E for England (11 page)

Leonie's mouth dropped opened in horror. ‘No. We saw you but not Mattie.'

Cold shivers raced down Hugh's spine and settled as a solid, dark, icy lump in his belly. ‘But that's impossible! I saw you and I saw him walking across to you.'

‘Where's Mattie?' Floss wailed. Her lower lip trembled violently, eyes rapidly filling with tears. ‘I want Mummy.'

‘Oh my God! Annie will die! We have to find him.' Leonie grabbed Floss by the hand. ‘I'll check this way towards the Pavilion. You go that. He can't have gone far.'

Hugh stared wildly down the concourse, squinting into the sun. So many people, so many children. Why wouldn't he have gone straight to Leonie? What was he wearing? He forced himself to concentrate. Lime green swim shorts, sandals, white cloth sunhat.

He couldn't have gone this way. Hugh would have seen him. He must have gone south or into the Pavilion itself. Why do that?

Or had someone taken him?

Hugh swallowed the rising panic. Mattie wouldn't go off with a stranger. He wouldn't. But he knew he wasn't to wander off alone and he had. Six year olds didn't understand, not properly, that's why they needed adults to keep an eye on them. And he hadn't. Mattie must be here, his attention must have been diverted or he'd been caught up in a group of tourists and swept offcourse.

The chattering Japanese throng had moved along about twenty metres and were taking each other's photos again. Hugh sprinted towards them.

‘Hugh. Hi! Where is everyone?'

He spun around. Annie! Hurrying up the steps, smiling, hair free from the ponytail swinging wet around her face, skin glistening in the sun. She'd put on her dress again.

‘The kids wanted to go to the toilet.'

‘Me too. Are they still in there?'

‘No, they're… Annie…' Hugh glanced around swiftly. No sign of Leonie.

‘What?'

‘I'll wait here for you.'

‘All right.' She lifted an eyebrow curiously but turned and headed for the Ladies.

Hugh waited until she'd disappeared, then ran to catch up with the Japanese tour group wandering slowly along the walkway.

‘Excuse me. Have you seen a little boy? He was with me back there.' He pointed to where he and Mattie had sat then held his hand against his stomach at Mattie's height. ‘This high, in green shorts.'

Smiling, nodding faces gathered round. ‘Little boy,' said a young woman. ‘Lost child.'

‘Yes,' Hugh said. ‘Did you see him go with someone?'

A rapid fire exchange in Japanese ensued. One elderly lady insistently pointed to the Pavilion. Leonie had gone that way.

‘She say boy go there,' said the woman. ‘Alone.'

‘Thank you very much.'

‘Very pretty boy,' said the old woman, nodding with a toothy smile.

Hugh ran to the building. What would attract his attention and send him in there? It was a Community Centre housing an art gallery, meeting rooms, concert venue, coffee shop, restaurant. Unless he hadn't gone in but walked right round to the street side. Hugh hurried around to the back facing inland to the shops, the way they'd walked in from the carpark. What was he going to say to Annie? They should call the police very soon. If Mattie had been abducted, the sooner they were on the case the better.

He ran right along the back of the building to the far end then swung hard right onto the concourse. Annie would be waiting, wondering what the hell was going on. Had Leonie found him? Please, please, let her have found him.

His feet slowed as he closed in on the meeting point. No sign of Leonie but Annie was there, staring around with a bewildered expression.

‘What's going on, Hugh?'

He cleared his throat, swallowed, met her gaze full on. ‘We can't find Mattie.'

Her jaw dropped, she gasped for air. ‘What? Since when?' She spun about wildly, head turning as she searched the crowds. ‘Where is he? When did you see him last?'

Hugh grasped her arm, steadying her. ‘I took him to the toilet and Leonie took Floss to the Ladies. Mattie and I sat on the steps waiting for them. When they came out he wanted to go over to them so I said yes. They were right there, ten metres away.'

‘Why didn't you go with him?' she demanded.

His hand slid from her arm. ‘I had a phone call. The hospital.' Not good enough, her expression screamed it at him.

‘So how come Leonie didn't see him?'

‘I don't know. I thought she did.'

Annie's face twisted in pain. ‘You're both hopeless.' She scanned the concourse put both hands to her mouth and screamed, ‘Mattie. Mattie where are you? Mattie.'

