Despite the Angels - By Madeline A Stringer Page 0,125

I can relax a bit now. Though I have to start the rainy day fund over again.”

“I don’t care about your rainy day fund. I’m just going to miss Mum,” Caroline was crying again. “We don’t even know where she is. Or if she’s safe.”

“Probably once she’s got somewhere and got over the shock and excitement of leaving, she’ll let us know. Let you know, anyway. She’ll be fine, she’s very competent, your mother, underneath.”

“I’ll get on to Haliken and make sure Kathleen keeps in touch with the girls. Don’t worry, this is much more how it ought to have been, years ago. Relax. It’ll work out, now. If Trynor and I have anything to do with it.” Jotin stroked his hand over David’s head and David sagged in his chair, his eyes closing.

“Dad, you’re knackered. Go on up to bed. Me’n Caro will tidy up. Seeya tomorrow.”

Jotin rushed through the crowds of gossiping guides and angels, looking for Haliken. He was excited, his energies whirling around him in flashes of bright colours. Where was Haliken? Surely he hadn’t taken all his energy to Earth to go with Kathleen?

“Haliken, Haliken, over here!!” Jotin panted up to Haliken and frowned at him. “What d’you think you’re up to, doing that without warning me? It took me totally by surprise, I didn’t get to David for ages, I didn’t know he needed help. Never mind the girls.”

“Steady on there. I didn’t know either. The first I heard was a call from the airport, about the difficulty of getting a flight to somewhere interesting at short notice.”

“You mean Kathleen just up and left? On her own? Without you prodding her? After all this time, why now?”

“I have no idea. I’ve been trying to get her out for years, reminding her how independent she used to be, how the ability to cope on her own was still deep inside her. I’m fed up telling her she would be better off using her energies to organise herself instead of bullying David. Maybe eventually all my persuasion hit critical mass. Anyway, yes, she just up and left. With no plan. And no ticket. So I hear, ‘oh come on, somebody, get me out of here!’ so I got her out of there.”

“So where’s she gone?”

“Paris. It was the next flight we could get. And she has a little French.”

“And then what? It’s a big place, easy to get lost, or into trouble.”

“I’ll do my best to keep her out of trouble and trying to make herself understood will calm her for a few days, at least. I think she has an old school friend there. I’ll remind her. Or there are plenty of trains and planes out. She has a passport!”

“Don’t we know it. Well, I really came after you to say, get her to contact the girls. I know she’s not interested in them, but there’s no point in them finding out and if they’re happy, my David can be happy and I can get on with the real work. She didn’t leave them any sort of note and they’re very upset.”

“Did she leave David a note?”

“Yes, not a very nice one, just saying she might get a divorce and that she’s taken the money.”

“Okay. I’ll get her to spend a little of it as soon as the shops open. If you need me, just shout.” Haliken stood back a bit and he and Jotin regarded each other solemnly. They had worked together for eighteen years longer than they had expected originally, but were surprised by the sudden ending of their close alliance. It would seem strange, suddenly being apart, maybe even on different continents.

“Let me know if she does get a divorce. Try to get her to send enough information to stop the family worrying. I hope she finds something to ease her pain, till her body is ready to let her go Home.”

“Will do.” Haliken and Jotin threw their energy around each other, in a gesture badly mimicked by the human hug and were quiet together for a moment. Then Haliken was gone.

A few days later, there was a ring at the door just as David and the girls were getting ready to go out and the postman handed in a parcel. In it were two beautiful scarves and a few postcards of Paris.

“So, what do you think, Jotin? Is there any point in trying?” Trynor was lounging on some grass, in a beautiful garden made for him to think in. “I mean,