to be taking all kinds of drugs?”
The woman nodded. “I know she had to take some kind of antirejection drugs. Her mum told me.”
“Then why didn’t she mention that to us? I’d have thought that was very important.”
Mrs. Paul nodded. “She’s a strange one, isn’t she? I let her stay here cheap because I felt sorry for the little one, and between you and me, I thought we could have some nice chats. It gets lonely this time of year. But she’s hardly said two words to me since she came here. Off and out all day—I don’t know where she goes. It’s not like she knows anybody around here.”
“She goes out a lot?”
“Oh yes—sometimes she’s gone all day. I see that little blue car going past early in the morning and doesn’t come back before dinnertime.”
“I thought she brought the little girl here to be out in the fresh air and play on the beach.”
“Oh, she does that too, when the weather’s nice enough. Maybe she just feels hemmed in—that van isn’t big enough to swing a cat, but she asked for the very cheapest thing we’d got. I gather they’ve no money, since the husband walked out on them. Not that he was any use when they were married. Seems he wouldn’t even look for a job, she said. He expected her to go out to work, even when she was pregnant and then after the baby was born. Of course, when they found the little girl was sickly and needed constant attention, then she had to stay home and they had to live on the public assistance check. So I think she’s had it hard, and she’s getting on her feet now, she says. Got a job and a good safe
place to live and trying to get on with her life without that bastard.”
“He was a bastard—did she say that? What, just because he wouldn’t work?”
“And he had a terrible temper and bouts of depression. Never really took to living in England, she said. She thought he only married her because it guaranteed he wouldn’t be sent back to Russia again, but then all he wanted to do was to go home.”
Evan thought that for a person who hadn’t said two words to the landlady, Shirley Sholokhov had divulged a lot. He decided to risk divulging a little himself.
“She thinks that her ex-husband might have snatched the child,” he said. “You’re in here most of the time, are you? I notice this window looks out on the gate. You didn’t see any strange cars this morning, or any strange men?”
She shook her head. “I’d have noticed if a strange car came through that gate. Of course if he was on foot, and he parked the other side of the hedge, there are several places where he could have slipped in and out without me seeing him. So she thinks the husband came to get his kiddy, does she? She did tell me he was very fond of her and he wanted more visits, but she had said no. She’s a tough lady, I’ll say that for her, so maybe she pushed him too far.”
“At the moment we have to keep all options open,” Evan said. “We’ve got men scouring the area in case the child just wandered off. Kids do that, don’t they? I know I gave my parents a fright several times.” He smiled at her and she gave him a coy smile in return. “So who else might have been around this morning?”
“The park’s almost empty,” she said. “I’ve just got that Gwynne fellow, the one who makes those dreadful obscene sculptures.”
“Obscene? He told me most people didn’t know what they were supposed to be.” Evan looked amused at the horror on her face.
“I know breasts when I see them—and other parts of the anatomy too, dangling down. And there was one of two of them together once, and you could see what they were doing right
enough. I’ve told him it isn’t wholesome, having those indecent things on view where kiddies can see them. He told me they were great art and I didn’t appreciate them. I said they were junk as far as I was concerned, and if they appeared outside again, he could find somewhere else to park his van.”
“Yes,
The woman nodded. “I know she had to take some kind of antirejection drugs. Her mum told me.”
“Then why didn’t she mention that to us? I’d have thought that was very important.”
Mrs. Paul nodded. “She’s a strange one, isn’t she? I let her stay here cheap because I felt sorry for the little one, and between you and me, I thought we could have some nice chats. It gets lonely this time of year. But she’s hardly said two words to me since she came here. Off and out all day—I don’t know where she goes. It’s not like she knows anybody around here.”
“She goes out a lot?”
“Oh yes—sometimes she’s gone all day. I see that little blue car going past early in the morning and doesn’t come back before dinnertime.”
“I thought she brought the little girl here to be out in the fresh air and play on the beach.”
“Oh, she does that too, when the weather’s nice enough. Maybe she just feels hemmed in—that van isn’t big enough to swing a cat, but she asked for the very cheapest thing we’d got. I gather they’ve no money, since the husband walked out on them. Not that he was any use when they were married. Seems he wouldn’t even look for a job, she said. He expected her to go out to work, even when she was pregnant and then after the baby was born. Of course, when they found the little girl was sickly and needed constant attention, then she had to stay home and they had to live on the public assistance check. So I think she’s had it hard, and she’s getting on her feet now, she says. Got a job and a good safe
place to live and trying to get on with her life without that bastard.”
“He was a bastard—did she say that? What, just because he wouldn’t work?”
“And he had a terrible temper and bouts of depression. Never really took to living in England, she said. She thought he only married her because it guaranteed he wouldn’t be sent back to Russia again, but then all he wanted to do was to go home.”
Evan thought that for a person who hadn’t said two words to the landlady, Shirley Sholokhov had divulged a lot. He decided to risk divulging a little himself.
“She thinks that her ex-husband might have snatched the child,” he said. “You’re in here most of the time, are you? I notice this window looks out on the gate. You didn’t see any strange cars this morning, or any strange men?”
She shook her head. “I’d have noticed if a strange car came through that gate. Of course if he was on foot, and he parked the other side of the hedge, there are several places where he could have slipped in and out without me seeing him. So she thinks the husband came to get his kiddy, does she? She did tell me he was very fond of her and he wanted more visits, but she had said no. She’s a tough lady, I’ll say that for her, so maybe she pushed him too far.”
“At the moment we have to keep all options open,” Evan said. “We’ve got men scouring the area in case the child just wandered off. Kids do that, don’t they? I know I gave my parents a fright several times.” He smiled at her and she gave him a coy smile in return. “So who else might have been around this morning?”
“The park’s almost empty,” she said. “I’ve just got that Gwynne fellow, the one who makes those dreadful obscene sculptures.”
“Obscene? He told me most people didn’t know what they were supposed to be.” Evan looked amused at the horror on her face.
“I know breasts when I see them—and other parts of the anatomy too, dangling down. And there was one of two of them together once, and you could see what they were doing right
enough. I’ve told him it isn’t wholesome, having those indecent things on view where kiddies can see them. He told me they were great art and I didn’t appreciate them. I said they were junk as far as I was concerned, and if they appeared outside again, he could find somewhere else to park his van.”
“Yes,
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