Page 94 of Strangers in Time

“A nurse auxiliary.” She explained to him about her medical experiences in Leiston.

He shook his head. “My goodness, Molly, to do that sort of work at such a young age. I’ve never heard of another such case as that. And the way you dealt with that injured man? It’s remarkable, truly.”

“Young peoplearecapable of a great deal if the need is there,” she replied with spirit.

“Quite so, yes.”

“And you must write that letter to Matron Tweedy tonight.”

“I promise that I shall.”

After a considerable walk resulting in tired, pinched feet, they reached Dapleton Terrace. Inquiries made within to several of the residents revealed that not a single one had seen Charlie since his grandmother had been taken away. They also learned that while the flat had been let, the new tenants had not moved in as yet.

They walked up the stairs and down the hall to Charlie’s old home.

She glanced at him. “You never told me how you knew where Charlie lived.”

“I dropped off something for him. Something he had lost near my shop. It included this address. But I have not been inside. Have you been here before?”

“Yes, once when Charlie and I went on a picnic, and a second time when we came looking for the book that you gave him. He had accidentally left it behind.”

“I see. And this Lonzo chap nicked it, you said?”

“Yes.”

The door was unlocked and they quietly entered. Oliver snicked on a light, and the feeble illumination allowed them to look around.

Molly showed him the cupboard where Charlie had his bed box.

Oliver stood there for a few moments looking down at the compartment that was barely large enough for a toddler much less a lad Charlie’s age.

In Gran’s bedroom Molly saw the photograph on the wall. “Surely, he would want that.”

“Yes,” said Oliver, drawing closer. “They look to be his parents.”

He took the photograph off the wall and slid it into his coat pocket.

“I would imagine his grandmother had a purse or some such,” said Molly. “But I don’t see it anywhere. Or the ration books. I should have thought to look for them when I came here with Charlie the last time, but he was so upset about Lonzo taking his book that it never occurred to me.”

“I’m afraid that both her purse and the ration books are long gone by now.”

“Do you think he could have gone back to where I lived?”

“There would be no reason to. He obviously already went there to search through the rubble and found the items he left at the shop.”

“He did mention that Lonzo had been, well, expelled by the families that took him.”

“Where did he live, then?”

“Charlie never said.”

He looked around despondently. “I’m afraid, Molly, that unless we are quite fortunate indeed, we might very well have to wait for Charlie to return to us.”

Her face fell. “But what if he never does? What if he tries to join the army, like Lonzo?”

“Charlie would know that would be impossible. This Lonzo might have been able to pass as a young man of volunteer age, but Charlie simply cannot.”

They found a bus that would take them back to Covent Garden. When Molly had admonished him over the price of the tickets he said, “I’m tired, my feet are very sore, as I’m sure yours are, and I still have to make my air warden rounds tonight. And you are goingto work in the morning. And I have a letter to write for you. And then I have another letter to write.”

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