Then Nick raised his head and whispered, ‘I didn’t mean her any harm. That is the truth.’ He was staring at Duncan like he was drowning and Duncan was the only one who could save him. ‘I just thought it would be a laugh to push the pram down the drive. I didn’t think! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know there was a lorry coming! I didn’t even think about the road!’
‘Yes, you did.’ Duncan’s face was blank. ‘You knew those lorries were coming. That’s why you pushed the pram.’
21
Lulu - June 2019
After searching the forest all afternoon and into the evening, Lulu suggested that she and Nick accompany Michael back to the farmhouse. ‘This isn’t maybe a very attractive offer, but we could cook for you. You probably don’t feel much like bothering.’
He looked from her to Nick. ‘Thanks, Lulu. That would be great.’
The big farmhouse kitchen into which Michael ushered them was as spick and span as Lulu had expected, but cosy and obviously the heart of the home, with a long pine table and an Aga, in front of which were two dog beds, one plain red and one white with black bones printed all over it. The two collies ignored these, though, and positioned themselves in front of a cupboard, sitting staring at it until Michael, with a smile, opened the cupboard door to reveal tins and bags of dog food.
He opened a tin and combined the foul-smelling contents with dry mix in two bowls. Then he pressed a button on the phone and a recorded voice filled the kitchen. ‘Hi, Michael, just wondering if there’s any news on Yvonne. I’ve got the kids to put her all over social media, and they’re getting their pals to do the same.’ The voice cracked. ‘Anyway, we’re thinking about you. Let us know if there’s anything more we can do.’ The next message was similar. Michael cut it off and glanced at Lulu.
‘People are being very kind.’ He sighed, watching the dogs inhale their food. ‘You don’t realise, do you, how much a person is valued until something like this happens.’ He collapsed onto a chair. ‘Yvonne’s done a hell of a lot for people in this community.’
‘It’s obvious she’s very well liked.’ Lulu had been realising this from talking to the other searchers. It seemed Yvonne’s gruff exterior concealed a very good heart.
‘Larder’s through here,’ said Nick, and when they were alone in there, picking out a packet of pasta and tins of tomatoes and tuna, he hissed, ‘God, Saint Yvonne!’
‘Well, people do seem to be rallying round –’
‘Because they’re a load of ghouls, not because they liked her!’
‘I don’t think that’s true, Nick.’
When they returned to the kitchen, Lulu asked Michael what veg he had, and Michael straightened from petting the dogs. ‘We’ve a vegetable plot round the side of the steading.’
‘This is the girl from Leonora you’re talking to,’ said Nick. ‘Lulu doesn’t know what a steading is.’
‘Big old stone farm building,’ Michael translated. ‘Come and I’ll show you, Lulu.’
While Nick made a start on the meal, Lulu went with Michael through the farmyard to the neat vegetable patch. There was a grid system of gravel paths between the beds and netting draped over posts shrouding the strawberry plants and raspberry canes.
‘I grew up on a farm in Western Australia,’ Lulu told him. ‘Mum has a veggie plot, but she fights a losing battle with the drought.’
‘Not a problem we have here.’
As they picked some spinach leaves, he suddenly said, ‘Lulu, you need to know . . . I’ve been to the police. I’ve told them I think Nick might have . . . done something to Yvonne.’
Lulu froze.
‘What?’
He grimaced at her apologetically.
‘But – Michael! That’s ridiculous! I know they didn’t get on, but going to the police? Accusing Nick? Why would you do that?’ Her legs were suddenly shaky. She sat down abruptly on the edge of a raised bed.
Michael looked back off towards the farmhouse, his ruddy, usually cheery farmer’s face drawn and ill-looking. ‘Yvonne sussed him long ago. She was convinced he killed Kathleen.’
For a moment, Lulu couldn’t think who Kathleen was – a dog or a cat maybe? – until it hit her like a sledgehammer.
Kathleen was Nick’s mother.
‘Oh my God.’
‘I’m dubious about that myself, but what I do know is that he tried to kill Isla. His baby sister. Pushed her pram down the drive towards the road when a timber lorry was passing. Duncan happened to be there and was able to grab the pram before it got to the road, but it was a near thing. He got off with it, of course. Pretended he tripped.’