When Grace got back into bed, sleep still eluded her. She studied Millie’s peaceful face for a while, thinking about what Ben had said, wondering if he could be right. If so, how had she missed it?
In the early hours she finally drifted off, until Millie began crying shortly after seven. Grace woke with a start at the noise, disorientated by her surroundings until the events of the previous day came rushing back to her. She felt sick. She wanted to get on with calling the police, then get away from here.
But first she needed to be practical. She got Millie up and dressed, and took her downstairs for something to eat, talking to her all the while, testing out Ben’s theory. By the time Millie had finished her breakfast, she was sure Ben was right. It was another worry, but in some ways it was also a relief. If Millie had a hearing problem then it might explain a few things that had been troubling Grace. Millie could obviously hear some noises, so they just needed to get her tested, and they would take it from there.
Morning light began to infuse the night, creeping warily into the kitchen and casting insipid colours on every surface. Bess lay on her side, her gait tired but her eyes wide, watching the room changing. Millie crawled across and began patting Bess’s fur a little too enthusiastically, then giggled when the dog licked her face. Grace picked her up, grabbed some plastic tubs from a drawer and set her down to play with them, hoping it might keep her amused for a few more minutes. She fingered her phone nervously. She wanted Ben to be here when she called the police, but she didn’t want to wait too much longer.
Moments later she heard a faint ringing upstairs. There was a protracted silence, but then Ben’s footsteps thundered along the landing. Grace had already jumped up from her seat in alarm, heading for the door, when she met him coming in the other direction. He was wearing only a T-shirt and boxer shorts. His face was drawn, his eyes fearful.
‘Claire just called me,’ he said breathlessly. ‘I’m so sorry, Grace, but Mum’s disappeared. Her car isn’t there, and Pippa’s gone too.’
Grace stared at him, disbelieving, as he added, ‘Claire’s distraught, I’m going to have to get up there.’
He raced away, back up the stairs. Moments later he ran down again, pulling a jumper over his head and then doing up the belt buckle on his jeans. He sat on the floor by the front door and began lacing up his boots.
Grace had already snatched up her mobile and dialled 999. A few moments later a voice said calmly, ‘Emergency – which service do you require?’
‘Police,’ she said. She was shaking with fury. How could she have been so na?ve as to think that Meredith would stick to her word?
Ben stayed with Grace while she spoke to the emergency operator. She was surprised at how composed she sounded as she answered his questions. Inside, she was seething.
‘I’m going to have to go and find out what’s happening,’ he told her when she’d finished.
‘I know.’
‘I’ll come back as quickly as I can.’
He headed out, but as soon as the front door banged shut, Grace knew she couldn’t wait there alone doing nothing. She pushed her mobile into her pocket, picked up Millie and grabbed their coats. Then she wrenched the door open and charged down the path. ‘Ben, wait …’
Bess ran out with them, bounding eagerly towards the Land Rover, her tail wagging. Ben was already inside, his hand poised to pull the door closed, but he stopped when he saw them.
Grace unlatched the gate and rushed around to the passenger side, opening the back door first so that Bess could jump in. ‘We’re coming with you. The police will take an age to get here from town. I’m not sitting on my hands in there. I’ve done enough of that.’
He shook his head. ‘This is not a good idea, Grace.’
She ignored him, handing Millie over and climbing in. ‘Yes, it is. I want to hear first-hand exactly what went on last night. I can’t believe I let this happen. I should have phoned the police straight away.’
Ben said nothing more as he gave Millie back to her, but his grim expression made his reservations clear. As they set off, Grace saw that the snow had come to stay this time. It lay in deep shrouds over hedges and paths, formed delicate lacework over smaller nooks and branches, and magnified all it touched. Not much was left uncovered, only a few dark patches lying like shadows delineating a world of white. Overnight, the village had been transformed.