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Back The Cottage Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. ONE
  4. TWO
  5. THREE
  6. FOUR
  7. FIVE
  8. SIX
  9. SEVEN
  10. EIGHT
  11. NINE
  12. TEN
  13. ELEVEN
  14. TWELVE
  15. THIRTEEN
  16. FOURTEEN
  17. FIFTEEN
  18. SIXTEEN
  19. SEVENTEEN
  20. EIGHTEEN
  21. NINETEEN
  22. TWENTY
  23. TWENTY-ONE
  24. TWENTY-TWO
  25. TWENTY-THREE
  26. TWENTY-FOUR
  27. TWENTY-FIVE
  28. TWENTY-SIX
  29. TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. TWENTY-NINE
  32. THIRTY
  33. THIRTY-ONE
  34. THIRTY-TWO
  35. THIRTY-THREE
  36. THIRTY-FOUR
  37. THIRTY-FIVE
  38. THIRTY-SIX
  39. THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. THIRTY-NINE
  42. FORTY
  43. FORTY-ONE
  44. FORTY-TWO
  45. FORTY-THREE
  46. FORTY-FOUR
  47. FORTY-FIVE
  48. FORTY-SIX
  49. FORTY-SEVEN
  50. FORTY-EIGHT
  51. FORTY-NINE
  52. FIFTY
  53. FIFTY-ONE
  54. FIFTY-TWO
  55. FIFTY-THREE
  56. FIFTY-FOUR
  57. FIFTY-FIVE
  58. FIFTY-SIX
  59. FIFTY-SEVEN
  60. FIFTY-EIGHT
  61. FIFTY-NINE
  62. SIXTY
  63. SIXTY-ONE
  64. SIXTY-TWO
  65. SIXTY-THREE
  66. SIXTY-FOUR
  67. SIXTY-FIVE
  68. SIXTY-SIX
  69. SIXTY-SEVEN
  70. SIXTY-EIGHT
  71. SIXTY-NINE
  72. SEVENTY
  73. SEVENTY-ONE
  74. SEVENTY-TWO
  75. SEVENTY-THREE
  76. SEVENTY-FOUR
  77. Suggested topics for reading-group discussion
  78. Keep Reading …
  79. Lisa Stone also writes under the name of Cathy Glass.Don’t miss her latest book …
  80. About the Author
  81. Books by Lisa Stone
  82. About the Publisher

‘A Mrs Angela Slater has just telephoned in,’ he said, placing a report form in front of her. ‘Can you follow it up, please? It’s probably a misunderstanding, but it needs checking ASAP as it’s about a baby. Mrs Slater says her neighbours Mr and Mrs Jennings had a baby, but it’s disappeared, and the mother hasn’t been seen for a while either.’

‘Perhaps they’re staying with relatives,’ Beth suggested, feeling she was stating the obvious.

‘Exactly. The PNC checks have come back negative so neither of them has been in trouble before. There are no children registered at that address and no child-protection issues. I’ll leave it with you.’

As the DS left, Beth saved the file she’d been working on and picked up her desk phone. Drawing the report form towards her, she keyed in the telephone number for Mrs Slater. The phone was answered after a couple of rings. ‘Mrs Angela Slater?’

‘Speaking.’

‘I’m Detective Constable Beth Mayes. You contacted Coleshaw Police Station earlier today.’

‘Yes, I did indeed. I live at fifty-five Booth Lane. There’s something very suspicious going on next door. Emma and Ian Jennings are the couple who live there, and they seemed very nice to begin with. Didn’t make any noise and were polite when I spoke to them. She was expecting a baby and I think she’s had it, but it’s disappeared.’ Beth could tell from the mounting excitement in her voice that Mrs Slater enjoyed a drama.

‘Do you know for certain your neighbour has had the baby?’ Beth asked as Mrs Slater paused for breath.

‘As certain as I can be. She told me she was going to have a home birth because they’d had a bad experience in the hospital with their previous baby. It died. She used to talk to me, but then three months ago she stopped. Her husband used to speak to my husband, but he began avoiding us too. I can’t think of anything I said that could have upset them. I’ve caught glimpses of her hanging out her washing, but that’s all.’

‘When was the baby due? Do you know?’ Beth asked, making a note.

‘Not for a few months, I thought. It must have come early. On Tuesday morning I was looking out of my bedroom window and I saw a woman leave with a Moses basket. It was about eight o’clock.’

‘Did you see a baby?’ Beth asked.