CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Julie parked her car beside the little bridge over the infant Chwefri River and
switched off the engine. Thanks to Adam she now knew this was an Irish bridge.
She smiled. He was such a know-all. She was only yards from home but she needed
to clear her head. Seven ewes in a single-file procession wandered down through
the bracken and past the car, peering quizzically at her before meandering
across the road and down onto the flat parcel of grass beside the river. Julie
grinned. The sauntering sheep were a great metaphor for how things were at work
right now. They were all following each other from one place to another, with
no significant advantage in having done so. Why was this case so difficult? She
opened the car door and climbed out. The evening sun still had warmth in it and
way above, high over the slopes of Craig Chwefri, two kites soared on the
thermals.
There had to be an accomplice. Someone who had spirited the child away from Pwll
Bach before Julie went back the second time. The child and all his worldly
goods, assuming he had any. Lizzie must have thought Sean was safe in their
hands, that there was still no chance of Quigley finding the boy, otherwise she
would be telling them everything she knew, in the hope that they could find him
before anything happened to him.
Every check on Quigley had come back negative. Despite his reputation, there was
nothing on record. No DNA, no prints, no convictions, and Lancashire Police had
done no better with their local enquiries, had they? He must have led a charmed
life, or been very clever. Or used other people to do his dirty work for him.
Could he have arranged for someone else to follow Rosa?
And what about the burglary back in Manchester? What was that all about? Was
there any way at all that could be Tiffany-related? Still, as Helen said, how
would Tiffany have known where Julie’s parents lived? It was a huge leap from nuisance phone calls and slashed tyres
to burglary. The woman was a teacher for God’s sake. She wouldn’t be so stupid. Would she? Julie leaned back against the car and closed her
eyes. Amid the faint bleating of sheep, from high above her she could hear the
song of a skylark. How did they breathe while they were doing all that non-stop
singing? She smiled and opened her eyes. That thought had never crossed her
mind in Manchester.
Adam was outside in the front garden, prodding life into the soil with a trowel.
That was another first.
‘What are you going to plant in there then?’ Julie’s shadow loomed over the flowerbed, and Adam looked round with a start.
‘I didn’t hear your car.’ He pulled his earphones out and grinned. ‘What do you think? I thought I might have a bash at planting veggies.’
‘And there was me thinking you’d decided on roses round the door.’
‘Not much point in flowers, is there.’ Adam handed her a brown paper bag. ‘I’ve got broccoli, red and yellow peppers and cabbage. And I’ve ordered some spuds and sweet potatoes.’
‘And what are the chances of those growing up here? You’d need a greenhouse or a poly-tunnel wouldn’t you?’
‘Cheers for your vote of confidence. Actually, you can grow all sorts of things
round here. I might even have a bash at something illegal. Nobody would know
would they?’
‘Over my dead body.’ Julie glared at him and thrust the paper bag back at him.
‘Joke, Jules.’ Adam laughed and stood up, brushing grass from his knees. ‘But it has been done round here in the past, and in mega fashion too.’
‘What, cannabis?’
‘Yep. Operation Julie.’
‘Oh very funny.’
‘I’m serious. I’ve been trying to find something that’s local and fairly recent for next term’s history project and this leapt out at me. It’s forty years since the police smashed a huge drugs ring near Tregaron, LSD
worth £100 million and somewhere near a million in cash.’
‘In Tregaron? Are you sure?’
‘Completely. One of the undercover officers infiltrated the gang and lived with
them. It sounds as though he was as high as a kite a lot of the time, so he
didn’t blow his cover.’
‘That sounds distinctly above and beyond the call of duty. And Tregaron’s just a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere.’
‘That’s just the whole point. It was so remote it took eleven police forces well over
two years to get to the bottom of it.’
‘I can understand where they were coming from. This case is feeling a bit like
that at the moment. It’s centred round a tiny cottage, also in the middle of nowhere, and we have
absolutely no clues whatsoever.’
‘I have every confidence you’ll get there. Now, what do you fancy for tea? I’ve got cauliflower korma or lentil dhal.’
‘Oh dear God, I’m spoilt for choice.’
‘Oh, or you can have cheeseburger and chips if you want to be a total heathen.’
‘Seriously?’
‘Yep.’
‘Oh my God, Adam Kite, you are a hero.’ She threw her arms round him and recoiled instantly. ‘What on earth is that smell?’
‘Ah, that’ll be the manure. Joe asked if I wanted any. He was clearing out his sheds and
said it would be good for the veg plot. I helped him unload it.’
