Chapter 7

Peter saw nothing of her. He drove to the Central Car Park which was almost deserted at that time in the morning. He went up the ramp to where Sainsbury’s was situated. He remembered what Penny had said about kindly souls helping people out. There was no sign of her. He wandered off in the direction of the Market Place and then St Mary’s Street. Nothing!

Shortly after seven his phone rang.

“Dad! I’ve found her!”

“Where?”

“Southampton Road. You know that big red brick building on the left, just before the dual carriageway?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve pulled in there.”

“OK! I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He ran back to the Central Car Park and headed for the Southampton Road cursing the traffic which had begun to build up. He saw Caroline’s car as soon as he turned off the road at the building she had told him of and was able to park beside it. He saw Penny huddled in the front passenger seat.

He sat for a moment or two and breathed deeply in an effort to calm down a bit before getting out of his car. He opened Penny’s door. She glanced up at him and then looked down again.

Peter reached for her hand and took it firmly but gently.

“Hello, Penny,” he said softly. “Please will you come home with me? I’d really like you to.”

She looked up again still nervously but saw nothing but warmth and affection in his eyes. She nodded and was rewarded with a delighted smile.

“Come on then, little one. We must let Caroline get on down to Southampton.”

He helped her out of the car and into his own. Caroline drove away immediately.

Nothing was said as they drove home but Peter’s mind was busy. Penny could not begin to deal with the police in her present frame of mind. He would have to put them off preferably for forty-eight hours. Tomorrow would really still be too soon. All the same the planned shopping spree could probably go ahead.

He helped her into the house carrying her few possessions which he took upstairs. She followed him.

“I have a feeling you could do with a nap, Penny,” he said.

She nodded.

“Good! I’ll be muddling about downstairs. Come down when you’re ready and we’ll have some coffee.”

She nodded again and then, with a sob, flung her arms round his waist and her head against his chest. He put his arms gently round her shoulders. She did not weep this time, merely clung to him. Finally she looked up.

“Thank you!” she whispered. “I’m sorry I was so silly.”

“No. It wasn’t silly, Penny. You’d been on an emotional roller-coaster.” He smiled. “I’d rather you didn’t do it again though.”

“I won’t. It-it was just that your kindness and gentleness was ... was too much for me, particularly after the last month.”

“Understood, little one. Now you go and lie down for a bit.”

He gently pushed her away from him, smiled at her and left the room quietly closing the door behind him.

He went to his study shutting the door behind him, rang the police station and asked if he could have a word with Sergeant Peters. He was put through to her.

“Good morning, Mr Williams,” she greeted him. “I was just about to go and change into civilian clothes to come and visit you. How can I help?”

“Good morning, Sergeant Peters. Sorry to be a nuisance but we had a bit of a drama overnight. Penny got herself into an emotional upheaval and ran away again. We found her, thank Heavens, on her way to Southampton. She’s back here again now, still a bit emotional but tired and, I hope, thinking straight again. I’ve sent her off to lie down for a while but I don’t think she’d be up to an interview this morning.”

“It certainly doesn’t sound like it, poor girl. How about it if we were to delay things for forty-eight hours?”

“That’s very considerate of you and will give me a better chance to get her in the right frame of mind. Thank you very much.”

“Not at all. We’ll see you then.”

There was not a sound from upstairs so Peter walked down to the village shop to collect his newspaper. There was still silence when he got back so he took it into the drawing room and settled down in his chair.

It had gone ten when he heard movement upstairs including the shower. He went to make coffee. He was just pouring his own when Penny came into the kitchen. He smiled at her.

“Your timing is perfect, Penny dear. Did you smell it or was it just luck?”

“Luck and my tummy rumbling that woke me up.”

He laughed. “Do you want a fry-up?”

“Yes please. I’ll do it though.”

“You’re more than welcome. I’m very good at breaking the eggs as well as their shells.”

She smiled and Peter was delighted.

There was silence until Penny had cooked her breakfast and had two or three mouthfuls.

“So you were off to Southampton? To stow away on a ship and see the world?”

Penny confined herself to a snort.

“Why Southampton then?”

“‘Cos the first place you’d look for me was Pitsbury and I thought that with it being a busy road I might hitch a lift.”

“And get molested again by some lout of a lorry driver.”

Penny looked down. “I didn’t even think about it.”

“You must have been in a state.”

“Yes.” It was no more than a whisper.

“Well, nothing did happen to you except, thank goodness, Caroline spotting you.”

“Yes.” Still a whisper.

“Did you try to run away?”

“No, I was rather glad she had found me.”

“So was I and very relieved.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t think you’d have survived very long. You were weak and starving when I found you the first time so it wouldn’t have been long before you’d have been back in the same state and some rough might have tried to take advantage of you. The other thing is that in the short time we’ve known you we’ve come to like you very much. Penny dear, please don’t try something like that again.”

She shook her head. “No, Peter, I promise.”

He smiled delightedly. “Good girl!”

Relieved that he was not cross with her she smiled back.

“Right,” Peter went on, “shopping this afternoon, first of all for some food or I shall catch it from Bossy Socks...”

Penny chuckled.

“ ... and then some clothes for you.”

“No! There’s plenty of your wife’s that I can alter to fit.”

“And I think you ought to have some new ones that you’ve chosen and really like.”

She bit her lower lip. “OK! Thanks!” she finally whispered.