The Bone House by Caroline Mitchell

Author:Caroline Mitchell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction
Published: 2023-03-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Sarah muttered beneath her breath. Just minutes earlier she’d told Maggie how lovely it was, having such a short distance to go home. But she couldn’t follow Sherlock inside and slip on her pyjamas and do some crossword puzzles before bed. Instead, she had to leave the comfort of her home to drive into town for milk. She could have had toast in the morning. Dry cornflakes weren’t the end of the world. But there was a reason why she felt the sudden urge to buy a litre of semi-skimmed. Elliott’s warning had itched like a red bumpy hive; something she should leave alone but found herself scratching just the same. It wouldn’t do any harm to drive past the bookshop on her way, would it?

At least Maggie had returned from her date relatively early, and to Sarah’s relief, McGuire hadn’t come inside. The date had gone well, according to her friend, but Maggie had vowed to take things slowly for Elliott’s sake. Sarah scanned the streets as she drove. A few stragglers were still milling around in town. The pubs would soon be issuing last orders. Lights twinkled from the restaurants which were benefitting from the stream of holidaymakers making the most of the dry spell. Sarah slowed her car outside Turn the Page. All the lights were on in the upstairs flat, a curtain flapping through an open window. She parked up her red mini, grateful to find a space.

She stood on the pavement and was locking her car door when a figure streaked out from the side alley. It was Cora. Her eyes were wild, tears running down her face as she screamed her daughter’s name.

‘Cora?’ Sarah approached her, crossing the road in a few quick steps. ‘What’s wrong?’ She dreaded hearing the truth as Cora stared at her with the eyes of a stranger.

‘My baby … My baby’s gone!’

‘Have you called the police? Cora, listen to me.’ Grabbing her arm, Sarah fought for her attention as she wriggled to be set free. People were staring from across the road, but nobody dared approach.

‘Yes. I can’t … I can’t breathe.’ There was blood on the tips of Cora’s fingers. She held her at arm’s length, examining her for injuries but finding none.

‘Cora, listen to me. Whose blood is that?’ Sarah thought of the flat upstairs, of the curtain billowing from the window. What had taken place up there? A prayer rose in her mind. Please God, let the baby be OK. Because Cora had form. She had done this before.

Sarah guided Cora to the side of the road as a police car approached, the scream of its sirens tainting the air. Its blue strobes highlighted the ‘baby killer’ graffiti daubed on the side wall of Turn the Page. Sarah recognised the uniformed officer as he exited from the car. It was PC Adam Gardiner, an officer with twenty years of service, known for his common-sense approach. His partner, PC Katie Lucas, paused to update control.

‘My baby!’ Cora wailed as he approached.

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