‘Ted.’ Starlings, squabbling over breadcrumbs behind the bakery, scattered when Ellen burst into the yard. ‘Ted!’
The shed door was open, bits of coke spilled over the wooden barrier inside and Archie, the man Ted employed, was washing down the yard. The black liquid left its mark on the flags as it streamed towards the grid in the middle. Oblivious to the mess, Ellen splashed through it as Ted appeared at the door.
‘What?’
‘Linda’s missing.’ Ellen sobbed, gasping for air, her hands on her knees. A mop and bucket, stinking of ammonia, was on the doorstep. The smell stung Ellen’s nose and made it run, mucus mixed with the tears.
Ted pulled his white apron over his head, his cap falling to the flagged floor. ‘What do you mean, she’s missing?’
‘She’s missing.’ Doubled over, Ellen saw his boots, dusty with flour, in front of her and a rage erupted. One hand still on her knee, she lashed upwards, swinging wildly. Her fist connected with the side of his head.
Stunned, he rocked on his feet. ‘Ellen!’
Straightening up she drew back and hit out again. She knew, she hoped, it would hurt. She couldn’t stop. ‘Your fault.’ The words came out at first as a low growl. The harder, the faster, she thumped, the louder the words until it was a howl. ‘Your fault.’
At first Ted tried to catch hold of her then dropped his arms to his sides and waited.
Eventually she stilled.
‘You’re right,’ he said gently. ‘I’m sorry, I should have been with you.’
‘No.’ Ellen fell against him. She knew she was to blame. ‘It’s all my fault.’
‘Tell me exactly what’s happened, love?’
‘At the band contest,’ Ellen whispered, ‘one minute she was there, the next she’d gone. Oh God!’
Why lie? Why not tell him she was with Jean in the backyard of the pub? Because you never stand on your own two feet, she told herself bitterly; because you always expect someone else to pick up the pieces of whatever mess you get yourself in.
‘She can’t have gone far.’ Ted pulled off his large cotton gloves and threw them onto the curved metal bars of the oven. ‘You know our Linda, she’s a dreamer, she’ll have wandered off.’
‘So many people, Ted. Strangers.’
‘It’s all right, we’ll find her.’ Kicking off his plimsolls Ted overbalanced, his flailing hand hit a shelf. Rolling pins and stacked pie trays clattered to the floor. ‘Archie! Get in here!’
Archie was already peering around the door, fear and uncertainty on his normally placid face. ‘Boss?’
Ted shoved his feet into his outdoor shoes. He thrust the keys at the man. ‘Lock up.’
‘Go in, see if she’s home.’ Ted waited by the back gate.
In a few seconds Ellen came back to the back door, holding onto the frame, her face whiter than ever. ‘She’s not here. I’ve been upstairs. Mary hasn’t seen her.’
Mary appeared behind her, hand over her mouth, eyes wide. ‘She’s not been here.’
‘She’s probably just wandered off and got lost.’ He spoke loudly and slowly to Ellen, as though to a child. ‘Stay with Mary. I’ll round some of the neighbours up and we’ll go and look for her.’
‘No, I’m coming with you.’ Ellen shoved her arms into a cardigan. ‘You’ll keep an eye on William?’ she said to Mary. ‘Stay here, in case she comes home?’
‘Course I will.’
‘I’m better off on my own, love.’
‘I’m coming with you.’ Ellen was holding on to Mary and hopping on one leg, changing from her high-heeled shoes to a flat pair. ‘I can run as fast as you.’
She didn’t wait for a reply. After a quick hug from Mary she crossed the yard. ‘I can’t stay here, Ted, I have to do something.’ Pushing past him she ran along the alleyway.
Crashing through the last gate at the end of the row, Ted shouted, ‘Bert? Bert?’ A man appeared at the back door, smoking a pipe. ‘Our Linda’s gone missing, round some of the blokes up, ask them to look around, will you?’ Ellen watched the man grab his jacket from behind the door. Then she and Ted spun on their heels. Swinging around the corner of the end house they stopped, looking both ways along Shaw Street.
‘Which way?’ Ellen said. ‘We’ve already looked all along Shaw Street and Huddersfield Road.’ She didn’t know where to look for her daughter but it was important to be moving, to be going somewhere.
‘The park?’ Ted took a few hesitant steps along the pavement and then lengthened his strides. Ellen followed. That’s where she and Jean should have looked in the first place. They paid no attention to the few cars that passed or the groups of revellers catcalling and laughing. Ellen forced herself to go faster, to keep up with Ted’s limping run.
Outside Skirm Park they stopped. It was closed. Ellen leaned against the gates, straining to take in air. Ted sank to his knees, his head slumped between his shoulders.
‘What are we going to do, Ted? What if something’s happened to her?’
‘It won’t have.’
‘I couldn’t bear it if—’
‘We’ll find her. And she’ll be safe.’ His face was unreadable. ‘Come on, I’ll give you a leg up.’
They struggled over the gates and slid down the other side. The path was arched by trees. They walked, listening all the time but the only sounds were the hushed giggle of lovers hidden by the bushes, the grumbling squawk of nesting birds, and the rustle of leaves in the light breeze.
‘Linda!’ Ellen turned in a circle, shouting her name. ‘Linda…’
She’d never been so afraid.