Read Online The Mercer's House (Northern Gothic Book 1) by Antonia Frost - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Antonia Frost
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Garrett. ‘You must have filed it somewhere.’
He searched through her emails for several minutes, but without success.
‘But where can it be?’ said Zanna. ‘I’m sure I didn’t delete it. I just opened it and then turned the screen off and put the phone back in my bag. Can emails self-destruct?’
‘Not as far as I know. I think they can be recalled sometimes, but not when they’re stored on a web server, like yours are.’
‘Oh, well,’ she said. ‘So much for that. Anyway, I’ve told you who it was from and what it said. We’ll just have to assume it was a joke.’
‘Pretty bad taste. Do you think it was one of the Devereuxes?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Zanna slowly. She was thinking over the events of the day. Neither Alexander, nor Will, nor Corbin had struck her as the type to play a silly trick like that, which seemed designed specifically to unsettle her. And yet she hadn’t imagined it—or had she? The thought came unbidden into her mind and she tried to push it away, but it kept on intruding. There had been a period last year when her mind had played tricks on her. Eventually she had had the sense to mention it to the doctor, who had swapped her antidepressant tablets for different ones, and then things had seemed to settle down. She was coming off the medication slowly now, but she knew there were potential withdrawal symptoms, including hallucinations. But no; this was not a hallucination, she was sure of it. Her mind was clearer than it had been in a long time, and to think otherwise was unhealthy. She looked up and saw Garrett regarding her with a sympathetic smile.
‘I must have deleted it, that’s all,’ she said. ‘I’ve never got on with this phone. So, are you going to come with me tomorrow? I want to speak to a woman about Helen.’
‘Oh, are we still investigating?’ said Garrett. ‘Count me in. Who is she?’
‘Her name’s Alison Maudsley, and she lives in the pink house at the top of the street. She runs an artists’ retreat, and used to know Helen, apparently. Alexander seems to think she knows something about where she went, but won’t say.’
‘Why not?’
‘Who knows? Loyalty, maybe.’
‘Hmm. Why am I thinking domestic violence again?’
‘You think Helen didn’t say where she was going because she was worried that Alexander would come after her and harm her?’ said Zanna. ‘I really can’t see it myself. And if she was so scared for herself and Rowan, then why did she leave Will with a violent father?’
‘Is Will’s mother still around?’ said Garrett. ‘I assume that’s why. You can’t just run off with someone else’s child, can you?’
‘No, I suppose not,’ said Zanna. Still, she was not convinced.
‘Have you looked for Rowan on Facebook yet?’ he said.
‘Not yet. I looked for Helen when I first started, but I didn’t know Rowan existed at the time.’
Garrett took out his own phone and began searching.
‘OK, then, what have we got?’ he said after a minute. ‘Not many Rowan Devereuxes here, and all of them either female or the wrong age.’
‘What about Rowan Chambers?’ said Zanna. ‘He might have kept his birth name when Helen got married.’
‘Good thinking, Batman.’ He was silent for some minutes, frowning as he scrolled through the profiles. ‘There are three or four in Canada. Want me to message them? Or will you do it?’
‘You do it. I wouldn’t know what to say.’
‘“Hi, Rowan, did you and your mother run away from your abusive stepfather in England in 1989? If so, we’d all like to know how you’re doing, and can we have an invite to your house please? Love and snuggles, your long-lost cousin Zanna.”’
‘Don’t you dare!’
He grinned.
‘You spoil all my fun. OK, I’ll just ask them all if they’re any relation to Helen Devereux, née Chambers, of England. That do you?’
‘Better.’
‘Of course, there’s no saying they did go to Canada. It’s a pretty tenuous lead. They
He searched through her emails for several minutes, but without success.
‘But where can it be?’ said Zanna. ‘I’m sure I didn’t delete it. I just opened it and then turned the screen off and put the phone back in my bag. Can emails self-destruct?’
‘Not as far as I know. I think they can be recalled sometimes, but not when they’re stored on a web server, like yours are.’
‘Oh, well,’ she said. ‘So much for that. Anyway, I’ve told you who it was from and what it said. We’ll just have to assume it was a joke.’
‘Pretty bad taste. Do you think it was one of the Devereuxes?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Zanna slowly. She was thinking over the events of the day. Neither Alexander, nor Will, nor Corbin had struck her as the type to play a silly trick like that, which seemed designed specifically to unsettle her. And yet she hadn’t imagined it—or had she? The thought came unbidden into her mind and she tried to push it away, but it kept on intruding. There had been a period last year when her mind had played tricks on her. Eventually she had had the sense to mention it to the doctor, who had swapped her antidepressant tablets for different ones, and then things had seemed to settle down. She was coming off the medication slowly now, but she knew there were potential withdrawal symptoms, including hallucinations. But no; this was not a hallucination, she was sure of it. Her mind was clearer than it had been in a long time, and to think otherwise was unhealthy. She looked up and saw Garrett regarding her with a sympathetic smile.
‘I must have deleted it, that’s all,’ she said. ‘I’ve never got on with this phone. So, are you going to come with me tomorrow? I want to speak to a woman about Helen.’
‘Oh, are we still investigating?’ said Garrett. ‘Count me in. Who is she?’
‘Her name’s Alison Maudsley, and she lives in the pink house at the top of the street. She runs an artists’ retreat, and used to know Helen, apparently. Alexander seems to think she knows something about where she went, but won’t say.’
‘Why not?’
‘Who knows? Loyalty, maybe.’
‘Hmm. Why am I thinking domestic violence again?’
‘You think Helen didn’t say where she was going because she was worried that Alexander would come after her and harm her?’ said Zanna. ‘I really can’t see it myself. And if she was so scared for herself and Rowan, then why did she leave Will with a violent father?’
‘Is Will’s mother still around?’ said Garrett. ‘I assume that’s why. You can’t just run off with someone else’s child, can you?’
‘No, I suppose not,’ said Zanna. Still, she was not convinced.
‘Have you looked for Rowan on Facebook yet?’ he said.
‘Not yet. I looked for Helen when I first started, but I didn’t know Rowan existed at the time.’
Garrett took out his own phone and began searching.
‘OK, then, what have we got?’ he said after a minute. ‘Not many Rowan Devereuxes here, and all of them either female or the wrong age.’
‘What about Rowan Chambers?’ said Zanna. ‘He might have kept his birth name when Helen got married.’
‘Good thinking, Batman.’ He was silent for some minutes, frowning as he scrolled through the profiles. ‘There are three or four in Canada. Want me to message them? Or will you do it?’
‘You do it. I wouldn’t know what to say.’
‘“Hi, Rowan, did you and your mother run away from your abusive stepfather in England in 1989? If so, we’d all like to know how you’re doing, and can we have an invite to your house please? Love and snuggles, your long-lost cousin Zanna.”’
‘Don’t you dare!’
He grinned.
‘You spoil all my fun. OK, I’ll just ask them all if they’re any relation to Helen Devereux, née Chambers, of England. That do you?’
‘Better.’
‘Of course, there’s no saying they did go to Canada. It’s a pretty tenuous lead. They
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