"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"dleftourthingsupontheshingle...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..."