Part 14 (1/2)

'Lost?'

'Joe!' You nearly killed me she was about to add, but Father thingy, Sullivan, was just behind him. 'Third on the right going meant third on the left coming back. Right?'

'Doubtless.'

'Ah, miss, um, Missy.'

'Did Goldie give you the rundown?'

'He seems to think we might, ah, come to an arrangement. E.M. Forster, he tells me.'

'A Pa.s.sage to India,' said Joe. Sarah raised an eyebrow. 'Just for the flashbacks.'

'You know, I'm sure I've already seen a film of that.'

'This is a mini-series,' Joe said firmly.

She turned to look out of the window, worried she'd start giggling, just as a phone rang which Father Sullivan answered. Joe sidled to a bookcase and began fingering spines; the phone call was about dinners; not the faintest hint of a clue. Which did not surprise her. The heart-stopping seconds when the door opened had given way to something deeper than anticlimax. There were no clues here; there was nothing to be found. If she'd wanted wild geese, she should have listened to Joe.

The phone call droned on. Sarah too plucked a book from the shelf; opened it at random. So the first angel went and poured his bowl on the earth, and foul and evil sores came upon the men who bore the mark of the beast and wors.h.i.+pped its image. She nearly dropped it when Sullivan spoke behind her: 'Find something interesting?'

Joe strolled over. 'Your books, they're very nice. A worthwhile library.'

'Thank you.'

'I'm speaking as an educated man. Oxford. Perhaps you '

'Oriel,' Father Sullivan said shortly.

'Jolly good. Jolly good.' Oddly, Joe didn't pursue this coincidence. 'So, Missy, time we were off? Scout some more locations?'

Admit defeat, in fact. She ignored him. 'I believe Gerard Inchon's a benefactor of yours.'

'Mr Inchon. You know him?'

'Just through friends,' Sarah said. 'The Singletons?'

The priest went through a phony memory search. 'I can't say I do.'

'They're dead now,' Sarah said. 'They were blown up.'

He looked pained. Joe said, 'Missy?'

'Just Dinah left now,' she said. 'Dinah. Singleton.'

'What is this about?' Father Sullivan asked.

'Just one of those things,' Joe said. 'You're in a new place, you suddenly remember being told about it '

'I'd heard she was here, you see. I'd heard this was where they'd taken her.'

'I'm afraid you're mistaken.'

'I don't think I am.'

'Sarah '

Father Sullivan said, 'You're not making a film at all, are you?'

'Sorry about this, padre, but we're '

'I think you're lying. I think she's here.'

'Jesus, Sarah sorry, Father you can't accuse him of '

'I think you should leave,' the priest said. 'Both of you. Right now.'

'We're going,' Sarah said. 'But we'll be back. And you can tell Gerard b.l.o.o.d.y Inchon I said so.'

Outside the weather was calm and unruffled; what few clouds there were hovered motionless above them.

Inside, Sarah was storms and hurricanes. Twisters. Summer madness.

They drove in silence until they reached a school a mile or two down the road, whereupon Joe pulled up and advised Sarah to wait. He was angry with her, as she was with herself. Once, as a teenager, she'd thrown up at her parents' wedding anniversary bash. This felt worse.

'What did you think you were doing?' Joe had asked, once they'd got back to the car.

'I don't know,' she said miserably. 'I wanted to see how he'd react.'

'You as good as accused him of child-molesting. Under the circ.u.mstances, I think he reacted very well.'

'I did not!'

'He's a priest, Sarah. You accused him of having spirited a child away. Read the papers.'

But she hadn't meant that. She wasn't sure what she'd meant. Just that once she'd started, she couldn't stop herself. Like being on top of a tall building, and falling all the way to the ground.

He was back within minutes. 'Sometimes it's quicker,' he said, 'to tell the truth.' He pulled his safety belt on before starting up.

'And?'

'Mostly the truth. That we're looking for an abducted child. Who possibly hasn't been abducted. And may or may not be blonde. And might answer to the name of Dinah.'

Rubbing it in, yes. 'Would you just tell me, Joe?'

'I'll just tell you, then. I've just driven all the way from Oxford and I'm just about to drive all the way back, so before I do that, I'll just tell you what we've found. Nothing. No new child at this school, female, male or monkey. No Dinah Singleton. She isn't here. She never was.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Paid in full, Sarah. No more favours.'