Page 113 of The Impossible Fortune
‘Do you have the CCTV from today?’ Joyce asks.
‘Today? Sure,’ says Joanna. ‘What are you looking for?’
‘The strangest thing,’ says Joyce. ‘Ron went to open the safe today with Connie Johnson …’
‘Connie Johnson?’ Joanna raises an eyebrow to Paul, and he raises both of his at her.
‘Long story,’ says Joyce. ‘He insisted. But they’ve both gone missing. I don’t suppose the cameras caught them leaving? We’re worried about Ron.’
Joanna types in today’s date. ‘What sort of time?’
‘They went in at two-ish,’ says Joyce. ‘So any time after half two.’
Paul starts scrolling through, and Joanna senses an opportunity. ‘While we’re doing this, Mum, could you do me a favour? See the button on your big remote control, not the small remote control, the big one? Find the button with two parallel lines on it, and press it for me?’
‘Oh, that’s worked,’ says Joyce. ‘It wasn’t working earlier.’
‘That was the button you were pressing?’
‘I could swear,’ says Joyce.
‘Glad we could fix it without a big, strong man having to step in,’ says Joanna.
And, as she does so, she sees Ron and Connie Johnson walk out of the lodge. They disappear around the side of the building, and Paul switches cameras. They embrace – Ron Ritchie and Connie Johnson of all people – and then the two of them set off in different directions.
‘They left at three, Mum, I’ve just seen them,’ says Joanna.
‘Then where on earth is Ron?’ says Joyce. ‘Did it look like he was being kidnapped?’
‘It did not,’ says Paul. ‘It looked like they were in cahoots.’
‘Oh, that’s a lovely word,’ says Joyce. ‘That’s a very Paul word. Where were they both off to?’
‘Let’s find out, shall we?’ says Joanna. ‘We’re coming down to see you.’
‘Oh, goodie,’ says Joyce. ‘I’ve got shopping tomorrow morning, but I’ll be around from lunchtime.’
‘We’re coming down now, Mum,’ says Joanna.
‘But I go to bed at nine thirty,’ says Joyce.
‘Not tonight you don’t,’ says Joanna. ‘We’ll see you in an hour.’
‘Goodness,’ says Joyce. This was worth missing the price of Victorian pornography. ‘What should I tell Elizabeth?’
‘Tell her that Joyce and Joanna Meadowcroft are in town,’ says Joanna.
‘Ooh,’ says Joyce.
‘And Paul,’ says Paul.
‘And Paul,’ agrees Joanna. ‘And tell her we’re all going to see Davey Noakes.’
65
Has she been at her absolute best? She worked out the Jamie Usher angle eventually, but other than that? No, Elizabeth has to concede that she has not.
Is that understandable? Yes. She is old, she is rusty, she is grief-stricken.
