Stone Cold Red Hot - страница 50

I tried to focus on the last few days before her disappearance. She had spoken to Lisa and she had been very upset; she’d called her father a hypocrite but when Lisa asked her if she’d told them about the baby, Jennifer said not. She’d been low at Frances’s, (had that come sooner or later?) and then she had become distressed as she made to go home. Pushing her friend away, leave me alone. Sudden, it had been, as though she’d had a shock.

Then nothing. No-one had seen her, heard from her. And I’d talked to everyone I possibly could. I pulled out my original list. All except Mrs Shuttle who had slammed the phone down on me. Next door neighbour, moved to Bradford. Why so violent a reaction? What was behind it? It was only a few miles from Huddersfield to Bradford. I could pay an unexpected visit. What had I got to lose? An hour or so? I flipped back through my notebook looking for the phone number. I knew I’d written it down early on in my enquiries. Found it. I rang the number and a woman answered.

“Isabella?” I made my voice squeaky.

“You’ve got the wrong number.”

“Oops! Sorry.” Now don’t go out before I get there.

I bought an A-Z at the newsagents and worked out my route. They didn’t live far from the motorway. As I rejoined the traffic I considered what questions to ask Mrs Shuttle. There would be little point in going over the same ground I’d covered with everyone else. I tried to come up with something other than ‘why did you cut me off?’ but I just couldn’t concentrate. I was too distracted by the revelations of the records office. To be honest I hadn’t got the foggiest what I’d say.

I left the motorway and followed the ring-road round the outskirts of Bradford. Like Sheffield, the city had grown along the valleys and up the hills but Bradford was built on wool not steel. My mobile began to bleat and I pulled in at a bus stop and fished it out of my bag.

“Sal Kilkenny.”

“Hello, it’s St Paul’s here, we’ve got Maddie and Tom waiting, no-one’s come to collect them.”

I felt a wave of panic followed by a roll of anger. Where the hell was Ray? Had something happened to him? My mind span round seeking solutions. It would take me an hour or more to get back. Nana Tello wouldn’t be able to do it, unless she could get a taxi and had the money to pay for it. I hadn’t got Ray’s college number on me and past experience had told me it was hopeless trying to contact him there. Besides Salford is miles from Withington, it’d take him ages to get to school.

“I’m ever so sorry, there’s obviously been some mix up. I’m afraid I’m over in Yorkshire but I’ll try and get somebody to come and get them now, I’ll ring you back and let you know what’s happening.”

I took the school’s number then dialled home. Bloody Ray. No answer. Vicky? Vicky Dobson! Back from her tour of the festivals, she’d often babysat for Maddie and Tom before. I punched the number. Please be in, please.

“‘Lo?”

“Vicky, it’s Sal. Look, it’s a bit of an emergency, Ray’s forgotten to pick the kids up from school. I’m in Bradford and I can’t get there. Could you get them? I’d pay you of course.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.

“Shall I bring them back here?”

“Great. I’ll come round as soon as I get back. I’ll let the school know you’re coming.”

So, I was extremely rattled by the time I rang the Shuttles doorbell. She answered.

“Mrs Shuttle?”

“Yes.”

“Sal Kilkenny, we spoke on the phone some time ago. I’m trying to trace Jennifer Pickering.”

Her expression changed; polite reserve hardening into appalled disbelief.

“I told you,” she said, “I’ve nothing to say to you. How dare you come here…”

I cut her off. “That’s why I came. You’re the only per son who has refused to talk to me. That makes me curious.”

“Get out of here,” she said her voice quiet. At that point the door from the back garden swung open and a man appeared carrying a garden-vac. Mrs Shuttle froze, eyes like a rabbit in the road.

“Perhaps I should talk to your husband instead?” I smiled and made as if to turn.

“No,” she hissed. “Come in.”