The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan by Lisa Ireland

Author:Lisa Ireland [Ireland, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760895600
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia

Chapter 21

Tuesday

I run outside to the deck to be sure, but Frank is not there. To my dismay I realise the deck wraps around the side of the hotel and there’s direct access to the street via a side pathway. I run down the path onto the street and look both ways but there’s no sign of Frank anywhere. Panicked, I race back into the bar, where the bemused barmaid is standing with a bottle of cordial in her hand, watching me. ‘I wondered where you’d got to,’ she says.

‘My husband,’ I say breathlessly. ‘Have you seen him?’

‘He’s on the deck.’ Her gaze shifts to where Frank had been sitting. ‘Oh . . .’

‘I have to find him. He’s not well. He has dementia.’

It seems both of us have the same thought at the same time. The water.

We rush outside to the deck and stand up against the glass balustrade, both of us scouring the car park below for any sign of him. ‘I’m sure he wouldn’t have fallen off the balcony,’ she says. ‘The barrier is quite high. He would have had to drag a chair up here to climb over.’ She looks around. ‘There’s no sign of a chair and, besides, if he had . . .’

There’s no need for her to finish the sentence. If he’d managed to get over the barrier he’d be lying on the concrete below us, most likely dead. It seems more probable that he’s wandered into the street. I retrace my steps down the side pathway with the barmaid in tow.

‘Hang on,’ she says, ‘maybe he’s inside somewhere. He could have walked down the path and entered the pub again without being noticed. Maybe he’s in a bathroom or a storeroom.’

I nod. It’s possible.

She touches my arm kindly. ‘Don’t worry, he can’t have got far. I’ll go inside and have a look and I’ll get one of the kitchen hands to help. What’s your husband’s name?’

‘Frank,’ I say, my voice shaking.

She scrutinises me, like she’s trying to work something out. Maybe she’s wondering where she’s seen me before. Not that it matters. The jig is most certainly up.

‘Okay, and what’s your name?’

‘Shirley,’ I say. No point in lying now, is there? The Plan isn’t important anymore. Frank’s safety is the only thing that matters. At the mention of my name I think I see the barmaid’s eyes widen slightly and I wonder if she’s realised who I am, but when she speaks she gives no indication that she recognises us. I tell myself I’m being paranoid.

‘I’m Sophie,’ she says gently. ‘Shirley, why don’t you go and check the shops close by then come back here? If he doesn’t turn up here or in one of those places then we might have to call the police.’

My heart pounds. No! I want to scream. Not the police. ‘Is that really necessary?’ I say, but even as the words form I know she’s probably right.

‘Don’t worry,’ Sophie says in a comforting tone. She probably thinks I’m a timid old woman who doesn’t want to bother anyone.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.