Page 69 of Sun, Sea & Strawberry Shortcake
‘Ah! Right. So you think your cousin has somehow trackeddown Anna herself and come here? But to do what?’
‘I don’t know. But she’s clearly a person without aconscience, telling Mitch lies for devious reasons of her own. I don’t trusther at all, Jaz. And we still haven’t managed to find Anna. I’m not sure I everwill now.’
‘But if you think she’s here, in the village? Surely you’llbe able to find her?’
‘But short of putting an advert in the local paper, how canI? And the thing is, she might not evenbehere.’ She sighs. ‘I’m alsoterrified of finding her, only to realise she’s forgotten all about me andhasn’t given me a single passing thought all these years.’ She looks away. ‘I’mnot sure I could cope with that.’
We lapse into a gloomy silence, sipping our drinks.
‘It’s a shame Bee and Jodie weren’t in when you called tosee them,’ I say after a while.
‘I know. It was such a horrible thing to happen to one ofour employees... the abduction of that poor child. It musthave been a terrible ordeal for her.’ She frowns. ‘I doubt I’ll be able to seethem at all now. Apparently, they’re leaving Port Castleton.’
‘Really?’
She nods. ‘Bee’s boss, Griselda, told me Bee thinks it’s forthe best, and I suppose she might be right. According to Griselda, they’ll be goneby tonight.’
Ruby
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
Bee’s hauling a case into the boot of her car when Iget there, having just heard the news from Jaz.
‘Ruby! I was just coming over to see you.’
I stare at her in dismay. ‘So Jaz was right? You’re actuallyleaving? But you can’t, Bee. You love it here and so does Jodie.’
‘Jodiedidlove it. But not any longer. She keepshaving nightmares.’ She sighs, banging the boot lid down. ‘She keeps asking meif the horrible bird’s going to take her away again. We can’t stay here afterwhat happened, Ruby. Too many horrible memories.’
‘But Joanna will be charged with abduction. So she’ll nolonger be a danger to you and Jodie.’
‘It doesn’t matter. We can’t stay here. Not if Jodie’s goingto be terrified all the time. I couldn’t even tempt her to go to the park withme. Even when I said I’d go on the teapot lid with her.’ She twists her lips ina sad smile. ‘We can’t stay, Ruby. We’re leaving as soon as we’re packed.’ Sheglances at the boot. ‘Well, now, actually. I was just coming over to see you tosay goodbye.’
Jodie emerges from the house, carrying a little pink casewith a unicorn on the front. ‘Are we going now, Mummy?’ She runs over to Bee,who puts an arm around her and smiles.
‘We are, my cherub.’
‘That’s what your lovely foster mummy used to call you.’
Bee chuckles. ‘She did, my love.’
‘Were you really sad when she went away?’
‘I was very, very sad. I loved her so much and I still missher. I even tried to find her last summer.’ She leans down and kisses the topof her daughter’s head. ‘But I have you now. You’re my family.’
Jodie smiles and rests her head against Bee for a moment.Then she opens the passenger seat door and climbs into the car.
‘Bye, Ruby.’ She gives me her cute gap-toothed smile.
‘You’re off, then?’
Bee laughs. ‘Apparently, we are!’
I feel quite emotional, having to say goodbye, and Bee’seyes mist over when we hug.
‘We’ll keep in touch,’ she says. ‘And thank you. Foreverything.’
‘You bet we’ll stay in touch.’ I smile. ‘We need to exchangenumbers.’
