Minding Frankie - Maeve Binchy [122]
“And so Faith is meeting the baby tonight?” Michael asked.
“No, she knows the child already; she goes in to study there, you see. But the baby is out for the night to give them a bit of space, I think.”
“So who’s minding Frankie tonight?” Michael asked. His question was innocent—he was fascinated by this toy town atmosphere, with good Samaritans coming out of every house in the street.
Emily stopped to think.
“It can’t be Lisa. She’s going out with the dreaded Moira. The twins are out on the town. The Carrolls have gone to a butchers’ dinner. Noel’s parents, my uncle Charles and aunt Josie, are in the west … who is minding Frankie?” Emily felt the first constriction of alarm in her chest.
If Noel had been going to bring in someone from outside the circle he would have told them. Moira had been behaving like a Rottweiler at the thought of any new face on the horizon.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll call Noel,” she said, “just to set my mind at rest.”
“You’d interrupt the boy’s first proper date with Faith?” Dr. Hat shook his head. “Think, Emily, she must be somewhere.”
“I have run out of options, Hat—let me call Noel.”
“I only want to say you’ll be annoyed with yourself when it’s all perfectly all right.”
“No. I’ll be able to sleep easy,” she said.
“Noel, I’m so sorry,” she began.
“Is anything wrong, Emily?” He was alert to her tone immediately.
“No, nothing. I was just checking something. Where is Frankie tonight?”
“Lisa took her down to Fiona and Declan’s earlier. I’m having a friend to dinner.”
“To the Carrolls’ house?”
“Is everything all right, Emily?” he asked again.
“Everything’s fine, Noel,” she said and hung up immediately. “You two mind Johnny here. I must have left Frankie in the Carrolls’ house. There was only one baby in the crib.” She was out the door before they could ask any more.
Emily ran down St. Jarlath’s Crescent at a greater speed than she had known to be possible. What had Fiona said? She hadn’t said “babies.” She had said “baby patrol.” Her hand shook as she reached under the flowerpot for the key and opened the door.
“Frankie?” she called as she ran into the house.
There was no sound.
In the kitchen there was a second crib with some of Frankie’s toys in it. Frankie’s buggy was parked beside it. There was no sign of the child. The strength left Emily’s legs, and she sat down on a kitchen chair to support herself.
Someone had let themselves in and taken Frankie.
How could this have happened?
Then the thought struck her.
Of course! Fiona had come back home to check on things. Yes, that must be it.
She ran to Muttie and Lizzie’s house. It was dark and closed. She knew before she started hammering on the door that there was no one there. Now she was really frightened. Fingers starting to shake, she dialed Fiona’s mobile number. As the number connected, she heard a phone start to ring from inside the Scarlet house. It was Fiona’s ring tone—she recognized it. After a few seconds the ringing stopped and she heard the voice-mail message start.
Declan. She had to call Declan.
“Emily?” He answered straightaway. “Is everything all right? Is it the children?”
“Johnny’s fine,” she said straightaway. “He’s asleep on Dr. Hat’s sofa.”
“And Frankie?” Declan suddenly sounded alarmed. “What about Frankie?”
But Emily had already started running.
Chapter Twelve
They tried to be methodical about it but panic overwhelmed them; the list was checked over and over. Signora and Aidan knew nothing about where Frankie was, but would join in any searches. No point in trying to contact Charles and Josie: they were miles away and couldn’t do anything; they’d just go mad with worry. It would be ages before Paddy and Molly would be home from the butchers’ dance. Paddy would be fueled with brandy and good cheer; Molly’s shoes would be too tight. Who could have come into the Carrolls