‘Oh my God!’ The car almost swerves onto the grass verge as Sandra peers through the swishing wiper blades and sees the flashing blue lights of parked police cars ahead. An officer crosses and uncrosses his arms above his head as a signal for traffic to stop.

‘He’s jumped, he’s jumped!’ Sandra screeches, frantically snatching at her seat belt and leaping from the car, the door left open as she runs past a line of cars towards Ethan’s Bridge.

‘Sandra!’ Jessie calls after her. ’Sandra! Oh God, please don’t let this happen’ she groans and unfastens her own seat belt, feeling the spray of wind driven rain through the open door. ‘Please don’t let her be right’ She hauls herself out of the car, holding the hood of her raincoat tight under her chin as she leans into the wind and tries to follow.

‘Sorry, no one’s allowed through. Go back to your car’. The police officer puts out an arm, catching Sandra as she tries to get past him.

‘Let me go!’

‘There’s no way through. You’ll have to wait and turn round. Follow the vehicle in front of you’

‘My husband!’ Sandra shouts ‘I need to see’ She struggles against the man’s grip.

‘Sandra, come on. You’ll do no good like this’ Jessie gasps as the wind takes her breath away.

‘I want to see!’

‘Nothing to see, please return to your car.’ The officer draws Sandra to one side as a van at the head of the waiting line of traffic manoeuvres into a gateway and starts to reverse in order to turn.

‘Is he down there. Is he? Tell me! Is he down there?’ Sandra’s voice rises hysterically.

‘I wouldn’t know that, madam, we’re looking at the situation now’

‘Can you at least tell us what the situation is?’ Jessie asks, turning her back to the wind. ‘Please. This lady’s husband is missing’

‘I see’. The officer appreciates the more rational question. ‘No. Nobody hurt if that’s what you’re getting at. There’s been a landslip. All this blasted rain!’ He blows a drip from the end of his nose.

Sandra’s knees buckle and she falls in an untidy heap on the road.

‘Oh flipping heck!’ Jessie and the police officer crouch next to her. ‘Sandra?’ She gives her cheek a series of gentle slaps. ‘Come on’

After a few moments, Sandra’s eyes flicker open and she gazes at Jessie uncomprehendingly before starting to cry.

‘It’s ok. Tim’s not down there. Nobody is.’

‘You say her husband’s missing?’ The officer asks.

‘Not exactly missing’ Jessie replies ‘not like a missing person sort of missing, we just don’t know where he is’

‘Ah’ He helps Sandra to sitting. ‘Take it easy.’ The rain drips off the peak of his cap and onto the bright fluorescent yellow of his waterproof trousers as he sits back on his haunches. ‘If he came this way, he would’ve been turned back and sent along Manor Road, okay?’

‘She was more concerned that…’ Jessie rolls her eyes and makes a diving motion with her hands behind Sandra’s back.

‘Hmmm’ he grimaces and looks down at Sandra. ‘Let’s get you back to the car shall we? Best you don’t drive for a while’

‘I’ve got to get to Woodbury!’ Sandra protests.

‘Then best you get the bus’ he answers mildly. ‘You be able to get back home or shall I get hold of someone for you?’

‘Oh, I can get us there’ Jessie says confidently ‘but…’ she sighs ‘I am pretty hopeless at these three point turn things. I don’t suppose….’ She tilts her head and smiles persuasively.

The police officer looks at the traffic building up behind Sandra’s car and behind him to the people milling around at the bridge. ‘Oh, come on then’ He helps Sandra to her feet and, supporting her by her arm starts to walk towards the car.

‘Cor, hang on a bit’ Jessie grumbles, pushing herself up. ‘Talk about the age of chivalry being dead’

‘Sorry?’ The officer turns, screwing his face against the lashing rain ‘You’ll have to shout!’

‘I said…Oh, it doesn’t matter. I’ll wait here, shall I? Then we can just change places’

The officer nods and points, Jessie gives him the thumbs up sign and walks to the middle of the road. She waits while he turns the car around and pulls up next to her.

