Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I searched every inch of the towpath, tracing the steps of our favourite walks, calling Hilda’s name and asking passers-by whether they’d seen her.
I tried to work as methodically as possible, but I was only one person, and while I tramped back towards Jericho, Hilda could easily be lolloping in the opposite direction heading towards the train station and the centre of the city.
I flinched at the thought of her wandering towards the more populated areas, where impatient drivers and thoughtless cyclists would be extra hazards.
When I first brought her home from the rescue centre, she was skittish and unpredictable when surrounded by crowds.
We’d worked hard together to make her feel more comfortable in those situations, but I didn’t know how she might react when I wasn’t around to place a comforting hand on her haunches.
I shook my head, physically trying to push away the intrusive thoughts.
I let out a piercing whistle, followed by another shout of ‘Hilda’, then looked at my watch.
Just half an hour to go until the guests were due to arrive at the afternoon tea.
I decided to do a quick check along the banks of Castle Mill Stream, still hoping she’d emerge from the undergrowth, wagging her tail and looking expectantly at me in anticipation of getting a treat.
I hurried up towards Isis Lock, aiming for the footbridge, when I bumped into Liam.
‘Is everything alright? Why are you shouting for Hilda?’ he asked.
I started to explain the situation.
‘Hold on a second, I need to get this on camera. I’ll post it on all my channels and ask people to share. Hashtag Find Hilda. The more people we get looking, the better, right?’
‘I’ll take any help I can get,’ I said, crushing the stirring of anxiety at the thought of my personal tragedy being made so public.
I have no idea what I said to the camera, but Liam seemed satisfied, tapping busily on his phone.
‘There we go. It’s posted on all my channels. Hilda will be trending in no time. I’ve tagged the Oxford Bookship as well, so when people reply, their comments should pop up in your feeds too.’
‘Thank you, I really appreciate your help,’ I said. Whatever he may have done in the past, at least he was showing up now.
Liam’s phone was buzzing away.
‘Listen to that,’ he said with a pleased grin. ‘The notifications are rolling in.’
I glanced at my watch. ‘How is that the time already? I need to check Castle Mill Stream, but in about five minutes a load of guests will be arriving at the Oxford Bookship expecting afternoon tea, and I’ve got to tell them it’s cancelled.’
Liam pulled a sympathetic face. ‘Tough one. Don’t worry, I’ll have a good nose around there for you.
In fact, I was planning on taking the Lydia for a spin to keep her engine ticking over, so I’ll keep my eyes peeled for Hilda while I do that.
I’ll call you if I get any good leads. Ha, did you see what I did there? ’
I forced a smile. ‘Thanks, Liam, I’ll be waiting to hear from you.’
‘I’ll keep you posted,’ he promised as he headed back towards his boat.
I hesitated, wishing I had time to go and search the area around the stream myself. But another check of my watch forced me to move in the opposite direction. I’d have to trust Liam would be thorough.
Jack was waiting on the stern deck of the Oxford Bookship when I arrived back.
‘Good news,’ he said as soon as he saw me.
I felt a huge surge of relief. ‘She’s come home,’ I said.
Jack’s face fell. ‘Oh, Molly, I’m really sorry, that’s not what I meant.’ He held out a piece of paper. ‘The Oxford Bookship passed the inspection with flying colours. In fact, Mr Zimmer was so impressed that he left his details so you could sign him up to your book subscription service.’
‘That’s something I suppose,’ I said, trying to put on a brave face. Hilda had been gone for at least three hours now. Every additional minute of separation was a minute too much to endure.
‘Hello, it’s only us.’ A cheery voice called from the towpath. ‘Leo and I thought we’d arrive early in case you needed a hand and—Oh, Molly, whatever’s the matter?’ Kat’s happy expression fell as soon as she caught sight of me.
Kat was a good friend, but I couldn’t face the prospect of explaining about Hilda’s disappearance all over again. I opened up Liam’s post on my phone and passed it across to her. Leo leaned over her shoulder so he could see it too.
‘Where have you searched so far?’ he asked. ‘We’ll organise groups of people armed with dog treats. I’ll drop a line to my old contacts at the police as well. You never know, someone might have handed her into the station.’
The next few hours passed in a blur. One by one the guests arrived for the afternoon tea to be greeted by Kat or Leo.
I don’t know what they said to them, but I didn’t receive a single demand for a refund and the majority stayed on to join the search parties which Leo organised in an efficient manner.
By the time darkness fell late that night, I was confident that every inch of the towpath had been thoroughly searched, along with many of the adjoining gardens, and several of the streets in the wider Jericho area.
It was as if Hilda had vanished off the face of the planet.
Jack had stuck with me throughout, quietly supportive and full of good suggestions.
As time wore on, I felt it was more important for me to stay at the Oxford Bookship.
Hilda had a strong sense of home, and I knew that even if she’d decided to have an out of character adventure further afield, she would eventually return here when hunger and tiredness caught up with her.
The longer she was away, the more convinced I became that something else must have happened.
‘I’m going to start ringing around the rescue centres and vet practices,’ I said. I forced myself to sound matter of fact about it, but my stomach was in knots.
‘Sensible plan,’ said Jack, squeezing my hand reassuringly. ‘Let’s divide the list up between us.’
One by one, the searchers made their apologies and left, promising to keep their eyes open for Hilda. Kat and Leo stayed long after the time I knew their last bus home departed, but eventually even they admitted defeat.
