Abigail: Chapter 32

By the time I got back to Muriel’s house it was dark. For the briefest of moments I’d considered ringing Rob and begging him to come and pick me up but my mobile was in the van and by the time I spotted a phone box I was back in familiar territory. Besides, what kind of a private investigator would I be if I couldn’t cope with a small set back like auto theft? There was professional pride at stake. I was determined to figure this out on my own. I’d have to report the theft to the local police of course, my insurance company would insist upon it, but I could do that from Muriel’s house. I walked slowly up the street, choosing to try and cheer myself up by admiring the Christmas lights in her neighbour’s windows as I went. My feet hurt and I was so hungry my belly had given up grumbling about an hour previously but when I rounded the corner and saw a van that looked suspiciously like mine parked outside Muriel’s house, I picked up speed.

I pinched myself, I had to be dreaming, and could hardly believe that it was my van, neatly parked and locked. I decided Ryan couldn’t possibly be so stupid as to be in his flat so I went straight to Muriel’s house and knocked. When she opened the door Muriel looked surprised to see me.

“Charlotte love? What are you doing ‘ere?”

“Promised you an update didn’t I?”

“But look at you, you’re freezing. Come and sit in the warm. I’ll make you a cuppa.”

She shooed me into the lounge and I sat in a cozy chair next to the fire. After she’d made us both a cup of tea and I’d warmed up, I started to tell her about my afternoon.

“But why aren’t you back in Wales?” she asked.

“What made you think I was going home?”

“Ryan knocked, a couple of hours ago, left me your keys, said you’d gone back on the train cos you weren’t feeling well. Said you’d asked if you could leave your van ‘ere for a few days.”

I sighed. “That little grub worm stole my van, left me in the middle of the woods. I had to walk back. Was going to ask if I could borrow your phone to call the police but there doesn’t seem to be much point now.”

“Ryan did that? Are you sure it were ‘im? He’s always been such a lovely boy.”

“It was definitely him Mrs F.” I thought about what to do next and made a quick decision. “Could I have the keys? I need to see if any of my stuff’s been nicked.”

If he’d taken my bag, that included my phone and purse which meant I couldn’t pay for my room that night but worse still, my tools and paperwork had been in the van. I was too exhausted to have the brain space to consider Ryan’s motivation but whatever his reasons, I hated the idea of him having my whole case laid out in carefully documented detail.

I unlocked the van and looked in the back. My tool bag was in the corner exactly where I’d left it but the contents of my overnight bag had been pulled out and strewn all over the back then I spotted my shoulder bag which Ryan had stolen from me in the woods. My phone was gone as well as the cash from my purse but all my cards were still there.

“Thieving bastard!” said Muriel, who’d quietly followed me outside.

“Muriel!” I was shocked. She looked like such a sweet little old lady, I didn’t imagine she even knew words like that.

“I just can’t believe it. He’s always been so quiet. And I gave ‘im a Christmas cake. What a little rat! Is there much missing?”

“My mobile and a bit of cash. But at least he left my cards.”

“Such generosity.” She oozed sarcasm and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“The only other thing missing is my notes about Toby and Abigail. Why would he want those?”

“I couldn’t say love.”

I sighed, a wave of exhaustion washing over me. It had been an incredibly long day and now thanks to Ryan’s crazy, tomorrow was likely to be equally as taxing. All I wanted to do now was crawl into bed and sleep for about twelve hours. Before I could even think about sleep though I needed to get to the hotel, find something to eat and phone home to hear all the latest gossip about Grace and her cycling ambition. I just hoped she’d managed to find a solution that didn’t involve telling her father I’d left them home alone.

I turned to Muriel. “I need to get going Mrs F. I’ll be back tomorrow though. Is that okay?” I didn’t like to leave her when she’d just learned one of her favourite neighbours was a lying toad but she was a feisty old bird and I knew she’d be just fine.

“Of course love. Don’t you worry about me. What are you going to do about a phone though? I know how you youngsters are lost without them.”

I smiled to hear myself described as a youngster but the reality of everything I still had to sort out threatened to break me. Tears pricked at my eyes and I blinked them away. Now was really not the time to crumble into a mess. I knew I had to pull myself together.

“I’ll sort out a new one tomorrow and give you the number. I just need to sleep.”

I said goodbye to Muriel and unlocked the front of the van. It was then that I saw the note waiting for me on the passenger seat. Next time you won’t be able to walk anywhere. Go home. I crumpled the note into a ball and threw it into the back of the van, my heart pounding in my ears. I’d had just about enough bloody crazy for one day. He’d crossed a line and whether it took me two weeks, two months or two years, I was determined to get to the bottom of this whole sorry mess and make Ryan pay.