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‘Oh, Lowen,’ Killian said, sounding exasperated. ‘After everything you’ve seen and learned lately, how can you doubt it when we tell you vampires are real?’
‘But—but vampires!’
‘But—but faeries!’ Killian burst out laughing. ‘Come on, we’ve work to do.’
Still feeling dazed I finished my cornet and followed them as they headed along Pier Road. There was a long queue outside a fish restaurant, and Killian took the photo from me and began asking the people on the pavement and the steps up to the door if they recognised Trinity.
I leaned against the wall and listened as one after the other they denied having seen her. And then…
‘Let me have another look at that.’ A woman with two small children at her side peered over Killian’s shoulder. ‘Yeah, I remember her. Can’t forget that gorgeous red hair. I should be so lucky,’ she said, tugging gloomily at her own frizzy brown locks.
I ran up the steps to join the O’Briens as they asked her eagerly where she’d seen Trinity.
‘It was yesterday in the amusements. Well, little Tyson here wanted to go on the ride outside—do you know it’s a pound a ride now, can you believe it? Anyway, me and Tiffany were waiting for the flipping thing to finish, and this redhead stops and asks me if I’d heard of some nun or other.’ She tilted her head, thinking. ‘Now, what was her name again?’
I opened my mouth to tell her, but Killian put a restraining hand on my arm. Clearly he thought it better that the woman remember herself.
‘Sister Abigail, was it? Something like that, any road. I said to her, “No good asking me, love. I’m a tourist here.” If you ask me she had no chance of finding this woman. Agnes!’ She gave a triumphant cry. ‘That was it. Sister Agnes. Well, I reckon she’d never find her. Streets were full of tourists, you see. Same as today. What do any of us know about who lives here? She was on a hiding to nothing if you ask me.’
‘Strange that you remember her so clearly,’ Aidan said curiously. ‘No one else seems to.’
‘Oh, I remember her all right. Could have killed her, that’s why.’
‘I’m sorry?’ I said, my eyes widening.
‘Well, the bloody ride ended, didn’t it, thank the lord. And I was just about to move off when Tyson starts crying cos he wants another ride. So I said to him, “No good crying to me. I ant got no more money.” I mean, obviously, it was a fib, but I couldn’t make our Tiffany wait while he had another go. It goes on forever and I’ll never get that time back. So what does this redhead go and do? Only gives him a pound coin! He’d shoved it in the slot before I could stop him, and she smiles at me all sweet like, and she says, “You’re welcome.” Welcome? I could have wrung her neck. Although,’ she added hastily, seeing my shocked expression, ‘it was very kind of her really.’
‘I see,’ I said. ‘I don’t suppose you heard her ask anyone else about Sister Agnes? No one gave her any information?’
She shook her head. ‘No. To be honest, she looked tired and fed up. God knows how many people she’d already asked.’
‘Okay,’ I said, my heart heavy with disappointment. ‘Well, thanks anyway.’
We headed back down the steps but before we reached the pavement she called, ‘There was summat else you ought to know, though.’
‘Oh?’ Ignoring the grumbles from the other people on the steps we ran back to her.
She looked around her as if checking no one was listening, which was utterly pointless because everyone within earshot clearly was.
‘There was a man following her,’ she murmured. ‘I saw him, plain as day, and I’m not daft. He was leaning on a wall watching her while she was talking to me. I keep an eye out for these things, you know. I watch true crime programmes on the telly and I’m always on alert. Anyway, he were watching her all right, and when she walked away from me he waited a few moments, then he followed her. And I kept watching her an’ all, right until our Tyson’s ride ended. Well, what else was I supposed to do the way it went on? And he did the same the next time she stopped to ask someone. Leaned on the railings and waited, then followed her again.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Nasty old pervert. He was getting on, you know. White hair. Tall fella but wrinkly as owt. Should have known better at his age.’ Her eyes widened suddenly. ‘You’re not saying he did something to her? I wouldn’t have thought he was still capable.’
‘No,’ I said sadly. ‘He was her friend. He was just protecting her.’
‘Oh. Oh, I see. Funny old stick. Still, I’m glad he wasn’t going to hurt her. I did think about going after her and warning her she was being followed, but Tiffany wanted a candy floss, and since Tyson had had two goes on the ride I could hardly say no, could I?’
‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, about to head disconsolately back down the steps.
‘So was the old woman her friend, too?’
We all exchanged puzzled glances. ‘Sorry?’
She bent down and warned her restless children to be quiet or they wouldn’t get any chips, then straightened again.
‘Well, I did wonder you see. I thought maybe he had a reputation for following young women, cos he was definitely being followed himself, and I thought maybe she was his wife, keeping an eye on him like. Mind, she looked even older than him, if I’m honest,’ she considered.
‘You’re sure she was following him?’ I asked. ‘Certain?’
‘Well…’ She paused. ‘I can’t be a hundred per cent certain, obviously, but it looked that way to me. I thought it was quite funny that the stalker was being stalked himself. I like to people watch, you see. When you’re as skint as I am it’s the only bloody form of entertainment you can afford, let’s face it.’
