Page 116 of The Altar Girls

‘But she didn’t tell you about him until it suited her.’

He turned his head to look at the reporter. ‘You’ve done your homework.’

‘I’ve a colleague in Ragmullin who followed your story when your ex disappeared with your son. She has a source…’ Enda clamped his mouth shut.

‘Finish it.’

‘Wasn’t going to say anything.’

‘She has a source at the station, that’s what you were about to say.’

‘My lips are sealed.’

Boyd took Enda’s cigarette from his hand and inhaled a long drag. It made his head spin, though it was already dizzy with the thought that someone in the station was feeding reporters personal information. But now wasn’t the time to get hung up on the who or why.

He handed back the cigarette. ‘Come on. Time to retrace our steps.’

As he made his way through the site, he felt in his bones that this was an ideal location for Jackie to hide. Off the beaten track. Deserted in the dead of winter. Everyone was looking for a woman and a boy, so all she had to do was keep Sergio out of sight. The thought that she might have had help worried him. If someone was with Sergio, he didn’t want to spook them into doing something that could be avoided. If his son was even here.

His phone vibrated. He glanced at it without answering. Lottie again. He was in deep shit.

After an hour of trying to gain entry to the unoccupied caravans, Enda called a halt.

‘This is ridiculous. We’re getting nowhere. We’d be better off waiting until daylight.’

Boyd silently agreed, but he wasn’t giving up yet. ‘You go up to the pub and have a hot drink. Call Detective Duncan and tell him where I am and that I need assistance to search this area.’

‘He’ll tell me to take a running jump.’

‘Talk to him, at least. I’ll see you back there for a coffee.’

‘You okay to be here alone?’

Boyd threw him a dagger stare and Enda raised his hands in surrender. ‘Coffee. Okay.’

Watching the reporter walk away, Boyd felt he should leave too. But he couldn’t explain the tingling under his skin. Was this what Lottie called gut instinct? Whatever it was, he felt he was close to Sergio. His son was here somewhere. And he would find him. If not tonight, then tomorrow.

* * *

Footsteps. Outside the window. Someone was out there, prowling around. Sergio had slept for so long he was almost comatose, so much so that he had not heard anyone knocking on the door, but the footsteps had roused him awake.

He tried to sit up, but his body was too heavy. His head lolled like a lead ball and his legs would not move at all. His stomach rumbled so loudly he was certain whoever was out there would hear it. And it hurt. Badly. Then the footsteps faded and all he heard was the crash of the waves.

He had the thin blanket up over his head but peeked out between splayed fingers at the window. Dark inside and black night outside. Soft amber shadows of light danced on the frosted window pane. He knew there were two lights situated on the site. Mama had told him that. Where was she? Was she coming back for him? Maybe she’d lost the key and was outside trying to get in.

That thought filled him with hope, but it dissolved to nothingness when he remembered she’d told him she’d hidden a spare key for that very reason, down by the footbridge where no one would think to look. If it wasn’t Mama outside, who was it? It could only be someone who wanted to cause trouble. That was what she’d said. No one good will come for us, Sergio.

He covered his head again and lay as still as his rumbling tummy allowed. He hoped they’d go away soon. He was cold and tired. So, so tired. His eyelids drooped again and he welcomed sleep to mask his hunger.

71

Rose watched her daughter heating up a ready meal in the microwave.

‘Where did you get that from?’ she asked, turning up her nose.

‘Stopped in Centra on the way. I got two. Did you eat today?’ Lottie asked.

‘Yes, I did.’ Rose wasn’t sure, but she didn’t feel hungry so she must have. ‘I’ll have a cup of tea while you’re eating yours.’