The Lost Girls of Penzance by Sally Rigby

Author:Sally Rigby [Rigby, Sally]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-04T16:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

WEDNESDAY, 26 OCTOBER

‘Let’s go inside,’ Matt said to Mr and Mrs Dent when they arrived at their modern detached house. ‘DI Pengelly should be here shortly and we can discuss what’s happening.’

‘Discuss what’s happening? This isn’t some office meeting regarding… I don’t know… Whatever… This is my daughter we’re talking about!’ Mrs Dent turned to her husband, who was sitting next to her on the back seat of Matt’s car. ‘I blame you.’

Mr Dent didn’t speak. There was no reassuring contact between them.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to think we’re trivialising this. I can assure you we’re not.’ A police car pulled up behind them. ‘The DI’s here. I’ll take you to meet her.’

Matt got out of the car and Mr and Mrs Dent did the same. They waited on the pavement while Pengelly got out of the car and came over.

‘This is Mr and Mrs Dent, ma’am.’

‘Actually, I go by my maiden name, Fletcher,’ the woman said.

‘Have you found her?’ Mr Dent asked.

‘Not yet,’ Pengelly said, her face grim. ‘But we’re doing everything in our power to find her.’

‘Everything in your power?’ Mrs Fletcher said, her voice tight. ‘Because it doesn’t feel like it.’

Matt kept his voice calm. ‘I have explained to Violet’s parents that officers will be searching everywhere.’

‘Let’s go inside,’ Pengelly said, her voice gentle.

They walked up the drive and Mr Dent took out a key, opening the front door. They followed him inside and into a large sitting room.

‘I don’t understand how she can be missing from the nursery,’ the child’s mother said, once they were all seated. ‘What happened? Did someone leave the door open? She’s only three. She has asthma and isn’t good in the cold air.’ The woman stared angrily at her husband. ‘This is all your fault, Patrick. Why do you have to go out to work? I earn enough for both of us so there’s no need for it. You’re a delivery driver, which is hardly going to change the world. I wouldn’t mind if you were using your qualifications, but you’re not. You hardly need a PhD to sit behind the wheel of a van. If it hadn’t been for you, Violet wouldn’t be missing. She’d be here at home. Safe.’

Now Matt understood her earlier outburst.

‘We agreed that you’d be the main breadwinner, but that doesn’t mean I have to be stuck at home all day. My job gives me flexibility and—’

‘Yeah, right,’ his wife interrupted.

‘Please, Mrs Dent— I mean Fletcher,’ Pengelly said. ‘This isn’t helping. We have to do our best to find Violet. The staff have looked everywhere in the nursery and she’s definitely not there. Officers are already combing the streets and speaking to neighbours. We’ll do our best to locate Violet.’

Mrs Fletcher appeared suitably chastised, although she continued to stare daggers at her husband.

‘But another little girl went missing from a nursery yesterday, didn’t she?’ Mr Dent said, his voice barely above a whisper. ‘D-do you think the same person has taken her? Have you found the other child?’

Matt took a sideways glance at Pengelly.

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