‘Where did he go?' she yelled at Hugh, backing away, turning, searching the crowds. ‘You must have seen something.'

Several people stopped to stare, others gave her a wide berth and hurried by.

‘My son's lost. Have you seen a little boy? In green shorts.' Almost hysterical, frantic.

‘Sorry, no.' Heads shook, people moved on.

Hugh said, ‘Some Japanese tourists said he went that way.'

Annie set off running where he'd pointed but Hugh caught her, pulling her to a halt. ‘I just went right round the building. Nothing.'

She wrenched herself free. ‘We have to call the police. Have you called the police? Some maniac might have taken him. Some pervert.'

‘I haven't called yet. I hoped Leonie would find him if I didn't. He's only been gone about five minutes.'

Annie's chest heaved, tears streamed down her face. ‘I don't know what to do.'

He gripped her shoulders. ‘Think, Annie. Why would he not go to Leonie? He saw her and she didn't move away before he got to her because she came straight across to me.'

She looked around. ‘I don't know. He wouldn't go off alone, he knows not to.' She glared at Hugh, a tiger. ‘You should have been with him. It's your fault he's lost. Someone's taken…' The last word disappeared in a gulping sob.

‘I know it's my fault. But I don't think anyone took him, the Japanese lady said he was alone. We'll find him, Annie.'

He tried to pull her closer but she resisted and walked away, aimlessly, yelling, ‘Mattie,' oblivious to the looks from passers-by.

Hugh followed a few paces behind.

A pot-bellied man said, ‘Notify the Life Guards, mate. They'll find your kid.' He pointed to the Life Guard station. ‘Might already have him.'

‘Thanks.' He caught up to Annie. ‘That man said we should tell the Life Guards.'

‘Yes.' She started running towards the cream-coloured round building with fluttering flags.

‘Annie!' Leonie's voice behind him. ‘Hugh!'

He spun around. Leonie with a child clinging to each hand. ‘Oh, thank God.'

‘Mattie!' Annie charged passed and flung herself on Mattie, sobbing and babbling as she crushed him in her arms.

Hugh exchanged a very relieved smile with Leonie. ‘Where was he?'

‘Down there a fair way. He was coming back.'

‘I wasn't lost.' Mattie pulled himself from Annie's embrace.

‘But why did you run away from Leonie and Hugh? You mustn't ever do that again!' Relief turned to anger.

‘I didn't run away.' Far from being upset, he had a familiar stubborn set to his mouth.

‘You didn't tell us where you were going, Mattie.' Hugh tried for a gentler tone than Annie's even though he was just as annoyed.

‘We were very, very worried,' piped up Floss.

‘Why did you go?' Annie asked.

‘I saw my daddy,' said Mattie. ‘I tried to catch up to him but he wouldn't wait for me.'

‘But sweetheart, Daddy's not living in Sydney anymore.' Annie threw Hugh and Leonie a puzzled look.

‘Did he see you?' asked Leonie.

‘I think so but he didn't wait.' His mouth drooped, brow wrinkled in confusion. ‘I called out to him.'

‘It can't have been Daddy. He would have stopped if he'd seen you.'

‘It must be someone who looks just like him,' said Hugh.

‘Yes, Hugh's right. It can't have been Daddy, sweetie.'

But Mattie wasn't giving in. ‘It was.'

‘I'm starving,' said Leonie into the bewildered silence. ‘Who wants lunch?'

‘Meeeee.' Floss bounced up and down.

‘I think we should go home,' said Annie.

‘Why?' asked Leonie. ‘Can't we have our picnic first?'

‘Can we, Mummy? Please?' The children gazed up at her.

Hugh said, ‘I have to go to the hospital but there's no reason for you not to stay on, Annie. Mattie's fine.' He edged her away a pace and lowered his voice. ‘No need to make more of this than it is.'

‘What?' Her eyes flashed fire.

‘Come on, kids. Let's get our picnic set up.' Leonie gave Annie and Hugh one quick glance and herded her charges towards the sand.

Annie drew a deep controlled breath but rage rose up through her body like milk on the boil, unstoppable, steaming and messy. After what he'd done, or neglected to do, how could Hugh make such a stupid remark?

