swarming all over me.
I bounded up to my neighbour’s houseboat and beat on the door. There was no answer. Of course, she’d be out looking for her mother.
Ruby had reached the café that led down onto the beach. If she stumbled onto the shore she might very well end up in the sea, as her daughter had predicted. There was nothing for it but to go after her.
I saw her turn right though, away from the shore and onto the track in front of the Pilot Boat Inn. She disappeared from sight. I sprinted after her, knowing that the path would take her past the backs of houses that overlooked the harbour, through the trees and eventually up to the windmill. It would be dark, muddy and dangerous.
A shaft of light sliced across me as the door of the pub opened and with it came the sound of laughter before it shut again. A man stared at me.
There was something familiar about him. I couldn’t place what, and I didn’t have time to ask him.
I caught up with Ruby after another five hundred yards. I almost ran into her. She was staring up at the back of a large house part shaded by the trees. It was in darkness but its sweeping lawns led down to a folly and its rear windows looked out across Bembridge Harbour and across to Portsmouth, beyond the Solent. I knew this because it had been my home, and my mother’s before her death three years ago. That lump the size of a golf ball was back in my throat. A pain gripped my heart and my breath came in painful gasps as I struggled to control my overwhelming sorrow. I should have been with her when she died. I should have been able to say goodbye.
Andover would pay for that.
I took a deep breath and pushed aside my emotions with some difficulty. Why had Ruby come here?
I stood silently beside her, as if she was an animal I didn’t want to scare off. She was obliviously to the elements that buffeted her.
After a moment she spoke with an edge of bewilderment to her voice.
‘He used to stay here.’
‘Who did?’
‘Hugo. He was so lovely. Where has he gone?
What have you done with him?’ She turned her anguished face to mine. It was smeared with pink lipstick and her thick face powder had run making it look like dirty rain on a windowpane.
Her skin was spongy and criss-crossed with lines, and her milky blue eyes sad.
So she no longer thought I was Hugo. ‘Come on, Ruby, let’s get you home,’ I said. I didn’t dare touch her. How could I get her away from here?
She was shivering and soaked.
‘He pushed her down the stairs.’
That pulled me up with a start. My heart did a somersault. ‘Do you mean Olivia Albury?’
‘Yes. She was my friend.’
So that’s why she had come here. But she was mistaken. ‘No one killed Olivia. She fell. It was an accident.’ At least that was what the police and the coroner had said. A sliver of fear ran through me.
Ruby peered at me. ‘I saw him push her.’
She was very insistent. Could she be telling the truth? But why would anyone want to kill my mother? Then again, why would anyone want to frame me? But they had.
The charity that Andover had set up had been registered at this address, and even though there had been a re-direct on the mail perhaps an item of post had got through. Had my mother discovered the identity of Andover and that’s why she had been killed? The thought startled me so much that I found myself trembling. Not without effort I pulled myself together and brought my attention back to the old lady beside me.
‘Come on, Ruby. Let’s get you home.’ How could I believe what she was saying? She was old and confused. She stepped back. Her eyes widened. I could see that at any moment she would scream.
‘You’re going to kill me too.’
‘No one’s going to hurt you, Ruby.’
She looked doubtful. I made a decision. I turned my back on her and began walking away hoping that she would follow. After a few moments I heard soft, hurrying footsteps behind me. I didn’t dare turn round in case she scuttled off
I bounded up to my neighbour’s houseboat and beat on the door. There was no answer. Of course, she’d be out looking for her mother.
Ruby had reached the café that led down onto the beach. If she stumbled onto the shore she might very well end up in the sea, as her daughter had predicted. There was nothing for it but to go after her.
I saw her turn right though, away from the shore and onto the track in front of the Pilot Boat Inn. She disappeared from sight. I sprinted after her, knowing that the path would take her past the backs of houses that overlooked the harbour, through the trees and eventually up to the windmill. It would be dark, muddy and dangerous.
A shaft of light sliced across me as the door of the pub opened and with it came the sound of laughter before it shut again. A man stared at me.
There was something familiar about him. I couldn’t place what, and I didn’t have time to ask him.
I caught up with Ruby after another five hundred yards. I almost ran into her. She was staring up at the back of a large house part shaded by the trees. It was in darkness but its sweeping lawns led down to a folly and its rear windows looked out across Bembridge Harbour and across to Portsmouth, beyond the Solent. I knew this because it had been my home, and my mother’s before her death three years ago. That lump the size of a golf ball was back in my throat. A pain gripped my heart and my breath came in painful gasps as I struggled to control my overwhelming sorrow. I should have been with her when she died. I should have been able to say goodbye.
Andover would pay for that.
I took a deep breath and pushed aside my emotions with some difficulty. Why had Ruby come here?
I stood silently beside her, as if she was an animal I didn’t want to scare off. She was obliviously to the elements that buffeted her.
After a moment she spoke with an edge of bewilderment to her voice.
‘He used to stay here.’
‘Who did?’
‘Hugo. He was so lovely. Where has he gone?
What have you done with him?’ She turned her anguished face to mine. It was smeared with pink lipstick and her thick face powder had run making it look like dirty rain on a windowpane.
Her skin was spongy and criss-crossed with lines, and her milky blue eyes sad.
So she no longer thought I was Hugo. ‘Come on, Ruby, let’s get you home,’ I said. I didn’t dare touch her. How could I get her away from here?
She was shivering and soaked.
‘He pushed her down the stairs.’
That pulled me up with a start. My heart did a somersault. ‘Do you mean Olivia Albury?’
‘Yes. She was my friend.’
So that’s why she had come here. But she was mistaken. ‘No one killed Olivia. She fell. It was an accident.’ At least that was what the police and the coroner had said. A sliver of fear ran through me.
Ruby peered at me. ‘I saw him push her.’
She was very insistent. Could she be telling the truth? But why would anyone want to kill my mother? Then again, why would anyone want to frame me? But they had.
The charity that Andover had set up had been registered at this address, and even though there had been a re-direct on the mail perhaps an item of post had got through. Had my mother discovered the identity of Andover and that’s why she had been killed? The thought startled me so much that I found myself trembling. Not without effort I pulled myself together and brought my attention back to the old lady beside me.
‘Come on, Ruby. Let’s get you home.’ How could I believe what she was saying? She was old and confused. She stepped back. Her eyes widened. I could see that at any moment she would scream.
‘You’re going to kill me too.’
‘No one’s going to hurt you, Ruby.’
She looked doubtful. I made a decision. I turned my back on her and began walking away hoping that she would follow. After a few moments I heard soft, hurrying footsteps behind me. I didn’t dare turn round in case she scuttled off
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