Alice-Miranda raced to Myrtle’s side. She checked that she was still breathing and then said, ‘I think she’s fainted. Millie, can you call Constable Derby and let him know what we’ve found – and tell him that Mrs Parker has fainted too?’
Millie went to the telephone and dialled for the police. Mrs Parker had one of those ancient handsets that was still attached to the wall. The phone rang for ages before finally someone picked it up.
‘Hello Mrs Derby, it’s Millie. Is Constable Derby there? I need to talk to him about Mr Parker. And Mrs Parker has fainted,’ Millie babbled.
There was a pause as she listened to Mrs Derby on the other end of the line.
‘So, when will he be back?’ the child asked. ‘Please tell him to come as soon as he can. It’s very good news. Mr Parker didn’t go with Nurse Raylene at all. Alice-Miranda found a note.’
Alice-Miranda could hear Mrs Derby’s excited voice through the telephone.
‘That’s a good idea. I’ll call Miss Grimm straight away.’ Millie hung up the phone.
Alice-Miranda looked up from where she was patting Mrs Parker gently on the cheek. ‘What did she say?’
‘Constable Derby is at the railway station talking to the detectives there but Mrs Derby’s going to call and let him know what we found. He could be a while so we should see if someone from school can come over and help with Mrs Parker.’
Alice-Miranda nodded. ‘Why don’t you go and see if Mrs Headlington-Bear is home yet? I’ll stay here.’
Millie agreed and immediately set off across the road.
Ambrosia’s shiny sports car was just turning into the driveway. Jacinta was sitting in the passenger seat with a face like thunder.
The driver’s door opened and Millie flew around to greet Ambrosia.
‘Hello Millie,’ the woman said, then whispered, ‘I don’t think Jacinta’s in the mood to play.’
Jacinta got out of the car and slammed the door, then stalked into the house without giving Millie a second glance.
‘It’s not that,’ Millie blurted. ‘It’s Mrs Parker.’
‘What’s happened now?’ Ambrosia’s day had gone from bad to worse. She had been looking forward to a cup of tea and a lie-down before getting on with the article she was writing for Highton’s. She hadn’t missed a deadline yet and she wasn’t about to start.
‘She’s fainted,’ Millie said.
‘Oh!’ Ambrosia clutched a hand to her chest. She took off across the road towards Myrtle’s bungalow, with Millie scrambling beside her.
‘And she was really mad that you hadn’t put the sheets into the wash –’ Millie began.
Ambrosia huffed and cut her off. ‘Was she? I don’t know how I’ve come to be her personal slave.’
‘No, you don’t understand, it was the best thing that could have happened! When Alice-Miranda went to do the washing, she shook the sheets and a letter fell out,’ Millie continued.
‘What letter?’
‘A letter from Nurse Raylene saying that she’d gone home to see her father,’ Millie explained.
‘But why did she take Mr Parker with her?’ Ambrosia asked.
‘She didn’t. He was still here when she left, and she said that she thought he was getting much better.’
Ambrosia’s eyes widened. ‘So Mr Parker didn’t run off with the nurse?’
‘No. He’s just missing.’
Ambrosia opened Myrtle’s front door and raced to the kitchen, where Mrs Parker was making groaning noises.
She rushed to the woman’s side. ‘Oh Myrtle, this is wonderful news!’
Myrtle lifted her head off the table and rubbed the side of her forehead. ‘What are you talking about?’ she growled.
A sharp memory pierced the fog that shrouded Myrtle’s head. Had she dreamt it or had the child just read something about Reginald?
‘Reginald?’ For a moment Myrtle Parker sat absolutely still, as she tried to remember what had sent her into a spin. ‘Well, don’t just stand there,’ she ordered as the letter’s contents came flooding back to her. ‘Call Constable Derby. Tell the man to get the search teams together. Put out that ABC again. My Reginald is close by and we need to find him.’
Alice-Miranda smiled. ‘That’s the spirit, Mrs Parker.’
‘Constable Derby won’t be back until later this evening,’ Millie said. ‘I’ve already talked with Mrs Derby.’
‘And what did the woman suggest we do?’ Myrtle demanded.
‘Find someone to help us look after you,’ Millie replied.
‘What? I don’t need looking after. I’m not an invalid, you know!’ Myrtle crowed.
And with that, she stood up and smoothed the front of her floral dress, marched to the sideboard and picked up her hat. She jammed it onto her head and scooped up her handbag.
‘Myrtle, what are you doing?’ said Ambrosia.
‘What does it look like?’ Myrtle sniffed. ‘I’m going out.’
‘Yes, I can see that, but where are you going?’
‘I’m going to find my husband.’ Myrtle turned on her low brown heels and stormed down the hallway. ‘And I’d appreciate some help if any of you could be bothered to come along.’
Alice-Miranda, Millie and Ambrosia all looked at one another.
‘I think she’s lost it,’ Millie whispered.
Ambrosia thought the same thing.
‘Perhaps you should go with her, Mrs Headlington-Bear. Millie and I will go and see if we can get Jacinta to come back to school with us,’ Alice-Miranda suggested. She wanted to look for Mr Parker but she was worried about Jacinta too.
‘Yes. It’s not as if the police haven’t looked for Mr Parker already. He really could be anywhere by now,’ Ambrosia agreed.
‘You should call your father and get him to put Mr Parker on the cereal boxes,’ Millie said.
Ambrosia looked at the girls in confusion and then shook her head. ‘Never mind. Let’s go.’
For all her striding and harrumphing, Myrtle Parker had only got as far as the front door. ‘Well,’ she called, ‘is anyone coming with me or do I have to go on my own – again?’
Ambrosia Headlington-Bear sighed then called out, ‘I’m coming, Myrtle.’
Alice-Miranda and Millie followed the women down the driveway. Myrtle Parker hopped into her car and turned the key in the ignition while Ambrosia was still closing the passenger door. Alice-Miranda tapped on the driver’s window and Mrs Parker wound it down.
‘Mrs Parker, did Mr Parker have any special friends in the village before he got sick?’ she asked.
Myrtle shook her head. ‘Reginald didn’t have any friends except me. He was a very private man. Anyway, he had far too many things to do around here to be out socialising.’
But that wasn’t entirely true.
‘Oh,’ Alice-Miranda said with a frown. She was sorry to hear that. She’d often imagined Mr Parker being quite outgoing and funny.
‘Good luck,’ Millie said as Myrtle began to back down the driveway.
The two girls waved and watched as the car puttered along the lane.
‘I hope they find him,’ Millie said.
‘Me too,’ Alice-Miranda agreed. But she had a strange feeling that they wouldn’t be seeing Mr Parker for a little while yet.
‘Come on, let’s go and see the pyromaniac,’ Millie said.
Alice-Miranda looked at her friend reproachfully. ‘Millie, please don’t say anything to upset her.’
‘She’s already upset. Nothing I say will make a difference,’ Millie said.
‘Don’t be so sure of that,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
‘If you say so. But you can go in first. If she’s going to rip someone’s head off, it’s not going to be mine.’