to tell me everything.’
‘But Stan’s already told you, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes, Dora, but I’d like to hear it in your own words, please.’
It didn’t take Dora long to relate what had happened, with Tom and Lily joining in now and again.
Reg had written quite a lot down in his notebook, and when he stopped writing, he asked, ‘Stan said youfound some letters. Would you let us see them?’
When Dora hesitated, Stan said, ‘We need to build up a picture of your mother, what she liked doing, places she liked to visit, things like that. Letters can often help us do that.’
‘There’s no harm in letting them see them.’ Tom was already on his feet. ‘I’ll get them, shall I?’
‘All right,’ she agreed reluctantly. They had been brought up never to read anything addressed to their parents, and it was hard to break that rule, even in these exceptional circumstances.
Tom soon returned, and Stan and Reg settled back to read. Dora decided to make a pot of tea, more for something to do than from the need for a drink.
‘Do you know anything about your mother’s family?’ Reg asked suddenly, making Dora jump as she was pouring the tea.
‘She never talked about them. I don’t think she had any family.’
‘We never met any grandparents, so we don’t think Mum or Dad had any family,’ Tom told them, looking puzzled. ‘This can’t have anything to do with Mum’s disappearance, surely?’
Reg just smiled. ‘We need to look at every angle in the hope that it might produce a clue. Can we see your mother’s room now?’
‘Er … is that necessary?’ The thought of strangers going through her mother’s things did not sit well with Dora. ‘We’ve already searched every inch.’
‘Dora,’ Stan said. ‘We might find something you’vemissed. Something that looks out of place, but so ordinary that you wouldn’t think it important.’
‘Let them do it,’ Tom said. ‘There might be something we didn’t notice.’
‘Yes, of course you’re right,’ Dora agreed reluctantly. ‘The only important thing is to try and find out what’s happened to Mum. Were the letters any use?’
‘Not at first glance.’ Reg tied them together again. ‘Would you let us keep them for a while, so we can go through them again? You can have them back in a couple of days.’
‘We’ll take good care of them,’ Stan assured Dora, ‘and I promise no one else will see them.’
‘Very well.’ She gave Stan a brief nod. ‘I know we can trust you.’
‘Good, thank you.’ Reg stood up. ‘Will you show us your mother’s room now?’
Tom led the way up the stairs, followed by Reg and Stan, with Dora and Lily behind them.
Stan had left his stick at the bottom of the stairs, and was using the banisters to swing himself up. Dora knew he would need it when he got to the top, so she took it with her, and handed it to him on the landing.
Tom opened their mother’s bedroom door and stood back to allow them to enter first. The three of them stood by the door and watched Reg and Stan search. Dora felt very uneasy as each item was examined and put back in the drawers or wardrobe. Occasionally they showed each other a pair of shoes or piece of clothing, but they said nothing, and their expressions gave nothing away.
‘What’re they finding so interesting?’ Tom whispered, when they had spent a while studying a frock.
Dora shrugged, just as puzzled.
After what seemed like an age, Reg looked across at them. ‘Do you know if any of your mother’s clothes are missing?’
‘No, sir,’ Dora replied. ‘They’re all there, except the things she was wearing.’
‘I understand that you found the letters and notebook hidden in the bed. Was there anything else?’
‘No, that’s—’
‘There was the necklace,’ Tom interrupted.
‘What necklace?’ Both men spoke at once.
‘Oh, it’s only a cheap thing. Something Mum kept for sentimental reasons, I expect.’
‘Can we see it, Dora?’ Stan
‘But Stan’s already told you, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes, Dora, but I’d like to hear it in your own words, please.’
It didn’t take Dora long to relate what had happened, with Tom and Lily joining in now and again.
Reg had written quite a lot down in his notebook, and when he stopped writing, he asked, ‘Stan said youfound some letters. Would you let us see them?’
When Dora hesitated, Stan said, ‘We need to build up a picture of your mother, what she liked doing, places she liked to visit, things like that. Letters can often help us do that.’
‘There’s no harm in letting them see them.’ Tom was already on his feet. ‘I’ll get them, shall I?’
‘All right,’ she agreed reluctantly. They had been brought up never to read anything addressed to their parents, and it was hard to break that rule, even in these exceptional circumstances.
Tom soon returned, and Stan and Reg settled back to read. Dora decided to make a pot of tea, more for something to do than from the need for a drink.
‘Do you know anything about your mother’s family?’ Reg asked suddenly, making Dora jump as she was pouring the tea.
‘She never talked about them. I don’t think she had any family.’
‘We never met any grandparents, so we don’t think Mum or Dad had any family,’ Tom told them, looking puzzled. ‘This can’t have anything to do with Mum’s disappearance, surely?’
Reg just smiled. ‘We need to look at every angle in the hope that it might produce a clue. Can we see your mother’s room now?’
‘Er … is that necessary?’ The thought of strangers going through her mother’s things did not sit well with Dora. ‘We’ve already searched every inch.’
‘Dora,’ Stan said. ‘We might find something you’vemissed. Something that looks out of place, but so ordinary that you wouldn’t think it important.’
‘Let them do it,’ Tom said. ‘There might be something we didn’t notice.’
‘Yes, of course you’re right,’ Dora agreed reluctantly. ‘The only important thing is to try and find out what’s happened to Mum. Were the letters any use?’
‘Not at first glance.’ Reg tied them together again. ‘Would you let us keep them for a while, so we can go through them again? You can have them back in a couple of days.’
‘We’ll take good care of them,’ Stan assured Dora, ‘and I promise no one else will see them.’
‘Very well.’ She gave Stan a brief nod. ‘I know we can trust you.’
‘Good, thank you.’ Reg stood up. ‘Will you show us your mother’s room now?’
Tom led the way up the stairs, followed by Reg and Stan, with Dora and Lily behind them.
Stan had left his stick at the bottom of the stairs, and was using the banisters to swing himself up. Dora knew he would need it when he got to the top, so she took it with her, and handed it to him on the landing.
Tom opened their mother’s bedroom door and stood back to allow them to enter first. The three of them stood by the door and watched Reg and Stan search. Dora felt very uneasy as each item was examined and put back in the drawers or wardrobe. Occasionally they showed each other a pair of shoes or piece of clothing, but they said nothing, and their expressions gave nothing away.
‘What’re they finding so interesting?’ Tom whispered, when they had spent a while studying a frock.
Dora shrugged, just as puzzled.
After what seemed like an age, Reg looked across at them. ‘Do you know if any of your mother’s clothes are missing?’
‘No, sir,’ Dora replied. ‘They’re all there, except the things she was wearing.’
‘I understand that you found the letters and notebook hidden in the bed. Was there anything else?’
‘No, that’s—’
‘There was the necklace,’ Tom interrupted.
‘What necklace?’ Both men spoke at once.
‘Oh, it’s only a cheap thing. Something Mum kept for sentimental reasons, I expect.’
‘Can we see it, Dora?’ Stan
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