Finders Keepers Edie Baylis (phonics readers .TXT) 📖

Dulcie’s eyes narrowed. ‘You’re going back to London? Today? What about me? You said you wouldn’t leave me.’

‘I won’t be long.’ He might have known she’d play up over this.

Dulcie pouted. ‘But you’ve got all those clothes of Robert’s! Do you think it’s wise swanning about fetching clothes when you’re supposed to be locating where Robert is hiding with that little tart and my diamonds? Don’t tell me you fell for his lies when you spoke to him on the phone?’

Heath refrained from smashing Dulcie in the face with the large teapot sitting on the coffee table and instead smiled graciously. ‘No, I certainly didn’t fall for that! Robert’s clothes are fine, but I’d like my own, plus I need my laptop. Without that I can’t do any digging on their whereabouts.’ Plus Robert’s clothes were crap...

‘Oh, I see...’ Dulcie said, contrite. ‘I never thought about that. Will you be long?’

Heath got up and walked over to Dulcie, putting his hand on her arm reassuringly. ‘Just have a relax while I’m gone. I might pop in to see my father whilst I’m over that neck of the woods too. I need to tell him I’m going to be away for a while and I don’t want him to worry.’ His eyes brightened. ‘Or you could come too? Once I explain who you are, I’m sure he’d love to meet you!’ Please say no... His father would not want to meet Dulcie Adams under any circumstances. It would be bad enough explaining everything as it was. ‘What do you think?’

Dulcie frowned. ‘I-I don’t think that would be a good idea. I’m not up to seeing another double of Michael, especially after all of this with Robert. I will meet your father once all of this business is over.’ She patted Heath’s hand. ‘Besides, you have a resemblance to Michael and that’s enough to get me through the day.’

Heath grinned. ‘Ok, well, I’ve got no intention of hanging about. I’ll text my father now and tell him I’ll be down later this afternoon.’

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he tapped out the message. His father had made it clear that he didn’t approve of his plans and he couldn’t see the latest one of moving into Footlights with Dulcie Adams in an attempt to catch up with her missing son and the diamonds going down too well either. But surely his father could manage for a few weeks without him? He could even place the car adverts remotely from Footlights if needs be. Not that either of them would need to bother with a poxy dealership if his plans pulled off.

Heath smiled to himself smugly. Even if finding Robert, Teagan and the diamonds didn’t work out, there was a back up...

Now Dulcie had washed her hands of Robert and Helen wasn’t in the picture any longer, who else did she have to leave her worldly possessions to? After all, as she kept saying, he did remind her of the beloved Michael Pointer.

Ok, so the diamonds not being included was more than disappointing, but then a massive house and tons of antiques which would sell for a tidy amount was better than nothing.

TEAGAN SMILED WARMLY AT GWEN, feeling for the first time in weeks there might be light at the end of the tunnel.

Sitting in Jonah Powell’s beautiful garden that gave Kew Gardens a run for its money with its amazing landscaping and huge variety of stunning plants and flowers, she couldn’t have wished for nicer surroundings.

She took another of the sandwiches from the plate in the middle of the patio table and smiled cheekily. ‘I probably shouldn’t have another one. I’ve already had four!’

Gwen grinned. ‘Getting your appetite back is a very good sign.’

Teagan smiled shyly. It was true. Despite the lingering trauma of the last however long, she was feeling, dare she say it, a little better.

Gwen was easy to be around. She had one of those faces that calmed and reassured everyone and Teagan was sure that if Gwen had not been here, she wouldn’t be coping half as well. Robert, however, was a different story. She knew his intentions must be good, but they were having the opposite effect and only accentuated what had happened. Ignoring the issues made everything still very much alive, but however much she needed him to, he wouldn’t discuss anything. Worse, he recoiled even if his hand as much as brushed hers.

‘I’m glad you’ve decided to stay.’ Gwen said. ‘It’s nice to have another woman around here.’ She too hadn’t been home and had snapped Jonah’s hand off when he’d offered for her to stay for a while, both to get over her ordeal and also to help with Teagan. Helping this girl had been just the tonic she’d needed, giving her something to focus on other than dwelling on herself.

‘Robert didn’t want to return to his flat, but I have to admit I don’t want to stay here after... after everything,’ Teagan said. ‘Also, I keep telling Robert he should check on his mother. He says he will, but I don’t know... He seems different...’

‘A lot has happened, love, but I’m sure Robert knows what he’s doing,’ Gwen said. She didn’t know much about the state of play with Dulcie Adams – but by the sounds of it, even that was more than Teagan did.

She didn’t want to stop the girl discussing anything, but she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. She’d been briefed that Teagan was to be told as little as possible – especially over the night in question. Robert particularly, was adamant Teagan was to learn nothing about his involvement in Saul’s demise.

Gwen frowned. She understood, but enough lies had been told already and her personal feeling was that the girl shouldn’t be kept in the dark. ‘I don’t want to pry, but are you and Robert... together?’

Teagan