Page 48 of Your Carriage Awaits in Crumbleton
‘Why now?’ said her mum, fiddling with the bakery box and still not meeting her eye.
‘Keith Dalton’s just out of hospital,’ said Michelle. ‘Apparently,’ she added quickly. ‘I just thought?—’
Her words were cut short by the sound of the front door crashing open. They both jumped, and Michelle could swear her mum gave a sheepish little wince as she turned towards the door.
‘Trish? Shelly?’
Brian was back. He thundered into the kitchen looking like a grumpy cloud.
‘Dad?!’ said Michelle. ‘What’s happened?!’
‘We need to call the police is what’s happened!’ chuntered Brian, his face red as he made a dash for the old-fashioned handset on the wall.
Trish got there first, though, blocking Brian’s path and laying her hand on his chest. ‘Is someone in immediate danger?’
‘I… no,’ said Brian.
‘Then tell us what’s happened first,’ she said gently.
‘Your bike. It’s been stolen!’ said Brian, still looking like a bear on a rampage. ‘And I know who did it.’
‘Dad… what…?’ said Michelle.Uh oh!
‘Danny Dalton,’ hissed her dad. ‘That’swhat!I’ve always said he was a good-for-nothing. I saw him pulling it out of the back of his tow truck. He left it chained up in the town carpark. He’s obviously stealing to order. Made a dodgy deal and left it there for someone to pick it up, no doubt!’
‘I don’t think—’ started Michelle, not really sure how she was going to finish the sentence.
‘That’s not all!’ said her dad, cutting across her and saving her the bother. ‘There’s this beautiful car parked there at the moment. One of those vintage American things. It’s been there for a few days now… and I swear I saw that boy eyeing it up.’
Michelle caught her mum’s slight eyeroll. ‘I’m sure he was just admiring it, dear.’
‘I wouldn’t put anything past the Daltons!’ said Brian, trying to reach around his wife for the phone again. ‘Either way, he’sstolen your bike, Trish. I checked. It’s gone from the garden. I need to call the police.’
‘No,’ said Trish, her voice firm.
Brian stared at her. ‘But… why?’
Michelle cocked her head, curious to hear the answer. She was grateful that her mum was randomly sticking up for Danny… she just couldn’t work out why.
‘Because… our Michelle needs you right now,’ said Trish, shooting her a look.
‘She does?’ said Brian.
‘Don’tyou, dear?’ She added with heavy emphasis.
‘Yes?’ Michelle cleared her throat, doing her best to play along. ‘I do.’
She really hoped her mum was going to chime in and tell herwhyshe needed her dad’s help… because right now, she had no idea what was going on.
‘Your daughter was busy making you a delicious meal, and you disappeared off to work,’ said Trish. ‘So the least you can do is go with her now.’
‘Go with her?’
‘Go with me?’ echoed Michelle, turning off the grill. She’d worry about the state of the bacon in a minute.
‘She’s found a possible venue for the diner,’ said Trish.
‘Well… that’s wonderful,’ said her dad, momentarily distracted. But?—’
