reading when she fell asleep on the sofa. Her mother would think it unseemly that she had fallen asleep while working.
'Chairs are for sitting, beds are for sleeping,' Frankie could almost hear her saying. When she had gathered them, she locked the papers away in a desk drawer and logged onto her computer, hoping to check her work emails before her mother came down. There was nothing new, so she emailed the report she had finished last night to her boss, logged off and took her coffee through to the kitchen to join her father.
“ I'm sorry there's not a lot of food,” she said, sitting at the kitchen table. “I placed an order online last night; it should be delivered before lunchtime today.”
“ That's kind of you, love, but I'm sure we could have found a local supermarket.”
Frankie shrugged. He was right but she didn't want to hear her mother's reminder that she was being a bad host. Having found the frozen loaf of bread in the freezer, her father was busy making himself some toast.
“ Dad,” she asked, a little hesitantly. “Do you know anything about how I was found?” Ever since she'd spoken to Dante last night, her curiosity about her heritage had been reignited.
“ We've told you everything we know,” her father turned to her, looking surprised at her question.
“ Was anything found with me, a note maybe? Any clue as to why I was left?”
“ What brought this on?” her father asked as he sat down opposite her, his toast all but forgotten.
“ I don't know. I suppose seeing you and Mum again. Sometimes I just...”
“ You're curious about where you came from, it's only natural.”
“ You're not upset?”
“ Of course not,” he covered her hand with his own. “Let's see,” he began. “Well, you were left in St Francis church in Ashford. You were under a pew near the alter, they said it looked as if whoever left you wanted you to be found. You were well cared for, in a clean nappy and baby-gro and wrapped in a blue blanket.”
“ There was no note?”
“ Not that anyone told us about.”
“ When was I found?”
“ Quite early, I think. The Reverend found you before the Sunday morning communion.”
Frankie thought for a moment, wondering if she could use any of this information to start another search.
“ There was a press and television campaign asking if anyone had any information, but as far as I know they didn't get anything useful. Your parents never came forward.”
“ Of course! There would be a police report, wouldn't there?”
“ Well yes, I suppose so.”
The last time Frankie had tried looking, she had been at university and hadn't been allowed to view the police report, but these days she could access it through her work.
“ I doubt they'll let you see it, love,” her father said kindly.
“ They don't need to let me, Dad. I work for the Security Service, I can...” She hesitated, realising it probably wasn't smart to reveal that she could hack any police computer system. “Well, let's just say I have avenues available to me that most people don't”
“ I won't stop you, Frankie, but don't do anything silly, will you?” Her father looked worried.
“ It'll be fine, Dad. I promise.”
“ What will be fine?” her mother asked. It wasn't even 8am and she was already perfectly made up for the day. She'd chosen a duck egg blue suit today, with a white blouse and pleated skirt. Her blonde hair was swept up into a French pleat and sprayed to within an inch of its life. Frankie always wondered why she had long hair when she never wore it down.
“ Nothing, Mum. I was just telling Dad that your staying here isn't a problem.”
“ Well of course it isn't; we're your family,” her mother announced. “We really must pick up a teapot today. I can't believe you don't have one.”
“ I do have one,” Frankie rummaged in the cupboards until she found a clear Bodum teapot she'd been given years ago as a house-warming gift.
“ I've never seen a tea pot like
'Chairs are for sitting, beds are for sleeping,' Frankie could almost hear her saying. When she had gathered them, she locked the papers away in a desk drawer and logged onto her computer, hoping to check her work emails before her mother came down. There was nothing new, so she emailed the report she had finished last night to her boss, logged off and took her coffee through to the kitchen to join her father.
“ I'm sorry there's not a lot of food,” she said, sitting at the kitchen table. “I placed an order online last night; it should be delivered before lunchtime today.”
“ That's kind of you, love, but I'm sure we could have found a local supermarket.”
Frankie shrugged. He was right but she didn't want to hear her mother's reminder that she was being a bad host. Having found the frozen loaf of bread in the freezer, her father was busy making himself some toast.
“ Dad,” she asked, a little hesitantly. “Do you know anything about how I was found?” Ever since she'd spoken to Dante last night, her curiosity about her heritage had been reignited.
“ We've told you everything we know,” her father turned to her, looking surprised at her question.
“ Was anything found with me, a note maybe? Any clue as to why I was left?”
“ What brought this on?” her father asked as he sat down opposite her, his toast all but forgotten.
“ I don't know. I suppose seeing you and Mum again. Sometimes I just...”
“ You're curious about where you came from, it's only natural.”
“ You're not upset?”
“ Of course not,” he covered her hand with his own. “Let's see,” he began. “Well, you were left in St Francis church in Ashford. You were under a pew near the alter, they said it looked as if whoever left you wanted you to be found. You were well cared for, in a clean nappy and baby-gro and wrapped in a blue blanket.”
“ There was no note?”
“ Not that anyone told us about.”
“ When was I found?”
“ Quite early, I think. The Reverend found you before the Sunday morning communion.”
Frankie thought for a moment, wondering if she could use any of this information to start another search.
“ There was a press and television campaign asking if anyone had any information, but as far as I know they didn't get anything useful. Your parents never came forward.”
“ Of course! There would be a police report, wouldn't there?”
“ Well yes, I suppose so.”
The last time Frankie had tried looking, she had been at university and hadn't been allowed to view the police report, but these days she could access it through her work.
“ I doubt they'll let you see it, love,” her father said kindly.
“ They don't need to let me, Dad. I work for the Security Service, I can...” She hesitated, realising it probably wasn't smart to reveal that she could hack any police computer system. “Well, let's just say I have avenues available to me that most people don't”
“ I won't stop you, Frankie, but don't do anything silly, will you?” Her father looked worried.
“ It'll be fine, Dad. I promise.”
“ What will be fine?” her mother asked. It wasn't even 8am and she was already perfectly made up for the day. She'd chosen a duck egg blue suit today, with a white blouse and pleated skirt. Her blonde hair was swept up into a French pleat and sprayed to within an inch of its life. Frankie always wondered why she had long hair when she never wore it down.
“ Nothing, Mum. I was just telling Dad that your staying here isn't a problem.”
“ Well of course it isn't; we're your family,” her mother announced. “We really must pick up a teapot today. I can't believe you don't have one.”
“ I do have one,” Frankie rummaged in the cupboards until she found a clear Bodum teapot she'd been given years ago as a house-warming gift.
“ I've never seen a tea pot like
Similar Books
