said Lois. “That was where the Rixes had theirs.”
The chief remover remembered the village scandal causing the doctor to move away. “How do you know where they had the piano?” he said. “Andrew Rix was a doctor wasn’t he? Did you know them?”
“I used to clean for them,” replied Lois. “I thought everybody knew that.”
“Course you did. I remember now…and you helped them a lot in other ways, so I heard.”
Lois frowned. “There’s not much the network doesn’t know, is there?” she said. Derek hurriedly butted in. “Now then, lads,” he said. “What’re you going to have? Gran’s got some eats ready in the kitchen, and there’s every form of alcohol known to man. So come on, let’s get stuck in.”
Lois lingered behind. She lifted the lid of the piano and put her fingers on the keys. She wouldn’t play any notes, in case the kids heard, but in her head she could hear music, the piece that Mary Rix used to play when she was feeling happy. She had her troubles, but she sorted them out in the end. Perhaps Lois could do the same with Derek.
An hour or so later, when it was after midnight and Christmas Day had officially arrived, the men kissed Gran and Lois enthusiastically under the mistletoe and, leaving them clearing up in the kitchen, tiptoed with exaggerated stealth out into the night.
The last to go paused briefly in the hall. “Here, Derek,” he said. “Looks like a letter caught up in the door curtain.” He handed it over, and Derek forced himself to take it. He had glimpsed the handwriting, and recognized it.
? Weeping on Wednesday ?
Nineteen
Anna, the au pair, had finally stopped crying, and Rosie Charrington heaved a sigh of relief. It was all so silly and unnecessary. They had said she could go home for Christmas, had aired the subject thoroughly weeks ago, and the girl had been insistent that she wanted to see an English Christmas. She’d obviously had snow and robins, carol singers and jingle-bells in mind. But at the farmhouse, surrounded by mud and raw weather, Christmas Day for Anna was clearly a sore disappointment. Added to that, her parents had telephoned early that morning, but the line had been so bad she could hardly hear them. She’d started crying then, and hadn’t really stopped until after the big family lunch.
“She’s spoiling it for the children, Sebastian,” whispered Rosie. “What more can we do?”
The sun was shining weakly over the sodden garden, and Sebastian had an idea. “Send her out for a walk,” he said. “She could take the dog, commune with nature in Cathanger woods, that sort of thing. Cheer her up no end. These Swedes are a gloomy lot.”
“She’s not Swed – ” But Sebastian had drifted off to sleep in the armchair once more. Rosie decided his idea was worth a try. She went up to Anna’s room and knocked on the door.
¦
Anna picked her way in borrowed Wellingtons, dragged along by the Labrador impatient to reach the woods where he could be taken off the lead. What a dreadful day! She had now reached a philosophical state where, realizing things could get no worse, she was storing up details to relay the utter awfulness of it to her parents when she went home. When the dog, released at the edge of the wood, tore off after a rabbit and disappeared, she smiled. Things could get worse, after all. She plunged into the thicket, calling out fruitlessly for the dog to return.
At the other side of Cathanger wood, a tall, thin figure in a long black coat, shrouded in a thick scarf, crossed one of the rides and pushed through the undergrowth, shunning the footpaths and tracks where ramblers and locals walked in summer. Today he was more or less safe. Nobody in their right mind would attempt to penetrate the wood on Christmas Day. Water stood in deep puddles everywhere, and even the grassy dells, which looked dry, proved to be boggy and treacherous. Still, the air was fresh – extremely fresh – and he decided to turn back soon, just in case.
The wood was familiar to him, and he had just reached an open space where he planned to stop and retreat, when a large black dog came crashing out of the trees. He froze, and so did the dog. Seconds passed, and neither moved. Then the dog inched forward, lowering its body and flattening its ears. The man stayed absolutely still. Only when he heard a voice, a girl’s voice, calling loudly and getting nearer, did he move. Then he crouched down and said quietly, “Here, boy. Come on, here. That’s it, nothing to worry about. Here, there’s a good dog…”
The dog relaxed. It was a family dog, used to children, and nobody had ever been unkind to it. It moved slowly towards the man, and its tail began to wag imperceptibly. The man saw the signal of friendship, and brought his hand out of his pocket. He was holding something hard and bright, and when the dog was within reach, just as the girl emerged from the trees, he raised his arm and brought it down with such force that the dog was felled instantly. Then he moved towards the girl. But she was younger, fitter and very frightened. She turned and ran, screaming.
He almost caught up with her when she tripped over an exposed root, but she managed to regain her balance and pick up speed in time to leave him still a couple of yards behind her. Finally she drew ahead, and as the brightening light showed they were approaching the Bell’s Farm edge of the wood, the man stopped. It would be better to go back, get out of sight before the girl raised the alarm. As he passed the prone body of the dog, he bent down, then straightened up with difficulty and disappeared quickly into the dark interior of the wood.
¦
Rosie filled the kettle and glanced out of the window to see if there was any sign of Anna. She should be back very soon, and Rosie prayed that the walk had been as therapeutic as Sebastian had predicted. Emotional au pairs were a frequent source of conversation between the more affluent young mothers, but Rosie considered Anna had topped the lot in creating such a disturbance on Christmas Day. It would be something to tell the others at the school gates!
She was turning away to prepare tea, when a movement at the edge of the wood caught her eye. Was it Anna? Rosie frowned. Whoever it was, the figure looked in trouble, stumbling and sliding about in the mud. Then she could see that it was indeed Anna, and she rushed out of the back door, into the garden and across the field at top speed, not bothering to grab a coat, but yelling as she went, “Seb! Come quickly! Anna’s hurt!”
It was several minutes before they could establish that Anna was not physically hurt, just exhausted and distressed beyond speech.
“Where’s Rick?” Sebastian had looked around for the dog, but he was nowhere.
“Never mind about him,” said Rosie.
“But he might be lost. It might be why she’s so upset,” said Sebastian practically.
At this, Anna’s hysteria reached a critical point, and Rosie amazed herself by slapping the girl firmly on the cheek.
“Mummy!” chorused the children, standing open-mouthed by the door.
“Hey, come on you two,” said Sebastian. “Mummy knows what she’s doing. Let us go and have a look around for Rick. Breath of fresh air will do us good.”
Suddenly Anna found her voice. “No,” she croaked urgently. “No, don’t take the children! I must speak with Rosie alone. But don’t take the children,
Sebastian was now confused, but Rosie nodded at him. “Why don’t you all get the new game out and read the rules. Then we can play after tea, when Anna’s better.”
Left alone, Rosie led Anna to the sofa and pulled her down beside her. She put what she hoped was a motherly arm around the thin shoulders, and waited. The pitiful story came out in fits and starts, but was clear enough. By the time Anna had reached the point where the man finally abandoned the chase and disappeared, Rosie was thoroughly alarmed. “I think we must tell Sebastian,” she said quietly. Anna nodded, meek and quiet now.
“My God!” said Sebastian, called in by Rosie and now sitting on the floor in front of Anna. “Did you get sight of his face?”
Anna shook her head. “He was covered, except for his eyes. When he ran, I could hear him…er…panting. I don’t think he was very good. The little bit of face around the eyes was very…how do you say…pale?”
“Right,” said Sebastian, getting to his feet. “You telephone the police, Rosie, and I’ll go and find Rick. Don’t
