A Life Less Lonely Read Online Free PDF Page B

she hadn’t asked for them.” She gulped. “Thank you very much. I’ve let her down, haven’t I?”
    “Hey, of course you haven’t.” Lizzie grabbed a handful of tissues and passed them to Andrea. “She can’t be far away. I saw her in the back garden half an hour ago, refilling her bird feeders. She waved to me. I was about to call round when you arrived.”
    “That’s so typical of Mum!” Andrea blew her nose. “Hardly a thing in the fridge but Joe Robin and Co feasting on five star banquets. Look, Lizzie, do you think she’d go to the park? My mother’s not into calling anywhere else but your place these days, is she?”
    “Not that I’m aware of. Sometimes that nice couple opposite invite her in for morning coffee but they’re cruising round the Greek islands just now. Could she not be taking a little walk? She likes to do that, you know.”
    “Her front door was wide open when I pulled up. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
    Lizzie sucked in her breath. “I see. Sorry, Andrea, maybe you should drive towards the park? I’ll go knocking on doors. A sunny day like this brings people into their gardens so someone may have seen Rosemary and asked where she was off to.”
    “Thanks, Lizzie. I know you’re a friendly lot round here. You do have my mobile number?”
    “Yes, of course. I’ll ring if there’s any news, and” she clasped her hands, “let’s hope we find her soon so she can tick us off for fussing.”
    But as Andrea hurried back to lock the front door, she knew her mum would be horrified at the thought of it being left wide open. Doing such a thing was totally out of character. Andrea had no idea whether her mother carried her key on her but she made the bungalow secure anyway. Her own key would see them back inside once she’d located one missing elderly lady. Somehow she couldn’t bear the thought of contacting the police yet. Engine ticking over, Andrea selected what she thought was first gear but trying to pull away was like wading through thick treacle.
    “You muppet,’ she scolded herself, hoping nobody had noticed as she quickly selected the correct gear and drove off. It would be such a relief to find her mother putting the world to rights over someone’s fence or strolling back towards her bungalow.
    She chose the most straightforward route to the pretty park where she knew her mother liked to sit and managed to manoeuvre her car into a space between the council dog warden’s van and a smug Chelsea tractor. Before getting out, she hesitated. Was her mum with a neighbour, after all? Drinking tea somewhere, oblivious to the fact that her only daughter roamed the public highway, frantic with worry?
    Andrea banged her fist on the steering wheel, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. Angrily she brushed her hand across her eyes. It was a good job she hadn’t bothered to apply eye makeup earlier. She mustn’t go to pieces. Not now. Not ever. Especially not after hearing Keir Harrison’s good news yesterday. With Greg gone, she had to be the strong one, taking charge of what little family was left to her. But at that moment she wondered how on earth she’d cope.

 
     
    Chapter Three
     
    Andrea pulled out her phone and sent a text to Richard Bailey’s mobile. At this rate she’d be working all through her lunch-hour to make up for lost time. This thought filled her with such shame, such remorse that she should think about her job, about disruption to her day, when her mother could be about to step into the path of a snarling juggernaut. She didn’t even know if Rosemary had worn a coat that morning, a dazzling morning marred by a sharp-toothed east wind. Why hadn’t she thought to collect a warm jacket from the wardrobe just in case?
    Fortunately she’d left a rug on the back seat. She grabbed it and got out of the white Peugeot, locking it and striding towards the park entrance. She’d walk the path leading to a drinks and snacks kiosk beside the ornamental lake.