Next morning, Nick was getting ready for work. He was sat on the bed knotting his tie. Kate came into the bedroom, still in nightclothes, and with two mugs of tea.
"Here have this." She passed him one of the mugs and seated herself on the window seat regarding him seriously.
He looked at her. "What?"
"You look tired."
"Yeah. Just a bit worried that's all."
"I can understand that. But this isn't just down to you, you know. You don't have to take all the strain yourself."
"I know. But the likelihood is, is that dynamite is in Aidensfield somewhere. And one way or the other its going to turn up." Nick sighed in frustration. "Hopefully without taking half the village with it. Although in truth that's not what worries me so much. Its just whether anyone gets hurt or killed in the process."
"What's the plan for today?"
Nick was about to reply when the phone rang. He grinned ruefully. "Whatever the plans were for today it looks like they might be going out of the window!"
He went downstairs to answer the phone. Kate went into the bathroom and brushed her teeth humming to herself. She turned as Nick came to the bathroom door looking tense.
"What is it?" she asked him.
"That was Tim Brewster's Dad. Tim's gone missing. It looks like he's took off in the night. Took some bits and pieces with him – a change of clothes and some food."
Kate looked stunned at Nick.
"He's run away?"
"Yeah. Looks like. I'd best get over there." Nick sighed. "Missing dynamite and now a missing child. Blaketon's going to love this."
Tim Brewster's friend at school was Derek Bottomley, a steady, dependable sort of lad. His parents had a smallholding just outside the village on the edge of the Ashfordly Estate.
Derek had done his morning jobs for his parents which included feeding the hens and then set off for school. But as he went down the lane he heard a "Psst!" and then Tim Brewster's head came over the wall adjoining the lane.
"I didn't know you were meeting me this morning!" Derek looked puzzled. "Eh, why aren't you in your uniform?"
"I've run off from home," Tim said. "I'm not going back! And I'm not going to that school again either!"
Derek looked troubled. "What do you mean – you're not going home again?"
"No! They don't care any road. Me Dad does nowt but give out to me. Derek I need somewhere to stay for a day or two like. Can I use your barn?"
This barn was in the field in which Tim stood. The field was on a slope and the barn was at the top of the slope. It was a large structure with a hayloft and a bit dilapidated. At the moment Mr Bottomley was rarely using it except for storing some feed and the tractor. It was however bedded down with straw and was water-tight.
"To stay in like?" Derek asked.
"Aye."
Derek thought. Then he said, "Eh, it'd be a bit of fun like wouldn't it? I could bring you food and stuff."
"No one would have to know I was in there."
"I won't tell anyone." Derek vaulted over the wall. "Come on! Lets get up there before anyone sees yer!"
Like two puppies the pair scampered up to the barn all thoughts of school and parents far from their minds.
It was very surreal but again Nick found himself on the wrong side of Miss Benson's desk being subjected to her steely glare.
"You want to speak to the children – again- Constable?"
"Yes Miss Benson. Tim Brewster is missing and we need to find him. Its just possible one of the children may know where he is."
"His close friend is Derek Bottomley but Derek has already told you he hasn't seen Timothy."
"Still. Miss Benson. I need your co-operation here."
"Its utterly amazing Constable how you seem to think you will find the answer to all of your inquiries here in this school." Miss Benson got up from her desk with a sigh which indicated her feelings very clearly.
As he left the school and went over to the motorbike Nick was not surprised when Blaketon's car pulled up alongside.
"Any luck with finding our errant schoolboy Rowan?"
"No Sarge. The kids are denying having seen Tim Brewster at all. Have we got the dog teams on the way Sarge?"
"Aye." Blaketon looked irritated. "I want you to co-ordinate the search teams Rowan. And we've still got our dynamite to find remember.."
"Yeah. I just hope our missing boy and the missing dynamite don't find each other Sarge."
They regarded each other solemnly recognising this was not a total impossibility.
Nick called in at the Brewsters to update them. Mrs Brewster was sitting at the kitchen table fighting back tears. Mr Brewster was pacing the kitchen clearly uptight and angry. Nick sat opposite Mrs Brewster wishing he could give her some comfort.
"I still think he will come home Mrs Brewster. When he's tired and hungry."
