwhichlayononeofthebeds.

"Alittlegirlgaveittome,"shesaid,thetearsrolling."Shesaidamanhad askedher.Oh,dear...oh,dear..."

"Howoldwasthelittlegirl?"Iasked.

"What?Oh...eight...somethinglikethat...Idon'tknow."

AlessiakneltbesideMirandatocomforther,herownfacepaleagainandtaut withstrain,andIpickedupth.e.s.h.eetofpaperandunfoldedit,andreadits brutalblock-letteredmessage.

WE'VETAKENYOURKID.GIVEYOURHUBBYABELL.TELLHIMTOGOHOME.WE'LLTELL YOURHUBBYWHATWEWANT.DON'TGOSQUAWKINGTONOONE.NOONEATALL,SEE.IF YOUWANTTOSEEYOURKIDAGAINDON'TGOTONOPOLICE.WE'LLTIEAPLASTICBAG OVERHISHEADIFYOUGETTHEPOLICE.SAVVY?.

Iloweredthepage."HowoldisDominic?"Iasked.

"Threeandahalf,"Mirandasaid.

Chapterten.

MIRANDA,twenty-six,hadlongblondhairfallingfromacenterpartingandon otheroccasionsmighthavebeenpretty.Shestillworeabathingsuitwitha towellingrobeover,andtherewa.s.stillsandonherlegsfromthebeach.Her eyeswereglazedbehindthepuffedeyelidsasiftoomuchdevastatedemotionhad putafilmoverthemtorepelreality,andshemadevaguepointlessmovements withherhandsasiftotalinactivitywasimpossible.

OutofhabitIcarriedwithmealwaysaflatcontainerlikeacigarettecase, whichcontainedamongotherthingsasmallcollectionofpills.Itookoutthe case,openedit,andsortedoutastripofwhitetabletsinfoil.

"Takeoneofthese,"Isaid,fetchingwaterinatoothmugandslidingapill fromitswrapper.

Mirandasimplyswallowedasinstructed.ItwasAlessiawhosaid,"Whatareyou givingher?"

"Tranquilizer."

"Doyoucarrythoseroundwithyoualways?"sheaskedincredulously.

"Mostly,"Inodded."Tranquilizers,sleepingpills,aspirins,thingsforheart attacks.Firstaid,that'sall."

Mirandadrankallthewater.

"Doyouhaveroomserviceinthishotel?"Iasked.

"What?"shesaidvaguely."Yes...Isupposeso...They'llbebringingDominic's suppersoon..."Theideaofitreducedhertofreshdeepsobs,andAlessiaputher armroundherandlookedshattered.

Itelephonedtoroomservicefortea,strong,a.s.soonaspossible,forthree.

Biscuits?Certainlybiscuits.Comingrightaway,theysaid:andwithverylittle delaythetrayarrived,withmemeetingthemaidatthedoorandthankingher forhertrouble.

"Mrs.Nerrity,drinkthis,"Isaid,puttingdownthetrayandpouringteafor her."Andeatthebiscuits."IpouredanothercupforAlessia."Youtoo,"I said.

Theyeachdrankandatelikeautomatons,andslowlyinMirandathecombined simpleremediesoftranquilizer,caffeineandcarbohydratetooktheworstedge offthepainsothatshecouldbeartodescribewhathadhappened.

"Wewereonthesand...withhisbucketandspade,makingasandcastle.Heloves makingsandcastles..."Shestoppedandswallowed,tearstricklingdownhercheeks.

"Alotofthesandwaswet,andI'dleftourthingsuponthes.h.i.+ngle...towels,a beachchair,ourlunchbox,packedbythehotel,Dominic'stoys...itwasalovely hotday,notwindylikeusual...Iwentuptositonthechair...Iwaswatchinghim allthetime...hewasonlythirtyyardsaway...less,less...squatting,playingwith hisbucketandspade...pattingthesandcastle...Iwaswatchinghimallthetime,I reallywas."Hervoicetaperedoffintoawail,thedreadfulsearingguilt soundingjaggedandraw.

"Weretherealotofpeopleonthebeach?"Iasked.

"Yes,yestherewere...itwa.s.sowarm...butIwaswatchinghim,Icouldseehim allthetime..."

"Andwhathappened?"Isaid.

"Itwastheboat..."