A New Day Read Online Free PDF Page B

‘I know you haven’t done anything wrong.’
    Talbot looked smug. ‘Didn’t think I’d find you, did you? It was easy. I followed you when you left the orphanage. I’ve come for your brother, and this officer is here to see you tell us where you’ve hidden him.’
    The odious man was about to say more, but the policeman stopped him. ‘I’ll handle this, sir. Now, Miss Foster, will you tell me where your brother is and why he ran away from Mr and Mrs Talbot?’
    ‘He ran away because Mr Talbot is a bully and beat him regularly.’ She spoke clearly, looking the policeman straight in the eyes.
    ‘Lies!’
    ‘No, it’s the truth, as anyone who knows him will tell you, and my brother said that he hits his wife as well. That’s why she’s so frightened of him. You might want to look into that, as well, Officer.’
    ‘Don’t listen to her! She’ll say anything to protect her brother.’
    Hanna immediately picked up on the word ‘protect’. ‘You’re right. I would do anything to
protect
Jack, but I don’t need to lie because you can’t touch him now.’
    ‘Officer! Arrest her. She’s done something bad to that boy!’
    ‘I told you I’d handle this, Mr Talbot.’ The policeman silenced the irate man, and turned his attention to Hanna. ‘You had better tell us what you mean by that, Miss Foster. Mr Talbot has reported his disappearance, and it is our duty to find him. He obviously isn’t with you, and as a minor, we must make sure he is safe.’
    ‘Minor?’ Hanna frowned.
    ‘Yes, at twelve years old he is considered as such.’
    If the situation hadn’t been so frightening, Hanna would have laughed. ‘Is that what he told you? Who is telling lies now, Mr Talbot? My brother will be sixteen on the second of November.’
    ‘Can you prove that, Miss Foster?’
    ‘Yes, if you will allow me to go to my room?’
    The policeman nodded, and Hanna sped up the stairs, opened the wardrobe and retrieved an old battered tin box, then hurried back to the sitting room. She opened the box in front of the policeman and handed him Jack’s birth certificate.
    After studying it for a moment, he turned to the man beside him. ‘It seems you were mistaken about the boy’s age, sir.’
    The smug look had gone from Talbot’s face. ‘It don’t matter how old he is. I want him back and it’s your job to find him.’
    ‘Mr Talbot is right, Miss Foster.’ The policeman gave her an apologetic smile. ‘I do need to know where your brother is. I can see that you love him too much to have caused him harm, but I have to file a report.’
    ‘I understand.’ She took some more papers out of the box and handed them over, watching the corners of the policeman’s mouth twitch as he read.
    When he looked up there was a gleam of laughter in his eyes, and she couldn’t help smiling broadly at him. Now she looked closely he had a nice face and eyes with a touch of green in them. She immediately felt comfortable with him, and knew this was a man she could trust. All her worry and apprehension disappeared.
    ‘What’s going on? What you got there?’ Talbot made a snatch at the papers, but the policeman moved them out of his way and handed them back to Hanna.
    ‘We owe these ladies an apology for taking up their time with something which is not a police matter.’ He turned to Mrs Harcourt first. ‘Thank you for allowing us into your home, Mrs Harcourt. I know you told me that the boy was safe, but I had to talk to Miss Foster to be certain of that.’
    ‘I understand. I knew Hanna would as well, and that is why I agreed to this interview.’
    He turned to Hanna. ‘I apologize for subjecting you to this ordeal, Miss Foster. No law has been broken here.’
    ‘What do you mean? Where’s the kid?’
    ‘Jack Foster is now in the merchant navy and on his way to New Zealand.’
    ‘But he can’t be!’ Talbot spluttered. ‘He’s too young.’
    ‘It isn’t unusual for boys to go to sea at an early age, and by the time he