5. Romy
FIVE
Romy
“ S he’s been registered as a missing person,” the social worker, Sue Samuels, said. “The police are looking for her, there are traces on her cards, so we’ll know if she spends anything or tries to use one of them, but there isn’t much money in her account.”
There was no disguising that the social worker was worried, or that she was probably telling me more than she should, because I didn’t think I should’ve known that Cara’s funds were limited. When – if – she returned, the people of Puffin Bay would know far more than she’d ever wanted them to, given how private she was.
“What about Mia?” We were on Monday afternoon. Cara had been missing since Friday morning, if Mia was telling us correctly about the last time she’d seen her.Sue sighed, looking out of the window as if all the answers lay out there, maybe somewhere in the middle of the Menai Strait.
“My manager wants to discuss making you a special guardian for her. We believe that Mia would be best staying in Puffin Bay with her friends and at her school, certainly for now. Cara’s aunt isn’t well enough to care for her and there are no other close relatives. Mia’s dad is in prison – I wasn’t sure if you know that or if Mia knows that.”
“I didn’t know that. What did he do?” And was it linked to Cara’s disappearance? I read too many murder mystery novels to not link the two, although there could be no link at all. Sue flinched, her expression one of a woman who’d seen this many times before. “A gun related murder. He’s heavily involved with organised crime groups in the North-West. This is the fourth time he’s been incarcerated.”
“Oh. I only remember seeing him twice – when he’s stayed at Cara’s and I’d been passing in the morning. He’d been leaving. That was the second time. The first time was in the town when Cara was pregnant.” I remembered both times well, although I wasn’t sure why they stuck out. During summer, the number of tourists to Puffin Bay was high, so the faces of strangers could become a blurred mural. Sue nodded, her attention elsewhere somewhat. She probably had other things to get on with rather than listen to me prattle on.
“The police have managed to get a set of keys to Cara’s house from her landlord, so I wondered if you wanted to get some of Mia’s clothes and toys and things, if you’re happy for her to carry on staying with you for the time being.”
She looked at me hopefully, only I wasn’t sure why she needed to be hopeful. There was no way I’d say Mia couldn’t stay with us.
“Mia is fine to stay. I think she’d like to pick up her own things though.” I wanted to see how she acted when she went home too. There was something that suggested to me she knew more than what she’d said so far. Sue nodded, distracted with something on her phone. “How about we pick Mia up from school together and both go there. I need to have a chat with her on her own – it’s just procedure and there for her protection.”
So Mia had the chance to talk about whatever she wished without me being there. I understood and I had no problem at all with it, apart from Mia’s shyness with people she wasn’t familiar with worried me. She hadn’t used to be this timid.
“No problem. How about you take her for ice cream after we’ve been to Cara’s house and me and Heidi can take Mia’s things back, so I can talk with Heidi about Mia staying for longer.” I hadn’t had much one-on-one time with my daughter.
“That sounds like a good idea.” Sue put her phone away. “How was Mia before her mum disappeared?”
“She’s always been quiet. I think that’s partly why she and Heidi are good friends, because Heidi definitely isn’t quiet and Mia seems to trust Heidi to speak for her sometimes. She’s been quieter since Cara disappeared.” I felt better for having confided that.
“That’s not surprising. You’re okay with the special guardianship procedure? Shall I talk you through it?”
I nodded, although there was no need. I’d already researched what means needed to be taken to stop Mia from going into foster care away from her friends and town. There were searches, a few more intrusive ones than before, and a court had to agree to it, which could be problematic as I wasn’t related to Mia, but I knew I was the better option than her being placed with strangers at cost to the state. Sue spent the next hour going through the formalities, making notes as she did about me and Heidi and what our routine was like. There was information needed around my job, my extended family who I got on with well, but didn’t see much of as they were spread across Europe now.
“Are you seeing anyone at the moment?” she asked. “As in a relationship?”
For some reason, an image of Cassian found its way into my head. I felt my cheeks heat as I pushed the image away. I’d seen him briefly this morning when I’d dropped the girls off at school; he’d been at the gate, greeting the children as they came in, knowing a lot of their names already.
Like a few of the parents, I’d noticed his dark good looks, eyes two pieces of shiny coal in a face that was sculpted for editorial work in high-end magazines. The parents’ message groups had already been alive with comments about us now having eye-candy, some of the lines containing sentiments that would’ve had HR all over them if they’d been professionals in a school, I imagined.
There had been lots of comments about how much the kids liked him too, which was more important by a country mile. He was fun, the feedback had said, but fair, and he’d taught a few PE lessons, which had gone down a treat because the old head had sat in his office most of the day and only taken one assembly a week, which had been a similar format to what I remembered from decades ago.
Mr Caddick was modern in his approach and he smiled, something that most of the parents had noticed.
Including me.
“No. I’ve been single since my husband died. Heidi sees a lot of her gran – Joel’s mum. She’s called Mary McAllister.” I listed her address and phone number, knowing they’d want to speak to her about doing a check too. “Mary usually has Heidi stay with her one night a week or every two weeks to give me some time to myself. If it’s okay, we’ll plan the same for Mia too.”
