MISSING

MISSING  By Tessa Harvey The man was physically fitter. He could easily wait her out. It was beginning to rain.     Angel thought back to when she had followed Ryan after her soaking in the river. She had had no idea he lived alone nor that his mental capacity was so limited. Angel had tried hard to tell him she belonged to a family, but her jailer had just shaken his head, bewildered.     He had found her. She belonged to him now. It was that simple - and to her, that terrible.     Light was fading with hope. The young woman called out in loneliness and despair and suddenly heard an answering shout, and the wavering light of bright torches.     She cried out again, this time in hope. How she had longed for light throughout her beleagured nights, that had seemed so endless. Muttering, Ryan shuffled away, afraid and annoyed.     Then Angel heard Gabe's voice. She cried out again in joy. She saw that he looked terrible, but he was cli...

MISSING   By Tessa Harvey Steve almost forgot to phone the police, then groaned, wishing he had. Finally, he called.     He was put through to the detective, expecting to be politely told "no deal." Dreams and so on were not evidence. But James was very interested. "Do you think I could talk to your daughter?" he asked, cautiously. "I won't be in uniform and the car is unmarked. A policewoman will accompany me. Of course, you will be present."     They arranged a time after school. -----------------------------------------      Angel checked around her prison one more time. This was bizarre, unreal. She shook her head. All this because she had disagreed with Gabe about what to have for tea - as if it mattered. It's the little foxes that spoil the grapes, she thought. No way out.     She had looked endlessly, minutely for three days round and around the barn. "God, help me," she cried, sinking to her knees on the dusty straw-laden floor. ...

MISSING   By Tessa Harvey "God," Lisa prayed, "please help me not to keep seeing that dead lady's face. Please God!" Then she pulled up the bedcovers and soon fell asleep.     She was dreaming. There was a river and she was walking along. The grass was very green. She thought of Psalm 23 - He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Primroses were blooming along a grey drystone wall. She sniffed their faint, lovely scent.     A woman was walking ahead of her. There was a wild daffodil blooming low on the river bank. The woman reached for it, then was distracted by some very bright shiny yellow flowers. Lisa saw they were kingcups.     The woman slid on the wet bank and fell into the river. The young girl was too far away to reach her, but then a man was shambling towards her. There was something odd about the way he moved, but he pulled the woman safely out. She was shivering and trembling. Clouds were covering the sun, a cool wind was springing up. The...

MISSING   By Tessa Harvey But, as he recalled all these details he had been striving so hard to subdue, to obliterate, something struck him hard. The dress was long-sleeved. The colours were the same, but the dress was not.     Gabe ran upstairs and opened his wife's wardrobe. Right there hung the short-sleeved dress he remembered, in swirls and patterns of red, blue and yellow - but the colours were different shades!! He had not wanted to remember his wife's dead face so he had not looked properly, and the young constable had not thought to question him more fully.     The pastor's mind went back to the last day his wife had walked out, angry because they had quarelled.     Suddenly he remembered!! Angel had worn bright sky blue jeans and white top!! So where was she? And who was the drowned lady? Was Angel still alive? His heart was beating so fast, he felt faint and sat down. Then his shaking fingers flitted over his iPad.  --------------------...

MISSING   By Tessa Harvey The latter put his hands over his eyes and broke into terrible tearing sobs. His whole body shook.  "Oh no," he cried, "why now? We have been hoping for this for several years. Oh God, why? This is so not fair!"     The police stayed until the man was more settled, then left. Blanche was upset. The missing woman had been pregnant, the foetus so young she probably was not even sure herself.     Mind wandering, Blanche wondered why on earth her parents had named the woman Angel. God and angels were for the policewoman a distant mystery. She did not want to know more. Life did indeed seem very unfair.     At least the man had seemed honest, thought Blanche, remembering the high-ranking church leader on television smoothly protesting his innocence of any crime. To her, he had seemed very guilty. She wondered about the young man they had visited. How much had he contributed to his wife's death? And why had she gone missing in ...

MISSING   By Tessa Harvey Gabe scowled as he opened his front door. Despite herself, Blanche, the junior police officer found herself stepping back slightly. Her mother had told her once of visiting a vicar. He had opened his door with a pleasant smile, wearing dark colours and a very white dog collar. Next to him had sat a smug-looking cat, black with a white neck patch! She had told the story, saying she had found it so hard not to giggle at the time.     At the back of her mind, Blanche realised she had been expecting someone similar. Maybe not the cat - but certainly someone meek and mild. But, this man was definitely not gentle, or meek or even mild for that matter. His jeans and tee shirt looked rumpled and none too clean.  And no one could ever assume that he was anything but very hostile.     Smoothly, James stepped forward and seemingly unperturbed, introduced them both.     "Why are you police back?" demanded the youngish man. "Is it bec...