For The Sake Of His Child

something in her tone told Gina who the visitor was.

With a sinking heart she went out to the front desk. There was Joey, looking anxious but determined.

She whisked him into her office, and closed the door on prying eyes. Speaking and signing together, she asked, ‘What are you doing here?’

He answered with his fingers. I wanted to see you.

‘Did anybody come with you?’

No. I just wanted you.

‘Has something happened?’

Instead of answering directly he shrugged and looked at the floor. Gina’s alarm grew. Something had upset the boy, but this wasn’t the time to badger him with questions. She called Page Engineering.

A barrage of assistants and secretaries barred her access to Carson Page, until she said firmly, ‘Tell him it’s Miss Tennison, about his son,’ and this worked like magic.

Carson’s voice came as a shock. She had forgotten that it was so deep and attractive.

‘Mr Page, I have Joey here. He found his way to my office alone and he’s upset about something.’

‘Alone? Where’s Mrs Saunders?’

‘Wait, I’ll ask him.’

She spelled out the name carefully, and Joey made a sign that surprised her so much that she made him repeat it.

‘Carson, he says she’s gone away.’

‘And left him alone in the house?’

More signing. ‘He says yes.’

Carson swore.

‘Can you come and collect him?’ she asked. ‘He’s upset and he needs to be reassured.’

‘I’m in an urgent meeting. Besides, I’m not the one he wants. It’s you he came to, not me.’

‘But you’re his father. Put him first, for heaven’s sake.’

‘Give me five minutes; I’ll call you back,’ he said brusquely.

As she hung up she saw Joey looking at her. He knew she’d been speaking to his father, and it was there in his face that he also knew what the answer was. His expression wasn’t sad. Rather, it asked her what else she had expected, and it was a terrible look for a child to wear.

She gave him something to eat and they chatted. Gina gathered that Mrs Saunders had gone out late that morning, saying she would return ‘soon’, but after three hours there was no sign of her.

Abandoned in his silence, he had headed for the one person who made him feel safe-not his father, but Gina.

‘How did you get here?’ she asked.

I wrote your address on a piece of paper. Then I walked to the railway station. There’s a taxi rank.

Eight, vulnerable, abandoned. Walking the streets alone.

At last Carson called back.

‘I’m afraid I’ll have to trespass on your kindness a little more,’ he said. ‘Will you take Joey home for me, please, and stay until I can get there? I’ve cleared it with your boss. Have you got your car back yet?’

‘Yes. But how do I get into your house?’

‘There’s a spare key under the rose bush by the porch. Joey knows where it is. I’ll be there as quickly as I can. Thank you for doing this for me.’

‘You haven’t given me much ch-’ But he’d hung up.

George Wainright appeared in her door, beaming.

‘Well, that’s all right, then,’ he said genially. ‘Philip and I have agreed that the best thing is to release you for as long as you need.’

‘You mean, Carson Page has agreed that I should be released for as long as he needs,’ Gina said wryly.

‘Well, it was a bit like that, I must admit,’ George admitted. ‘But if you keep him sweet the whole firm benefits.’

Gina was left with no choice but to leave with Joey. As before, in her company his tensions fell away and he became quietly happy.

They went out to the car park and found the ‘peanut’, at which point Joey’s eyes widened and he became sorely tried, his natural good manners struggling with his mirth.

‘Et tu, Brute?’ she murmured.

What was that? he signed.

‘It means that everyone laughs at my poor little car-even you.’

Manners lost the battle. But it’s funny.

‘Oh, all right. I’ll tell you how I met your father the other day.’

She described the incident, including how she’d had to climb into the car from the back, and he collapsed with amusement.

‘You do it,’ she said, opening the boot, and he scrambled through in delight.

They reached the house to find only silence. There was no sign of Mrs Saunders, but the phone started ringing as they entered. It was the local hospital.

‘Mrs Saunders asked us to call this number and leave a message on the answeing machine,’ said a female voice. ‘She was involved in a motor accident-knocked down by a car. She isn’t seriously hurt, but she’ll be in here for a few days.’

So that mystery, at least, was explained. She told Joey what had happened, emphasising that Mrs Saunders hadn’t deserted him deliberately. But he seemed more concerned with the fact that now he would have Gina to himself. His delight was touching, even though it dismayed her.

‘Right,’ she told him. ‘Let’s make this an adventure.’

For dinner, she found eggs and bacon, plus some ice cream in the freezer, and the two of them had a banquet. Between mouthfuls they talked in silence. Joey chattered and chattered, as though something had suddenly set him free.

She understood. There were people who talked with you as a duty and people who seemed to enjoy talking with you. And when you found one of the latter you made the most of them.

Gradually the shape of Joey’s personality was becoming clear to her. He was lively, brave and intelligent, with a neat sense of humour. And when he got onto his favourite subject, marine life, he was unstoppable. This was more than a child’s interest, Gina realised. He really knew his stuff.

As they were putting the dishes away, the phone rang. Probably Carson, to say he was going to be late.

But the voice on the other end was female, and throatily seductive. ‘I don’t believe I know you.’

‘My name’s Gina Tennison and I’m here to look after Joey.’

‘Well, I’m Angelica Duvaine. Please fetch Carson.’

‘I’m afraid he isn’t here. He was kept late at a meeting.’

‘Oh, I can believe that. Him and his meetings! No time for his wife but always time for those damned meetings.’

‘But Joey is here. He’ll be thrilled that you called. I’ll fetch him.’

‘Whatever for? I mean, he can’t hear me, can he?’

Gina drew a long breath. The impatience and irritation in the other woman’s voice had been too clear to miss.

‘No, but I can do sign language and interpret for you,’ she said.

‘Look, can you just give Carson a message?’

‘I’ll take your message when you’ve spoken to Joey,’ Gina said firmly. ‘I’ll fetch him now.’

She heard a sharp gasp from the other end. This woman wasn’t used to being defied. Gina beckoned Joey to the phone and signed, Mother. Instantly the child’s face was brilliant with joy. He seized the receiver, and made a sound into it that Gina interpreted as, ‘Hello, Mummy.’

Gina took the receiver. ‘What shall I tell him from you?’ she asked.

‘Well-say hello-and I hope he’s being a good boy.’

‘Shall I tell him that you love him?’ Gina asked, concealing her anger for Joey’s sake.