“Will Mary be happy with having Mia too?”
That was an easy answer. “Mary’s never met a child she didn’t want to add as an extra grandkid. We went to her house for Sunday dinner. Mia was impeccably behaved – not an elbow on the table. Heidi was another story.” Heidi could barely sit still because Mary had taken in another rescue dog. That would be something else I needed to tell the social worker. Sue made more notes, more time slipping away. We were closing in on school pick up time, which meant the chances of me getting through any work this afternoon were slimmer than the possibility of me appearing on a reality dating show.
Never going to happen.
I sent a silent whisper of thanks for an understanding employer.
“Are you planning on any holidays this year, Romy? Hopefully Cara will come home soon and we’ll be able to support her with Mia going home.” Her face told me this wasn’t the truth as such. Worst case scenario, she’d abandoned her child. Another worst case scenario she was being held somewhere against her will. I doubted that either situation would result in Mia being allowed home straight away.
“I was going to take Heidi to London for a few nights. I was thinking of going to Disneyland Paris in the October half term, as a surprise. I’m happy to take Mia with us, if we’re allowed.” I had no idea how these things worked.Sue made another note and closed her notepad. “You just need to clear it with me. If Mia’s still with you in October, then I’d agree for her to go with you, if all is well, and you’d have a signed letter and all of that, but we can go through that nearer the time.” She sighed, shaking her head. “The police are concerned about Cara’s whereabouts, although this isn’t the first time she’s left Mia alone – or with her aunt.”
“Really? When did she leave her on her own?” I wasn’t aware of this.
“Last year. The aunt reported it. I believe Cara got home just before social services arrived, but there was some story about a medical emergency that kind of checked out. It probably should’ve been followed up, I can’t lie and say it was best practice, but something more critical would’ve come through and maybe a social worker transferred and it slipped through the net. Not a good excuse, I know.”
I nodded, no idea what to actually say. “We should head off to pick the girls up. School’s nearly finished for the day.”
“Of course. Let’s go.” She put her notepad in her bag and winced as she stood up. “I never noticed my knees until I turned fifty, and don’t mention my hip.”
I smiled, wondering how old you were when your body started talking loudly to you.
Mr Caddick was at the gates again by the time we arrived at the school. It was an old building, typical of the area, with a large playground and a school field. The road it was set off was pedestrian only, apart from emergency vehicles, as it wasn’t made for cars. This was both a bone of contention with the parents as well as an acknowledged good thing, as it was definitely safer, but in autumn when the storms were a weekly event, it got a bit squelchy.
I wondered if we’d see Cassian at the gates in November. Something told me we would.
He was deep in conversation with Leah Evans, the mother of a child I’d never taken to, when Heidi ran at me with the force of a cannonball, Mia trotting after her. I hugged my daughter with one arm and opened the other for Mia to step into it, which she did with some hesitancy.
“Have you had a good day?” I asked the pair of them.
Heidi responded with a monologue of everything they’d done that day, including how one of her classmates poured paint all over himself and ended up crying. It took about ninety seconds and three lungfuls of air to get through her version of the day, during which time Mia snuggled against my side.
“Did you have a good day, Mia?” I managed to ask when my daughter eventually came up for air.
“Yes. I got to change my reading book.” Her smile was sweet and soft and there, which almost surprised me. “Is my mum back?”
I shook my head. “She isn’t, but we have a key to your house so we can go and collect some of your things. Then Sue's going to take you for ice cream at Amelie’s – you remember Sue, don’t you?”
Mia nodded, staring at the social worker with big eyes.
“Hi, Mia. I wanted to have a chat with you to see how you were feeling about staying at Romy’s.” Sue crouched down low so she was at the same height as Mia.
Mia clung to me a little tighter. “I can stay with Romy and Heidi, can’t I?”Sue nodded, smiling. She’d been very tick box in her manner this afternoon, but she was far warmer with Mia. “If you’re happy there you can stay with Romy until we find your mum.”
“I don’t want to live with Mum anymore.”
The air froze.Sue nodded. “Maybe you can tell me about that when we have ice cream. How’s that?”
Mia’s chin dipped once and for a moment her expression was full of fear.
“Shall we go and see what things you want to take to Romy’s now?” Sue stood back up, wincing, probably because of her knees.
Mia nodded again, her hand slipping into mine.
She didn’t let go of it until we were at her house, the door open, a police officer standing outside.
I recognised the officer, Olivia Truman, who lived just outside of Benllech. Her boyfriend was part of the lifeboat crew and had been out on the night when Joel lost his life. Every so often we’d go for a drink together, maybe something to eat, and catch up about what was happening in our lives, which was rarely much, as Olivia didn’t gossip about work and neither of us had much of a life outside our jobs and me with Heidi.
“Hey, Liv,” I greeted her. “How are you?”
