‘Well, I don’t care what he said. I say we carry on looking for her,’ Patrick said.
‘Yes.’ Ted laced his fingers again behind his aching neck and flexed his elbows as he walked around the furniture. He couldn’t stay still. ‘But where? We’ve searched the park, the old quarry, all along the canal.’ He looked at them all in turn. ‘We looked in all the sheds on the allotment, the bombsite on Clayton Street and Huddersfield Street, the derelict shop on Tatton Terrace. Anywhere we could think of. Where else is there?’
Peter stepped down from the stairs. He’d stayed out of the way while the police were there – he was still apprehensive around British authorities.
Since his arrival in Britain he’d thought his place within this family was with Mary. Now he wasn’t sure and he felt like an outsider intruding on a desperate situation that had nothing to do with him.
But he didn’t need to feel like that, he told himself. Ted asked him to be here. He’d grown fond of Linda when she was in Llamroth and he knew how much Mary loved the child. He must help all he could. ‘The police, they found nothing?’ he said. ‘No clue where Linda might be?’
Ted grimaced. ‘They’re no further forward than us.’
‘Mary?’ Jean glanced up at Peter.
‘Asleep.’ He moved to stand at the back of the room.
‘Good.’
Ted noticed the stiff way he walked. ‘Did you manage any sleep?’
‘It was fine. Thank you.’
‘I don’t know what else we can do,’ Ted said. ‘Where else we can look?’
‘There is nowhere else around here,’ Patrick said.
Ted shook his head. The silence held all their thoughts.
Peter stayed quiet. He didn’t know the town at all. The only time he’d spent in Ashford was at the camp. And the only way he’d arrived was by train. He spoke softly. ‘The railway? Beyond the platform there are wagons? On a line that leads to nowhere?’
‘The sidings … where they keep the old wagons,’ Ted exclaimed, eager to clutch at any hope. ‘Did the police say they’d searched there?’
‘I don’t know.’ Jean thought for a moment. ‘Ellen?’
‘No.’ There was sudden renewed hope in her eyes. ‘No!’
‘Nobody’s said anything about the railways. Keep an eye on him?’ Patrick gestured to Jack who lay sleeping in Jean’s arms.
‘You go.’
‘Ellen? Will you stay here?’ Ted was already putting his jacket on. ‘You look tired out?’
‘I’m all right.’
‘Please?’
‘Okay, then.’ She was reluctant. ‘But let me know as soon as you can?’
‘We will.’ Ted looked at Peter. ‘Ready?’
It would mean going past the camp. Peter‘s pulse quickened with dread. ‘Ready,’ he said.