‘What do you mean by that crack? Do you think I overreacted when my son went missing in this crowd?' She waved her arm around at the throng, narrowly missing a woman pushing a stroller. ‘My
six year old
son?'

‘No, but there's no need to cut short their day out. They're enjoying themselves and Mattie's fine. He's more likely to accept he made a mistake if you don't make a big thing out of it.'

He was using a professional sounding ‘calm' voice, the one he'd employ on his most irrational, panic-stricken patients. It was having the opposite effect on her and he was missing the most obvious point.

‘Hugh! He went off all by himself. Doesn't that mean anything to you? He has to learn he mustn't do that.'

‘Of course. But he's only six and he wasn't being naughty, he had a good reason. Or so he thought. It wasn't his fault, it was mine. I should have watched him.'

‘Yes, you should.' He really had absolutely no idea about children. He made Leonie look positively motherly.

‘Could it have been his father?'

‘What?' Now what was he saying? That Mattie really had seen Kevin?

‘Could it have been your ex? You haven't heard from him for over a month. He might be here in Sydney.'

‘No.' She shook her head so vehemently damp hair whipped across her face. She hooked it behind her ears. No way would Kevin come within cooee of her. Would he? And surely he'd acknowledge his son, especially if he was all by himself.

‘Are you certain?'

‘Hugh, this is none of your business. Don't you have to go?'

He nodded. ‘Okay, I'm sorry. I'll collect my backpack.'

Annie spun about and headed for the umbrella. What a total disaster of a day, one which should have been relaxing and fun. If anything was going to send Hugh running into Leonie's arms, this experience would. Well, she was welcome to him. They were made for each other. Both child-free zones, and just as well.

By the time she'd slogged through the hot sand and reached the umbrella she was seething all over again, but this time her rage was directed at Hugh rather than Mattie. Thank goodness he was leaving because she couldn't guarantee civilised behaviour for an afternoon in his company.

Leonie and the children had laid out the containers of chicken, rolls and salad on one of the extra towels and were already munching.

‘We couldn't wait,' said Floss, waving a piece of cold chicken.

Annie sat down. Leonie handed her a plastic plate but her appetite had gone.

‘Can you have something to eat before you go, Hugh?' Leonie asked.

‘No, thanks, I'd better not.'

He scooped up his backpack and pulled out his shorts. Annie kept her face averted as he put them on. No more ogling his body, magnificently attractive though it may be. It was his brain that needed serious adjustment.

‘How are you getting home?' Mattie said. ‘We're not going now.'

She looked at her son in surprise. What had brought about this change of heart? He hadn't said a civil word to Hugh since they'd met.

‘I'll take a taxi.' He smiled down at Mattie. ‘Have fun. Stay close to your mum and Leonie.'

‘I will.' And Mattie actually smiled back. What had gone on between those two? Annie's teeth ground against each other. The last thing she needed was her son idolising another irresponsible man.

Hugh raised a hand. ‘Goodbye, girls. Thanks for the ride, Annie. See you later.' He swung his backpack onto his shoulder.

‘Bye-bye, Hugh,' Leonie and Floss chorused.

Annie managed a weak, ‘Goodbye.' His eyes flicked over her face then he was gone, trudging across the sand.

‘Have some chicken,' said Leonie.

Annie took a drumstick and spooned potato salad onto her plate, but somehow the fun had gone out of the day.

Fifty minutes later Hugh studied the vital signs of Julian Barr. The old fellow was hanging on by a thread. His daughter and son-in-law waited anxiously by the bedside although Julian was oblivious to the tension around him. Hugh caught Nina's eye. They'd seen this too many times before. Age was against Julian, and the fact he wasn't a very strong man in the first place, having broken his hip the previous year. Pneumonia could cause a sudden deterioration most often fatal in this age group. The family had opted for no resuscitation. If Julian didn't respond to the intensive physical therapy and the adjustment Hugh had made to his medication, they might well be into that sad territory.

‘The next fifteen minutes will be crucial,' he said to the couple.

‘Thank you very much, Doctor, for all you've done.' The woman managed a fragile smile. ‘I really appreciate it.'

‘I'm sorry I can't do more. But we'll see.'

The daughter took her father's hand gently and held it in both hers. Her husband put his arm around her.