Kate munched on her second packet of crisps as she’d walked from the car park and into the library. She was determined that she didn’t need to go on a diet, not at her age, no matter what her mother kept saying. Although, the night before she’d hinted constantly at how many calories were in a plate of fish and chips, not to mention the sticky toffee pudding both she and Eve had eaten for their desert.
Their mother had continued her conversation with the woman on the next table and Eve and Eric had chatted non-stop. Kate had felt like nothing more than a spare part and in the end, she’d excused herself and left them all too it. Which had meant that their mother had had to drive Eve home and with every morsel of her soul, she hoped their mother might drop in for a nightcap at Eve’s, drink one too many and stay for the night.
The fast escape had given Kate the chance to get back to the cottage before her mother. It had been quiet, peaceful and free of Rob, too. The cottage had been the one place in the world where she used to feel happy and surrounded by memories. The good times she’d shared there with her grandmother had seeped out of every brick and with a heavy heart she knew that her sanctuary had been spoiled; that while ever Rob stayed there, it would never be the same. A thought that had disturbed Kate’s thoughts as she’d sank into her bed for a torrid and restless sleep.
And now, Kate was back in the library that was full of children that ran up and down the aisles, pulling books off the shelves and discarding them on each of the low tables or scattering them all over the floor. Bellandini, to his credit, smiled and picked them up, and without saying a word, he put each of the books back in their correct position.
Annoyingly, Kate looked down at the blank page on her notebook. She hadn’t seen or heard anything of interest and frustrated with the lack of action, she dug around in her bag, pulled out her mobile and immediately noticed the twelve missed calls that had come from her mother. Purposely, she placed the phone on the table, face down and only curiosity made her turn it back over to see the screen light up and flash repeatedly. She wondered how long she’d get away with ignoring her mother and only when the phone rang for what would have been the fifteenth time, did she leave her bags where she could see them, and walk into the foyer to answer the call.
‘Finally, Katie.’ Her mother sighed. ‘I’ve been trying to get hold of you all morning. It was quite rude of you to leave me to watch your sister’s love life unfolding last night, and by the time I got back to the cottage, you’d gone to bed.’ Her mother paused but didn’t slow down long enough for Kate to answer, give explanation or apologise. ‘Anyway. I need to know where your mousetraps are?’ she demanded. ‘I’ve found a dropping under the kitchen cupboard.’
Kate held the phone away from her ear and stared at the handset in disbelief.
‘Mother, what the hell are you doing under my bloody kitchen units?’ she snapped with annoyance as it occurred to her that not only had her mother had to remove the kick boards to look under them, but would have also needed a screwdriver to complete the job.
‘Darling, I’m just cleaning and it’s a good job I am. One dropping could lead to an infestation. There’s no wonder Robert stays out most evenings, especially if you don’t clean the house properly. Now, where are those mousetraps?’
‘Mother!’ Katie snapped. ‘For goodness’ sake. Why don’t you go and annoy Eve for a few days?’ Kate felt like a petulant child and angrily she closed the phone down. The last thing she wanted was to argue with her mother and she certainly didn’t need to be accused of not cleaning her house.
Walking back into the library, Kate sat down heavily in her chair. Her shoulders slumped and it now occurred to her why she’d left Yorkshire in the first place. Why she’d happily moved her life to London and joined the Met and had only come back because of her love for her grandmother. If she hadn’t taken ill and hadn’t needed looking after, Kate knew that she’d probably still be in London. Her life would have been different, and the accident might never have happened.
Closing her eyes, she wondered if she should phone her father. She’d resisted calling the night before in the hope that their mother would see sense and that by now she’d be on her way home. With an air of resignation, Kate sat back in her chair, turned her phone over and over in her hand and tried to decide what to do.
But then as she glanced around the library, she saw a different librarian sat behind the desk and realised that Bellandini was no longer there.