‘Thanks ever so much. You are kind’ she says as he gets out. She smiles and gets into the driver’s seat, giving the ashen-faced Sandra a glance before turning back to him. ‘She’ll be fine once I get her home. Thank you, dear. Bye bye’ She pulls the door to and takes a deep breath, her eyes flitting from the fascia board to the gear shift and down to the pedals. Grinning at him through the window, she fastens her seat belt and gives him a cheery wave.

‘Hold onto your hat!’

Barleyfield Way, Milliwick

Chapter Seven

Manor Road, Milliwick

‘Here we go!’ Jessie says proudly ‘Nearly home’

‘I didn’t even know you drove’ Sandra lifts her head from where it leans against the side window, still looking wan but more alert.

‘I don’t’

‘You don’t?’ Sandra looks aghast ‘So you’re driving…with no licence…no insurance…and you’ve…’

‘Never driven before in my life! These automatic things are really good aren’t they? Bit like the dodgems. I think I might get me one’

‘I thought you were going slowly because of the rain. I thought perhaps you couldn’t see too well’

‘I was really glad he left the engine and the wipers going’ Jessie says with a giggle and a hunch of the shoulders ‘it was easy then. Ooooh this is fun!’

‘Jessie!’ Sandra starts to panic.

‘Look! It was either me do it or having to send for a taxi or something and we’d’ve got even wetter…and then there would be getting the car back…and it was in the way! I've watched George drive often enough’ she says dismissively 'I know what I'm doing'

‘But…’

‘It was his fault…that policeman!’ Jessie concludes with a huff ‘He should’ve asked to see my licence shouldn’t he?….Mind you, I’d have done the sweet little old lady thing and told him I kept in the glove box of my own car…and pleaded it was an emergency…told him you always chucked up after fainting and his boots were far too shiny to let that happen’

Sandra heaves a sigh. ‘You’d better pull over and let me drive’

‘I’m not stopping now. We’re nearly there!’

‘Life certainly isn’t dull with you around is it?’ she says flatly.

‘It’s taken your mind off things a bit, I know that much. It wasn’t as though it was far but I didn’t think it was very nice of those cars to toot at me though. Always in a rush! I think I’m doing very well’ she pouts. ‘You’ll have to tell me what to do when I need to stop’

‘Brake, put it in park and turn the engine off’ Sandra sits forward, truly nervous now.

‘Shush…I’m turning’ Jessie grips the steering wheel tightly and eases her way into Orchard Close

‘Indicate!’

‘Dunno where they are…’

‘STOP!’ Sandra shouts.

‘But I’m not there yet’

‘Stop!’ Sandra says again, scrambling to get the door open ‘Oh God, oh God…it’s Tim’s car!’

38 Orchard Avenue

Jessie turns off the engine, leaving the car and hurrying along the pavement towards Sandra’s house and up the front path.

‘Sandra?’ She looks through the open door and steps into the hall ‘I’ll leave the car there, shall I?’

‘He’s not here!’ Sandra stands at the top of the stairs ‘He’s not here, I’ve looked…but his car…his car’s here’

‘Now then! Don’t start getting all worked up again. There’s got to be an explanation. Come on. I’ll make you a nice cuppa while you get out of those wet clothes and we’ll have another little think. He can’t have gone far, can he?’

‘I don’t know! Why’s his car here…when he’s not?’

‘I don’t know, do I? Go and get changed before you catch your death’

Sandra hesitates, hopping from one foot to the other before disappearing into her bedroom.

Jessie walks through to the kitchen, setting her bag on the table, removing her sodden raincoat and draping it over the back of a chair before lifting the kettle from its base and taking it to the tap to fill.

‘Oh!’ She slowly puts the kettle down on the draining board and turns from the window. Collecting her coat and handbag, she returns to the hall as Sandra bounds down the stairs.

‘I’ve laid out a jumper and a pair of trousers for you too. They should fit’

‘No..no…I’m going home now’

‘But…you can’t walk home in this! I’ll run you back once we’ve warmed up a little’

‘I’ll ring for a taxi’ Jessie lays her hand on Sandra’s arm ‘You need to look outside’ She kisses her cheek ‘Remember how you felt when you thought he’d gone, ok?’ she says softly.

‘He’s here?’ Sandra puts a trembling hand to her mouth, pausing only momentarily before pushing past.