‘Someone locked me in, Janet.’
They stared at each other for a moment. ‘I think we’d better call the police,’ Lyn said at last. ‘Let’s go back inside.’
As they walked they were both scanning the garden for any signs. ‘You know he could just be hiding – in a hedge or a bush or something. We should be calling.’ Janet stopped and turning round cupped her hands round her mouth. ‘Tom! Tom Tom, where are you?’
‘Tom!’ Lyn echoed. She ran towards the shrubbery at the edge of the lawn. ‘Tom Tom! Come on. It’s lunch time.’
By the time they had worked their way round to the front of the house they were both exhausted, hoarse with shouting and filthy from peering into the muddy places under bushes and trees.
‘It’s no good. It will have to be the police. The woods go for miles. We can’t search them on our own.’ Lyn was white as a sheet.
‘No.’ Janet eased her frozen hands into her pockets. ‘No, you’re right. We’d better go in and phone.’
They walked across the gravel in front of the house, and ducked through the arch into the courtyard. Luke’s car was parked by the back door.
‘Oh no.’ Lyn stopped. She had gone white. ‘What am I going to tell them?’
‘The truth, love. Come on. The sooner we’ve done that, the sooner we can call the police.’ Janet put her arm round Lyn’s shoulders again.
Together they went into the back hall and pushed open the kitchen door.
Luke and Joss were standing by the table laughing. Tom was between them, holding Joss’s hand. In the other he was clutching a model of the Eiffel Tower.
‘Tom?’ Lyn’s cry made them all turn round. ‘Tom, where have you been? Where’s Ned?’
‘Lyn! Janet! What on earth is the matter?’ Joss stared at them in horror. ‘Ned’s here. Asleep. In the buggy. What’s wrong? Why are you both so wet?’
Lyn walked slowly round the table and stood in front of the buggy for a full minute staring down at the sleeping baby, then slowly she knelt down and began to undo the harness which held him safely in; the harness which had clips far too stiff for Tom’s small fingers to undo. Around him was tucked one of the soft blankets which she remembered hanging on the front of the range.
She felt it carefully. It was bone dry. Tears running down her cheeks she stared up at Joss who had come to stand behind her.
‘What happened, Lyn?’ Joss was frowning.
‘I thought I’d lost them.’ Lifting Ned out, Lyn kissed the top of his head. Climbing to her feet she pushed him into Joss’s arms. ‘I thought we’d lost them. I thought … I thought …’ Sitting down at the table she put her head in her arms and burst into sobs.
Luke frowned at Joss. ‘It looks as though it’s a good thing we came back. Hey, old thing, come on. Cheer up. Everyone is all right.’ He patted Lyn’s head awkwardly then he looked at Janet. ‘You both look as though you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. Do you mind telling me exactly what’s been going on here?’
‘Wait. First let me ask Tom something.’ Janet knelt down before the little boy and gave him a hug. ‘OK, sausage. I want you to tell Aunty Janet where you and Ned were hiding.’ She gave him an encouraging smile. ‘You were hiding, weren’t you.’
Tom nodded vigorously.
‘So. Where were you? Aunty Lyn and I looked and looked and we couldn’t find you.’
‘We were playing with Georgie.’
‘Now, why don’t I find that surprising,’ Janet said softly. She raised her hand sharply to forestall Joss’s cry of alarm. ‘So, where do you go to play with Georgie, Tom?’
‘Upstairs.’
‘Right upstairs? In the attic?’
He nodded.
‘And was it you that locked Aunty Lyn in the attic?’
He stared at her for a moment. ‘That was Georgie.’
‘I see. You knew that was naughty of him, didn’t you.’
Tom looked shamefaced. He peeked at Lyn and then buried his face in Janet’s sweater. She looked up at Joss over the little boy’s head. ‘Please, bring them back to me. Don’t keep them here.’
‘Janet – ’
Luke’s protest was cut short by Lyn. ‘Please, Luke. Until we’ve sorted out what happened.’
‘But you don’t believe in all this rubbish about ghosts!’ Luke stared at her.
‘I don’t know what I believe any more. I think we should all go to Janet’s. If she’ll have us. Just till we find out what’s happening.’
‘I’d love to have you all, Luke.’
Suddenly he caved in. ‘OK. You girls go, and the kids. But I’m staying here.’
‘No; remember what Paul said.’
‘Joss, I am not afraid of a jumble of legends and stories. I live here. My job is here. I like this house and I’m not afraid of it.’ He gave a sober smile. ‘Honestly. I’ll be all right. You two take Tom and Ned to Janet’s because I know you won’t get a wink of sleep unless you do, but then tomorrow we’re going to have to work something out. We can’t go on like this.’
In the end they persuaded him to come back to the farm for supper at least, but later, after they had all eaten, and checked on the children, asleep and safe upstairs in the long low-ceilinged bedroom Luke eventually got up and stretched his arms above his head. Lyn had gone to bed half an hour before. ‘I don’t know about you, Joss, but I’m feeling a bit jet lagged.’ He grinned at his own joke. ‘I think I’m off home now.’