Adam had managed a whole two hours of the party. Having built him up in my head as a thoughtless, neglectful dud who took his wife and kids for granted, I had been surprised by his open face, easy nature and the way one hand had stayed glued to Kiko’s back the whole time.
Kiko’s face dropped. ‘Yeah. He was really nice. He even let me have a lie-in.’
‘That’s a good thing, isn’t it?’
She flicked her silky fringe out of her eyes. ‘He’s been working nearly every hour since. I think the only thing he’s said to me is, “Sorry, something came up.” And, “Where are my keys?’’’ We left the playground and started across the green. ‘I have better conversations with Hannah, and she can only say five words. I’m so lonely, Jenny. It’s lonelier with him there than when he’s away.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry.’ I wrapped one arm round her as we walked. ‘Let me buy you a doughnut.’
‘That sounds awesome, but I can’t.’ She straightened up, tilted her chin. ‘I’ve got packing to do. Preparations to make. Flights to check in.’
‘Are you kidding me?’
She sucked in a huge breath, eyes boggling. ‘I’ve booked the base-camp trek. I leave on Friday.’
‘What did Adam say?’ I asked, when I’d picked my jaw back up off the muddy pavement.
She looked at me worriedly, biting her lip.
‘You haven’t told him!’
‘He hasn’t asked.’
‘Not a normal question to ask, is it? “Oh, by the way, are you planning any trips to the Himalayas in the next week or so?”’
‘No, but, “How are you?”, “What have you been up to this year?”, “Why are there piles of outdoor gear in the utility room and a suitcase on the bedroom floor?” are.’
‘You have to tell him.’
‘I will. It’s all in the instruction manual I’m putting together. Which he’ll find in the freezer, on top of all the meals I’m leaving him. It’s three weeks. His parents will be around to help out so he can get some work done. What’s the worst that can happen?’ At that, she let out a huge hybrid snort-sob, gripping onto the pushchair so tightly I thought the handle would snap.
I gave her a squeeze. ‘They’ll be fine. Me and Sarah’ll keep an eye out.’
‘Keep an eye out on what?’ Sarah asked, back to doing the school run now her mum was around to open up the café.
‘Give me one of Jamie’s caramel doughnuts and I’ll tell you. Kiko’s got packing to do.’
‘You arekiddingme.’ Sarah’s face broke into an enormous grin.
‘That’s what I said.’ I steered her towards the Common. ‘And afterwards you can leave a lovely comment on the comic-book website I told you about and which you so rudely ignored.’
28
The Christmas Book Club Challenge met that Friday. Kiko wasn’t there, having phoned Adam from the airport to say, ‘Please pick up the kids from school, and by the way I’m not coming back for three weeks.’
I decided to cycle, daring myself to face the journey home in the dark. Brenda had confirmed there’d been no further signs of anyone making mischief. With the word spread that the police were keeping an eye out, the Beast of Middlebeck was sure to have gone to ground. Or back to harassing imaginary people on his Xbox, according to Brenda’s professional opinion. Given that the Mini was still gone, and for all I knew it was never coming back, or if it did then its rightful owner might well come back with it, I felt determined to get back out there alone without the need for a chaperone.
I arrived just as Ashley drove up, Frances in the passenger seat. Frances wasn’t driving as, she said, ‘The medication those meddling doctors have put me on is clogging up the messages from my head to the rest of me.’ The way she jerkily climbed out of the car and leant on her cane as she plodded inside made my heart weep.
We knew it wasn’t the pills making Frances tired, or slow. She had been slender when I met her back in January, but the hollows in her cheeks and the wrist-bones jutting out of the end of her jacket sleeves revealed what brave words and a spunky attitude tried to conceal.
‘Did you go on the camel-trek?’ Ellen asked, avoiding the obvious.
‘I did.’ A hint of a twinkle returned to Frances’ bleary eyes. ‘It was quite possibly the most uncomfortable, ridiculous thing I’ve ever done. I almost met my match with that ugly great brute they put me on.’ She showed us a photograph. ‘Reminded me of my Great-Aunt Jocelyn.’
She described to us what it had been like, bumping along the trail. ‘I will tell you this, though, I felt rather like a queen. Which was some consolation for all the bottom bruises.’
‘So, is that the end of your adventures?’ Ashley asked, unable to keep the hope out of her voice.
