Behind Closed Doors by Susan Lewis

parents.’
    Sighing, Kasia said, ‘It would be a cruel thing to do, but let’s hope that’s all it is.’
    Slicing through a lemon, Olenka dropped a wedge into each mug and handed one to Kasia. ‘It’s Heidi I feel sorry for,’ she commented. ‘She’s never done anything to deserve all the crap that girl gives her.’
    Since she knew very little about the family, Kasia merely shook her head sadly.
    ‘From what I hear,’ Olenka continued, ‘she’s been throwing herself at half the blokes who come to the camp. It doesn’t matter whether they work there or are just visiting . . . Some of the campers have complained, apparently. Wouldn’t you if she was coming on to your husband or son?’
    Accepting that she wouldn’t like it very much, Kasia said, ‘She’s still quite young and probably doesn’t understand half of what she’s doing. We didn’t when we were her age.’
    Olenka cast her a look.
    ‘Well, we didn’t,’ Kasia insisted. ‘OK, we lived in a very different world to Sophie’s, but you must remember what it was like when the hormones started to change, and how mad we suddenly were about boys.’
    ‘That might be true, but we didn’t do anything about it, unless you’re telling me you did.’
    ‘Of course not. I’m just saying that girls Sophie’s age aren’t always aware of how they’re coming across. Anyway, let’s change the subject – would you and Glyn like to eat with us this evening? There’s plenty here.’
    Olenka watched her unwrapping the steaks. ‘If you’re making zrazy it always tastes better the next day,’ she commented.
    ‘I know, but I’m serving it tonight.’
    ‘I see you have the best cuts.’
    Reaching for a rolling pin, Kasia said, ‘Would you like to bash them, help get rid of some of whatever’s eating you?’
    Olenka had to smile. ‘OK, I’m jealous. Not that I’d swap Glyn for Tomasz, or maybe I would . . . No, no, I’m not serious, it’s just the way Tomasz has got in with the Poynters . . . You’re living like royalty, you two.’
    Kasia gasped a laugh. ‘I hardly think a terraced house in Waverley compares to Buckingham Palace, and it’s not even as if we own it. We pay rent, the same as you, and the reason Tomasz earns more than Glyn is because he has more than one job. You should get Glyn to turn himself into a cabaret act as well.’
    Olenka’s eyes danced. ‘I promise you, he wouldn’t be allowed to demonstrate his other skills in public, and may the good Lord save us from his singing.’
    Giving her a playful nudge, Kasia gestured for her to get started on the pounding as she reached for the phone.
    ‘Hi, it’s me,’ Tomasz told her. ‘I’ve just had a call from Curry’s; apparently the computer won’t be ready until tomorrow, and the kitchen at Seaview’s lost power. I’ve no idea how long it’ll take to sort, but I don’t think I’m going to be home by seven. Is Anton there so I can speak to him?’
    Used to the unscheduled demands on his time, Kasia called out to her son. ‘Any more news on Sophie Monroe?’ she asked as they waited for the boy to amble up the garden.
    ‘I don’t know, I’m not at Blue Ocean, but Jimmy Poynter rang just now. He’s worried about what it’ll do for business if she doesn’t show up soon, especially if it goes public. The campers won’t like having the police crawling all over the place.’
    Kasia’s eyebrows rose. ‘I think they’d like it a lot less if they found out something had happened to the girl and no one had bothered to look for her. Anyway, here’s Anton,’ and planting a kiss on her son’s unruly dark hair she passed him the phone.
    ‘Sorry, Andee, it just can’t happen.’
    Detective Inspector Terence Gould was shaking his head with a regret that Andee understood, but was still finding hard to accept. ‘You know as well as I do that we don’t have the resources to start running a wild goose chase for a fourteen-year-old who took money, a computer, mobile