Back in the study he collected himself, and tried to remember his training. There was no sign of conflict, merely of interruption, though the large glass paperweight presented to the O.B. on his retirement had found its way to the floor. He picked it up, surprised as always by its weight; peered into it for answers before replacing it on its shelf. Wherever Sid was, she had taken her jacket; also her shoes. If people had come for her, would they have bothered about those details? But then, if people had come for her, it was a racing certainty next door’s sentinel would know about it. The thought, the deed, the space between the two: he was banging on Jennifer Knox’s door within seconds.
‘Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear.’
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—’
‘So
It wasn’t late, was barely eight, but darkness was threading its way through the local lanes, and the neighbourhood nestling down like a pigeon.
‘Mrs Knox, I’m sorry, I wouldn’t disturb you if it wasn’t an emergency, but I really need to know, were there callers next door? Did a car come?’
‘Is this about your friend?’
‘About my friend, yes.’
‘She went off in the car with the other two. Just five
minutes ago.’
‘Which other two?’
‘The couple from’ – her voice lowered a notch – ‘the hospital.’
‘Okay,’ said River. ‘When you say a couple …’
‘A man and a woman, yes.’
‘In a car.’
‘It was silver, I think. Or white. It’s hard to tell with the street lights.’
She backed away from the front door, ushering him in. He stepped inside, leaving the door open. He would need to leave in a hurry. Would need no obstacles.
But Mrs Knox was heading into her sitting room. ‘Would you close that, please? Keep the warm in?’
He pushed it to, and followed her. ‘Did they say where they were going?’
‘They said she wasn’t well. Did I do the right thing?’
‘Did they say where they were going?’
‘Only she’s been there days, and doesn’t come out at all. And I thought the house had been cleared? What’s she been sleeping on?’
‘Mrs Knox—’
‘They looked surprised when I said she was in there. They thought the house was empty.’
He took a moment to wrap his mind around that. They’d come looking for Sid, but hadn’t expected to find her? Or hadn’t been looking for Sid at all?
‘But they knew who I meant when I said you had a friend staying.’
‘And did they say where they were going?’
She furrowed her brow.
‘Mrs Knox—’
‘Please, I can’t bear to be badgered.’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s important. I really need to know where they were taking my friend.’
‘They said they’d be taking her back to the hospital. And that I shouldn’t worry if she seemed upset, because she’d been off her medication for a while.’
‘Did you see them leave?’
‘You didn’t tell me she’d been on medication. It’s only fair to let people know.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Various stories flew in and out of mind: harmless conditions requiring minor dosages. But all of this was wasting time. ‘Do you know which direction they went?’
‘I’m not sure, which way’s the hospital?’
River said, ‘There are different routes. I really need to catch up with them. Which way—’
She said, ‘Down the road. Not towards the village, I mean. Else their lights would have shone through my curtains.’
Which weren’t pulled shut, not entirely. There was a slight gap, in front of which a small table was positioned, a note-pad and pen waiting. Seeing this, River had a view of Mrs Knox’s life as clear as if it were spotlit; saw the heart of her empty days. Without asking, he crossed the room and picked the notebook up.
‘What on earth are you—’
‘That’s private!’
‘Was this the number plate? Part of it?’
‘I’m not some kind of
‘I really don’t care. Was this the number plate?’
She said, ‘I live here alone, you know.’
‘You can’t do that!’
But he could, and had. He thanked her, or apologised, or supposed afterwards he’d done at least one of the two. He didn’t close the door behind him, either, in his rush to reach his car; a memory etched into his mind as he pulled away showed Mrs Knox framed in an oblong of light on her doorstep. She might have been wringing her hands.
‘So what happened to you?’
Shirley shrugged. ‘What did it look like? I was waiting for you to draw him into the net.’
‘I didn’t see you anywhere.’
‘You weren’t supposed to.’
