Read Online No Child of Mine by Susan Lewis - Free Book Online Page A

you’ll find it, I know,’ he assured her with his most charming smile. ‘Maybe later, when you get back from a little visit to one of the Crowes’ neighbours.’
    Alex immediately drew back. ‘No, Tommy, no, no, no,’ she declared, holding up her hands like a cross. ‘You cannot dump the Prince family on me.’
    He looked pained. ‘You know I wouldn’t if I could help it.’
    ‘They’re Victor’s,’ she reminded him.
    ‘He broke his shoulder at the weekend.’
    ‘You’re kidding me.’
    ‘Afraid not, so that means with Christie and Jane both on leave, we’re only sixteen strong at the moment instead of our usual twenty ... Will someone get that phone! So I’m afraid, with everyone else up to their eyes ...’
    ‘And you think I’m not?’
    ‘I know you are, but someone has to do it.’
    ‘But why me? I’ve already got the flaming Crowes.’
    He was looking as regretful as he could.
    Her eyes narrowed as she suddenly understood. ‘Wendy’s shoving it my way, isn’t she?’ she demanded. ‘Well you can tell her from me ...’
    ‘Ssh,’ he cautioned. ‘She’s in her office.’
    ‘Then I’ll tell her myself.’
    Yanking her back, he said, ‘Best not do it right now, the chief’s in there with her and you won’t do yourself any favours if you start laying into her in front of him.’
    She appeared amazed. ‘I don’t lay into people,’ she protested.
    He laughed. ‘No, right, and especially not Wendy.’
    Conceding the point, she said, ‘OK, I might make the odd exception in her case, but only because she always does this to me. Everything no one else wants always ends up on my desk.’
    ‘You could take it as a compliment,’ he suggested, ‘because she knows that whatever it is, you can handle it.’
    Seeing right through him, she said, ‘Do you know you’re wasted here? You should be negotiating peace in the Middle East or out there charming kids off the street.’
    ‘Given the choice I’m happy where I am,’ he retorted drolly. ‘So let me bring you up to speed on the Princes ...’
    ‘I haven’t said I’ll do it yet.’
    ‘But we both know you will. So, we’ve had a call from the family GP to say he’s worried about Polly Prince – again.’
    ‘Oh, you mean the delightful fourteen-year-old daughter who tried to burn down Shirley Little’s house the last time she was taken into care?’
    He winced. ‘That would be her, and I guess it wouldn’t be a good idea to try and place her with Shirley again. But that’s not your problem ...’
    ‘No, mine is getting off that estate alive when her thug of a brother realises I’ve come for his sister.’
    ‘You’re only going in for a chat,’ he reminded her. ‘Nothing heavy this time around, no taking her in. We just need you to assess the situation.’
    ‘And who’s coming with me, because I definitely can’t go alone?’
    ‘Indeed you cannot, which is why I’m not recommending you go when you drop off Daniel later. We can’t spare anyone to accompany you today, so it’ll have to wait until ...’
    ‘Bloody anonymous callers, they really hack me off,’ Ben complained irritably as he sauntered past on his way to make tea. ‘That’s the second time someone’s rung in about some kid on North Hill.’
    ‘What about the kid?’ Tommy asked.
    ‘That’s just it, nothing. All this woman will say is that we ought to go over there and check it out. Not why we should, or what she thinks the problem is, she just wants to waste our time.’
    ‘Have you made all the usual calls?’ Tommy demanded.
    Looking offended, Ben said, ‘Of course, and I’m telling you, there’s not a problem. The mother’s a music teacher, for God’s sake, and the father’s the deputy head at KesterlyRise. According to our friends in the south hub, he’s very highly thought of, and I found him perfectly polite and helpful when I spoke to him.’
    Tommy was frowning. ‘Did he have any idea who the anonymous caller might be?’
    ‘Yes,