Page 39 of Lessons in Love at the Cornish Country Hospital

‘I know we will, and the woman who has him…’ Charlie shook his head again. ‘I don’t know, she was gentle, and warm, the way she looked at the baby. I’m sure she wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. I just wish to God I hadn’t trusted her, I should have realised.’

‘How could you have done? I’m so sorry, Charlie, what I said was unforgiveable.’ No medication on earth could have held back the tears that were now streaming down Danni’s face. ‘None of this is your fault, I was just so scared.’

‘I know, me too, but like the police officer said, they’ve got the best team working on this and they’ll find him.’ As Charlie pulled her closer, she saw her phone on the unit by the bed light up, as a call from Esther came in. She was the first person Danni had messaged about the baby’s disappearance, but she hadn’t been able to speak to her. She couldn’t face saying the words out loud. Except now she needed to hear that Esther believed the same as Charlie, that they would get the baby back. Breaking free from Charlie’s embrace, she snatched up the phone.

‘Hello.’

‘Oh, thank God, I’ve been frantic since I got your message.’ Esther was breathless, her words coming out in a rush.

‘I’m sorry, I?—’

‘Don’t be, I can’t even imagine, but I’m calling because we might know who it is. When I messaged the others to let them know what had happened, Gary called me straight back. Chloe has gone missing and she’s stolen Wendy’s hospital pass.’

‘Chloe?’ As Danni repeated the name, she tried to process what it might mean. She knew about Chloe losing her own son, and it suddenly made sense why she’d looked so familiar to Charlie, because he’d met her briefly at Wendy and Gary’s bonfire night party. Although she must have tried to disguise her appearance, because she hadn’t been blonde then.

‘Wendy and Gary are trying everything they can to find her, and they’ve let the police know too. I just wanted to make sure you knew what was happening. They’ll bring him back, Danni, I know they will.’

‘Thank you.’ In the end she hadn’t needed to ask Esther the question, and a sliver of hope pushed out a tiny bit of the fear. It wasn’t just because Esther had said what she’d so desperately needed to hear, it was because the baby was almost certainly with Chloe. Somehow, the fact that it wasn’t a complete stranger made it a little bit easier to believe it would all be okay and hope was the only currency they had right now.

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Wendy had never been as scared as she was in the hours after discovering that Chloe had gone missing and that in all likelihood she had Danni and Charlie’s baby boy with her. Part of her hadn’t wanted the girls to know what was going on, but she needed their help to find Chloe. There’d have been no way to keep it from them even if they’d tried, because it was already over social media after the police appeal for information went out, and CCTV images of Chloe wearing a blonde wig and pushing a laundry trolley out of the hospital were released. The trolley must have been how she’d got the baby all the way out without being questioned. The police said they were trying to track the woman’s movements using other CCTV in the area, but they’d also asked the public to be alert and call with any information that might be useful. Everyone would be looking for Chloe, and Wendy was terrified of what that might drive her to do. She couldn’t imagine any scenario in which she’d hurt Danni and Charlie’s baby, but it was all too easy to picture a situation in which she might hurt herself.

Zara had come straight home from college after Wendy had messaged her, and she’d been able to access Chloe’s phone,because she knew the passcode. By the time Alice had made the drive back from university, almost three hours had passed since the baby’s disappearance, and Wendy and Zara had gone through as many messages and as much of the search history in Chloe’s phone as they could. Gary had been out driving around looking for her. He’d even gone back to the house she’d shared with Mike, who’d predictably been no use at all.

‘“I told everyone she was a psycho.” Can you believe that’s what he actually said?’ Gary was incredulous when he got back to the house. ‘A woman he claimed to have loved, and who has just lost his child, is missing. And all he wants to do is use that to try and prove he’s not the arsehole.’

‘There’s far too much evidence that says he is.’ Alice dropped her bag on to the table as she came into the kitchen.

‘I’m sorry, love, I never meant for you to hear that, I shouldn’t have said it.’ Gary shot her an apologetic look.

‘Yes, you should, because it’s true.’ As she turned towards Wendy, it was obvious she’d been crying. ‘You don’t think she’ll hurt herself, do you?’

‘I really hope not.’ Wendy held her arms out towards her older daughter, hugging her close, just as she’d done with Zara. She didn’t want to lie to the girls and pretend there were any guarantees, because they’d been lied to by their father far too many times already. They also needed to understand just how urgent it was to find Chloe, and not just for the baby’s sake. ‘When was the last time you spoke to her?’

‘I called her last night and she seemed so much more upbeat.’ Alice pulled back from Wendy as Zara came into the room and immediately moved towards Gary, who put an arm around her. The girls had the kind of built-in safety net Chloe had never had, and Wendy’s heart ached to think that she’d have no one to reach out to, even if she realised she’d made a terrible mistake.

‘What did she say?’

‘That she was working out how to get back to her happy place again, and that it was only a matter of time before she got there.’

Zara’s mouth suddenly dropped open. ‘Oh my God, I think I know where she might be. She posted a picture on Instagram a little while ago. I’ll show you.’

Zara scrolled on her phone as the four of them gathered close, finding the post she’d been talking about. There was a caption underneath the photograph of a woman and a little girl, both grinning broadly at the camera, with afternoon tea spread out in front of them.

Throwback Thursday! Me and my mama in my happy place, at the last birthday celebration I ever had with her. High standards, even at seven! #BirthdayTea #Love #Family @TheSistersofAgnesIslandHotel

‘When Chloe and Dad got engaged, the first thing she said was that she wanted to get married there, because it was the place her mum always took her to when they were celebrating special occasions.’ Zara looked at Wendy. ‘I really think it might be where she’s gone.’

‘That doesn’t make any sense if she wants to get away with the baby.’ Even as Wendy said the words a sudden realisation hit her. ‘But maybe getting away was never the point, maybe she just wanted to share something with her baby that she hadn’t had since she lost her own mum. That might be all she wants to do.’

‘But he’s not her baby.’ Gary’s tone was gentle, but firm. ‘And as sad as we all feel for Chloe and everything she’s been through, Danni and Charlie are going through hell every second their little boy is missing.’

‘I know, I just hope to God that Chloe is there.’ Wendy dropped a kiss on Zara’s forehead. ‘Well done, sweetheart, youdid brilliantly remembering the photograph. But you need to wait here with Alice, while Gary and I go and see if she’s there.’

‘I’m not staying here.’ Alice had folded her arms across her chest, even before her younger sister responded.

‘Neither am I. They’re going to arrest Chloe, aren’t they?’ Tears filled Zara’s eyes again as Wendy nodded. ‘I need to see her first, to tell her that whatever has happened I still love her and that she’s not going to be on her own.’

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