Read Online What You Wish For by Mark Edwards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mark Edwards
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toddler. Kevin worked as a telephone engineer. I didn’t have much to do with them: just the odd hello over the garden fence.
I asked Sarah whether she’d seen any sign of Marie.
She thought about it. Jack gawped at me like I was causing him a terrible affront by standing on his doorstep. Sarah said, ‘No, not that I can remember. Why, what’s happened?’
‘Probably nothing. It’s just that . . . she didn’t come home last night.’
She raised an eyebrow, hoisting Jack on to her hip. ‘Had an argument?’
I said not. ‘What about Kevin? Might he have seen her?’
‘He never sees anything. Lives in a dream world. But I’ll ask him when he comes home tonight.’
I didn’t really want to go back into my house. It felt too empty; more so, with all her stuff everywhere – her clothes and toiletries and make-up.
My eye fell upon the landline phone in the corner. I barely used it – only had it because we needed it for the internet connection – and the handset was coated with dust. By dialling 1471 I could check if anyone had tried to call while I was out.
She hadn’t, but there was a missed call from a local number that I didn’t recognise. The call had come in at just after five p.m. yesterday, the day Marie disappeared. I called back immediately.
A woman who I guessed was in her fifties or early sixties answered, repeating back the phone number in the way that older people often do.
‘Hello,’ I said. ‘I got a missed call from this number yesterday afternoon?’
She breathed heavily. ‘Are you sure?’
I told her I was sure. ‘My name’s Richard Thompson. So you didn’t try to call me? Can I ask your name?’
She paused. ‘Is this a sales call? I’m not interested. My husband told me—’
I interrupted her. ‘Can I ask your husband’s name?’
She made a strange noise, like she was sucking in air through her teeth and groaning at the same time. Eventually, she said, ‘My husband is Fraser Howard.’
The park ranger. I hadn’t seen him since the ceremony on the hill.
‘Can I talk to him?’ I asked.
‘No, you can’t.’
‘Mrs Howard, it’s really—’
‘He’s not here.’
‘Oh.’ How frustrating. ‘Can you ask him to call me when he gets home? Or does he have a mobile I can call?’
From the background I could hear a dog barking. ‘I have to go,’ she said suddenly. She put the phone down.
I slumped on the sofa. It wasn’t unusual for Fraser to call here. He spoke to Marie regularly, although I was sure he usually called her mobile. His wife sounded very highly strung. I decided I would try to call again in a couple of hours if I didn’t hear back.
Calico ran into the room, looked at me and ran out again. He had been doing this all day, running in and out of rooms, looking for Marie. He kept blinking at me accusingly, like I’d done something to her.
It was time to call the police. But they told me to wait forty-eight hours and then if she was still missing, report it in person at the station.
Next, I phoned Simon and told him what had happened.
‘Has she done this before?’
‘No! Not to me anyway.’
‘And you’ve got no idea where she might be? She might have gone off E.T. hunting and you’ve forgotten all about it.’
‘I’d remember. I’m not senile yet.’
‘Even in all the excitement of this Telegram thing? You have been pretty wired lately. I bet that’s what’s happened. She’s probably camped up on the East Hill again waiting for UFOs.’
I looked through my front window, up at the hill. Might she be up there? It was possible. God, anything was possible.
I dropped the receiver and left the house again. I had about an hour before it got dark. I parked and ran along the path that leads to Ecclesbourne Glen, feeling ridiculously hopeful. I made my way to the spot where I had first seen her. Nothing. I looked all around. I met a couple of people walking dogs and asked them if they had seen any tents or anyone who fitted Marie’s
I asked Sarah whether she’d seen any sign of Marie.
She thought about it. Jack gawped at me like I was causing him a terrible affront by standing on his doorstep. Sarah said, ‘No, not that I can remember. Why, what’s happened?’
‘Probably nothing. It’s just that . . . she didn’t come home last night.’
She raised an eyebrow, hoisting Jack on to her hip. ‘Had an argument?’
I said not. ‘What about Kevin? Might he have seen her?’
‘He never sees anything. Lives in a dream world. But I’ll ask him when he comes home tonight.’
I didn’t really want to go back into my house. It felt too empty; more so, with all her stuff everywhere – her clothes and toiletries and make-up.
My eye fell upon the landline phone in the corner. I barely used it – only had it because we needed it for the internet connection – and the handset was coated with dust. By dialling 1471 I could check if anyone had tried to call while I was out.
She hadn’t, but there was a missed call from a local number that I didn’t recognise. The call had come in at just after five p.m. yesterday, the day Marie disappeared. I called back immediately.
A woman who I guessed was in her fifties or early sixties answered, repeating back the phone number in the way that older people often do.
‘Hello,’ I said. ‘I got a missed call from this number yesterday afternoon?’
She breathed heavily. ‘Are you sure?’
I told her I was sure. ‘My name’s Richard Thompson. So you didn’t try to call me? Can I ask your name?’
She paused. ‘Is this a sales call? I’m not interested. My husband told me—’
I interrupted her. ‘Can I ask your husband’s name?’
She made a strange noise, like she was sucking in air through her teeth and groaning at the same time. Eventually, she said, ‘My husband is Fraser Howard.’
The park ranger. I hadn’t seen him since the ceremony on the hill.
‘Can I talk to him?’ I asked.
‘No, you can’t.’
‘Mrs Howard, it’s really—’
‘He’s not here.’
‘Oh.’ How frustrating. ‘Can you ask him to call me when he gets home? Or does he have a mobile I can call?’
From the background I could hear a dog barking. ‘I have to go,’ she said suddenly. She put the phone down.
I slumped on the sofa. It wasn’t unusual for Fraser to call here. He spoke to Marie regularly, although I was sure he usually called her mobile. His wife sounded very highly strung. I decided I would try to call again in a couple of hours if I didn’t hear back.
Calico ran into the room, looked at me and ran out again. He had been doing this all day, running in and out of rooms, looking for Marie. He kept blinking at me accusingly, like I’d done something to her.
It was time to call the police. But they told me to wait forty-eight hours and then if she was still missing, report it in person at the station.
Next, I phoned Simon and told him what had happened.
‘Has she done this before?’
‘No! Not to me anyway.’
‘And you’ve got no idea where she might be? She might have gone off E.T. hunting and you’ve forgotten all about it.’
‘I’d remember. I’m not senile yet.’
‘Even in all the excitement of this Telegram thing? You have been pretty wired lately. I bet that’s what’s happened. She’s probably camped up on the East Hill again waiting for UFOs.’
I looked through my front window, up at the hill. Might she be up there? It was possible. God, anything was possible.
I dropped the receiver and left the house again. I had about an hour before it got dark. I parked and ran along the path that leads to Ecclesbourne Glen, feeling ridiculously hopeful. I made my way to the spot where I had first seen her. Nothing. I looked all around. I met a couple of people walking dogs and asked them if they had seen any tents or anyone who fitted Marie’s
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