‘Aye well, not even aroma of… no, don’t tell me. Not even that can put me off cheeseburger and chips.’ She followed him to the kitchen door. ‘What’s brought about this change of heart as far as my dietary requirements are
concerned?’
‘If you must know, I had a call from Helen. She told me you’d been sitting in car parks all over the place scoffing Chinese from the carton.’
‘It was only once, and I didn’t think she’d tell you, the dozy mare. I’ll flatten her.’
‘I think she only had your best interests at heart.’ Adam grinned. ‘I suppose I’ve been a bit single-minded about nutrition just lately.’
‘Just a bit.’ Julie bent down to stroke the cat and asked her question without looking at
Adam. ‘I don’t want you to over-react to this, Adam, but is there any way at all Tiffany
would know where my mum and dad live?’
‘Tiffany? What’s she got to do with anything.’
‘Well, the burglary, but of course I don’t know that she has got anything to do with it. It’s just been nagging at me all day. Dad said he couldn’t see whether it was a male or a female running away, but it was probably a kid,
judging by the size. And Tiffany isn’t exactly a model for those Beryl Cook prints your mum likes, is she?’
‘Don’t be daft, Julie. That’s a ridiculous thing to say. How the hell would she know where your parents
live? Why would she have been –,’ Adam closed his eyes. When he opened them, Julie was standing right in front of
him, her face inches from his.
‘Go on.’
‘Honest, Jules, she probably didn’t even know whose house it was, I’m sure I wouldn’t have mentioned it. I left her in the car while I dropped off that poncho thing
you borrowed from your mum for the fancy dress party.’
‘The fancy dress party last Christmas?’
Adam nodded. ‘We were only going out for an almost the end of term drink. We were meeting the
others from school at the Swan in town. Tiff had forgotten we were going and
had walked into work, so she needed a lift.’
‘I bet she did. And you fell for it?’
‘It wasn’t like that.’
‘And Tiffany, she realised it wasn’t like that too, did she?’
‘Nothing happened. You have my word.’ Adam did the puppy dog look that came so easily to him. Julie resisted.
‘There we are then.’
Adam grinned. ‘You’ve gone native, Jules.’
‘Don’t change the subject,’ Julie said, but she could feel the corners of her mouth twitching in an
involuntary smile. How did he do it? ‘But you’re saying you left her in the car outside Mum and Dad’s and you still think I’m making connections that aren’t there?’
‘She wouldn’t. She might be obsessed, but she’s just not like that.’
‘I hope you’re right, Adam Kite.’
Adam had insisted on washing up and Julie was watching television with a glass
of wine in one hand and a bowl of crisps by the other. When the phone rang, he
rushed through to answer it.
‘Yes, she’s here. How are things up there?’ There was a pause and Julie held her breath. ‘That’s great news,’ Adam said. ‘I’ll just get her.’ He held the phone out for her. ‘It’s your mum.’
‘Hiya. How’s Dad? Has he been back to the hospital?’
‘No love, he’s fine. They say most of it’s superficial, he was just unlucky. It looks far worse than it is.’
‘Has he had any stitches out?’
‘No, not yet, love, but the practice nurse saw him today and she’s really pleased with the way it’s looking.’
‘Have you heard anything from the local police?’
‘We’re not really expecting to, to be honest. We know how much work they have and
this really didn’t amount to much at all, did it?’
‘Even so, it would be nice to know who it was.’
‘I’m sure it was random. We’ve not got much worth stealing, have we? Pity about that picture frame though.’
‘Which picture was it?’
‘It was that wedding photograph of you and Adam, the one on the steps outside the
hotel with Lesley’s little boy.’
‘Our wedding photograph?’ Julie could feel her face reddening. Why would anyone break in to steal a
wedding photograph of her and Adam, unless there was some sort of ulterior
motive?
‘You still there, love?’
‘Was that the only photograph he took?’
‘Oh he didn’t take it, your dad picked it up off the hall table to thump him with as he ran
past. The lad grabbed it and hit your dad with it and his arm went through the
glass. He says it was his own fault, he should have just let him go. He was
really upset that he got blood all over the photo, but it was the nearest thing
to hand. I’m just glad he didn’t pick up the blinking doorstop, otherwise he’d have been in serious bother one way or the other.’ She chuckled down the phone. ‘I don’t know, the pair of you are as bad as each other for wanting justice to be done.
Are you there, love, you’ve gone quiet again.’
‘I’m here, Mum.’ She glanced up at Adam, who at least had the decency to have turned as white as
a sheet.