Her smile was warm, but she didn’t meet my eyes. “I’m good. I hear Mia’s staying with you.” She waved at Mia, then at Heidi. “How are two of my favourite kids?”
Heidi ran up to her, garbling something about robbers and cats, which I had no clue about but Liv played along.
“We’re here to get Mia’s things.” Were Heidi’s ending words.
Liv nodded and looked at me. “Can I have a word before you go in?”
I frowned and looked at Sue, who seemed as confused as I did. “Sure. Can you both wait with Sue?”
Cara’s house was a small semi-detached, with a messy front garden, overgrown and unkempt. I followed Liv to the front door, glimpsing through it to see part of the living room, furniture upturned and what looked like stuffing from the sofa on the floor.
“What’s happened?”
Liv shrugged. “A break-in. The place has been ransacked, including Mia’s bedroom. Her teddies have been thrown around and all her clothes are all over the place, but they haven’t done the same level of damage as they have in the rest of the house.”
“What were they looking for?”
“Drugs, money or weapons. Cara’s disappearance has just levelled up, but I’m going to guess Mia won’t be going back to her mum anytime soon – there was a lot of drug paraphernalia and other things that you wouldn’t want round a kid.” Liv shook her head. “The place is being treated as a crime scene – I’m just waiting for my boss to get here to look round, but we’re not going to be able to let you in, and you don’t want Heidi or Mia to see inside here either.”
Feelings swirled around me, a maelstrom of emotions some of which made no sense. Anger, that Cara would put Mia in danger. Fear, about what had happened to Cara. Sadness for the little girl whose life would be defined by this incident. And all the rest that I couldn’t define.
“There’s a teddy bear, a brown one with a red scarf. Any chance she could have that?” It was her favourite and she’d told me she was missing him.
Liv nodded. “I think so. I can pack up a couple of bags of clothes and toys once the forensics team have been round and drop them later.” Her shoulders stiffened. “Romy, I don’t want to worry you, but I think you should keep an eye out. Lock your doors – I know no one does around here – but if Cara’s in trouble they might target Mia, or think that Mia knows something.”
More fear. Worry. Panic.
“I’ll start locking the door.” Best I could do right now while I was suppressing terror.
“Good. I’ll come round when the girls are at school and do a security check on your house. You probably don’t need to be worried at all. Cara’s probably gotten involved with another shitty boyfriend and she’s escaped and he was looking for her stash of pills or something, but best to be prepared.”
“Agreed.” I would appreciate it if my heart rate could calm down so it wasn’t mirroring a stampede of horses. “Being prepared is my new motto.”
Liv shot me a grin, a proper one this time. “Disagree with new. You’ve always been prepared.”
My smile came with a dash of sadness. I hadn’t always been prepared, but Joel had been even worse than me, so one of us had needed to become that partner in the relationship who possessed some practical skills.
A black car pulled up and a tall man slunk out. I vaguely recognised him, but Liv knew exactly who he was.
“Boss,” she said, turning her attention to him.
“DS Scott. Where are forensics?” he said, when he was close enough.
“On their way. They were heading over from Rhosneigr. This is Romy McAllister. She’s looking after the child who lived here while her mother’s missing.”
The boss glanced at me, giving me a once over that made me feel like I’d been interrogated. “Has the child said anything about her mother?”
“Very little.” I wasn’t sure if to say my gut told me Mia was keeping something hidden. I didn’t like the idea of her being questioned by more strangers than necessary. Every motherly instinct told me to protect her, I just wasn’t sure exactly from what right now.
Liv’s boss gave another nod and turned his back to me, a key sign that I was dismissed.
I exchanged a goodbye glance with my friend and moved over to where Sue had instigated some clapping game with the girls, Mia even smiling as Heidi’s voice grew louder and louder.
“Hey, Mia. My friend Liv is the police officer who’s going through your house. She’s going to pack your stuff up when she can and bring it over to our house.” I watched her face for any signs of distress, none came, just a blank expression as the clapping game stopped.Sue headed over to Liv herself, leaving me with the girls for a moment, probably to find out what she’d missed.
“Why can’t we go in Mia’s house, Mummy?” Heidi shuffled over to me. I was convinced she’d grown an inch since this morning.
“Because the police are looking for fingerprints to see if they can help find Mia’s mum.” I knew we were going to be having a long conversation about fingerprints and what they were. Maybe Liv would have a kit she could show the girls later; that would interest them without them thinking we were pretending everything was fine, which it was not.
“Is that my fingerprint?” And so it began.
Mia stayed quiet, watching Heidi, looking at me every few seconds, as if she was checking I was still there.
“That’s your fingerprint, yes.”
It was another five minutes of fingerprint talk before Sue reappeared, a couple of extra wrinkles visible.
“Okay, girls, shall I take Mia and Heidi for ice cream to give Romy a break for an hour?” Her gaze was sympathetic.
There were cheers, mainly from Heidi.
It was a good idea, I knew Mia would prefer not to be on her own, I was getting it now that she was anxious, worried, understandably so.
And there was something else she wasn’t telling us.
Not yet.