The Sister(202)

For a full thirty seconds, she didn’t utter a sound. Agitated by some inner turmoil, she suddenly looked anxious.

Freed from the encumbrance of habit, her own voice unfamiliar, she spoke, ‘Why did you say would have been pleased to see me back again?’

‘Oh, Kathy.’ Stella told her the whole story. When she’d finished, she reached for her sister’s hand. Then Kathy screamed. Stella immediately embraced her, pulling her head in tight to her breast.

A bull-necked, shaven-headed man, ears adorned by thick gold-hoop earrings approached. Two women appeared, behind him craning their necks around his shoulders to get a better view. A further group of onlookers gathered, pushing forwards.

‘What’s going on here?’ He glowered at Miller and without taking his eyes off him, turned his head slightly towards Kathy. ‘Did he hurt you, lovey?’

Stella whispered soothing words, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Miller stayed seated and spoke softly, ‘Twenty-three years ago; this poor woman was kidnapped, and as you can see, she’s still traumatised. We don’t need any kind of scene.’ The murmuring fell into a hush. He shifted his gaze from the man and glanced over the faces of the small pack beyond his shoulders. ‘I know how it looks, but we are taking her to get specialist help just outside Edinburgh. You can all go back to your seats now.’

‘Oh God,’ one of the women cried, ‘it’s that poor lass who was on the news a few weeks ago. They thought she was dead.’ Faces filled with sympathy and heads bobbed around, trying to get a better look at her. The man relaxed his stance. ‘I’m sorry; I’m no' one to stand by, y'know?’ He shrugged.

‘That’s okay,’ Miller said. The man lingered for a moment, perhaps wondering if there were anything he could do, he turned and ushered everyone behind him back their seats. ‘Good luck wi' that,’ he said over his shoulder.





The train reached Waverley just after lunchtime. Kathy still wore a troubled expression. Stella watched her carefully, and kept her between herself and Miller as they traipsed out of the station on legs still stiff from the journey. Once outside, as they were about to get in a taxi, Miller’s mobile rang and he gestured for them to wait, while he turned his back to the wind so he could hear better. It was Tanner.

‘I called at the hospital to interview Kathy, and she’s not there. And you know why? Because she’s with you. What the hell do you think you’re playing at, running off with my witness? You had better get back with her, right now!’

‘John, we cleared it with the hospital. I’m sorry you were inconvenienced, you should have called Marshall. Besides, she isn’t up to a police interrogation at the moment. She’s here with us because we’re helping her. You can wait.’

‘Miller, I don’t think you understood me—’

‘We’re back tomorrow; you either wait or come up here.’ He snapped his phone shut.

‘Can you believe that?’ He turned and found Stella on the kerb, on her hands and knees.

‘Jesus, Stella. Are you okay?’ He helped her to her feet.

‘She jumped me! I can’t believe it. My own sister jumped me!’

‘Did you see where she went?’

‘No, it all happened so fast.’

‘Don’t worry, we’ll find her. She can’t get far without any money.’

‘She’s taken my handbag,’ she said, her face grim.

Together, they looked in all directions. No sight of her. They spotted an elderly man at the rank and rushed over to him. ‘Did you see a woman, dark hair … no, half grey. Scar on her lip, dressed in a black, hooded tracksuit?’

‘Did she have the hood up or down?’ the old man said. ‘I didn’t see any face, but someone dressed in black with a hood up, just jumped in that taxi over there.’ He pointed down the street.

‘Stella, quick, she’s in that cab!’

They dove into the next one, brushing aside a young couple who were about to get in. Once inside, the doors locked. Outside, the man banged on the windows, protesting.

The driver sat up abruptly, holding up a two-pound coin he’d retrieved from his footwell. ‘Thought I'd lost that!’ he said gleefully. ‘What’s all the commotion?’

‘Follow that cab,’ Miller said. ‘I’ll explain as we go.’

‘Where to?’ the driver asked with a shrug.

Miller exchanged exasperated glances with Stella. ‘Just follow it and there’s a nice drink in it for you if you catch up with them.’

The driver gunned the engine. They began to gain ground. Kathy watched them anxiously through the rear window. The next set of traffic lights turned red. Forced to stop, they watched the car disappear from view.

‘Come on!’ Stella bounced impatiently on her seat.

Seconds later, the lights changed.

They'd lost her.

‘What now?’ The driver asked.

‘Keep going,’ Miller said. ‘How far does this road go south?’ Not waiting for an answer, he turned to Stella and said, ‘How much money do you have in your purse?’

‘You don’t think she’s trying to get back to London?’

‘No, I just think she’s trying to get away. How much have you got?’