Saving Willowbrook Read Free Page B

She’d thought about it a lot and had decided not to press for child maintenance because it might push Miles into demanding his money back. Anyway, Amy was hers, had always been hers and she didn’t want Miles to have any reason for interfering in how she brought the child up.
    Ian had tried very hard to change her mind about that, but she’d stuck to her guns. She wanted Miles to leave his money invested in Willowbrook.
    It’d take all the money from the sale of Georgina’s jewels to finish the chalets. She’d got slightly less money than she’d expected, but if she managed it carefully, it would be enough. She was considering giving each chalet a colour theme, so in the end she left the shop with a handful of sample colour cards. She’d get her cousin to come over and help her decide. Rose was the artistic one of the family. They’d grown up together, been inseparable till her cousin went away to art college, were still close friends.
    When Ella got back to Willowbrook there was no sign of Porgy and she noticed the broken kitchen window straight away. Instantly on the alert, she told Amy to stay in the car and locked it after she got out.
    From the barn came the sound of hysterical barking. Porgy. She ran over there first. As she opened the door, he came out growling and sniffing the ground, but he didn’t run round as usual. In fact, he was walking gingerly as if it hurt him to move. When he stopped beside her she saw that he had a cut over one eye. The blood was matted, so it must have happened some time ago.
    Picking up a piece of wood for protection, she gestured to Amy to stay where she was and went inside the house, with Porgy limping along behind her. She stood listening carefully but even without the dog she could sense that whoever had broken in had left. She’d always been able to sense whether a building was empty or not, had been surprised as a child to find that others didn’t have the same ability.
    She went out to fetch her daughter, keeping watch for anyone coming out of the outbuildings, but again, she could sense no human presence, only feel the wind blowing her hair gently across her face and making the flowers bow their heads to her as she passed.
    Together she and Amy inspected the house.
    The intruder had trashed the sitting room, but hadn’t stolen anything that she could see – well, her TV, sound system and computer were elderly, worth nothing. He’d smashed them, though. Perhaps he’d been disappointed by the lack of valuables.
    â€˜Some bad people have been here,’ Ella told her daughter by way of explanation.
    â€˜Why did they break our things?’
    â€˜I don’t know. Some people are like that.’ She led the way up the stairs, waiting for Amy’s slower pace. Porgy didn’t even try to come with them, just stood at the bottom, whining in his throat.
    â€˜Ooh, mummy! Look at that! The bad people have been in here too.’
    Amy’s drawers and toy cupboard had been emptied out, but a quick glance showed the toys hadn’t been damaged.
    Ella gave her a quick cuddle. ‘I’m sorry about all this, darling, but I don’t think anything’s broken. Don’t put them away until the police have seen the mess.’
    â€˜Can I pick up teddy?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    Amy picked up the elderly teddy which had once been her mother’s and was her favourite toy, cradling it against her. ‘It’s all right now, Teddy. I’ve got you safe.’
    Ella looked towards the chalets from the bedroom window. Thank goodness the electricians were working there today. The chalets should be untouched, at least. ‘Let’s look in my bedroom now,’ she said, speaking as cheerfully as she could manage.
    The burglar had clearly concentrated his upstairs efforts on this room, trashing it thoroughly. It was as if he’d been searching for something. What?
    â€˜Don’t cry. Mummy.