HEARTBEAT

Part Three

The following morning, the residents of Aidensfield were witness to an extraordinary sight.

It wasn't unusual to see Peggy Armstrong paying a visit to Bernie Scripps' garage. It was frequently at the centre of some scheme, as it had been for Vernon and Claude before her. What was unusual was her departure.

The village was unusually congested with traffic that morning. It was market day and several farm vehicles were passing through. There were also lorries containing fairground rides from the Fete, which had done the rounds of several other local villages before their owners were finally ready to move on.

The entire line of traffic was held up as PC Younger stepped out into the road. Once again, horns were sounded and rude remarks were shouted.

"Hey, lad, what are you? Human traffic light?"

"Get out t'way!"

"Who's comin' through? The Queen?"

The last driver seemed to have got it right, as Geoff politely ushered Peggy's truck out into the road. It was the only vehicle going the other way. She had the road to herself, and Geoff made everyone wait until the truck had moved on. There were raspberries blown and shouts of abuse. One farmer yelled:

"I'll report you to Sergeant Rowan!"

Geoff reddened. He was looking ever more the traffic light.

In Elm Avenue, Nick and Jo had already left for work. Nick had been absent for supper the night before too, attending another Police Federation dinner. Overcooked steak and chips, warm beer and the odd lewd story from a Chief Inspector were the price he paid for trying to get on.

Nick thought about it, on the drive into work. His own promotion to Inspector was still a matter of uncertainty. When he got it, perhaps they could move on from Ashfordly. He needed somewhere where they could really be a family...

Meanwhile, Katie was still finishing breakfast when Jo left for the village school. She had lingered deliberately. She had been first down, just in time to grab a letter from the morning post before her father or stepmother saw it.

It was very officially typed, on bright yellow paper, and headed DELUXE MODELLING AGENCY. There were office addresses in London and Leeds.

Dear Miss Rowan

Thank you for signing with our agency. We would like to invite you to audition, where some initial pictures will be taken. This audition will take place at 6pm at the Heights Hotel...

Katie knew it. It was up on the moors. She had once been in there with some friends, trying to get served. Another little trip her father didn't know about.

She looked at the date. Tonight! How could she prepare in a day, for something so important?

Please bring a selection of outfits of your choice...

Katie went and grabbed her Post Office book. She might be in uniform, but she could forget school, for today. She had some serious shopping to do. She would get the bus into Ashfordly, then when tonight arrived she would splash out on a taxi to the hotel. She wanted to arrive in style.

She looked at the base of the letter. There was a handwritten postscript.

Look forward to seeing you again. Jonathan.

Katie kissed it, then ran for the door and the bus-stop.

When Nick entered the station, he found poor Alf Ventress on a buzzing telephone, fielding complaint after complaint. Alf wasn't one to tell tales, but several callers were demanding to speak to Sergeant Rowan in person. Nick wasted no time in calling Geoff into his office.

"So, do you want to tell me what's been going on? I'm told you held up an entire Market Day's traffic, just to let Peggy Armstrong through. Plus, you missed out on half your beat, and borrowed a squad car to take the weekly box of groceries up to Peggy's farm. Are you her private bodyguard now, or what?"

Geoff was growing redder and redder. He was seeing himself, and Becky, in David's photo, splashed all over the parish magazine.

"Just trying to serve the community, Sarge."

"One member of it, in particular?"

"She can be very persuasive, Sarge."

"And we don't have resources for you to run a mobile shop. Now, listen, Younger..."

He was distracted as the phone rang.

"Wait there."

He answered. He heard a concerned Jo, with several chattering children in the background. It must be playtime.

"Nick, I've just had Katie's school on the phone. They say she never turned up today! She had a mock exam, this morning..."

Nick took a deep breath.

"All right, Geoff, we'll come back to this. But no more fetching and carrying for Peggy Armstrong, OK?"

Geoff muttered something, then ran like a rabbit. Nick finished the call, reassured Jo then strode out of the office. This was embarrassing, but at least he was in the right place to make further enquiries.

"I don't suppose anyone happens to have seen my daughter, this morning? She left for school, but doesn't seem to have arrived."

Don Wetherby quickly took his feet off the desk.

"Last I saw, she was in Dmitri's Diner, Sarge."

"When was this?"

"Yesterday afternoon. You'd gone, by the time I got back. Couldn't see much, but I reckon it was her. She was with a boy – well, young bloke..."

Nick's face darkened.

"Come on. We're going to find her."

They drove around the streets of Ashfordly for nearly an hour. But there was no sign of Katie. The whole time, Nick could feel both of his wives reproving him... Jo... and Kate Senior. Finally, he told Don to drive back to the station. He really hoped he wasn't going to have to report his own daughter as a Missing Person...

By that time, Katie was enjoying a light lunch on the top floor of one of Ashfordly's smartest department stores. She had spent almost everything she had in her Post Office account... several birthdays' money... and a summer's waitressing. She had started at a discount store with a simple and cheap mini-dress, just to get rid of her school uniform, then changed into it to go and buy more expensive outfits from the larger stores and ladies' boutiques. She was laden with shopping bags. After lunch, she had better buy a suitcase, to carry everything.

She would kill some more time around the shops... maybe see a film... then around five she would find a taxi to get to the Heights Hotel in plenty of time. She didn't want to be running in late. She had to arrive looking stylish and cool.

Head full of dreams of a modelling career, Katie called the waitress and ordered another coffee.

Jo was home fifteen minutes after school finished. As soon as he could get away from the station, Nick joined her. Katie hadn't come home. None of the neighbours had seen her since that morning. Nick noticed her Post Office book had gone, but apart from that, there was no clue.

It was suppertime, but neither of them wanted food. Jo looked pale.

"She couldn't have run away...? You made up the quarrel."

"I just rang Becky, and Linda... every friend I could think of. They haven't seen her all day."

"She's missed the mock. Her Head was furious."

"Where is she...?"

The phone rang. Nick had a moment of reassurance as he heard Alf Ventress's voice.

"Sarge, we've just had a call. Old Reuben Hendrick."

Nick hadn't heard of him, but he knew Alf knew everybody.

"He's a taxi-driver, round Ashfordly. He picked up Katie in Denver Street."

"Denver Street? What the heck's she doing there?"

"He said she had a suitcase, and was all dressed up. She wanted to go to the Heights Hotel. Reuben took her, but was worried, so he rang and asked for you. Unfortunately, he had another journey to make first. He's only just got home to the phone..."

Nick's blood ran cold.

"So how long ago was this? How long since he took her?"

Alf paused.

"Over an hour ago..."

HEARTBEAT

End of Part Three