The Age of Misadventure. Judy Leigh

anything and breathe out.

      ‘No, Adie, she’s not here. Do you never talk to her? Wherever would she be at this time of night?’

      Jade stands behind me.

      Adie stares round the room. ‘She must be here …’ He rushes from the kitchen to the lounge, stares out of the French windows at the raised garden.

      I follow him.

      ‘She’s not.’ I make my voice low. ‘What the hell’s going on, Adie?’

      He shakes his head: I think he’s going to cry. I hope not.

      ‘She’s gone.’

      ‘Where?’ I put my hands on my hips in a Haka stance and think about thrusting my tongue out but decide against it. ‘Where’s my sister?’

      He says nothing so I grab his arm.

      ‘Adie, I’m going to call the police.’

      He snatches at my wrist and holds it too hard.

      ‘No. Don’t do that.’

      Jade says, ‘Get off my mum.’

      I pull my arm away. ‘Where is she, then?’

      His face blanches even more.

      ‘She’s not at home. I’m worried about her. Something’s happened.’

      ‘To Bonnie? What have you done, Adie?’ I raise my phone, a sign of intent.

      ‘Georgie, I’m in a bit of trouble. I owe a man some money. I think he came to the house …’

      I gasp. Jade does the same behind me. I’m suddenly relieved that Bonnie’s upstairs. I breathe out.

      ‘You should phone the police.’

      ‘I can’t. I have to find Bonnie.’

      ‘Do you have any idea where she might be?’

      He’s miserable. ‘I hoped she might be here. I got home an hour ago. Someone had broken in, been through the things in my office, and Bonnie was missing.’

      I fold my arms. ‘I’m worried now, Adie.’

      He nods, licks thin lips. ‘She hasn’t taken her coat but her handbag’s gone. I’m just worried. I’m having a few problems with a business deal and now she’s missing.’

      ‘Adie, what on earth have you done?’

      ‘Nothing I can’t sort out.’

      His elbows move out from his body, he stands taller. He’s recovering his poise.

      I wonder what to do, how to get him out of the house. Then his phone buzzes and he grabs it from his pocket.

      ‘It’s a text. From Bonnie.’

      Jade puts a steady hand on my shoulder.

      I frown. ‘Where is she, Adie?’ My mind’s accelerating. She’s probably under the bed.

      ‘At the airport. She’s telling me to meet her there. We can catch a plane somewhere – get away together.’ He gapes at me for a moment. ‘She’s okay. Thank goodness. She said she heard someone downstairs and knew instinctively we’d need to get away for a bit. My clever little Bonnie. I’ll go back to the house quickly, pack a bag and we’ll be gone.’

      He turns away. He’s not interested in me any more. He’s off, through the kitchen and reception, towards the door.

      ‘I’ll be in touch, Georgie.’

      He flips the bolt and is outside, letting chilly air whoosh into the house. He slips into the darkness and he’s a shadow. I hear the clip of his car door, the growl of an engine. Then he’s gone. I close the door and lock it.

      ‘And good riddance to Adie. Well done, Bonnie. She played a genius card there.’

      Jade’s face contorts. ‘But when he gets to the airport, she won’t be there. What then?’

      ‘It buys us time.’ I shrug. ‘But we’ll have to think of something.’

      I go back to the lounge and Bonnie’s standing in the doorway, holding her phone in her fist.

      ‘In an hour or two, I’ll message him again. I’ll tell him I was nervous, I imagined someone was following me and I took a cab to Edinburgh Airport. I’ll send him on a goose chase.’

      ‘You heard it all, Bon?’

      Her brows are knit in a frown. She’s clearly furious.

      ‘I snuck down and listened. Adie’s messed up one of his deals. I tiptoed back upstairs and texted him. I’m not being frightened out of my own house by his dodgy friends. I want out.’

      Jade links her arm through Bonnie’s. ‘What are you going to do?’

      Bonnie’s new resolve and determination fills me with optimism. She’ll be better away from Adie. I plaster a smile on my face and launch in.

      ‘We have to avoid Adie until he’s out of trouble. We need to think carefully and come up with a plan.’

      I gaze from my daughter to my sister. Jade’s face is calm, her skin luminous. She’s off to Brighton to start a new life with her Spanish beau. Bonnie’s pale, anxious. I have to get her away from Adie. I think of what might have happened to Bonnie if she hadn’t left the house in Frodsham and my mind shuffles thoughts about what to do next.

      Jade leans back in her seat and stretches her arms out, flexing the muscles. I’ll miss her when she’s in Brighton. The feeling of loss is already starting to squat on my shoulders and clutch at my heart. Then an idea flashes in my mind, perfectly formed. It’s an opportunity, exploding in front of me like a firework. In one move, I can persuade my sister to leave her philandering husband and stay close to my daughter at the same time. Adie and his criminal capers are the perfect excuse.

      My mind moves to Nanny, all alone in her cold home. At once, I know how to resolve all of our problems in a single checkmate move. And we can have some fun at the same time. It’s the perfect opportunity to be together, to bond, three generations of women celebrating independence. A wide grin stretches across my face and, quick as lightning, I change it to a serious frown.

      ‘Bonnie, Jade – I know what we have to do. It’s as clear as daylight. We can’t stay here and wait for Adie to find out we’ve sent him on a goose chase. We’ll take things into our own hands, be in charge of the situation. Until this problem with Adie blows over, we have to put ourselves first. So, we’ll all go away together, tonight. And I know the perfect place.’

       Chapter Eight

      The sky is full of stars, little diamonds set in metres of black velvet. It’s almost three in the morning and the cold has started to bite at the exposed bits of my flesh. Bonnie’s helped herself to items from my wardrobe; she’s wearing a long faux-fur coat and matching hat and she looks like a movie star. Jade’s on the phone to Luis, multitasking at the same time, packing cases and boxes into the back of my BMW. Her movements are smooth and athletic.

      I raid the till for the unbanked day’s takings, text Amanda that I’ll be away for a few days and promise to ring her soon with the details, but please could she hold the fort. Then we lock the front door, leave a light on in the hallway and drive through empty roads to a terraced street on the other side of the park. There are no lights on anywhere: the row of little houses is all in spongy darkness, behind scratchy hedges as straight as sentries.

      I slip the key in and open the front door. The three of us are in blackout, walking on our toes, hunched over in a line like the kids in Scooby Doo. I flick the kitchen light on and suggest Bonnie and Jade wait downstairs. Nanny’s not