A Kiss in the Snow - Rosie Green Page 0,23

police first thing but they said they’re sure he’ll just be hiding somewhere and he’ll come back soon, and that he’s not actually a missing person until he’s been gone twenty-four hours. But we’re just so worried. It’s not like Jamie to disappear without a word.’

‘I’m sure he’ll be fine,’ says Bella’s friend soothingly. ‘But perhaps we should get back to the house for when he returns?’ She smiles reassuringly. ‘With his tail between his legs no doubt and starving hungry.’

Bella nods again. ‘Anita, can you put the word around and let me know if…?’

‘Of course, of course. He’ll be back soon, I’m sure.’

The two women hurry out. And that’s when it suddenly occurs to me. The curtain twitching in the empty house next-door…the figure in the garden…

‘Anita? I think I might know where Jamie is.’

CHAPTER EIGHT

Anita locks up the shop, with a note saying she’ll be back in an hour.

A man with a scrubbing brush is cleaning the paint off Maud’s wall as we walk away.

‘Rub a bit harder, man, or we’ll be here all day,’ she’s instructing him crossly, as the poor man, his sleeves rolled up, works on the graffiti, red in the face with effort.

‘Is that the postman?’ I whisper to Anita, noticing the postie bag on the ground.

She nods. ‘Gerry’s lovely. He was a good friend of Harold’s. The poor man probably didn’t dare say no.’

‘You’re doing a great job, Gerry,’ Anita calls, and he turns and gives her a sheepish grin.

We walk along the high street and over the bridge, talking all the way, and before we know it, we’re standing at the front door of Moon Cottage.

‘Knock a little louder,’ whispers Anita, after I’ve tried a few times.

I do as she suggests, but on still getting no reply, I bend to the letterbox and call through, ‘Jamie? Are you in there? Because if you are, your mum and dad are really worried about you. Can you just send them a text to let them know you’re okay?’

But frustratingly, there’s still no sign of life.

‘The place is obviously deserted,’ sighs Anita at last.

I nod, feeling awkward. ‘I’m so sorry to get you over here on a wild-goose chase.’

‘Don’t be silly. It had to be worth a try.’

‘My mind must have been playing tricks on me yesterday, thinking I saw the curtain move. But come to think of it, how would Jamie have got inside the cottage anyway? He’d have had to break in and there’s no sign of that.’

She shrugs. ‘We haven’t been around the back?’

I shake my head. ‘It’s clear there’s no-one in there.’

‘I just really feel for Bella and Bob. They must be at their wits’ end.’ She sighs. ‘Bloody council closing the village hall. It’s their fault the kids are hanging around aimlessly, now the youth club’s gone. It’s all down to money, of course.’

I nod. ‘Council budgets. Have you got time for a coffee before you get back?’ I ask, not particularly relishing returning to the cottage on my own. My trip to the village store has lifted my mood. Anita’s good company.

‘Love to, but I’d better get back.’

‘You could take a chocolate brownie for your elevenses?’ I point at Snowdrop Cottage.

‘You’ve been baking already?’

I grin sheepishly. ‘I was up early, so I thought I might as well.’

‘Right, well, I never say no to a freshly-baked brownie. Or any kind of brownie, come to that. Lead the way.’

In the kitchen, I pop three in a bag and hand it over.

She opens the bag and breathes in the chocolatey aroma with a big smile. ‘OMG. Everything is suddenly right with the world.’ She grins and points at the overdone pastries, still on their rack. ‘What are they?’

‘Burnt Danish pastries.’

‘They look fab. They’re hardly burnt at all.’

‘Have one.’

‘No, I couldn’t.’

‘Go on.’

‘Oh, okay. You’ve twisted my arm.’

In the end, we munch one each, standing there in the kitchen, and Anita asks what I’m going to do about Adam and Krystle. ‘Doesn’t your sister know you like him?’

I shake my head. ‘I didn’t tell anyone. Except Madison. She knows.’

‘Maybe you ought to tell Krystle?’

‘No. I’ve been thinking about it. Krystle’s been through hell, splitting from her fiancé, Ryan. She deserves something nice happening in her life. So if Adam can cheer her up a bit…’ I shrug. ‘He’s lovely. Just the sort of guy who could make her laugh again and start looking to the future, instead of moping about the past.’

Anita nods. ‘It’s so nice of you, to think about your sister. But…what