‘I’m so sorry. I wish there was more we could do,’ Kat kept repeating as she fought to contain yet another yawn. She looked exhausted.
‘You’ve both been a huge help, thank you,’ I said.
‘I’ll put posters up in the library,’ she said.
‘And I’ll keep pestering my police contacts,’ added Leo.
‘Honestly, guys, you couldn’t have done any more. I’ll let you know when she turns up,’ I said. When. It was going to happen.
And then it was just Jack. The distant sound of a college bell tower striking eleven o’clock was carried on the breeze towards us. Closing time.
‘You didn’t open the Jericho Wine Barge this evening,’ I said with a sudden realisation.
‘There were more important things to do,’ he said.
‘Thank you.’
He shook his head and fixed me with a firm expression. ‘No. You don’t have to say that. It’s what any neighbour would do. What any friend would do.’
He hesitated slightly before he used the word ‘friend’, as if he was uncertain of his right to use the term.
‘You’re the best kind of friend,’ I replied simply. We’d had our ups and downs since he’d moved in next door, a lot of downs in fact, but it was this kind of situation which demonstrated the truth of a person. And Jack’s truth was that he was a good man.
‘Well, as a friend, may I suggest that you try to get some sleep?’ He pulled a face in anticipation of my obvious response. ‘I know it’s the last thing you feel like doing, but it’s important to keep your strength up. You owe it to Hilda to be on top form so you can do your best for her.’
He’d got me there. But even though I accepted the logic of his suggestion it still seemed like an impossibility. I couldn’t imagine my brain quietening enough from my worries to allow me to go to sleep.
He read my response in my expression.
‘Okay, how about this? Why don’t I set up some cushions and blankets for you in the well deck? I know it’s one of Hilda’s favourite places, so you can keep watch for her there, but at least you’ll be comfortable while you do it.’
‘Than—That would be kind,’ I said, cutting off the thanks I knew he didn’t want.
While he bustled around on the deck, I retreated into the cabin, trying not to stare at the empty dog bed as I forced my aching limbs into a set of warm jogging bottoms and a hoody.
Then I put the kettle on and made a couple of hot chocolates.
There was a chill in the air, but my terror was making me feel even colder.
I emerged onto the well deck, a mug in each hand, to see it transformed into a cosy nest. Jack had even strung a set of fairy lights over the arch of the doorway.
‘I thought they might help ward off the darkness in both senses,’ he said, nodding his head towards them. ‘They’re dim enough that you’ll still have good night vision to keep an eye out for our girl.’
‘That’s very thoughtful.’
‘I should—’
‘Would you—’
Again, we started speaking at the same time.
‘You go first,’ he said.
I held a mug of hot chocolate out to him.
‘I know I’ve asked a lot of you today, but I was hoping I could impose on you a little longer.
Would you mind staying for a bit? It’s so quiet without Hilda.
’ I swallowed. ‘I made hot chocolate, if that helps,’ I added, forcing a brightness I didn’t feel into my voice.
Jack chuckled softly. ‘It’s no imposition when there’s hot chocolate on offer. Of course I’ll stay.’ He accepted the mug and took a sip. ‘Delicious. I might have to enlist your help creating hot beverages for the bar when winter comes.’
I wrapped myself in a blanket and snuggled down among the cushions. Jack meanwhile perched somewhat precariously on the gunwale.
After a few minutes, I said, ‘You must be as exhausted as I am, and that looks far from comfortable. Come and join me here. There’s plenty of room for both of us.’
‘I’m not sure…’
‘No excuses. Besides, I’m not convinced you’ve got enough boat sense yet to maintain that position. I’d prefer not to add you falling into the water to my list of concerns.’
‘Well, if you insist,’ he said, the note of reluctance in his voice provoking a hurt that I couldn’t cope with examining too closely at this point in time.
He lowered himself onto the cushions, sitting rigidly upright, looking more uncomfortable than he had been on the wooden gunwale.
I passed a blanket across to him, and we sipped our drinks, our hands cupped around the reassuring warmth of the mugs, staring out in the darkness.
I sensed, rather than saw him start to allow himself to relax.
I shuffled lower in my seat, and a few minutes later, he did the same.
The quiet between us was a comfort rather than another source of stress.
There was nothing that Jack could say to make things better for me right now, but his solid, silent presence was exactly what I needed, a good friend sitting in solidarity with my pain.
I think it was the shriek of an owl which dragged me awake in the middle of the night.
I’d not intended to fall asleep, wanting to keep all my senses alert for Hilda’s return, but at some point, I must have drifted off, fatigue finally winning its battle against my hyper alert anxiety.
I lay in the darkness, surrounded by warmth, gradually realising that its source was not the blanket, but the man I was now snuggled up against.
‘Sorry,’ I whispered into the night, mortified that I’d ended up in this position.
What must Jack think of me, trapped as he was with my arms wrapped around his torso, as if he was a giant teddy bear I was clinging to.
I loosened my grip, trying to shift steadily so I didn’t disturb him, but as soon as I moved, he stirred beneath me.
‘Is Hilda home?’ he asked groggily.
‘No.’
‘Then let’s go back to sleep,’ he said, his steady breathing suggesting that he’d done exactly that almost immediately.
Left with a choice of waking Jack up again or accepting I was going to spend the rest of the night in his arms, I settled on the latter, telling myself it was the only polite thing to do.
In truth, I wasn’t awake long enough to continue justifying the choice to myself.
I drifted off again nearly as quickly as Jack, my mind quietened by the comfort I felt being entwined with him.