The Brightlings

8. And then, there were three...

When the evening finally arrives, it rocks up in a spectacular fashion. The heavens open, and the rain begins to thrash the earth harder than it has on any previous occasion that summer. The roof tiles are rattling, the driveway is quickly becoming a swamp, and the meagre crop of apples are getting washed off the trees in the orchard. And then, in the midst of the deluge, there is a loud knock at the front door. Cookie, already wearing his full Beaver uniform, gets there first.

"Hello young man. I don't suppose your Mummy is home, is she?"

Without responding, Cookie darts back into the lounge, leaving two soggy looking police officers huddled together on the doorstep, wondering if they are invited in.

"Mum! Mum! There's the police at our front door!"

Felix is about to begin further investigating the contents of the box that he found in the attic, when his ears catch on to the police presence in the cottage. He nervously heads down to join Lucy in the hallway as she leaves the kitchen, still wearing her apron. Her face is as white as chalk. She looks to the officers, and then looks back at him, tilting her head slightly as she adopts a disappointed glare.

"Oh Felix, not again. What have you done now?"

Felix tenses as he eyes the two uniformed figures.

What have I done? Surely not the library? It was just a photocopy...

"May we come in, Mrs. Swift?" says the lanky male officer, who wears a serious expression and a small, well-groomed moustache underneath a sharp nose.

"Yes, yes... sorry. I suppose you had better come in. What has he done now? I'm so sorry....."

"No need to be sorry. We're not here about your son, Mrs. Swift," says the short, cheery female officer, as she removes her hat to reveal an immaculately straight fringe.

Lucy looks sick with worry.

"Go up to your room and play Cookie."

"Aw, but mu....

"Now!" she snaps.

Cookie trudges up the stairs in a huff to the smallest bedroom, off the first landing.

Once they are all seated in the lounge, the officers introduce themselves as Sergeant Mellor and Constable Smiley. And then with no further delay to the proceedings, they inform Lucy and Felix that Alan's car has been found abandoned in a field.

Lucy's hands begin to tremble as the officers continue to explain that they have been investigating a call that their operator received in the early hours of the previous morning. Then, this afternoon, a local rambler had phoned to complain about a car that had been been dumped in a field. Only when they found Alan's car up on the hillside, it didn't look like it had been stolen or dumped. Aside from the items on the ground next to it, it looked like it had been parked.

"When joyriders take a car into a field, it usually involves a bit more off-road driving," states Sergeant Mellor, without a hint of humour to his tone.

He then takes a dictaphone from his pocket, and he plays Felix and Lucy the recording of the call. There is a lot of interference, and they all lean towards the little speaker, straining to hear the voices.

"Emergency, which service do you require?"

"Hello... yes... police plea...."  

"Please hold the line..... (click).... Hello, police. How can we help you?"

"Hi, erm.... well, I'm not sure if you can help me....I need to repor...omething .......just seen. I... I've jus... een something flying... fields just outside... Brightling."