"I'll tan his hide when he does!" Mr Brewster said tensely.
"Please Ted! If he's run off, he's done it for a reason. He's not been a happy boy for months. I should have done more and tried to find out why!" Mrs Brewster wiped her eyes.
"All right Mrs Brewster. We'll get to the bottom of this I promise," Nick said gently.
"You've got that much on your plate as it is Mr Rowan with that missing explosive," Mrs Brewster replied, "without our Tim causing bother and all."
"That's neither here nor there," Nick said. "Your son's welfare comes above all that and we won't cut corners to find him. I'm going to take out some search teams now and we'll see what we can turn up."
"I'd like to come out with yer," Ted Brewster said.
"Its best you wait here Mr Brewster," Nick replied. "I know you want to help but you're best off here with your wife right now."
The man sat down at the table suddenly looking exhausted.
"I might shout and that Mr Rowan," he said, "but its just I'm that worried. And I don't understand what's been going on in his head, why he's struggling so much with his lessons and that."
"We do need to get to the bottom of it all," Nick said, "but right now our biggest priority is finding Tim." He got to his feet. "We'll keep you updated."
Kate Rowan had also been to the school in search of answers of her own. She went to speak to Tim's class teacher Rhona Crossley who was in her thirties and much more approachable than the fearsome Miss Benson.
Kate sat on a table in Rhona's class room as they discussed the matter of Tim Brewster.
"Tim has been struggling Dr Rowan," Rhona said. "He can barely make words out on a board."
"Eyesight?" Kate asked.
"I did wonder." The woman sighed. "I did mention it to Miss Benson. I wondered if we should approach Tim's mum about it but she, Miss Benson, just seemed to think Tim was trying it on."
"Really?" Kate's voice was full of meaning.
"I have to work here Dr Rowan," the woman said quietly.
"I understand that." Kate bit her lip. "But if it is Tim's eyesight that is causing the problem and this situation has been allowed to go on unchecked – well it really isn't good enough. And now we are in the position where he has chosen to run away to avoid school altogether."
"We've let him down haven't we?" Miss Crossley said miserably.
Kate looked at her in sympathy. "I do appreciate your position Miss Crossley and I don't hold you to blame," she replied. "But I do know one or two of the governors of the school and I am going to be raising this with them. I will be strongly suggesting that Miss Benson is advised to adopt a – more – sympathetic line. Authority is one thing but sometimes, especially with young children, a gentler approach is needed."
Derek Bottomley came to see Tim in the barn after school.
"Got you some bread 'n'jam," he said giving Tim a paper bag. "I've got you a blanket here look and there's a glass here – you can get water from the tap at the back o't' barn."
"No one knows I'm here do they?" Tim asked anxiously.
"Nah. T'bobby were in t'school today asking questions and he asked me right out had I seen yer but I said I hadn't." Derek sat down in the straw opposite Tim. "Eh, been out looking for yer with dogs and everything. If they come this way you'll have ter go up in't'hayloft and hide up there."
"I won't be here that long," Tim said, "I'm going to try and get to me granny's. She'll know what to do. She lives in Manchester."
"How will yer get there then?" asked Derek.
"Get the train, daftie!"
"Wi' no money – daftie!"
Tim sighed. "Can yer help out?"
Derek thought, then said, "Me mam keeps money in a jar for emergencies like. I could take that. It'd be missed but she ne'er locks the door to the house. She'd just think someone passing had nicked it like."
"When can yer get it for me?"
"Tomorrow sometime. Would that be all right?"
"Aye. I need to get to Scarborough though and get the train from there. If I try getting on t'train in Aidensfield I'll be stopped."
"Well – how will you get to Scarborough?"
Tim thought. "I could sneak a ride on a lorry or summat. I'll work that out Derek. You get me brass for me ticket!"
"All right." Derek got up. "I need to go and get me tea, whilst I think on I've brought you this book to read. And a torch for when it gets dark."
"Eh, thanks Derek!"
Tim snuggled up in the straw feeling happy and comfortable now his plans were in force. He did not bother with the book as he found reading hard – he had to squint to make out the words. He felt very tired and gradually began to doze off. He slept comfortably blissfully unaware of his mother and father's distress and unaware of the searchers who went on looking for him until the total darkness rendered any further searching futile.